RETREAT...

... AND GET STRESS FREE! Okay, so it's impossible for a triple-Type A like me to be completely stress-free, but this comes close!This was one of the best weekend of my adult life! I spent 48 with fellow stitchers of every ilk (knitters, crocheters, needlepointers, cross-stitchers, and quilts) and guess what I did... STITCHED!

It was a weekend retreat sponsored by MANRA (Mid-Atlantic Needle shop Retailers) in Gettysburg. Here's my weekend run-down:

Friday... took a leisurley drive through southern PA while listening to some NPR podcasts. Arrived around 1ish, checked in at the retreat, and joined a table of shop owners for about several hours of stitching... now a side note: I have several projects in the works, most are gifts or a special secret one for the store, THEN last weekend mom brought me a very very special chart (a Hollins seal chart, that I remember buying 20+ years ago with my grandmother when I first started cross- stitching), so I was completely torn about what to bring with me. Both Todd and Aaron said I should bring the Hollins chart, and I did. So I started that on Friday (had to frog a bunch, cause I can't count!)... so anyway, I checked into my room at 3, then went back down to stitch some more, came up to refresh at 5, and joined a new table of ladies from Sterling VA for our evening activities (one is working on a gorgeous 2'x2.5' nativity scene). We had wine and heavy hors d'ourvres. Then had a 2 hour presentation by Doug Kreinik, showing us all their awesome metallic and silk threads, and all the great things that can be done with them. Inspiration struck me, and lets just say that my Hollins Seal is going to have a splash of sparkle! (just like me!!) We also got a kit with lots of Kreinik threads, so I'll be sharing my wealth with fellow stitcher friends :)

Saturday.... a Continental breakfast and lots of stitching... I joined my new friends again, one of which was teaching the two classes I was scheduled to take that day. So after about 3 hours of stitching I took my first class.... beginning crochet. I had taught myself from a book, and wanted to make sure i knew what I was doing.. well I was doing just about everything wrong.. but now I know, and I can start to make pretty things! after a quick deli lunch, I met with C again and she walked me through knitting a project I have (it's a secret... you'll see it here when it is done and presented to the recipient). She taught me to knit English style (I'd been doing a
wonky Continental), and now I totally "get" purling :) ... so a few more hours of stitching and a nice sit down dinner rounded out the day...

Sunday... I couldn't sleep on Sunday morning, I was too excited.... not to be going home (sorry honey!), but to stitch for a few more hours before packing up and checking out. Below are pictures from the weekend and my new BA-WIP (Big A$$ Work In Progress).

PS- anyone in the MD, DC, or Southern PA region... go to Keep Me in Stitches... these are the nicest shop owners (myself excluded, or course) that I've ever met!!!

Invasion of the Sammie Snatchers...

Who is this woman,

and what have you done with me?????

So , not content with just 2 herbs and a few tomaoes.. I went out yesterday and bought more containers to hang on the side of our deck and 6 more herbs to plant in them... seriously.. stop laughing.. I'm gardening and I haven't killed anything yet!

Life's Mysteries

Sorry.. not gonna be able to help you solve any...

this one is about our life and mysteries :)

A has always had a bit of each of us in him, not now we all three have something in common- Mysteries. Aaron is really liking us to read mysteries to him at night. His favorites so far are the A-Z Mysteries and the Cam Jansen series. I can't wait for him to be old enough for Encyclopedia Brown! We used to play Clue Jr. with him, but last week he was insistent on playing "big people clue"... so we did, with him as my partner... then he decided to try it on his own, and wouldn't you know it the little stinker figured it out before me! Yesterday on the way to school he started talking about all the thing he wanted to be when he grows up, and he came to the realization that he can't do them all... but he's gonna try to do the most important ones, with police officer at the top of his list.. we're driving along after he says this then he exclaims.. mommy I can solve mysteries and fight crime!!! "I'll be a detective".... what a cutie :)

Speaking of mysteries, I just read one last week that I just have to recommend cause it takes place in a mystery used/new bookstore! Murder Is Binding by Lorna Barrett . I love the premise of a town of bookstores... our whole family would be in heave (and serious debt) if such a place existed close to us... as it is we spend money on books even though we own a store ourselves! Here's the blurb: "When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles met nothing but friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she met friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed by a carving knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries-and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book. " This is one of the best new "cozy" series I've read in a long time... even if cozies aren't your thing, but you're a book lover, ya gotta give this one a try (and nope, I'm not being paid to say that, and I don't have any at my store to sell... my copy is a "keeper".... although I can order one for ya! hee)

On other non-mysterious fronts... things are moving along here at the store... we're hiring our first "employee" next month. She's the daughter of a fellow store owner and has been shopping here since our grand opening. She's graduating high school in June and will be attending our Alma Mata this fall.. so we can corrupt her with lots of DC horror stories while she's working here.

Aaron is loving that it is spring and he can be out doors ore. We've got 5 caterpillars we are raising, so far none have started making their chrysalis'yet, but we should have some by the weekend.

I can see the finish line on dad's insignia cross stitch. I'm on the last bit of insignia number , so I have 2 more to go... phew.. my goal is to be mostly done by next week.... cause I'm going on VACATION!!! woohoo.. 2 days and nights with a group of knitters and stitchers in Gettysburg. 'll take a few classes, shop and just sit and read and stitch, while A supervises his daddy and grandma here at the store!

SHOOTS~

We've got shoots! Maybe my thumb is not as black as I thought, my tomato and strawberry seeds are becoming plants... now I know that doesn't mean I'll actually get something to eat... but I made something grow! woohoo! And I've kept my rosemary and mint plants alive for 2 weeks :)

just added video...

from Barack's visit to our town...

It shows him shaking my hand (I’m the white hat halfway through… and If you listen closely you can hear him asking about the stuff he signed for us… at the beginning you can see his assistant handing me the book too!)

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/barack-ate-too-much-chocolate-in-lititz-pa/2922237484