Tuesday, June 9, 2009

quilting weekend in albuquerque


Don't forget to enter here for the quilt giveaway. The deadline is tonight at midnight, so hurry!

Some of my girlfriends must have known that I wasn't too keen on being back in El Paso after our super-fun San Diego trip... So, they promptly planned a Girls' Weekend to Albuquerque, NM. Why? Because we all like to quilt and there are a ton of fabric stores in Albuquerque. So really the question is, Why not? Sarah, Christie, Lindsay and I (the Crafternoon crew) hopped in a car and off we went.

And it was super-fun. I now have 6 fabric stores worth of inspiration, and a few purchases to make that inspiration come to life. Gosh, I love to sew. Who knew? After one set of purchases, we all received a free fat quarter of our choice. But our choices were pretty much hideous, all in the "southwest" vein. So we decided to split the free loot with the assignment of having to make something to remember the weekend. Mine turned into the souvenir above - note the "gem" dangling in the middle. It will hang in my new craft nook that I'm still in the process of making. ...To always remind me of:
  • laughing so hard I almost peed my pants in Hallmark
  • staring very indecisively among bolts of fabric... often
  • being the first one to sleep one night because I was sooooo tired
  • learning lots about friends as we played "Loaded Questions" in the car
  • seeing my first transvestite hooker
  • almost dozing off during an Indian ritual dance
  • keeping Sarah happy by keeping to her well-planned schedule
  • always being early out the door in the morning (four girls and one bathroom!) and yet still managing to be late places
  • GPS-ing Starbucks on more than one occasion
  • going into the weekend believing Albuquerque was the "gem of the southwest", only to be a little disappointed (see bullet point #5)
  • but still thinking Albuquerque is pretty darn cool.
So here's some pictures of the weekend that include many new inside jokes (that's when you know you've arrived as a group of friends, right?) and other bits of crazy.

Twinkies... the joke that overtook the weekend

My good luck in finding European pretzels at a farmer's market

Perhaps my next quilt? Love it!

Lindsay and I with our new purchases

10 comments:

LifeAtTheCircus.com said...

This post made me so happy. :-) I am glad you've gotten yourself a group of girls to go on trips with, laugh with, be crafty with, and eat Twinkies with. Road trips and inside jokes are really the gems memories and friendships are made of!

April Holthaus said...

Hi Karen, Andrea and I were looking at your neat blog. Wow, you are an awesome quilter. Congratulations on your upcoming bundle. Let us know what you finally decided for a name. I know your folks will let me hear the good news too. If you ever want a mountain retreat, please come up to Pagosa Springs. I am just north of Sante Fe, N.M. and Andrea is in Colorado Springs. Love...

Susan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mom said...

I want to Ditto both of the comments so far. You are a great friend and I am so glad you have new friends in El Paso too.

Cindy said...

Karen I couldn't be more happy for you than you finding such a great group of friends. I said tonight to my group of girlfriends who I cornered into singing special music with me on sunday night that I had no idea when I moved to Sherman that I would find a group of girls that no matter what I could call on their friendship and they would be there. It looks like you have found friends like that too. I know you bought sewing stuff but you ended the weekend withmore than that, nothing can buy great friends except love. You go crafternoon girls!

mrsbuckett said...

This post made me happy (and a bit jealous too I have to admit). You keep me inspired with your projects. I currently have fabric sitting across from me waiting desperately to be made into a quilt quickly for Rebecca's sprinkling shower this weekend. Hope little grublet is doing well. I love your preggo belly! You make me smile a big smile even a far distance away. :)

Happy said...

You look so great in all these pictures and I am thrilled you have a group of friends to share good times and "inside jokes" with. Those are the best.

Christie said...

What in the world was I thinking when I let you take a photo of me molesting that twinkie...now the whole www will probably think less of this modest Christian girl! LOL

Crafty P said...

oh I love that quilt you posted down near the bottom... very pleasing to my eyes!

Sounds like great fun!

Megan said...

Sounds like such a fun fun trip! You are truly blessed to have found such a good group of friends so quickly - but then again who wouldn't want to be friends with Karen! :)