HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONNA

So OMG how lucky am I??????????? Max took me to Monterey yesterday for my birthday and we had a really great time. Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, Lover's Point, Asilomar - just all over the area. I love Monterey and it was really fun to check it out again. We had fish and chips for lunch after I sampled EVERY clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf. Max bought me the above cozy sweatshirt on the wharf. We also went to one of my old favorite places for dessert and had a "black bottom cup cake". I had mine heated with ice cream and it was very tasty, but Max was not impressed cause as it turned out everything in the place was really "health food" based and without the ice cream it was not that tasty. I forgot that was back in my "healthy era". Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. The Mac book, mouse and carry case was a present from a stop at Fry's on the way home. I am blown away with the new Mac book - and yes I am SPOILED, but loving every little minute of it.

Later . . .

Back to sewing

I am back to my embroidery since I took my machine back and they gave me a new one. I was having TONS of problems with my Creative Vision and I finally just snapped and called my dealer and said it needed to go back to Pfaff because it was basically a piece of crap. She was very good about it and took a brand new one out of the box and gave it to me. Needless to say I am sewing and happy once again. I was doing an embroidery for the holidays and OMG it was the most disastrous project. I finally managed to get it done where the front look pretty good, but the back of the design was crap. Anyway, I have been wanting to do some bags for Max's light stands and I finally found a decent camera design (as luck would have it on sale for $1). I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew what I wanted to do. I am very proud of myself for the way the bags turned out - I have some things I will change when I do the next ones. I did two sets of bags and she wants four. Duane would like to have some too - he thought the idea was awesome.

I am working on a quilt top and am dying to get back to my quilting machine. The holidays forced a long break from quilting, but I am ready to jump back in now.

We had a nice time with the kids for the belated Christmas celebration (picture on Duane's blog). They are growing up so quickly and Deanna is at a GREAT age right now.

Can't say I will keep posting, but I will give it a try. I should be doing this and posting pictures so Debby can access it from Iraq. We are having the family over for dinner tonight as it is Max's mom's 70th BD. Decided to do a little celebration. I did an embroidery for her on a shirt because she is a scrap book person.

Later . . .

Catching up...

I am not sure why it seems so darn hard for me to address this blog.  I just can't see to get around to doing it, but I will keep trying.

The Holidays went off well.  We had a really nice Christmas with the Lawson clan.  Max fixed some tri-tips and a ham with all the fixings and it was an excellent dinner.  Jesse's kids had a great Christmas at our house - they have to split families between their mom and dad.  The whole family had a good time playing Rock Band (go figure what a fun interactive game that seems to be).

Max and I went to Monterey for New Year's with her parents.  We stayed in a condo in Marina and had a really nice time there too.  We walked on the beach and played dominoes and Uno until all hours.

We came home on Friday and took down the lights and got busy fixing up my new "quilting room".  It is ready to go and I was going to do some quilting today, but it has been soooooooo long that I could not remember how to thread the machine.  I decided that I would just put it off until next week and start "new".  We are heading to do our Christmas with the grandkids this weekend - which we are really looking forward to.  I also have to take my sewing machine into the shop AGAIN.  This time she is just taking it back and sending it back to Pfaff.  I have been having WAY to many problems with it and I am generally pissed about the whole matter.  I talked to my dealer and she told me it was not a problem that she would send it back to Pfaff and told me I would go home with a working machine.  I cannot even sew on it right now for fear of ruining whatever I try.

I am looking forward to coming home next week and having the time to settle into sewing and quilting.  I have a quilt top that I want to make from a special tool I bought at the quilt show.  Maybe if I am successful doing some projects I will have some pictures to post and be more enthused about the blog.

Later . . .