Vacation is over---time to get back to work!

We had a great vacation---enjoyed the warm or should I say hot weather in the Cayman's.  The water was beautiful as were the beaches---and oh my---what great food!  My favorite thing I ate was Naked Wahoo and mushroom bites at the Sunshine Grill---so incredibly delicious.  I mostly had fish--- snapper, grouper, tuna...oh my!

I did run in a 2 mile race on Saturday morning benefitting the local Catholic school----small race of about 90 people.  I came in 11th and was the second female to finish so I was very pleased---18:56.  thankfully it was at 7 AM so it wasn't too hot, but I was still sweating---very humid!

My hubby went scuba diving every morning---so we were up early.  I went snorkeling several times and that was fun.  We also went on a nighttime catamaran sailing---was a perfect night with millions of stars!

When I got home I quickly got myself back in the swing of things by spending two full days in the dye pots---and started packing for my first workshop of the year in Baton Rouge LA.  The Lenexa hook-in is at the end of February so it will be here before long.  In March I will be teaching at Yellow Rose in Texas and looking forward to my return trip there.  April brings a new hook-in in the St. Louis area where I will be vending and in May I will be teaching in Birmingham AL.  June brings me to my last of my three years teaching at Caraway in North Carolina.

Tomorrow and Wednesday my home classes start back---yeah!  It will be good to see everyone!  Thursday I am teaching a class at my shop in Greenwood---a busy week!

this colorful guy roamed the grounds in front of the hotel---great visual for hooking a rooster!

Hubby getting ready to go in for his dive at the Kittiwake shipwreck site

Here is our group on the catamaran---a fun group we were!

Okay time to go get busy---have a great day!

Open Studio Day has come and gone

Yesterday was a fun day getting me back into the swing of things.  Since I am leaving on a trip tomorrow I didn't have time to start classes back until after I get back but since I haven't had home classes since early December I thought I would offer and open studio day for anyone who needed help or supplies to drop by.
The day started off slow and then some started arriving---it was good to get back into the groove.

Thanks Amy for bringing the Lawrence girls over---hope your group last night had a good time.

Congrats Carole on the new grand baby---she is precious!

Jean---thanks for making the trip over and your wool you left is on it's way---I hope you have more confidence on getting started on your rug---it will be beautiful!

Anne---love the new cat rug---it will be great fun!

Anne H.---hope Birches will be finished soon---keep at it or Cheryl will be after you.


Don't forget about purchasing raffle tickets for the State Line Rug Hooker's rug to be awarded at the Lenexa Hook-in on February 25th---here is the rug again:

Tonite will be an early to be night as I have an early morning 6AM flight tomorrow---but will have plenty of time to rest when I get to my destination.  We have cashed in air miles and Marriott points to make this trip to the Caymen's.  My husband is a scuba diver and will be diving 4 days---I plan to snorkel, run on the beach, swim, shop, read books, eat seafood and even run in a 2 mile race called Keep the Resolution on Saturday morning---I thought it would be fun to say I ran in a race outside the US and come home with a t-shirt commemorating the event---someday I need to come up with a hooking project using all my race t-shirts---not ready to cut them up yet but it is in my mind to do something with them.

The weather in Kansas has been so mild this year---am hoping it continues all winter---nice not to have to worry about the weather and the roads.

I am looking forward to several camps and workshops when I get back.  In February I will be in Baton Rouge at Red Stick and in March at Yellow Rose in Texas.  The 25th of February I will new vending at the Lenexa Hook-in---if you have never been you might want to consider coming---so much fun!

I love texture---here is a close-up that I took on the beach in Bodega Bay!

Here is a link to an antique button button on Etsy---inspiration for design comes in many forms---I see a great chair pad design in this button!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72278442/antique-button-champleve-enamel

Well it is getting light now so it is time to get busy---much to do today!

Have a great week.

Anita

Home from California

Well I am home from California and am doing a quick post.  I got home Sunday night and woke up with an intestinal flu on Monday about 3 AM---not fun!  I am finally feeling human again but am still dragging.

We had a great time with family and really enjoyed Christmas and New Years.  My son in laws parents were very welcoming---the home we rented in Bodega bay turned  out great---we were so close to the ocean, and staying in Oakland with my daughter and her husband was extra special.   Lots of running, hiking, eating, playing games, and just enjoying being together.

Doug caught lots of fish on a charter which also included 6 live dungeness crabs which we boiled and ate until we were stuffed and had crab cakes made with the leftovers the next night.  YUM!

Also when I was in California I broke off a crown---the bad news is that I am going in this morning to have the tooth pulled and an implant put in hopefully at the same time if all goes as planned.  That was an expensive bite on a tortilla chip!  I thought the tooth had already had a root canal but found out yesterday that it didn't.  I was very surprised that I wasn't in pain.  I probably won't get much accomplished today so I thought I would get a post in.  I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted.

The rest of the week I plan to work on my upcoming camp Red Stick in Baton Rouge,  get welcoming letters out to my students from Yellow Rose in Texas and get ready for my open studio day next Monday here at the house...that should keep me busy!

here are a few pictures from California--

Christmas afternoon at the Marin's in Grass Valley---me and my family---with Jackson---Chelsea's 18 year old cat who now lives in the country with her in laws---he loves the country!

Chelsea flying with the birds on the beach in Bodega Bay!

A view of Bodega bay on one of our hikes---breathtaking view!

On a hike in Oakland California---it was steep hike behind the Claremont hotel---our only drizzly day so the view was not as spectacular as we had hoped but we still enjoyed it.

Chelsea and Noah are avid collectors of 60's...they have had this shell of a TV with cool antenna for a while and bought a flat screen that would fit inside---the white part around the screen lights up---the rotating color light was shining ion their silver tinsel tree.  It was fun to see their place in Oakland for the first time.  Now I have a better vision of where they are---makes a mom feel better!

Okay time to get ready to go to the dentist, not one of my favorite things to do.

Have a great day!

It would seem that our weather is cooperating for our flight on Friday---since we are flying through Denver I've kept a close watch on it as well, and although it is snowing there now Friday appears to be sunny---that is a good thing.

I started wrapping the presents that are going in the checked baggage---having never flown at christmas I thought that was okay---but not according to the TSA---I am not going to unwrap them---if they have to then so be it---I will rewrap them after I get there.  Nothing is large or dangerous so hopefully all will be well.

I did finish my Kilim.  Here it is---it is 17 by 37 inches and designed by Jane Flynn.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, or whatever holiday they celebrate and a  Happy New Year!

Anita

Holiday Gathering 2011 part 2

Two posts in two days!

Yesterday morning I went for a run retracing my route that I ran the day I lost my earring hoping to miraculously find it---it was a long run that day and I had called my husband to pick me up at the Starbucks---a grande mocha light frapacinno has only 140 calories and tastes great after a long run---unfortunately he had gone out and wasn't available to pick me up so  I had an even longer run than I had planned to get back home as I had a dr. appointment that I had to make it to and no moola with me to get my frappacinno...I got home an hour and twenty minutes after i left home.  No I didn't find my earring.

After my doctor's appointment I went to old downtown Overland Park.  I went to Penzey's and got some new spices and to the Tasteful Olive and got a fig balsamic vinegar and a sesame oil---they have it set up where you can taste the oils and vinegars and come up with your own pairings...fun but my tastebuds got very confused.  I used both last night in a dish I made for supper---chicken with japanese eggplant, tomatoes, onion, capers, red pepper and used the balsamic---yummy!  Served it over whole wheat penne pasta.  I love to play in the kitchen  occasionally---I say I cook like I dye---a little of this and a little of that. I get bored with putting meals on the table so every once in a while when I have the time I like to pretend that i am on the "Chopped" show and have to create a dish---I don't give myself as many strange foods as they get but it is funk to see what I can do given 3 or 4 main ingredients.

Well here are some more pictures from the party.

 This is a pattern hooked by Anne---I think it is a Nola Heidbreder pattern but Anne redrew many of the animals---I remember how hard we worked to come up with a color for the background---I think this one works!

 Another fun rug by Anne---a Primitive Grace pattern

A  very fun Woolley Fox chicken pattern hooked by Bonnie---I like the "halo effect" around the chickens

More chickens hooked by Mary Lynn ---drawing a blank on the pattern name, duh!

 Lots of fun Christmas pieces mostly hooked by Karen---she has been busy!

 Perry hooked this Bea Brock pattern, Birds of a Feather, an ambitious project---great job!

One of the highlights of the day was Marie telling us her story as hooked in this family rug.  The rug chronicles her life from childhood to present day---what a treasure this is!!!

Well, that is it for now---while not all the rugs this will give you a sampling of what was there.

I am so proud of their accomplishments and am looking forward to 2012 with  many more rugs and good times with all of them.

This next week will bring preparations for traveling  to California---not looking forward to flying at Christmas but have been checking the  weather and it looks like things are going to be good weather wise---keeping my fingers crossed.  I have never flown anywhere for Christmas, so this is a first.

Peace, joy and happiness to all.  Enjoy your family and friends---see you again in 2012!

Holiday Gathering 2011

Yesterday brought the 15th Annual Holiday Gathering.  We had a great time and fortunately the weather cooperated this year with temperatures near 60.  Our party was held at Mimi's house---thank you Mimi!

Everyone brought some great food along with their recipe so that we can put a cookbook together.  We also do a show and tell of current projects and a rug show.  I didn't get pictures of the show and tells but took pictures of the rug show.

Here is the finished picture of the project I gave everyone for their gift.  The sheep is hooked into the wool.  I finished the edge of my pillow by inserting strips and the edge with a hemostat tool---works great!

Here we all are gathered on the steps at Mimi's.

And now for some pictures:

This is a picture of our guild rug which is being raffled off---proceeds benefitting the Spiva Art Center in Joplin MO which was devastated by the tornado earlier this year.  Anyone interested can contact me---$5.00 for one ticket and $10 for three.  We sold quite a few tickets yesterday---It is a large rug---about 38 by 50.  It will be given away on February 25th at the Lenexa hook-in.


There were lots of geometric patterns this year---

 Star Geometric hooked by Peggy

Pinwheel  Quilt---about 34" by 58" hooked by Jo Ann---I did a smaller version of this earlier in the year when I worked out the pattern---much more impressive in the larger size!

 Two Kilim pillows hooked by Kate

This is the  same pattern as the pillows hooked as a runner---I didn't get the binding finished but I used the opportunity to give a little finishing lesson on how I did the binding.  At the top of the picture is a glimpse of a bird nest hooked for me by my good friend Jody---I had to bring it to share with the group.  Love it Jody!!!

 A great way to use up leftovers!

 

Cheltonham, a Martina Lesar pattern hooked by Kate

 Another scrap rug hooked by Marie

A great wall hanging hooked by Phyllis

This next group of pictures will show the popularity of some 

Susan Quicksall rug patterns.

 This is Amy's Crazy Horse runner in two parts---too big to get in one picture!

 Crazy Horse rug hooked by Cheryl

 Crazy Horse rug hooked by Wanda

 Seed Basket hooked by Sally---love the tongues!

Amy's Floral pillows---found the perfect wool for the pillow backs!

That's it for today---will post more pictures tomorrow!

What a wonderful group of very talented ladies---I am very thankful for the great year I have had with them and hope everyone enjoys the holidays!!!

checking in

Well it is a busy time of the year---lots of parties and holiday cheer!
We had our Rug Hooking guild Christmas party on Saturday and I forgot my camera, but I will have pictures thanks to Karen later this week.  Wednesday is my party for my students---I am so looking forward to it.  We will be having a rug show so there will be more pictures to come.

We went to a party last night and have another one on Saturday night---so much fun this time of year.  Our neighborhood Bunco party is next week.

Today has been a day of finding things and losing things.  I found my hooked braided mat which has been missing for some time but unfortunately I lost my earring again---more prayers to St. Anthony---if I don't find it this time I am not replacing it.  Still hopeful, but not holding my breath.  I hope I didn't lose it when I was running this morning.  Between yesterday and today I have run over 11 miles---no way to trace it back!

I am getting excited about my trip to California to see my daughter at Christmas...we are going to be going to Grass Valley, Bodega Bay and Oakland.  I am also going to get to see my sister who will be joining us in Bodega Bay.

I am looking forward to getting my hair cut and colored tomorrow---I am past due!

I am almost finished with my Kilim---just another hour or less of hooking time---planned to do it tonight but got distracted.

I promise some great pictures after the party on Wednesday---looks like the weather is going to cooperate this year---no snow!  yeah!!!!