CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!

So the Washington Capitals are in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. They beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, now playing the Pittsburg Penguins and these games are fairly intense with lots of fast skating (a crowd favorite). While cheering from our seats at home, I got up to see where Loo-C was "hiding", since she usually "watches" with us. Nope, she decided to find a quiet place, but Ahhh, resting on an Ovechkin Caps Jersey! That's where she decided to "cheer"!

BSoleille! The bright side of playoff hockey because it is so fast!!

Where are the Pockets?

A cute skort recently purchased (new), and with a great price point of under $10, but, eish, not one gosh darn pocket to be had! Never fear though, I can still be fancy free because I decided to sew in my own pocket. Now it will hold easily my phone, cash and a credit card when the temperature rises (we are all patiently waiting for that warm weather), and a key. Hands free while being out and about with out lugging a handbag!

BSoleille!

Terri

Coke Bottle Challenge...Sweet 2016

A few weeks ago I posted about seeing the new ad campaign from Diet Coke and their funky designed glass bottles! I couldn't resist not turning these cool bottles into a guild summer sweet 2016 challenge, so I did and revealed the specifics at tonight's meeting. Since every bottle is slightly different, each participant will use the colors of their bottle, along with using a polka dot and a stripe, and the dimension of 20"x16"!  The skies the limit on what could be done. To get started and have an example, I made one (bowl of strawberries), and Misty Cole not only made one, but two interpretations of her bottle!! They are spectacular Lil' quilts!

And by the way, I bought every bottle at Wegman's that day (three dozen)! I am looking forward to the reveal later on this summer/early fall!

BSoleille!

Terri

The vote...

I hope you got out to vote (Maryland primaries) today, and of course, voted when your state was up and on the map! A "no vote" is actually worse than a "toss up" vote for any candidate running. And, if you are a woman, we've only that the right to vote since 1920, not even a hundred years yet! Lots of suffragette brutality before the landmark 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified, stating, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

I am thankful to be living in a time when each vote counts, including a woman's vote in 2016!

BSoleille!

Terri

Open Roads

Traveling along the highways and turnpikes of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland, the open roads makes my heart sing. With sunny skies and good tunes churning out the radio, singing along never felt so good. I am thankful for the trip, the excellent visits with family and friends, and safe travels over 1, 275 miles!

BSoleille!

Terri

A Little More Travel

One more road trip to Toledo to visit my friend, Helen Gruneisen (and pup Lucy). A great visit all around Ohio and I'm thankful for that! 

BSoleille!

Terri

Photos of a sister morning in Cleveland with Kimberly, an after run photo with Helen and a special moment with Lu!

"Race" Around Ohio

Luckily I like to drive, and it sure comes in handy when traveling around NE Ohio visiting kinfolk. Breakfast in North Royalton, a hike around Hinckley Lake, a baseball game in Massilion, and dinner in North Olmsted had me criss crossing the top half of the state throughout this sunny, but cool day. (I did happen to finish my audio book though!)

BSoleille!

Terri

Photos of Debbie and Clancy; nephew Justin Kocan and Tomoff dinner at Nuevo

Book on "Tape"

When driving and listening to a good book, the six hours of driving seem to melt away. And when you finally reach your destination, have you ever felt you don't want to quite get out of the car yet because the book is not done and you want to get to the "break" or next chapter? And if you get so engrossed in the book you almost have to turn the thing off so you don't miss your exit! (Thankfully this didn't happen today!). 

A nice visit with my mom in her nursing home in Cleveland was top of the order today. Now to bring on warm and sunny weather in C-Town!

BSoleille!

Terri

Ta-Da x2

While waiting on some fabric I ordered to finish a couple tshirt quilts, I side stepped over to a couple fun projects! The first project was making three autumn table runners (photo of only one of the three), and a summer beach tote started and finished today! I'm ready to start packing for the beach...

BSoleille!

Terri

#ASKGARYVEE

Blogging is just one piece of the huge social network out there in the blogosphere. Social media and apps of every rank and stripe is out in full force as well. So it was a real treat to attend The Gary Vaynerchuck event this evening at the University of Maryland where this very social media (Vayner Media based in NYC) and savvy guy pontificated on the use of these tools. He likes to say these media tools are the gateway to developing awareness and relationships that may eventually lead to some business. It was a lively crowd of about 1,000 fans all awed by this skinny dude that started selling baseball cards on the weekend as an early teen, then joined the family business in his late teens, The Wine Library, where his vision and "wild" marketing strategies took the business from 6 million dollars in sales to 60 million dollars in sales. A bonifide marketing guru for sure! I am thankful to share this night with Bill, Olivia, Don Tomoff, Liz Verrecchia and Chris Goodman!

BSoleille!

Terri

Iced Tea and CCC

Iced tea and chocolate chip cookies are a crowd favorite, especially made by my friend, Trish. Like lays potato chips, you can't each just one, and eating a few, sends waves of happiness in ones mouth of sweetness! I am thankful for the deliciousness of a simple cookie!

BSoleille!

Terri

2092

Have you ever thought about 2092? Like in the year 2092? Neither have I until I needed to correct my running watch to the date, time, year. It was set on 2013, so I wanted to cursor forward to 2016, but the thing only went down (or backwards) until 2000, then started over at 2099. It wasn't until 2092 that I stopped to really look at the year...and most likely I won't be here to see it! I guess Timex thinks this watch will make it to 2099!!!

BSoleille! 

Terri

Difference Between 30ish and 50ish

Happy Hour on a crisp spring Friday night and noticing the "over" 50 crowd is seated (except for the Caps fan and my son, Ryan who is way younger than 50), in the foreground, and the 20's-40's? standing in the background. Bottom line, each group had fun gathering with friends, neighbors and colleagues at the new "Langways" in Crofton on 450 (the old Otto's). Check it out if local!

BSoleille!

Terri

If the Sweater Fits....

An unexpected gift was bestowed to me today from my friend Mary Nielsen: an hand knitted sweater! What is so special is that she is an excellent knitter, as well as an excellent quilter, and I believe she spent hours knitting it. So I am speechless, but also very thankful to have it, as Mary is moving soon to warm and "tropical" Florida! So a huge shout of THANKS to Mary and I'll miss you big bunches. It will be a "hug" from her every time I wear it; how cool is that?

BSoleille! The bright side of an unexpected gift...and it fits!!

Terri

Coke Bottle Gimmick

Blue chip company Coca-Cola has come out with a new add campaign with the crazy color glass bottles, maybe you have seen? For me, I cannot help but think of making a quilt using one of the bottles as a guide to the color combinations! Now that would be a fun challenge!

BSolielle! The bright side of a colorful glass bottle!

Terri

We've Got "Nat-itude"

That translates to Washington Nationals Baseball and a big win (2-1) over the Atlanta Braves on a crescent moon evening in DC! A mother-son outing that started out in the 300 section, but due to savvy social media by the son (a friend of his had two unused seats which was noted through Snap Chat), we ended up 15 rows back from first base during the third inning! Thankful to have an exciting finish to an otherwise ho-hum 7 innings of no runs. And a double thanks for the comp tickets that included parking! Go Nats!

BSoleille!

Terri

Undesirable Plant is Back

And it's none other than poison ivy! Ugh...Its everyone's "nightmare", and I just noticed this little plant growth today in which I sprayed it with Roundup. I hope it works and it all dies out. It seems like Spring is back with a vengeance!

BSoleille!

Terri

Is it All Worth It?

Packing up to go on a quilt retreat is no small task. We all bring way too much (at least I do), and our stuff takes up a lot of space, it just does. Projects we are currently working on, future projects, projects started at retreat, plus all our fabric and equipment to do the above makes for one crazy "sweat shop" atmosphere.  It is fairly interesting that all of us have our specific likes and favorites (colors, patterns, fabrics) and can pretty much identify who makes what quilt time and time again, and I do not think for one minute anyone of us would change a thing about that!

BSoleille! The bright side of, "yes, it's all worth it!"

Terri 

Photos of my Posse and some of their quilts: 1) my stuff; 2) Mary Nielsen; 3) Cappy Phillips; 4) Carrie Casto; 5) At dining hall

Ta-Da Moment with Tiny Nines

For three years the "Possibillibees" exchanged tiny nines quilt blocks or a nine patch block. They finish at 1.5" (did I mention they are truly tiny?). The blocks are a tedious combination of keeping your wits (at least mine) and sewing thousands of seams. For a 60"x64" quilt, the thing weighs a ton. It was only appropo that I completed the top while with my Posse, er, swappers of crazy nines!  

BSoleille! The bright side of a finished quilt top, no matter how crazy the pattern. 

Terri

Back to West River

Quilt retreat with the Possibillibees for the weekend and I am thankful and excited too boot! Too many projects and probably not enough time to finish everything I brought, but I'll try. Our cabin looks like a mini sweat shop, but that is okay with us. 

BSoleillle!

Terri

Club Buster "Old Style"

With the advent of automatic transmissions, the majority of young people do not even want to learn how to drive "a stick", or manual transmission. A would be "robber" may jump into a stolen car, but then can't take off in it because they don't know how to drive it away. I am thinking "old school" deterrent (even though I'm driving a 2001 Corolla), but on those nice sports cars....

BSoleille!

Terri

Buzzer Beater

The last five minutes of a National Championship game men's basketball game is all that is "needed" to watch (in an evenly matched game, that is, like tonight). So to see "live" a three point jump shot right at the buzzer by Villanova was a sweet moment in college hoops. Of course this excitement came in the last 3.4 seconds of the game, and really, from the selfless guard named Ryan A who passed the ball for his team mate to score the "Disney" basket for the win and title! Very cool indeed!

BSoleille!

Terri

Great Day for Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

After three weeks of NOT running due to that crazy (sickness) bug going around, I managed to tie up the laces and give it the "ole college try" for a 10 mile run this morning in DC! The crowd of 15,000 other runners helped with the process though my legs and body are quite tired even as I type this post. But I am very thankful to have satisfied my two goals; to not walk at any point and to finish with a smile on my face! Whoohoo mission complete!

Of course our "team" of the Crofton-Cleveland Cheetahs consisting of TBD, Olivia, sister-in-law, Beth Tomoff, friend Liz Verrecchia and her friend Shannon, all finished as well on this beautiful sunny, albeit very windy, Sunday morning. 

BSoleille!

Terri

Packet Pickup and More

The National Building Museum in Washington DC is the site of the Cherry Blossom packet pickup for the 10 mile race tomorrow. I love walking into the building with its huge Corinthian columns and architectural friezes depicting Civil War Soldiers! All the design, plus the runners expo, is a pretty sweet "two-fer"!

Our fairly large group of eight broke off after the expo and snack time to the National Portrait Gallery on 8th and F Street. It is one of my favorite museums and today it did not disappoint. On the third level was an exhibit of impressionist and modern art including works by Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keefe, Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichenstein, Miro, and many more. Fantastic pieces and made my heart sing-the beauty unmatched!

I highly recommend a trip downtown!

BSoleille!

Terri