It's a worm Grandma!

I received an email

 from our

little grandson,

 Beckham

 yesterday.

 Subject line read... 

It's a worm Grandma!

No words necessary,

the picture says it all...

I just know he's thinking,

where are it's eyes??!!!!

 I love getting emails

 from Beckam.

 Have a good week everyone,

 Brenda

Have you...

bought your 

12 oz sampler box

 of 

Whitmans Chocolates yet?? 

If not, it's time to!

STRAWBERRY HILL SAMPLER sewing box

is coming soon! 

The theme

 for the re purposed 

Whitman's chocolate sampler box

 will be...

 strawberries,

you guessed it!

Here is a peek at the floss colors and linen...

a nice warm buttery yellow 35 count linen.

The plans are...

the box will be re purposed into a little sewing box.

A box that has a cross stitched pincushion top.

You'll open the lid of the box

to find a sweet little sampler needle roll,

strawberry emery

and 

more!

Stay tuned...

Have a good evening,
Brenda

Becoming a big brother...

I was looking through some photos 

that I snapped at the hospital

 after the birth of Avry. 

 I came upon this one...

I love the photo.

That first glimpse

 of his new baby sister.

  So focused

 on her tiny little mouth,

 tiny little nose 

and

 tiny little hat...

Big brother

 decided

 she's a keeper,

  lets take her home!

Have a good Tuesday everyone,
Brenda

Mmmmmmmm.....

It was another one of those weekends 

where I rather spend my time stitching

then in the kitchen.

 Anyone else have this disorder?

Thanks to daughter Erin 

for her recipe share

 I was able to whip up a delicious light lunch

 and the darling husband 

couldn't seem to get enough mmmm's

 in while eating his lunch.

 I just won't tell him how easy it was.

 I think I'll just let him believe

 that I labored hours in the kitchen

preparing this delightful meal.

Mozzarella Tomato & Avocado  Brueschetta

1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I prefer the oval or grape tomatoes)

1 carton fresh mozzarella cheese pearls, drained

2 avocado, peeled and diced

1/3 cut fresh basil, julienned

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup extra light olive oil

freshly ground salt and pepper

french baguette bread

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and parsley.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper.  Pour over tomato mixture.  Toss to coat.  Let set for 30 minutes so flavors can mix.  Just before serving, stir in the chopped avocados.  Slice french baguette bread and apply light olive oil onto both sides with a pastry brush.  Place under broiler to toast, toasting both sides.  Place tomato mixture onto toasted bread.

X  X  X  X  X  X

And I leave you this Monday morning with a little peak 

at the

Francis Pool sampler.

I'm about half way done!

Have a good week,

Brenda

She is here!

Meet Miss Avry Brooklyn 

 7 1/2 pounds 

19 1/2" long

 born April 12, 2012 

at 3:55 AM

Mother and baby are both doing wonderful! 

Big brother is getting to know his new little sister

 and 

Daddy's pretty proud!

Thanks for your thoughts and well wishes for a safe delivery,

Brenda

NOTICE

I got the phone call from daughter Erin, contractions are about 9 minutes apart!  I am out of the office until further notice and unable to fill orders.   I ask that you refrain from placing orders during this time when I'm gone...they are just going to sit in my inbox and grow old, thank you for understanding!  I will keep you all updated in regards to my return date.

Gotta run,
Brenda

SPAM keys & Pincushions...

I collect antique & vintage pincushions.

 This one sits in a little vignette,

 along with other pincushions,

 on a little side table

next to my stitching settee.

I bought it as is...

loaded 

with

 pins

 and 

threaded needles.

 It is this little rocker

 that catches my eye

 and

 makes me laugh

from

time

to 

time...

For some crazy reason

 it reminds me of SPAM.

Yea, that's right...

the meat in the can!

Any SPAM lovers out there?

Any SPAM key lovers out there?

 You know,

 the little key that you used

 to take the top off

 of the

 SPAM can?

Loved that key...

 It formed such a cute little curl of steel...

 much like the little curls

 on my little rocking chair pincushion.  

A pincushion made from a pop can.

 I always wonder,

 did they use the SPAM key to create these little chairs?

 Inquiring minds want to know...

 And by the way,

 I don't like SPAM.

 Mom would try sneaking it past us

 when we were kids...

 fry it up nice and brown

 and put it on bread,

drown it with mustard

 and

they'll never know it came from a can...

right?

WRONG.

 I didn't like this so-called mystery meat,

 but

 I WAS

 captivated by it's little key

 and

 the cute little spiral of steel...

Have a good day,

Brenda

Friday is garbage day...

and

 you know what that means?

 Someone gets to
wait
 and
 watch for

 

 one of these ...

Ah yes, the garbage truck!

That is the highlight of this little darlings Friday.

Fridays are busy days for this 3 year old.
  Momma has her ob doc appointments also.

That's a lot to have to squeeze into a Friday morning
 for a
3 year old...

Waiting and listening for the garbage truck
to arrive,
 and
 then having to go to the doctors
office and wait some more...
and
then getting to hear a heart beat
of this little person,
that everyone calls,
 little baby sister...

  The doctors say things are starting to progress
 and the baby
 could arrive
 any day now!
Yayyyyyyyy!!

And now here's the cute part,
 the part that made my day...
(momma called me and told me the cute little story,
I love these cute little Beckham stories - cause you just never know what he is going to say)
 

Upon leaving the doctor's office,
 this past Friday,
 Beckham told the doctor
 that he was going to go home
 and
 watch garbage trucks (of course)
 and
 then go pick up his baby sister!!
First things first, though...

  So,
 I'm thinking these weekly
 Friday doctor appointments
 are starting to conflict
with someones garbage-truck-watching days.
Someone has decided
 it's just time to go
 and
 pick this little sister up,
 and
 get over this weekly
nonsense of doctor visits...
it's really starting to cut into his
garbage truck watching days...

I still can't stop laughing!   

Have a blessed Easter everyone,

Brenda

P.S.

New punch needle patterns should be posted on the website on Monday...unless the baby arrives!  Also, the 35 count Abecedarian linen has arrived and the 30 count Parchment will be here this coming week.

New Patterns!

It's getting close now!

 Flosses are being kitted,

 linen is being cut

 and

you might say,

I'm just getting

 all my little

 ducks in a row,

before the release

of the following new patterns. 

So here is what is coming!

You can expect these to be added to our 

website just as soon
 as that last
 little straying duck

gets in line!!

SIT & STITCH

Is a cross stitch chart

 for a fun little sewing box chair

 that you construct from 

linen-covered cardboard. 

  The seat cushion lifts up,

 revealing a little box

 to keep all your

 sewing needfuls in!

This 9" chair

 has a crisply box pleated ruffle 

and her

 little wooden legs 

are old wooden thread spools...

how cute is that?

  All letters of the alphabet

 are included

 so you may personalize your chair!

   Also included in this pattern

 is a sweet coordinating pincushion, 

complete with cross stitched motifs,

 old mother of pearl buttons

 and 

antique ticking. 

MAY WORD PLAY

The 8th of the 12 monthly series

 is now ready

 for your stitching pleasure!

  Full and partial floss packs 

will be available

 as always.

SAMPLER OF THE SEASON - SPRING

After a little delay,

 the Spring sampler

 in this 4 sampler series

 is now ready! 

 It's an earth-warming spring day

 on the homestead,

gentle breezes are blowing,

it's time to get the quilts out

 for their annual airing.

  Design is worked on

 30 count Parchment linen 

over 2 strands,

 using GAST flosses throughout.

A big "THANK YOU" to Valley House Primitives
for supplying us with another one
of their beautifully hand-grained frames.

Moving onto NEW punchneedle patterns...

DAYS GONE BY

A sweet little huswife pocket 

with antique crock and rabbit pull toy. 

 Wool penny tabs 

and 

antique mother of pearl buttons

 adds extra detail

 and

 texture to this piece.

   A perfect little piece

 to hang from the corner 

of a ladder back chair

 or

 cupboard knob.

PARSNIP PIE

"My garden is beauty full"...

Here we have chambray skirt & straw bonnet clad gardener,

 admiring her bumper crop 

of

  carrots and parsnips. 

Oh there are rows and rows of other 

produce and sunflowers too,

 but is is the parsnips that she

has her eyes on...

 She is thinking Parsnip Pie,

 just like the ones

 her granny used to make.  

   Design is mounted on a linen weave fabric 

with

 wool flower accents

 at it's corners.

That's all for now folks!

Have a good week,

Brenda

P.S. no baby yet!