Happy end of September! Are you ready for a new month? In some ways it seems 2020 is passing at a snail's pace and in others, it is like a runaway train--speeding by with no sense of direction. It's been a beautiful month here in the mid-Atlantic states with warm days and cool nights--perfect sleeping weather. The cooler weather moved in yesterday, however, and I think it's here to stay. Great stitching weather, though, and I'm looking forward to it.
Today I have a trio of finishes to share with you on one of my favorite subjects: black cats! Oh, I know... black cats are supposed to bring bad luck and they are even adopted from shelters at a much lower rate than other cats because of that superstition. Well, having had a black cat named Shadow for 14 years when my sons were growing up was one of the best chapters in my life. Ever since then, I've had a love for the sleek felines and, if it weren't for our travels and my husband's allergies to them, I would definitely adopt another one.
These cute pillows are all designed by Blue Ribbon Designs and were featured in various Just Cross Stitch Magazines. I had stitched the one below on the left last year and decided to make two more and finish them in a similar way to display in this little wooden tray.
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| A trio of black cat finishes |
The chart from the one I stitched last year can be found in the October 2018 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine and is called "Startled Superstition." Don't you love the expression on the cat's face? Now, hovering right above the cat are two things I do fear--bats! Ugh!!!
"Startled Superstition"
I used 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle for these and changed the colors to all DMC: 311, 3826, 976, 640, 729, 648, B5200. I also changed the outer border from orange to black. To finish it, I added some black ric-rak and a thin border of an orange and black print fabric to the side. Of course, I had to add my cording along with a black button, topped with a rust colored button, topped with a little checked bow.
Love black cats, but don't care for those bats!
The second pillow, called "Midnight Meeting" (from the October 2016 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine, was stitched on the same fabric with the same thread colors that I chose for the pillow above.
"Midnight Meeting"
I wanted the borders to match on all three, so I changed that up a bit, too. I think the shy smiles on the little ghosts are so sweet! This was the narrowest of the three designs so I did a border of ric-rak and fabric on each side, topped it with a gingham ribbon and an old brass jack-o-lantern charm.
Love the cute ghosts!
The final black cat stitchery is called "Scaredy Cat" and can be found in the Just Cross Stitch Halloween magazine from 2011. It's also stitched on 40 count vintage country mocha with the same DMC threads. I began stitching this one and thought, "Wait a minute! If I'm going to display these together, I want the two cats on each end to be facing each other." So, I took a photo of the chart with my phone and flipped it so it was the mirror image. Luckily, I had only stitched the cat's tail so I didn't have much to rip out!
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| "Scaredy Cat" |
The border on this third design was totally different and done in green so I re-charted it to match the borders on the other two. Here is a close-up of it all finished up... what do you think? As you can see, I put the fabric strip on the opposite side of that in the first finish. I love the way all three look together and think this is a cute Halloween display without being creepy or scary. I haven't done much Halloween stitching since 2014 when my dad died on Halloween, but I'm hoping to do a few pieces now and then. It definitely changed the feeling of the holiday for me.
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| It was nice being able to use the same colors and fabric for all three! |
So, do you have a favorite? I think I like the last one the best--not sure why! I like the happy (rather than scary) pumpkin in it, too. I haven't stitched very many Blue Ribbon Designs, but will definitely be doing more.
One final look at the black cat trio.
Would you like to see a photo of my sweet Shadow who started my love for all-black cats? He was one big black cat--nearly 20 pounds! The vet said he could double as a panther in an action movie--he was that big. And, he was the very best pet for our boys--he followed them around in the yard, slept with my middle son, and really behaved much more like a dog than a cat. He, sadly, developed a tumor in his intestines and, even though we had him operated on, he ended up dying of it about 18 months later. Shadow was 14 years old when he died in 2007 and I still miss him dearly.
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| Shadow, 1993-2007 |
Gifts galore! In other stitching news, I've received some lovely gifts from stitchy friends from both Instagram and fellow bloggers. I still feel quite overwhelmed at the sheer thoughtfulness and generosity found in our community and I hope this kindness spreads to other online communities as well. This year, more than ever, we need a lot more kindness in our world, don't you think? Thank you to all of my sweet friends who surprised me with little bits of happiness in my mailbox recently...
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| Instagram friend Claire, in Canada, made me this darling scissor fob with the tiniest "over one" cardinals and the letter "C." |
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| Instagram friend, Lois, from Northern Ireland sent my grandson this adorable book by two of my favorite children's authors. |
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| Instagram friend, Tricia in Illinois, sent me some delicious honey harvested from her husband's beehives, two beeswax candles and these sweet bee-themed scissors. |
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| Blogging and Instagram friend Stasi, in Virginia, sent this wonderful selection of ribbons for my finishing and two sweet "Handmade With Love" charms. |
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| Blogging friend June, in England sent me a cute beveled frame so I can put some stitching or photos in it for my grandson's room. |
Giveaway time... I haven't offered a giveaway in a while so how about the chance to win these two charts? I'm offering both because the chart for one is on the back of the photo for the other and I can't separate them. These are from an old Leisure Arts magazine (sorry, but I don't know the issue). One is a seasonal band sampler called "Peace and Plenty" and is filled with pumpkins and sunflowers and a pastoral looking farm scene. And the other is called "Toy-Lovers Santa" and features good St. Nick carrying a bag of toys and carrying a snow globe with what appears to be a tiny Nativity scene inside.
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| If you would like to win these two charts, please follow the three steps below and I'll pull a name from the hat and post it sometime in October. |
If you would like to win these two charts (which are torn from a magazine and will be folded to fit in a legal sized envelope to keep postage costs down): 1) Please let me know you are entering the giveaway in your comment below; 2) Make sure to leave your email if I don't have it already, and 3) Answer the question in my "Getting To Know You" section below. I'll let you know the winner in late October so you have a while to enter! Good luck to all!
Getting to know you... For today's question, I'd love to know if you like your first name and why or why not? My answer: Actually, I do like my first name even though "Carol" definitely screams "born in the 1950s." My mom and dad named me Carol as I was supposed to be born on Christmas, but just wasn't ready to appear until mid-January. "Carol" originated in France and means "song of joy" and, to me, it always sounds like a happy name. ♪♫♪ I wasn't named after anyone... my parents simply liked the name and I'm happy they chose it!
So, now it's your turn... Do you like your first name? I'd love to get to know you a bit better...
With fall comes the job of cleaning up the garden which I leave to my husband. This spring he put up a new deer and critter-proof fence and halved the size of our garden. This fenced in area is the only place we can grow flowers due to our overly abundant and very hungry deer, so the four raised beds are used for both vegetables and a few flowers. This is what it looked like in early summer (my husband surprised me by planting those small sunflowers when I returned from caring for my mom in May). I love the concrete slabs in between the beds as they keep your feet free of dirt when picking vegetables or flowers.
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| The newly configured garden in spring... |
And here is the view at the end of summer. There were lots of tomatoes and butternut squash...
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| ... and in fall 2020 |
Actually, there are way too many butternut squash--we have almost 20! Does anyone have any good recipes to recommend that would use up some of them? I am not usually a squash eater, but I may have to force myself this year!
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| I need Butternut Squash recipes--help!! |
This year was definitely a transition year and my husband hopes to plant more flowers and a wider variety of vegetables next year. I did manage to get some pretty bouquets from our garden, though!
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| Love how the pink and white flowers look in the Delft pieces from my dear mother. |
These gorgeous mums were sitting beside mom's grave during the funeral service and each of us kids took a pot of them home.
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| Mom would have loved these mums so very much... She always enjoyed the colors of autumn in the northeast. |
I'm still planning on doing a memorial tribute for my dear mother, just need to get a bit stronger. The good news is that I am getting less weepy--I noticed a distinct improvement this weekend so I'm hopeful... I still miss her dreadfully, though.
Well, that's it for me for September. I'll be taking a bit of a blogging break for part of October... Bet you know what that means, right? Yep--we are off to visit our little sweetheart grandson, "Baby B" who is now nearly 3 months old. I can't wait to hold him again--although he will look nothing like the nine day old cherub in this photo below. I mean look at that sweet dimple... sigh! Once again, we will be quarantining in an Airbnb before moving in with my son's family just to make sure we didn't pick up Covid on the flight to California. Wish us luck! I will be able to read your blogs while I'm gone, but won't be able to comment on them.
I have this photo of my sweet grandson right here in my kitchen where I can see it as I cook!
Don't forget, if you want to enter the giveaway, please make sure to include your email address (and that goes for anyone who wants a reply to a question as well, please). I hope you all have a wonderful October ahead and thank you all for visiting "Stitching Dreams," reading my way-too-long posts, and commenting--I do appreciate each of you so much! Bye for now...
♥ Happy October to all! ♥
Dear Carol,
ReplyDeletei wish you a great time with Baby B and i hope it helps you a little bit with your grieving heart.
Have a safe and healthy traveling.
Yes, i now like my Name. In my Childhood i didn‘t liked it that much, cause some teachers spelled it wrong and i was the only one in my classroom with a not so german common name.
My Email-Adress is: amara_1985@hotmail.de
Have a beautiful day and a beautiful October
Amara
My favorite is Midnight Meeting. How clever to change the borders so they coordinate, Carol. And what lovely gifts. This community is so generous and loving. As to my name, I have always hated it. My mother wanted to name me Ellen which I would much prefer but my Daddy did not like Ellen. He had a little sister who died named Helen and I always wondered if that was why he vetoed Ellen. I would have much rather be named Debbie, Kathy or Linda like all my friends.lol Have fun with Baby B, there is nothing like those sweet baby days. Fingers crossed that your children move closer to home so you can see that precious boy more often. Happy Stitching.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is Scaredy Cat and I like the border change very much. Please don't include me.
ReplyDeleteI love butternut squash and just roast and mash it with butter, sometimes add a little allspice or pumpkin pie spice. I freeze containers of it mashed or cubed, also make squash soup with pumpkin (Panera copycat).
No, I do not like my name, never did!
Enjoy your trip, be safe!
Well done on all your black cat stitches, Carol! I can't pick a favorite as I like them all. Each one is adorable. What lovely gifts you received. You could always see if the local food pantry would take some of the butternut squash off your hands. Have a safe trip to see your west coast family and grab some extra snuggles with Baby B! Thinking of you, Carol!
ReplyDeleteI don't hate my name (Mercedes), but I do get a lot of comments for it. I strongly prefer the French pronunciation, which is Mair-say-dies, but since most of my family is English I only get that from my Franco-Canadien(ne) friends and in-laws!
ReplyDelete(Not entering giveaway!)
Your three black cats went together just perfectly. Do you get a subscription to Just Cross Stitch? I have been thinking about adding it back. I just love the old Leisure Arts magazines that I kept. Oh the garden! Wouldn't I love that!!! I can't get anything to grow in sand. The block walkway was ingenious to keep it neat and tidy too. You enjoy that grandson and soak up every minute. I go get Tucker for a day every two weeks or sooner. I have him today, so I better get off. I have our day all planned. He seems to still love coming to my house so for that I am very grateful.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to finally see a great picture of the beautiful Shadow. What a fine cat he was.
ReplyDeleteThe scissor fob Claire made you IS darling indeed! Lovely book from Lois. Such perfect gifts from Tricia!! ;) I received the same great gift from Stasi! Oh what a lovely gift from June!
I will answer your name question. I like my name, but would have preferred my Dad chose to name me Victoria instead. My Mom named my brothers. They all have biblical names. I like that. Michael, David and Jonathan.
I love the picture of your grandson in your kitchen. :) Have a safe trip!!
Enjoy your time with Baby B and his parents! We have two grands that live in KS (we're in AZ). From the time they were born we developed the habit of visiting with them on Skype every weekend. It probably (obviously) didn't mean much to them as infants, but it meant the world to us and it served to help them know our voices when we got to visit in person.
ReplyDeleteI hate my first name. It's Vicki. Not Victoria, just Vicki. When I was in third grade a friend gently teased me about my name saying "what's going to happen when you're 60 years old with a name like Vicki? You'll have to wear a pony tail even though you're old". Oh my! Well, I'm 64 now and I can wear a pony tail occasionally, but I really wish my name was Victoria. Hahaha
Have fun with Baby B and his parents. I love all 3 of the black cats (I am a cat lover anyway). I like my name okay. I was named after my mom's best friend. May I suggest you give the squash to a food pantry? I volunteer in a food pantry and we always appreciated the donations. Thank you for offering the drawing. Please add my name. My e mail address is Stitchingaunt at g mail dot com. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh and I forgot ---I like my name. I am a Sandra who shortened it to Sandy. I actually like both but feel I am much more a Sandy since I am sort of a casual person. I have family members who still call me Sandra though. Definitely indicative of my age though since I graduated in a class of 83 with two others.
ReplyDeleteHello! I loved your black cats and am a fan of them also as we've had several very special ones over the years.
ReplyDeleteSo very sorry about the loss of your mother.
I would like to be entered in the drawing for the charts.
I hated my name during my school years as it wasn't common until the Beatles song "Michelle" came out during my freshman year of high school. Even then not everyone got it. I was a very shy kid and the first few days of school were awful with being called Michael or Mitchell or something I have no idea how the teacher came up with. I so wanted a common, easy to pronounce name like Ann or Linda or Patty. Now it's just my name.
Enjoy your time with your grandson. Grandkids are great!
Wishing you a wonderful trip to see the new grandbaby! As for liking my name, I can say I do now. Growing up not so much. I loved your three black cat pillows. They turned out fabulous. - Leslie
ReplyDeleteLove your black cats and the matching finishes although slightly different. I would like to tell you how much your blog inspires me with my stitching, especially my finishing.
ReplyDeleteI am in the central PA area and agree with your weather forecast. My first name is Nan, not Nancy. My mother thought Nancy was too common and she wanted me to have the same initials as her....her name was Naomi.
Carol, your grandson is adorable!
ReplyDeleteI would like to be entered in the drawing.
I was named after my maternal grandmother (Catherine) and as a child I didn’t like my name. I thought it was an old woman’s name. Friends call me Cathy and so does my husband’s family but my family always calls me Catherine. As I got older, I liked my name and regretted never liking it. I think it suits me and is rather sophisticated. Thank you for the drawing. Stay well.
My email address: august1375.c @ aol dot com
Oh, Carol, so much to say about this post. Where do I start? When I was small, I had a black cat, too. I named her "Kit Kat" (after one of my favorite candy bars) and she was so sweet. We lived in the country, and I would often wake up to find a dead mouse or a dead bird at the foot of my bed (gifts she brought me). Then she disappeared. I was very upset, and my brother told me that she was probably eaten by a mountain lion (helpful comment... not!). We lived in a two-story log home and one summer night I was sleeping out on the second-story deck in a sleeping bag. Guess who woke me up? Yup... Kit Kat. She had a kitten in her mouth and was bringing it to me to show off. So she wasn't dead after all - she was just *busy*.
ReplyDeleteI love your black cat/Halloween stitches. Great way to sneak back up on stitching the holiday. At first glance I thought they were Prairie Schooler!
Such thoughtful gifts from dear friends!
Now that I'm older, I do like my name, but growing up, I hated it. When I was in second grade, I insisted that my teacher call me "Margaret" (my legal name) rather than "Meg." To this day, whenever I run into her in my hometown, she still calls me Margaret! When I was in fourth grade, I went through a rather unfortunate phase of wanting to be called "Margie." Thank Goodness that one didn't stick.
Your garden is beautiful! The concrete slabs are definitely awesome! I think I have a butternut squash recipe to send you. I'll look through my recipe app and email it to you. I've never made it but my mom has and says it is scrumptious - but it's not a healthy recipe, either.
Oh! I forgot to mention.... I hope you have a wonderful time visiting your son, his wife and the baby in CA. I hope that we have more access to rapid testing soon so that you don't have to spend so much time in quarantine. Wouldn't it be great to just know right away and get right to those dimples?
ReplyDeleteCarol, all the cat pieces are adorable, but that cat on the left catches my fancy...I think it's the look on his/her face.
ReplyDeleteMy first name is Mary, after my paternal grandmother. My middle name is Anastasia...hence the Stasi, after my maternal grandmother who disliked that name so much she legally changed hers to Estelle. I've never gone by Mary and it causes trouble when I have to fill out forms with first name, middle initial. Well, thing could be worse...they could have named me Mary Estelle!!!!
Have a wonderful visit with the grand baby---I know you will!!!
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteI love how you reworked the designs so they would coordinate together. Your autumn display is beautiful as well.
You received some lovely gifts.
I had to chuckle when you said your cat Shadow was more like a dog. Growing up we had a black cat (who came there as a stray) Atilla actually took a dog out of the yard--She would also kill flies! She wasn't a snuggly kitty--she was all business.
I've never minded my name-people usually think you were born in that month, but no, my dad just liked the name. (I was almost a Sarah after my grandmother)
Safe travels to you and your husband. I know you all will have a great time with Baby B and family :)
Hugs,
April
I love your black cats and how you changed them up a bit. They really look so nice together in bowl..
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful gifts you received. Your grandson is adorable. Grandkids are great, but living in New York and my only grandkids are in California is tough. They grow so fast.
I do not like my name, Pamela, at all. Not sure what my parents were thinking. Was born in December and couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t Noelle or Christine. Oh well, at 63, I’ve lived with it this long..... LOL!
Love your blog!
Pam
I love your 3 Blue Ribbon Black Cats! My favorite is the last one too. Something about a black cat and a orange pumpkin just hits all the right notes. Your finishing is perfection!
ReplyDeleteI love butternut squash! I chunk it up and roast it with just some salt and pepper for a side dish, puree it for soup, or best of all make butternut squash risotto. For me that is just normal risotto made with chicken or veg broth with roasted butternut squash added to it, it is even better with pinenuts sprinkled on top.
I like my first name, Mary. I am named after my grandmothers, Mary and Ruth, and always felt strongly attached to my name because of that. As I grew older and felt a inspired by the saints named Mary, I liked my name even more. I have known very few Marys in my age group-I guess it is not a common name for people in their 40s. So I feel like it is unique even though it is old fashioned and well known.
Hi Carol, have a great time with Baby B and family in CA.
ReplyDeleteYour 3 Halloween cushions are wonderful. Like them.
Nice gifts you got.
Stay safe and healthy.
Hugs
Love your post today Carol.
ReplyDeleteLove the black cat stitches .
Wow your hubby has been busy in the garden all those lovely veg and flowers.
Love your header too.
I bet you know how I got my name born in June.
I would have been called Lorraine if not.
Enjoy your visit with your sweet GS have lots of cuddles.
Have fun.
Hello Carol,
ReplyDeleteyour three cat finish is wonderful I like them. It is a wonderful Halloween decoration.
Mittlerweile mag ich meinen Namen. Als Kind habe ich ihn nicht gemocht, aber ich denke so geht es vielen Kindern. Was ich nicht mag, wenn man mich mit "Ela" (die Koseform von Manuela) anspricht. Außer meinen Eltern und Geschwister tut dies auch niemand und sie dürfen es.
Have a nice journey and a wonderful time with your grandchild.
Enjoy the days in California.
Until the next time, Manuela
Your trio of cats are awesome Carol, very nice finishes.
ReplyDeleteI like the Startled Cat the most.
Great pic of Shadow, I love black cats.
I wish I could have one, but after I moved away from home (we had a cat), I became severely allergic to them.
Cute gifts you received.
I think my name is ok, but hardly anyone calls me that.
My family calls me Mary, niece & nephew call me Aunt Mary, and, my maiden name is Murphy, so most people call me Murf, or Murphy.
You have a nice little garden.
I use Butternut Squash in place of potatoes in stew, it's delicious.
Have fun visiting Baby B, he's so cute!
Marilyn
I love and enjoy your blog so much! I'm sorry I've not told you before! I am entering the drawing too, momoshari@yahoo.com. It has taken years to accept my first name and to learn to not associate it with things about the past. I think It is a pretty name, which also screams late 50s early 60s. I think you're is lovely. Happy autumn!
ReplyDeleteI love your Halloween stitches. They are just so cute! As for the bats - we frequently see them in our neighborhood. I don't mind them because I hear they eat lots of mosquitoes. What lovely gifts you received. Maybe you will get a little reading time with your sweet little grandson. I've always gone by Penny, but my real first name is Betty, and no, I'm not fond of the name. Lots of teasing in school over it. My maiden name is the same as a former president, so I got endless questions about Gerald. Not funny. :) Enjoy every minute of your visit with that precious little guy. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHi--Shari here, a USian living in Co Donegal, Ireland. I get your blog in my email. Just wanted to chime in on the butternut squash question. You can use it just like pumpkin in baked goods--pie, bread, etc. My husband is from New England and squash pie instead of pumpkin was common when he was growing up. I can't tell the difference between them. Some canned pumpkin actually contains winter squashes, including butternut.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your visit with your new grandbaby!
I think I like "Midnight Meeting" no particular reason other than it has two of everything. They all look cute though and I love the little tray you have them in. Shadow was a handsome fella. I imagine they do behave and are much quieter than dogs; especially our dogs! One gets going and that's it; they all have to compete with each other. How is Little B doing? That is a lot of squash! I hope you enjoy it. Can you freeze some to eat during the winter? You said your temps are going down and we just broke a record for the most days in the 100s in a year and we have more coming!!
ReplyDeleteMy name... I LOVE my name. People tend to remember it because it is not (or at least it wasn't always) a common name. My Mom was going to name my little sister Hope but everyone kept telling her to name her hope so she named her Cynthia instead. :)
Have a wonderful stitchy week Carol.
Enjoy your time with your grand baby and family. As for my first name - it is Theresa and while I like the name my parents decided to use my second name as I have an aunt (Big Theresa) and cousin (Little Theresa) with the same name which has caused a lot of confusion throughout my life - lol.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol,
ReplyDeleteAll three designs are lovely and the changes you made to them turned out great, as they now look as part of the same set. My favourite would be the middle one, "Midnight Meeting". Although I'm not usually fond of Halloween, these ghosts and pumpkins look friendly and cute, as you said. Your finishing touches are always perfect.
I never liked my first name (which is one of the reasons I use a nickname online), but lately I've come to terms with it and doesn't bother me as much as it did when I was a child and people made jokes. If you're OK with shipping overseas I'd like to enter your giveaway —these pretty samplers you stitch and show us can't be found in our magazines.
I hope you have a great time cuddling and doting your grandson. Take care!
Hugs
I love those three cat designs together. I had a black cat called Spook or Spooky, she was a rescue and very nervous to start with.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad chose my name, which is Joanne. Not Joanna or Josephine as some believe! He says he just liked the name but it may have been influenced by Joan Baez. Mary is my middle name after my Mum's middle name and two of my Great Grandma's middle names. I never liked it when I was young because it was so old fashioned but grew to love it because of the family links. Recently my cousin named her daughter Mary after us all which made me very happy as I only have sons!
I'm named Mary, and I never liked the name; but it beats my parent's second choice - Maude! I've grown to like it once I figured if it's a good enough name for the mother of Jesus, it's good enough for me.
ReplyDeleteAlways love your stitching and look forward to the first of the month to read your blog.
Hi Carol! I love your black cat stitching and I think my favorite is the one on the left. I really like the way you finished them to sit together. Glad you are returning to CA to see the baby and I bet your son and DIL will be glad to have you there. My niece always makes butternut squash soup for the fall - I don’t know her recipe but I think it is fairly easy and probably would be easy to find with a quick google search. I might also have a recipe that I tried a few years ago - if I can find it, I’ll send it your way.
ReplyDeleteSo, for names, Jennifer was to the 70’s what Carol was to the 50’s - the most common name the year I was born. I do like it and like that those closer call me Jen - I guess I liked it well enough to name my daughter Jenna with a very close companion!
Safe travels and enjoy your time with the baby!
Quel bonheur de vous de nouveau Carol.
ReplyDeleteJe confirme que les chats noirs ne portent pas malheur et sont de doux compagnons. Nous avons eu un petit Tigrou qui était borgne suite à des maltraitances, nous l'avions adopté au refuge à l^'age d'un an, hélas un chauffard est passé et ce pauvre petit est parti au paradis des chats. Puis nous avons eu Orion (adopté au refuge aussi à l'âge de 3 ans) décédé a 14 ans de la même maladie que votre chat Ombre.. Ensuite Onyx adopté à l'âge de 10 mois (décédé en 2016), puis Theo adopté à l'âge de 3 ans et Tahiti adopté à l'âge de 2 ans. Tous sont noirs et sont vraiment des amours. En tout nous avons 5 chats à la maison 2 noirs Theo et Tahiti, 2 tigrés Sakura et Cookie et une noire et blanche Timy. Ils me rendent heureuses car ils donnent beaucoup de tendresse, d'amour, sans oublier nos deux poules adorables elles aussi.
Vos coussinets sont magnifiques, vos finitions sont toujours parfaites et mettent si bien en valeur vos ouvrages. Une belle décoration automnale.
Quel joli jardin !! Nous avons planté au printemps des tomates mais un seul pied a résisté. Les autres ont eu une maladie qui nous a obligé à les enlever. Notre pauvre jardin était bien miséreux cette année...
Mon prénom je le trouve quelconque, je ne l'aime pas plus que ça, je ne saurais d'ailleurs pas dire pourquoi... Peut-être parce que mon père biologique a participer à ce choix. C'était un ignoble personnage, cruel, ne pensant qu'à faire du mal aux plus faibles que lui.. Il nous battait Maman et moi jusqu'à ce qu'elle décide de s'enfuir avec ma petite soeur et moi pour lui échapper et demander le divorce.. Oui peut-être que je n'aime pas plus que ça mon prénom à cause de ça...
Bonne visite à votre charmant petit fils, profitez-en, c'est tellement agréable des les câliner nos petits enfants...
Amitiés de France,
Christel
http://toilesetfils.blogspot.com
I love all 3 of your black cat pillows! Belinda is such a great designer of smalls! i think my favorite is the same as yours. Your husband’s garden is fantastic!!! My husband would be jealous if I showed him. He started beekeeping because he loves vegetable gardening so much and read that bees help. (now the beekeeping has become his favorite hobby.) Our yard is mostly shady so that has created a gardening challenge. The flowers in your mother’s delft pottery are GORGEOUS! what a beautiful color combo!
ReplyDeleteMy name.... hmmm. I am named after my mother, also Patricia. She is Pat so i was Trish/Tricia. I’m ok with it. The older i get I’d like to be Patricia as I get called Pat, Trish, Patty, whatever people want. Of course both of my sisters have rather unique, beautiful names so mine feels like an after thought. I have always loved Carol for all the reasons you mention.
Enjoy your visit! I know you will! Looking forward to an updated photo!
I love your trio of cats finishes, and especially how you flipped the last one to give a more cohesive look. My favourite is the one with the bats because, actually, I adore bats, I think they are so sweet. (does that make me weird?)
ReplyDeleteI love the trio of cats. I've grown up with the superstition that black cats are for luck! Enjoy your time with baby B.
ReplyDeleteLovely cat finishes Carol, I like the startled black cat best, the finishes are so nicely displayed in the wooden tray.
ReplyDeleteMy name Sheryl, is OK I suppose but I remember when young, always wanting to have a nickname like other school friends. Living in Spain I get called all sorts of odd names as the `sh´ sound does not exist here and I´m mainly called anything that starts with the `ch´sound, like `cherry´ or `cheri´
Have a lovely trip to see your new grandbabe.
Good Morning, I just discovered your blog and I am loving going back and reading your blogs. First off congratulations on that sweet baby boy. Bringing a grandma is wonderful. I have two, a boy and a girl and they call me Mimi which is my favorite name. I have alway used the name Suzan which is my middle name. My first name is Roberta, I don’t mind it which is a good thing because with identity theft I have had to get in touch with my inner Roberta. Most people who know me still call me Suzan but if I am flying or using my credit card Roberta is the name I am called.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say how sorry I am about your mother. It has been several years since I lost my mother and every now and then I think oh I need to ask mom about that. We lost my husbands mother two weeks ago. I loved her as though she was my mom and I will miss her a lot.
In my pre retirement I was a grade school librarian. I loved every minute that I spent in my little library. I turned 65 this year and we divide our time between Florida and Illinois. I am new to cross stitch it, has become my pandemic hobby. I also quilt and share them with our local women’s health clinic.
Suzan
Ladybugcottage36194@gmail.com
I love your black cats and how you've revised the patterns to create the set! My favorite would be Startled Superstition. It makes me smile! I've not decorated much for Halloween in a very long time. Have a wonderful time with Baby B!! I know you're ready to get him in your arms! As for my name, yes, I like it. As a child I was called Catherine which made me feel regal. As a teenager I switched to Cathy. I'm more of a Cathy!
ReplyDeleteHi Carol - I hope you get to see your new grandson very soon and especially get to hold him, hug him and love him! The perfect visit for you!
ReplyDeleteI hope your travels are safe, uneventful and that you have a great visit with Baby B and his Mom & Dad. It will be fun to read all about your
trip and hopefully, you will be able to share a few current photos of Baby B. I think he’s 3 months old today! Happy 3 month Birthday!!
I loved reading this post that you shared with us and loved the cats you stitched - very creative and very festive for Halloween 🎃! Hard for me to pick a favorite. I love all three of them.
Hope you have a wonderful trip & visit with your family!
I never really heard about the superstitions surrounding black cats until a couple weeks ago. I think they are very pretty and do love one black cat in particular (my MIL's) very much! Your stitching is so cute, I think the one with the big pumpkin is my favourite as well.
ReplyDeleteYou received so many wonderful gifts from all around the world - stitchers truly are one caring and giving community. And look at that garden of yours - it's so nice to get to ear home-grown vegetables! Sorry but I have to pass on the squash recipes, me and squash/pumpkin are just slowly starting to become friends this year.
My name...I really didn't like it much as a kid, Leonore seemed to long and uncommon, so I went by 'Nora' for most of my life (and still do). I am starting to like Leonore more too, though, and try to introduce myself as such to new people I meet (which can get confusing when I don't always remember who uses what name!).
I hope you have a wonderful time with your little bundle of grandmotherly joy! I'm very impressed with how responsible you are quaranteening every time you meet him. Such a good grandma already <3
I just love your trio of finishes. Just perfect indeed. They look just divine in that tray. Gorgeous!! I'm a dog person but have no problem with black cats. They are adorable to me. Fantastic gifts. How sweet. You deserve them. Please don't enter me into the drawing. I have way too much to stitch now haha. I love my name even though I was named wrong haha. My mom wanted to name me Katrina Marie but a family member was already named Marie so I am instead Kathleen Ann. I love the Katie though. My Dad tries to shorten it now that I'm older to Kate but a Katie I will always be. Lovely garden. We moved our tomato plants to patio pots so we don't have all the weeds to pick. Enjoy your visit. Not that I have to tell you that though.
ReplyDeleteI would like to enter the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI have always liked my first name. I am named after the nurse who took care of my Mom when I was born. So, I was named after a complete stranger, but she must have been a good person because my Mom gave me her name.
Thanks Mom, I miss you every day.
I have missed reading your blog. What a beautiful garden you have and your butternut squash seem huge! I make a sauce out of Butternut squash and put it on Ravioli. Bake the squash as you normally would be cutting in half and roasting in the oven until it's meat is soft..scoop out the meat and put in a pan. Add heavy whipping cream, garlic salt and a pinch or two of cinnamon and nutmeg. I don't measure my ingredients but i would guess about 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream. I usually add to the consitency I would like for a sauce. when it's hot ladle over your cooked pasta add some fresh grated parmessan and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI would like to enter your drawing for the santa pattern and band pattern if it's still available. Jentwyn@gmail.com I've enjoyed reading your blog!
OH. i forgot to answer your question. I don't dislike my name but i wouldn't mind having another. Mine is so common and that is really the only thing i don't like about it. :) jentwyn@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteBeautiful autumn and Halloween stitching, Carol. That photo of your little grandson is precious! What fun you are going to have watching him grow up!
ReplyDeleteI see you've returned home from visiting B! Love your black cat finishes! I was surprised about them because I knew you really didn't do Halloween like yours truly. They're wonderful. I don't like my name, haha. My mom said she picked between my name and Shelby and picked Shelly instead. I've had it for 56 years so it's bearable! Take care!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great loooooong post, dear Carol,
ReplyDeleteI love your Halloween cushions, all three of them.
And your little sweetheart is so beautiful!!
I didn’t like my name when I was a kid, but now I’m happy with it. Thank you so much for your comment on my blog, as always I was very happy about it. See you soon, greetings and stay healthy,
Jutta