I think I'm somewhat restored after a good night's sleep, so I'll try to describe my Houston trip a bit.
Karen (a local friend who does gorgeous crazy quilts and embellishments) and I left here *early* Wednesday morning, flew to Houston, checked into our rooms at the Holiday Inn Select/Greenway Plaza, and took the shuttle to the convention center. There, we picked up our registration materials and poked around for a little while; this is where I learned that DH's aunt had passed away. She'd been quite ill and in terrible pain, but the doctors had thought she'd be around for about six more months. Given her pain, though, I'm fairly sure she was relieved to be finished with it.
Once the preview opened, Karen and I took off for the vendors, splitting up to look at what we each wanted to see. Karen didn't have a cell phone, so we just routinely set up meeting places and times so we'd find each other again. I'd decided that I really didn't need fabric this trip, so I only bought fabric twice. ;) Once was while I was giving in to the temptation to buy a wonderful kaleidoscope (I've always loved them); while paying for that, I saw some Paula Nadelstern fabric that I just couldn't let go, so it came home with me. Then I saw a gorgeous oriental panel and some companion yardage, so those also went into my bag. But I didn't buy anymore fabric this trip!
I did get a few books, though; I'm a bookaholic, I think. I bought the EQ6 Pieced Drawing book, as well as one called Hand Appliqué by Machine (Beth Ferrier); that one was because of the demo Beth F. was giving. Somewhere along the line during our stay, I also picked up Alex Anderson's newest book, since I just love those colors and hope to make a quilt in taupes and neutrals one day; I also bought Karen MccTavish's latest book. Oh, and I subscribed to QuiltMania, which I'd been tempted to do last year.
I spent a *long* time looking at the wonderful quilts -- all of them, IMNSHO, are winners, since they have to be juried into the show. Gorgeous, just gorgeous -- even the ones that aren't to my personal taste. I think I took about 300-400 photos, but I won't be able to post them, since the rules say you have to credit the makers. I just can't possibly remember who made what! :S
Classes. I took a three-hour class from Susan Cleveland on piping curves. It was very good, but the supply list was far longer than needed; taking the 6" x 24" ruler required was a pain that shouldn't have been necessary, since a shorter one would have worked. We had fabric for an entire quilt, but we only had time to make 1/4 block. Still, Susan C. was very good, so it wasn't a bad class to take. :)
I did have a full-day class from Philippa Naylor, and that one was everything I'd hoped and more. She's probably the most positive, encouraging teacher I've ever had. She refuses to "decree" what anyone should do. Instead, she says what she does and then says that we should do what works for us. A real pleasure. I learned a *lot* about drafting and machine quilting feathers.
Yesterday morning started rather earlier than it should have, when the wake-up call for the neighboring room came to us instead, followed by amazing noise from that room as they prepared to check out. At one point one of them was having a loud cell phone conversation right outside our door! Sheesh. But the flight home, while quite full, was uneventful, and I've now managed to clean up most of the mess from the failed icemaker. Today is garbage pick-up day, so the ruined stuff will be gone very soon, too. :) With any luck, DSIL will be able to find a replacement icemaker and install it for us, so perhaps DH will return later today to find everything as it should be.
Now to start mucking out the mess created by a DH who doesn't understand the concept of cleaning up a kitchen when I'm away. ;)