Birds, a Birthday, and Boating

Hope everyone has had a good month! March here started off great--warm with sunny skies--more like May weather. Sadly, that didn't last into the second half of the month and it's been cooler and rainy ever since. I'm hoping the weather improves in April! In spite of the weather (or perhaps because of it), the trees are already budding, which seems much earlier than normal. Our daffodils are bobbing their sweet yellow heads and the birds are singing up a storm. Yes, spring has definitely arrived!

What have you been stitching lately? I'm working on one of the larger Teresa Kogut Santas and my monthly ornaments, but in between them I've gotten addicted to these darling bird designs by Heartstring Samplers. They are just so sweet! Now, to be honest, I didn't stitch all of them this month. I began with the American Robin last year, moved on to the American Goldfinch and the Blackheaded Grosbeak, and recently finished my favorite--the Black-capped Chickadee. I had originally planned to frame them individually in a grouping on my wall, but some of them are so small (not even 4" square), that I'm thinking of little pillows displayed in a bowl instead. Or maybe I'll frame some and make pillows of the smaller ones... What would you do? 

My first four finishes from Heartstring Samplery's "The Bird Collection" charts

All are stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle with most of the suggested overdyed threads. I did tweak a few colors here and there to show up better on my chosen fabric. Do you have any of these birds in your part of the world? Which is your favorite? Here's a closer look at each one...

We've been seeing more and more robins hopping around our yard lately--many of them appear to be pregnant. 'Tis the season!

 

I love seeing goldfinches--such a bright, happy bird. They really enjoy eating the sunflower seeds from our garden each fall before they migrate south.

We don't have these pretty birds in western Pennsylvania, but I wish we did--such vibrant colors!

The cheery chickadees are definitely one of my favorites--such lively spunky, little birds.

I would love to stitch all twelve of these! Which one would you stitch next? You know me--I'm such a lover of all shades of blue, I will probably pick a blue one. Perhaps the Tree Swallow?  You can click on the photo for a better look at all of these charming designs and let me know!

Twelve beautiful bird designs by Heartstring Samplery. I so hope she adds to the series and includes blue jays, cardinals, and hummingbirds.

We were away again this past week... drove down to Maryland for four days to help my oldest son celebrate his 43rd birthday (gasp--how can I possibly have a child that old!?!?). It was an "interesting" trip to say the least as their sewer backed up into their basement on the second day of our visit. UGH--the smell, the mess!! Having dealt with a sewer backup of our own 35 years ago, we knew how terrible experiencing something like that is. Oh, the joys of home ownership! My son was able to get a plumber to clear the blockage that afternoon and then Service-Pro arrived and cleaned, sanitized, and removed the affected drywall in the basement bathroom and furnace rooms. Luckily, the filthy sludge had not covered the entire basement.

 

On a sweeter note... I made some of our favorite chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting for my son's birthday. I've shared these links before, but for those of you who are new readers, I'm sharing them again:  Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes from the Celebrating Sweets website and Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting from the Peas and Crayons website (just scroll down underneath the cupcake recipe for a variety of frosting recipes). I only made half of the peanut butter frosting recipe for the six cupcakes. So, so yummy!

 

Lots of peanut butter frosting with a "bit" of chocolate cupcake :)

Mister B wanted to carry the plate with both my cupcakes and the two he especially picked out for his daddy from a bakery. He was so, so proud as he carefully (and very, very slowly--ha ha!) transported them to the table. We sang "Happy Birthday" once and began singing it again, but he stopped in his tracks, looked at us and commanded, "Spanish!" Too cute!  So "Feliz cumpleaños" was sung, too. I'm truly amazed at my little bilingual grandson. His caregiver and his mom speak mostly Spanish to him, so he's very fluent in two languages at the tender age of four!

 

Mister B proudly carrying the birthday cupcakes to his daddy.

I've been slowly bringing out my Easter/Spring decorations. That's the only way I seem to be able to get anything done these days as I've gotten older--bit by bit.  I'm always shocked at how many bunny-themed pieces I have when I let these cuties out of their storage drawer each spring--I swear they multiply over the winter :) 

 

Bunnies galore! Do you have a favorite?

So, that does it for the stitching and family news for this post... On to the next-to-the-last stop on our European adventure that we went on last September. This time we'll visit the beautiful...

 

Lake Como, Italy

 

This was an add-on trip to our Rhine River cruise and I jumped at the chance of going to this part of northern Italy. I think we've all heard about the beauty of the area and read about the wealthy residents that are lucky enough to live on the shores of this lovely lake. But... there was a problem with this particular stop on our journey--I was sick! I began getting a scratchy, sore throat while in Lucerne a few days earlier, but tried to ignore it hoping it would go away. Sadly, that was not the case and by the time we arrived by bus in Como, I was miserable--pale and feverish and just plain sick. I felt even sicker when we got to our hotel room and discovered that it was not overlooking the water, but faced an alley with a McDonald's at the corner! Yes--a McDonald's--not exactly what you travel 4265 miles for! Now, I grant you--it was not the typical red and yellow, golden arches type of McDonald's--there was just a small sign identifying it as McDonald's in a pretty stone building, but still... The hotel was all filled up so there was no hope of getting a better room. I actually flopped down on the bed and cried, telling my husband I just wanted to go home. We realized that flying while sick (I don't yet know if it was a bad cold or Covid) was not the best idea, so I agreed to stay. I went straight to bed, missing dinner, and slept and slept. By morning I felt a tiny bit better--well enough to venture outside.

 

That first morning, we went on a walking tour of Old Town Como. I barely recall what I saw being so ill, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

 

Como's Old Town with La Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo di Como) in the background

 

Such a picturesque alley!

 

Many of the ancient buildings had tiny balconies with attached flower boxes.

Oh, my! These cakes (seen through a bakery window) look too pretty to eat, don't they? 

One of the interesting stone murals found in Old Town Como.

After lunch, the famous lake called our names and we enjoyed a wonderful (although a bit chilly and windy) boat ride where we saw many breathtaking sights and homes.

Boating on the lovely Lake Como.

 

One mansion after another lines the shores of Lake Como.

Villa Oleandra, owned by actor George Clooney, is one of the most photographed spots on the lake.

Another must-see destination! The stunning gorge and waterfall that separates the two sides of the little village of Nesso. I so wish we would have had the time to explore this charming place.

A hillside view of the delightful village of Nesso

Looking like something out of a fairy tale, Villa La Cassinella, is the estate of billionaire, Richard Branson.

Another magnificent beauty gracing the shores of Lake Como.

We eventually reached our destination--the enchanting town of Bellagio, sometimes called "The Pearl of Lake Como." Oh, it was wonderful... filled with so much history and character. Sadly, the boat had to be back in Como by a certain time so we were limited to a mere 45 minutes of exploration time. Our group was very unhappy (to put it mildly)! This is a sad truth when you go on a guided tour--your time is not your own for very long. I truly hope to get back there some day for an extended visit, but it's not likely that will happen.

Pulling into port near the town of Bellagio, Italy.

Such a beautiful view at the top of this steep stairway. Lake Como is in the distance.

Loved the pastel walls and pots of flowering plants seen in Bellagio.

Lots of steep stairs and pretty alleyways greeted us.

Isn't this a pretty little scene with the top of an old church peeking out through the soft foliage?

I wish it had been sunnier and I had felt better, but I still enjoyed our day on Lake Como very much!

I think that's a good stopping point for today. I hope you enjoyed both my stitching and my travel photos! I always enjoy seeing other blogger's travel posts as there are just so many beautiful spots in the world that I will never be fortunate enough to travel to. I'll (finally!) wrap up my travelogue in my next post--hope to see you there. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today--your comments and emails certainly brighten my day when I see them. I truly appreciate each and every one of you! Wishing you a Happy April--may your days be sunny and bright. Bye for now... 

♣ ♣ ♣ Seeing green ♣ ♣ ♣

Hello all! How are you enjoying March so far? We've been extremely blessed with many sunny, warm days here in western Pennsylvania lately (even though it rained here today). My husband is thrilled as he's been able to get out on several bike rides with his biking buddies after a long winter of being cooped up inside. Exercise can be such a mood lifter, can't it? I've been slowly ridding the house of all things snow and winter related and have spent time brightening up my decor with lots of green and lighter colors. Another instant mood lifter! We were also able to escape to Florida for a few days at the end of February/beginning of March--a real treat as the last frigid days of  winter wind down here in the northeast. 

I try to add at least one new piece to my St. Patrick's Day stitching each year. As soon as I saw this charming design in the monthly newsletter from Primrose Cottage Stitchers, I knew it would be my piece for 2025. Even better--it is a freebie! You can sign up for their monthly newsletter right here to get the free designs and see what is going on in their shop. Just scroll all the way down and click on "Stitching Newsletter" to have it delivered via email. They've generously offered so many cute free designs in past newsletters!

My finish of "Happy St. Patrick's Day" by Primrose Cottage Stitches

I didn't have any of the recommended threads so I chose my own and am very pleased with the outcome. My color conversion is as follows if anyone is interested:  

Dark Green: WDW Lily Pad

Black: CC Black Coffee

Gold:  GAST Gold Leaf

Lettering: GAST Chamomile

The fabric for this latest St. Patrick's Day finish is 40 ct., but I'm not sure what brand as it was just a scrap. I used two different accent fabrics on the front and joined them with a decorative stitch. Just popped on a large black button topped with a polka-dot yellow bow to finish it off. I really love the way Primrose Cottage Stitches does their lettering--so whimsical and fun!

And below is a photo of most of my St. Patrick's Day stitching together. I used my grandmother's old dough bowl to display them this year--a quick, easy vignette to pull together! If you would like close-ups and more information on each finish, you may want to click on "St. Patrick's Day" under "Labels" in my sidebar. Do you put out a display for St. Patrick's Day? I love how it brightens up our kitchen side table--even though it will only be out for another week or two when the Easter bunnies take over. 

All shades of green appear in my March stitching

 

I had one other wee finish this month--a small, but sweet birthday card. I stitched this sweet design called "Bird and Strawberries" which I had pulled from a British stitching magazine (unfortunately, I forgot to record the name and date of the magazine). This was stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle linen with most of the suggested colors. I did have to darken the bird's belly so it would show up better on the white fabric. I also added another "swirly" motif on the left side to fill in the otherwise empty space. Hope the recipient loves it!

A simple birthday card stitched for a friend

So, I'm wondering how all of you store your printed off freebies and downloaded PDF designs? I've been struggling with them as they seem to multiply overnight and are difficult to sort through. I finally decided to put the freebies I've printed off into magazine boxes organized by holidays and seasons and to place my nicer Etsy PDF charts in plastic three-ring report folders (similar to these). I add photos to the front of the report folders to easily find what I'm looking for. I think this will help ensure that I actually stitch these and that they don't just end up in a stacked up pile somewhere. I need to go through my old Etsy downloaded print-outs and put all of my nicer PDF charts in more plastic folders soon!

I'm using these plastic report folders to organize my special Etsy PDF purchases. Hope to get all of these stitched this year!

As I mentioned above, we flew to sunny Naples, Florida a couple weeks ago for a few days of fun with the extended family. My entire family was there (except my middle son and his girlfriend) along with two of my husband's brothers and some of their family. There were 20 of us in total. Some ventured off to the annual Naples craft beer festival, but I had an even better time staying right at our AirBnb and playing with my grandson. While the others were gone, Mister B and I played many games of the card game Uno, colored, did puzzles, built Lego creations, and waded in the pool (I didn't dare take him swimming by myself as I'm not a strong swimmer). Another day, we all enjoyed some beach time and explored the Saturday morning farmer's market. And, of course, we ate lots of delicious food at our favorite restaurants. It was a wonderful five-day visit and everyone seemed to love the feeling of the warm sunshine on their faces.

Mister B in the airport as he heads to Florida (with his brand new Spiderman-themed roller bag in tow)

 

Mister B and my husband watching the boats come in

My grandson loves animals of all kinds--even this sheep statue!

My niece's friends own a helicopter and did a fly-by on Naples Beach as we waved them on! 

Love this nighttime silhouette

When I got home, I began putting away the snowmen and winter decor and pulling out St. Patrick's Day and spring pieces--fluffing the nest so to speak. One of my favorite things to do! Here a couple of photos of spring scenes around my home...

I found a new large round tray at Marshall's--perfect for our round dining table. The blue design on the bottom looks great with the new blue color on our walls and I'm having fun decorating it for the seasons. The stitched piece is "Robin's Wreath" by Just Nan which I stitched as a gift for my dear mother on her birthday way back in 2008. She was always so proud of my stitching and such a wonderful supporter of my blog.

This little shelf in my kitchen corner cupboard always brings a smile. The framed print at the back says "My favorite weather is bird chirping weather."

In an effort to eat healthier, I've been making most of our bread this year. I've shared this recipe with you before and it is my go-to for a nutritious loaf of bread with little effort. I do use my bread machine which makes it quite easy. The recipe for this Multigrain Bread can be found right here if anyone is interested...

I can't resist fresh, warm homemade bread, can you?

 

Is anyone else watching the bald eagle cam in California? I've found it fascinating and I so admire the eagle couple (Jackie and Shadow) as they sit protecting their tiny eaglets through howling winds and the snowstorm that recently dumped two feet of snow in that area. Sadly, one of the three babies has died...  The snow is melting now and I saw the remaining two being fed pieces of a freshly caught fish by one of the parents today, so I'm hopeful they will be okay! If anyone wants to take a peek at them, you can find the live feed on YouTube right here: Bald Eagle Cam Live .

The Bald Eagle Cam in Big Bear, California is so interesting to watch!

I had planned on continuing my travelogue of our trip to Italy, but I just didn't feel like sitting down and going through the many photos while the weather is so nice. We'll get back to that in my next post. I hope the second half of March is good to you! Thank you, as always for stopping by and saying "hello." I do appreciate the fact that you take the time to visit and read my little stitching blog. Take care now, my friends--and happy stitching! Bye for now...

♣♣ Wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day ♣♣

Still stitching Christmas and a visit to Lucerne and Lugano

Yes! I can feel it--spring is in the air! After almost two solid months of frigid temperatures and snow-covered ground, today we reached 49° and the snow is finally gone. It's been such a long winter for us folks up north--and I think many of you in the southern states received even more snow than we did this year. Yours melted quicker, but still--it's so strange seeing reports of snow in states that are normally snow-free. March weather is usually all over the place, but I'm hoping the worst is over. At least I can see the grass again!

I managed to get not one, but two ornaments stitched and finished this month and I'm so happy with how both turned out! My ornament for February is from one of the Prairie Schooler Mini Cards which has no name so I'm simply calling it "The Leaping Deer." I stitched this design 'over one' on 25ct black Lugana and it turned out so tiny (less than 1.5" square) that I needed to beef it up a bit with my finishing.  In this case I used two pieces of black Lugana and two pieces of coordinating fabric. All you do is sew the pieces into two rectangles and then sew the rectangles together. In this case, I sewed the stitched piece to the stripy piece of red fabric and the polka dot piece to the tiny piece of black fabric and then sewed the two rectangles together. Next I covered the seams with miniature white rick rack (I use just a bit of glue on a toothpick to attach it) and then continued to make a simple pillow finish. This method of finishing is easier than it looks--give it a try! In the lower right black square, I attached a silver snowflake charm for added interest. The cording is made from one 6 thread strand of white DMC and one 6 thread strand of DMC 221. Love how thin it turned out... It is still a very small ornament measuring under 3" square!

My February ornament finish: Prairie Schooler Mini Card

My selection for March brought another ornament stitched "over one"--this time on 25 ct. Victorian Red Lugana. I just fell in love with this design ("Believe" by Erin Elizabeth) the very first time I saw it. Such an easy piece to stitch with just one color! I added a pretty snowflake ribbon which I thought finished it off nicely along with white cording and a white jingle bell. 

"Believe" by Erin Elizabeth--my March ornament

I broke one of my cardinal rules about finishing an ornament though--always take a photo of your stitching before you actually finish it! You see, when you photograph a piece of stitching somehow any missed stitches appear as if by magic. It's strange, but they pop out at you better through a photo than just by using your eyes. Sure enough--I missed a stitch... If you can zoom in on the photo above, in the middle house (under the letter "e"), you'll see that there is a missing top stitch in the roof. Luckily, as the photo below shows--I was able to remedy that even though the ornament was already in a finished state. I used a flexible beading needle to do it and cut the thread close to the fabric. If you tugged on it, it would come right out because the thread isn't anchored, but I think it will be fine. WHEW!

I managed to cross that stitch in the right house underneath the peak using a flexible beading needle even though I had already finished the piece into a round ornament. So happy it worked!

And here are both together... really love each one! 

Two new cuties for my Christmas tree!

I, like many of you, have been using these cold winter months to do some organization. What a great feeling when it's all done! I have four Rubbermaid bins of thrifted frames that I store in my basement (much to my husband's dismay) and decided it was high time to at least go through them and organize them by size. I found a few frames that I brought upstairs to audition for some of my many larger "stitched but not framed pieces" and this one was a perfect fit for a wonderful older Prairie Schooler finish from way back in 2013! Just look at how well the gray in the frame's little swirls picks up the gray fabric color. I actually started jumping up and down when I saw how well it fit! As usual, I followed the framing tutorial from Brenda Gervais on her old blog which you can find right here.

I'm not sure how long this $3.00 thrifted frame had been buried in my frame bins, but I'm thrilled that it fit this finish so well!

"Home For Christmas" was stitched on 40 ct. pearl gray Newcastle with the suggested colors except for the reds which I changed to DMC 221. I'm thrilled to have this charming piece all ready for next Christmas. It reminds me so very much of the small western New York town where I grew up. I wrote about my original finish and my love for my home town in this post if you are interested in reading more about it. No matter where I live, I'll always be a small-town girl :)

There's nothing like a classic Prairie Schooler Christmas finish!

So, my great European travelogue continues! Today we will visit two wonderful destinations--hope you enjoy! Our first stop is the lovely...

Lucerne, Switzerland 

Oh, my--what a gorgeous stop! Definitely one of my favorites in our entire 2 1/2 week trip. 

The lovely  Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)  is one of two medieval foot bridges in the city.  Built in the 14th century (around 1332), it is considered to be the oldest covered bridge in Europe.  Containers overflowing with blooms of pink, green, and white flowers are showcased along the railings.

As you walk through the bridge, look upward and you'll see fascinating triangular painted murals such as the one above. These were added in the 17th century and highlight both the history of Switzerland and Lucerne. Sadly, there was a fire on the bridge back in 1993 which destroyed over 2/3 of the original paintings. Today only 30 have been fully restored and re-installed.

This octagonal water tower  stands at 113 feet high and was built around 1300 (before the bridge was constructed) as part of the city wall. It was once used as a prison and torture chamber.

A view of the lovely Lucerne architecture and the zig-zag of the bridge on the right.

The baroque interior of the 17th century Jesuit Church was breathtaking--like a white frosted cake with swirls of pastels and gold decorations! We were encouraged to peek in even though there was a wedding taking place that day... The bride and groom are seated in the red chairs at the front of the church.

There happened to be a folk music festival happening in Lucerne on the day we visited. I enjoyed seeing groups like this in their traditional costumes as they practiced on the streets.

Even though it was a cool, cloudy day, the beauty of Lucerne still shown through.

The 16th century Ritterscher Palace began as a private residence, but today acts as the government building for the Canton of Lucerne. Doesn't the unique facade remind you of chocolate bars?

The clock tower at the Lucerne Town Hall was built in the early 17th century in the Italian Renaissance style and once served as a dungeon.

In Old Town Lucerne, there are many, many colorful frescos on the facades of the buildings. These paintings detail parts of history, advertise businesses or famous people who have visited, and celebrate local folklore. Below are some of my favorites...

This mural (circa 1928) depicts the "Wedding at Cana" to commemorate the Easter plays that took place in the market in the 15th and 16th centuries.

 

Painted houses with both traditional and more modern art surround the square in old town Lucerne.

I don't know how the food tastes at this traditional Swiss restaurant, but the outside of the building is certainly eye-catching.

Love the trompe-l'oeil painting used to realistically create the appearance of cornerstones and window facades on this pretty building.

This ornately decorated building features a couple with their child and a tiny white cat perched on the balcony. And just look at the intricate paintings underneath the roofline!

Another beauty featuring horses, knights, and what appears to be a hunting scene. There is even a pair of fire-breathing dragons above the top left window. The stepped roofline was particularly eye-catching on this building.

This may appear to be the same bridge that I showed you earlier, but it is a smaller footbridge, Spreuerbrücke  (Spreuer Bridge). It contain 56 paintings featuring scenes from the Dance of Death (the Danse Macabre) , dating from the early 17th century. As you travel through the bridge, the murals portray the fact that death comes to everyone eventually, regardless of one's station in life.

A final look at beautiful Lucerne along the Reuss River.

For the next leg of our journey, we'll be stopping to visit...

Lugano, Switzerland

Finally, some warm sunny weather! We hadn't had that since our first couple days in Amsterdam.  Lugano is among the sunniest, warmest locations in all of Switzerland--there are even small palm trees growing down by the water's edge. Located in the south central section of Switzerland, right near the Italian border, 80% of Lugano residents speak Italian.

We took a train from Lucerne to Lugano and I spotted this beautiful scene out the window. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have mountains like that in your back yard?

 

One of my favorite photos of our trip! The magnificent Cattedrale di San Lorenzo  on the right with a glimpse of Lake Lugano and the surrounding mountains.

We didn't climb the 255 steps on the Stairway of Angels (The Scalinata degli Angioli), but I'm sure the view looking down to the lake was magnificent.

The beautiful lake is the top attraction in the Lugano area. Situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy, Lake Lugano is a glacial lake of about 18 square miles. 63% of it is in Switzerland and 37% in Italy.

We sat by the lake that day to eat our lunch... Very relaxing until we had walked away and my brother-in-law realized he no longer had his phone. Panic set in as we searched everywhere, retracing our steps back to our eating spot, checking the bathroom, etc., but we had no luck. Finally, we tried calling his phone and low and behold--someone answered! A very nice young woman had found it on the table where we had eaten our lunch and met up with us in the square to return it. Thankfully, there are still some kind and honest folks left in the world!

Imagine the glorious view the residents of the homes on the hill are treated to each day.

A wonderfully detailed fresco of the crucifixion (painted in 1529)  in the church of Santa Maria degli Angioli.

I have to admit, I took very few photos in Lugano as I was beginning to feel sicker and sicker by the hour... More on that in the next post! Hope you enjoyed today's travels. I'm so glad I'm putting this down in words and photos as I'm already forgetting many of the facts about the places we visited. For me, it's so special to be able to look back at my blog and recall the many places I've traveled to over the years. Thanks for indulging me! 

So, another month comes to an end... How can that be? I hope February has treated each of you well and that you've enjoyed lots of stitching time. March is not one of my favorite months, but April will follow and the days will surely be warmer. Thank you all for stopping by today--and a special thank you to those of you who take the time to leave such sweet comments! Bye for now...