~Thoughts and Thanks~

Dear friends,

I have some fun things to share with you! Once again, not a stitching post but I've been productive in other ways. I will soon have my "Texie" sampler finished - by next weekend, I hope, so I'll show you that then rather than bore you with a pic now and another later. It is pretty though and I'm thrilled with how it's coming along.

Remember the movie "A Christmas Story"? Who can watch that movie and not laugh? Nobody in my household, that's for sure. Anyway, my boss just retired after 34 years and I thought he needed a special gift. We had a mannequin in our office, dressed as a soldier, that had seen better days. He had fallen over a time or two and was broken and not really repairable so, what to do but... make a lamp? A military version of the Christmas Story lamp seemed appropriate since we work for the Army (as civilians). We presented it to him at his luncheon last week and it was a big hit. They will take it to live in their cottage up north and will, I'm sure, get a "kick" out of it for a while. My boss is moving into a new role as a contractor working for the government and we wanted to give him a gift that would give him a "leg up" on his competition. What do you think? A little glue, a lamp kit, some cammo fabric, a thigh high stocking and combat boot and well, here you go:



This week was extra special because DEB and I finally got to meet our dear friend ROBIN who was visiting her parents. We spent the day together on Saturday and drove to a couple of quilt stores where we all found some things we just couldn't live without. I don't quilt or sew but couldn't leave without some fabrics anyway. Then it was off to the Antique Mall for more shopping. We didn't have a ton of time in there but we all managed to find a few things. We had a great time getting to know each other better and laughed a lot! Robin brought Deb and I lovely pincushions she had made for us and mine was of course, in my favorite red!

Isn't it beautiful!? Thanks so much, Robin! It was amazing that we had so much to talk about - not a dull moment, lull in conversation or any awkward moments, at all. I think Robin's husband was a bit worried we might be evil people and was worried for her safety with Deb and me. But, we kept her safe and returned her to our starting point safe and sound! She is as as cute as a button with a wonderful, bubbly personality and we all just had so much fun. We were so busy laughing that we didn't take many pictures but we did remember to get one just before we left the antique mall.
This is a pic of Robin and me:

What a fun day!

Finally, let me leave you with this picture. A couple of weeks ago, when all the crabapple flowers were falling, we woke up to see our sidewalk covered with red petals. What a pretty surprise!


Tomorrow is Memorial Day in the USA. A special day to remember those soldiers that have fallen in the defense of our country. My favorite soldier (my dad) is still alive and living the good life and I am so thankful for that! He served multiple tours in Viet Nam and as a family, we lived all over the world. As an adult, I am most honored to work for the Army as a civilian, and all of us do our best to ensure that our soldiers have the best equipment on the planet, when and where they need it. Thanks to Veterans everywhere, those fallen and those still with us, for all that you've given in service to this great nation!

Peace,
Terri

Want to take a tour?

I had the great pleasure of taking a walking tour of one of Detroits most beautiful neighborhoods today. DF Sheila and I, along with her father, BIL and nephew walked through the historic neighborhood of Palmer Woods which is right smack dab in the middle of Detroit. Don't be afraid.....

This neighborhood is a gem in the middle of a city that normally gets a bad rap. This neighborhood has a wonderful park like setting with winding roads and Tudor Revival, Neo-Georgian, Mediterranean, Modern and Craftsman homes designed by architectural legends such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Minoru Yamasaki, Albert Kahn, Maginnis & Walsh, C. Howard Crane, Richard H. Marr and others. It was a drizzly day today but not wet enough to dampen our spirits or that of our tour guide.



All pictures are clickable so you can take a closer look. The stonework, the slate roofs and the gardens are all spectacular. Many of the homes have stained or lead glass windows - they were all so pretty. The gardens, many behind gorgeous wrought iron fences, were just breathtaking. The neighborhood is very park like in feel and it was of course, designed that way. There are no curbs and there are wonderful, little islands in the middle of streets to help maintain the parklike setting.



If you live in the metro Detroit area and haven't seen this gem, you should go - get out, walk around or better yet, go on a tour. Thank you Sheila, and Mr. B for letting me tag-a-long!

I hope you'll stick around to the end of the tour because I saved the best for last!

The last picture I'll show you is the largest home in Detroit - it's 40,000 square feet and was once the home of a Detroit Bishop. Later, John Sally (Detroit Piston) lived there (I'll bet the residents loved the parties he threw) but it has since been sold and is now owned by a minister in a non-denominational church. Because it was a Catholic residence, there is even a chapel - you'll see - it's gorgeous.

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this little tour of one of Detroit's prettiest neighborhoods:






Can you just imagine a chandelier hanging from the center of this glass structure (greenhouse???) with an elegant dinner party going on?











There was a modern home thrown in every now and then - not my favorite.... I thought this one looked a bit like a contemporary church:



Okay... back to the houses I loved:








And finally, here is the Bishop's home. I've included the historical marker so you can read for yourself - suffice it to say this is a whopper of a house - 40,000 square feet of pure opulence. It even has a chapel, I love the angel over the stained glass.





How special is this?


Thank you so much for all the sweet comments on my SB finish! You're all so sweet!

I got a sweet gift from a dear friend but I'm waiting on her response to see if I can post pictures of it. Let me just say - you could have knocked me over with a feather it was so special and such a wonderful surprise. Thank you so much, Andrea! You are just the best!

Aren't these friendships we've made, and continue to make, wonderful? Did you ever imagine that friendships with those close by would be strengthened and that new friendships, made across the country and across the world, would be so special? This blogging experience has surpassed any and all expectations I ever had about it. Thanks to all of you for your friendship, support, encouragement and inspiration!

Peace,
Terri

Long may She Wave!

Hello Dear Friends!

Guess what? I, the woman who is afraid of finishing, who trembles at the sight of a sewing machine, has finished-finished a little project! I know.... hard to believe. You may recall that I am heading to Utah this fall to attend the Shepherd's Bush retreat. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. Julie and I are going to meet up with Jolene and Loraine for a tour, shopping, and a party night get together. I can't wait to meet my sweet friends in person! I didn't think it would be proper to attend a Shepherd's Bush event and not have a SB scissor fob so that's what I've finished. Okay, granted, this isn't the most fallish of designs - in fact, it's not fallish at all but it's what I had in my stash (thanks, Deb) and I thought I'd give it a go. Drumroll please.....

Front:


Back:


I wasn't crazy about their red ric-rac so I used this that I had in my stash. I love the colors in it and thought it matched the piece wonderfully. I tacked it down all around and then tacked the edges together on the hangy part after I looped it through my scissors. What do you think?


I'm thrilled with how it turned out and maybe, just maybe I'm getting over my fear of finishing!

BTW, I just wanted to tell you all - those flower frogs in my last post... I didn't buy any of them! Sorry if I gave you that impression. I just wanted to share their unusual shapes and colors with all of you so I snapped some pictures of the display.

This may be my shortest post in ages. Have a great weekend - thanks for stopping by and thank you for all the sweet notes you leave me. Welcome to my new followers - I'm so glad you've joined me for this journey! Have a great weekend; I'll catch you on the flip side!

Peace,
Terri

Time Flies and Pictures Galore!

Dear Friends,

Where oh where does the time go? I know everyone asks that but honestly, it really does go speeding by, doesn't it? I have been busy with work - busy with spring garden clean up - busy with well, just life in general. I know, I know, we are all busy. How is it though that some of you super busy folks seem to accomplish so much? I feel extraordinarily inadequate compared to most of you. I can't worry about that though - I can only do the best I can do. Have I told you lately how inspiring you are? Thank you for all that you do and all that you share with us (even if you do make me feel inadequate!). I have been trying to catch up on my blog reading and have tried to leave comments but I am woefully behind. I had to go on travel for work last week and am still playing catch-up!

If you want a closer look at any of these pictures, they are all clickable.

I have a lot to show you - are you ready? First up, because this is supposed to be a stitchy blog - how about some progress on my BOAF, Sally Spencer sampler? She's coming along, albeit slowly. I kind of got sidetracked with my new pincushion and strawberry obsession!



I am stitching this on 35 count Weeks Dye Works fabric called Mocha with one thread over two. I've made some color substitutions but they're close to the called for fibers. I am going to dedicate this sampler to my father's mother. Her name was Texie - how cute is that? That wasn't even a nickname - that was her given name. So this shall be called the Texie Sampler hence forth. I really love BOAF patterns and this one is no exception. I really think it looks much prettier stitched than it does in the cover photo (as do most things we stitch).

The big surprise of the week came from my friend MARY IN FRANCE. Look at the beautiful package she sent me. She mailed it on Monday and I got it today - can you believe that? What a thrill to get home from work and have this waiting for me! Mail doesn't get delivered that quickly in the US - I can't believe it got here from France in less than a week, can you?! Check out all the goodies she sent me - of course, my favorite thing is the pinkeep because she made it- how pretty is that? Check out the kitty threadkeep - isn't that darling - and new patterns and stash! Who Hoo! Thank you so much Mary! I love everything you sent and am just bowled over by your generosity! Oh, inside the little black bag were some very delicious candies with chocolate insides. YUM!!!! Thank you so much, Mary - you're a doll!!!




Mother's Day was super special - not just because it was Mother's Day but because we celebrated Matt's 19th birthday as well! He had to work that day so we had a small family celebration when he got home from work. I can't believe he's 19 and that I'm well.... never mind that. Time does go speeding by, doesn't it?




Sorry for the bad picture - messy hair (me) messy room (oh well).

I've had some fun Goodwill/Salvation Army finds of late, too! Check this out!

It's a shell chandelier that I'm going to hang in the yard. I am going to attach a pie plate to the interior and add a chunky candle for a bit of evening ambiance. For $8.99 I didn't think I could go wrong. Here it is from a distance:



I found these bundt pans for a buck a piece and thought I could use them as bird baths. DEB and I saw some like this at an antique store on our last day out and I thought they were pretty cute.

I just mounted them on large dowel rods and used a small block of wood nailed to the top of the one with the big center, filled them with water and I think they look great! I hope the birds will like them.

Remember the syrup jar Rob got me not too long ago as a surprise for Easter? The same day I saw that - I also saw a miniature glove mold like the large one I have. It's made by the same company that made the big glove molds but it was a little pricey and I wouldn't buy it for myself. Unbeknownst to me, Rob did buy it and i got it for Mother's Day along with a new Troll Bead and the movie "It's Complicated" (which, if you haven't seen, is a must! The house, the decorating the story - all great). But, I digress - here's my little glove mold that is now happily living in my craft studio.

Isn't that the cutest thing ever? The little scissors hanging off of it were an antique market find as is the pink porcelain bucket which is now my craft studio waste basket!

I also found some cute pin cushions and oil cans at the market?

Here are some close ups of the pin cushion doll.



What is it about these old things that we all love? I have loved "antiques" since I was a young girl. My mom used to buy them and she loved them and I share that with her. My dad, does not have the same appreciation for old things - he grew up pretty poor and did not have much. Of course, if we could afford really fine antiques and not the flea market stuff I pick up, he might think differently. What I love is that someone, or many someone's, have loved these items. Someone used them, touched them and there is a soulfulness to them, I think that you just don't find with "new". I don't especially like all beat to heck looking stuff but gently used, softly worn - oh yeah, I love that. The passage of time only makes these things, these objects, better.

While at the market I saw some really cool flower frogs. Deb, if I hadn't already had your gift, and didn't think Dan would kill me, one of these would have been your b-day gift.




Gotta love the cool colors and shapes.

Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I took a road trip with my friends Sally and Sheila. We had a great day together and I thought I'd leave you with this picture of the three of us.
That's Sheila on the left and Sally in the middle and me on the right. Time flies when you're with good friends!

Thank you so much to all of you that have become chocolate loving followers! What a treat it is to meet all of you. I am slowly making it to your blogs and thank you so much for joining me. It is a gift that you choose to follow and I'm so grateful and appreciative. Thanks for all the comments that you leave as well - that is so greatly appreciated!

Have a glorious weekend, dear friends! Don't let time speed by too quickly, if you can help it!

Peace,
Terri