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A little blog about my big loves; family, friends, stitching and yep, chocolate!

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Sunday, April 17, 2011

How do you spell Klutz?

Yuko and I have been working on Isabella Johnstone as an SAL for the past few weeks.  I finally got caught up last night and here is my progress to date:

(pics are clickable to enlarge)

I love this sampler - the cow just makes it, I think.  But, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time at all, you know that I am a klutz with a capital K.   We used to call my son, Tyler the Master of Disaster because he was so accident prone but really, I am the one that owns that title.  I have spilt tea (I always have a glass of iced tea with me) on not only my own samplers but others, as well.  Remember this incident with Deb?


Or, how about the time that I left my Friendship Sampler outside and it got tossed around by a mild tornado?  Forgetful and Klutzy!


Isabella wasn't treated quite that poorly but, bless her heart, she is now a tad stained. See the stains on the tree on the right and all the splotches on the right side?

 It's Rob's fault.

We were leaving Virginia a couple of weeks ago to drive back to Michigan.  Before we hit the road, we always stop for a sweet tea at one of the local fast food places.  The two Master's of Disaster were sitting together in the back seat.  Rob reached back to hand me my large, sweet tea and it tipped slightly and splattered on Isabella.  I thought I heard her screaming in disgust and then I realized that no, that shrill voice was mine.

For REALS????  A tea spill on a sampler - Again!  Are you Kidding Me????

I am hoping that because Isabella is being stitched with DMC that I will be able to wash the stains out after I'm done stitching.  We'll see.  There are many reasons (IMHO) to love DMC floss - washability is but one.

We were heading back to Michigan after participating in the Monument Avenue 10k in Richmond, VA a couple of weeks ago.

What a great time!  It's always a treat to get to visit my parents but to do this run with my dad was extra special.  There was but one, little problem.  I was sick.

I'll spare you the boring details but the day we left my doc gave me a shot of something, a prednisone pack, an antibiotic and an inhaler for the wheezing I had developed.  He told me he doubted I'd be well enough to participate by Saturday, but I was hopeful.  I wasn't quite up to par by race day but there was no way I was not going 
to  participate.  

I managed to complete the 10k (6.2 miles) in 1 hour and 9 minutes.  No, I didn't 
set the world on fire but I was able to finish without having a heart attack, so I was happy.  Rob, Matt and Ty also participated and as expected, my dad and Tyler kicked my butt.  My Uncle Charlie was there and he completed it as well.  Rob and Matt finished together but Matt twisted his ankle somewhere along the line and limped in to finish.  

No quitters here!!!

After the race we celebrated my dad's 75th birthday and all of us being together to participate in such a fun event just made it that much more special.  





My mom found this sweet, little sewing box that she gave me when I was there.  She is such an enabler and loves to help me build my collections!  Isn't this sweet?  I wonder if a woman bought it for herself or if her boyfriend or husband came back from Miami with this to give her?  Can you hear the convo?  "Honey, I'm home!  I brought you a present.  I wanted you to always be able to find a needle and thread and scissors to mend my shirts!" Do you think he'd have gotten hit over the head with a frying pan?  Not the most romantic gift from a husband or lover but a great gift from my mother to me!

  This is what the inside looks like:
 Isn't it sweet?  Thank you, Mom!  I love it!

This past weekend, Julie, Sheila, Gretchen and I all went to Fort Wayne, Indiana for the Vera Bradley outlet sale.  As we were headed down there, Julie said that her DD Meghan reminded her to keep her elbows up!  When we saw this billboard, we had to stop for a picture...

We had a great time and did a little antique shopping on the way home.  I found those sterling silver thimbles in the IJ and the sewing box pic for $3 each.  I will put one of them on my charm bracelet.

Here are a couple of other things I found - nothing too exciting but I love the little spoons.  They're great for parties to put in bowls of nuts or M&M's.


The spikey thing is a reproduction, I think, but I'll use it to hold receipts (which was it's intended purpose).

I found these old picture frames ages ago at a local re-sale store and snapped them all up since they were half off the marked prices.  Aren't they pretty?


 As you can see from the backs, they are quite old.  The one that is the second from the left says Helen Irene Cavanaugh and is dated 1914.  Don't you love the woman in the frame on the left in the ballet type dress?  And that old guy in the black frame looks kind of like Alfred Hitchcock, bless his heart.  Not sure what I'll do with them but will likely try to find a sampler to fit the little frame on the left.  


Finally, I found a pink flower frog/bowl like the one Debbie gave me for my birthday.  If it hadn't been so pricey, I would have bought it to give one of you.  But $65 was jut too pricey after all the other shopping I had done.



I have started a new sampler as an SAL with Julie but there's not enough done to warrant a picture but perhaps next week I can show you.

Have a great week everyone!  Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments.  I so appreciate getting them and if you come by and don't comment, I appreciate you, too!  I am almost to 400 followers - I can't believe it!  
Thank you so much to all of you for tagging along! 

Peace!

Terri

67 comments:

Nancy said...

I love the sampler that you're stitching with Yuko, and I agree, the cow just makes it! Wow, you have some beautiful finds!

Cari said...

Klutz...the whole family??? LOL Nice thing about DMC..rinse, rinse, wash, & rinse. I love this sampler! I love all of your stories and girl, you scare me with your running in the race ill???? Are you kidding me?? I'm so glad you finished and that you are still alive and well.

You have such a wonderful family. It reminds me of my own family. I love the stitching box your Mom gave you. It is darling...maybe not so for the first gift, but certainly fabulous to be coming from your Mom.

Hugs and keep on stitching. Have you seriously thought of a sippy cup? Believe me...I have several!!

HUGS HUGS HUGS dear friend.

Hazel said...

Oh no! Poor Isabella, poor you!! A def thumbs up for DMC but don't leave it too long! Lots of great stash you got too. x

Margaret said...

My My! I bet Isabella feels privileged to warrant a place in the hall of fame of spills. lol! She's looking beautiful! Congrats on finishing the run too! Love all the goodies as well. That box that your mom got you is fun! You always find the most wonderful things! Wish I'd gone to the VB outlet sale too. :(

Nancy said...

Love the sampler and I agree the cow just makes it!

So glad you got to run in the 10K!

As to being a klutz, you know the saying "birds of a feather stick together"!

Robin in Virginia said...

Great blog post, Terri! Sorry your sampler was christened with tea, but she looks lovely! Congratulations on taking part in the 10K and very thrilled to hear you did not have a heart attack! Great finds!

Mouse said...

ermm whoops .. well how about totally tea dying all the piece if all else fails ??? and wow well done on the race :) loved the sign and the goodies you bought are lovely and the box is just right for you :) love mouse xxxx

Rita said...

I love your sampler. SANQ recently had an article about samplers with cows in them.

I guess if you can't get the tea stain out, you can call it tea-dyed..and maybe add some more. ;-)

Congrats on finishing the run.

barbara said...

Sorry to hear about the tea, but I bet it'll wash out. Hooray for DMC!

Your trip sounds excellent, especially those great finds! And congratulations on your finish in the race! If I tried to run 10K, they'd have to send in the paramedics.

Julie M said...

Wow! What a great post Terri! Congrats on finishing the run even thought you were ill. That's awesome!

Love the sewing box and the rest of your finds. I so wanted to go thrifting yesterday but I was a good girl and I cleaned house instead.

I don't know what to tell you about the staining of the sampler. Maybe you should stick to water? :)

Jane said...

Great sampler, don't see cows very often on stitching so makes a nice change!
I don't drink tea but have certainly had a couple of near escapes with my beloved cappuccino, I'll keep everything crossed that as you've used DMC the tea will wash out ok, image if you'd been using dyed threads ~ I'm getting heart palpitations just thinking about it let alone running 10K - better go have a coffee to calm me down.
Have a good week xxxx

Lana said...

Your sampler is looking just daling!!! No more tea for you, missy!!! LOL...You did find some great things on your adventure!!

Deborah said...

Sorry to hear about the tea. It will add character to the piece. Love all the "old" things you purchased. On my last post I showed a pink bowl, much like the one you showed. I paid 8.00 for it. The prices are alittle different in MA. Good for me. LOL

Annie said...

Vikki Clayton has a service now to fix up problems like your boo boo on the sampler. If all else fails, she subtly dyes the fabby so the problem doesn't show as a problem at all. But if you are lucky, it'll just wash up fine. It really is a nice piece.

Congrats on finishing the race. You really are determined. That's such a great attitude.

Love seeing all your fun new finds.

Alison said...

Love your posts Terri! But.......what did you buy at Vera?????? Spill!

Lynn said...

I haven't done this trick with tea but I have with coffee! Fortunately it was on my own piece which had been done with DMC so I was able to get it out after spot treating it and soaking.
Hope yours cleans up okay.
You're right, that cow makes the sampler. Too cute!
I love all of your new goodies, especially that flower frog!
Congrats on making it through your run. It's wonderful that you participate as a family.

Myra said...

You are not alone Terri - I am pretty klutzy too. Your sampler is lovely even with the stains. I am betting they will wash right out and if worse come to worst - tea dye it. :o) So now...what did you get at the Vera sale?

Chris said...

Hi Terri.
Isabella is looking great!
Congratulations on finishing your race. I hope that you are feeling better.

Have a great week!

samplerlover said...

Oh my goodness Terri you tea and samplers. Not a good mix lol. I think you should get a special sippy cup for when you have it around a sampler. Knowing your luck though, the lid would come off.

Seriously though, I wouldn't leave the tea in there for to long as it might set. Have you tried running cold water just on the area affected to see if it comes out.

My goodness when I read that you have been running, I thought OMG should she be doing that. Thankfully you are still with us

Love your old photos and their frames. I really love your silhouette. It is lovely. You should hang them altogether. You could say that this one is Aunty Gertrude, Aunty Matilda etc lol. - Sandra.

Laurie in Iowa said...

Isabella looks wonderful... but I can't believe you had another incident with Sweet Tea. lol ... I think you're going to have to kick the sweet tea habit.

krayolakris said...

I sloshed coffee on my VOHRH (stitching with DMC); held the fabric taut under cold running water & it came out just fine. Love your sampler!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the 10K! But keep taking care of your fun self!
I think Isabella still looks great and good job on the shopping.
Lancy

Catherine said...

Your sampler looks great - hope you can get the tea stain out! Perhaps you should enact a water only rule around your stitching...:)

So glad you were able to run! Sounds like a great visit...if I were with you, I'd have snatched up that pink frog!

valerie said...

Isabella is looking great but what a fright about the tea spill. I'd have freaked out! Glad to hear you finished your race...great job! And fun finds...love the old photos and frames. The sewing box your mom gave you is wonderful!

Carol said...

You could give Vanna White a run for her money with your billboard pose, Terri! You are so cute :)

Love your progress on Isabella and I adore your special sewing box from your mom. How nice that she enables your collections...

Good for you for running the race even while sick. And happy 75th birthday to your dear father--what a special weekend that must have been!

jayne@~an eye for threads~ said...

oh my Teri, You have no idea how my tongue is hurting but I will try to refrain...Darn DH. lol. Glad all went well with your run and that you had a nice visit with your parents too.
The stitching looks awesome and those old frames, wow.
As always

Alice said...

I also like the cow... but do I spy strawberry plants as well? Love the colours. Don't worry too much about the stain, at the least it will add character. As for the tornado... well, how many of our pieces get to say that they've been tossed about by one and lived to tell the tale!
Congrats on your race and your adorable sewing box and your other fun shopping finds.

Siobhán said...

LOL about the tea incident!! Thank God for DMC! Though, you could always leave it in and figure that you aged it a bit early. ;) Nice progress, btw! Love your fnds, too.

Bertie said...

Isabella looks very prim now, it's so fashionable:))
Love all your goodies, the frames are fabulous! and love your mend it needle box!!
Hope your lungs are better, nothing worse than shortage of breath:))

Giovanna said...

Oh dear, I hope you manage to get the stains out of Isabella - she's so pretty! Nice antique finds!

Littlebit said...

Oh no..talk about road rage? LOL! Your Isabella is FANTASTIC, Terri! And your dad ran that race at 75? You said he "kicked your butt," so I am assuming he either ran or got upset with your for doing it while you were not feeling well.
Congrats! And I hope you are feeling well.

Cathy Lloyd said...

I'm here to tell you Cari does have sippy cups...truth be known...I have several too...for my grandkids...however, I do plan on saving them after they are grown because I'm sure I'll be needing them in my senior years...along with Depends, and a really great magnifier so that I can stitch and never leave my stitching ass hole!

Your sampler is simply fabulous and it is agreed that the cow is so fun in there!

The stitching box adorable, and from you mom makes it even more perfect!

Glad you finished your race, my friend!

merumo said...

Lovely progress on Isabella! It loolks like you are getting more and more fun area to stitch. A tea spill on a sampler, isn't it called as primitive look? lol

Valerie said...

Terri - I was laughing and crying right along with you while reading your story! I also have to have a glass of tea right next to me (its a southern thing and I KNOW that you understand!) And yes, I have had my share of spills too! My husband affectionately calls me his "Gracie" which is not a name I legally posesses but I have certainly earned!

Other than the tea stains (which I could barely notice!) Isabella and her lovely Guernsey cow are lovely! I too love this sampler and hope one day to stitch her. My grandmother always had a Guernsey cow...she said it gave the best milk!

Congrats on finishing your 10K in Richmond! What an accomplishment! You should be very proud! I am sure there are more 10k's in your future!

Sue said...

Sorry Isabella got wet but I can't see the stain. But you're right it will probably wash out, should you do it now though instead of waiting until you're done the sampler??

Isa said...

I think Isabella looks beautiful even with the stains, it give her a vintage look ;).
The frames and the little sewing box are lovely!

Congratulations to you and your family on finishing the 10K race!

Marjorie said...

I love the sampler so far, and you're right, the cow is the best part. I can't believe that you stopped for sweet tea knowing you had needlework in the car after the last tea incident! Sounds like you're just looking for trouble :)

Peonies & Magnolias said...

So glad you were able to run and finish the race.

Love your sampler and if the tea doesn't come out it will just add character to it. Your Marianne Wren looks gorgeous framed.

Your Mom has great taste in gifts, wonderful sewing box. Have a great week.

Sandy

Deb said...

We should call you the Klutz family, don't you think? LOL No seriously, what's a little spilt tea. Actually every time I look at my piece I think of that incident. No harm done!! And I've seen the stain and it doesn't look that bad at all, but it is a good thing that DMC threads to wash well!

I think that we do need to find you a funky sippy cup though. Do you think Vera Bradley makes them???

Love the box your mom found for you and what is not to like about the pink flower frog. Those are hard to find all together! And you can never have enough of them.

Shari said...

the sampler is gorgeous...need more details about the run...
and you were at the VERA show??? OH MY!!!!! I live an hour from where it was & I didn't get to go........boy, if I had known you were going, we could have made arrangements!!!!!

BrendaS said...

Your sampler is looking good and I hope the tea comes out, but if it doesn't it will look like you purposely tea-dyed it:)))

Good for you and your family on finishing the run and extra kudos to your Dad for doing it at 75! Wow.

Great finds and wonderful gifts from your Mom. Those are the best.

Have a good week.

woolwoman said...

glad to hear of the fun times you had with your folks - so glad mine are within 30 miles of us - we see them often - they are actually our best friends. Near disaster with Isabelle - hope the tea comes out but if not - you can do an overall rise and age her up a bit. Loved hearing about your adventures with your GF's. Take care - melody

White style said...

yuo are very very fantastic.
Non parlo inglese ma ti dico che hai dei post bellissimi, parole giuste, foto magnifiche e vieni a trovarmi....
www.maisondepointrouge.blogspot.com

Giardinofiorito

kluless said...

Great post! Kudos to all the finishers in spite of the klutz gene, especially your Dad! Wow, 75! I am 20 years younger and can't run to the mailbox. Heart that sweet little sewing box. Your mom is a treasure.

Melissa said...

First off, congratulations on finishing the race even though you were sick! That's a double accomplishment right there!

I love that sewing box your mom gave you! You're so lucky.

And the tea thing is such a hoot. I dunno, girl, maybe that's your own way of doing the whole "dyeing" thing! ;-) Isabella is looking lovely.

Moonpie primitives said...

Wow... I love your sampler you are right the cow makes it....Great new treasures...Sounds like even better than the treasures was the company...
Happy stitching, Nancy

Sally said...

The sampler you're stitching with Yuko is lovely.

Fantastic finds!

Michelle said...

Your Isabella progress is wonderful! I do think you're going to have to start drinking your tea in a sippy cup!! Congrats on the 10k and lots of great finds!!

♥marylin♥ said...

Oh how wonderful Terri! the beginning is sublime! I really like the bit with it reminds me of the wonderful gift you gave me! I keep treasured token of our friendship.
I embrace you my friend

Natalia said...

You are too funny !!! I think that all those stains only give it more character !!! I love your progress... Congratulations on your 10K finish !!! It sounds like you had a great day with your family.
Cute little sawing box and also nice finds !!!

Mylene said...

The sampler is looking beautiful. Sorry to hear about the tea though...

A happy easter to you and your family!

Pumpkin said...

Okay, I'm not seeing any spots... Not sure if this is a good or bad thing. LOL! I think the sampler looks fantastic :o) I would have just died too if something got spilled on one of my pieces. Hey, I almost made rabbit stew with my old bunny when he chewed off part of the fringe to an afghan!

Congrats on participating in the race. I hope you're still taking good care of yourself though!

OMG, great finds! That is the SECOND pink flower frog I've seen this past week!

Dona said...

Sounds like a danger zone! Glad your pretty Isabella survived the run in with tea. It's very pretty.

What a sweet gift your Mom!

Tanya said...

Isn't that a requirement to spill something on your sampler? I have three samplers with similar stains even Sarah(but I didn't want to point it out). I hope you get your stain out or if not it will be an interesting story to tell. Good for you running sick and all. What a trooper. I will have to check out the Vera Bradley outlet store. It's not that far from my house. You always find such great things.

Silver Strands said...

Hey ... I found y through Karena and came to visit because of the cute name of your blog ... Love it!

Lois said...

Oops!! Poor Isabella but, as you say, sometimes it's good to be using DMC!!! Well done on completing the race even though it sounds like you were very under the weather. Love the stitching box from your mum and what nice finds! Have a lovely Easter!

Karoline said...

Isabella is looking lovely even with the stains.

Congratulations on finishing your race

Sherry said...

I love the SAL sampler you are working on. I have had many a spill on samplers. It's like a very rude wake up call.

Sounds like you have been busy with shopping and on the road alot. Love your new frog and the sewing box from your mom.

Jo Ann said...

Terri,

Just a friendly FYI, but you still need to be careful with washing red DMC. My girlfriend did a piece for a Christmas gift one year and had to wash it and it ran. She did a heavy distress on it and it did cover, but be careful.

Charlene ♥ NC said...

What beautiful stitching (even with tea) and fine finds your found! Makes me want to go ...
Hope you have a hoppy Easter!

Jane said...

Hi Terri! I was thinking, you could spill some more tea on your sampler and give it that antique look.

I love that vintage sewing box your mother gave you. So sweet with a little history.

Enjoy your Easter break... :)

Bonnie said...

I love the sampler too! Who is the designer? or did I miss that comment? Can't wait to see it finished. I'm still waiting on thread for the sampler you did about 2 months ago. And now my garden calls me. Summer is nearly here! Have a great one.

deb-bee said...

Hi Terri, I'm #402 tagging along with you! I'm just getting back into x-stitch after taking many years off. I've been basket weaving and loving it. But there are so many cute things to stitch, I enjoy your blog. ;-)with warm little bee-hugs, Debby

Kathy A. said...

Terri - your blog entries always make me smile. You tell the most wonderful tales. I so enjoy reading them.
The stitching box from your mom is just so darling.

mdgtjulie said...

Wow, when you post an update, you really post an update. I don't know where to start, lol. Your WIP is looking good. I don't think I've seen another sampler with a cow! Glad you had a good trip. The picture frames (and pictures) are fab. Hope you had a good Easter!!

Susan said...

I'm seriously behind on my blog reading! Sorry to hear about your sampler--will look forward to the update on whether or not the tea comes out. I'm so jealous of your trip to Vera Bradley. I love some of her pieces and a girl can just never have too many bags.

Loraine said...

I am so helplessly behind on blogging! How I've missed all my friends! What a wonderful sampler you are doing! I can't believe of your poor mishap again...I sure hope the stain will come out, but you know we love tea stained things anyhow, so it will be fine if it doesn't.
So happy you were able to run with your Dad. You are amazing...I think your time was really good despite your being sick. Good for you!
Love your sewing box. Aren't mom's good for enabling?
Hugs to you dear friend. I'm so happy to see what you are up to these days!