Houston!!! Year Two Day 2

Although the clouds are hanging a bit low this morning, it's time to get up and get moving.  We have shopping to do and quilts to see.  It's gonna be a FULL day of fun and joy to our eyes.

First up --- breakfast on the 24th floor.  We need the nourishment cos it's highly likely that no one will stop for lunch today after the fiasco yesterday.  Besides it's a group dinner at 6.  We can make it til then.

Kitsey and Lydia return to the room to get their bags but Sherri and I have brought ours with.  Off we go for another day of making the credit cards burn.

As we cross the bridge to get into the LINES before the doors open, it seems like a great place for a picture AND it even turns out decent.  Yes, I am wearing my hat again.  I had so many comments on it yesterday that I've decided it must look okay.  Either that or people are messing with me.

In aisle 700, our first STOP arrives.  We walked past it yesterday and peeked a bit but today we have her all to ourselves for a quick tutorial.  Oh, I like this and see it as a way to get through some of those mounting strips I have.  Especially the weird colored ones that I never know what to do with.  When we leave Rusty Crow, I am the proud owner of the directions and tool to do rag rugs with ease.  Keep your fingers crossed ya'll.  Will she or won't she use it before next years show?

Lydia shared a find from last night and we want to check it out.  She had gotten a great deal on some fat quarters that Sherri would like.  As Sherri is selecting her fat quarters, I spot some crazy cool "minky-like" stuff that is 60" wide and $5.00 a yard.  It is a double sided fleece and oh so soft.  Two yards go home with each of us for upcoming baby quilts.

Sherri also gets everything to make the triangle quilt on the wall.  It's a good stop.

I find another coral fat quarter along the way but neglect to even notice where I bought it.  Ugh.

Walking along the rows always is a chance for something out of the ordinary to be spotted.  This time, it's a bunny getting a name stitched into his ear.  Poor bunny.

AS we come to Block Party Studios, I spot this cute little coffee quilt and I have been saving coffee fat quarters for quite awhile to do something fun with.  Now, I don't want to make THIS quilt, but I do like the little sayings blocks so I buy the panel that has them on it.  It's another step towards making SOMETHING coffee related.

The next spot we make a stop at is Heartway International where I discover that I have misplaced my paint card.  Oh hell no.  Back to the coffee place and sure enough, I left it right by the panels.  Now back to Heartway because I THINK I saw another fabric that might work for the mystery.  SCORE!!!!  That's it.  If I don't have enough now, so be it.  I'm done and the card goes back into my bag.

On the second to last aisles, we find travel fat quarters for the November retreat and I'm also able to grab a couple of Asian ones I need for that as well.  That's it.  We are at the end of the vendors.  I tell Sherri that I want to go and get Janet Plotkin's Booty Ruler at Fabric Fanatics and off we go for those.  That's it.  My bag is heavy again and I want to empty it out before I meet up with Debi so we head back to the room.

Debi's Uber is running LATE due to the parade that is about to start.  That means that I can't go with Sherri to watch and she is off on her own while I head downstairs to find some coffee and meet up with my friend.

Once she arrives, she wants to do the vendors first so I send her on her way and tell her I will look her up in two hours and I point myself towards the quilts.  I can get a lot done in two hours if I stay on task.

I am posting separately on the quilts as I take a ton of pictures.  I'll put the links in here and you REALLY should click and go check them out.  I'm serious!  They eye candy is divine.  If you click it will open a new window and still keep you in here too.  Perfect, right?

EYE CANDY LINK 1

EYE CANDY LINK 2

I've now run my battery down to absolutely nothing and make a run back to the room for a quick charge.  As I'm there, Sherri returns from the parade and has wonderful stories to tell.  SHE needs a blog.  She took some pictures that I get to share here.  What fun.

The happiness in her says it all.  So glad she went and had a great time.

Okay, it's time to meet back up with Debi so Sherri, Kitsey and I do just that.  We shop with her for awhile but that is dang dangerous.  Before I know it, I have bought 4 prizes for retreats at The Pineapple Store and a coffee panel somewhere else.  I need to get away from her.  We spot this Astros hat being stitched too.  Kitsey meets up with Lydia and stay with her so it's just the three of us cruising along.

We stay with her until she makes it to 1500 and the Stitchin' Heaven booth.  Ana is still working and this time we manage to get a few pictures take.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

Good friends --- good times.  AND I score Debi a nice bag to carry things in.  Shhhh.

And since Ana didn't keep her eyes open yesterday -- we give it another try.

At this point, Sherri and I leave Debi on her own again and go back to the quilts.  I really want to finish them up so Sherri starts where I left off.

EYE CANDY LINK 3

We finish just as we are supposed to meet up with Debi to go back to the hotel with the group for dinner.  I'm beat.  Honest.  Somehow, though, I manage to take us the wrong way and the next thing i hear from the peanut gallery behind me is, "Is she making us walk down stairs?"  Yes, yes she is.

We arrive at the restaurant about 15 minutes early and they are not ready for us.  Before long almost everyone has gathered in the lobby and from the looks of this picture that Stephanie took, we are beat.  Truly.

Right at 6 our table becomes available and in we go.  Sharron, where are you?  Remember, you are the one who planned this?

Kathy meets up with us and after a good while, so does Sharron.  The gangs all here and this is our big chance to prove it.  Smiles everyone.  Smiles, I said.

Enjoy the scenes.

So glad to meet you Kathy.

The sadness of dinner being over has taken place and some good-byes (although temporary) have been said.  I wait to talk with Sharron a bit and then want to still grab my pictures of the fountains out front.  A quick walk out into a beautiful evening gives me just what I was after.

Even a video and once again my battery is DYING.

I manage to get a quick pic of the overhang for the show and love all the colors, even at night along with the lighted streets.  It really is quite festive out with bands playing and people enjoying some relaxation after a long day.

Back to the room I go -- I need to get ready for the show and share in our room.

My treasures from today.  What to share, what to share?  Always these tough questions.

Sherri, Kitsey, Lydia, Mindy, and Betsy do the show and share and Val even stops by for a visit.

Three hours later, the room is quiet and no one is moving much.  It's time to call it a night.

Tomorrow is another day and we have last minute decisions to make and a drive home ahead of us.  Group picture tomorrow morning too.  We can get it all done.

Today has certainly been filled, but I have loved all of it.

See ya tomorrow.