I had such an awesome time on my trip to Memphis. Elvis Week started Saturday. August 11 and continues all week to honor the 30th anniversary of his passing. People were there from all over the US and the world for events planned throughout the city each day.
I taught 2 classes on Saturday, but started the day with a tour of Graceland. It is currently extremely hot throughout the south and more so in Memphis. The temperatures were in excess of 100 F with no clouds to block the sun. We waited in line for the tour, but the line wasn’t as long as I expected. They are very organized with the tours, picking everyone up in buses across the street then driving up the driveway to the entrance to Graceland. 
We did get to wait a few minutes in the air conditioned bus before we had to get off and wait in line (in the sun). Most of the wait time was waiting to get on the bus initially but fortunately, it was in the shade.
This is Donna (left) and Jodi (right) from Cranston with me waiting out front.
This was my first tour of Graceland and it was very impressive, to say the least. Just being in the Mansion after years of hearing about it and seeing where Elvis lived was remarkable. Throughout the Mansion were TV sets showing Elvis in various concerts as well as home movies taken at Graceland. Its also a reminder of how fast time flies.
The mansion sits on 14 acres. This shot is the grounds behind Graceland. If you look close, there are 2 horses grazing.
The last stop on the Graceland Mansion tour was the Serenity Gardens. This is the walkway to the Gardens.
This photo shows just a small sampling of floral arrangements that were sent from all over the world. 
Â
Later that afternoon, we toured Elvis’ jet, the Lisa Marie, as well as “Elvis After Dark” and the auto museum featuring his cars and motorcycles. My favorite car was the Pink Cadillac, which I was thrilled to see.
After the Mansion tour, it was time for the first class to begin. The Elvis fabrics are really gorgeous and unique. New fabrics have also been added this week, although I don’t know when these will be available online for viewing. You can see the Elvis fabrics as well as buy some online at Shop Elvis.
The class was a “Make and Take” class creating an Elvis fabric frame. 
The finished frame is hanging on the right. The panel with 3 pockets is from the “Jailhouse” blocks.
These other models were shown to illustrate the a few of the many items that can be created with Elvis fabrics, 
such as a sundress, vest and pillowcase. 
Althought I am back home, I can still hear the Elvis songs that were played everywhere throughout the day. And with all the songs he recorded, there’s no way to pick just one favorite…they all are.
