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Friday, August 14, 2015

Let’s Go to VEGAS!!

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Here I am…7:21am at HOME..but the body clock doesn’t know I’m on West Coast time and I’m up up up and I can’t fight the not sleeping anymore.  I think all of this Vegas excitement has me in hyper drive.

I am meeting so many of you for the very first ((or second, or third!)) time and this party is rocking!

So while sleep eludes me, I’m sitting here editing down photos and giggling to myself over how much we crammed into just yesterday alone.

What a day!

It started out with my flight to Atlanta that boarded at 6:20am.  See that pink horizon of promise?  I know they say “Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning” but this was the most beautiful sunrise as we headed toward Atlanta.

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No first class, but 20 F has possibilities!

If you can’t get first class, shoot for 20 F.  I was comfy all the way – and I stitched hexies from Atlanta to Vegas.  I have the blue row going on the outside of this fill in section – I’m half way done with that row of blue.  My goal is to have it finished and ready to attach to the Mother Ship when I get back to North Carolina.  Then all that is left is the fill in sections of neutral to bring this quilt to rectangle.  Little amounts if stitching in otherwise wasted time – it accomplishes great things!


Descending into Las Vegas!  I love how the scenery changes as I fly from one end of the country to the other.  Every area has its own kind of beauty.  I love the color of this water!

But baby, it’s hot hot hot outside!

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My friend Jill arrived at the CORRECT baggage claim to meet me and my bags.  However – I followed the “Baggage Claim” signs to the WRONG baggage claim – and had to take the shuttle back to terminal 1 to go meet up with Jill and my bags, which she had collected.  We had a good laugh about it all the way on the shuttle….it was full of folks who had ALSO followed the signs to the wrong baggage claim and had to go back to terminal 1 to get their bags.

And I have to apologize to the couple of quilters who spotted me and wanted to engage in conversation while I was running from one terminal back to another to go meet with Jill and my bags!  If you only KNEW what a crazy making baggage experience this really was!

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We found MACHINES!  At the FORUM at Caesar's Palace!

Leave it to Jill and Bonnie to find the one place in all of the Las Vegas Strip that has a great display of vintage sewing machines!  All Saints!  Only I mourn the fact that these are now non-working machines.  Someone said I should be happy that they have been saved from the landfill and are now functioning as “ART”. 

If they are going to destroy perfectly wonderful useful machines, let them do it with the crappy plastic cheaply mass produced worthless models…not these beautiful machines!

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In memoriam of all of the now dead machines!

We had to restore our composure with a good healthy dose of gelato.  It worked!

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And we are HERE!  At the SLS!

What a fabulous place with all of the amenities for a wonderful quilt retreat!  We’ve got quilters and friends and spouses, all here from every corner of the USA and Canada!  It’s going to be a scrappy good wonderful quilty time!

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Wedding veils and all!!

Our opening gala was OH so fun – can you imagine all 80 or so of us if you include the teachers and helpers and everyone – parading THROUGH the casino to the Center Bar, all wearing wedding veils?  I have never laughed so hard, nor had so much fun!

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And yes, you can wear Las Vegas on your head and get away with it!

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

Until Bonnie posts it to the internet! HA!

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My cohorts!  Retreat organizers, Debbie Caffrey and Charlotte Angotti!

These gals really know how to put on a party.  I am having so much fun with them and so happy they invited me to come play with them.  Together we are a Quilty Force to be reckoned with!

Oh, too much fun! No wonder I can’t sleep!

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So fun!!

I’ve uploaded the rest of the photos into a slide show.  Click the image below if you are unable to view the slide show on your mobile device.  You’ll be taken to the photo album for viewing.

Opening Gala, Vegas Retreat 2015




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Outside my hotel room window!

Just wait until you see our retreat set up!  The room is fabulous….I’ll take loads of photos of my Garden Party workshop today.

And likely there will be a late afternoon nap after class before heading out to go see a show tonight!

Love from Vegas ---


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13 comments:

  1. Vegas for a quilt retreat? FUN!

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  2. you have the worse job!! have you ever thought of changing careers? kidding of course, you were born to be a quilting rock star!! try to have fun.

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  3. Bonnie, if it doesn't grieve you too much to say, what do they do to the machines to make them nonworkable? It seems if the exhibit were to be dismantled, they could just plug in a cord and turn them on (after oiling, greasing, cleaning of course.... And any repairs they needed unrelated to the display).

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  4. Oh my such fun! I can imagine the looks when you all paraded in your veils. Enjoy!

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  5. What fun! Thanks for all the pics.

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  6. Almost like being there...Sorry about the early wake time with the time change. I can just imagine the FUN with Bonnie, Debbie & Charlotte. Hugs all around.

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  7. I think it's a waste of machines too. All their stores in th UK have the same display so they must have commandeered hundreds (or could it be thousands?).

    Enjoy Vegas, it's such a fun place, I love it.
    Linda

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  8. I have come to the conclusion that they pump oxygen into the rooms in Vegas that keep you awake. Never am able to sleep when I am out there. Have a great time...you can sleep when you get home.

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  9. Bonnie, it is just too fun that your view out your window in the post that is full of wedding veils would happen to be the Stratosphere. I married my DH on the top floor of that Stratosphere on April Fool's Day 2007, then he and guests rode the exciting rides on the "top" top!! The rides were way too thrilling for me, but it looks like you were having the time of your life at that gathering. Thanks for sharing the fun!

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  10. Looks like so much fun! I love the looks on the faces of the people in the backgrounds of the pictures!
    Vickie in Cleveland

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  11. What Ă  fantastisch start. Love The pictures. Will have to save up to come next time. Enjoy iT Bonnie!!!!!!
    Yoka Bazilewich

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  12. Luv all the smiles..yall def look like you are having the time of your lives..so sorry I missed out. Maybe next year.

    Michaela in FL

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  13. Looks like y'all had a blast.I'm jealous.
    Don't you know that everyone in the casino was wondering why all these brides where wearing veils. Little did they know.

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