today is another day...

But first, I need to tell you about yesterday - what a weird day.  I started out tired and it probably should of just been a day that I stayed in bed...

But I had to go to work.  Things were due and things to do.  So I went to Canby to drop off projects.  Then I was going back to Tualatin to work the rest of the day at my second job.  Inventory time!  

(If you are reading this and you aren't from this area - I will give you a tip - the following is a description of a scenic route or a downward death spiral when traveling with Vicki Manning and her sister, Terri!!!!)

So I left Canby and headed out to Tualatin - which is really only 2 or 3 exits down the freeway.  But I missed the exit at North Wilsonville, so figured I would take the next one at Tualatin Sherwood.  Then, before I knew it, I was on 217!  I was almost home again....  So I turned around on the Tigard exit off of 217 and headed back to Tualatin.  I missed the Tualatin/Sherwood exit again, and the N.Wilsonville and had to turn around at the Wilsonville exit.  But I finally got to work at 11:45....  I had left a message earlier saying I would probably be there by 10:30.  Not sure what was so distracting that I just took a tour of the local freeways...   

Ok, so there was a fire truck involved at one point...   That was how I got onto 217.  

Anyway, I got to work in time to pull a couple a orders and it was time for lunch!  lol....  Ok, day is getting better...  So we went to lunch and an extended field trip to a quilt store in West Linn.  What a fantastic little store.  It was called Holly Hill Quilt Shop.  Oh boy....  This was like walking into a whole new world for me.  Angie and Vicki have been quilting and making some of the most amazing quilts.  I have a sewing machine.  I could learn how to use it and do this, right????  So they are going to teach me how and my first project is going to be a tree skirt.  You can check out some of the ones that Angie has made on her blog at www.boxerscrapbooks.com - they are just amazing.  

Ok, so Ang says I need 5-6 fabrics and start with a focal.        Ummmmm.......  Ok?  I am looking at thousands of fabrics, where do I start.  I can do this in a scrapbook store, match papers, etc.  But the fabrics thing was overwhelming.  Ang was great though, we stepped back and took some "baby steps" (Thanks Paris - taking this tip from you...) and started with a look that I want.  Do I want traditional red and green, do I want snowmen because a lot of my decorations or snowmen, or what?  So I decided that I really wanted something warm and log cabin feeling. Plaids, stripes, etc.  We found some beautiful fabrics.  Vicki and I got them all stacked together, and they looked great.  I had a focal fabric and everything....

Then I turned around and saw another collection of colors.  Wow - this store knew how to lay it out so even I could see what all went together.  So we put away our first stack pulled out a second stack of some great plaids, stripes, dots and flowers.  Ok, looking a lot like what I love to scrapbook with....  Hey, it is all piecing right?  I can do this...   Then Ang starts asking me what kind of feet I have....  two, a right and a left.  No - for my machine.  Ok, sure.  I have one.  I don't even really know how to thread this machine.  I know there are arrows on it to make it easy but for some reason when I do it, the thread comes loose, or it breaks....  Frustrates me so I quit.  Time for me to have a beginning quilt class!  But next Saturday, Angie and Vicki are going to continue to get me hooked on this.  (Honestly, think I was hooked just walking around the store.  Hey who can't use another hobby, right?)  

Oh then Ang took me to one section of the store that had nautical type fabrics....  OMG!!!!!  My next project is going to be something with that.  There were fabrics with lighthouses, beach scenes....   Perfect for my living room!

With Ang's mathmatical mind and cell phone calculator, she figured out how much fabric we needed and got it cut.  While that was happening, we toured the rest of the store.  So many little rooms filled to the rim with beautiful patterns, colors and samples of quilts that were amazing.  Ok, gotta go.  We have inventory to do.....   But there was still more to see.  More samples to look at.  Oh they have kits!  Everything you need in a bag....  Oh do I like these fabrics better????   GO! GO! GO!  This is going to be dangerous..  I managed though to get out of there with my $40 bag of fabric.  If you quilt - Christmas fabrics are 50% off.  

Back to the office we go.  But this time, Angie took the freeway.  We took the back roads to the store and I totally didn't have a clue where we were.  She was thinking that if I didn't know how to find this place, I couldn't go there without her.....   (Notice I didn't drive for this field trip - we had inventory to do.....)  But as soon as I saw the freeway, I knew exactly where I was and this store can even be found by me!!!!  I will be going back.  Think Ang will have to go anyway because she knows more about this than I do....  Now I need to find my tools and such.  I think I even have a rotary cutter and the mat and a tub of fabrics!  My mother-in-law tried to teach me how to quilt many years ago....  Didn't stick.   Think now that might be different.  Next Saturday is the day, right Ang?  I really can't wait.  I am excited to try this.  I will keep you posted how this all comes about....

We did get some progress made on the inventory.  And at 5:00 it was time to head home.  Revisit those favorite freeways of mine.  I made it home without incident, other than the typical parking lot scene on 217, heavy traffic, dark and rainy....  Got home to two grumpy hungry boys.  Jake called me twice while I was driving home to see what was for dinner.  I just wanted to go home, wash my hands and change my clothes!  Thanks to Koda (Vicki's dog, just this cute boxer but he is a drooler!) He got me good.  My shirt and pants were just slimy and crusty from the drooler.  But by the time, I got home, Jake decided we should go out because I had a hard day, so how about Applebee's.  Cleaned up and off we were.

I ended my day by heading off to bed at 7:30!!!!!  Fell asleep somewhere during Reba and woke up to Jake looking at me....  "Mom, it is 9:30, should we go to bed?"        Yeah....   So put the boys to bed and back I went.  Turned on Grey's Anatomy (another thing Ang has me hooked on....  great show)  Trying to get caught up.  It was an episode I haven't seen but not sure if it was a re-run again or not.  But think I fell asleep before it was over because the next time I woke up, it was some late night show.

So after a long night of extremely weird dreams, I am ready to hit another day.  Already after 8am though so I better grab a cup of coffee, get the boys up and get ready for work.  I only have one place to go to today so I think it should be easy to get there...  Will make the goal of taking the direct route this morning.

Have a great day!  If you are a scrapbooker, visit your favorite scrap store....  If you are a quilter, visit HOLLY HILL!!!!!!