Happy Easter Eve!

A Delft design repaired today

Serendipity Designs

stitched on Zweigart 28 ct Antique White Brittney linen

DMC threads

stitched in 2006

Frame from The Dutch shop in Helen, Georgia

I love Delft of any kind. I had a frame just like this one in storage to finish another design similar to it. Thank goodness, because when I was cleaning some windows yesterday it fell out of the windowsill onto the hardwood floor and broke.

In sorting through stash and organizing....still.......I found my other one and put it in there this morning.

Actually, the other matching design is "Delft Tulips" and it's pretty as well but I have not stitched it yet.....yet I say! ;)

Back to Saturday chores.

Hoping your day is one filled with sunshine and flowers!

Jennifer

This Too Shall Pass Frame selected

Well, it's still waiting on me to finish. I have gotten alot done this week in Spring cleaning and organizing stash and so on but no further stitching. I hope to get back to finishing this up this weekend.

In the interim, I found a frame on Ebay that I thought would look good with it. I hesitated to pick the blue but if it clashes with the blue in the design, I will look for another one.
It takes a 6 inch square frame which is hard to find in the regular thrift stores and I really didn't get to but one this week and couldn't find one.

I went with the Ebay shop I've used before so I know that they have excellent quality and shipping. You can't beat the price for the frame, glass (if you want it) and hanger.

The shop is here

The Frame Guys

I have successfully pulled a muscle in my back today and off to bed now with a heating pad.
The Energizer Bunny is winding down!




Good news: the Needlework 4 system company sent another part and it didn't work either so BodyGuard had to talk on the phone with the kind gentlemen to find a way to fix it. Then we will send back the other part. The owner was very nice and communicated well. He said there are some that have those glitch parts in them and how I got 2 of them, I'll never know!
So, that's sitting by my now cleaned up stitching chair waiting for my next sampler!

Any mailing for items will be done tomorrow morning and then I'm caught up with that.



Just a reminder that the Brandon Homecoming Giveaway is soon to end, April 5th so spread the word if you are interested in this design, Crescent Color threads and linen!
It's just waiting for someone's needle to start stitching.

Nite,
Jennifer

Miss Abbie says.......

Hey, it's me Abbie again!

Well it all started when Mama brought me out on the front porch swing after supper. This is new for me! I'm an inside doggie! Well, she was resting from running all day and wanted to watch something called "the sun" set tonight. The days are longer and warmer now so I get to go with her. Don't worry there's no crimes here tonight.......that's just my dad's vehicle. Better drive 55!

But before this is where it really started.

She has this thing about my hair and it growing in alot of directions? Boy, I liked being outside while the cool breeze was blowing through my hair. Raven and Ruby and Tom all came up one by one and we touched noses together.



The breeze felt goooooood. Mama said I might need grooming? What's grooming?

She also mentions the words like "a shag", or a Farrah-do to my dad.
They think my hair around my ears is funny.

I don't know why she keeps doing that!

But she still loves me lots!

then Thomas came creeping by trying to chase something, I can't tell right now....he's probably looking for something to bring and put on the door mat. My mom don't know that Tom loves her when he does that. She just screams loudly!

He wasn't paying me a bit of attention but I got out of her lap and looked myself. WEEEE lookie here! I'm outside too! I'm part of the pack!

Then she and my dad starting laughing at my butt.

I've got a regular drapery thing going on down yonder! Did they put Rogaine in my medicine at the hospital?

Well, I don't know but I know I like inside better but outside does have alot of new smells and sounds that keep my attention.

Oh, well, that's how it all started after our supper tonight watching the sunset on the front porch swing.

All is quiet in the country.

Love,

Abbie

The Ugly Duckling

Remember the story of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson, 1844?

Well this morning when I signed in to Google it had a Hans Christian Anderson birthday salute and it's funny how you forget these tales when you grow up. I did a little research and found all his tales in one spot!
I didn't realize there is a page that you can read almost all his tales yourself or to your kids for free online.

For The Ugly Duckling one click here

Here is an excerpt:


He felt the warm sun shining, and heard the lark singing, and saw that all around was beautiful spring. Then the young bird felt that his wings were strong, as he flapped them against his sides, and rose high into the air. They bore him onwards, until he found himself in a large garden, before he well knew how it had happened. The apple-trees were in full blossom, and the fragrant elders bent their long green branches down to the stream which wound round a smooth lawn. Everything looked beautiful, in the freshness of early spring.

Of course next to stitching, reading is a close next as far as enjoyments and hobbies.
I remember reading books to my kids when they were, oh so little, and they enjoyed the same books over and over especially the Dr. Seus ones.

So, I thought of all you who have kids of all ages and how you could read to them or share it with someone else , or even take a look-see yourself and enjoy Good Friday.

http://hca.gilead.org.il/

This is the link for ALL his tales!

What was your favorite?

Spring has Sprung

I've banged my head tonight trying to figure out the reason my pics, any pics of any camera or any year when put in the header are turning out humongous(is that a word?)  I check to minimize but it says to 760 pixels. Is that what normal is?  I've gone to the help center and I can't get an  answer. I thought if anyone else had this problem before, what to do? I've never in 3 years had this happen.


Abbie got her stitches out. She can have her lavender bath now and she is back to herself. I'm glad I vacuumed all the dust bunnies cause she is scouring the floors like this is new territory and entertainment for her tonight!

Someone came to fix something at the house today and she has this feminine rough little growl and what a bark she had!  Instead of hair standing up on her back, the long hair behind her ears stands out further...I laughed. She has become a yappy little doggie and stands her guard.

One outing today included the post office! Sunny and 86 degrees registered on the thermometer of the car.
But it's still dry and not humid! 

We had dinner on the back porch tonight. I cooked....WOOHOO!
Fixed boneless hot buffalo wings with honey mustard sauce on the side, green beans,  black-eyed peas, and sour dough bread slices with a glass of Barefoot brand Merlot and water.

Perfect evening if I can get this blogger pic thing to work........hep  me hep me!

Thought I'd share a mail goodie from The Scarlett Letter. Two miniture samplers called the Shepherd and the Shepherdess

I picked DMC floss because I've found with this company I usually run out of whatever is in the kit and it's easier to match DMC than silk.

I love the dark blue velvet which will back the samplers.

Whatcha think?

And to share a couple of other fabbies I had in my stash. I love this fat quarter.

And a quarter yard of this I felt perfect for right now.

 Yellow and pink seem to be the theme this week.

The little pink flower pots are so cute to me.

In fact, I got my purse out from last year and it's yellow and pink too! (nope, I didn't make it)

And I got some Peeps. There's no Easter without Pink Peeps but the Peep detective has found one missing at time of picture-taking.  heeheehehehehee

Got my Easter napkins out for this weekend.

And now that Miss Abbie has her stitches out and back to roaming the house, she can play with her wind-up in motion tweet from Dollar Store. Wind it up and watch her chase it. Fun!

Oops, after winding it up sometimes it goes for the bear toy and she is the blur on the left to get to it.

And ready to play again. Play!  Surgery recovered........well!

Yep, Spring has .......hmmmmm.........sprung.

Just to say good morning to you!

Slept late......again.....but it's great!

It's sunny again and beautiful. I'm enjoying my cup of Joe on the porch on these kinds of days. I watch the Labs come back all wet from a swim in the pond below and they then sun out in the yard.

I love the mountains and right now until the leaves are on the trees especially, we can see most of them.

The mountains are part of my soul. On days when you have to travel to the city, I have to remind myself of this...;)    but on days at home there's no place like it.

It' been so nice not to have to rush to read the news every morning when I wake up or sleep with my laptop and look at the latest casualties on a website. It's like a load has been completely released from my back.

It's a good feeling.

Hope the day in your neck of the woods is a quiet and peaceful one too.

Mighty Mountain

by Dustin Hoffman


As you drive closer to the distant hills.


The larger they get.


It takes many miles to realize what they really are.


You gaze upon them with amazement.






They are tall and bold as they stand mighty in the distance.


You stop at the base and raising your head towards the sky.


The peak is so high up, you have to climb the steep hills.


You can't stop climbing the steep hills after you started.






You stop and look up, you see the peak at barely first.


You stop and look up again, its getting closer.


You want to see the top so bad that you keep going.


The higher you climb, the more tired you get.

You look up again and you see nothing but blue sky and multi-colored hills in the distance.



It takes you a minute to realize that you're at the top.



You keep looking un the distance and only see the beauty of the land.


You're thousands of feet above the sea.

You made it to the top of the Mighty Mountain.

Vintage buttons and Prim large felt candle jackets added to the Nest Feathers Shop

This is a sample of 4 batches available

Also the candle warmers in felt for large candles!

Click on the icon for the Nest Feathers shop on the right column of this blog to take a peek.

I'm up at 2am because after a great night of feasting at the Mexican restaurant late and a good margarita, I took a snooze for about 4 hours. This threw off my sleep definitely!  Up at 12 midnight and about to wind down again.

For everyone who has ordered from the shop and also Kat, who won the Heart of America used chart, and all the Easter goodies I will send to my sweets, I will be making a run to the post office tomorrow as well.

I thank you so much and hope by the weekend of Spring cleaning the house I can rest with my needle and thread again. I'm ready for some Spring flower stitching and sampler makeing. I think This Too Shall Pass has passed. I'm "over it" as they say. I'm glad it's past!!!

I've been spoiled this past 2 weeks and haven't cooked a thing. But Body guard insists I need rest and that a Staycation doesn't involve cooking and washing dishes.....I love that about him!

I got alot accomplished today and plan tomorrow to work more as I am now in the thread sorting mode......you know that feeling when you haven't put your threads back into places after projects for some time.

That is one thing I do is file my threads and overdyes go onto thread rings in alphabetical order.

I know it's a Virgo thing. ;)

Plus, I can't have Abbie and Ren running through the house with DMC and overdyes hanging on them!

Then Miss Abbie will be going to the vet for stitches out tomorrow. Then she will be free to roam the house and run and play a little harder. She's a bit with cabin fever right now, but oh, so spoiled.........

On a sad note, I received an email from Sandy in New Jersey yesterday that her husband died Sunday night and I feel so bad for her right now.She says they were married 37 years. I wanted to fly there and give her a great big hug but I can't.

Please pray for her through this troubling time.

Sandy J. is the sweet, sweet lady that sent me so many goodies, patterns, homemade neck warmer she knitted, and books, CDs. Oh she has a heart a mile large and it's hard to see it breaking right now.

Sandy we are keeping you in our prayers for sure.

Brandon should be released from debriefing by Friday and I'm so proud and happy for him. I hope he finds happiness in his future.

He also is on my prayer list.

Till later,

Jennifer

Spring cleaning and organizing my stash today

Still doing Spring Cleaning! The 10 hours of sleep was a refreshing addition last night.  Oh, if I had 4 weeks I might get it all done.  What in the world was I doing all year?  :o

I've had a problem with Blogger this morning and can't get a header picture to remain small enough. Everything is magnified about 10,000 times larger than the pic. I stayed up late last night trying to get something in there. Even old pics from 3 years ago get HUGE! I'm going to be working on that this evening when I get some cleaning out done. So today you may see various pics of odd enlarged things till I figure out what to do.

Just a few pics around the house this afternoon.

Put some tulips in my basket.

 

I can see my writing desk now!

This morning first thing I planted some plants to put around the house.

Oh, but I still have many threads and projects to organize in the stitching studio upstairs. But it feels soooooo good to get organized!

Meghan painted this watercolor at one of her art lessons years ago and it hangs in the Springtime in the foyer.

I changed out my kitchen curtains to a sheer lace. I love the summer sun through these! I can see the stages of our Dogwood tree right outside the window as it blooms.

Many fabbies to still go downstairs to the sewing area. I'm addicted to fabrics. I confess. Is there a 12 step program for this somewhere?  LOL

Follow me upstairs where you'll see what I'm really working on. I'm loving how this part of the room is a good storage and organizing place for my threads and linens, frames, and needles.

I'm putting frames I've collected in the bottom drawer.

Next drawer divided for qsnap frames/parts and to the right my stitching bags

This drawer the future of linen organization. That will be another 2 hours alone.

Must I share with you this milk glass dish I found just this week/ converted to scissor fob dish. I haven't put all my little scissors in it yet but I thought it was perfect here.

The doily I got at a thrift store for 1.99! It's cotton tatted with  pink and white. LOVE IT!

The sheaths fits nicely inside it.

When I get really tired from climbing 3 stories of stairs and cleaning I will fall over on this bed with bunny for a nap!

Rearranging my sampler wall. Here are some old thimbles in my collection.

More planting this morning.

A little dish for my needles or threaders.

Here are 2 designs by the Sampler girl, Northanger Abbey on the top and another Jane Austen design on the bottom.

My upstairs stitching chair.

So, as you can see I'm busy today!  Not much stitching this week but I know the organizing will be very helpful for finding things quicker. 

Best go now and get back to Spring Stitchy cleaning!

Be Hoppy,

Jennifer