Cannery Row and Monterey offers alot to see and enjoy

It is hard to believe there are so many flowers in bloom as in my town it is barely waking up from winter and not a flower in site anywhere...even the tulips are barely peeking out in the cold air.

A statue of John Steinbeck sits in front of the ocean view.


A Flower Bonsai shop has alot to offer in the way of color and beauty.

What is more fun that a polka dotted door? Not much.


Every other building and shop is called "John Steinbeck" something here on Cannery Row. Interesting people hang out here and wonderful scenery of the ocean and trucks delivering goods for sale and also to restaurants. It is a bustling place.

Here is Mel with her Starbucks as we walk and peek in the windows of Cannery Row.

This street is so interesting. There is alot of history here in Monterey and good restaurants and shops to spend your money. If you would like a nice little vacation, Monterey Peninsula is the answer. Lots to see and do. The ocean and the beauty, the smells (good) and the people all add up to wonderful adventure.

Tasuti Zoo continues to make me happy and to appreciate humor and color

I always love seeing the metal flowers outside welcoming you in to see the creativity!
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Above is the beautiful Miss Emily who is holding the handbag I bought from her-what fun! She is so creative and positive and happy.....a person I want to hang out with!

Can you see how you can get lost in here for a long time? They have great jewelry and I bought a new pair of earrings-one says "right brain" and the other "left brain"

I always like to bring a bit of happiness home. Stopped by a friends house to share the stuff I bought and she said she loaned my book out to a woman she knew and her friend did not like my book. I said "maybe it was too happy and colorful for her." I wish I could please everyone with my quilts and outlook, but I can't, so I please those that I can. :0) We can laugh and create together and become closer friends.

Hope you enjoyed this post....I sure enjoy Emily and Mary and their creativity......

Glimpses of Asilomar workshop with Mary Lou in sunny California

Nancy from Sacramento used more of her talents to do this wonderful quilt.
The wallhanging above was done from the Flower Power book and also some handouts I gave at Asilomar over the years. This is just the type of thing we will be doing in May for my retreat. Piecing that is fun and hoochy and free and colorful! The retreat in May is full but the August Story quilt workshop has openings and will be fun and you can tell the world about YOU and enjoy other friends doing the same thing.

We always take a photo of the fun students in the class and here were the 18 delightful women in the class and not one negative, glass empty at all-do you know how uplifting that is??? It is fabulous. So this year if I add it up right I had 37 fabulous happy, positive, fun, wonderful women who made my job a total dream. Thank you if you are reading this. I love each one of you and hope we run into each other on our happy road of life and quilting.

I am sorry to say that I took the photos only on day two and I left out many people and many story quilts which were almost done. The ladies in the class as I said were a dream and Jan (tall lady from Chicago) did the unthinkable and she finished a border in one day and her story in one day and the rest of the time she appliqued a seven layer cake depciting her 7 decades on earth which she will load down with badges, jewelry and other things over the years which mark her years. She was unbelieveable and fun. She is pictured with Alex from Sante Fe who I met there. They are both fabulous women. Glad they met.

Call enjoyed three sister-June, Jerry and Josephine Jarvus who all had fabulous ideas, stories and positive energy. I enjoyed them loads and was happy to help Josephine draw up Eve very curvy with one big fig leaf in front of her. It is going to be a prize winning quilt for sure! If anyone has any photos of the class, please send them I would love to share them here.







Lots of color, lots of stories, lots of friendships made, tiaras were handed out and used, daisy pins and loads of fairy gifts people bring to give to others. We all left with a nice array of things to make us happy and remember one another.
This is such a lovely way to be in class together, sharing ideas, memories, sentiments and funny things. It is a feel good class and lovely to be greatful for things we had forgotten as we share. Made me ready for Spring and thankful for God's many blessings we don't take time to notice.
Hope your past couple of weeks has been happy too.

Asilomar as wonderful as ever..........

So I cannot load the photos I have taken until I get home on Thursday. But I had a lovely experience at Asilomar this past week. Eighteen wonderful women took my workshop and did NEW things that haven't been done before. I am always amazed at the talents and new creativity each session. I will only be teaching there once next year and so if you decide to sign up, put my workshop as the only choice (not second or third choice). They will put you in another class if you put more than one choice....this is how it works. I want to have you in class so in June when they offer the new choices, please put ONE choice....ME. I am here working on new quilts for my new book with Mel McFarland. We have so may new and exciting ideas.....really fun and new and different. I am working on new ideas for story quilts too only because as an artist I want to keep growing and stretching.....just what I learned in my classes in college.
I would love you to come along with me next year first session which is March 20-25th of 2011. You can sign up coming in June...watch emptyspoolsseminars.com and it will give you the idea of when to sign up. Twenty spots and that is it for Asilomar. I sincerely hope you will tell a story about YOU-this class is wonderful and life changing.
The weather here now is sunny and beautiful and the air is clean and makes a deep breathe feel wonderful in so many ways. People who live here are friendly and so very nice. Shopping is wonderful and my most favorite shop in the world is here -Tasuti's Zoo. Wonderful happy and smile producing goods....watch for my photos to see what I mean.
I hope you are enjoying this week of your life. Remember that each day brings blessings and that God connects you with people He wants you to meet. Everyone has something important to teach you.
More when I get home. Love, Mary Lou

MAY RETREAT INFO-IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER-WAHOOOO

And on the retreat side of things I have the rooms all booked and extras in case we have last minute takers. The hotel staff are so very nice to work with and the same with the art studio where we will be working. Spring will be here and we will go to the Buggy Barn early on April 30th (their shop is a must see for quilters), then to Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane (fabulous), maybe the Davenport Hotel (also fabulous), to Coeur d'Alene to see the Lake (fabulous) and then the beautiful Bear Paw Quilt Shop in lovely Coeur d'Alene. We will be eating and have snacks for the day of fun and adventure. Then the next day we will start with the best scones I have ever had and you will get your packet of new patterns to begin a fun and creative project, plus you will be well on your way to new friends and fun.
Can you tell I am excited? I am!
I think since we will all be there for May Day, perhaps a May basket pattern is in order too.
Then we have plans for the August retreat also. One of the lovely things we can do in the summer is picnic on the River at a private camp of 30 acres that is spectacular. We plan to take everyone there for lunch on the river and show them the Amway 130 million dollar house down the way. Wow. It is a beautiful spot etc.
For you girls who want to do a story quilt class with me, this is the cheapest and probably the easiest since we will have fewer people and it is in the Northwest for girls who live in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Canada. Though we already have a Florida lady, a Texas Lady, a North Carolina lady etc., signed for for August. It should be great fun. And I can't wait to hear your stories and for you to taste the summer food that will be prepared for us. We will be staying at the same hotel with the nice people who run it. They are turning over their conference room for both retreats so we can have beverage and cheese night. :0)
Coeur d'Alene is a great place anytime of the year and you will love both Washington and Idaho.

THE PRETTIEST AND COOLEST QUILT EVER!!

I just added 300 crystals to the quilt in all different colors. Pretty wonderful and whimsical. Kids art always makes me smile. I wish more adults could let go that way. Thankfully, most people in my classes do let go and have alot of fun.




The peacock was painted by my own little Granddaughter...she is going to be quite an artist when she grows up....or I should say she IS quite an artist right now.
This quilt was painted and made by first and second graders for the school auction at Summit school here. I can't wait to see what it goes for. I would love to hang this on the wall in my livingroom....is this happy or what?



So I wrote about this quilt earlier this year when we began this idea. My Granddaughter's class is studying birds this year. She goes to a charter school that is fabulous. Each year they have an auction. So I volunteered to help the kids each paint their own bird and then the teacher put the tree on the background (I gave her the fabric so I could do it in the colors I liked (pretty sneaky) and it is all put together now. She told me I could pick it up and put a cat on it if I wanted. I don't see where a cat would fit in well so I am leaving well enough alone and adding some crystals for a little glitter here and there. I pieced the border and that was alot of fun. Kathy Woods, my quilter quilted it. I think it is a wonderful piece. I won't be able to attend the auction so my daughter is going with a friend and will bid on it for me. I am sure someone will outbid me. :0) The auction has a couple of great quilts but I like this one the best. :0)

Lucy's Cookie Recipe that she highly recommends! And sad news, we will miss the Art Girlz

Peanut Butter Golden Brownies

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
*2/3 cups butter,softened
*2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
*1 1/4 cups sugar
*1 1/4 cups brown sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
12 oz chocolate chips

350 degrees
15 by 10 pan
35 minutes

* Beat together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat. Add dry ingerdients. Add 6 oz chips. Bake.

Spread rest of chips on baked warm bars and let melt. Spread
SOOOO, one of my favorite and imaginative companies I love is Art Girlz, I just went to their blog and found out they are done. So sad...so much creativity gone from us. Here is their site to read more http://artgirlz.blogspot.com/

TASUTI ZOO MAKES MY HEART GO PITTER PAT!

I always like to say that my most favorite place on earth is Tasuti Zoo. Emily and Mary who own it have wonderful imaginations and they are NICE and fun which counts for plenty. I love giving them my money.

Here Sue and De pose before they buy fabulous purses with stuffed flowers and many other goodies.

Here I catch Emily by surprise as she writes up orders.....and then she strikes a pose!

Below is where the magic is made....wonderful fabrics that would make any quilter sing!

Who could imagine making a band of monkeys and a camel for them to ride on? Can you imagine these in your kids room, your Grandkids room or your studio? I have and I have them here and the other places too!

If I had a broom with a pretty handle, maybe I would sweep more...or not.......

They redo old furniture and I wish I had a Uhaul and a bunch of things for them to redo for my house....this chair is as charming from the front as from the back!

Look at the trim on the bottom of the chair!

Their window is always a ton of fun!

If you go and take a class at Asilomar or just go and visit Pacific Grove, you must put Tasuti Zoo on your list! It is a happy adventure....sure to bring you Out of the Box.