Sunshine on a Gloomy Day

Today has been a rainy, gloomy day...good thing I had a little road trip planned with my dear friend Merry to lift my spirits!

She arrived this morning, bearing gifts, as usual. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world...a couple weeks ago, we were in a yarn/knitting shop together and I mentioned how much I liked a display scarf...well, my awesome friend went home and started one for me right away (which is SO COOL, because my knitting and crocheting skills are extremely limited!)...and it is perfect! This ruffly scarf is beautiful neutral shades and will fit in perfectly with my wardrobe...I almost changed my clothes so I could wear it today. Merry, if you are reading this....I LOVE IT....and you are so unbelievably talented and thoughtful!

We were then off to Creston to visit Quilts & Other Notions (oh, how I love this quilt shop!). I have been procrastinating taking in my sewing machine for service...actually, I have been looking for a new dealer to service my machine...and since they are a Husqvarna Viking dealer, and the service tech came highly recommended, and they have the friendliest owner and staff on the planet, I decided it was time to make an appointment to have my Designer Diamond cleaned. Merry and I enjoyed the "little over an hour" drive and it gave us a chance to catch-up...when we arrived, we did some power shopping...then went to a wonderful local Mexican restaurant for lunch...then returned for more shopping...and by the time we were ready to check-out, my machine was ready! As usual, I found a nice big pile of stash to bring home and play with...I found a fabulous new line of fabric (Lilac Hill by Brannock & Patek for Moda) - I just loved the birds - and I picked out several coordinating fabrics....I also found a couple great bags of buttons....a couple charm packs....a fun retired sewing border fabric (Making a Quilt by Janet Carija Branda for Moda)....and a few fun trims....I even got a couple packages of empty bobbins for my sewing machine....it was a wonderful trip!

Tonight, it is back to my stitching nest to work on an upcoming class model....but after my fun day, I feel refreshed and ready to get back to work....