Pals Fall Fling part 2 -- the Pals

For those of you who aren't Pals let me tell you what the Pals fall Fling is all about -- it's about laughing until you cry, chatting and telling stories until 2+A.M., eating inappropriate amounts of all sorts of goodies (especially breadsticks, but you have to do that before 11pm because Shaky's closes early), learning cool stitching stuff (in classes or gathered around gossiping with "the girls"), stashing, outlet shopping, stealing grab bags and gift boxes in exchanges, coveting all the ornies that people bring to exchange, stashing some more, and did I mention laughing until you cry and stashing? In short Fall Fling is about friends -- new ones or old ones, but all important ones.

So, with that in mind, I'd like to introduce you to some of my friends--


Here's me and Myra "the hussy" -- After years of going to Pals' annual event in Myrtle Beach I "discovered" Myra last year. There she'd been all those years looking so nice and sweet. Sure, she's nice ans sweet but she's also hysterical and, I do believe, she's my new hero. Love ya, Myra! If you want to know why she's a hussy, you'll have to come next year and ask her yourself.


That's Missy and Mel


That's Beth who is a grand stitcher and a completely doting grandma. ... Completely doting! Lord knows those little grands of hers are in for a lifetime of spoiling. lol


That's me and Amy, who runs Pals and who we all are eternally grateful to for getting us into so much stash and for introducing us to so many great best friends. I really can't thank you enough, Amy! My life would be a lot duller without you -- Myrtle Beach would only be someplace to research for work, my address book would be a lot thinner, and I'd still think Joann's was THE place to shop for cross stitch. lol


Here's a hysterical gang -- Nicole, Chris (who has started posting her adventures at the Shepherd's bush retreat ... woo hooo!), Sharon, Missy, and Karen


That's Sharon with her little angel and one of Pals Junior Stitchers. Please note: Sharon is clutching two onries for the ornament exchange. I was the lucky ole so and so who won both!


Meet Fiona and Tracey -- Fiona and I had our inaugural Pals years together in 2000. And we both had adventurous travels that year. I had a flight cancelled and ended up flying with the Mob. Honest and true. She'd travelled for I don't know how many hours to get to Myrtle Beach from Scotland. We arrived almost simultaneously and most asuredly exhausted at the dinky little Myrtle Beach airport to be met by a grinning Char. Ahhh the good ole days! And Tracey (who has a penchant for frogs--including this screamign from at Connie, another Pal, gave her. Jeez Connie, it's about time you returned to the Fling!!!!) was there in 2000 too with her son/darling little angel who somehow is now 15, 5 foot 10, and smarter than a whip.


That's the aforementioned Char and Fiona relaxing at the Hospitality House (aka The Center of Fling Socializing).


Here's the roomies of Grandpa (formerly Uncle) Leon's house -- Chris, Nicole, and yours truly.


Pals doing what we do best gather in the hospitality House and stitching and gossiping.


That's Myra proving she stitches.


Meet (again in some cases) Melva, Karen, Laurie (goddess of amazing hardanger!!!! and spoon investigator--- Laurie and I discovered one year that as opposed to our Yankee restaurants, the Southern restaurants seemed to have a distinct lack of spoons for no apparent reason), and Theresa (the nut case who stitched that giant Hummingbird Welcome that was in one of the magazines a couple years ago... TWICE!!! You'll see one of them later, I promise.)


Laurie, I, and Miss Ida celebrate my very first cording in class --- that's the cording draped across me and Laurie's everso handy drill in her hands.


Susan takes part in another Pals hobby -- sticking your tongue out at Ruth when she's taking picures.


See, lots of people do it.


Sitting around the convention center in between events -- Chris, Amy, Nicole, and Dawn. BTW, our friend Nicole stitches amazingly fast. She'd be at one of these evening events and I'd check out what she was doing, then the next thinig I know she'd finished a whole section on that piece and was working on something else. I think she has stitching elves helping her.


Dawn, Amy, Susan (Dawn's sister), me, and Miss Ida (Dawn and Susan's doting mom and grandmom to Miss Emily [see yesterday's pics], Dawn's daughter).


Meet Miriam and another Future Stitcher! He was absolutely darling. Oh, I should mention that last year was the first year Miriam ever stole anything at one of the gift parties/exchanges, and this year she stole TWICE and got rave applause both times. Well deserved -- we're all so proud!


Amy and Theresa wear a lampshade without the influence of alcohol.... just under the influence of plain ole exhaustion.

There are more Pals pics in the webshots album (and even more in my files), but I think you deserve some stitching pics, don't you????
Here are all the goodies set out on the ornie exchange table waiting for our raffle tickets to be called.....






And here are the ones I was lucky enough to win--

By Amy:

By The Consortium (the Joy ornie was stitched by Sharon, beaded by me, and finished by Chris) and Sharon:

By Renee:

By Karen:

By Laurie:

By Chris (who started this ornie because I was taking so long to shop at her LNS, Lazy Daisy in Raleigh)

By Rita [Hey, Kathryn, does it make you think of Brunner and The Sheep Look Up too? lol):

By Dawn:


Ok, my fanny's tired from sitting so long and I really, really need caffine. More Adventures from Pals tomorrow -- I think tomorrow I'll introduce you to the joys of Grab Bag and Gift Box night..... and maybe start the Ruth Went Shopping report.

ttfn