Pigeon Forge Mom's Blog

A Quilter's Dream

The art of quiltmaking has always amazed me. My grandmother was a quilter and I remember as a child loving to watch as she tediously hand pieced each of her quilt tops together. I would search each one over to see how much of the fabric on it was a remnant from clothes that she had made me. The finished products were always beautiful even when all of the fabrics did not match. I was lucky enough to have several of her quilts passed on to me and they are truly my “treasured” possessions.
 

I have often pondered the thought of learning to quilt myself so that I would have something to pass on to my kids and then their kids. However, I am always scared that my perfectionist tendencies and lack of patience would get the best of me and I would never finish one. Luckily, my favorite vacation spot has me covered!
 

Pigeon Forge is gearing up for “A Mountain Quiltfest” which will be held March 14-17. This is the 18^th year of the event and it draws over 20,000 visitors to the area. Quilters of all different skill levels come to learn from the best. From what I hear, there is something for everyone to learn in the 60+ classes and seminars that are offered. The classes are taught by instructors from across the United States who come to share their talents.
 

There is also a quilt show where participants can enter their quilts and compete in over 10 categories for over $20,000 in prizes. This won't be me but I am looking forward to seeing the “beauties” that are entered.
 

Meal lectures, a dinner social, and a show and tell are other items on the schedule...sounds like some fun girl time to me! I am excited to spend the week with my mom learning this timeless art!
 

Would you like to win a trip to Quiltfest? Here’s your chance! Enter to win a Quiltfest prize package for you and a friend to take classes at this popular event.

It is that time again! Pigeon Forge will be hosting the 12th Annual Saddle Up! event next month. The lineup of entertainment looks to be a crowd pleaser! New for 2012 is the “Stories and Strings” concert that will be held at the Smoky Mountain Guitar Shop. This concert will feature a group of entertainers that will be performing together for the first time. The group covers western life from swing to the cowboy celtic style. Sounds like a good time!

We love that Kent Rollins will be back with his award winning recipes for the Chuckwagon Cookoff. I had never experienced anything like this. It’s amazing to see a full meal being prepared over a campfire. We are not talking a simple menu either…there’s chicken fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, beans, cornbread, and even peach cobbler. Best of all, it’s delicious! You will definitely want to go out early and check out all of the wagons and the cooks as they are preparing lunch.

This year’s Cowboy Dance on Saturday night will feature Stephanie Davis and the Roadrunners. Hubby and I enjoy two stepping together but we are definitely novices compared to some of the fine dancing that will be shown. It’s a nice end to a fun filled Saddle Up! day.

And it’ll be fun to finish off the weekend with some Cowboy Church over at Stages West on Sunday morning, complete with a chuckwagon breakfast.

Don’t miss out on this event…you will see the American West through new eyes!

The winter season is upon us.  For some areas that means colder temperatures and even snow. However, for those of us who live in the Deep South, we need to escape to experience winter. For our family, there is no better place than Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains. Jellybean and Peanut get so excited thinking about the possibility of snow and getting to wear a stocking hat and mittens!

To us, the essence of winter coziness is staying in a cabin on our trip. We love the idea of cuddling up near a fireplace, sipping on hot chocolate, and playing board games. Such a relaxing and fun break from our usual busy routine. Cabins provide us with the comforts of home but in a not so home like environment. It is the perfect winter retreat!

When the little divas get cabin fever from being cooped up too long, we love to venture out for some fun indoor activities. Friendly competitions of bowling at the Community Center or a movie at Forge Cinemas rank high with us. If the girls have lots of extra energy to release, a couple of hours at WonderWorks usually winds them down. The Titanic Museum Attraction is having an ice carving competition in January that sounds like a fun winter activity to check out too!

Comfort foods spell winter for us too. Luckily they are plentiful in Pigeon Forge. We like to fill up on great pancake and crepe creations over at Log Cabin Pancake House for breakfast. Breakfast really is my favorite meal of the day and their breakfast has become a must have on each of our visits. For lunch, we love to grab soup in a bread bowl at the Old Mill Pottery House Café and Grille. Best thing is the beautiful pottery dishes that they serve their food on. To finish out our day, a good, country family-style dinner at Mama’s Farmhouse does the job. We definitely don’t leave there hungry!