A little over a month ago I contacted my bloggy friend Keight (of Putapuredukes) about a real-life meet-up in the form of a weekend of sewing fun at my house. Until this point, we had only been readers of each others’ blogs and had exchanged emails for several months about sewing projects and such. We clicked so well by correspondence that we decided to throw our friendship into the deep end to see if it could really swim for what was later named HSD (hardcore sewing delight) Weekend.
I had been planning for Keight’s arrival for weeks. Making sure my sewing room was well-stocked with fabric and notions and anything we might need. I had delicious meals planned, I converted Ryan’s office into a guest room complete with an elevated air mattress, fresh hydrangeas and a bedside carafe.
And then, it happened. Two nights before Keight was due to arrive I started getting hot and cold and achey. And I don’t think it was because I was nervous (though I was!). I totally had a fever. The next day I ran around town finishing up errands and stocking up on every type of cold/cough/fever medicine I could find. I emailed her to tell her that I was getting sick and thought I would be better soon, but to come at her own risk.
And thus marked the beginnings of all the “hardcore” that would be HSD Weekend.
She arrived early Friday afternoon and it was crazy to actually see her in person! She promptly informed me that I was a lot shorter in person than she imagined and I knew we were going to get along great.
I showed her around (which was really weird to do because she’d already my house in photos on my blog) and then we settled in to my sewing room to make a game plan. We’d been listing for weeks all the projects we wanted to tackle while she was here and so we figured out where to begin and got to it.
Then the fever came back. My skin started to ache and I got SO tired. I was not about to let this dumb fever get the better of my long-awaited weekend of sewing fun. More ibuprofen, a bowl of corn chowder and back to it. I wanted to make a good impression, I did NOT want Keight to feel bad about me being sick and I did NOT want her to go home.
We had a good first night, but only produced one pair of ruffle bloomers each. I’m pretty sure I bailed by 10:30 and told her she was welcome to stay up and sew as long as she liked.
The next day my voice was completely gone and I was speaking only in whispers (which gave a mysterious air to everything I said!), but I was feeling better and we transformed the most amazing pair of WalMart sweatpants into two sweatshirts for our little boys using a favorite Heidi & Finn pattern.
We took a break to enjoy a killer Caesar Sandwich made by Ryan (recipe coming later this week!) and made a run to WalMart and to Chick-fil-a for some lemonade for my throat.
We also knocked out some pinafores for our gals and while Keight was on a tear, blasting through project after project, I was feeling a severe need to put on the brakes. I hated to do it, but I excused myself for “just a minute” and ended up falling asleep on my bed for over an hour!
I woke up feeling slightly guilty but MUCH better and returned to our projects with more vigor than I’d had all weekend. (Keight said later that she had wondered up until that point if she had overestimated our compatibility personality-wise, but as soon as I started feeling like myself for the first time all weekend she knew she had been right on.)
We laughed and worked and hung out Saturday night until well, WELL past midnight. She now lovingly refers to my Saturday rest as my “crack nap” because I was suddenly feeling so much better I was doing everything at lightning speed – catching up to her on the things she had been doing while I was asleep.
Apart from the fact that my voice was ENTIRELY gone, I was definitely on the mend. Except that the next morning I woke up and my eyes were killing me. They were puffy and watering and Ryan and Keight kept telling me it was allergies but I knew something bad was happening. Something really, really bad. We stayed home from church since the kids and I were still not yet 24 hours fever-free, and by lunch time my eyes were so ouchy that I knew I must have gotten viral conjunctivitis from my upper-respiratory yuck. Pink Eye. Awesome. Keight’s really going to like me now!
Keight made a few felt headbands for Layla (her 4-month-old daughter), but we mostly laid low on Sunday, playing with the kids and enjoying our last few hours of Keight’s visit. She had brought gifts for Oliver and Hazel including a Where’s Waldo Ulitmate Travel Book and a pack of temporary tattoo mustaches, and an orange elephant bank to add to their eclectic collection. I think the mustaches were intended to be applied to your index finger for on-and-off disguising, but we were feeling brave so we decided to apply them straight on the upper lips of our unsuspecting offspring.
The Where’s Waldo book was the hit of the day.
I’m pretty sure Keight was homeschooling my children in Where’s Waldo. She feels strongly about finding that elusive little man.
Even Layla got in on the finding action. (FTR: Layla was definitely being closely monitored in her Bumbo seat on the table – no worries!) :)
Isn’t she a cutie? I couldn’t resist snapping a few photos of her with her Mama in their makeshift guest room.
It was almost time for Keight and Layla to head back home when we realized we still hadn’t managed a photo of the two of us together. But seriously y’all, I was in NO shape to be photographed. So, at the risk of looking like a total diva, and with the gracious permission of Keight, I agreed to a photo if I could wear enormous sunglasses to hide the hideousness that was my poor ocular area.
So, here it is. Our one photographic proof that we really did hang out together for the weekend:
As Ryan, Keight and I were chatting and laughing and testifying to God’s goodness in our lives after dinner Saturday evening Ryan said, “You know girls, meeting each other definitely didn’t happen by chance.” He’s right. God brings us friends in unexpected places all the time. Most commonly they’re local (and should be!), but sometimes he gives us a relationship worth having in an unexpected way. God gave me a sister in Christ that makes me laugh and challenges me to put the Gospel into action (and to use coordinating thread, even when it means a few extra steps).
Thanking the Lord for a new friend (and some prescription eye drops!) today.
Thanks for visiting, Keight! Come back again when I’m fever-free and we’ll really make that serger tired!
>how fun!
it makes me miss hanging out with you, though. ;)
Hope your eyes are back to 100% soon!
>what a cute story! my sister in law and i have been talking about hosting one of those sewing weekends for a couple of months now. they just look like the most fun ever!! except when you're sick ;-)
>gosh, i hate when that happens…you get sick right before sometime HUGE happens! glad you got to hang out with a bloggy buddy, though!!
>Ha, this made me laugh! I mean, I'm sorry you were so sick, but it's definitely the kind of story you guys will scream over years from now. And I want a mustache tattoo.
Also: So NOW do you understand how completely freaked out I was when I woke up with pink eye fall of sophomore year? I'm sorry I woke you guys up, but seriously, that's some bad stuff. The good part of my pink eye story is that my future husband lent me the first of many books when I was wearing glasses (because of said infection), and he later told me that I looked like a "sexy owl." Hoot.
>Awww…I am a good friend of Keight's and loving your blog. I'm so thankful you were able to meet Keight and see what a blessing of a person and friend she is! I'm also thankful for your blog! Brings me lots of joy!
>if i read this over and over again, it's like HSDv1 never ended. sorry i tried to tell lies about your eyes being allergies. i was trying to will you away from any more actual sickness. you were a mega trooper and i am so glad i came and got some glimpses of you at an 11. #delight
>P.S. omg i KNEW those hydrangea were real, but every time i thought, "hey i need to touch those and find out," i was nursing layla and terrified i would pop the bed if i attempted an athletic manuver. and the carafe just rocked my world, but i never got over there to see if there was a glass so i thought it my just be something design-y and lookie-no-touchie. see? at least 15% of your greatness is lost on my hillbilly self. had the sandwiches again last night.
>i'm glad you had a great weekend in spite of all the under-the-weather-ness! you are a trooper…i'm pretty sure you accomplish twice as much sick as i do feeling perfectly splendid!