It's Sunday and I've already blown my first deadline of posting every Saturday evening. What a way to start practicing for my New Year's resolution. I've got a few more weeks to practice before my resolution kicks in!
To make a few excuses....
The weekend before Thanksgiving my husband and I decided to take a Saturday off and do our own mini shop-hop. A Saturday off??? This is a rare occasion for us since becoming quilt-shop owners. It is such a treat and I can hardly wait!
Saturday morning arrives and its a lazy one. We hang out in the kitchen drinking our coffee, reading the paper, doing the crossword puzzle and attempting the Sudoku. At 10:00 a.m. (this is a lazy day!) we hit the shower and get ready to go. Our first stop...Quilt, Quilt, Quilt, Etc.
This has always been my go-to shop. If they don't have it, no one does. Greg and I peruse the main store and say Hi! to Sandra and a few of the employees as we check out the terrific selection of fabrics and samples. They really do have everything! My shop always seems so tiny after visiting Quilts.
Then it is across the street to the Hand Maiden where I purchase small black buttons for eyes for our "FriendSheep" block of the month and a really cute tin to make Cori Blunt's "Sweet as Pie" pin cushion
http://chitterchatterdesigns.com/files/IPIE.jpg.
We stop by the "novelties" section and say hello to Pauline. I adore her! She is always so helpful and friendly and her dolls are incredible.
We check out the long arms, (they have a Statler Stitcher on one, I am so jealous!) then head back to the van. Greg hops in the passenger side and I run around to the driver's side (did I mention that I am a bit of a control freak? I am almost always in the driver's seat) when I notice the quilt block sign is on the ground beside my van's door. I pick it up and start to take it back inside to let the staff know it has blown off the building (it was that blustery wind stormy day) when I notice that my entire windshield is shattered (but still in tact thanks to the the miracle of safety glass!) and there is a pretty good sized dent in my roof, right about the center line. Is this some kind of quilt shop karma?
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| looking out of my windshield |
So now I have to go into Quilts Etc. and let them know what has happened. This is really embarrassing! The staff is so friendly an apologetic. They come out and take pictures and call Pat who is away at a retreat. Of course, there isn't much she can do long distance and her husband, who has come over to handle the situation, asks if they have my contact information. The height of embarrassment....I mumble that Pat knows me and has my info, yes, I am the owner of
Thimbles and Threads. No one has recognized me up to this point - should I be concerned that I am not that memorable? I really am not trying to be sneaky or clandestine (if I was I have failed miserably!) just visiting the local shops to get a feel for every one's specialty and flavor.
So we take the van home and park it in the garage for now. We hop in our little red Focus and head back out on our trip. The day is almost over but we have time to visit a few more shops. We're feeling pretty good, what else could possibly happen?
Our next stop is Whimsy Cottage. I love Nancy's shop. It is fun and her fabric selections reflect her vibrant personality.
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| Nancy at Whimsy Cottage |
Then it is off to Piper's Quilts and Comforts. I have never visited this shop and it is fabulous. I have dabbled in knitting and the yarn projects and the samples on display are amazing! They have a nice selection of fabrics. Their quilt block of the Month for 2011 is absolutely stunning. Gorgeous applique on a luscious red background.
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| Piper's shopfront is so inviting! |
Our last stop of the day is Material Girls. Nadine and Shelby are so upbeat and enthusiastic and the shop reflects their energy. This is my favorite shop (besides mine, of course!) because it is always hopping with customers and energy. I get excited about quilting just walking through the door! There are so many fun patterns and samples and I want to make them all.
Nadine is always so friendly and outgoing and I love visiting with her. What a perfect end to our day!
We head back home stopping by our shop to close out the day and regale the staff with our days adventure. They get quite a laugh over our misadventure, it is rather ironic and we have to laugh ourselves. Since buying our little shop we've had a burglary, a flood, a snake, and a sewage backup to keep us on our toes. Today's experience is just another blip in our journey. These blips are trivial in the scope of life and without them we would never appreciate how truly good our life is. We have our health, our family, and our livelihood. What more can one ask for?
As a follow-up....Pat at Quilts went above and beyond by compensating us for our replacement windshield after their insurance declared the accident an "act of God" and therefore not covered by the policy. The repairs were just below the deductible for our auto insurance policy and therefore not covered. (Remind me again why we pay those high insurance premiums each month?) Thanks Pat! I promise not to cause such a hubbub the next time I visit your shop.
