Monday, January 2, 2012

A New Year & A New Name

Good morning!  I guess the holidays aren't technically over yet since just about everyone has a day off from work today.  However, I felt motivated to put away the decorations yesterday so in that respect the holidays have gone away for a few months.  A few months, you say?  Well, I was thinking ... it seems that Christmas arrives in the stores sooner & sooner every year.  I remember my husband & I taking our daughter trick-or-treating at the local mall when she was 4 or 5 years old & getting a photo of her & her friend standing in front of some decorated Christmas trees.  This was back in the early 80s.  We couldn't believe we were seeing Christmas trees on Halloween!  Some years back Hallmark started getting their Christmas ornaments in the stores in July.  I know Christmas came to the stores this year at least in September so there you go ... it has gone away but it will be back in a few months   : )

And what's with the blog name change?  I've been thinking about this for quite some time now.  "Farmhouse Ponderings" will soon be obsolete what with our selling our house this year & moving only God knows where.  Someplace that is cold a lot & gets a lot of snow, that's for certain.  Anyway, I wanted a new name to reflect my passion for cross stitching in some way but something like "Farmhouse Stitching" would again be obsolete when we move.  I came up with "The Easily Influenced Stitcher" because that says it all really.  My cross stitching passion was reawakened by Betty over at Thru My Back Door.  Betty had posted a time or two about her love of pinkeeps ... in particular cross stitched pinkeeps made by Deb at Pilgrims & Pioneers.  I decided to have a surprise giveaway & I drew Betty's name.  I like to tailor my giveaways so that they are a bit personal for the winner.  Knowing that Betty would be thrilled with one of Deb's pinkeeps, I found Deb's site & chose one for her.  Now ... as you can probably guess by the use of the word "reawakening," I had a history with cross stitching.  You can read a bit about it here if you'd like.  I think Betty only mentioned these pinkeeps in her blog posts two, maybe three times tops but I felt myself being slowly drawn back to cross stitching.  When I ordered Betty's pinkeep from Deb I also ordered a pinkeep pattern for myself.  I stitched that little pinkeep, then another, then got another of Deb's patterns & stitched one of those, & then another, & now here I sit surrounded by more cross stitch stuff than I can shake a stick at.

During these past few months after returning to the world of cross stitching I have noticed something about myself.  I am easily influenced.  I must admit that I was not clueless to this fact but the proverbial ball rolling down the hill picking up speed surprised even me with regard to my return to the cross stitching life.  I guess you could again say that it all began with Betty.  She did not set out to influence me in connection with cross stitching at all but once I returned to the fold I was hooked "big time."  I began looking for stitching blogs & found a few.  One of these blogs was Marly's Samplers & Santas.  I had always wanted to stitch a few samplers for myself ... no influence there ... but I had never been a Santa person.  As you can probably guess by her blog name, Marly is.  She would post a few photos of her Prairie Schooler Santas from time to time & I thought they were nice & that's as far as it went.  However, the closer it got to Christmas the more PS Santa photos she posted & the more she talked about them until finally ... breathing rapidly, hands shaking ... I rushed to the 1-2-3 Stitch site & ordered every PS Santa they had.  Another case in point ... a week or so ago a new blog friend posted some photos of cardinals she had been stitching & talked about how much she loves cardinals.  I thought to myself "Hey!  I love cardinals!  These charts are fabulous!"  Once again I rushed to the 1-2-3 site to buy those charts.  And I think it was yesterday ... or maybe the day before ... when another blog friend posted a Lizzie*Kate chart she had just finished into a small pillow.  Before I knew it I was once again on the 1-2-3 site, adding that baby to my cart.

See what I mean?  Easily influenced.  And I haven't even mentioned how I just have to try punchneedle again after seeing some patterns on various sites ... not to mention rug hooking!

Easily influenced?  Ya sure, you betcha!  So welcome to The Easily Influenced Stitcher!  I hope you enjoy visiting & sharing in my weakness   : )        

19 comments:

Trace4J said...

Great name and I just love your new Header. I think we all have a little of that in us. Glad you found JOY again in your cross stitch. I can read it in your words.
Hugs to you Friend
Trace

www.granytracescrapsandsquares.com

BumbleBeeLane said...

Your blog looks wonderful,so wintery.You and I are soul mates with loving the cold and snow.The name suits you.Hope you have a blessed New Year!~Amy

Nicola said...

A beautiful post which I have enjoyed reading. I like the new name. Are you retiring from farming?

Chris said...

Congratulations on the name change and all the exciting changes(and stitching) that will be part of 2012!

Earlene said...

I like the new name! It did surprise me when it popped up.

Maggee said...

Easily influenced, but really--in fairness, our hobby is much less expensive than say, golfing or fishing! So get rid of that guilt!Off to visit more of your blog. Hugs!

Debra said...

I love your new name! and your header!
And to think it all started with Betty! Yay Betty is all I can say!

Mindi said...

I love the new blog name, and totally understand it. Blogs are probably the biggest reason I have ADD when it comes to sticking with a project until its finished, I'm always seeing new and pretty things other people are working on, and it makes me want to start them.

cucki said...

hello dear, i love your new blog name too and lovely header too..
sweet post..off to look at betty pin keeps..i love pin keep so much too..
hugs for you deary xxx

bettyj said...

Oh Shirlee, I had no idea. However it makes me happy to know wherever you are and you are stitching away, somewhere in the back of your mind you will remember me! One cannot ask for more than that. Another thing is this, when you move to your snowy home where ever it may be,(and rest assured, my friend, God knows where you are going to be) we can still be in touch via this wonderful internet and world of blogging. You are one of a kind, and I mean that in the most sincere, kind way.

TheCrankyCrow said...

Ha!!! Love it my dear, dear friend....I had to reboot my computer and pulled up my blog dashboard after I did and that name on the roll just popped out at me...."The Easily Influenced Stitcher" - I thought, hmmmmm., I don't recall following a blog by that name, but gee, I know someone who could truly relate to it....popped it up and surprise, surprise....it's the one and only Shirlee herself! You're a hoot Girlfriend....a dear, sweet, loveable, albeit easily-influenced, hoot! Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

Carol said...

Ha Ha! I just had to go change my blog posting to reflect your blog's new name, Shirley! I love it and can so relate...

And, no, I didn't have the day off work today :( The price of being a public servant!

Sally said...

Love your new blog name Shirlee:)

Patty C. said...

Love the blog name !!!
Thank you for the links in this post.
Happy Stitching in 2012

Siobhán said...

Love the new blog name!! I can relate. I feel like everytime I open up a new blog post or an email from a friend, I need to take a deep breath and brace myself because I know I'm going to be enabled. It's like stitchers are drug pushers--but the drugs are groovy, man, and definitely not harmful to your health--though needles are involved. LOL

Lana said...

Just found your blog site by way of the Cranky Crow by way of the Old Gray Mare by way of my insomnia! :) Great to find all of you, by the way! Now I'm thinking about my cross-stitch "stashes" from the 80's that I still have up in the closet! I'm loving your site and it's all new to me. Thank you! Thank you! :)

Kaisievic said...

Hi Shirlee, Love the new look blog and the name change. How exciting about your move. Could you refresh my memory, which U.S. state has saltbox houses? Is it Massachussets?

Please check out my giveaways and by the way, I have become addicted to buying things from 123 stitch - this ordering online is dangerous!

Hugs, Kaye xoxox

Tricia T said...

Oh my goodness, Shirlee! I'm just catching up with my blog reading and this made me laugh out loud! I can so relate! : ) Can't wait to see all those charts finished! ;)

marly said...

I love your post and the explanation of the new title. I ordered my first punchneedle design which will be coming this week, and now I'm curious as to the bad service shop! I better stick with my old favorites!