On Saturday, I took a couple of hours to attend the NJ State Quilt Convention.  It was a terrific show and if you’re in the area next year, you should try to attend (or at least enter something).   I couldn’t take photos of everything but I did take pics of some of the quilts that caught my eye.    I hope you enjoy the tour….

Which one is YOUR favorite?

This quilt is named Fairies at the Bottom of my Garden by Joyce Hughes of Warminster PA.  It reminds me of that Fairy quilt book that came out last year by that European woman (can’t remember her name).   The work that went into this is amazing.   While it’s not exactly my quilting taste, it totally captured my imagination, and it works on so many levels.

I love the pastels in this quilt, Spring Awakening by Diane Colucci or Raway, NJ (I love super big quilts, too)

The name of this beauty  (it won Viewer’s Choice) is Pepto Bismal by Anna Macaluso of Totowa NJ. You should see the quilting on this baby which Anna also did.

   Psychedellic Storm by Patricia Saklas of Wall Township, NJ (I got hit by a truck there once!  No, really, I did!)

This one is called A Little Bit of American History by Susan McDermott of Warren NJ.   I loved the traditional feel of this quilt and the scrappy colors.  I was just really drawn to it.  No ribbon. 

Now this was a funny one.  I spoke with the maker, Carol Vansickle, who found the background for this quilt at Keepsake Fabrics.   It’s hard to tell in the photo but it was a melon colored, salmon!   Really unusual but it really worked for the quilt. I loved that she used something so off base for the background of this very traditional star and the fact that the color was an off, unexpected color, it gave the whole quilt an genuine antique look.    The Quilt is called, Star Found in a Box Under the Stairs in Elk Mound Wisconsin!  LOL    

  This is called Fun Color-Go-Round by Barbara Brown Esserman.  I loved the movement.  

I love this letter quilt.  It didnt’ win a ribbon but it won my admiration.  I love the graphic nature of it and the black and white letters with the cream colored, “family” written in it.  By Mary Vaughan of Mountain Lakes, NJ (Evan used to go to school there),  there are 28 family names hand appliqued into the quilt.  It was a Quilting by the Lake 2007 project for Mary.   I LOVE IT!

   This bright beaut is called the Harvest Quilter’s Friendship Quilt by my buddy Karen Goeggler and the Harvest Quilters.   It is breathtakingly bright.   Karen is quite an artist in her own right.

My buddy from Kindred Quilts, Linda Wood (who happens to be just shy of 100) made this prize winning quilt (above)  Its from a Judy Neimeyer pattern but it’s done perfectly and won a ribbon for the old girl!

I’m so bummed because my cameara was out of focus for this terrifc quilt.   It is by Judith Baymiller and it’s called, Awakening.   I just loved it and her use of color was sensational.   Lot’s of Kaffe fabric. 

This is a striking quilt…but I think it’s a redo of the original that’s hanging in Liza Lucy’s kitchen!   It’s a Piece O Cake Design and it fabulous.  It was made by Joan Nell of Freehold, NJ and is called Pinwheels, of course. 

This was another of my favorites that didnt’ win a thing.   It was made by Sylvia Keating of Point Pleasant, NJ.  The colors are brilliant and the photos do it no justice.  

Can you tell I was attracted to brights?   Love this one too, by Denise Fox of Collingswood NJ.  It called NJ Beauty.  You go girl! 

My buddy Barb Vedder (remember her from an earlier blog?) made this quilt.   She’s the Miss Thang who won all of the prizes at the luncheon while wearing her faux Missoni top.

This quilt was inspired by the Kaffe Fassett book Quits from the Victoria and Albert.   I love this quilt.  Totally love it.   She called it:  Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

This was one of two of my friend Dot’s quilts that were entered before she passed away last week.  Our friend Gloria brought a pot of flowers from our guild and a note of Dot’s passing.  

  This is teacher/designer Merry May along with one of her stenciled then quilted quilts.   Love the technique.  

   Here’s another very traditional quilt that rocked my world.   It was done by Renee Pearlman from New Fairfield, CT.  Love the use of color! No ribbon

The two quilts above are ribbon winners by Anna Faustino of North Arlington, NJ .  First of all, I love her (and she’s really pretty) but her work speaks for itself.  She’s is definately one to keep your eye out for.  She’s a superstar!  

  This is Debbie Stanley (show co-chair) with one of her famous vests!  

If you were at Fall Market in Houston last year you might remember these from the booth.   They were designed and embellished by my good friend, Catherine Ravera from my Katmandu line — AND THEY WON A RIBBON!  

   Here’s another one from Catherine.  She oozes talent and has had her work shown all around the world! 

I love blue and yellow quilts and this is no exception.  It’s by Jane Greak and its’ another Harvest Quilter’s Friendship Quilt.  I have to meet these Harvest Quilters.

  Yellow and blue called Moonlight and roses. Constance  Kawalec  of Sayreville NJ made this quilt

This is a great applique quilt.  Really big.  It is called Stars in my Garden (a Piece O Cake design) by Fran Gillesheimer and Carol Lauterbach of Whiting, NJ  

  Helen brought me a gift last year from her China visit (a bone tool used for turning tubes of fabric) and was upset that I didn’t thank her for it.   I never got it!  She explained that she had left it for me at the end of last year’s quilt convention.   Just then, a buddy who was listening in said “Was it in a yellow envelope?”

Lo and behold.  They found it THIS YEAR in the quilt show supplies and brought it out to me which I unwrapped in front of her!   See, I have a brain like Swiss Cheese but you never know! 

  This is my dear, dear, friend and long armmer to the stars, Janice Jamison!  She teaches at MQX!   And HERE”S some dirt:  Janice is a cousin of Al Reynolds – Yup, the Star Jones EX!  Sweet!

 I love this quilt of the two girls.  I was surprised the it didn’t win anything.  It’s called Wish Upon an Autumn Star.   I love fall and I love autumn colors so I guess that’s why I’m so drawn to this piece.  It’s by Raina Lynn-Knapp of Westwood NJ (one of my favorite little Jersey towns — I’ll have to take you there one day).

  This is my buddy Brian.  He is the grandson of a quilting buddy of mine.  I was teasing him that next year I expect him to make his own quilt, like his sister Alyssa, and have it hung, along with all of the other quilts, at the show.   He agreed. 

So, when he found out that there was a kid’s section for quilt making he insisted that he make his own quilt.  He did!  Then he went flying around the convention center to find me.   This kid has just so much personality that he never fails to make me laugh and smile.   I think he is the greatest.   He was so proud of his quilt made with kitty cat fabric. 

On the left is Brian’s sister, Alyssa who stands under the quilt that she made.  She also made her dress.

        This daisy quilt was made by my other buddy Destiny Dighton!   She did it all by herself and won a second place ribbon!

   Brian took me very seriously and rushed to get his “quilt” hung in the show. ”Right here!  Hang it here!” he kept saying!   I LOVE that kid!  LOLOL

  This beauty was done by my friend, guild mate and small sewing circle mate, Gloria Dighton of Long Valley.    It is stupendous in person. 

If you click on these images you’ll see her embellishment and maybe the silks that she used. 

I didn’t see this quilt until I was about to leave.   It is by Joan Nell of Freehold NJ and it’s called, Shade Garden Sampler.  I love the bright red fabric.    Which, by the way is a HINT HINT HINT for my new line called krakow!   Be on the lookout this spring!   

  I’m embarrassed to say that I screwed up and didn’t find out who did this quilt but I really liked the pomegranetes and the scrpit that says, “To love honor and cherish” along with a monogram.  I’m sure it’s a wedding or anniversary quilt but I don’t know more than that besides that I liked it a lot.    Anyone know who did this? 

(ADDED JUNE 19, 9:45 AM:  Thanks for the responses.  This quilt, like the earlier seen alphabet letter quilt,  was also done by Mary Vaughan of Mountain Lakes, NJ)

After the show I hit my new favorite junk-Mexican food, Chipolte Mexican Grill (which are popping up faster than Starbucks did).   I have to go to the Bridgewater Mall to get my fix. 

And her name is . . .

PETUNIA MARIE LIPINSKI

Now I didn’t think she was a Petunia when I wrote my post but of all of the names, that just who she was.   So meet Petunia Lipinski.

   I wanted to give you an idea of her size so I took this photo next to a basket of my chicken’s eggs! 

Here, Jeff is holding her AND an egg to show how small she is.  Honest to Pete, she is the shyest damn dog I’ve ever seen!

Next Time, dear Pickles. . .

i have a lot of new books that have just hit the market to show you.  Some I like and some I hate.   If anyone from C&T is reading — where the hell are the review copies of books that I’m seeing all over the place?   You’re losing ink, baby!  Makes me very, very nervous about how my own books will be marketed. 

I’ll give you my 2-cents on my next book reviews and what I’ve decided about how to approach writing them.

Watercolor class – ugh!

But before I go,  let me show you a little thumbnail of a teddy bear I painted in my watercolor class on Monday.   I truly suck in this class and have to work hard to get shitty results.  Alas, I will never be a “true” artist.  Oh well, f**k em if they can’t take a joke!  Here’s the bear . . .

Now, I’m afraid to tell you folks, but I’m currently on a watercolor class buying binge.   I just got a shitload of various watercolor papers from Cheap Joes.   Not so cheap, I might add!    I placed another order today. 

It’s as bad as fabric buying….except on some level you have to do some work or else it’s just tablets of blank paper.  At least fabric is fun to look at!

My Hood

  On my way home from the show, I passed this tractor in a field near Pickle Road.  I don’t know why, but I stopped to take a photo.  

Here’s another of the same field.  I can hardly believe that they’re bailing hay already

Later, munchkins! 

P.S.  

That damn venomous raccoon is eating my chickens again! 

     I think the little mofuis living UNDER my potting shed!   Damn it!   I caught him in the pen last night at around midnight and startled him (I almost wet myself among other things, speaking of startled) and he was HUGE!   He dove under the potting shed.  

     My chickens –10 chickens (was 13 but that fricking beast “felt like chicken tonight!”) were having post-tramatic stress.  

 Now,  you know daddy has to set a trap for this chicken killing varment.  And I’m a little rusty.  I haven’t set a trap since I caught JEFF!  

(Oh, I just told him I was pregnant.  Men– gay, straight or otherwise, they ALWAYS fall for that line!)

LOLOLOLOL 

xoxom

. . . or was she a Father’s Day gift?    

She doesn’t have a name yet.

And Tulip doesn’t seem to mind a bit.

But how can there ever be a better pooch than Tulip?

Whatever her name is, she weighs about as much as the large frog in our pond and will only get to be about 5-6 pounds.  Tulip is 8 pounds.

She is a long-haired Chihuahua.  They are non-yappy and not nervous.

Viva Zapta!

xoxom

Possible Names

   Rose 

Iris    

Petunia    

Daisy

Oooops, I mean DAISY  

Hmmmmmmm. . . .   Rosie, Iris, Petunia, and Daisy are all names that we’ve been playing with.

I kinda like Sally.

And you?  What would YOU name her?

xoxom  

I have no idea who this guy is!

YOU MUST GO TO THIS LINK AND TAKE A LOOK.   IT WON A RIBBON!!!  LOLOL  

I have got to get to the NJ Show tomorrow morning before my lunch!  LOLOL xooxm

If you click on the photo it goes full size!   LOLOLOL

Does’s this crack you up?

[  

My buddy Amy Buehler dropped off some old quiting titles the other day.  She knows that I collect them.  If they’re old, about quilting, then I want them.   I’ve seen the Grandmother’s Flower Quilts and the Blue Ribbon Quilts photocopied and sold on eBay.   I didn’t realize that they were copies until it was too late.   I should have read the fine print.  Anyway, I’m so happy to have the real original ones in my collection now.   

These two are hardback books.   It’s really funny to go through Michael James’ book to see the origins of where he came from.   The quilts, which were breakthrough at the time, are unremarkable and, what probably be considered beginner quilts now.  

       I think it’s always terrific to look back from where we came.  It’s really fun to pick up really old magazines and realize the struggle making a quilt was just 20 years ago!   Not to mention the hideous designs and color choices!  Oh, and you’ll get a real kick out of the prices of notions and things.   Amazing.  Of course, gas was 55-cents a gallon in June, 1974 which was shocking at the time!   Now, HAPPINESS truly is a full take of gas! 

I found this cross stitch kit in the sale rack at Barnes & Noble last week for about $5-bucks.   I love to cross stitch and it’s how I really began my quilting textile journey.  I still love cross stitch and am really partial to historical samplers and European kinds of needlework.    Between my love for both embroidery and quilting, I’m pretty sure I was born in the wrong century…then again, a man couldn’t get away with playing with those kinds of things in an earlier time.   Women’s lib has helped us all. 

Here’s a little tease:  Cross stitch designer extraordinaire, Ursula Michael, will have an original and exclusive Quilter’s Cross Stitch Pattern published in the Sept/Oct issue of Quilter’s Home.    So get your needles and floss ready!

In a Quandry….and speaking of books….and such  

I’m a bit disappointed in the the content of most of the quilting, sewing and crafting books that pass my desk.   Many of them are real dogs and rehashes of the same old thing.   Every once in awhile something truly breathtaking and remarkable happens in a book and I get totally excited about it, but that doesn’t happen all that often, especially in light of the enormous amount of books that are published on these subjects each year.  

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that the publishing houses are doing their absolute best and are looking for the next ’sliced bread’ like everyone else, but often times you can see,and feel like a book was ’settled on’ that either isn’t quite ready to be a book yet but may have great book potential.    I totally get it.  I am often at the place with the articles I write or get to edit. 

Here’s the issue:   In the whole history of quilting and sewing magazines there has never been a negative (or what I think is a truly honest) reviewof a quilting/craftingsewing books.  If the book sucks, then the editor just won’t include it in the new books section, pandering to the advertiser or playing the “good girl” as to not hurt feelings.  I think that is a terrible disservice to both the magazine readership, and the industry at large.   So, I want to start doing REAL reviews of ALL kinds of books, not just the slam dunk good ones.  

What do you think?  Is it necessary?  Is it too negative?  Would you read them?  What’s your perspective on it?

Hotter ‘n Hell!

Oh my goodness, it’s been so hot here on Pickle Road.   Even the with the rain storms I’m still sweating putty balls! Of course that raises the question:  If I’m absolutely in HELL who would be the two people that I’m forced to sit between for all of eternity?   

Well, one of them has to be poor Amanda Overmeyer, the gravel-voiced, can’t-carry-a-tune-in-a-bucket, American Idol los-ah.   That would be hell, especially if she sings. 
  Amanda Overmeyer

Of course my H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks neighbor on the other side of me just has to be none other than the world’s very worst best friend and confidante, Linda Tripp.    No matter how you might feel about Bill and Monica — with friends like this one, who needs enemies? 

  Linda Tripp

Now, granted, just looking at that face for all of those months on TV might have been hell enough for me AND for her on earth so she might get to bypass the real thing….

I, on the other hand, know I’ll be feeling this insane June heat for the rest of all time right between the two of them. 

 Brownstone Anniversary

Last weekend I attended the Brownstone Quilt Guild’s 25th Anniversary.   It’s ironic that I guild that I belong to was started the year I was born . . .

The Brownstone Quilters are a group from Northern NJ, a little less than an hour from Pickle Road, across from the shores of Manhattan! 

It was a great potluck luncheon, with more food than I’d ever seen at a quilting event — EVER!  And you know we can eat, baby! 

 Besides the food (which I could barely tear myself away from) was a gigantic Tricky-Tray raffle auction.   They had small quilts, bundles or fabrics and books, floor stand hoops, just amazing things.  You bought strips of tickets and placed your tickets into the jars of the items you wanted to win.   Of course, I won nothing!   NOTHING, out of the hundreds of things that were there!  

    I really wanted this finished cross stitch but some broad in the middle of the room won it.  So much for my stars being aligned. 

  Now, I sat with Barb Vedder and Mary Vaughan whom I knew from the Garden State Quilt Guild.   We had a lot of laughs but here’s the rub –

  That damned Barb won a ton of things!  Here she is, smugly showing off her winnings.   At least 5 bundles of things.   Humph!

Speaking of Barb, try to remember back to the time when nothing came between Brooke and her Calvins…

Yes, a time even before Andre Agassi. . .

Barb was wearing a top that looked like it was vintage from that period, made from the designer of all things 70’s, Missoni.  Remember the name?  

Here is Barb in her Missoni-esque top.   Then here is a vintage Missoni scarf that I found on eBay.  

Missoni  

That got Barb and Mary and I reminiscing about the 70’s designer, Vera!  Remember her?    Here’s some of her stuff, but not the classic Vera that I recall. 

Vintage Vera  

  Vintage Vera again

One of the reasons this came up was because while I was at Quilt Market in Portland, I was amazed at how many fabric designers are ripping off Vera!   Some fabric looks almost identical to the original! 

   When you join Brownstone, you get a BIG SISTER.   This is my big sister, Dori,  who is a laugh riot! 

    Kim Daehnke here, is the First VP, organizer of the event and part of the PICKLE POSSE.   Kim turned me onto a product and a tip that I’ll share with you — in an upcoming Quilter’s Home.  Shhhhhh!  It’s top secret! 

There was a little quilt challenge.   Look at the turnout for that!   

One of my favorites of the challenge was from this lady who says that she NEVER needs to win a ribbon because she’s already won them all for this quilt — of course, she was the judge!  LOL

Shop Hopping

On my way home, I had to stop at a local shop, Cozy Quilt Shop, in River Edge, New Jersey.   It’s a fairly new shop and a very nice one.   Too bad it wasn’t there when I lived in Fort Lee….well, maybe that was too close for my credit card’s comfort! 

The owner, Denise, and staff are all really friendly and my friend Janice Jamison teaches there.   

   OK, I coveted this store decoration.  It’s a quilt but it’s all cut out of light paper and mounted on darker paper before it was framed.   Can you tell I was in a framed quilt themed mode that day?

The store had TONS O’Buttons!  

  This is a quilt that Janice is going to teach there in a few weeks. 

  Regina (in blue – she’s a nun, but a hip one), Denise (the owner) and I can’t remember who the worker bee chick in the melon is!  Sorry

Anyway, if you’re near River Edge, you have to stop in! 

 Is Big Brother Watching You?

Apparently there has been a  a study in which researchers secretly tracked the locations of 100,000 people to determine their movement patterns using their cellphones.

Whiel the study is illegal in the USA due to invasion of privacy issues, this study was conducted in an undisclosed industrialized nation. “The subjects were chosen at random out of a pool of 6 million from a mystery wireless provider and tracked based on cell tower triangulation and other “tracking devices.”

That’s what I love about cell phone companies.  They can’t help you find your lost or stolen cellphones based on someone (other than you) using your cell number but they can track your movements for studies like this!   And so I say to the cellphone companies around the world who have been unwilling to find our lost and stolen cellphones:

FRIENDS AND FOES

Click on these links to see what friends and  foes are saying about me and or Quilter’s Home. 

Here’s a another report about the Brownstone Anniversay.  It’s Finally Over- our 25th anniversary celebration that is …

The blogger liked Quilter’s Home but read the comments and how QH is described!  LOL  Good Morning Girls, Wow! How ’bout that storm last night?! Did …

OOPS!  Someone who obviously had trouble with their subscription!  Quilty Mail Day

A professional announcement about a new CK MEDIA web site Creating Keepsakes to Launch New Community Website

Diane shows off her quilt show and talks about Marry a Quilter’s Son in QH More of the Quilt show

I guess I’m going to a show….but I’m not sure I remember making plans…. CALL ME!  a few random thoughts….

More from Diane’s Quilt Show….ELIQ’s quilt show

I was really sad to learn that my quilting buddy, Dot, passed away last night after a short illness.   You guys will remember Dot because I talked about her in a previous blog.   That’s Dot on the right in both photos holding up a few of her quilts at a recent show and tell.   She will also have 2 of her quilts hanging in the New Jersey State Guild show this weekend in Edison, NJ.  

You go, girl!    xoxom

Just a quick note:

Today, possums, I’m working on the next issue of the magazine and my next big blog will be along any day (full of photos and quilty stuff), but I wanted to share with you a cute random blog entry that Anne Sutton had forwarded to me about the blogger’s experience with sending her husband out on the town to find a copy of Quilter’s Home magazine.  

Quilter’s Home =  $5.99

Sending your husband to find one = PRICELESS! 

Click here to read the blog entry:  http://simplythisthatandtheother.blogspot.com/

Later, dudes!  xoxom

  I was sorry to read in today’s paper that, according to the NY Post, “Ed McMahon’s years of boozing are partly to blame for his going broke,” to the tune of $200-million bucks and is now in jeapordy of losing his home.   I totally get it.  Don’t be surprised if one day you find me passed out in the bottom of a giant Twinkie filling machine, in a sugar coma brought on by cravings! 

I met him once, when I was the Executive Producer of Lifetime Television’s, Attitudes.   It was at the height of his Star Search days.    So, as exec prod I decided it might be fun to create our own Star Search in the Astoria studio.  

We found 3 vocalists who were just starting out and allowed them to compete against each other.   I can’t remember who the other two were (although one was Stephanie Mill’s cousin or niece or something like that) and one was a friend of my friend, Penny Landau (who was a pretty good publicist in NY at the time). I’ve since lost touch with her.  Her name was/is Marieann Meringolo who was starting out in the NYC caberet scene. 

As it turns out, Marieann won.  Of course Lifetime was too cheap to front any awards so Ed reached into his pocket and gave her a $100 bill!   I wonder if she still has it?   She needed the dough at the time and how generous of good ol’ Ed.   He was a very nice guy and made everyone feel important, from the top on down to the show runners.  

I know that Marieann still has her voice.  I have both of her albums and she’s still a force on the New York caberet scene.   I love her voice.  It has a Connie Francis quality, and a tear in it.  

You can click on the link here to see a YouTube video of Marieann singing a song in tribute to another of my caberet favorites — how GAY is THAT?!?  What’s next? Striesand? – Nancy LaMott

Nancy LaMott died at a very, very young age of ovarian cancer, I think.    On her deathbed her one regret was that she never married.   Her pianist married her in the hospital and she died just hours later.   I have every one of her albums.   I think  she was a great talent.   Jeff can’t stand when I play her music over and over and over again!   Tough shit!  LOL   Here’s a sample of her on GMA (obviously before she kicked the bucket).

I’m not a huge Country/Western fan. 

Frankly, I like the hillbilly music much better…I think they call it bluegrass now!    Anyway, I couldn’t get anything on the radio the other night except this C&W station.   I heard a song that just made me laugh so I downloaded it on my iPod later that night.

     Now don’t go expecting a classic.  It’s more along the lines of Achey Breaky Heart.   It’s called,  BRAND NEW GIRLFRIEND by a guy named, Steve Holy.    Kissy Kissy Smoochy Smoochy!

Here are some of the lyrics: 

“I got a brand new girlfriend.
we went and jumped off the deep end,
flew out to LA for the weekend,
spent the whole day, lyin’ on the beach,
wearin’ nothin’ but a smile,
playin’ kissy-kissy, smoochy-smoochy,
talkin’ mooshy-mooshy bout nothin’.
man, i think im on to somethin’,
yano i feel just like a kid again.
i got a brand new girlfriend. “

Found this on eBay:

How fun to hit pop culture.   Hurry!  The auction ends on June 11!  

It’s item number: 260248006517

FRIENDS AND FOES

“Califon” by Mark Lipinski for Northcott  Wow!  Just wait until you see the neat fabric photo frame ideas here.  Lucky me!  She used my new califon line!  

quilters-home-is-home-at-my-house.html   This is a fun post.  And there’s a photo with me and Anne Sutton and such a nice paragraph about designer, Mary Cowan! 

http://quiltcommunity.com/members/blog/hearttohand01/  Check out:  Weeble Meets Mark Lipinski.  It’s cute. 

my-brushes-with-greatness-at-market  This is Mary Cowan’s “brushes with greatness!”  Sheesh!  LOL  Isn’t she the prettiest thing?   A face MADE for the camera! 

Today’s Goodies    Quilter’s Home, a “rag?”   Humph!  

Wow!  I think I may have actually written something that helped somebody!  Click here  A Good Read

Mark Lipinski Blogged About Me!   This could go on forever! 

 One more thought…….   Have you Pickles been tallying up your $ and time spent quilting? 

http://karencombs.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/quilters-home/   Karen’s quilt is featured in this month’s MLQuilter’s Home.   Go see it!  

http://grandmasquilts.blogspot.com     She liked my garden and shared her own. 

This year I am obsessed with the garden! 

In the past it was Jeff who was GOCD (garden obsessive compulsive disordered) and he’s a remarkable gardener but for some reason, this year, I have gone haywire spending money like I had it on plants and flowers that make me feel good.  

So, in that spirit, I want to show you a couple of our Pickle Road gardens, the pool area and the front of the Pickle Palace.

Here is Mr. Toad who lives in the pond with the fish

Here’s the pool garden

I found the Buddha at K-Mart near Carlisle, Pennsylvania on my way back from a lecture!   Only $49-bucks.

        The giant cage is where the canaries live!  No eggs this season.  I think Daddy Canary is shooting blanks!

Hot Days

Evan and Tulip take a dip (doesn’t it look like Tulip is smiling?  Weird.)

My Veggie Garden

I think I went a little heavy on the different types of lettuce!  

As if this weren’t enough

I bought a bright orange azalea, some gold, orange and red poppies, a red rose bush, carnations, and a fiery orange rose bush, and cucumbers at an amazing new greenhouse right down the road from us!

Here’s only a part of the damage . . .

Here’s a photo of the new peony that I bought just this morning

Then I ended up at a very dangerous place — Barnes and Noble!

 Barnes and Noble is a very, very dangerous place for me.  I can drop some chachinggas there in record time!

I bought about 15 magazines for a secret project I’m working on and found a quilting book on their sale rack in less than 10-minutes.

Now that I think about, I’m afraid that I already bought this book on one of my last visits there!  Shit!

Magazine Shopping

While looking at magazines I was amused to find Quilter’s Home right next to Fons and Porter.   You can see the green Q with Mark Lipinski in the center of it on the right side.

I like Marianne Fons (and I think she’s cute, too).  She’s always been friendly.  

The Thing About Celebrity

Sometimes people who are legends, like Marianne (or people who are legends in their own minds), show their true colors and get all weird with a little attention.  I didn’t know her before her quilting fame, but Ms. Fons is certainly likable and warm. 

Look, after a gazillion years as a network producer, you can imagine that I’ve seen ‘em come and I’ve seen ‘em go (ask some of the stars I’ve had the pleasure of working with:  

  Star (Don’t go dissing my idol and pal  Barbara Walters. . .

My dear, you owe her BIG TIME  for what little career you have managed to salvage.)

  John Edward (Crossing Over was one of my least favorite jobs.  Just ghastly.)

And that oh so self-important  and self-aggrandizing hypnotist     Paul McKenna (not a very nice guy, although my friend Julie, a former View production person, loved him.  Julie was also Debbie Matenopolis’ roommate when we all first started at The View.  I LOVED Debbie when I worked with her).  

“WHO?” you say

Exactly!

If there is one thing that I’ve learned in 25 years of producing real television, you’re only as good as your last show and just when you think you’re on top, you find yourself meeting the same folks on the way down the ladder.  It’s just show biz.  No rhyme or reason. 

I only hope that I never get so busy or frazzled that it seems l as if I look through anyone or treat anyone unkindly.  I hope that no matter what cards are dealt, I’m like Meredith Vieira   who is truly one of the nicest and most down to earth celebs on the planet. 

 I really love people and being around them and having a laugh or two.    

LOOK AT THIS

My buddy, designer Scott Hansen, sent me this little Katmandu art quilt.  He even embroidered Katmandu into the design.  I love these kinds of things.  Thanks again, Scott! 

Is Anyone Else Out There an . . .

Office Supply Junkie?   

I am.  I can’t get enough.   I found this set of, what look to be terrific, pens at Staples the other day!   Bought the whole set.   I can LIVE at Staples (although their copy departments suck), Office Max and any bookstore U.S.A.

I’ll let you know how they work out!    

FRIENDS AND FOES

 Michelle got her Quilter’s Home but she’s feeling really guilty….read why here Good mail day!

This is an OLD posting but one I missed while out sick.  She’s a Pickle and look what she bought here A Fabulous Mail Day AND a Trip to the Fabric Store!

Margi writes about her favorite magazines and why she likes them here Favorite Quilt Magazines and a Great Knitting Resource!   Are YOUR favorites the same as Margi’s or different?