Tuesday, June 17, 2014

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE...

Dear Hubby and I are home from our weekend away.  While in Maryland I began this post, only to run into difficulties attaching my photos.  So, I am finishing the post here at home on my IMAC.  Some day I HAVE to have J explain to me the intricacies of resizing photos taken with my IPAD to fit into a blog post!


I can't believe I haven't posted since May 18th!  Time has flown by in a whirlwind.  So much so that I'm forgetting what happened, and when!  It has not been a very good few weeks, though, with trips to the emergency room for myself, Dear Hubby and twice for my Dear Dad.  And, my horrendous pain has returned once again!  But, since I am accentuating the positive, I'll give you a bit of a rundown on the GOOD things that have been going on!


Right now I am writing this post while sitting on the balcony of a beautiful room in the Harbourtowne Resort in St. Michael's, Maryland!  Oh yes, that is such a good thing!



The sun is just beginning to set as I sit here sipping a steaming mug of coffee.  Too many S's in that last sentence, lol.  Thank goodness I am only drinking coffee or I may not have been able to handle such an alliteration!  And yes, the coffee is decaf, lol.  I need to RELAX during this getaway!

When Dear Hubby and I had to cancel our Myrtle Beach vacation due to illness, we decided NOT to cancel the weekend getaway we had planned for the "end" of our vacation.  We had picked St. Michael's for a trial weekend because it would provide a break during our ride home from South Carolina and also is within a few hours of home.  We are trying to come up with "closer" vacation venues for the time when the 9-10 hour trip to Myrtle Beach is too much for us.





Our room was absolutely GORGEOUS.  I was sure I had taken a picture of the bedroom, but alas I cannot find the photo.  I guess when I was "thinning through" my photos I accidentally erased the pictures.  Oh well, sounds like a good reason to go back there some day!




We had a HUGE balcony (twice the size of all of the others on our floor) with beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay. 


Shortly after we arrived a storm rolled in.  It was an incredible experience.  Such raw power and beauty!  I was absolutely mesmerized as I stood on the balcony watching.  Had I thought about being so close to the water during a lightening storm I probably would have run back inside, but the beauty was so breathtaking I was glued to the spot! 



I took five full minutes of video of the storm, but had to choose a small smidge to fit here.  It is not the "best part" of the video...unfortunately the best "parts" were spread throughout the whole five minutes!  This is just a "taste" of the beauty I witnessed. 


Fortunately, we were both "not sick enough" to have to cancel this part of our vacation (although it was touch and go for a little while!).  I am still not my best and last evening I almost asked Dear Hubby to pack up and take me home, but I toughed it out and feel better today!  I refuse to lose this special time with the love of my life.   Today is our 29th anniversary and the only wish I have is for another 29 years and the good health to enjoy them!  It has been a wonderful few days!  He is my best friend and the keeper of my heart...always and forever.  The engraving on the inside of his wedding band says it best...All My Life, All My Love. 

When planning our original "long" South Carolina/Maryland vacation I wanted to pack some English Paper Piecing to keep my hands busy while sitting on the balcony watching the ocean.





I have not been at all happy with the small case I have been using to hold my EPP supplies.  While I originally wanted "compact", I have discovered that with "compact" comes "difficulty using" without taking apart the entire case! 

A quick search on Ebay and I found the PERFECT solution, an old fashioned cosmetic case by American Tourister.


Vtg American TOURISTER Blue Train Cosmetic Make Up Case w Mirror & Tray & Tag
ENDED
1 of 12 images

US $21.99

Buy It Now
View Relisted Item Visit seller's store

It was, however, more money than I wanted to spend ($21.99)..after shipping, it was just WAY too expensive!

Shortly after I spotted the cosmetic case on Ebay, Dear Hubby and I took a trip to Lancaster County to visit one of my favorite quilt shops.  On the way home, Hubby decided to take the more "scenic" route.  Along the way, we passed a building that had once housed a large furniture store.  Surprisingly, it had been replaced by a HUGE thrift store.  Knowing how I love my "thrifty scores" Hubby made a quick turn into the parking lot.  WooHoo...thrift shopping!

Since Dear Hubby was waiting in the car I made a beeline for the luggage section.  To my amazement, what did I find sitting there waiting for me?

A cosmetic case.  And not just ANY cosmetic case, but an American Tourister cosmetic case!  It is almost identical to the one online, with the exception of a slight difference in the under lid mirror.  It's in GORGEOUS condition and even included a set of keys.  The best part?  The price...$12.00!



So I filled up my new "EPP case" with all of my supplies and made sure it was packed into the car.


This chair was the PERFECT spot to relax and stitch.  It was Oh. So. Comfy...and I could still see the beautiful bay beyond the sliding door.   (Pssst...you can see a tiny bit of the bedroom through the door!)



The case sat perfectly on my lap and provided a great platform for stitching.  I really do believe putting your wants "out to the universe" can result in some surprising finds!



A final sunset on our lovely weekend in St. Michael's, Maryland.  It is a quaint little Victorian town with lots of REALLY neat shops and beautiful scenery.  There aren't many accommodations...and those available are not particularly inexpensive...but it is a beautiful location, and one I know I will visit again in the future, even if only for a day trip. 

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8 comments:

  1. The photos are just lovely Lin. Thanks for sharing your mini vacation with us! Happy Anniversary to both of you! Carrie W.

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  2. Beautiful pictures. Thanks so much for sharing.

    God bless.

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  3. I am so glad you were able to get away and had a good time. =)

    LOVE your new suitcase for your EEP. I am on the lookout for one, too. =)

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    Replies
    1. Amy, I recommend you find a suitcase like mine for EPP as soon as you can. I have done a tiny bit of EPP work since I have been home and the more I use the case the more I love it! I have even been able to prop my IPAD up on the tray and watch a movie on Netflix while I sew. The tray is perfect for keeping my working supplies organized for ease of use and the bottom is plenty big to hold a small sketch pad/notebook, a small cutting board and rotary, larger scissors and even quite a few fat quarters. I think I could probably even fit my sock loom and one or two skeins of sock yarn for some diversity if we were to be away longer. Can you tell I just love it? Pay close attention to the tray when buying to make sure it will work for your particular needs.

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  4. Well, now I want to go to St. Michael's! Looks like a lovely place. And great find on the case.

    Glad to see you back ... was a bit worried about you!

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  5. St. Michael's is such a BEAUTIFUL little town! So quaint, and there are lots of really neat little shops. Unfortunately we could only walk a short distance (2 blocks away from our car and 2 blocks back, lol) and parking is limited unless you can park at the lot and walk all over, or get VERY lucky, lol. On one additional occasion we were able to park in a slightly different area and hit a few more of the stores. If you ever go there..."A Wish Called Wanda" was my favorite store. It looked like just about EVERYTHING was hand crafted and there were so many things I really wanted to buy! But, I was good. Dear Hubby bought me a pair of earrings (under $25) and a hoodie (not cheap, but it should last me YEARS). I didn't realize how "chilly" it would get right on the bay!

    My EPP case...what can I say...LOVE! I think it is turning out to be one of my FAVORITE thrifty scores!

    Thanks for worrying about me! My rheumatologist increased my steroids on Monday and the result was, as usual, miraculous. I went from such BAD pain to so little pain with just a few pills. DANG...now we have to start weaning me off all over again...and my face was finally going back to its normal shape and I was really losing weight, lol. Oh well, quality of life is more important than beauty!

    Take care!

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