Quilt Exhibits & Fair FUN!

Today was too nice not to go to the fair!  Of course, we weren't the only ones thinking that!  Not sure...but I think over 115,000 were in attendance!  It was crazy crowded!  We did manage to spend some time checking out the exhibits!  I LOVE looking at all the amazing entries from quilting to canning!  This year did not disappoint!  The displays were stunning & quality was amazing!  Just wish I could get more/better pics...  Everything is enclosed, so it's very hard to get decent pics!  Here are a few for you to enjoy!  We really just enjoyed some fair food, games, friends & family time!  I think this trip was just what we needed to get out and enjoy!!!  Hannah also tried a new 2015 fair food!  It was a mac and cheese cupcake!  She thought it was good!!!   I'm still pondering what new food I'm going to try!  It always amazes me how they keep coming up with so many new & creative foods!  They even had Typsy Pies!  Pies made with alcohol! Lol!  I think we should put our heads together and come up with a new fair food!  After all... Sweet Martha's Cookies grossed $3 million last year alone!  Not too shabby for 11 days of work!!!!! 😀😀😀

Give Away, Harvest Goods, Fair Fun!

It is "LUCKY" Friday on our FB page!!!!!!  You know what else is cool?  Last week I gave away 33 patterns to 11 winners!  It can't get much better then that!  So be sure to head over to Facebook and leave a comment on our LUCKY Friday post for a chance to win!  I was thinking about it...and I give out 75-100+ goods every month!  How cool is that!!!!!!!??!?

This week was "mission WI Quilt Show & BARN Event"!  We were kitting, unpacking & pricing goods... Ordering trims, more trays & stars (want to make sure I have extra for you onliners!) and cutting-bundling wool, velvet etc!  Since I typically don't do much kitting, I now have a HUGE appreciation for the shops that do it!  I can't believe how little you really get out of a bolt and how much time it takes to cut & package them!  it's definitely been a learning curve and a huge investment!  Hope everyone loves kits...because I can't wait to move these!  My shop is crammed!!!!!!!  

On the home front...  It's been hard to juggle the back to school prep etc.  First off, Gracie got her braces off, her pink hair dyed back to blond & after taking her and her friends to the mall(s) numerous times - she still tells me she needs more jeans!  Oh my!!! Lol!!!!  Then Hannah has been volunteering at school helping some teachers get ready, had her 11th grade orientation & took her class pictures today!  I really struggled when I filled out her forms - 11th grade?  My baby!!!!  How can that be!!!??  I truly will miss them both so much when they go back to school!  Plus- I won't have Hannah working with me anymore!!!  😢

Today the Minnesota State Fair opened up for its wonderful MN Get-together!!!  So of course, after a long day of work, the girls and I headed there about 7:15.  We had a great time, bought our annual MNSF sweatshirts, radio station tees & sampled some of our FAV fair food!  I'm going to pre-warn you that my family LOVES the MNSF and I'll be posting more pics as we plan to go a few more times!  Lol!!!  I've been going every year since entering the 6th grade!  Every year I was fortunate to win numerous grand champions & reserve champions at my county fair thru 4-H.  This meant I would earn a trip down to the "big cities" where the state fair is held!  This was a HUGE deal to make the long 8 hour plus trip to the cities on a school bus!  I can still remember calling home "collect" on the pay phone at the 4-H building!  Such good memories!!!!!   

Before I go... I hope you check out the pics with this post!  It shows the BOO & Jack patterns I'll be giving away, new & gorgeous products for the BARN Event & the vintage feedback collection/pics at the fair!  Seeing those vintage sacks was the highlight of tonight's trip to the fair!  They were stunning!  In the agriculture building they are celebrating the 100th year of the corn at the fair!  So they had hung hundreds of old feed sacks on the walls!  Also- check out the art pieces that were made with various crop seeds!  They are amazing!!!!!  Happy Friday ! 😃😃😃

  

Lucky Friday! MN Shop Hop & More!

"LUCKY" Friday is here at last!  I'm hoping this week has been a good one for you!  It's been a hectic, but great one on my end!  This week consisted of working around dental, Ortho & allergy appts for the girls... and a facial, hair & pedi for me!!!  I've been running around like a hot mess!  Time to get my groove back on!!! Haha!!!  Luckily, I had Kelly & Hannah working to keep us rolling while I was away!  

Then the truck had to go in for cosmetic surgery!  So we were down a car and had a dickens of a time getting a rental... because of all the storms we've had, there has bee a lot of hail damage to vehicles!  Needless to say... today GW picked up one to keep until the truck is done late next week!  Yeehaw!!!  He and Hannah are out shipping orders while I'm getting a little relaxation time in before we load the trailer & set up shop tomorrow at The Country Loft!  I'm so excited to be able to have a ton of my product line in a quilt shop for the MN State Shop Hop!  My fabric will even be there, kits & wool!  So if you are in MN be sure to make a stop there for some BB goods!  I'll post pics on Monday once it's set up!  Then on Tuesday, I fly out to The Rabbit's Lair!  That is going to be an awesome time teaching & enjoying a new area I've never traveled too!!  Hope the students are ready for woolly goodness!!!!  I'll try to post often of the happenings!

Since I'm sitting at the salon and can barely move {since I'm getting a pedi}... I'm going to keep this post short!  Before I forget...I've messed up my site trying to put the new Simply Vintage magazine on there for you gals to purchase! So- if you're looking for the new misc patterns... it isn't on there!  I hope to get that fixed, sooner then later!  BTW, the magazine is fantastic this issue!  I'm keeping a copy of this one for myself!!!!  Hope you get a copy for yourself too!

Last night, after work, we hit the Anoka County Fair with the girls!  I love, love, love fairs!!!  It was s gorgeous night for cheese curds, live music & rides!  So speaking of fairs... Head on over to the Facebook page, leave a comment for a chance to win some great patterns!  Have a great weekend!

Summerthyme Blog Hop Wraps Up! My day!

 Welcome to the final day of our wonderful Summerthyme Blog Hop! 

First off, I would like to thank each of the other designers for joining in and taking time out of their busy schedules to create a free design for you, work through the kinks (as we always seem to have something come up) - especially when it comes to formatting the artwork.... and share a family favorite recipe with you! 

Without you designers...

there would be no hop! 

 

I would also like to thank each of YOU readers for stopping by!  I know many of you waited with anticipation for each new day of the hop!  I am so glad you all have been enjoying it... and also enjoying getting to know each of us designers a bit more! 

Please, please, make sure and give them thanks and/or follow our blogs!  We really do appreciate your support and really need to know if this is something worth doing for you!  Without hearing from you or liking our blogs... we really have no clue!  And - a lot of work really does go into this (even though we make it look easy!!! LOL!).  So please share and help spread the word about our fantastic blog hop! 

We LOVE sharing & creating for you all!!!

 

Up today is me, Miss Buttermilk Basin! 

I, too, have been waiting patiently to share my day/project with each of you!  Each of the past 9 days felt like a mini party here in blogland!  We  enjoyed numerous mediums of handwork, shared some delicious recipes and we also learned who has a green thumb and does not!!! {LOL!}... and most importantly, we have had fun & got inspired! 

So...let's continue celebrating with my scrumptious "No Bake" Banana Split Dessert Recipe & my darling Americana wool pillow tuck I created just for you!  It will be perfect to stitch up while enjoying some porch sitting

{of course, with a nice mason jar full of Sheri's FAV summer beverage!}  I hope you enjoy my day & project... Have a wonderful summer filled with lots of memories!

 

PS:  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (I post there a LOT!), Facebook, (I post daily & give away goods weekly each "LUCKY" Friday!) and on my website (always posting new designs & the FREE "Mystery" BOM!)... 

 

My Complimentary Pattern:

Please click the link to print off the pattern! Enjoy!

http://siterepository.s3.amazonaws.com/2457/summer_blog_hop.pdf

Here are my thoughts on summer!

Favorite Summer Memory:

Toss up between attending the Roseau County Fair (exhibiting in 4-H) & sitting on the porch with my Great Grandma Lily watching the vehicles go by.  We would take turns pretending to get one of the cars that drove by!  We sure would get some good laughs about some of "our" cars!!!  It was awesome, too, seeing the "big" fair trucks with the rides coming to town! 

Pretty big thing for a small town!

On the 4th of July we:

Start the day off with a parade... and end with fireworks in our front yard with the neighbors! 

(I love the snakes that grow & smoke!!! LOL!)

Green Thumb or Not? 

Yes!  Not half as good as my mother & grandmas though!  I am not as patient as they are.  But I am working on enjoying the growth process!  I just redid my memory garden in honor of my mother... Here is the start of it!

 

Favorite Fair Food:

Tie: Cheese Curds & Crepes!

Favorite Summer Drink & Farmer’s Market Find:

Raspberry Lemonade & rhubarb at the Farmer's Market!  Love me some rhubarb! 

Summer Designs You are Working on:

NONE!  I am skipping summer and going right to the Autumn in the Country Barn Event & the Caribbean Cruise projects for the February!!

Favorite Quote:

 

 

NOTE:  Use 1/2 cup of butter & 1/4 cup of sugar. 
We also used 4 bananas and graham cracker crumbs on the top instead of walnuts!

Happy Monday! More blog hop fun from Meg & Gail!

Happy Monday!  How cute were the designs from the hop over the weekend from Lori & Meg from Crabapple Hill!  I have fond memories of riding my little trike as a little girl!  I think I might even have some pictures of my girls riding their trikes when they were little waving the flags on the 4th!  Very sweet design!  I have also seen a few cross stitch pieces already made up from Lori of Notforgotten Farm.  I do not cross stitch - but I am loving that little key fob!!!!

This weekend we also took in the Back to the 50's Car Show at the MN State Fairground.  I had never been to that so we decided to take the girls and head down to check it out & see all the cars!  Let me tell you - we did not even make a dent at looking at all the cars!  It was amazing and soooo much to take in.  If you are a car lover and ever get the opportunity - you really should plan to come and spend the weekend at the show!  Plus... they open up many of the state fair food stands!  It was such a gorgeous day out too!  Here are a few picks of the old, vintage & rusty trucks that caught my eye!  These were few and far between but their patina was amazing!

 

 

Up next is Gail from Gail Pan Designs.  Here are a few tidbits about summer/gardening from her!  Sounds like she has a keeper (her hubby) who does all the gardening!  Lucky girl!!!!

 

Favorite Summer Memory: 

Playing under the sprinkler on a really hot day!!

Green Thumb or Not?

Not.....hubby does the gardening.. I'll pick flowers though!!

Favorite Fair Food:

Fairy Floss (cotton candy in the US)

Favorite Summer Drink & Farmer’s Market Find:

Homemade lemonade....and hot jam donuts!!

Summer Designs You are Working on:

Trying to do a new BOM for the seasons!!

Please click the link and head on over to Gail's blog for the her pattern for the hop!

www.gailpandesigns.typepad.com

 

June 15-25 will feature...

Cheri * Quilts by Cheri

Debbie * Wooden Spool Designs

Tracy * Plum Cute Designs

Ali * Ali Strebel Designs

Kathy * The Cottage at Cardiff Farms

Lori * Notforgotten Farm

Meg * Crabapple Hill

Gail * Gail Pan Designs

Stacy * Buttermilk Basin

Sheri * Calico Moon

 

Off the plane... Then to the MN State Fair!

Since I'm a huge State Fair girl... I headed right off the plane to the Great MN Get Together!  It really is one of my FAV places to go!  I love the smell, the food, the array of people, the bright lights and just the whole vibe!  If you ever had the opportunity to go to our state fair- I suggest you do!  It's amazing!!!  I believe it is the top fair in the US!  BTW- I will post more pics & tidbits from my trip tomorrow!  Just had to share my break in the action!!! :). Ready to snuggle up with the kitties and sleep in!!!  :)))