JOVIAL JULY

July is flashing by.  We had our annual vacation in the Smokie mountains early this year.  We usually go in September but this year we left the end of June and had about 10 days in the cool but WET Tenn. mountains.  Here is the view from our condo balcony where we spent a lot of time this year watching the rain clouds by pass.

Here is a photo of my sweet folks - standing amidst some beautiful flowers outside a cafe in the Old Mill area of Pigeon Forge.

Jody and I ate several time at Bullfish - it's a chain but still a nice restaurant and they had an outside patio which was nice when it wasn't raining.  That bull is huge.

My dad and Jody outside JT Hannah - apparently a chain that started in Knoxville - it was a fun place with lots of old signs and old things on display.

 Wiley (my dad) is a very prolific stitcher - much more so than I am.  Here is his almost completed Long Dog Sonne Spotte.  It is being worked on the sparkly belfast linen with the called for DMC.  It is just stunning in person.  I'm calling dibs on this one but we'll see if my mom wins out LOL.

 Here is a yarn shop I visited in Gatlinburg - it is called Smokey Mountain Spinnery and I didn't take any pictures inside the shop.  It was very crowded and the shop owner was a bit hovery.  She is mainly into spinning and weaving and I didn't buy much in her shop.  It's worth a visit if you ever go there.

 What I did get was this lovely yarn bowl which was made locally by the Smokey Mountain Pottery which is also in Gatlinburg.  Below it is my Camp Loopy 2 project which I was able to start on July 1st.  I'm sure I will be showing a better photo of it later this month since it has to be completed before July 31st.  WHEW - I better keep those needles clicking.

 As vacation tradition would have it - I almost always start a new stitching project on vacation.  This is Land of the Free.  It was a Sampler of the Month from the Attic Needlework last summer but I never was in the mood to start it.  See my cute little colonial people - I was happy to get this far along with it.  It's a fun design.

 It is always fun to visit a real cross stitch shop and there is a good shop about 10 min from our condo - Dixie Darlin has been around for a good many years.  Cindy the owner is now doing some designing.  Sadly she doesn't carry any silk threads or any repro samplers but she does carry a few things I like and a full collection of all 3 overdyers of cotton , WDW, GAST, CC so I was able to buy some threads.  She also has a nice selection of lower count linens and of course aida which pleases my mom.  Here is the newest PS Halloween chart and a piece of PTP mello linen.

 Here is a neat wooden piece that someone local makes for the shop.  It was a great price compared to other treenware I've seen online.  Hopefully this smaller PS chart will look good on this wooden piece.  She also has a ton of hand made by Betty things in her shop.  I think Betty's stuff has been expanded since I was there in September last year.  I did a good job restraining myself and only bought this little patriotic flag pin.  My mom bought a beautiful patriotic quilted table runner.  Too bad I didn't get a snap.

Well my friends - I hope July is really good for you.  I know there has been a ton of rain in a lot of areas.  Here too but it keeps us from having to run the sprinkler system and our yard looks the best it has looked in 5 years.  Hope you all have a jovial july !