An Open Letter to Stacy Nash

Dear Stacy ...

I don't believe I've ever written to express my deep appreciation of your designing talent.  Without fail, every time I visit your pattern site there seems to be a new pattern singing its siren song to me.  "Buy me," it cries!  "Buy me!"  And I do   : )

I have stitched several of your patterns in this my third stitching life & they have always been a joy!  Well, most times they've been a joy.  I am reminded of your gorgeous Seek Joy In All Things Pinkeep Pillow design which I stitched & hold the finished product near & dear to my heart, but oy ... that big honkin' house!  I am not a fan of  big honkin' anything.  Big honkin' houses, big honkin' trees, big honkin' animals, etc.  I love seeing them, I love having them, but when I have to stitch them myself, I repeat, oy!  But this is not your fault, dear Stacy ... this fault lies with me alone.

A week or so ago I was perusing my chart filing system when I spotted your Winter Woolens Cupboard Pinkeep design.  My heart began to beat a little faster.  My breathing became labored.  My hands started to shake.  I mean honestly Stacy ... you had to have been inside my head when you designed this one!  Winter?  Woolens?  A reindeer? Quick!  Where's my needle?  Where's my DMC?  I couldn't start stitching it fast enough!  It looked like a pretty quick stitch, & it was going along very smoothly until the end when I discovered those cute little berries on the backstitched fir tree were none other than French knots.  FRENCH KNOTS!  Why, Stacy?  Why?  What on earth possessed you?  I know from past experiences that French knots & I are not good friends.  Sometime last year I had the great privilege to be introduced to Colonial knots & we bonded.  I comforted myself with the fact that I'd just make the substitution & my stitching life would continue along a happy path.  It didn't.  There are "only" 13 of these little knots in this particular design.  13. That number should've been a warning to me. Unlucky 13.  I started, frogged, restarted, frogged again, restarted again, frogged again ... well, you get the idea.  What in my memory seems like several lifetimes later I made the last Colonial knot, hid the end of my thread & whispered a little prayer that went something like "Thank God that's over!" Unfortunately for me, whenever I look at this cute little fir tree with 13 red berries on it I see nothing but a cute little fir tree with 13 great big fat ugly knots!

I have gently placed the completed stitching on my dining table (I can see it from where I'm typing now) & I guess I'm hoping that some little gnomes or fairies or elves will come in one night whilst I am asleep & re-do those knots for me.  However, these little creatures have never shown up to help me in the past & I don't have much faith that they will show up now.  I keep telling myself the obvious.  "Look here," I say!  "This is a primitive stitching!  PRIMITIVE!  Those knots are SUPPOSED to look like crap!"  However, my bigger & much stronger personality trait, Perfectionism, opens wide her critical eye & taunts me with my inadequacies.

I have never asked very much from you, dear Stacy.  Come to think of it, I've never asked you for anything at all!  But I'm asking you for something now.  Please!  I beg of you!  No more French knots!  

Respectfully yours,

Your fan, 

The Easily Influenced Stitcher 

More Birds!

It's not often that I do 3 posts in one day (& the congregation says AMEN!) but on my way to the kitchen I took a look outside to see if I needed to replenish the water in the birdbath & look what was getting a drink!

It's a Northern Flicker ... a female I think.  A type of woodpecker!  This one was getting a drink & it's partner was pecking on the ground but I couldn't get a good enough view of that one for a photo.  I had to swallow my pride when I showed John these photos. He has been telling me for a week or two that he has seen woodpeckers pecking around the yard.  Not on trees, mind you, but pecking on the ground itself.  He would call me when he "supposedly" saw these woodpeckers but by the time I'd get to the window they had mysteriously "flown away" so of course I had my doubts.  I mean honestly ... woodpeckers pecking on the ground?  With all the trees there are around here?  Well, today I am humbled as I did indeed watch 2 of these birds pecking at the ground.  I looked them up online & apparently they are one of very few woodpecker species who predominantly eat bugs from the ground.  They are beautiful to behold!  My pictures really don't do them justice.  

The consensus on the yellow bird I posted photos of earlier today is that it is a female Baltimore Oriole although it may also be a female Hooded Oriole.  Cool!

In the past 2 days alone we have been visited by cardinals, blue jays, bluebirds, robins, & some house finches.  Now we've got an oriole of some sort & a pair of flickers. Such fun   : )    

Does Anyone Know What This Bird Is?

This little beauty surprised us with a visit yesterday!  I have never seen him before.  He is a medium sized bird ... pretty much like a cardinal or a bluebird.  Finches are much smaller so he is not a finch.  Whatever he is, I hope he comes back!  

I will also share with you these photos of a bluebird taking a bath.  I love when I can capture them doing this   : )

Eli Crowe Mercantile

This trunk next to "Sophie's box" (photo can be seen at the end of this blog post) caught the attention of one of my followers.  This is an old trunk that some very talented person painted with an Americana/primitive theme. I was lucky enough to find it at a local prim shop shortly after we moved here.  I love Americana/patriotic type stuff & I fell in love with it   : )

It was rather difficult taking a photo because where I have the trunk displayed I have too much light coming in here & too many shadows coming in there, but hopefully you can get a pretty good idea of what it looks like.   As you can see, Sophie is continuing to enjoy "her box"   : )

When I sit in my stitching chair I see the trunk from this view although my view is, of course, a bit farther away than this.

I am constantly seeing a critter there on the side of the trunk.  I'm not referring to Sophie in front there   : )   Can you see the critter? Look closer.

See the moose?  I see him plain as day!  I've brought him to John's attention many times but John will stare & stare & not see him. He thinks I'm crazy!  Maybe Mr. Moose only reveals himself to me?

I keep my knitting yarn inside this trunk.  

I have another old trunk ... painted by the same person ... upstairs in what is supposed to be the guest room which is currently serving as a catch-all room.

I have no idea what this trunk looks like although I think it maybe ... maybe ... has a schoolhouse theme.  I put it there 3 years ago, placed that protective batting on the top of it, put that container of special blown glass Christmas ornaments on top of the batting along with an old Christmas quilt I made for our son when he was pre-K, & there it's all been ever since.  I suppose I should check it out sometime to see what it actually looks like.  It obviously wouldn't take a lot of effort to move that stuff off the top.  

I  must add, before any of you freak out, that although it looks like the sun is blazing through that window it really isn't.  The sun travels along the sides & front of our house, not the back ... & I do have some muslin fabric up there ... so the old quilt is not fading at all.

Stay tuned for the next installment of "Trunks in The Easily Influenced Stitcher's House" ... assuming I get the "oomph" to unearth this second one & take a few photos of it   : )  

It's Almost September!!!

Good morning & welcome to my new followers!  I thank all you newbies for coming by for a visit & deciding to stick around!  I also extend my heartfelt thanks to my established followers who continue to put up with me   : )   So glad to have you all here!

I am really excited about it almost being September!  Every day I look outside & I see more colors on the trees.  Not a lot of color, mind you, but it's definitely there.  It makes me want to do a September Dance!  I decided to have a look around the internet to see if there actually is a September Dance & I found this little ditty by Earth, Wind & Fire.  I have heard this song many times but never knew what the name of it was or that it mentioned anything about dancing in September.  Once again modern technology adds to my font of knowledge  : )

I initially assumed that anything relating to a September Dance was nonexistent & decided that I would share this other dance-related tune with you ... Safety Dance by Men Without Hats.  I think I have what would be termed an eclectic taste in music.  Andrea Bocelli to Janis Joplin ... Bert Kaempfert to the Bee Gees ...  the Soggy Bottom Boys to Perry Como.  Safety Dance is one of my all-time favorite songs.  I love the beat & I love the quirky video   : )

Last week I did something that I haven't done in a while.  I bought some stitching stash   : ) I am participating in an exchange & needed to buy an appropriate chart to stitch for my assigned person.  I found something on 123 Stitch that I hope she will like & while there I decided to treat myself to a couple things I have been wanting ... Bluebird Sampler by Threadwork Primitives, this year's PS Santa, & LHN's Hot Cocoa & Ding Dong Merrily on High.  I'm really looking forward to stitching all of these!  I hope to stitch at least one of them before Christmas but that remains to be seen since I am still working on my "4s."  I did, of course, also receive the chart I will be stitching for my assigned person in the exchange but I can't show you that right now   : )

Have a happy Sunday everyone!  I intend to do a little dance, make a little lunch, & get down tonight   : )

I Got My Nails Done!!!

Nothing tops off a blood testing, pancake breakfast morning like a little pampering.  It's been ages since I've had my nails done professionally so I decided to splurge today before I returned home.

I don't mean to sound like I'm stuck on myself or anything but don't they look lovely?  Okay, okay ... I'll admit it.  This isn't a photo of my nails.  I tried using the time lapse thingie on my camera to take a photo of my own hands but this is the result I ended up with.    

The pink sparkle color of the polish didn't even show up!  I don't know what's up with that   : (   Of course John was out on the town with me so he came into the salon to help me pick a color.  I had never been to this particular salon before.  Like I said above, it's been ages since I've had my nails professionally done.  Several years in fact. When the receptionist asked me which technician I wanted to see, I told her I wanted the best they had.  She told me their best was Eduardo.  It was a bit of a wait (Eduardo is very popular) but it was worth every minute because he did a great job! Luckily I had my camera in my purse & Eduardo agreed to let John take a photo while he worked on me.

Such patience!  Such attention to detail!  My nails flash like a disco ball while I'm stitching. I am having John play the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack as I'm continuing to work on my Stacy Nash.  So cool!!!

In reality I do have pink sparkle nails the same color as the first photo shows but I polished them myself.  You know how everyone has at least one "best feature?" I've always felt my nails were my best feature. I've had fun polishing them since I was in grade school & they've always grown healthy & strong but over the past couple years they've decided to break & split & peel & basically look like crap.  I stopped using polish because I thought letting the nails breathe for a while might help but it hasn't, so I decided to throw caution to the wind & resume using polish.

Here is a tip for all of you who have trouble growing your nails.  Use sparkle nail polish. It's like painting a layer or two of concrete on your nails which helps them resist breaking, splitting, etc.  

Okay ... I've got to end here & get back to Stacy.  The Bee Gees are telling me I should be stitching   : )

         

Wednesday Morning

The start of a new day   : )   Thus far my week has not gone as planned.  I had good intentions.  Lord knows I always have good intentions.  However, it is at times such as these, when my plans are not realized, that I am reminded of Robert Burns' poem, To A Mouse.  Was he talking about our Mouse? No. He wrote the poem in 1786 as an apology to a mouse when he was plowing a field & upturned her nest.  Me thinks Mr. Burns was quite clever   : )

But Mousie, you are not alone

In proving foresight may be vain:

The best laid plans of mice & men

Often go awry

And leave us naught but grief & pain,

For promised joy.

I've quoted an Americanized stanza since Mr. Burns was Scottish & naturally wrote the poem in 1700s Scottish prose.  He was a farmer who had an immense tolerance of all creatures.  He is probably best known by most people as the writer of Auld Lang Syne. I was familiar with the mouse poem & of course with Auld Lang Syne but never knew much about Mr. Burns.  He sounds like quite an interesting person.  I am looking forward to learning more about him one of these days   : )

Okay ... enough for the history lesson this morning   : )   I do have plans for today which involve nothing more than going to the hospital for my monthly/weekly/biweekly blood testing & then John & I are going to Cracker Barrel to enjoy a pancake breakfast.  We have both been obsessed with pancakes recently.  I think John is sometimes a bit embarrassed when the waiter takes my order & I add "extra butter & extra syrup."  My pancakes usually look like they are swimming on my plate.  I really ought to have them bring them to me in a bowl.  Anyway, I have no plans for today other than these 2 things although I certainly have more than enough jobs that need to be done inside the house, in the garage, in the yard, etc.  Maybe I'll add one of those to the mix   : )      

On Monday night I finished my fourth Joy Pinkeep (see Monday's IHSW post) & yesterday decided to mix things up a little.  I have been concentrating on Country Rustic Primitives designs, my goal being to make 4 of each Christmas design ... one to keep & the other 3 to sell in my handmades shop &/or give as gifts.  However, last night I decided to start a Stacy Nash design instead ... Winter Woolens Pinkeep.  I really love this design & it's stitching up quite nicely!  I may add it to my "Make 4" list   : )

We are leaving soon for the hospital/Cracker Barrel but I wanted to end this post with an example of how eagle eyed one of my followers is   : )   On Sunday I posted a photo of my dear little Sophie on a moving box which she has claimed as her own.  Click here if you want to read the story behind this.  Then on Monday I posted another photo of Sophie on "her box" (photo below) showing her looking very comfortable & content.  This morning I found a comment in my email box from Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  Jo noticed the advertisement on the side of the box ... "This Box is Designed for Multiple Uses" ... & asked if "cat bed" was one of them   : )   I love it   : )