Snippets from the edge....

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long.   Let me try to give you the Reader's Digest version of the last couple of months.  The operative word being 'try'.

When last I appeared, I was working on Karolin Beringer Sampler.   It is finished and at Michael's to be framed.   I took advantage of a 70% off coupon and took this and 3 others over on Memorial Day.

Looking forward to picking it up with the others.

I spent Easter with my son's family which was also William's birthday week.   We had a blast and a half.   Always a good time when I visit.   I love that we FaceTime a couple of times each week.   Willie and his daddy are coming for a visit next weekend.   Time for "Dam-ma" to get some Willie goodies in the house.

Home from State College and I was out the door to my Guild's semi-annual retreat in OCMD.   It was another good long weekend with old friends and new and I DID NOT win the prize for the most spent.   Some of my stash.......my walls are filled so I opted for some small holiday and seasonal pieces I can finish quickly and use to decorate for the seasons.

 Can't wait to start this guy.......not too sure I want to tackle assembling him when I finish stitching .....that's a ways off

 Bunch of tiny stitches that I can finish and use as seasonal accents.   Could also be good size for take along projects and the plan is to stitch from stash.

After OCMD, I had a one day turn around and was off to Memphis for the Prim Stitchers Society Retreat.   As retreats go, this is one of the best.  Dixie, who coordinates is all, just does an absolutely fabulous job.   We added a couple of extra days to sightsee on our own.  We did a tour of Graceland - which even though I am not a big Elvis fan, I have to say the tour and museums were second to none.    We did a walking tour of Memphis.   

As part of the walking tour, we visited the Peabody Hotel.   This organ belonged to Frances Scott Key and was on the mezzanine.

 Quite a display of showmanship (in the best way) as the Peabody Ducks entered the lobby for their daily swim in the fountain.


Gorgeous handprinted elevator doors and a snippet of the original tiled floor.

 The memorial park overlooking the Mississippi River that once was home to all the statues of confederate leaders.    To me, and I may be alone in this opinion, it is sad that part of the history has been taken down and is stored in some secret warehouse.

Beale Street on the lest and some of the beautiful architecture on the right.

Graceland.   Not the gigantic Hollywood Mansion we would see today.   Just a stately home sitting well off the street.   Below, even at a young age, your can see the start of the curl to his upper lip!

 Imagine that!  A needlepoint version of the front of his house.    Only a stitcher would find this interesting while on the tour.

 His living room

Having had a series of golf carts for fun around the yard, Lisa Marie's golf cart key caught my eye.

 After touring the house, we toured a well thought-out and well laid out museum documenting Elvis' life.    There is another wall of just the gold albums.

 Cars!  Did he have cars.   From Bentleys to purple Lincolns to the Red MG Spider from the movie with AnnMargaret.

And somewhere along the way, drinks were had.    And food.  OMGosh did we eat good and did the scale show it when I returned.

I'd love to share the fabulous retreat gifts, class pieces and purchases but they have not arrived yet.   Since I was traveling by plane, I left my purchases with a bestie in Tennessee.   She will be bringing them to me later this month when she comes to visit her family.    It will be like shopping all over again when I unpack my goodies.

So after being away 15 out of 20 days, I needed to catch up.   I have my yard in great shape other than a foundation bed that needs to be raked out still and the area under the pool deck.    I did get my veggies are in.   I have already enjoyed salads with my very own lettuce.    

 I love the bursts of color I get with every turn around the yard.

We went back and forth on whether to build a pergola, but a pergola, put up an awning........and decided on this...it is 15 by 21 and I am in my happy place when I sit on my deck.   Still working on the furniture arrangement.

I am loving sitting here eating breakfast and having coffee each morning.  

I can tell you that my egg chair is the best seat in the house.  It is a great place to stitch or read.

We had some pool issues to deal with.   A leak around the output.   Got that fixed this week and should finish refilling the pool to day and start the vacuuming and chemicals.    

Also, got a hiccup in what I planned as a kitchen upgrade.   Seems the spring checkup of the AC resulted in a new AC and heater.   Ugh!   It was on the horizon that it was going to need to be done in the next couple of years but when the repair estimate mounted higher and higher we bit the bullet and gave the go ahead.  Kitchen counters and back splash had to be delayed.

All that and some website and blog support tackled out of the way I did get some stitching in.  In addition to finishing Karolin Beringer Sampler, I started Patriotic Poppies from Brenda Gervais and I am about 80% down.   I am stitching it on 14 count and it will be finished as a pillow.   From my purchases as Salty Yarns in April, I started and hope to finish Easter Peep Parade also from Brenda Gervais.   This is being stitched on 18 count fiddlers cloth and I think I will also finish as a pillow.    Both are so close, I hope to get both stitched by the end of June if not before.

Yesterday I created this cake.   I had the concept, read some Pinterest tutorials and put this together for friends celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.   I was really happy with how it turned out.    It took a lot longer than I thought it would to roll and arrange all those dollars.   They will 'bless' me as they 'earn' those dollars when they disassemble it!

 So that is where and what I have been doing.    For today, more enjoying the outside and maybe a little stitching.  

Thanks for bearing with me for my NOT Readers Digest Condensed version and thanks for stopping by.    Keep on stitching.  

Oops!  All that and I forgot something.    My laundry room window has been bare since I remodeled it several years ago.   I got the brilliant idea to create a window covering.   I made a frame to fit inside the window out of 2 by 2's.  I painted it white.   I planned to stretch lace over the frame and staple gun in place.   Well like all my brilliant ideas, there is usually an equally as brilliant flaw in the planning.  Seems I had no lace like fabric.  Instead, I stretch and mounted two old stained dresser scarves.   Not like I envisioned, but happy just the same.   Just more of my attempt to reuse and repurpose.

Before

After