it's finally here...

"it was an emotional day when joyce ely and her daughter, sarah, opened a quilt boutique..." writes allison engel.  i will share it was equally as emotional, if not more so, the day we received the phone call from jennifer keltner informing us we had been selected as a better homes and gardens sampler shop.

the days that followed were filled with excitement along with many sleepless nights as we prepared the store for a photo shoot. then we had to coordinate the fabric selection for our quilt, consult with our pattern designer, and rush the quilt around town at lightening speed to have it arrive in des moines in time for the quilt shoot.

then we patiently waited for the big reveal to happen at quilt market in portland.  we had hoped to be in attendance, but sarah's breathing issues the week leading up to the trip necessitated us to cancel our plans. we were grateful for our friends who cheered us on in our absence and sent us pictures.

then we waited, followed by more waiting, and still more. finally on august 20th, the fed-ex truck pulled up to the side door...

as i sliced the first box open, that same emotion returned. the one where you are not sure whether to laugh or cry, so you do both. 

and for me, it's a double dose of a fluttering heart, for sarah is still standing right beside me. oh how grand that feeling is! THANK YOU so much to everyone who helped make our fantasy a reality. it's finally here!!