Fabric Overload!

I just returned from South Carolina for a spring break visit with Sissy! What a great visit.... beginning with Sis picking me up at the airport and driving directly to Mary Jo's Cloth Shop in Charlotte, NC. I have a PASSION for fabric. All fabric... decorator, drapery, quilting cottons, silks, trims.....I love to see the colors, soak in the patterns and feel the textures. I have always just loved fabric!

Well, I had already heard about Mary Jo's after Sissy's first trip and also on Young House Love's blog. I was not disappointed. I been to many fabric stores and but I don't think I've ever been to a place with such an extensive inventory. It was almost fabric overload. Marsha and sweet little Davis patiently followed me around for several hours, piling up fabric on top of the stroller! We took a lunch break and returned for round II! We returned to Pickens, just in time for dinner.

Thanks, Marsha for be such a trooper shopping with me. And sis... you know how to make my day!! Thanks so much for taking me there!!

There was no shortage of wonderful trims!
More tomorrow on my Spring Break in Pickens!

The News

Yep, I'm still here... just been very busy with work and the Hussa Memorial Basketball tournament (which was over today!) and finishing some crafts for the Chicks Picks show which also ran Thursday - Saturday. There was not a second free for fun blog surfing! I haven't even begun getting the house ready for spring and our Easter guests. And to make matters worse, my camera, which was so simply fixed last week, was really not simply fixed at all. It took a few pictures and poof... the lens stopped working. According to the nice man at Ritz Camera the gears seem to be stripped. So off the lens goes to Tuson AZ where Ritz Camera sends them when they are misbehaving. I am LOST without it. And sadder still...I won't have it for Easter, when all the kids will be home. Gotta figure something out! Anyone out there have an extra Nikon lens to rent? (I still have my camera.)

On a happier note, Ed and I went to see Katie this afternoon at the Dulles Airport international arrivals as she landed from her missions trip in Ethiopia. After 10 days working at a sports camp, and 15 hours on a plane, she was beaming! We only had about 1o minutes with her before she got on an LU bus and headed back to Lynchburg. I asked her what the best part of the trip was and without hesitation, she said, "Oh mom, the kids!" I can't wait to see pictures and hear her stories. I am so thankful that she had the opportunity and thankful too for people who love her and financially supported her. So if you are one of those people. THANK YOU! I am certain God has used this experience change her life :)

Two weeks ago Ed surprised us with circus tickets. Jack had a great time... and discovered popcorn! I spent most of my time during the show tearing it into tiny pieces so he wouldn't choke. Each day we spend with him, it just gets better.. seeing him discover new things and put ideas together. My favorite? He is now officially calling me "mimi" and sometimes it is "ma mimi". He absolutely melts me!






Last Sunday I also went to Richmond where Ed and I has a beautiful afternoon cemetery visit. I had been emotional just thinking about being there, but when the afternoon came, it was peaceful and sweet. Sweet memories of my daddy.

Preppy Vintage Blooms

When I stopped at the Cottage yesterday after school, I was delighted to see the color scheme of the front hall... pink and green!
Linda and Ann had spent two days fluffing and filling the Cottage with all sorts of exciting treasures. Funny thing is that I was just bringing in four pillows that I had just finished- and they were pink and green blooms made from vintage crocheted doilies. We couldn't have planned a better match if we had tried. I had found several cute doilies in a box under a table at the Big Flea last weekend and paid only $1.00 for each.


In other exciting news, I left the cottage and I faced the 5:30 p.m. Tysons traffic and went to Ritz camera to see what they could tell me about my "broken" camera. The salesman took one look at it, walked behind the counter, took off the lens and blew some air into it. Viola! It was FIXED! He explained that it needed cleaning, but warned me not to try that at home as the lens can easily shatter. I was so relieved that it was a simple solution. Thankfully, I had bought an extended coverage, and even more thankfully, even located it, but didn't actually need to use it.

So this afternoon, I stopped at the Cottage for what I think was the 4th time this week to snap a few pictures. Here's a better shot of the eggs. I had so much fun making them that today I ordered more eggs... I have a few new ideas of what I might do to decorate the new batch.


Ann and Linda... I won't be stopping by tomorrow!

Camera 911!

My camera is broken :(
I probably use it daily and I am LOST without it! Unfortunately, I cannot take it to the nearest camera shop during the work week because the nearest shop is not so near! So it may be a while before I am posting half decent pictures again. I took the egg pictures with a very inexpensive digital camera which I had never used until today... now I know why it was so inexpensive. What a difference in picture quality. I actually remember being told I could return the camera if I didn't like it....it will definitely be going back!

The Cottage has done a spring transformation so I took a few more pictures this afternoon, but they weren't worth posting! But this one was kinda cool.

I've been working on a ton of different spring projects. By the time my camera is fixed, maybe I'll have a lot to show :)

Happy Birthday Katie!

Katie, you are one of my 7 blog readers... so this one is for YOU!

How is it possible that you are 21?

Honestly, time flies! I remember so clearly anticipating your birth. Back in"those days" we didn't know that you would be a girl or a boy until the moment you arrived. During my pregnancy, my mother would pat my tummy and say, "I won't be at all disappointed with a 3rd girl!"

"Nanny" died 3 months before you were born. Somehow, I think she knew you were coming and surely for the past 21 years God has given her a glimpse of how precious you are.What joy I have knowing you will someday know her.

Dad and I couldn't be more proud of the beautiful girl you are, inside and out. Happy Birthday Kate! You are a huge blessing to our family. You bring us lots of joy and laughter. We love you TONS!