I was lucky to be able to go to a stitching retreat this year. I've tried to go in the past but schedule conflicts have prevented it. Keepsakes Framing and Stitching, my local LNS are the hosts and it takes place at Hueston Woods State Park. This year they added Thursday and it so happened it was our first big snowstorm of the year. It was an intense + hour of driving but I got there safe and sound and checked in. A huge room was set up for us for stitching and it was very relaxed. We were happily snowed in for a long weekend of stitching, eating, laughing, talking and shopping. I hope I am able to enjoy it again.
Here is the view from my room onto the frozen lake. Thursday on the left and Sunday on the right.

There were 2 or 3 huge, soaring stone fireplaces and chimneys in the lodge. It's hard to get an idea of how really big they are from the pictures. We are having a buffet dinner in the picture on the right. The left picture is taken from the bottom floor up, where you can see the lobby seating. Very picturesque.

This was our illustrious hostess for the weekend stitching retreat, Barbara Hils. She and her husband, Joe, own Keepsakes Framing and Stitching. She had her suite set up as a mini store and certain hours through the weekend you could walk to her room and shop, shop, shop. She had trunk shows, beaded fobs, quick snaps and all kinds of things. I'm sure she traveled home much lighter. Thanks to Barb and her family for an awesome stitchy weekend.

Here are two of my table sharing stitchy friends, Janice and Linda. We had lots of fun stitching and gabbing all weekend long. My other table mates were probably up visiting other tables to see what was being stitched.

The last night of the retreat had a show and tell time. It was fun to hear the stories behind the stitching that was done. Lots and lots of wonderful pieces were shown. They were displayed on tables afterward so everyone could walk past and oooh and aaah over them. Very inspiring.

This Santa was the most anticipated show-and-tell of the weekend. A lot of people had seen this piece in progress through the year. It is huge (about 2 1/2 ft high x 4 feet long) and is solidly stitched. It was started in January of '09 and finished in December. I would love to tell you the stitcher's name but I don't know it except for everyone calls her Meme. It is awesome and will hang in her living room all year. (The white square off to the right of the 1st picture is a ceiling light reflection - sorry)

The last day, Sunday, had a make it and take it project in the main lobby. It was a needle minder. You stitched your initial onto perforated paper, trimmed it and with gluing and magnets had a nice little piece to take home. (This is not my needle minder but, it's the same color as mine - it just looked nice with these scissors - also not mine)

After my wonderful stitching weekend, I traveled home on snow free roads for a birthday party.

Our grandson, Evan, is now 5 !!! How did that happen.

Evan hugged everyone at his party to thank them for coming. He's so cute. Here he is hugging his Pawpaw.

Marsha