Absent- and Busy!

Almost a month since I blogged- and for once, it's not because I've had nothing going on.  Au contraire, I feel like I've been running the past several weekends.

Memorial weekend we went to Moab for the Art Festival.  I was so enjoying it all, I did not take a single picture.  I managed to get more earrings from a vendor I love, got a naturally dyed silk scarf from another vendor, and spent some time speaking with a natural soap and lotions vendor.  The only downside was the not very cooperative weather- not as bad as the car show weekend, but still cooler than I wanted, interspersed with rain.  I do love Moab!

Last weekend we went exploring up Payson Canyon.  I'd hoped for some hiking, but that turned out to be more of a short walk than anything.  We drove up to Maple Lake, thinking it would be a mile and a half hike to the lake.  Turned out to be a short walk to the lake, then maybe a mile around it.  It was beautiful, however.

The greens and blues just seemed incredibly intense that day! While starting to walk around the little lake, I thought I saw a heron, then decided I was mistaken.  Then Shiloh scared something, and I realized I had seen a heron!  I got this shot of it up at the top of a tree, safe from my crazy dog.
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Since the hike was so short, Sean fished for awhile- then we decided to drive the entire Nebo Loop.  So we kept going up the canyon, stopping at places that looked interesting.

Turned out, the loop wasn't open yet- we got over the top a little ways, then hit a gate.  I can't believe there would still be snow there- but maybe they haven't finished all the maintenance.  On the way back down the way we came up, we stopped at the viewpoint for Utah Lake.  It really was a spectacular view of Utah valley.

This weekend, I've done some quilting, and I've done some soapy stuff.  Michelle's pink quilt is coming along- if I can just do a couple of hours every weekend, it shouldn't take that long to finish.

The thread I'm using isn't really orange, it's a dusty pink that blends well with everything.  I'm planning to throw this quilt in the washer and dryer when I am done, hoping to get that crinkled effect.  Once that's done, I figure my somewhat wonky quilting won't show much at all.

I also spent several hours wrapping soap.  This idea will work for the show I'm vending at in July, but it is not a long term solution.  I still need to figure out some inexpensive embellishment for this side of the soap.  My ingredients label is on the bottom, and my other label will go on the other side.

And, I finished the last of my felted soaps.  I hope these sell well!

So that is what I have been up to.  Work is crazy making right now- this is the stuff that feeds my soul and keeps me sane.