Will this Summer ever END?

I'm just about ready to go out this morning, but I am waiting until my No Bake Cookies set up enough to put them on a plate. I got up early this morning to make cookies and found that I didn't have enough butter, so off to the store I went.

My plans for the day is to visit a friend who is in the hospital (and take cookies!) and then go shopping for chairs for the living room (which is still in shambles!) I really wanted to get an early start today since it is going to be 105 degrees today! Will this summer ever end?

Yesterday I completed Step 2 in my Limoncello making process. I made this last year for a good friends birthday and her birthday is coming up again in November. The whole process can take up to several months (depending on how patient you are!). I couldn't find the recipe I used last year so I did a google search and found this blog with pictures:

http://patty.vox.com/library/post/homemade-limoncello-when-life-gives-you-lemons.html

Check it out!

Another blog that I have really been enjoying and hope to get to trying is this one:

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

This lady has been making and posting a Crock Pot recipe every single day since the beginning

of the year. It is a really interesting site AND you can go back and see all of the back recipes. One thing that is really neat is that she give a rating of each recipe.....you know.......did the kids like it.........would she make it again......stuff like that.

I'm off to brave the infernal heat............

FNQer's go to camp!

Pines & Needles Quilt Retreat

Fall arrived just abit early for me this year. I spent 2 days and 2 nights up near Christopher Creek at Pines and Needles.

Click on this link to see information and lots of pictures of this neat place:

http://www.pinesandneedlesretreat.com/about.html

The top picture shows the house where there are 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, living room, and kitchen. The second picture is of the workroom. It was so beautiful up there and about 20-30 degrees cooler than here in Phoenix.

Here we all are in the dining room just after finishing up a fine meal.

One of the real pleasures of this retreat is that Kim, (the owner of this fine establishment) does all the cooking and serves us breakfast, lunch and dinner family style. Kim is a great cook!

Besides Eating, drinking, napping and hiking we all get a whole lot of quilting projects done!

Mary's "YIKES" quilt top

Judy finished up her Sundowners BOM.

Kathy sewed the rick rack on the quilt that is going to go in her downstairs bedroom and made this baby quilt.

Linda created borders around a neat panel to create this cool quilt that she is giving to her mother-in-law and made a baby quilt top.

Joanne finished up the beading on this extremely creative wall hanging. You should see it in person........it is fabulous!

You can't really see her, but this is Dolly working on a little purse. I think she made at least 6 of them in various sizes this weekend, plus a tablerunner and I don't know what else!

I think that Kerry drank rum and coke all weekend........as I have no pictures of her projects........naw.........just kidding.......she worked on some very tedious looking blocks for a wall hanging that when finished is going to be beautiful and at least one purse.

Good to get away.................GREAT to be home! Thanks for the fine weekend Kim!

There's no place like Home!

I have just gotten back from a weeklong journey.

My husband attended a computer conference in Las Vegas and I went with him.

We stayed at the newest hotel called the Palazzo which is right next door to the Venetian.

It was a fun week. What a crazy city!

We did alot of walking around and exploring the city.

I also took my trusty little Singer Featherweight and did alot of sewing!

We were on the 43rd Floor! 50 floors total!

The Palazzo had these "statues" that were really live people! And right next door was the Venetian with the singing gondolas that were INSIDE the building.

We didn't see the Blue Man group here in Vegas, but they were the headline act that was performing at our hotel. We actually saw the Blue Man Group here in Phoenix last year.

What a cool show they put on!

One of the neat things that we did while in Vegas was to go to the Las Vegas Race Track. The convention "treated" all of the people attending to a special night at the car track. They loaded up everyone on buses and drove us over there. The track featured all kinds of food and drink. (my favorite was the little lamb chops served on tiny plates of mashed potatoes and a drink called "Liquid Fuel" with Red bull, vanilla vodka and Grand Marnier) The entertainment portion of the evening was riding in fast cars around the race track. One was around the big track in nice cars. The other was on a course that featured alot of curves and speed! We had to wear helmets for that one...........oh, and the cars were Shelby Mustangs! Since most of the attendees were men they all really seemed to enjoy the fast car rides and seeing all of the specialty cars. I enjoyed the food, drink and music!