Sunday Scripture...

Ecclesiastes 11:5

 

Piles of Paperwork...

Image courtesy of MentalFloss.com

I thought computers were supposed to minimize paperwork? Doesn't seem to work that way around here. See a great pattern? Print it! A little needlework inspiration? Print it! A remodeling idea? Print it! 

I've got stacks of paper all over my studio rooms, and it's time to declutter it. That's part of what I'll be doing today. I'm taking these projects in two-hour bites. I set a timer, and when it alarms, I stop and go to something else. Remember "eating the elephant"? Small bites. It can be done.

Once I put in my two hours, I can reward myself with something fun. I think I'll decide what my next project is going to be and pull all the supplies together. No guilt here. I've earned it! 

Mockingbird Ornament...

My mockingbird ornament is complete! Rather than add a tassel or nest under this bird, I added three silver beads to weight the bottom of the ornament. 

Now, my new mockingbird hangs next to the blue tit ornament from my first bird class with Clara Warschauer. I think her next bird may be a blue jay, but I'm thinking about a different one that I may tackle yet this summer. I'll draw up a few ideas while I mull it over.

If you're on Instagram, you can click HERE to go to my Brynwood Needleworks page and see the video I shot showing my hummingbird among the hollyhocks. A little bee even stopped to say hello. 

On to the next thing. Your guess is as good as mine right now. I'll be sitting down to peruse my choices.  We'll see together soon.

Goldwork Mockingbird - Nearly Completed...

Wednesday went even better than I planned. It started with packaging up almost twenty pounds of fabric to send to my dear friend in Arizona, along with tidying up the studio a bit. I "hoped to work on my goldwork mockingbird" to make a little progress afterward. Imagine my joy when I actually finished all the needlework!

 

I think I may have even captured a little of the sparkle on it in this shot! My plan today is to release it from the ground fabric, add feet, and then turn it into an ornament like the blue tit I did previously. It won't have a nest hanging below it, but I will have another completed class piece from Clara Stitching.

I'm hoping to show you the completed piece tomorrow, and then I'll hang it in my studio with all my other embroidered birds - the quilts and the goldwork ornament. It might be time to think about my next bird quilt, too. Hmmmmm. Bluebirds? Orioles?

Greetings From The "Big Girls"...

The Labradors just wanted to drop in and say "hello" today.

These are their most current photographs of our two pretty girls. I got them to stop running around the yard this past weekend just long enough to snap a few of each of them. These were my favorites. First up is the WMBBD, our beautiful Bella.

Then there's Miss Pretty Pants. Carly loves to run, and she speeds all around our property whenever she gets the chance, so her tongue is always out. lol She barely stops long enough to pose for me, but we managed to get this cute photo, too.

One day soon, I'll get photos of the "little girls" to share with you, too. Claudette and Crystal are well and truly indoor cats now, with short-lived forays into the yard. They much prefer the safety and comfort of the farmhouse...just like the rest of us.

Well, as I said, this is just a quick visit today. I've got lots to do inside, after a full day at work yesterday. I think I'll start with more decluttering, packing things into boxes to ship, donate, or dump. Then, I'm hoping to work on my goldwork mockingbird class project for a while this afternoon. We'll see how that plan works out.

See you tomorrow!

Gifts From A Friend...

I'm not sure my friend would like to be named, so I'll keep that to myself unless she says differently. A package arrived yesterday from England. She'd warned me to expect an overseas package, but didn't tell me any more than that, fearing I might guess what was coming.

Imagine my delight when I opened the package and found a box containing this gorgeous coronation cup commemorating Charles' ascending to the throne. Do you see why this it's perfect for me? I noticed immediately. ACORNS!...and I love the color green, too!

As if that wouldn't have been a wonderful gift in itself, there was more! She also sent a new kitchen apron and a matching tea towel. They're both baking themed, and I just giggled with glee. I actually wore the apron as I cooked dinner last night. 

The apron and tea towel were designed for Victoria Eggs™, and they're just the most appropriate gifts for this rising baker. (snort)

Thank you, dear J. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your friendship and generous heart. I love all my gifts and will treasure them always - along with the other surprises you've gifted me over the years. You're simply the best!

Mum's 87th...

Yesterday was my mum's Birthday. Some of our family was able to gather to celebrate with her and my stepdad at their home.

It was a great surprise to learn my eldest niece and goddaughter came to visit for the weekend with two of her three kids, so I spent a little time there Saturday after work. Then I went back yesterday and more of our family had come to celebrate, too.

l-r: Niece/Goddaughter, Jen; her daughter on her lap; my youngest brother's son, Cain; Stepdad; Mum; Niece's son; Cain's son; Cain's wife, Jesse; their daughter on my sister, Jan's lap; me

Me, Mum, Jan, Jen

One of Mum's two little dogs, Jesse, me, Mum, Jan, Jen

 Me, Mum, Jan.

Sorry that my sister, Di wasn't in the photograph. She was home in Minnesota with her family.

Auntie with Goddaughter.

This photo was taken Saturday after a full day of work. It rained all day, and my hair curled up as I was driving to Mum and Stepdad's house, but it's a wonderful photograph of my mother...and well, that's what I looked like. (Jury's still out on this "growing my hair out" thing. Short short is definitely lower maintenance. Opinions welcome.) Either way, I'm happy to have this image of the two of us. It's one for the memory book.

I'm writing this on Sunday night. I'm tired from a full two days, but glad for every moment of it. I'll be back tomorrow, and hoping that I might have a little needlework to share with you. Have a great week!

Sunday Scripture...

Luke 12:2-3

 

Saturday Silliness...

I'm working today, so I thought I'd drop in for a minute and leave a little silly image for you. This one comes from Oter News. I immediately had the song in my head, and I'm sure you probably will, too. You're welcome. lol It's kind of a hit and run as I'm on my way out the door. Enjoy!

Another Opening, Another Show...

It's showtime!!! The hollyhocks have begun to open since the latest rain. I wanted you to see the variety of colors, ranging from white to dark magenta and red. Not all the hollyhocks in the front of the group have opened yet, so I'm going to wait until they do to share a photograph of all of them together. They're a bouquet that just keeps on giving. 

If you're really quiet, you'll hear the soft buzzing of the hummingbirds and bees, as well as the raucous arrival of the Baltimore oriols as they shoo away the woodpeckers and other small birds who've decided they, too, love grape jelly. I refill that jar every. single. day. Handsome says it's a wonder they're not all diabetic!

These are the wondrous things right outside our kitchen windows. Now, when I stand at the new sink in the pantry, I can also watch a pair of wrens who have set up housekeeping in a birdhouse. There, I can see them as they land and sing as they greet each other. I have a hummingbird feeder on this side as well, so if it's too busy in the kitchen garden, they just buzz over to the quieter side of the house.

 

 

I hope you enjoy these beautiful hollyhocks as much as I do! Happy Weekend again (already), my friend.  

June Classmate Dinner...

Our monthly classmate dinner has become quite a hit, with more people joining each month. There were twelve of us yesterday, with another classmate who saw us jumping in for the photograph.

L-R back row: Al, Claire, Janet, Max, me, Bruce, Mary, and Dan  L-R front row: Karen S., Julie, Karen C., Deb B. and Brad.

Brad recently had a birthday and Bruce had been coveting my cinnamon rolls since seeing a post I put up on Facebook last month, so I baked a tray of 15 rolls for our gathering (plus a tray of 6 for home) in the morning. I frosted them about a half hour before heading to the restaurant. I was quite gratified when everyone tucked into theirs after dinner. They were a huge hit, and I even have orders (they're going to buy them from me!) for next month. Actually, there were four rolls left at the end of our meal, and Bruce snagged those to take home, handing me money before we parted. I may be onto a little side business here!

We love taking these photographs each month to capture these moments in time. Hard for me to believe that we range in age from 68 to nearly 70. We sure don't act or feel like it (most of the time). When we get together, it's like we go back in time for a little while and forget all our cares. It's really nice.

We set our date before parting ways and are looking forward to seeing each other next month. I wish all of you could join us. We're a really fun group of friends to hang around with.

A New Fairy Steed In The Family...

Last week, I got a call from my brother-in-law. He had a question to ask me. About a month ago, my sister, Di lost her German Shepherd who previously belonged to our Dad. For her, losing that dog was like losing Dad all over again. Like Tag, Titus failed fast, giving no advance opportunity to prepare. In a flash, he was gone. Di was understandably devastated. Thankfully, she and her husband had another dog in their family to help ease the pain a little.

The call I received was to ask whether or not I thought Di might welcome a six month old puppy into their family. Was she ready for another dog? Was she ready for another Corgi? She lost her first Corgi, which we rescued in Florida for her, in August of 2013 after a tragic accident. Tag wrote about her HERE.

I was told this new pup didn't look at all like Ceri. She's black and tan and white...and she has a tail! "A black-headed tri!", I told him. When he sent photos I told him she's a Pembroke with a tail and a beautiful face. Yes. I thought my sister would welcome this pup with open arms.

Currently, Di is staying at their campsite three hours from home, and her husband goes up for a week at a time, when he can take vacation time from work. His plan was to surprise her last weekend, and could I keep it a secret from her? I assured him I could.

I got a call from Di on Saturday after her husband arrived, calling me "Mrs. Secret Keeper", and I could hear her grin through the phone. I giggled and asked her what she thought. You can see her obvious joy in this photograph.

Here's where the real story begins. I found myself going around the house all morning as I waited for Di's call, thinking about what she might call this little girl. The first name that occurred to me was "Grace". I dismissed it because, well...Mom Grace, plus her best friend's granddaughter's name is "Gracelyn". No. she wouldn't go for that, but in spite of the fact that I have an entire list of "Corgi" names, nothing else occurred to me.

Well, I asked Di what she decided to name the puppy and without hesitation she responded, "Grace. Saving Grace, because she's saved me from my sadness over losing Dad's dog." I started to cry, and when she asked what was wrong, I told her about the only name that had been swirling around in my head for the past five or six hours. I told her we were more connected than simple genetics. Our connection is much deeper and more spiritual. Her reply was a simple, "I've known that for many years, Donna." I well up with tears again just recounting this exchange for you.

So, my friends, meet "Saving Grace" aka "Grace". I'm going to the campsite to spend a week with Di in July, so I'll get to meet this little girl. You know how she'll weasel her way into my heart, right? Another Corgi in the family, who tilts her head just like Tag did...sigh...and her ears are nearly as big! I can't wait!

Welcome to the family, Grace. We love you already.

Kaleb To The Rescue...

This young man showed up yesterday to tackle the "weed issue" here at the farmhouse. I admit, it really got away from me this year, and even though I tried, I was unable to make much headway. However, Kaleb managed to finish what I started in the kitchen garden, and start his way toward the front corner of the yard in front of the house. The progress he made was laudable.

He was here for five hours, and was careful not to take out the plants we wanted to retain. He turned down multiple offers for water (he brought his own) or even a lunch offered by yours truly. He just wanted to keep his head down and concentrate on the task at hand.

His dad, Lance raised a good boy. Kaleb is 14 years old. His dad told me he gets up at 4 am, exercises, reads his Bible, makes sure his homework is complete (during the school year) and is a straight A student. He assured me his son would work hard for us, and that was an understatement. I can see why he's in demand from other homeowners. He told me he'll return - as soon as he finds another gap in his schedule - to finish our job. We're looking forward to it. He's a wonderful young man.

This is a closeup of our kitchen garden, because I was actually focusing on the teacup bird feeder. Some of the hollyhocks closest to the house are already blooming, so you'll see more photos of them again soon. The "bushy" plant on the right is English lavender just starting to open up. It smells soooo good! My hostas can breathe again, which is really nice, too.

As requested by Charlene, here's a photo of my teacup feeder installed on the shepherd's hook I bought for it. Ha! The dangly bits were swinging in the breeze when I took this picture, so it looks like some of them have disappeared.

This is the button I glued on the back of my teacup. It says "Free as a bird". I think it's the perfect finishing touch for my project.

I'll share more photos of this area as soon as the hollyhocks open up over the next few days. For now, I'm off to work for the next six or seven hours, so I've got to fly. I'll see you again tomorrow!

June Craft Day...

It was my turn to lead our craft group this month, and I chose a sweet, little project making teacup (or mug) bird feeders. I'm sharing Sara's first this month. 

Here's a little closeup of hers, showing you the woodsy-themed design, and some of the details.

Nancy's was a more feminine tea cup and saucer set with little flowers along the border of both pieces. She even added a bit of bling to the bottom!

Marie's is also a more delicate tea set with flowers that she complimented with her added design elements. We were giggling that we can almost predict what each of us will create based on our past preferences. I would have guessed Marie would chose this set.

I specifically hunted for something that Linda could do in her favorite patriotic theme. The closest I could come was this cute lighthouse set. She found the extra elements I brought along (an eagle pendant and starry dangles) to add to her piece. 

I also had these huge flag buttons with me. She glued one to the bottom of her cup!

Kim's favorite color is aqua, and hard as I tried, I was unable to find anything in her color. I did find some plain white sets that had extra detail imprinted in the design of the cup, and she found lots of dusty blues to use instead. I love how hers turned out!

Adrienne always creates such elegant and vintage designs. She chose beautiful silks in a deep blue, added a key dangle near the handle, and added a heart charm to her beads at the bottom of the cup.

 

In case you're interested, we didn't drill anything. I came up with the idea of cutting wine corks into 1" think wafers, to which we secured small screw eyes. From there we glued them to the bottoms of the saucers and could add whatever hanging embellishments we wanted. It worked out great.

 

Finally, my cup. I chose a plain white that had a basket weave pattern on the outside of the cup and along the edge of the saucer. I added teardrop trim to the bottom of mine, and then glued the last dangle back onto the edge of the saucer to secure it. I figured this shiny bauble loop might be a place for a little bird to perch as it waits its turn at the feeder. I finished my design with a bird button on the bottom of the cup, and lilac blossom flowers glued to the sides.

Once again everyone took their set and added their own personality and creative talent to their cups. It was a simple project and made everyone smile when we were finished...and in the end, little birds will benefit when they visit each of our feeders. (Don't tell anyone, but purple is my sister, Di's favorite color. This might end up with her next month. I can always make another.)

I'm already looking forward to next month's project, but will definitely enjoy this one each summer.