I really didn't mean to be gone for four weeks! July has been one of the busiest months ever and I'm so ready for a quieter August... Before I show you my stitching or give family updates, I really, really want to thank all of you who commented on my last post. I simply haven't had time to get back to most of you. But, I truly appreciate each and every comment--thank you!
I did manage two simple finishes this month, both of which I've already shared on Instagram. First up is the charming Plum Street Samplers design called "Summer in Nantucket." Who has visited Nantucket? Not me, but it's definitely on my list! I just love the photos I've seen of the most beautiful hydrangeas blooming against the weather-beaten gray background of the seaside houses (although in this scene, the house just happens to be red!). I love the whimsical details--the whale weathervane, the seagull as big as the roof, and who doesn't love a flag-bearing, whale riding mermaid? I did make a few changes to the colors in this piece--mainly to the red and green. For the red, I used Gentle Arts "Weathered Barn" and for the green, I substituted Gentle Arts "Baby Spinach." The fabric is one of my favorites: 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle. It's such a great fabric for summery piece, snowy designs, or even spooky stitching!
 |
| "Summer in Nantucket" |
Luckily, I had a perfectly sized frame in my stash of thrifted frames (this one was $3.00!). It started out as a gold frame, but I knew that wouldn't do at all. So I gave it three coats of a creamy white paint (FolkArt matte finish acrylic paint in 515E "Vintage White"), distressed it a bit, and had an instant finish!
 |
| The shells are ones I've collected on my travels |
Another change I made to the design was to add a few little bubbles for the fish--it seemed to give the piece some movement. I'm thrilled to have another true summer-themed piece all ready for display as I have so few. Most of my summer finishes are either patriotic or sunflower/bee themed.
 |
| I do love that mermaid sailing through the sea on the white whale! |
Having very little time to stitch my monthly Christmas ornament, I had to choose a simple and quick design. As I was looking through my notebook of possible ornament charts, this little cutie popped out at me. With only four DMC colors and a simple to follow snowflake, I had this one stitched and finished in just a couple days. This is called "Bird and Snowflakes: Chickadee" and can be found in the February 2020 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine. There are two other alternative bird designs included: a red cardinal and a little robin. I love the way the beads were added to the lattic design in the back. Once again, I used 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle for the fabric.
 |
| A sweet chickadee for my July ornament |
I turned it into a simple round ornament, bordered it with a gray and white cording, and added a double layer of gauzy white ribbon to the top. It's so delicate and sweet, isn't it? Seven ornaments down, five to go for 2024!
 |
| Sometimes a simple finish is best! |
I've turned to stitching a cute bee-themed piece for August along with my latest Christmas ornament so I hope to have those to share with you soon.
Giveaway winner... There were quite a few entries for the "Americana Sampler" that I offered in my previous post. I really enjoyed reading about where you purchase your cross stitch supplies and have to say I'm envious of those of you who still have local needlework shops. Sadly, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them! The lucky winner's name drawn from the hat is...
GAIL L.
 |
| Gail L.--you are the winner of this patriotic chart! |
Congratulations, Gail L.! Please send me your mailing address (my email is in the right sidebar--just click on my profile) and I'll get this in the mail to you next week. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did and will pass it on when you're done. And for those of you who didn't win... keep an eye on this space. I'll be offering more giveaways in the near future!
So... which do you want first? The good news or the bad? Let's get the bad out of the way. My dear husband now has Lyme disease. He began having some muscle pain and asked his doctor for a Lyme test and, sure enough, he tested positive. So, he's on doxycycline for two weeks (the same antibiotic I was on a few weeks ago). He's had no other symptoms, so we are hopeful that the medicine will clear it up with no lingering effects. I'm considering getting tested myself as I've been having some unusual symptoms lately. Although my tick report came back positive for Lyme, I was not tested for it and was simply put on the antibiotic. So, I may just have it, too... For those of you living in Pennsylvania, you can send the ticks to the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab for free testing. I would imagine other states have similar programs, but I don't know for sure. Anyway... Lyme disease and ticks are terrible problems in this part of the country and they will certainly spread to more and more states and countries. We are now paying to have our yard sprayed for ticks (many neighbors already do so because they have pets) and I'm hoping that helps. Stay safe out there and always, always check yourself for ticks after being outside in grassy areas!
Much of my time this month was spent with my grandson which was wonderful! In early July, we drove the four hours to Maryland for his very first overnight stay alone with us. The first night was a bit difficult for him and he cried and cried for his parents at bedtime, but the remaining three days and nights went well and we had such fun! Since we were there over the 4th of July, a parade was, of course, in the mix. The neighborhood Mister B lives in has such wonderful community activities at holiday times. This time they held an event in the park where the kids could decorate their bikes and scooters, get temporary tattoos, and even have their photo taken with Uncle Sam before they participated in a short parade. And, what would the 4th of July be without an ice cream truck?!
 |
| Mister B and Uncle Sam on the 4th of July |
 |
| Our patriotic tattoos (somehow, I put mine on upside down!) |
Mister B turns 4! We drove home on Monday, July 8th and then back down on Saturday the 13th for Mister B's 4th birthday party. Like most little boys of that age, he is totally into superheroes so his mom and dad went all out and had a Spider-Man themed party for him. Since they are relatively new to the neighborhood, they also invited many nearby neighbors so there were close to 50 people there.
 |
| Spider-Man ruled the day at Mister B's 4th birthday. There was a bouncy house, Spider-Man piñata filled with candy, Spider-Man cake and cupcakes. The birthday boy is posing with his new Spider-Man sunglasses as his dad (my oldest son) looks on. |
It was such a fun party! Until... about two days later. One by one, we each began to get sick. Yep--the birthday party was a "super-spreader" event! Not Covid, thankfully... "just" colds, sinus issues, headaches, coughs, etc. Almost everyone in our family got sick with it! My worst symptoms were fever, cough, and neck pain. And, unfortunately, the surgery that was scheduled for my oldest son a few days after the party had to be postponed because he was one of the sickest. Sigh... You'd think a summer party would be safer. But, I guess there is some nasty virus going around as I've heard of many folks having similar problems.
We came home to recuperate and then my oldest son and grandson were here for a four day visit last week (my daughter-in-law was on a girl's trip with a friend). What fun we had--visiting local parks and a community garden, going to a bike event where he was thrilled to go up and down some small ramps on his balance bike, feeding the koi in our pond, exploring his grandpa's garden and relishing all those juicy red tomatoes, and playing with all of the wonderful old toys that I'd saved from the 1980s when my sons were small. He cried when he had to go home on Sunday... It warms my heart to know we're creating such fun memories for him of visits to Nonna and Pompa's house!
 |
| I can't believe Mister B is now four years old... Where have the years gone? |
We've finally gotten a bit of rain this week--thank goodness! Our lawn is brown and crispy and some of the leaves have already dried up and fallen. It's been one hot, dry summer here and I actually found myself dreaming of cooler, snowy days last week. (WHAT?!? Snap out of it, Carol!). The pictures of the flowers taken here were from early July when everything wasn't as dried out. My husband grows all of these flowers (except for the hydrangeas which we treat with an anti-deer spray) for me within the confines of his fenced in vegetable garden.
 |
| Snapdragons, sunflowers, zinnias, and hydrangeas from our garden--my husband deserves all the credit for growing them! |
 |
| This is the best year for hydrangeas we've ever had. I read it was due to our mild winter and all the rain we had in the spring. |
So, that's a wrap on July... I am truly hoping August will be a bit cooler and a lot less busy. I think all of you know what a homebody I am and I've missed just puttering around the house and sitting quietly with my stitching or a book. Then again, I would never give up those memories spent with my family during our busy July! Hope each of you has a wonderful new month. Bye for now...
 |
| Mister B spies a young male deer right outside our basement door. One of my favorite things is watching the awe in his expression as he enjoys the wonders of nature. |
