Garden Tour

More photos from the Wilmington Garden Tour.   (Photo heavy!!)   Click to enlarge

The Three "O's"

That's right.  I am suffering from Over-weight, Out of shape and Old Age!  Never was it so evident as I was charging through my chore list of yard work yesterday.  When did bags of mulch get heavier?  LOL.   That said I have the yard almost ready.  Just a small free form bed out back to weed and mulch and a foundation garden to be raked and I should be done.   Oh and there is that property line bed that I think I need professional help with.  I did double the size of my vegetable garden this year and it is now ready to plant.  I seem to start later and later every year.   This year I am justifying it by saying we had a later start of spring.  Kind of like I justify my more frequent breaks in my yard work as the need to rehydrate.  Hmm.  I see a pattern here.....again with Robin being able to justify just about anything she sets her mind to.

I haven't stitched too much since I got back from OCMD.  Have you ever had those times when you just can't seem to get enough sleep?  That's where I seem to be right now.  My days and nights are mixed up.  I seem to fall asleep shortly after I sit in the recliner and with my stitching on my lap without a stitch being done and I wake in the predawn hours.  I can't blame it on my fitness routine for sure.   I did something to my Achilles and put my walking shoes aside until it is less tender.  Seems the 'cure' the sports medicine guy suggested just made other things hurt worse!  Anyway, going to ease back into the treadmill this week and maybe even start bike riding in the evenings.

So if I haven't been on the treadmill, I haven't been reading.  I started To Kill A Mockingbird which I don't believe I have ever read.  It has been shelved for two weeks and I may need to start over!  Remember, I have the three second memory of a goldfish.

As for stitching, I am moving along with the guild stitching along.  I am on schedule so far.  The dividing row of what I call the haystacks and two rows of verse are this month's assignment.  I should have no problem keeping on track.

Lizzie Kate is nearing the finish line.  It shouldn't be long now.  I did frog the bees after Stacy S. suggested the Wee Bee buttons instead.  Looking forward to finishing up and adding the embellishments.  Hmmm, after my vow to start a yoga routine every morning it is going to take a bite out of my a.m. stitching time.

Back to the yard for me today after a quick trip to the grocery store.   Yesterday I was visited by several 'hummers' but didn't have my camera.  I heard them before I saw them.  They are fascinating to watch.

Have a great week all and thanks so much for stopping by and I leave you with these lovely photos from the Wilmington Garden Tour.   I celebrated Mother's Day early last week with my daughter and friend with a fabulous day of gorgeous gardens and fun with the girls.

Home From Retreat

Back from spring retreat in Ocean City, Maryland...........and as usual we had a fabulous time.   Fun, friends, good food, good laughs.....a couple or three bottles of wine, some mango margarita's, a little retail therapy.....ahhhhhh! I didn't even take my camera out the whole time between the crappy weather  and because we were just busy stitching and having fun.

I am not going to post photos of my purchases as they don't do justice to the patterns.  (and there is a little Apple Update frustration going on here) Thanks to the purchase of many a skein of WDW that put me over the top.....I now hold the title until our next trip as the Winner of the biggest economy booster of the trip.   Oh well, someone's got to hold the title.    We think we need to create a Biscournu to pass to from winner to winner each year.....let's put that on our to-do list of projects.  So here you go.....

• Blackbird Designs - In Friendship's Way
• SamSarah's - Fresh Melon
• Hands On Design - Square-ology - Hands and Buttons which was in our welcome packet (Thank you Salty Yarns!)
• Sullivan's Petites Scissors
• Scarlett House - Polka Dots & Alphabets and the red dotted fabric
• Hooked on Rugs - Water Melon Design - my first punch needle and I am anxious to start
• Lizzie Kate's - Hip Hop and A Little Boo.  Both of which are complete kits
• Two more Lizzie Kate's - Halloween Rules and Christmas Rules
• Quite a handful of Week's Dye Works threads as lamented above
• Miniature Wooden Tool Box for stitching and attaching from of the Lizzie Kate seasonal charts I bought

Hmmm, seems like I now have a better understanding of why it is my turn at  'winning'.

Of course I started something new......here's is my progress on Cornwall Cottage by Rosewood Manor.   (Photo finally added after fussing about with an OS updates.   Why to they change how you used to do things?)  Anyway, it is such a fabulously charted piece and the reason for my 27 skeins of Weeks Dye Works!!!   I've had this one in my stash for about a year and planned the start for this retreat.  I am happy with the progress......pretty close to completed the whole first page of 12 this weekend.   Now as for the other 11 pages.....hm hum, may be 11 or more months before I finish it.

 After five days of friends and stitching pleasure, I was brought back to reality with laundry and cleaning.   This is the first time I have ever ever ever gone away that I didn't clean the entire house first.   My excuse is that I worked until 8:30 on the last night before vacation.....how does that ever make sense that we have to work extra hours to get time off??


Amazingly while I was picking up sticks in the yard, swiffering and sweeeping the house and running washer, dryer and dishwasher all I could think of was sitting on my chair catching up on Grey's Anatomy, Outlander and Orphan Back and stitching....as if I haven't had my fill the last five days.  A few more stitches on my Cornwall Cottage and then I will resume my guild SAL to be on target when the next meeting rolls around.

I am getting my mojo back.   Not the stitching mojo.....my general been in a gray-cold-winter-funk-lost-my-mojo feeling.   Feels so good to be able to get out into the yard to rake out the flower beds and to scratch a bit in the dirt.  We had the most gorgeous spring weekend last weekend here but alas I was wrapped around the axle with a couple of fundraisers.  It's one thing to just have to attend and another thing when you are part of the prep and cleanup.  It's all good....both were working with good friends and for good causes.  I have since made up for it by getting out each evening after work for a good hour of yard therapy.  Slowly getting the yard in order and nurturing my soul at the same time. This coming weekend I hope to put in another vegetable garden and prep my existing one so I can be ready to plant in May.  Can't wait to come home and harvest my lettuce for a dinner salad.

Stitching progress has been like the tortoise, slow and steady.  My goal is to get part two of the mystery sampler done before my retreat and I think I am close enough to manage it.   I will give myself permission for a new start at retreat if I get done.   Oh heck, who am I kidding, finished part two or not, I will start a new project.   It's my tradition!

I have spent a little time at the sewing machine to made this dandy.  It is about the size of my iPad. There are pockets for everything.  It folds up and fits in my project bag perfectly.  Now I can go to stitching night and not have forgotten anything.   Well, one can be hopeful.  The pattern is a download from Pattern Pile.  Pattern called for mat board which I don't have.  I tried card board but was not thrilled.  I used plastic canvas on one side and   cut a metal Lo-Ran pattern board to insert in the the sleeve on the other side to give it the book cover-like stiffness.  I have a few things I would

tweak if I were to make another but for the most part I am happy.  Friends have been putting in their orders.  LOL Maybe when I retire.  (Ack!  Mr. W. is at it again....setting his date for retirement as 12-31-15.....I think he is serious this time.  Could I be far behind???)  Anyway, this was been fun to make and I am ready to  start using it.

 The polar fleece rolls to become your pin cushion.   Won't this be great to take to a class?

 Unroll the fleece if you need a place to put beads.

 With the LoRan project board inside, just add a couple of magnets and I have a place for my pattern.



And now you see it, now you don't.  So totally not craft related but this sure is crafty.   Stitching Pal Carol had this jacket on last week.   First - my favorite color, so as if I really needed a new jacket but that's a minor detail.    So here's the jacket......it's from Land's End.

 What?......I am stuffing the jacket into the pocket!

Look!  Is this the perfect jacket to throw in your carry-on?   or suitcase?   Wow!  Love it.   Might just have to wear it today......except the forecast is for 70 degrees.   Might just have to wait and take it to the beach next weekend just in case a late night walk on the boardwalk might be chilly.    I showed Mr. W. and he even liked one for himself.   Of course, his won't be turquoise!  Have a great week everyone!

Happy Easter

I remember the fun of decorating eggs when the children were young.  Dye everywhere, the necessary 'measles egg' (the one with spots of course) , a few cracked eggs, giggles and some 'beautiful' creations.

These are my signs of spring.  So warm today that I could shed my fleece vest.  A mere two weeks ago we had snow and now I have chickweed that has sprouted everywhere.  I never used to be a garden glove gal but since I like to treat myself to a manicure I am learning to adapt.

Of course I had help.   Buddy could be anywhere but he decided to sit on my weed pile or in my freshly manicured bed.

So much more yard work to do but it felt good to get my hands in the dirt again and get started.   Mr. W. wanted to hire someone to clean my flower beds.....that would be as painful as if he hired someone to do my stitching!  What planet is he from?  I have a couple of garden/deck ideas for this summer.   One involves old windows and the other an old fireplace mantle....neither of which I have - yet.   I hope the plans in my head materialize as I envision.   But first a tree that needs to come down and the rest of the beds need to be tended and perhaps a larger vegetable garden this year.

I am pretty happy with my stitching progress.   I
am nearly done part two of the Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler.

I am also happy with my progress on my guild stitch-a-long too. I am ahead of 'our schedule' at least for now.  I did a little switcheroo with the patterns on either side of the central alphabet in row five.   I flipped the stitches as charted upside down.    I just liked the more flower like looked of stitching them upside down.























Buddy just cracks me up.   He dips his paw in the pond and 'cups' water up to his mouth.   What a crazy cat. A couple of years ago a blue heron made off with all my fish.   It might be entertaining to add fish again and tease Buddy with them.

Upcoming is my semi-annual retreat in Ocean City Maryland at the end of the month.   A long weekend at a spa doesn't even begin to compete with how rejuvenating my stitching retreats are.   Heaven knows I don't need a thing but sure as spring is here, I am sure to bring some goodies back from Salty Yarns!  Good food, good friends, good times.    OCMD here I come.

Thanks for stopping by and happy stitching all!