Van Briggle Pottery, Colorado Springs

I am spending a few days with Ted at the Broadmoor, our annual "Broadmoor Weekend!"  Ted attends the conference of the ACP.  Sometimes the girls come with us, but last year they didn't.  So this year, Ted and I came down on Thursday and they are coming up this morning.  They should be here in about an hour!  It's crazy, but as much as I like the alone time, I am always glad to be with them again.

Yesterday I mostly stayed around here, but I did take a little drive, mostly to get out so they could clean the room :)  I love that part!!!!!

I visited two quilt shops.  I know I am not exactly a quilt shop expert/reviewer, but here is my take on the two places anyway.  There is really no comparison.  One of them has about ten thumbs up, and the other one just thumbs down.

First I went to Ladybug Hill Quilts.  http://www.ladybughillquilts.com

I have been here before, and really was unimpressed, but thought I would give it another try.  This shop is extremely underwhelming.  I don't really know what their "thing" is.  I don't remember any of the fabrics they have.  They seem to have a lot of patterns.  BUT it is very dark.  In the middle and back of the shop, I couldn't even hardly see the fabrics.  They are not displayed very creatively nor do they show off whatever collections they might have had.  AND  it was dead quiet.  No music, no talking, nothing.  It was like a library.  There were a few people there, but not one word.  I was afraid to make a sound.  I could hardly wait to leave.  It was not relaxing at all.  Very sterile.  Not tempting at all to buy anything.

OK, now for my favorite!!  High Country Quilts...  http://www.hcquilts.com/

I LOVE everything about this shop.  It is BRIGHT and big.  And they always have great music playing.  Sort of oldies/jazzy music.  They have a lot of things I LOVE.
*Kids fabrics/panels/books, minky, patterns.  They have lots of vintagey kids prints.  I love all their children's selection.
*Jelly rolls, charm packs, these little 2" squares, all sorts of pre-cut packages.  I really like using them because you get so many different fabrics, without buying tons of yardage.
*Even though I don't really do embroidery, I love looking at all their embroidery patterns.  Mostly the company that is something like cinderberry or something like that, really cute.

Everyone is super friendly and there is always sort of a buzz going on.  They have a big classroom, too, and it makes you sort of want to hang out here all day.

Then I took a little drive around the downtown area, and around Colorado College.  I wanted to see the original VanBriggle Pottery Factory.  I remember going here with Eric once when he was about 12, on a field trip looking at architecture.  It is now a Facility Department building for Colorado College.  But there is a public area with an information sign and so I just parked in the employees' parking and walked around and took some pictures.

Pikes Peak in the background.

This sundial was exactly correct!
I was there at 10:45.

South-facing wall.  The sky was gorgeous!!

This very handsome rooster is right above the sundial.

Public park area outside of the factory.  The two alcove areas on the sides are shown below , one for  Artus VanBriggle, and the other shows his wife, Anne.  The mosaics in the center are beautiful, colorful pictures of art deco styled motifs of pottery and native americans.

Art Deco cat gargoyle on the top of one of the chimneys.

I have several pieces of VanBriggle pottery.  I have loved it since I was a little girl.  My grandmother and mom had these pieces, I am sure it was more that it was from Colorado Springs.  I don't think they were especially "collectors."  They used to have a shop and factory over on Cimmaron and 21st Ave, near Manitou.  We would go there and watch the people making and hand painting the pottery.  But now they are in a much smaller place downtown.  We went there a few years ago with Eric and Paula.  It was not as interesting.  I guess I need to go there again.

Here is a peak at our room at the Broadmoor:

The sitting area in the living room.  On that little table
is my lunch.  It is the yogurt I brought from home (read:cheap)
and I put it in one of the wine glasses in the
bar-room and it made me feel quite luxurious :)

Our desk with the Tower of Treats.

The sitting area in the main room, with our balcony.  That is the
main entrance of the hotel out that window.

The living room, from the other
direction.  This is
where I did some sewing,
watched Downton Abbey
on my computer and snacked!!

The girls are here now, we are going exploring!!!

Enjoy your weekend,
Karen

Foxfield Fourth of July

Here's life in a small town.  We have our own Fourth of July parade, and Annika and Ted were both in it today.  Our town is 1 mile square, and sandwiched in between larger suburban areas of the greater Denver area.  But we try to maintain a rural environment.

So everyone lined up at 10am, and my parents and Ted's mom and I went up to watch the festivities.  

 Boy Scout Color Guard led off the parade.  I wish there had been some great parade marching music.  We all stood up and they saluted us.  My dad had his Korea War Veteran ballcap on.  Lots of people told him thanks for his service.  He loved it.  I am pretty sure my sister gave him that hat, so thanks, sis!

 Following next was the lawn tractors.  There's Annika, and Ted is escorting her on his RED roller blades, haha.   That dad in front of them is pretty styling with that big wig ;)

 There's Annika, with her itty bitty tractor following behind...

 She is so ready to drive.  Driving the tractor on the street, getting too close to driving for this mama.

 I LOVE that all these families had worked on little floats and were enjoying the 4th together.  I think there were more people in the parade than there were watching.  

 Everyone was throwing out candy and beads, even to those of us with no kids with us.  So Dad was busy the whole time picking up stuff...  I scored some tootsie rolls and tootsie roll pops!  WooHoo...

 One of the political floats.  T-Bone is running for Sheriff.  They are promising block parties every week and no more coyotes.  They have my vote!!

 Next were all the cars.  Old cars, cool cars, cruizin in Foxfield!!

 GTO!!!

Then the horses.  Oh, and we had a family with their goat, with a cute little red, white and blue coat on, watching the parade next to us.

Pretty horses!!  

Then we all congregated at "The Parade House" for an awesome barbecue.  Hamburgers and hot dogs, and tables full of salads, chips, desserts!!!  

 Ted even let us practice our face painting on him.  What a Dad!!!

 Mormor, Grandpa, Grandmawanna, and Ted, enjoying the shade and the food.

The Food Barn!

So that's how we do the Fourth here in Foxfield.  Tonight, we are going to church, for the first annual Fourth of July Festival at MHC.  Annika and I are going to do face painting, and there will be bouncy houses, etc., and Chick-fil-A dinner and we are going to watch the fireworks from Highlands Ranch.  I am sure it will be a huge success, our first big community outdoor event at our new church campus.  

Happy Fourth of July to you all. 

Thank you, Lord, for giving us this amazing country, for guiding our Founding Fathers 235 years ago in establishing this country, and for the freedom we still enjoy, freedom to worship and freedom to live our lives and raise our families according to your ways!