Inspired Stitches - Ramblings of a Blackworker

Boy, do I miss gardening this year!!!

Don’t know why it all of a sudden decided to hit me, but I missing gardening. We’re in a rental house, so are not at a place that we want to “make our mark” in the garden. Now, we’ve been here 5 years, and this is the first year it’s hit me.

Since Jim and I bought our first house, we’ve always enjoyed getting in the dirt, and making a mark. I’m also a water garden junkie, and actually love the acrid smell of the water garden the beginning of every season. Call me weird! Back in our Atlanta days, I’d come home from a hard day, and play in the garden until dark. Jim worked late into the evening, so it kept me sane. My fish and I got to be great friends, and I think they’d actually play games with me while I cleaned the pump.

Anyways, I think I started getting the bug when I rambled through the Oxford Botanic Gardens while we were in England…

Of course in March they were in the preparation stage of the year, but I still started feeling the bug hit. Our trip out to Brandon certainly didn’t help either.

Well, whatever the source, I want to play in dirt!!!!!!!

Anyways, in the meanwhile, I found this link, and discovered what I might be planting in this garden of mine… What are you?

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  I am an Echinacea What Flower Are You?

Well, guess I’ll see about figuring out a way to play a little in the dirt this year. I’ve never been a big container gardener, but maybe I’ll give that a try.

Have a great rest of the day!

As I write this, I am being attacked by the smell of brownies cooking in the kitchen. Boy, I’m starting off my day healthy, aren’t I? I was supposed to make brownies and a salad last night, but after a day of getting the June releases out, grocery shopping, and playing with my spinners, I just couldn’t look an egg or oil in the face. Our church is having a church picnic today to honor our graduates, so it must be made.

Other than the brownies, which might end up being our breakfast (LOL), I’m making one of the easiest, and most tasty salads, in my repertoire. Wish I could remember where I found it, but it’s my Mexican Corn Salad. Here you go with my “recipe”:

1. Open up how ever many cans of corn you need to feed your crew. I prefer using the mixed cans of white and yellow corn - it’s so pretty and sweet. Just pour this corn into a mixing bowl.
2. Find your favorite salsa, and add enough that makes the salad pretty, but not too red or runny. I love the black bean salsas, but you can choose whatever hits the spot.
3. Chop fresh cilantro, and add as much as you feel finishes off the salad. I like the flavor and freshness that the cilantro adds, so I add a ton of it. I also don’t mince it, but just roughly cut it. I like the look of the leaves.
4. After mixed, put it in your favorite serving bowl, and take it to the table.

How’s that for easy? It would be great even adding a few fresh veggies - green peppers, tomatoes, whatever floats your boat. But… having a husband who’s not a fan of anything resembling salad… I tend to stick to the basics - which he will eat a little of.

Well, the brownies are out of the oven and are perfect! Whoo-whoo!!!! Off to get ready, and get going.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. Our’s will be wet, as good ‘ole Barry will be shooting through Richmond. At least he’s just bringing us rain - which is much needed.

Happy stitchin’!

Good afternoon everyone! I’m back again.

Stop in at our What’s New page to find the newest designs of Stitchin’spiration! A Blackwork Christmas returns, as well as more bookmarks and another Knotwork Medallion.

With these new additions, I’ve also gone back to the quilting room, and have added some quilted Needlework Building Blocks.

Wouldn’t these be beautiful additions to any quilt!!!!

…at least in our household.

For some unknown reason, I’m sitting at my computer at 7:00 in the morning of a Saturday, typing away. Well, it’s really not “unknown”. You see, our lovely 4-legged boy Jack loves to get up bright and early on Saturday and Sunday mornings. During the week, when the alarm clocks go off at 6 and 6:30, he grumbles and complains that it’s too early. But come Saturday morning - IT’S PLAY TIME! Yes, 5:30 this morning my little black alarm clock began his pestering, ever so slightly waking me up so that he could go outside and see what all the birds and squirrels were doing. I guess you can see who runs our household - and they don’t have 2 legs.

One thing about Jack, though, he plays at 200%. Even at 11 now, I’m still waiting on our little Lab to calm down. Friends had promised that he’d slow down at 2, but we’re still waiting…..

Have you ever watched a Lab at play? In many ways I wish that I could live life like Jack lives his. When he wants to do something, he puts every single bit of energy into it. He just lets loose, and doesn’t hold back. Ever watch a dog “wallering” in the grass?

As he’s gotten older, Jack’s really perfected the technique. When I see him wallering, I have nothing but envy about how he just goes for it, and doesn’t worry about form or modesty. He just plain enjoys himself. If only I could attack life like that.

Well, as he’s now decided it’s time for him to take a nice weekend nap, I’m wide awake and getting my list together. Go figure!!! Today’s plan is to get a few model kits out to model stitchers, and finalizing and releasing the new June designs and Needlework Building Blocks. Yeah!!!!

Have a great Saturday! I’ll be back in after the releases are ready.

Today, I start another wonderful year with Jim. Yesterday, you see, was the anniversary of our first meeting 14 years ago. Did I just say 14 years? Wow!

You know, that morning back in 1993, I had no idea about the man that was going to be walking into my life, and what a huge impact it would have on me. That day, I woke up looking forward to another exciting day in my new town of Atlanta. It also, I might add, was Memorial weekend Sunday, so I was happy to know that I wasn’t going to work the next day. Nothing exciting was planned, my roommate and I were just going to catch a movie with some friends. Amazing isn’t it? You never know when God has amazing things planned for you. I love how He holds our lives in His hands, and how He molds us into His children.

Looking back, it’s such an amazing life He’s woven for me. Now, it always isn’t beautiful and easy, but I now find those challenges He puts in our way exciting (for lack of a better word). For, all the hard times that Jim and I have worked through, have ended up being pivotal times and events in our lives, setting up for something even more amazing that we’d seen before.

I do hope that you have a wonderful day, for it could be the first day of an amazing life!

Holiday weekends are just the best - aren’t they? I don’t know what it is, but that extra day away from work just really does make it perfect. Jim and I spent the day in complete laziness, taking a picnic to our favorite Virginia plantation - Brandon. Here’s what we saw for much of the afternoon -

- as we napped the afternoon away.

Brandon (the plantation) was the inspiration for my beginning the Garden Traditions series. The series isn’t meant to recreate gardens, but simply to catch the inspiration from these gardens. Take a look at the borders of my blackwork Brandon, and you’ll find an urn, a pineapple, and bushes surrounding the formal gardens.

Take a look around Brandon (the plantation), and you’ll find an urn…

… a pineapple (sorry, didn’t get that photo), and bushes…

surrounding wonderful garden rooms…

AAAAHHHHH!!!! Just writing this I can feel my blood pressure dropping, and I almost can feel the breeze from the amazing James River.

These pictures just don’t do the garden justice, but I wanted to give you a peak as to what awaits anyone who visits there. If you’re in the Richmond area, don’t miss stopping by Brandon, and taking a look at it’s wonderful gardens.

PS - For you history buffs, Brandon’s farms are believed to be America’s longest continually running agricultural enterprise. This year Virginia celebrates 400 years since the US was first settled at Jamestown, and Brandon’s farming began just a few years after…