Houston Festival 2018 - Day One

I cannot explain to you how much I look forward to this type of trip each year.  Seriously!!  It is just fun and friends with some shopping and eye candy thrown in.  What could be more perfect?

This weekend we are off to Houston International Quilt Festival for just those items listed above.  My car has Lydia and Rocky in it and we are zooming south to meet up with everyone else.

Upon our arrival, check-in goes super smooth and we are able to store everything in one room right away.  The only down spot is that we had already given everything to the concierge and so had to retrieve it, but within moments it was returned and we are now set.  It's time to play.  Let's get going.

Our little party is not quite complete yet as we have to meet up with Sam and Gwen and Brenda and Sharron and . . .   Yep, one of those days.

Ooooooh, first glace at the show

What do we see?  Quilts from this window.

While the next window down, gives us a glimpse of shopping heaven.  Ohhhh, please let me be good.

The escalator is calling and we are soon on our way.  Plans are made to start at 100 and see how far we go before lunch calls.  With retreat coming up next month AND Bonnie Hunter's new mystery starting as well, I have a few "must gets" on my list.  The very first booth tackles the retreat fat quarters and a couple of oranges for the mystery as well.  Custom Creations from Chino, CA always has a large amount of fat quarters to select from.

Meeting up with Val (woohoo!!!! after a 7 month hiatus) we have also found Brenda and Leanne.  It's such fun to run into friends.

Web Fabrics,net allows me to find a few more fat quarters for the mystery.

Val only has a couple of hours to hang with us between classes and needs to go to the Connecting Threads booth so we all go along.  Ugh --- I'm not so sure that was the best decision on my part as a couple of fat quarter bundles are going home with me as a result.

With that purchase behind me, we wander a bit more and then decide that our bellies need appeasing.  Off we go for some cozy time in a booth at McAlister's Deli.  (Yep, there are stories there, but . . . )

Okay, we are revitalized and ready to go again.  Back to the vendors.  The Patchwork Co is my next opportunity to add to the orange fat quarter stash for the mystery.  Maybe I have enough now?

Around the next corner, is the Missouri Star Quilt Company booth and we are fortunate enough to run into Jenny Doan.  Woot woot.  It's picture time.  What a treat.  We are MSQC bound in 2020 and I can't wait.  That will be a road trip to remember.  Attached to the Missouri Star booth is Pin Peddlers and I DO have something I wish to pick up there.  I started a tradition last year and want to continue it -- pins for all those who attend this weekend as part of our entourage.

Lydia shared that she found the booth with the minky in it, so we have detoured to pick up some more.  I used this last year in Jon Paul's quilt and I love it so much.  Two colors are selected at Stitch and Sparkle (Booth 738) and a fat quarter pack too.  Fortunately, they let us all store our purchases in their booth until later in the day.  Perfect.

Now, back on track, next up is Aurifil and the gals have discovered a Jenga game that allows them to win spools of thread.  Can you say, "Competition?"

I play one game and lose -- that's it for me and I'm off to find the actual thread sale booth around the corner.

It's packed, but I get prices and decide to put it on my "return" list for Saturday.  I'll happen but I need room to move around and it just doesn't exist right now.

We have made it quite a few rows and as we get to the end of row 800, Paula's Quilters World stops us in our tracks.  There is a demo going on and Sherri and I are locked in place watching, only to discover that Rocky and Eveline are sitting right in front of us.  This booth has a crazy cool way to do quilt as you go and after picking my jaw up off the floor at least twice, out comes the credit card.

Yep -- a pricey stop, but one I am incredibly excited over.  I have EVERYTHING I need.  Right?

We cruise along for awhile, just peeking, learning, and getting ideas.  At a booth near the back, I spot the cutest little boxes with fabric rolls in them.  I have a definite idea in mind for them and want to pick up a couple.  Les Secrets De Marie has a cash only policy which is not an issue but she doesn't have any change.  WTW???  My brain can't even wrap around those two items together.  At any rate, by the time we all make arrangements to cover each other, I'm pretty done.  Whew.

That's it!!!  We are calling it a day and heading back to the rooms to figure out what to do for dinner.  A quick elevator shot, chops off a few heads but I'll share that Frieda and Eveline are the missing heads.

We didn't plan ahead and so dinner winds up being pretty late and an outside wait at Pappadeaux, but all is good.  Love and laughter run amok and soooo many stories are held in our memories.

After about an hour wait, we are finally getting dinner and a much needed beer.  Ahhh, life is good.  I have ordered a salmon dinner and I have to admit that is is truly scrumptious.

It's been such a fun day and I am loving being with everyone.  Moments like this remind me of just how very blessed I truly am.

Back to the room and it's time for some sleep.  Here are a couple random images.  Take what you wish from them.

The view from our room is pretty wonderful --- if a bit foggy.  Picture perfect.  Night all.