Mexico, Missouri that is. On Friday I was kidnapped by my family and taken for a surprise shopping trip at a big quilt shop in Mexico, Homestead Hearth. I had shopped online with them before (they run good sales) but never visited in person, so it was a neat surprise! They had signs up all over the place banning photography, so I couldn’t even sneak a pic and claim ignorance… you’ll just have to take my word that it was a nice shop.

I did take a picture on the road, though. If you’ve ever wondered what the middle of Missouri looks like in the middle of winter, here it is:

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Yes, it’s really that ugly. But since I had my camera with me, I was able to get a pic of some cliffs near where I live… the icicles formed from the water dripping between the rocks are pretty, even though the whole scene is very gray:

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I also got word that a friend received the birthday gift I made for her, so I can share a picture. The design is by Mary Garry and I finished it into a pincushion:

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Speaking of birthday gifts, I have gotten a few gifts of “40″ things… 40 buttons, 40 stickers,etc. So far no one has offered up 40 thousand dollars, but I can dream :) The “40″ theme for gifts is clever, and has made me think of several “40″s I could use in art/craft projects… hmm.

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