... Brother DillyDally left yesterday to return to college. It is always a tough transition ... Teacup and Kysa are sad ... so are Mr. and Mrs. DillyDally ... even though we have all been through this multiple times with both Sister and Brother ... their comings and goings the past 8 years ... it is still hard on the four of us who are left behind.
We all deal with the absence in our own way ... Teacup and Kysa mope ... Mr. DillyDally gets busy doing small projects, he usually cleans or organizes something ... I chose to divert myself by partying! Yes ... you heard me ... no moping, cleaning, or organizing for me ... it is time to host a party! A Happy UnBirthday Party for my QBees!
The theme of the party is Minnesota Shop Hop! Each party participant will receive a kit that includes the materials necessary to complete a project ... the project was created by a Minnesota quilt designer ... of course! Here are the kits ... all assembled and ready for this afternoon!
I had help in organizing this party ... from Minnesota quilt shop owners of course! Roseann Kermes of Rosebud's Cottage sent a goody box filled with fun for us!
This years Minnesota Shop Hop fabric came from Emily Hardwig of Emily's Country Cottage in Bemidji, Minnesota. The 2010 fabric was designed by Holly Taylor for Moda, they are a design team of two women ... yes ... they are Minnesotans.
While in Minnesota this summer I collected door prizes to represent the Minnesota theme ... there are some quilty ones as well ... each party participant will receive at least one door prize! Some of you might wonder ... why a QBee UnBirthday party? Many reasons, but this blog post might help explain. When you read it you'll agree that my QBees are very generous, wonderful women. With this party we celebrate everyone's birthday ... together ... all at once!
Now you may be asking ... why the Minnesota Shop Hop theme? I stumbled across it accidentally in 2007 while visiting a few quilt shops I always frequent when visiting family in Minnesota. In 2008, I deliberately traveled to Minnesota during the shop hop and went on a one day bus tour of some metro area shops...after that I was hooked! Last year, I took the hop a bit more seriously ... in fact ... the shop hop is the reason I began this very humble blog! I wanted to share it with my QBees back here in Alaska!
Tour Bus - 2009 Minnesota Shop Hop
If you read my blog posts dated the first two weeks in August 2009 you will see that I visited 24 shops ... and what a wonderful experience it was! This year I chose to travel to Minnesota in June so that I could attend my nephews graduation, so am unable to attend this year's hop. Today is the last day of the 2010 Minnesota Shop Hop and we're celebrating it here ... thousands of miles away ... in Cordova, Alaska! Every party participant will leave the UnBirthday party with a door prize or two ... their gift of a quilting project ... a tummy full of potluck goodies ...memories of an afternoon filled with giggles and dillydallying ... and an invitation to attend the 2011 Minnesota Shop Hop with me! What could be more fun? Sharing the Minnesota Shop Hop with QBees ... now that would be a fun packed vacation!
Cordova, Alaska in the summer
The worst part about the empty nest ... is the empty. What works for me is filling that emptiness with dillydally experiences. Well my dear dillydalliers ... I can't host a Minnesota themed party with out a Wild Rice Hotdish and Jello Salad ... so I had better get busy dillydallying in the kitchen! Party on!
all I can say is that picture of Cordova has to be some OTHER summer!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Hope the party was tons of fun!!!
ReplyDeleteI wanna come! Sounds like a lot of fun. I am from Minnesota, but unable to do the Shop Hop this year. I visited your beautiful little city in about 2002 while I was up to see my son who now lives in Seldovia. We were up last summer and will be there again next summer. Love your part of our world!
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