IMQG Quilt Show

Over six years ago two of my newest friends and I set off on an adventure in building community.  Community around this thing called Modern Quilting.  We made plans and hosted meetings and sometimes just the three of us showed up but we were not deterred we decided if it was just us then so be it.  little by little new friends came and joined our little community.  We learned a lot, we laughed a lot.  We enjoyed sharing our hobby.  We added a few other helpers to our more established board and I got two more new best friends (one who would later have her baby on the same day as me). And our little guild grew.  We had our first show in 2012 on the cultural trail which was very ad-hoc and trial and error and we loved it.  The following year we established ourselves as an actual Guild, formalized things and joined the parent guild.  Slowly and surely the guild has transformed into something more awesome and more special. 

This year our little guild (which is much bigger and funner now), hosted our second show.  It was AMAZING!  Modern quilts hung outside at a park.  So pretty so fun so interesting.  I love that I know each quilts owner without seeing the tag.  I love that I know the stories and trials of making these masterpieces.  I love that most of these quilts are loved in our homes.  I so enjoyed hanging out at the show talking to people about modern quilts and with our guild.  It was so good.  I was so happy to see both friends and family come, but also new faces and passerbyers and Pokemon Goers.  I am so happy for our guild.  And so proud to call these women my friends, my people. The show was a good reminder for me of why we kept on meeting even when sometimes just 3 or 4 people showed up.  It's about our creativity and community.  About how together we can inspire, encourage, challenge, and care for each other.  With that I will say "thank you Indy Modern Quilt Guild.  I love you!"  

The Indy children's Museum

We used our Christmas money from my dad to buy a Children's Museum membership.  So far we have already gone three times, each time for just a few hours but for and 18 month old this is enough time.  

Jones absolutely loves it.  There's a special area for kids his age and we haven't even taken him to that since we had the membership but really the bigger kids stuff is still fun for him.  He also just likes watching the bigger kids do things.

We bought a family pass with guests so we also were able to take Gabby and Kane.  gabby was totally into it.  Kane was into only things that were real like which Dino bones were real etc. 

So far I would say that it's been worth the investment and we look forward to taking him more often and going on play dates with our friends there as well.  

Oktoberfest

We went to Octoberfest over the weekend.  Having previously been to Octoberfest Cincinnati I thought it might be a little larger with more to do and see.  

Sadly Indys Octoberfest was tiny little more than a handful of beer tents and food vendors,  just a few little shops.  And everything was so expensive!  There was some polka music though and a the worlds scariest Ferris wheel.  A Ferris wheel that was run by a drunk man that never seemed to end and was kind of rickety but we lived, it does join the South Dakota ferris for sketchiest ride. Anyhow it was a fun double date with Lynley and John. 

  

Girls nights grown up picnic

My five weeks home are expiring Monday!  :(. So I wanted to get together with my girls before my only days are Saturday and Sunday again.  I thought it would be fun to do a grow up picnic on the canal.  So that's what we did.  Everyone brought a dish and we met up on the canal in a nice spot amongst the trees and in the grass.  I brought some champagne and someone else brought some "mixers". And we ate and drank champagne mixers and chatted it up about everything and nothing until it was too cold to be outside.  It was a fantastic night and way to spend time with friends.  

It was also great to be reminded of the blessing the last 5 weeks has been both to my friendships and marriage and really to my sanity.  

PS some of my friends were not interested in having their pictures taken but I did anyway but my friends who eat it up I completely forgot to snap photos of after they arrived.  DOH!  Next time next time.

WyliePalooza Ice Cream Emporium

I have a new favorite ice cream spot in Indy.  Lately everything has been all about the soft serve with all these yogurt places popping up here and there.  Well I myself am a fan of hard ice cream.  Yep that's right.  If I get to pick I would pick a hard ice cream over soft any day.  I also don't give a hoot about chocolate ice cream but all that is another story.  So we found this place in Irvington called WyliePalooza Ice Cream Emporium.  That serves hard ice cream (and bubble tea).  Oh and did I mention its good?  I got their mint chocolate chip explosion (or whatever it was called) and peanut butter cookie dough (pbcd). Two scoops was way too much but the pbcd was scrumptious and the mint was also good.  Dusty had a coffee and peanut butter shake which he enjoyed as well.  

The place is also super cute and has a little shop that sells all kinds of fun things, and has a pinball machine.  

Anyhow if you are in Irvington you should pop in and check them out.  

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend we ...

did a lot of bbqing three to be exact.  

Babysat four nieces.

Went to the 500 parade.

Had a picnic.

Threw a BBQ first real one of the summer

We went to Syd's grad party.

We visited with friends.

Watched the pacers.

Went to the tap.

Walked down mass ave. 

Visited Dustin's dads grave.

It was a good weekend.

I hope we have lots more this summer.

Round Robin

Indy Modern Quilt Guild is doing a round robin swap this year.  Round robins are basically where you start a quilt with a block then send it to the next person and they add something to the quilt and then send it to the next person. I thought it might be a fun challenge so of course I signed up.  I decided to make my quilt black/white/gray and started my block with scraps in these colors.  I whipped up a block very improv style and then boxed it up for the next person.  

Since we exchanged these at the meeting I was able to then get a jump on my next block while there – which is genius because these are due right after the wedding.  I had Tisha’s quilt to start with she had made very precise 9 patch blocks using a floral print with sashing in a strip format.  This is the exact opposite of my free-style quilting and print selection.  So I spent more time thinking on what to do then actually doing it.   I finally decided to add just a simple strip of strips to one side, using only a handful of fabrics she included – and having just one strip of green in there for a surprise.  I think it meshes well with her quilt and now it’s off to the next person already.

Happy birthday Dustin!

This Sunday was Dustin's birthday. We took a trip to Omaha to see Jono and Lo at his request. We had a great time seeing the city with them, going to a trampoline jump zone, visiting Warren Buffett, antique shopping, and just visiting. It was a good time and I know Dustin enjoyed his birthday weekend.
Then yesterday I threw him a surprise bacon party with lots of bacon dishes. I my plans for sending Dustin out fell thru so I just let people show up as I was cooking dinner. At first he thought people were just popping in then he noticed the large amount of food I made - "did you make two packages of bacon?" I ignored him shortly thereafter one of my friends was like "how do you like your bacon party?" And he was like "party?" He enjoyed the party. the bacon dishes especially the cupcakes Kathleen made were excellent.