Trip Musings

Our vacation to Tishomingo was exactly what we all needed!!!

Jim actually got to rest and relax from the stress of work.  Jocelin read to her heart's delight on her Kindle while she was plugged into the iPod.  As for me... I received the gift of precious time with my beloved husband and daughter with a generous helping of artistic inspiration thrown in for good measure!

Each morning we had a beautiful display of the local moths on the back of the cabin.  Here is a collage of some of our visitors:

The wildflowers put on a marvelous display for us, too.

My sketchbook and notebooks are so full of ideas for tatting, crochet, beading and embroidery projects!

Our visits to the Apron Museum, the town of Iuka, and downtown Tishomingo were all fantastic.

We will most definitely be visiting TSP again.  The CCC cabins are a great value, the hiking trails are excellent, the natural surroundings are breathtaking, and the people up there were most welcoming and kind.

The Spring cleaning is slowly progressing, but I hope to get in some serious tatting this weekend.  May you all have a wonderfully creative weekend!

Until Monday~

Happy Tatting!



Saddleback Ridge Hike

The Saddleback Ridge Trail is gorgeous!  It follows a ridgeline used by Chickasaw Indians to travel to the Freedom Hills in the Mississippi/Alabama area.  There are dramatic outcroppings, caves and rock formations all along the way.

I wish I could adequately describe the plethora of greens and browns that were prevalent along our hike!  If only I could have thread in these colorways...  I must admit, though, the Sulky Blendables in Moss Medley and Forest Floor are very close.  Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in Golden Moss is a close match, also. 

I took so many images!  The colors and textures were fabulous and greatly stimulated my creativity.  Rest assured, I took copious notes the entire trip!  After some serious Spring cleaning, I plan to be EXTREMELY busy tatting all sorts of goodies.

Speaking of Spring cleaning, I'd better get busy.  Have a wonderful day doing whatever makes your soul sing!

Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



The Apron Museum

There is a true diamond set in the beautiful town of Iuka, Mississippi- The Apron Museum !!!

Carolyn Terry, the owner/curator of the Pineslab Shop & Apron Museum, was an absolute joy to meet and visit with.  Her cute shop/museum is filled with oodles of goodies to make any fiberholic squeal with delight.

When you first walk in, the museum side is to the right.  Carolyn has just about every kind of apron imaginable on display.  There are gorgeous crocheted aprons, "naughty" and peek-a-boo aprons, dainty 1950's & 60's hostess aprons, chicken scratch (gingham with embroidery) aprons and many, many more.  I truly wish we'd had more time to visit with Carolyn and comb through her collection.  Jocelin and I were in heaven while Jim was the epitome of a Southern gentleman, patiently waiting for us to sift through treasures.

To the left is the antique store and "for sale" apron section.  There is a varied selection of vintage goodies one could purchase to embelish an apron or other fiber art piece.  Here are a few images of the crocheted doilies and what-nots available:

Beautiful blues, reds & yellows.

Love these fabulous reds!

Springy fresh greens.

For those of you who would like to know more, click on the museum link at the top of this post or check out the Apron Museum on facebook.  Ms. Carolyn will be glad to answer any questions you have and I can assure you, she would LOVE to hear any of your personal apron stories.

Antiquing and hunting for various vintage fiber arts are among my favorite activities.  Inspiration is always to be found in the needlework of previous generations, but I must admit- I am especially inspired to revisit my "tatting apron" design after viewing Carolyn's collection.  I hope to have something to share with you on that front soon.

Many thanks to Ms. Carolyn for her gracious hospitality!  We will be visiting again.

Well, I am off to dig through my fabric stash.  I feel the need to sew an apron.
Until tomorrow~
Happy Tatting!

Outcroppings Hiking Trail

The hardest thing to do at Tishomingo State Park is deciding what hiking trail to take first!  There are 7 to choose from and each is scenic and just gorgeous.  We chose the "Outcroppings Trail" for our first hike.

This trail is a long loop that begins and ends at the swinging suspension bridge.  Jocelin was NOT a happy camper posing for the pic with Big Daddy as the bridge was moving!  After we got her across and embarked upon the trail, she was fine.  This was the most scenic of the trails, in my opinion, as there were loads of breathtaking rocky outcroppings covered in moss.  Several icy cold streams and creeks were sprinkled along the way- one was quite slippery.  My behind still hurts when I recall the slip I made when crossing that one!

The images above are from another area in the park, close to the pioneer cabin.  The moss covered stairs and fountain are so pretty!

Here is a montage of images taken around the pioneer cabin.

We had such a good time walking and exploring!  The scenery was gorgeous and the birds gave us a full concert the entire time.

I was particularly struck by the colors of the moss on the rocks.  So much artistic stimulation almost gives me sensory overload!

At least that was the excuse I gave Jim so he'd grill our supper!!!

Be sure to check out tomorrow's post as I have a special surprise for you.  I am still so excited about this one place we visited- I just know you will LOVE it!!!

Until then~

Happy Tatting!



O' Tishomingo!

Dear readers, I have a confession- while I shared part of my activities with you last week, I did not mention that we were on our first family vacation in a number of years.  Where did we go?  Tishomingo, Mississippi!

If any of you have seen the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou, the "Soggy Bottom Boys" meet a lone guitar player at a crossroads who asks them, "Is this the way to Tishomingo?"  I asked my husband, who is from Mississippi, where Tishomingo was- he didn't know.  So, I took it upon myself to find out and discovered the hidden treasure of Tishomingo State Park in extreme northeastern Mississippi.

Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, just off the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, Tishomingo State Park was just what we were looking for in a family getaway!  The park has 6 cabins built in the 1930's by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps).  We rented one and had a blast! 

Artistic inspiration abounds in these mossy hills.  From our cabin, we could hear the rapids of Bear Creek.  It felt wonderful to sit outside, listen to nature & tat away!

If you want a truly relaxing getaway in a beautiful area, full of Southern grace & hospitality, then I highly recommend Tishomingo State Park.  Give Ms. Charlotte a call at the park office or go online to make your reservations.  Info on the park may be found here.

Check out the blog this week for more of our getaway adventures.  There are lots more images and surprises to come!
Until tomorrow~
Happy Tatting!