Sun, Surf, Sand ..... AND a QUILT SHOP !!!

Yoohoo! Hi there Blogland neighbors! We're back from our brief vacation in Ocean City, NJ.

... so now you get to sit through all of my vacation pictures !!! LUCKY YOU!! (but the good thing is I won't be able to see you nod your head as if you're really interested, or yawn and walk away from the computer screen .... so I'll just blather on about our vacation now ....)

....we had perfect beach weather ... it was HOT and SUNNY .... as in these guys (especially Matt on the left with the PINK chest) should have applied a bit more suncreen!!!! OUCH !!! (anyhow, that's The Big Cheese in the back (aka hubby Dave) with sons Matt and Evan)
....Evan cooling off in the water ...

....(this was a game of "sandball" .... played in the water and on the beach .... made up by my kids .... it consists of throwing a blob of wet sand packed into a hard ball at your brother .... and not hitting Erin with it (Erin is Matt's girlfriend .... she was brave enough to spend 3 days at the shore with this family .... now she's probably thinking that her own family isn't so bad after all !!)

.....Evan, Dave (not paying attention to the fact that I was taking a group picture!), Erin, and Matt relaxing on the beach ....

.....Kitty was busy flirting with the lifeguards and wasn't available for the group picture .... so she had to have her picture taken later, by herself, which she prefers since that way she can be the star!
..... ANYWAY, we also did alot of walking on the beach .....

....these pictures were taken in Strathmere , which is the next little town after Ocean City .... no boardwalk ... lots of natural beach and shells, etc.

....Sheesh!! it would be nice if somebody, ANYBODY would WAIT for me once in awhile!
















....anyhow, besides walking on the beach, we also walked on the boardwalk .... you just can't go to the New Jersey shore without "walking the boards" ....all kinds of fun "beachy" shops, every yummy artery clogging kind of junk food you could ever desire, tons of rides , mini golf, and a water park ....
...again ... can you three please WAIT for me?!?!
...what a GREAT beach cruiser!
... believe it or not, all Evan got at this food place was fresh squeezed lemonade .....







Now for most people the beach and the boardwalk would make for a complete vacation ....but not me .... oh no .... the fact that 13 years ago I stumbled over this place ....
....always makes me REALLY look forward to a vacation in Ocean City, NJ!!! This is "Calico 'n Cotton" Quilt shop on Asbury Ave. (I don't think they have a website, but their address is 715 Asbury Ave, Ocean City, NJ and the phone # is (609)-399-7166). Let me take you inside and show you all the FUN STUFF !!!

.....SEE !!! another GREAT reason to go to Ocean City, NJ!!!!
...... I could almost forget about all that yummy boardwalk food and spend all my time in this place with all this eye candy!! ......and don't think for a minute that I had any sort of self control and walked out of that cute quilt shop without buying stuff!!!!(and they just happened to have a "Christmas In July" sale going on while I was there .... how convenient!!!)....anyhow, look at the fabrics, etc that I just couldn't resist!
....polka dots and stripes ...
....more polka dots and some Mary Englebreit fabric...
...LOVE that HUGE green ric rac and that little baby blue cotton ric rac .... AND those GORGEOUS fabrics!!
.....I just couldn't pass up these fun prints!
..... and even MORE polka dots and a stray plaid ! I'd say I now have enough fabric to sink a ship!!!!





Well Blogland neighbors, you've been very polite to sit through this LONG vacation post ..... hello, hello.... you're still there aren't you?..... anyhow, I must now run along and get busy with that pile of wet, sandy bathing suits and beach towels ... and THEN maybe I can play with my new fabrics (I still have 2 more days of vacation until I go back to work) .... but first maybe I should see about getting the floor of the pink sewing room reinforced ....

Be back soon!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)