Purchases, Presents, and Perks

To wrap up my posts about the New England Stitching Retreats, I have to share the goodies I brought home from my teaching excursion....and yes, there is quite a bit...in fact, I couldn't fit everything in my suitcase, so I had to ship a box home.

We'll start off with my quilting/fabric stash from Keepsake Quilting...I thought I did pretty well, considering this shop was on my bucket list. If you took a look at the photos I posted of this amazing shop on October 10th, then you know I really had to show some restraint. My favorite purchase: the owl fabric in the upper right corner (it makes me so very happy!)...

Then of course I made multiple trips to ABC Stitch Therapy - one before the events started and then once with each of the retreat groups....and of course, three trips added up to three purchases. I rarely purchase any cross stitch charts because I am so swamped with my own designs (plus I have an enormous stash already) - but I couldn't resist the Glendon Place "Outrageous Owls" chart. I also picked up Homespun Elegance "Bird Pincushion Box", the limited Liberty Hill "Halloween Night Scissor Block", two pairs of Halloween scissors, the Just Nan "Give A Hoot!" Wee Whimzi Box, and a large assortment of pins from my very favorite Puntini Puntini (so fabulous!) and JABCO.

As if all that wasn't enough, I received an AMAZING assortment of gifts from the retreat attendees. I am always blown away by the thoughtfulness and kindness of my students...they truly spoil me rotten! At the first retreat, Debbie gave me the most adorable Halloween bracelet with whimsical owl beads...Donna gave me a BEAUTIFUL Shaker pincushion from the museum gift shop (LOVE IT!)...Ruth brought me a lovely gift bag filled with mementos from New Hampshire (including a moose-shaped dog biscuit for Simba - yep, she even spoiled my dog!)...Elizabeth gave me a GORGEOUS knitted scarf...and since I made my first ever visit to a Dunkin' Donuts (which caused quite a bit of laughter), I received a DD trick-or-treat bag and a Halloween Munchkins box...not too mention I was given all sorts of snacks and beverages! At the second retreat, Gail brought me the most delightful Lavender Vanilla candle...the group from Australia brought me a couple cute tiny koala bears and a kitchen towel featuring the words of Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Peterson (an Australian poet, journalist, and author)...and Teresa (Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches) brought me an array of fantastic gifts. The homemade goodie bag from Teresa contained a bunch of See's Candy (DELICIOUS), smoked almonds, an autumn Kleenex pouch (she made), and the most adorable little snap pouch for lip balm (she cross stitched and sewed it!) - and best of all - she knows how much I like my food SPICY and got me tiny bottles of Tabasco Sauce that fit inside, so I can always spice things up!...and to top everything off (knowing I am heading to California for the first time next week), she gave me a "California Here We Come" tote bag - how thoughtful was that?!! Seriously - I couldn't ask for better stitching friends. Oh and yes, there is a ladybug Halloween costume for Simba that Nataly found for me after I told a story in class about the 5-year-old twins across the street wanting Simba to dress up as a ladybug for Halloween...

So I know your are thinking that has to be everything...BUT WAIT...there's more! For both of the retreats, I was included in the Yankee Swap event- yep, the teacher got to play too (how awesome is that?!)...the gift I ended up with at the first retreat included a vintage looking pincushion box, a pair of Dinky Dyes scissors, and a My Big Toe Needle Threader (woohoo!). At the second retreat, various gifts passed through my hands...but in the end I had a Clover Mini Iron and a bottle of fray check - both perfect for me and all my crafting endeavors! I also had to share the card that was in my room when I arrived - it had a Puntini Puntini exclusive Loon button made especially for the retreat attached - so very special. Nataly also included me in several of the evening gift bags with threads, chocolates, and tiny embellishments - it was pure joy to return to my room late at night and find a little organza bag tied on my door handle filled with little pressies.

Finally, after all the attendees had a chance to visit the gift shop in the Enfield Shaker Museum, I made a few purchases myself! If you checked out my blog post about the gift shop on October 17th, then you know it is filled with unique Shaker items from local artists - so many, it was hard to choose what to bring home this year. After much thought, I decided upon a Round Dresser Tray, a Shaker Tomato Pincushion (they are so lovely, I had to purchase an additional one), a Swallowtail Utensil Holder, four pegs, and four peggies. If you would like to do a little shopping yourself, visit the Enfield Shaker Museum Store online at: http://www.shakermuseum.org

There you have it - my fabulous purchases, presents, and perks! Next week I leave for a teaching engagement at Elegant Stitch in Modesto, CA - I am staying a couple extra days, as it is my first trip (ever) to California - Lois (bless her heart) has sightseeing and shopping planned for us - this post just might make her regret that decision...