Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Miles, Moons, and Memories

Whew--it's been a while, hasn't it? I so appreciate the thoughtfulness of those of you who have emailed me to see if everything was okay. I'm happy to say that I'm just fine--I've just experienced one of the busiest months of my life! I am so looking forward to November even though it means preparing a Thanksgiving feast for 18--at least I'll be at home in my own bed each night!

My family and I put over 1500 miles on our car driving to and from our mini family reunion, my stitching retreat, and a family friend's wedding over the past four weeks. I drove to the first two events myself, but my husband drove to the wedding last weekend, thank goodness. I'll give you a recap of my journeys starting with the shortest trip first...

258 miles round trip ~ Destination: Our 5th annual stitching retreat! It's hard to believe that Barb, Lee, Linda, Pam, and I have now been meeting up for 5 straight years at The Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast! Three wonderful days of stitching, chatting, laughing, and way-too-much eating. Honestly, those breakfasts could feed a couple of hungry football players, but, oh, were they tasty. As has been tradition, we decided to give each other a little something to remember our annual retreat. There are no rules--it doesn't have to be a stitched gift or even a homemade gift--just something that will remind us of each other.  

This year, I stitched them each a Drawn Thread design called "Full Moon." I just loved the design--it is perfect for fall without being too Halloweeny or "cutesy." I stitched the design on 40 ct. natural Newcastle using most of the specified Dinky Dyes silks. I did change the tails on the bats--shortened them up a bit. The spider's body is a wee black button--so cute!


I loved the black boxes that the designer used to finish her model so I immediately called the Silver Needle and they sent them to me in no time--great service! The finishing was so easy--I simply gathered and laced them into a round shape over a padded piece of round mounting board. Each one only took about half an hour to finish into the boxes (if only the stitching time was as quick!).  Here they are all finished up--aren't they darling? Oh, but wait, there are five boxes, aren't there? Yes, the first one that I stitched (shown in the middle), I  made a mistake on the moon and rather than rip it all out, I decided to just make do and keep it for myself. I used a 32 ct. fabric for that one with two threads rather than the one thread for 40 ct. so it looks larger than the others. On that one you can see the longer bat tails, too, before I decided to shorten them. I should say bat "bodies," I guess--bats don't really have tails after all, do they!?

The Drawn Thread's "Full Moon" boxes

Everyone seemed very pleased with the black velvet-lined boxes (which I filled with Godiva chocolates!) and I love knowing my friends will be able to display them each fall for years to come. So what goodies did I receive from my friends at our retreat? Well, just take a look...

Pam went with a cookie-themed gift for us so, of course, I loved it! She stitched a darling peanut butter kiss cookie ornament, added some homemade cookies (which were eaten by the time I took the photo), included some Hershey kisses and a darling pot holder, and even made her own vanilla extract!! I never even knew you could make your own, but I know I'll be trying it out on the dozens of cookies I'll be baking for Thanksgiving.  Thanks so much, Pam!

Lee made us each a little paper pieced pincushion in fall colors. Isn't it cute? She also included a pretty notepad with a "grape" theme since we call ourselves the Grape Arbor Stitchers and a bag of candy. Hmmm... I'm sensing a candy theme here! Yes, we do love our sweets... Thank you so much, Lee!


Barb included some overdyed threads, a new kitchen towel, some lovely smelling Ginger Peach hand lotion, and, yes, more chocolate candy in her gift bag. I just love the colors of thread she chose for us--Jack O'Lantern and Buckeye Scarlet because she hails from Ohio, the Buckeye State. Thanks so much, Barb!


Linda spoiled us by gifting each of us with one of Faye's handmade project rolls. I'm sure you can imagine the "oohs" and "ahs" as we each unwrapped our very own beautifully made project roll in colors specially chosen by Linda. She knows me well as she requested blues and yellows for me and this is what I received--just perfect!! I adore this fabric and know I'll be putting this to good use when I stitch a larger piece.Thank you so much, Linda!

582 miles roundtrip ~ Destination: My mini family reunion in the Finger Lakes area of New York State! Sixteen of us gathered in early October together to laugh, feast, and share our memories from long ago. My 89 year old uncle flew in from Wisconsin and it truly touched me to see him and his little sister (my 87 year old mom) reminiscing and smiling together. I saw a cousin whom I hadn't seen in over 30 years (since our grandmother died) and got to meet her husband and son for the first time ever! My uncle is saying that this will be his last trip east, but we sincerely hope not. He is still so "young at heart" and full of vitality that we hope there may just be another reunion next fall...

While there, I stumbled upon this lovely display of quilts in my mother's senior living building. They have a special room for displays of collections from the residents or from outside groups. October's display just happened to be quilts from a Canandaigua, NY quilting group... Aren't they beautiful? I know many of you also quilt and I truly hope to learn to myself when I retire so I thought you might enjoy these photos.


And here is a collage of some of my favorites (you can click the photo for a closer look)... I especially liked the one one in the lower left corner. The woven fabric basket had a 3-D effect and was filled with Spanish moss and the appliqued flowers were "growing" out of it--so striking!


My sister, cousin, and I visited a couple of local antiques shops while in New York and I spotted this cute little box made of rulers. I seriously doubt if it's an antique, but I just had to have it--and for $5.00 I thought the price was right. 

 At first I thought I would use it to store buttons or charms, but then look what I decided on... my sewing bobbins! I think this would be something you could easily make yourself, don't you?


720 miles roundtrip ~ Destination: A special family friend's wedding in Indiana. And where was the wedding of my best friend's youngest son held? Why, in one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in the United States: the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame. I was only able to capture a few images to share with you, but I think you'll see for yourself how breathtaking it was. Of course, I teared up as the bride walked down the aisle. Do you cry at weddings? I always do--the bride and groom are so full of hope and so in love on their special day. The weather couldn't have been more perfect with a brilliant blue, cloudless sky, filled with good-luck lady bugs on a surprisingly warm end-of-October day. What a great start to married life!



Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame

COOKIES, COOKIES, COOKIES!  I was so happy to see that the groom's family had brought the southwestern Pennsylvania tradition of the "cookie table" to this Indiana wedding. You can click here and here to read more about the wonderful cookie table tradition. I had never heard of a cookie table before I moved to Pennsylvania from New York State 37 years ago, but I just love the idea. The families of the bride and groom lay out long tables of home-baked cookies  for guests to not only partake of at the wedding, but also to take home by the dozen in boxes or bags. Just look at all the work that went into the cookie table at the wedding... The long tables were piled high with every type of cookie you could imagine so, of course, I had to take samples of each one! This is not the main dessert, there is still a wedding cake, but I so love the cookie table tradition. Do any of you have these at weddings in your locales? I know if I'm ever lucky enough to be a mother of the groom, I'll be crossing my fingers that a cookie table will be a part of the wedding reception...


Cookies galore--which would you choose?

A Halloween Finish: One thing that was good about the miles we spent driving to and from Indiana--I managed to stitch a little Halloween piece. This is from Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin's "Seasonal Mementos" leaflet. I've been wanting this chart for so, so long, and finally snagged it on Ebay for $5.50 last month. The little witch is stitched on 32 ct. bay leaf Belfast linen using the suggested colors. I had to change the alphabet around a bit as I stitched the large pumpkin in the wrong place, but it looks fine to me... I hope to finish this into a little pillow or hanging ornament this weekend. I just love the little witch (she is a good witch--I made sure to put a smile on her face :)

 Mary Garry's Sewing Room "Seasonal Memories" witch

I'll leave you with this vintage Halloween photo from circa 1964. I'm guessing I'm about 9 years old and dressed as a gypsy and my little brother is a gorilla. It looks like a cold, cold Halloween night as I'm padded from head to toe with warmer clothes underneath my costume (I didn't go through my "chubby phase" until a couple of years later!). Do you remember those horrid plastic masks? Ugh! How sweaty and smelly they got by night's end... And notice the "witch" Barbie complete with black mask and pointy hat that my mom made for me standing between the two pumpkins. It's all those little things that moms do that we don't truly appreciate until we're older. Thank you, mom--you were, and are, the best!

 Halloween circa 1964

Unfortunately, we're supposed to have an equally chilly, rainy night here for Halloween trick-or-treating--a shame as we've had such a lovely autumn up to now. But, I so look forward to seeing the neighborhood kids and their parents as they stop by at our front door to collect their goodies.  Happy Halloween!! Bye for now...

74 comments:

Melissa said...

Oh Carol, what a lovely newsy post! I love what you made for the retreat (and Godiva chocolates inside!). It was just precious that you finished it with that container. Lovely exchanges.

The quilts at the senior centre are wonderful. I was just at one of our libraries today and tucked away in a corner was a display about a local senior's centre. The ladies are made these absolutely stunning "pictures" with wool that they felted themselves.

The cookie table tradition is a good one! Wow! That church is something too.

I hope you have a dry Halloween. You never can tell about the weather.

Hugs!

Robin in Virginia said...

Enjoyed reading your post, Carol! It sounds like you have had a busy October. Love all the pictures you share (especially the cookie table at the wedding). Lovely boxes you gifted your friends and lovely goodies you received. I was wondering how your stitching retreat went.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Robin in Virginia

Ann at Beadlework. said...

What a busy month indeed, so full of lovely and varied trips. I love the boxes you made for the ladies, they look great. The church is amazing, so very beautiful. I enjoyed reading your post and seeing all your photos.

cucki said...

such a lovely post dear..i love reading it so much..
beautiful photos and lovely stitching x

shirley flavell said...

A lovely newsy post. Loved your stitchery projects. Shirley N.Z.

Daffycat said...

Wow, what an update! You have been one busy lady!

All the stitching, quilts and gifties are so lovely but that cookie feast is incredible! I'm blown away.

Tricia T said...

What a fun update! The little stitching retreat sounds like so much fun and your boxes for your friends were lovely! The candy you received looked pretty good, too! :)

I love the peek at the cookie table, too! What a fun tradition!!

Annie said...

I need a nap after reading this post. Where do you get all that energy?

Love your little round boxes. I'm sure the ladies in the group will treasure them. And you got some lovely gifts in return. Quite a sorority!

The quilts at your Mom's place are gorgeous! What a thing to 'stumble' onto.

Cute little ruler box. Clever idea. And I stitched that ebay witch last year. I love her!

You need to change your blog name to "Cookie Dreams" now I think!

Happy Halloween.. you haven't aged at all since 1964!

marly said...

Wonderful post Carol! Those Full Moon boxes are just fabulous. Fabulous! Never saw the box and will be Googling shortly. Glad your trips were enjoyable and safe.

priscilla said...

Love those boxes Carol and your cute little witch ! You have done some traveling this month ! Love seeing all your photos !

Margaret said...

What a great post! Boy, you really have been busy this month! Wow! Lots of miles put on the ole car too! Love seeing the retreat gifts -- they are all wonderful! Lovely reunion with your family too! And the wedding -- what a spectacular cathedral that is! The cookie table tradition is amazing -- I'd never heard of that at all! Bet it was yummy as well as beautiful. Love your latest finish too. The old Halloween pic -- ah yes, I remember well those awful masks, and piling on the warm clothes under the costume. I used to hate having to do that. lol!

Faye said...

Nice gifts among you great stitchers Carol!!! And, your boxes are just wonderful~~ lotsa miles have been logged in, so time to throw your feet up and STITCH!! Hope you enjoy the project roll~~

Pam in IL said...

Wow! Lots of miles, but sounds like some truly wonderful family and friend time! The gifts you made for your stitching group are lovely, as are all the gifts they made for you. I had a Cinderella costume with one of those icky plastic masks, but mostly we made all our costumes (I was a TV one year, lol). We're supposed to have very chilly and very windy Halloween.

Linda said...

Great post Carol. Looks like you had a busy but happy month. Great stitching and finishing.

Linda

Meari said...

I agree... The church is just breathtaking! My niece sort of had a version of a cookie table with a small wedding cake. I'm listening to an audiobook where one of the characters describes her aunties baking loads of cookies for every family wedding. An Italian tradition (in the story).

What nice gifts given at the retreat. You always have such a good time.

Congrats on your adorable finish!

Yep, my sibs and I had the same kind of costumes. I'll have to dig our my photo.

Ele said...

What a lovely post! Thank you for sharing :)
Wonderful stitching and photos

Irene said...

Che bellezza, le scatole sono meravigliose e fai sempre bellissime foto

butterfly said...

Lovely post wow one busy lady.
Oh Carol those little black boxes are beautiful that you made for your friends .

You must have had some amazing times this month with your family and friends .

Happy Halloween, and hope you have a good rest ha.

Gabi said...

What a lovely post. I think you had an amazing and busy time. Love the "antique" box.
the gifts are wonderful.
Happy Halloween from Germany

Hilda said...

Oh Carol - such a wonderful post with so many highlights, that I really can not say, which of your stories I like most.
I LOVE your "Full Moon" finishings. I fell in love with this pattern at first sight and now I can see it so perfectly finished at your blog (I really need to get the pattern).
Both gatherings - the stitching retreat as well as the family reunion seemd to be wonderful.
And - oh - the cook table. What an amazing tradition. We do not have something similar here in Austria, but if, I would leave every wedding with a big bag of cookies, I think!
Thank you for sharing all these wonderful events with us - I really enjoyed it!
Hugs
Hilda

Mini Addictions said...

Hi Carol,
First off...thanks for the trip down memory lane. I too had one of those horrible costumes with the plastic mask. Wonder Woman...ughh! I hated every minute of it...lol. Your finishes are simply wonderful! So festive without being too cutesy. Your trips sound like so much fun and a much needed "refresher" for you. Enjoy your wonderful gifts from the exchanges and have a happy Halloween!
Hugs,
Lisa

Belinda said...

You have been one busy bee Carol! I love all your photos. Your annual stitchy get away with your friends sounds like so much fun, I love all the gifts you make each other.
Your family reunion sounds wonderful and the wedding cookie tradition, oh my goodness!! I love that idea. I've never heard of it but it's so wonderful. I wouldn't mind trying all the cookies. :)
Cute witch by the way, she's too cute to be spooky!

Kate said...

Such a lovely read, Carol! You're one busy lady. ^^

Vickie said...

I am so glad your many travels were all safe.
What a wonderful time that was for all sixteen of you. I am sure your mom and her brother were so very, very happy.
Oh the Basilica! Wow!!!! And wow to the cookie table! My kind of tradition. ;)

pj said...

Carol
Loved your newsy post this month. I always look forward to your inspiration and love seeing your finishes each month. You did not disappoint with these boxes. Darling gifts for your friends!

I smiled when I saw the Mary Garry witch as I just stitched that for a retreat exchange too. I made her into a cube and love it! My finishing skills do not even come close to yours! Your ornaments always look so crisp.

Halloween memories of our trick or treat days are so special...we had no fear and ran the streets in those masks. :). Lucky you to have photos.

Happy Halloween!

Mii Stitch said...

Carol, another fabulous post!
You have been so busy but it all looks fantastic.
Love the gifts you made for the retreat, they are just perfect!!
Big hugs to you xxoxo

Preeti said...

You made lovely gifts for your friends !! And you got some lovely things from them too:)
There are so many cookies, looks like an interesting party. Glad to know that you enjoyed the wedding and your entire trip.
The ruler box is a very nice idea:)

The Inspired Stitcher said...

What a fun month you had! Love the treats you gave and received from your friends.

I love the idea of a cookie table! I've never heard of this tradition either but I hope I get to experience it sometime. Yum!

The Halloween costumes crack me up. I remember those plastic masks. The TV trays in the picture are a blast from the past too.

What a fun post! Have a great weekend!

KimM said...

Oh my goodness - what a beautiful post - love, LOVE all the pictures - the stitching - the goodies - Notre Dame. Thank you for sharing.
hugs
xxx

Melody said...

Whew, Carol, you have been busy! Your posts are always so much fun to read. Your stitching retreat is such a great idea. I love the boxes you made for your friends!! Also, I've been eyeing one of those needlerolls from Faye. I think that will be on my Christmas list! The wedding looked beautiful. The cookies were displayed so pretty!! I've never heard of a cookie table before. What a nice tradition.

Cole said...

Looks like a very busy, but very fun, month!! A stitching retreat would be the trip of my dreams! Lovely gifts you all gave each other too!

Julie said...

Such a lovely post Carol, what a busy lady you have been during October.

The church looks amazing and I've never heard of the cookie table, I've enjoyed reading about that.

Cute little boxes you made for the girls and so lovely that you got to keep one as a reminder too.
They spoiled you with lots of lovely things to bring home.

The quilt exhibition looks stunning, lots of hard work put into those.

{hugs} x

Natasha said...

Carol,
What a great post. even though it was a busy month for you look at all those memories made. How much fun it seems you had at your stitching retreat. such thoughtful gifts!

A cookie table?? Never heard of it before but what an awesome idea heck I would do a cookie table for any gathering LOL

I hope you have a very relaxed November which I can't believe it is already.
Take Care Friend
Natasha

Nancy said...

Love your Halloween stitching Carol! Do you know where your friend got the design for the cookie with a kiss?

Sweet Sue said...

hiya friend, thx for catching us all up, have missed you. wonderful month of stitchy and making memories across the miles. now... go take a nap will ya!

xo

Barb said...

Hi Carol - you write the best blog posts!! You have been very busy but it all seems like it was a lot of fun. Your stitching retreat gifts are gorgeous!! - it's obvious you all have a wonderful time together.

I've never heard of a "cookie table" at a wedding before either, but what a wonderful idea! (Personally, that would be my favorite part of the wedding reception - I love cookies!! LOL!!!). And thanks for sharing the inside photos of the Basilica at Notre Dame - oh my goodness how amazingly beautiful it is - what a special location for a wedding. (all that & cookies, too??)

I think you deserve a little R&R now - thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us!

xo

Barb



Lynda Harrison said...

Hello Carol!
So good to read your much-anticipated post - and what a wonderful post it is! Really happy that you had a marvellous retreat - your stitching is always beautiful!
The photographs are wonderful - it makes one feel as though you were there!
Have a lovely weekend!
Love and best wishes,
Lynda.

Daniela Bencúrová said...

Carol, such an interesting post !!!
You and your girlfriend you are very clever !!!
Your family is large, it is good that you are experiencing:-)
Basilica - beauty - that blue color !!!
Thank you for the beautiful pictures:-)

Caitlin D said...

Phew! Talk about a busy month! I must say the cookie table looks delicious. A friend used girl scout cookies for her wedding dessert and was wiped out almost immediately. It was a nice change from cake!
Your stitching is beautiful and the little round boxes are so cute!

http://craftymakings.blogspot.com/?m=1

Barbi said...

I am so jealous! First that you have a group of women that you get together and stitch with...and the second because of those boxes that you finished. Those are fantastic! I love the Halloween picture! I went to dinner with a friend of mine last night and we were talking about Halloween costumes and how we had those masks that we had to cut the eyes a little bigger and the little hole for breathing had to be made bigger as well. I don't even know if they make those anymore...they are probably some kind of health hazard now. LOL
Enjoy your Halloween!!!

Friendship Crossing said...

Wow ~ I thought I had missed a post of yours ~ LOL!
What a LOT of miles you drove but looks like a wonderful time was had by all.
Love the boxes you made! What a sweet idea!
Never heard of a cookie table but cupcakes are getting really popular around here.
What fun memories you made and shared.

Happy Halloween!
Hugs to you,
Tanya

Cindy's Stitching said...

Those boxes are just gorgeous. How nice for you to meet the group each year. What great surprises. The ruler box is really nice. The wedding church is gorgeous. The cookie table, oh my. I would eat one of each.
:)))

Barb said...

What a fascinating post! You have really been busy traveling. I loved hearing about all the trips seeing the goodies and the beautiful Church as well as hearing about the family reunion. I hope some little folks make it to your door tomorrow! Have a Happy Halloween!

Jackie's Stitches said...

You certainly have been busy traveling!

Love the bobbins in your yardstick box! I have one from Temecula Quilt Co and hadn't thought of that yet. I'll have to give it a try.

I don't see any difference in the moon on the box you decided to keep! I loved seeing all your gifts to each other. I think you should be making one for you as your own memento of your gatherings.

I've never heard of a cookie table! But of course, I love it! Ha!

The Queen Bee said...

What a wonderful recap. Love the pictures of Notre Dame. I can't remember ever seeing a photo of my siblings in Halloween costumes so that was probably my favorite part of the post!

Pam

Judy said...

Hi Carol, Such a lovely post to catch us up on your travels and great times with family and friends. The friend retreat sounds fabulous. Do you meet just once a year? The little black boxes with the Full Moon design are just too cute! All the gifts are such treasures.

I too would love to be able to quilt. I have a couple friends who quilt and are trying to get me to cave into another addiction. The quilts are beautiful.

And who could resist a teary eye at a beautiful wedding? And that cookie table...incredible. Each of them is beautifully made and displayed. I really wanted to reach into the picture for one of those blue iced sugar cookies.

I have not seen that Mary Gary chart. It is a cutie. Actually, I was not familiar with the designer until I started seeing some of them online. I don't recall ever seeing any of them in any of the shops I have been to over the years.

Now how cute is your retro Halloween photo? I an sure we had those exact TV trays!!!!

Until next time--have a great November! Oh no--then December..oh my!

Judy Heartland stitcher

Elizabeth Ann said...

Loved your little boxes! Your pictures of the church are great, would have loved to seen the bride! What a beautiful place to get married in, such wonderful memories to have. I thought the quilt display was so special for the quilters to share with a special group of people! Loved that little gypsy!

Lillie said...

What a wonderful post. The DT boxes are simply perfect. Mary Gary's too. Sounds like you had a wonderful time at the retreat, catching up with family and the cookies so heavenly.

Happy Halloween !

Angela said...

I would definitely say you have been very, very busy! It looks like you had a wonderful time though :) Love the boxes you made for your friends and that Church is breathtaking indeed. Happy Halloween :)

AnaCristina said...

trick or treat?
LOL

Shirlee said...

Oh my friend ... I am all tired out after reading your post ... lol! So much traveling! Beautiful photos, beautiful stitching!

Andrea said...

You did say you were going to be busy and boy you weren't wrong. Love the DT piece. You received some beautiful retreat gifts too. The Church is so beautiful and cookies! I've never seen so many all in one place! Hope you had a great Halloween, scary photo!

Heather said...

Carol, you have been quite the traveler! It looks like you had a wonderful time at your stitching retreat! I love what you stitched for your friends. The gifts you received are lovely too!
What a beautiful church and what a neat tradition! I will have to tuck that idea away for the future. I had never heard of it. :-)

I hope that you are having lots of stitching time this weekend.

Девушка с пяльцами said...

Beautiful, more beautiful, the most beautiful!

Jennifer M. said...

My oh My! you have been busy, but it all sounded wonderful. So glad you enjoyed yourself on all your trips away.

The church pictures were amazing. That church is huge and so gorgeous inside.
I've never heard of a cookie table at a wedding, but I love the idea!

Love your stitching finishes. They are awesome as always. :)

msmartello said...

Hi Carol,
Or should I say world traveler. LOL! Great gifts form your retreat and sounds like a really good time.My friends and I are trying to come with something like that since the retreat we go too is no longer. That church from the wedding is gorgeous and I don't think I have ever seen so many cookies in one place. Who needs dinner? Great little stitch.

Have a great weekend!

Maureen

Marie said...

I am craving cookies…I wonder why! What a wedding that must have been and that church is gorgeous!

I LOVE the finished round boxes with the wonderful Drawn Thread design. I am sure the people who received these were delighted. The gifts received were great as well.

How nice that you got to spend time with your relatives. Reunions are wonderful!

With all of your travels I am sure that you are in need of some rest and stitching.

Karen said...

Wow, you have been busy! Thank you for the update and all the fabulous pictures.

Michelle said...

Oh Carol what a lovely post - I so enjoyed reading it.
How nice you had time to spend with relatives and friends. All your photos are lovely and have really brightened up a cold dark day here in the UK xx

Anonymous said...

You had some very busy weeks then...

I like your "Full Moon" boxes so much and the design is very cute , too.

I wish you a wonderful and calm week !

hugs
Éva

Sally said...

So lovely to hear about your travels, Carol, and what a wonderful time you had.

Lovely stitching. Those black boxes are beautiful.

passionfruitprincess said...

Oh, Carol, I love the gifts you made for your friends! The little box finish looks lovely. And I love the gifts you got too. Glad you enjoyed your busy month, and what a lovely wedding and church.
Hugs,
Ana Paula.

Trina said...

What an amazing blog! I love everything - the finishes, the pictures! I can't wait to keep coming back to see more great things!

Trina (Stitching Oz)

Maggee said...

You were DEFINITELY busy!! Love the gift boxes you made for your stitching group buddies! What fun! And likewise the gifts received were equally as nice! My last family reunion was 16 years ago... Most of my relatives live across the country--a few more miles. Love the Cathedral. And have never heard of a cookie table till this post. Will keep it in mind! Love to make cookies! Hugs!

valerie said...

Carol, what a busy October you had but it all sounded so fun except I know the last of the month was super hard for you. I just love seeing what everyone gifted to one another on your retreat! I just love the design you stitched and the finish. So cute! I love DT designs but haven't slurged on this one. The project roll is gorgeous too! That will go on my order list soon once I get around to cleaning out my stash and reorganizing. It's all such a mess now!

The wedding looks amazing! The church is gorgeous! And I can just imagine how yummy all those cookies were. I've never heard of a cookie table before but it sounds like a fun and sweet tradition.

I'm glad you all were able to get together for a reunion. The memories will be so special and hopefully your uncle can squeeze in another visit soon.

Love your Mary Garry finish! She had such great designs. Such a shame her designs are so hold to get a hold of but you got a bargain on eBay with this one. Good for you!

Take care and big hugs to you from the other coast.

Melanie said...

If you're slow to blog then I'm even *slower* than leaving comments. :)

Those boxes are just so adorable. They are little treasures. Just great goodies all around.

That is such a busy month of driving and events it is a miracle you are still standing! I can't believe you found time to actually get a stitched piece done.

I would wholeheartedly endorse a cookie table for all sorts of events, even the most mundane. lol

Karoline said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time even if it was really busy. Your boxes for the retreat were gorgeous & the cookie table sounds a great idea.

Kay said...

You have done a lot of traveling and having fun along the way as well! Always love seeing all the photos you share! Your finishes are divine as always!

Anonymous said...

Hello!

Just found your beautiful blog.
I love the boxes you made for the retreat they look great. You got some lovely presents too.
It sounds like you had a very busy month!
The photos are stunning, thank you for sharing with us and they have certainly brightened my evening!
Wishing you a quieter time for stitching x

Jackie said...

You are well traveled Carol and the Full Moon boxes are gorgeous……Thinking of you!
Hugs,
Jackie:)

Christina said...

Wow, sounds like you have been having some great adventures. Love the gifts to and from your friends. The quilts are lovely and makes me want to start quilting again. I have never heard of a cookie table before. What a great tradition. Now I want one. LOL

Catherine said...

I somehow missed this post ~ you have certainly have some busy times! I always love reading about your stitching get away ~ sounds so fun and relaxing. Cookie tables are a good thing! Lol!

Jennifer said...

Life does get in the way of keeping up a blog, doesn't it? :-)

You had some wonderful distractions from blogging though - I bet that retreat was just what your stitching soul needed. It's such a blessing to share your passion / craft with friends like that.

The family reunion sounds so joyful and very special and exciting!

Yes, I too get choked up at weddings, and northeastern PA also does the cookie table, though it's more traditional for bridal showers. We had one at my bridal shower and it was amazing how many beautiful cookies were provided by friends and family. And at least in my hometown there's a tradition of a Viennese table for the wedding, after the cake. Big tables of little bite sized desserts, pastries and cookies are set up along with coffee. Definitely something we had to have for our wedding!

Your halloween picture made me laugh - we spent more than one halloween wearing turtlenecks and long johns under our costumes as well.

Nancy M said...

What a fun get together! You made and received some lovely gifts! My husband toured ND campus and wants to take me there sometime. A wedding would be awesome there. I've never heard of a cookie table, but those tables were incredible!