The Big Night Came and Went...

Reunion night finally arrived! We  all had a blast. I've been getting messages in our classmate group or on my own page on Facebook, and all of them are complimentary.

This photograph was taken later in the evening. We had grade school groups from each of the schools gather, and this is ours. These are all students who shared the same classes, became friends and went on to junion and senior high school together. We've been friends since as early as 1961. My BFF, Cyd is in the yellow shirt, and as usual, I wasn't too far away from her in our school photos. (Why change a tradition now?)

 

 

Our whole committee gathered Saturday morning to decorate. Our Decorating Committee members really outdid themselves. Most of the planning committee was there to help, along with a few others who just came to help. We had individual floral arrangements, candles and "remember when" cards on every table. We even had an archway for everyone to pass through that night. Here! Take a look around.

Look at how they outdid themselves on the entrance to the venue! People felt welcome from the moment they headed toward the front doors. We had two registration tables set up, and each classmate received a current printed classmate directory and a class mug that we had produced by 4Imprint. People were surprised and impressed.

 

My decorating committee worked overtime to create a welcoming and beautiful atmosphere. By the time folks started to arrive, the candles were lit, '70s music filled the venue, and people were ready to party.

 

Every table in the entire venue was decorated. We had two cash bars, and even those had decorations. It really was so pretty by the time people started to arrive.

Nearly three hundred people attended and there was plenty of room for more. The pep band performed, and they were a big hit. They made their exciting entrance, playing as they marched in from the hallway. Lots of grins and people were surprised and happy to hear the performance.

 

This is the last photograph I'll share. My friend, Julie - in front - is holding a print of all the students who went on the senior trip to Washington, DC. We decided to take a photo of the group members who were at the reunion. 

Take special notice of the couple in the back. They fell in love on that trip. They were married after graduation and have made a happy life together all these years. I made sure to say, "I knew you when..." and we had a great conversation afterward.

All in all, the classmate assessment was that this was a rip, roaring success! I'm so happy that I was a small part of that. Our goal to have a memorable event worthy of our class, and I think that was achieved. Now, I'm going to take a nap...again. lol

First Guests Arrive...

Our first guests arrived yesterday, much to the delight of the furry residents of Hickory Hill Farm. Tag and The Girls are always glad to see my sister, but her husband and best friend were new to them. They were both received with raucous enthusiasm.

Brenda is my sister's best friend, so I was so happy to finally meet her. Tag, Bella and Carly were glad to meet her, too. Just look at Tag. What a suck-up. He's so bloody fickle! He was all over this poor woman - although I admit, she seemed to enjoy their attention.

The kitchen will be a bustling hub of activity all day, and all the delicious creations will be dinner for the wedding party this evening, following the rehearsal. We'll help Di as we're able, to try to make things easier for her. It's definitely going to be a long, strenuous day for her, and we're sure she'll be happy when it's over. She's a great cook, so there's no worry that her food will be a huge success.

My niece and her children arrive later today. Then we'll be to full capacity around here. We can't wait! So, I'd better get busy helping. Much to do before this day is over. More updates tomorrow.

I'm Late, I'm Late...

Brynwood Needleworks - Julian and Alyssa

 

Sorry I'm late with my post today. New server. New issues. No worries, though. I did a little end-around, and here I am.

Yesterday, our nephew, Julian graduated from high school. (Don't you love his sense of style? He says it's his favorite shirt.) I recorded much of the ceremony, and will be editing it over the next week. 

The picnic was a great opportunity for Uncle Handsome to discuss Julian's future plans, which include a career in music education. Of course, we're on board with that program, and will support his decision as we're able. It was also great to visit with his sweet girlfriend, Alyssa, and his brother.

The foccacia was a hit, and there was so much food, a person had to put on blinders. I do believe a good time was had by all, and near the end of the party, we packed up the Nesco™ I'd brought to heat up our contributions, packaged the last of the four foccacia halves I'd brought - as Jules wanted to take that home with him - and loaded up to drive back down the valley from Green Bay to the farmhouse. 

I was (as the British say) knackered. I had a cuppa tea and promptly fell asleep in the chair. Bedtime came early, but I'm refreshed and ready to face a new week. I've got a full dance card, so I'm going to get right to it today. The sun is shining, the temperature will be perfect for drying clean sheets on the line, and the studio calls. 

 

We also have to pick up new kennel panels some time this week (so the dogs will have new digs as we prepare to breed Bella to a handsome Texan with an impressive pedigree), and I have an upcoming show that requires a whole new inventory. Yep. I have a feeling June is going to fly by. You'll want to follow along, so you don't miss a single bit! See you tomorrow.

Tuesdays With Tag - After-Party Animal...

Brynwood Needleworks - My Cold Parts

 Hi, Everybody!!

We're still gettin' snow, and the ice underneath is makin' life excitin' around here! Good thing I've got four feet. It's a little harder for me to end up on my keester.

Saturday was a fun day all around for me. I got to ride along when Mom went to the Birthday party, and we all know how much I like ridin' in the car! I didn't go into the party, but I was happy to guard the car while she was inside for a little while.

After the party, Mom and I stopped at the store and picked up some ready-made dinner stuff. Mom made arrangements last week that our nephew, Dan and his family, along with Mom's sister (Dan's Mom) to come out after the party and help Mom put up those great kitchen shelves. She wanted to surprise them by feeding them dinner, too. 

So, when they got to the house, Mom had baked chicken, baked ham and rolls (for sammiches), mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese (for the kiddos). They were happy to smell a hot meal when they came in the door, and we all enjoyed dinner together.

Brynwood Needleworks - Two Jumpin' Girls

After the big people got the shelves installed, Mom and I took the little people upstairs. They wanted to see Mom and Dad's bed, and Mom let them jump on it. They were all blurry, gigglin' and jumpin' up and down. We made sure they wouldn't fall off the bed, too. It was really fun.

The 'possum came to eat about three times while they were here, too. We got to look through the windows and show everyone our Fuzzy Butt 'possum. The little girls were so intrigued. They asked if they could go outside and pet it, but we explained that it's a wild animal. They're fun to watch through the window, but critters need space (well, except the one time I ran into him outside and we sniffed each other before he ran off).

It was definitely an excitin' evenin' for me. The little girls were even playin' a chasin' game with me. Mom wondered what the racket was, but it wasn't a racket. We were playin' a game. There's a huge difference, if you ask me. Gigglin', barkin' and running through the house isn't a racket. Right?

Brynwood Needleworks - I'm Bushed!

Mom and I aren't sure what time everyone left, but we didn't stay up too late after they went home. I was still tired by the next day. I decided to take it easy and rest. I want to be ready for the next time they come over. I love little kids - especially girls. I hope those girly girls visit again very soon.

 I'll see you again in seven, 'til then...

"Live Like Someone Left The Gate Open".

 

Working For The Weekend...

Brynwood Needleworks - Oak Shelf Boards

 

Yes. My back is feeling better, thanks. The quilt is wrapped, and I'm ready for a Birthday party today. CAKE and everything!

 

Yesterday afternoon, I also prepared the shelf boards for my kitchen project. My helpers will be here to help me get that accomplished today or tomorrow. I'm always grateful for the help. The more hands the better, and I'll have a nice surprise for Handsome when he gets back home.

 

Oh, and don't forget to move your clocks ahead an hour tonight! Daylight Saving Time..."Spring Forward"!

A Perfect Day For A Party...

Brynwood Needleworks - Chickadee Ornament For Exchange

 

Today was the annual Christmas Gathering for our Primitive Gatherings Sit & Sew Group. Again, we met at Lisa Bongean's beautiful home, and we had a great time. 

I made this ornament on Monday to take along for the ornament exchange. I put a silver cord on it right after I took this photo. The little chickadee has legs a little longer than I originally planned, so I'll shorted them up before I make a pattern to share with you later this week.

I don't have a group photo yet, but as soon as I get one, I'll share that, too. Perhaps I can have it by the time I post the ornament pattern.

Jeeter Bongean

Lisa's dog, Jeeter, always greets the ladies when we arrive. After, he hopped onto the window seat, and sunned himself to sleep. Jeeter is a sweet guy, and you know I couldn't resist patting him and saying hello before I went to join the ladies. 

Oh, and I wouldn't be much of a needleworker/quilter if I didn't mention the gorgeous quilting on the cushion pad. It's about eight feet long, covering a long bench in front of big windows that look out onto the lake. It really is a perfect place for a dog to act like a cat, soaking up the sun. If it hadn't been for a party in progress, I would have joined him! Of course, when I got home, Tag gave me the fifth degree. (That boy doesn't miss much.)

I'm feeling much better, so I'll be making jammies in the studio today. I'll share fabric selections with you tomorrow, so even though I won't share full images until after Christmas, you'll see what I've chosen to sew. 

I'm off to grab a cup of Handsome's delicious morning coffee, and then you can find me in the studio. If you're on Facebook, I won't be around much today. Lots to do! I'll see you here tomorrow.

Celebrating...

Brynwood Cutout Cookies

I'm celebrating today. I finished the six dozen cookies Saturday to take to the party, and still had two dozen left for home. I fooled around with the icing for our cookies, and actually liked how they turned out! No pressure, just playing.

Brynwood Cutout Cookies - Final Version

 

These were my final party cookies. Royal icing takes practice, which I definitely haven't done, so they ended up cute, but not perfect, by any means. I'm happy with how they turned out, but if I do cutouts again, I'm going with the traditional frosting, and just make them yummy. Too much pressure if I use the royal icing.

 

The party was great fun. Games, about a dozen guests who brought their cute and delicious cookies, and well worth the drive home in a snowstorm. I'm so glad I went. Time with sisters (pictures on one of my sister's camera, waiting to be downloaded), nieces and their friends. Another cookie exchange under my belt.

 

Today is my BIRTHDAY!!! Handsome and I are going to celebrate together. We have a little trip planned, and will have lunch overlooking Lake Michigan. I'm looking forward to spending a relaxing day with him. 

 

The Beatles "When I'm 64" is running through my head. How the heck did that happen so fast? I sure don't feel more than about 50. Well, maybe a little more than 50. lol I'm going to close now. I've got some partying to do!

More Cake...

Last night, I went to an early Birthday party for our friend, David's mother. A ONE HUNDREDTH Birthday party for Norma. (We're not talking dog years here, either, boys and girls.)

Norma certainly enjoyed being the center of attention, and I attended as our family rep because Handsome couldn't go.

The lady of the hour graciously posed with everyone who came to celebrate her.

Her funny story (after taking the mike to thank everyone for their attendance) is one I just have to share with you because it's so cute.

According to Norma:

"I recently had a young visitor come to my home. She told me that it was her Birthday that day, so I asked her how old she was. She replied that she was ten years old. I then told her that I was going to be 100 years old. She smiled and went outside to play for a while. I little later she came back in, looked at me and said, "Did you start from one?"

I swear, this story could end up in Reader's Digest! Of course, all of her guests couldn't help be laugh with delight at her tale.

It was most wonderful for me to share a meal and time with David's wife, Laura. We reminisced about him and what a joy he was to all who were blessed to have known him. It only seemed right to be able to honor his mother as he would have.

Her Birthday is actually in early January, but the organizer of the party was not going to be able to attend a January gathering, so he chose yesterday's date instead. I guess compared to Norma, I'm an amateur at the Extended Birthday. (She's got 40 years on me, after all.) You see, Norma is throwing her own party in January. That makes twenty nine days of celebrating. Fine by me. More cake!

The Unexpected Gift...

Karen's Sewing Organizer

 The guild Christmas party was so much fun Tuesday night. Good

friends, tasty food and laughter filled the room. The final event of the 

evening was our gift exchange. Remember, we were asked to make a

handcrafted gift, and every single quilter delivered a fabulous creation.

 I don't know exactly what our exchange is called, but each person gets

 a number and chooses a gift in number order. They have the option to

choose something from the gift table, or "steal" an already-opened gift

that they prefer - from someone who already has one. The catch is that

a gift can only be "stolen" once. My friend, Karen chose the organiser

I made and managed to hold on to it nearly to the end. I could tell she

was disappointed when someone else stole the organizer from her.

Organizer interior

Karen and her friend, Jettie, are actually the two women (along with Kathy

and Nora) who asked me to join this quilt guild. Because of them, I have this 

talented group of friends...and I've learned techniques I never dreamed even

existed. I'm so grateful to both of them. Last year, Jettie got the pincushion I 

made, but Karen didn't get to take home the organizer. I knew then that I'd 

make another one just for her, adding a few things to improve on the original.

A sewing machine charm on the zipper pull is the finishing touch.

I woke up yesterday morning and got busy. I used the same fabric lines, but 

I added another aspect to the project...I photographed each step so that I could

write a pattern for it. I finished sewing it before the end of the day, downloaded

all the photographs into my laptop and posted a sneak peek for Karen to see.

I'll be writing the pattern today and then upload it to my Craftsy shop,

so anyone who wants to make one themselves can do so. I did fine-tune it

from the first one I made and I think it's cool that it can be stitched up

quickly. That's bonus for me. Anything that can be made as a last-minute

gift rates high on my list. I know that I'll make a few more for Christmas.

Who knows? I may even make custom pieces to sell in my Etsy shop in '14.

Now that my unexpected gift is complete, on to the next project...

Grammie's Jammies our three grandchildren for 2013!

What are you working on right now?

A Play Day...

I had a wonderfully busy day yesterday, but didn't get a single stitch accomplished in any of those hours.

Instead of playing in the studio, I went to Sarasota and ticked a few items off my "To Do" list. Among the plans I made, I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in nearly a year. We went to Corkscrew Deli at The Landings and spend nearly two hours catching up. It was great!

When I returned home, Handsome and I completed preparations for a dinner party we'd planned. Two couples joined us for a few hours. They are all dear friends with music in common. We had a delightful evening, and we're so glad they could take time from their busy schedules to share a meal. With the exception of the white chocolate-stuffed fresh raspberries that I forgot to bring out to garnish our dessert, the evening went off without a single hitch. I guess Handsome and I will just have to enjoy those raspberries ourselves (oh, darn!).

I love all the bustle involved with planning a nice evening with friends. We really have to try to do that more often.

I did manage to work  a little on my design for our Sandy's QAL for July. (I'm responsible for designing mini quilts two months.) I have the concept now, so the quilt will come quickly from here. That's right. You'll have to wait to see the finished block until July, but no fear. I'll have more to show you of other projects in the meantime.

I'm going to try to finish the mini quilt today because it's time to get back to those Farmer's Wives blocks. I'll be revealing May's blocks tomorrow and I still have April blocks to complete!  I'd better get crackin'.

We're Off To The Picnic...

Tag and I are on our way to Palm Bay (over on the east coast of Florida) to attend the 2011 Florida Corgi Picnic today. Last year there were over 200 Corgis with their owners! We'll be seeing Pembrokes and Cardigans, and even cross-bred Corgis, but only Corgis are allowed. It's an exclusive party!

There will be contests, food, raffles and auctions - and I imagine more than a bit of Corgi frapping (Frantic Random Acts of Play). All of this will be to benefit CorgiAid - a really worthy cause. We're happy to be a part of the fun.

Tag and I will tell you all about it next Tuesday. We can't wait! Gotta run!

Welcome To Brynwood Needleworks and My Studio...

Well, I sure hope you're having a great day visiting all the creative women who are participating in the "Where Bloggers Create" studio hop!

Welcome to Brynwood Needleworks (in case you haven't visited before)! Whether or not you're a regular around these parts, I'm so glad you've stopped in today.

You won't see a staff of employees, fairy godmothers with magic wands, or even little elves in a magic tree. It's just me here, and I enjoy every minute I spend in my studio.

In the past year, I've made a "Princess Bride" wedding gown for my god daughter/niece; an heirloom Christening gown for a new great-nephew; numerous knitted and sewn blankets for Project Linus; handknit socks, sweaters and beaded scarves; and myriad sewing projects for friends, family and for sale in my Etsy shop or locally.

I've also started an ongoing Artist Trading Card Swap on my blog and have had such fun sharing cards with people from Florida, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Zealand. I'm always creating new cards to add to the assortment available to trade, so if you're interested, check out the link on my left sidebar for more information.

It's certainly been a busy spring and summer with the launch of my blog, but I'm thoroughly enjoying sharing my creative and joyful life with you.

I have been designing for about twenty years, and draw much of my inspiration from my love of nature and family. I'm a country girl at heart and would much rather spend a day with nature than a day in town. I believe I'm a reliable and true friend, a good wife, and a loving and honest person. I strive to bring those qualities to the foreground in my art, no matter the medium.

Feel free to browse through my blog. Stop to look at my project images, family photos and links to other wonderful places in cyberspace. Of course, you're welcome to stop back any time to visit! My blog is always open for visitors. The more, the merrier!

I'm sure you're dying to see photos! More than one friend has described entering my studio as "falling down the rabbit hole". so just click on Alice and she will take you to my Flickr album chock-full of studio images. Be sure to read the captions, as they'll help explain what you're seeing. In the spirit of Alice in Wonderland open your mind to the possibilities, and have fun.

Again, thanks so much for stopping by. I'd love it if you'd leave a comment so I'll know you were here!

If you see something that you have a question about, just post a comment and I'll answer it here. Also, I'll share more closeup photos of supplies or projects in my studio during the week next week, so feel free to come back to see more!

Rebecca Is Looking Forward To Friday...

Rebecca has asked me to remind you that Friday is our "Where Blogger's Create" party! She has been working on a favorite needlework piece because she's so excited she needs something to occupy her time until the big day.

Please remember to stop by for our bloggers Studio Hop, as we visit the studios and creative spaces of all the participating creative souls.
In addition to sharing photographs of where we spend our days and nights working and playing, we'll also share our inspirations and muses with you.

Rebecca knows that Friday will be a day you won't want to miss in cyberspace. Plan to set a tray with a pot or pitcher of tea (hot or iced), a plate of your favorite cookies and then plan spend a few hours just hopping from blog to blog. Our party hostess, Karen Valentine, has organized your stops on her blog "My Desert Cottage". Just click here, scroll down the right sidebar and you'll find the names and links to all the participating blogs. With a few clicks you'll be on your way to some fabulous and wondrous places.

Rebecca is looking forward to seeing you on Friday! (Here's a little secret, too: She's not the only one who's excited.)

You're Cordially Invited...

Karen Valentine of My Desert Cottage is hosting a blogger party! On July 24th, all the participants are going to blog about their creative spaces and what we produce in them. I'm so looking forward to joining in the fun!

So, I'm heading in to take a fresh look at my studio, tidy up a bit and get ready for your visit to Brynwood Needleworks. I'll show you more of the things I like to create, how I organize my supplies, and tell you a bit about what inspires me.

I hope you'll continue to stop by between now and then. I'll be sharing my current projects with you, and letting you know what's in the works (like new birthday dresses for my two granddaughters!). There really are not enough hours in the day for all the things I'd love to do! You know, that's just the thing...
When you love what you do, you truly never work a day in your life.

Mark your calendars, now. July 24th. Hope you can make it to the party! Feel free to R.S.V.P. in my comments section!