A trip promised 30+ years ago!

My family watches the Macy Day Parade every year and have loved seeing the big balloons, the bands, and the stars on the fancy floats.  It was part of our Thanksgiving tradition and we loved it!  When my daughters were little they loved the big balloons especially.  They were both in the band in junior high and high school and liked watching the bands also.  I always said some day maybe we could watch it in person.  This was the year!!!

My husband, the best around, treated my daughters and I to a trip to New York City and we had so much fun!  It was awesome.  Julie, my oldest daughter, had been there last year for a weekend and I had been there before also.  But this was Stacey's first trip and we crammed everything we could in four days AND then seeing the parade on top of it was wonderful.  Here are just a few thoughts and scenes from our terrific trip.

The first morning we got up early to see the TODAY SHOW.

We got to see a little of Susan Boyle singing before a page from the Dr. Oz show asked us if we wanted to be at a taping of his show.  So off we went for that.  Pretty exciting and we will be on tv in a couple of weeks--just in the audience though.  It was interesting to see how they tape a show and we even learned a little.  :)

This picture, one of my favorites, was taken in the Rockefeller Center where the taping took place!

 
Here we are on the ferry to the Statue.  Before we got on we had to go thru security and Julie got pulled out of the line for "wanding".  No problem though.  Even the shows we went to, our purses were checked.  Security was high everywhere.  Policemen were very visible throughout the city.  I liked that feeling of security.

Anyway, back to the Statue.  It was so impressive.  It looks so small from a distance, but really is huge.  We went on to Ellis Island and we really enjoyed that.  To think that so many people came through that building daily for so many years is mind boggling.  And my father-in-law was 14 when he came from Switzerland ALONE.  We are not sure if he came through there or not, but I'm going to do some research and find out.

We tried out "Ray's Pizza" and it was delicious.  I tried it another place and it was good too.  Not the same as Oklahoma's for sure.   We also had to try cannolis, and a delicious hot dog from the street vendor.  Pretty darn good!!


Julie



Julie and Stacey


The Empire State Building was fun too.  When I was there the last time, it was very cloudy but this time it was clear, and very windy and cold.  It amazes me that it is so small on the 86th floor viewing point.  In "Sleepless in Seattle", it looks much bigger. 

Here is the photo the photographer took before we went up.

We saw the Rockettes at Radio Music Hall, and two Broadway shows, "Promises, Promises" and "Mamma Mia".  Sean Hayes was sick, so he wasn't in Promises, but it still was great.  Wish we could have seen more, love those shows!

We made it to Macy's (did some damage to the charge cards there), FAO Schwartz, Trump Tower, window shopped at Tiffany's, Saks and all the other stores on 5th Avenue.  Oh, and the Christmas windows were fantastic!!  The work that goes on them is unbelievable.  That is when I wished the grandkids were there to see them.  But another time for them.  They are still a little young for a New York City trip.

Macy's


And the parade, what can I say!!  We decided if we went back a dozen times, we would never have it as good as we had this time.  Our hotel was at Time Square and the parade went right by the front of our hotel.  We got out there around an hour before parade started and was able to get right behind the barricade.  And the weather was super.  Perfect!!



Love this one!!

 When Stacey was a little girl, she loved Smurfs!  So when the new Smurf balloon came down the street I had to have a pic with her in it. 

The parade was wonderful--just as we thought it'd be.  The weather was perfect, 39 degrees when it began.  And I saw it with my girls, how could I ask for more!!!

That afternoon, it started to drizzle, but that didn't stop us from walking around Central Park.  In fact, we had Thanksgiving lunch in the park right next to the ice skaking rink.

For Thanksgiving lunch, 2010, we'll always remember we were in Central Park.  Stacey had a hot dog, Julie had a chicken sausage, and I had a cheeseburger!  We missed the big Thanksgiving Dinner in Oklahoma that my sister fixed, but mostly we missed our family. 

However, we did get a nice meal that evening at Rosie O'Grady's.  Turkey and all the "fixin's".

Even though we had a long plane ride home the next day (via Houston), it was still a wonderful trip.  And I hope that my daughters will someday get the same experience with their children.  Thanks, Girls, for a great trip!  Thanks, Mike and Tom, for keeping the kids so your wives could go.  And most of all, thanks, Rob, for making this awesome trip happen.    

Christmas Quilt Show 2010

Seeing quilts is so inspiring for me.  I always get ideas of things I want to try making.  It may be the pattern or  sometimes it's the colors.  And sometimes I enjoy seeing things I could never do.  Maybe I shouldn't say NEVER do, because I believe that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it.  It's just that my mind may not want to do it!!  LOL

 And so when SewGalCal decided to do her "Quilt Show", I decided to join.  Here is my entry.  Some may think it's not a Christmas quilt.  But it makes me think of the beautiful cardinals in a Christmas Snow. 

It was a little challenging because of all the different angles of the windows, but I did it.  Making one of these was definitely enough.  Hope it makes you think of a wonderful snowy Christmas Day!

Christmas Table Runner

Bernina Club had the cutest table runner this month, but they were out of the pattern, so I came home and drafted my own.  Not exact, but I don't like cookie cutter stuff, so this worked for me.

I embroidered the words on my fabric with my 730 and then

appliqued the snowflakes.  The original pattern's snowflakes were all the same.  I had to make mine different sizes because of the size of the blocks,  but I think it adds a little more interest.

The piecing went together very quickly, because few seams had to match. 

As you may be able to see, decorative stitches were sewn on each seam of the top.  I used fusible fleece on this project and then the giant rick rack was added along with the backing.  It was turned inside out and topstitched.



Here is the finished runner!



Popcorn Magic!

One of my sisters, Marilyn, gave us some popcorn still on the cob she got us while on vacation in Buffalo, New York.  So the other day Kayley and Lyndey were over here and I thought it would be a fun "Plan B" project.  They were so amazed.  I thought so too!!



Kayley



Lyndey

Then Robert and I rode our cycle to Texas to see the grandkids down there.  I took a "cob" for them too.  We popped the corn a little longer so there wasn't as many attached as the girls had, but Jake and Paige thought it was fun, too!

Paige and Jake

While we were there, we got to see the last soccer games of both Jake and Paige.  Both their teams have improved so much this season.  We sure miss not being able to see more of their games.  But mainly, we miss them!






See what I received today!

Candle Mat Swap 
I got this lovely mat from Maria Wilson in Australia. She included a cute little Christmas card that she machine appliqued and the cutest tiny book that is a holder for pins and needles which will be great for my travelling sewing kit.  Also, was a cross stitch ornament kit and a Cadbury candy bar.  I'm thinking that is going to be eaten along with a cup of tea this afternoon!!

Thanks so much, Maria!!

Now I need to get my mat in the mail for my partner, who is not Maria, but is out of the country.  I can't say who or where--it's suppose to be a surprise!