Yes, it is cold outside......

Brrrrrr......when I left my house at nine a.m. the temperature was twenty five degrees, but oh was it ever beautiful.  After more snow fell during the night, there were mounds of snow everywhere, and when it is still freshly fallen it is sparkling clean and beautiful!

On my last trip through Nebraska, we stopped at the Country Sampler in Omaha.  It is a very inspiring shop with much to look at and you will find it next to impossible to leave empty handed.

I really liked the idea of putting a finished needle punch design on the outside of a basket.

This needle punch design looks amazing on this pillow.

And mounted on this wooden box.

As you can see there are many samples every where you look.

Americana, which is always in season in my estimation.

I especially fell for this Shoo Fly quilt shown here in the picture.  It wasn't exactly a true Shoo Fly block, it has the additional feature of the star in the center.

I always am drawn to the Court House Steps pattern in a quilt.  There were shelves and shelves of wonderful fabric to choose from.

One of each please!  Everything was tempting.

I thought this scare crow runner was clever.

My friend Linda Donzello whom I've met from my time teaching at The Olde World Quilt Shoppe in Cave Creek, Arizona, shared the following with me today.  It was written by William Henry Channing.  "To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not just respectable and wealthy, not rich; to listen to the stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden - unconscious grow up through the common."   Wow!  That was one long sentence.  But, it gives one pause to consider what is said.

Someone asked for the name of the quilt which I posted a short time ago which had all of the birds sitting on a line.  The name of the pattern is, Birds on a Wire, by Wendy Williams.