Rachel's Challenge

Tonight we randomly saw a program on TV about Rachel's Challenge and I think it's very moving and so positive. We need to all think about it.  She was the first Columbine high school victim. The program was about 1 hour and her father and others were interviewed. Seems Rachel died at 17. There were lots of things her father didn't know until he was searching in her 6 journals she kept as any parent would when their child has died.

Check out her site here as her legacy lives on and this week take the challenge. The Chain Reaction that Rachel always talked about. In her diaries she stated that she felt she would die before the age of 20 but that she would touch millions of people. On the day of the shooting, in her bookbag was this paper.

13 tears from her on a rose. There were 13 killed that day.

Since 1999, her life has changed many. Her legacy lives on and on and she knew what her destiny was.

http://www.rachelschallenge.org/

Her father has taken up on this and he said he would not hate the killers. This would please them. He wants to make something positive from it and the Rachel's Challenge is spreading across all schools now and very effective. This program was the best thing for the weekend. Of course, we all knew about the 1999 Columbine shootings, but we weren't aware of the premonitions in her 6 diaries, her desire to help others because she knew her time was limited on this Earth.

Won't you take the challenge?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1278667/a_celebrity_story_that_will_bring_you.html

click here to read about it if you make the time. I promise it's worth it and the world will be a better place.

Her dad is so strong. She was a witness more than any of us could be in just 17 short years.

I hope your week goes well and you share just a little kindness this week. You never know how it will effect others.

Peace.

New Winner of the Giveaway

Let's try this again!  :)

Yes, this morning over my cup of tea I combed through both boxes of emails many times and no Phyllis. I hope she is ok. That kinda worries me but I try not to be a worry wart.


But without further rambling, I did set a day to answer and if not would draw another name, and the winner this time is:

Jessica @Before the Dawn in Colorado!

Jessica, please email me at feathersinthenest@yahoo.com and let me know on this posting you got the message too! I will email you as well for your snail mail address to send your package!

Bringing the sun in on a rainy day

Started out a rainy, drizzly gray morning outside........

but inside we slept late

picked daffodils in the rain

made blueberry pancakes

started a fire in the fire place

This is what I call Home.

I thought putting the raindrop, Daffodils this morning was perfect in my scissor frog in front of  a small sampler I made previously, from The Sampler Girl! Yep, it's a rainy day, Daffodil duck day.

Be a cheerful spot on a gray day.

We must have the rain to appreciate the sunshine.

 

  I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze,

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

 

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils

 

~~~William Wordsworth

 

The Spring fever giveaway, going once....going twice......

If anyone knows Phyllis from Fla personally please let her know she won a great giveaway. I hope she is ok. I try to give enough time in case of no internet access, out of town, etc but after 5 or 6 days, I will have to do the random thingamajig again.

 I've gone through my emails again tonight and on the blog with  no response from her so if I don't get a response by Sunday morning, I will be picking another winner as I will not know where to snail mail her prizes!

Today was a full day of work and then welcomed home with a roaring, warm fire in the fireplace, pizza in the oven, and a yoga mat waiting for a session! I'm so exciting to find something so relaxing and mind-soothing as yoga and it's stretching muscles and toning up as well too. My beautiful pool-blue mat came in the mail last week and with a jumbo yoga ball and lessons from online, books, etc. I'm trying to devote at least 30 minutes a day and 45 minutes on days off during the week. I used to think yoga was a bit hokey but it's GREAT and definitely not hokey! And it's always something new to learn about it. I didn't realize the complexity of the poses and reasoning until I started practicing.

Interestingly enough, I was reading tonight online about Walter Reed Hospital doing a study ongoing now with Yoga and PTSD with soldiers and they are finding very positive results. The article was interesting. The results were so impressive that they compare with medications, so this is a great learning experience for me and also I can share this with others in my career as well.

There is a 100% chance of rain here tomorrow and it has turned cold again so I plan to work on some sewing projects and organize my stash a bit before starting a new sampler. I really don't know what will pull at my heart next though but for sure an inside, cozy by the fire weekend. ;)

I'm working on designing a Dutch sampler, inspired by no other than the Dalenberg family!
More on that later. I actually started this design several months ago and tweaking it a bit. So if you like Dutch samplers, stay-tuned. I'm using overdyed threads on this one.

Peace.

Finished and Framed--2 Prim samplers designer The Scarlett Letter

designer--The Scarlett Letter

The Frances Bliss 1778

  Lydia Hinckley 1774

DMC floss

25 count unbleached linen from TSL

herringbone, eyelet, and cross stitches

primitive samplers framed by Me and Thee

and hanging closely together on my new sampler wall (I have 4 in the house)

The frame on the bottom I already had at home with another embroidery actually, in it. So, I dismantled today and it fit the Lydia one perfectly~

The top frame I dismantled after finding last weekend in an antique store, very inexpensive, on sale and measured good too. Both are prim black frames.

The Scarlett Letter designer shows these framed in maple which is beautiful but decided, the prim black worked better.

There are many shadows from a lamp in this picture, I do apologize. The top frame we found to actually not be totally square and was slightly warped, but we thought it added character!!

We did save the glass that was already in the frames. I know there are debates on whether to frame with or without glass but most of the time, I leave the glass in. When taking pics, though, there are shadows alot.

Frogs and Wind, sure signs of Spring approaching!

Hey friends. Do you know I look forward to chatting with you every day?  Blogging is such a gift in life and to share all over the world, is awesome. 

 Anyhoo, I just wanted to show you this flower frog I found/ scissor frog last weekend. It was a really good deal too! I was so drawn to it that I think it was magnetic as I went straight to it and grabbed it up!

I've not seen a green glass one yet. In the South, it seems to be hard to find scissor frogs, especially with matching top. I heart this silver and green,......

It's going to double this week as a real flower frog as I'm going  'a daffodil pickin' in the forest today.

I think Daffodils will look lovely in here! : o

I've got many things to do around the house. I love making our house a home. Just love it. I think that there is always something to do on a house. Somewhere in the day I have to fit in changing sheets and laundry that has piled to no yonder as well.

The wind is blowing pretty hard today and I can see the sunshine beaming over the mountain. There is a dogwood tree directly behind my kitchen window and love watching it every Spring to see when it starts to bud.

The temp has dropped yesterday and today so a fireplace night for sure. That means more stitching and coziness which I will need after a busy day.

Goals today are:

making sure I'm allergy ready before opening the door as my eyes are itching already

getting rid of the dust rolls on the hardwoods floors

finding time for at least 1 yoga session today

picking daffodils in the yard for my flower frog

continue to clean and organize my studio (an ongoing project)

take inventory of the threads I will need (overdyed)

Finishing the Lydia Hinckley 1774 sampler

framing the two samplers

laundry

That's just a few.

Windy,windy through the bare trees today

Raven and Ruby  Thelma and Louise to the left

The wind seems to be drawing them from one to the other. They refused to look at me for a picture.

Labs are always on the look out for adventure.

yep, the wind blew hard again.

and again.

Well, maybe later they will look at me instead of the wildlife sounds in the woods and I can get a good pic.

But for now........

have a blessed day, filled with sunshine and peace.

Midnight Steeches!

Lydia Hinckley 1774

design by The Scarlett Letter

progress

starting on the last line in the morning because my goal is to have these two framed by tomorrow night and hanging in the bedroom on a sampler wall. A future new sampler wall.

Definitely covers the color scheme! ;)

Hope your Wednesday went well. I guess we are  into Thursday now........need to go to bed......

I have to go back to the store and see if they have one more matching frame so they will look perfect together!  Oh well, tomorrow is a good day for roaming in thrift and antique stores locally.

till  tomorrow,

Jennifer

Twisted Tuesday---progress, stash boxes, positive reminders for balance

Whatsup?

Well, I was so deeply saddened by the tragedy of Lisa, designer of The Primitive Needle when I read the news this morning. Sending positive thoughts and prayers to her family today. There are no words for such a loss. 

 Ironically, yesterday, I found these stash boxes (or I made them linen stash boxes) at Michael's as I was already in the city and needed 1 color of DMC floss, number 520 to be exact! I drove after work through the tornado watch, just a mile or two away from where I was already, but once I got in the store, the metal ceiling of the building roared with rain and wind and so I lingered. 

I was instantly drawn to the sale section and many Spring items. I had intended to only get one floss thread but because I had about an hour before I could drive through the storm, I wandered around the store and the last 2 of these boxes on the sale rack became mine.

I don't know if it was the pink, the Robin's egg blue, the messages on the boxes or the birds or even the flowers that I liked so much but they inspired me. I knew they belonged in my studio.

These boxes are big too!

They have a magnetic tab in the box itself and click over the side.

Don't you love it??? 

How do you like that camera? ;)

Miss Abbie checked them out too when I got them out of the big bag. I think my favorite is the bottom one and I saw it first in the store. Do what makes your heart smile. 

An encouraging set and very functional too.

And tonight, I got busy framing this Bent Creek finish.

Land of Liberty

pattern kit gifted to me by Ma Teakettle

The fabric is from Boston trip last year for trim and the wood frame has been in my stash for quite awhile.

The lighting in our house at night is very dim.

Please ignore the TV glare. Charlie Sheen was on for the 100th time in news today. The man needs help. Ok, I said it. No more on that. Back to positive.......

Now to find a place to hang. I know exactly. It's going on my wall in the stairwell.

This past weekend, I went on a search for a frame to fit the Frances Bliss sampler. I found a perfect one, the exact size and in primitive black. I was literally, conflicted though because it was a Kathy's Primitives stitching design in it and it was pretty framed already. I caved as it was 40% off at this particular area in a local store.

I took the frame apart and took off her stitching and made a needlebook out of it.

It's not perfect, but it's functional and I kinda like it!

I put a vintage red button that I had in my stash on both sides to hold it. I've never made a needlebook but it turned out pretty. Felt better about saving the stitching of the Kathy's Primitives to become functional.

And the verse is so sweet.

I used some pretty bright fabbie from my stash to line it with felt pages.

and you will see how perfect the frame is for Miss Frances later this week when I frame her.

Worked on Lydia Hinkley sampler, another small by The Scarlett Letter as a companion sampler.

Positive reminders and thoughts are very encouraging during life's challenging moments and from creating a space for stitching, I hope to always remember, even though times can get dark:

~~Always look on/for the bright side.

~~Do what makes your heart smile.

~~Always be thankful for the simple pleasures.

~~And finally, live for today as we will never know if it's our last.

Sheryl Crow - Always on your side (Live) TO BRANDON AND MEGHAN

The Winner of the Spring FEVER Giveaway and a FREEBIE

yep, got up early this morning to tally out this with the random number generator and with over 450 comments to go through. I LOVE to meet new people all over the world and the winner is

~~~~~~PHYLLIS from Florida!!!!!

I have sent her an email for her mail address so these items can grace her mailbox soon~

THANK YOU to ALL for participating and I wish I could give all 450+ scissors but.......there will be other give aways to try for in the future because I simply love, love, love to share joy with you.

For a thank you for participating and commenting, I will share another Irish design that I made a couple of weeks ago.

The Luck of the Irish 1823

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2011

Recommend stitching on any linen of your choice!

Your fave green and gold threads as well!

Just click on the above image and this should enlarge it for you to see.

Remember if you would like to share you finishes, email me at

feathersinthenest@yahoo.com

I always love to hear from you and hope you will have some fun stitching hours with this one.

It will be offered on the blog as a freebie for a couple of weeks so print now if you want a copy.

This pattern is not for sale. Please credit Feathers in the Nest, thank you.

I have so much to show you but I must get to some chores and then I'll be back later today with some more pics of cool things!  Stay-tuned!

With smiling Irish eyes I remain,

Jennifer