Day 6: Pain is a Buzzitch

But the Lord
stood with me
& gave me strength.

                    2 Timothy 4:17

For my friend's 60th Birthday.

The 60 glows in the dark (Sublime thread).

Day 7, Count Down

God has a reason
for allowing things to happen
we may never understand his wisdom
but we simple have to
Trust His will.

                                          Psalm 37:5


Here's my constant companion, Clovis.

Count Down Day 9

Amici evino devono
essere vecchi.

Wine and friends must
be old.

What a sweet sentiment.

Stitching this 1978 beauty up.
Focusing helps relieve the pain.
Only 9 more days.

French General: Jenny Hart

Oh my.

Have I shared how much I love visiting
French General in Los Angeles?
Not only is it a charming creative place,
run by the lovely Meng sisters,
peppered with visits by
their beautiful mother, but it is a
place to mingle, craft with
liked minded individuals, and
creatives.

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure
of attending a workshop with Jenny
Hart from Sublime Stitching.

My favorite color is green....Le Vert.  Every shade and hue.
from light to dark.  I love spring with all the greens showcased
on our surrounding hills and fields.

The best part of attending a class in getting
inside information on other crafts and
creatives, the tips your get from the instructor,
and the recharge to create.
 
Swoon, dear hearts.

French General is listed on the
side bar under Favorite Places
to Visit.

Milestone Birthday Crafting

Experience is not what happens to you;
it's what you do with what happens to you.
                                   -Aldous Hexley
                            
Chrisy and I have shared a lifetime of memories.
Our lives have often run parallel.

Along the way, we have shared it all
including this year's milestone birthday
only five days apart.

I drew and stitched shared happy memories.
This is Amy Powers' grid design ready for your
own happy memories.

Available with other designs on Amazon.
Christmas
Crafty
Wedding
Baby
Home

The Art of Embriodery

Pinterest...is like crack. 

Welkom to Pumpkin Cottage in June

Words.  Writing. Stitching.
Add embroidery to found vintage linens.
Just add a word or two in your own stitching.
Welkom, is Dutch for Welcome.

See the frame peaking through?  The layered
paint is CeCe Cadwell and the idea came from
Debi's Design.

Pumpkin Cottage is in creative bloom.
Painting frames using tomato cages. 

Holly's black tulip.  Add words.

ABCs sampler design by Alicia Paulson stitched by moi.

Me and You Vintage

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry
rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.

                                                   -Rabindranath Tagore


What a blessing to have lived this long.
To understand the sentiment behind the words.

To have loved and lost.  To have witnessed strength
and faith through suffering.  To be the custodian
of healthy charming children.  To acknowledge the
blessings of our daily life.
   

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls;
the most massive characters are seared with scars.
Khalil Gibran

I am convinced, to know the height of joy, we
must experience the depth of anguish.

Above all things strive for peace and comfort in your home.

Sunday Sunday La La La

When I stand before God at the end of my life, 
I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left 
and could say, "I used everything you gave me."

                                                -Erma Bombeck

The get along gang strives for this
everyday but never like when there's
no homework looming over one of us.

Tweet tweet

Linger over hot and iced tea

Granny Squares

Hello SUMMER:

Day Trips
Road Trips
Vintage Hunting
Gardening
Art
Crafts
Reading
Movies
Eating
Stitching
Double Dutch
Painting

Meet you here dear readers.

movie love

Last night the children were introduced to
Mama from the Carol Burnett Show,
the "Fluffy" episode.

 It's probably so funny to Joe and I because
our "Fluffies" were often served up at dinner.
Joe and I would refuse to eat those nights.
We would cry openly, but quietly.
Visibly sobbing without
making a sound.  In those days,
mother would say, "Stop crying or I will
give you something to cry about." 
Moms of that era said things like that.
Yes, we kids, compared notes.
There was no nonsense at the dinner table.

Amazing how time makes even scary scenarios
hilariously funny.  Sibling humor I suppose.

Joe recommend Carol and a movie  for my viewing
pleasure.

The Mating Season (1951) with Thelma Ritter.
 It's a free instant video for Amazon prime
 members right now.  The mating season
refers to the newly wed period of bliss.

The house was particularly quiet
with everyone tucked into
their beds...with dreams of sugar plums in 
their heads.  Do you blame me?

 

Collecting these little jewels for button storage.

Just me and a sweet movie treat.

Mr. Lee sleeping next to me.
So proud, I didn't pass out.
I like to keep my hands busy
with a project but not last
night.  Just quiet focused movie
time for ME.

Make a bee.

Have a joyful  Saturday peeps.

Love my weekends

Our weekends have become even more precious since
I don't participate in a alternative schedule. For over 10 years,
I could eagerly looked forward to alternating Fridays off.

What could be better than a alternative schedule?
An environment where I feel appreciated. 
The anxiety level is significantly diminished.
Check.

look what Joe found for my collection

Let's talk about the fun planned for today.
Glitterfest is happening.  

Fall inspiration

Don't you love their eyeliner

 Date night at Noche de Calacas 

Happy 13th everyone.

Happy Friday

My mother used to hang wash on the clothesline.
It always smelled to fresh and felt crisp.
My favorites were the towels and sheets.

Today, is my first day of unemployment.
I start a new job adventure on Wednesday. 
A few glorious days to prepare.
Clean my disheveled home, work on homework,
read, watch an old movie, and craft. 
Possibility all at the same time.

Roadtrip Embroidery Ideas

A little inspiration kick starts creating.

Big God litte problems

Ankylosing  Spondylitis 
(AS Irish association this morning)
is an inflammatory condition primarily impacting the spine.
The mind/body connection is ever present.

For the last few days my entire torso has been
extraordinarily stiff.  Pain sufficient to
bring tears to my eyes.  Those closest to me
panic, just a bit, when I visibly
surrender to pain.   I won't have it.

If we can be put in a state sufficient to
allow for surgery then there must be a
way for us to manage our mind. To protect
and alleviate both physical and spiritual pain.  

These were my thoughts as I backed out of the garage this morning.
Clicked on the radio, to the voice of
Pastor Greg Laurie (clink to listen to "Don't worry, Pray")
speaking on Philippians 4. 
Do you think the message could have been
better timed? Of course not,  the Lord's
timing is always perfect.

This message was especially timed for me
and may be for you, too.  See God in all his glory
and greatness.  In comparison our problems are small.
When you start to feel anxious simply pray.  


Pastor Greg said, "Never be afraid to commit an
uncertain future to a known God."

Powerful.  The tightness in my torso is gone.


Phillippians 4

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 
⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  
⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen.  
 

Thrifting Magic

Don't you just love the internet and bloggyland?
Found this little jewel in a thrift store.
The lovely linen didn't come home with me.
I did, however, Google the pattern,
bullion rose, for a tutorial video. 

Honestly, I didn't know it was called a bullion rose.
I Googled "embroidery rose" and viola.
Feeling blessed.  Magic moments.
 
Go make it a memorable day.