Vacation Wrap-Up

Last Friday hubby and I boarded a plane at 6 am and arrived in Phoenix at noon.  Hubby treated us to a weekend at The Arizona Biltmore before he began a long business trip.  Hubby goes to this hotel every year at this time for an industry conference.  This was my first visit to the resort.  Needless to say I loved it!  We enjoyed a weekend of total relaxation, including a four-hour stint sitting by the pool.  It was the first time in my life I have sat by the pool and done next to nothing.  I totally fell in love with the resort.

We stayed in the Ocatilla wing of the resort.  This wing has it's own concierge and lounge.  One of the perks is a continental breakfast (I know many hotels include free breakfast, but we are talking about a luxury resort here).  Anyway, one of the items served at the breakfast every morning is fruit martinis.  A simple, yet elegant way, to serve fresh fruit.  I think I'm going to start serving these for breakfast at home.

I did quite a bit of stitching while relaxing.

I made progress on my Milanese Pouch.

I crocheted a few hexi puffs.

I think the orange needs to be finished into a pumpkin, don't you?

I crocheted six snowflakes using the crochet thread I dyed last week. The two snowflakes on the right I added Guttermann silver metallic thread to the crochet thread.

Of course, I had to go shopping at least once.  A Google search of needlework shops in Phoenix produced Family Arts Needlework Shop.  The shop was a straight two miles from the hotel so I knew I had to go there.  The shop is a non-profit organization whose profits are donated to Stepping Stones Academy for scholarships for low income students.  The shop itself is wonderful, full of every thread imaginable and a selection of yarn and supplies.  The shop has one paid employee and every one else is a volunteer.

After walking around for several minutes, I finally chose this project:

I have never done a drawn or painted canvas project so I'm excited to start this one.

I purchased a few threads to get me started as well.  The top two threads will be two of the three balloons.  The yellow one will be the stars.  Blue and orange for the the gifts.  Variegated for the words and the pink for the background.

I was planning to walk back to the hotel so I decided this bag would be the perfect way to tote my purchase.

I so enjoyed a stay-cation with a long weekend away at the end of it that I told hubby it is going to become a regular October vacation for us.  I am relaxed, energized and ready for the winter holiday rush to begin.

Sweet P