Zooming in With Easter Greetings!

Hello, everyone! How has April been treating you? Things here have been fine although I do wish the sun would stop hiding behind the clouds and the days would warm up! (It's dropping down to 30° tonight!). This will be a quick post as I just wanted to pop in and wish you a Happy Easter. Will you be traveling or hosting Easter dinner? Have you stitched anything bunny-related lately? How about any spring stitching?

I recently began a larger spring piece which I hope to share with you next month, but I did manage to stitch yet another bunny. (I told you, I'm addicted to stitching those fluffy little creatures!). This sweet finish, "Carrot Express" by Needle Treasures Nook will be an Easter gift for my grandson who adores cars and bunnies (and dogs, and cats, and birds, and cheetahs, and pandas, and just about any kind of animal known to mankind--ha ha!). I used 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle linen and made several changes to the colors. The bunny is stitched in the suggested colors, as is the steering wheel, but everything else was changed. I stitched the car wheels in DMC 844, the greenery in DMC 320, and the carrot car in Weeks Dye Works "Carrot" (of course :). I also left off the charted border and turned this into an oval finish. Isn't it sweet? I hope Mister B likes his new Easter decoration!

"Carrot Express" will soon be zooming to its new home with my grandson!

I finally managed to get my Easter stitching on display. Because I have so many small finishes for the season, I like to divide them by color and display them that way. This year, the pink pieces are in my dough bowl sitting on a little table at the end of my kitchen. The slate blue pieces are in a tiered tray on the center of my table. The green pieces are in my corner cupboard. And the biggest, cheeriest display is this yellow and aqua blue one on my kitchen side table. That is the only display I took photographs of so I'll share those with you today. Just love how it brightens up my kitchen day after day! Do you have a favorite? Mine is the sheep pulling the robin as he perches on his bright blue eggs (in the front left of the photo). 

Such a cheery display on my kitchen side table! The aqua and yellow certainly make me smile.

 

Most of these are by With Thy Needle and Thread. The one on the bunny chair is by Tiny Modernist, the one in the back middle is by La-D-Da, and the basket of flowers on the middle left is by Prairie Schooler.

The little chick in the front is a freebie by La Comtesse & Le Point de Croix which you can find right here. The bird on the eggs (on the right) can be found in the Spring 2020 issue of "Punch Needle and Primitive Stitching" magazine, and the Easter chick (in the far back right) is an old Lizzie Kate chart. All the rest are designs by With Thy Needle and Thread.

I recently received this sweet Easter card from my friend, June, in England. Isn't that bunny darling wearing her flower crown? I'm quite sure this design is from one of the British cross stitch magazines.

Thank you, dear June, for this adorable bunny card--I love it!

I also want to share the collection of vintage Easter postcards that belonged to my husband's paternal grandfather. I found them in the family home in Naples, Florida and just happened to bring them home with me back in 2022 when we were renting out that house on Airbnb. Thank goodness I did, because a few months later that same house was flooded by Hurricane Ian's storm surge and the contents were basically destroyed. I'm so glad I saved these beautiful cards from sure destruction. They were all sent to my husband's grandfather in the early 1900s--most are dated 1911-1916. Aren't they special?

My husband's grandfather's vintage Easter postcard collection dating from the early 1900s.

Below are two of my favorites... Very different themes, but both so bright and vibrant. 

I'm amazed at how lovely the artwork and colors remain after more than 100 years!

 

 

And speaking of old things... I came across this wonderful Easter morning photo from 1960. Shown are my little brother (who was three) and five-year-old Carol checking out what the Easter bunny had delivered. I just love my smocked dress (surely made by my maternal grandmother), my little bonnet, and the sweet white gloves. Easter in the mid-20th century--don't you love it?

I hope the sun shines for your Easter weekend and that your day is filled with lots of love and joyful family traditions. My little grandson, Mister B, is so hoping that the Easter bunny will leave him a trail of jelly beans to help him find his Easter basket like he remembers from last year. I'm also going to be helping him make our traditional bunny cake. Four (almost five!) is such a fun age! I just love watching him anticipate the family traditions that the various holidays bring. Thank you for stopping in today--and, as always, I truly appreciate each and every comment! Take care now my friends. Bye for now...

Bunnies and Birds in Blue and Pink

Hello, my stitching friends! I hope March is treating you well? We've had some beautiful spring weather here and our daffodils just burst into bloom this week. Such a treat to see their golden yellow heads bobbing in the breeze--they sure do brighten up the landscape this time of year! With my grandson (and his mom and dad) coming for Easter, I've made sure to decorate my house for their visit and it sure is lovely to see all the little bunnies and birds popping up both in and outside my home. When I went to retrieve them from the dresser drawer where they're stored, I was a bit shocked to see just how many Easter/Spring smalls I've created through the years! I can't seem to stop making them either--in fact I'm working on six new ones that I hope to have finished by the end of March. For today, I'll just share some of my past finishes and how I've displayed them for the season.

I like to group my Easter decorations by color for some reason. You all know my favorite color is blue so it's no surprise that the majority of my Easter/Spring stitching features that color. This year, I used my two-tiered white metal basket (which I purchased at HomeGoods a few years ago) to anchor the display on the sideboard in my kitchen. I just love how it turned out!

Bunnies and birds in blue!

Here are some close-ups for you--if you'd like more information on each finish, just click on the name of it to be taken to my original post on that particular item...

In the top basket (left to right): "Spring Greetings Bouquet" by With Thy Needle and Thread, "Hello Spring" by Plum Street Samplers, a freebie called "Nest Under the Flowers" by Le Chalet des Perelles, and in the front is the Spring portion of "Four Seasons Band Sampler" from the March/April 2011 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine. That adorable gingham dressed bunny on the right was a gift from my sweet daughter-in-law.

Pictured in the above photo are (from left to right): a bunny from Prairie Schooler Book No. 163 "Signs of Spring," robin from the Spring 2020 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitching Magazine by Subrosa Designs called "Bless Our Nest," "Paques" from Les Chalet des Perelles, a portion of "Welcome Spring" by With Thy Needle and Thread, and in front rests a freebie from The Snowflower Diaries called "Tulips with Bunny." The little bunny figurines in the front left are ones I've collected over the years and the blue and white rabbit plate is from TJ Maxx from a few years ago.

Featured here are the other half of "Welcome Spring" (on the left) and "Holiday Hoopla: Easter" both by With Thy Needle and Thread. Isn't that ceramic Peter Rabbit head darling? He belonged to my mother-in-law and I brought him home from Florida after my husband's family home in Naples  was flooded by Hurricane Ian in 2022. 

 

The one piece of stitching featured here is by Tiny Modernist and is called "Easter Wreath." It is sitting on that darling rabbit chair that I found at a thrift shop in Florida for only $5.00--one of my favorite finds ever! You can read about the little chair in this post.

So, there you have it--my blue Easter display. Do you have a favorite? I think mine is the sweet "Welcome Spring" pillow shown below that I stitched last year. It simply makes me smile :)

"Welcome Spring"--my favorite spring finish from 2023

My pink Easter finishes are displayed in my grandmother's old dough bowl and sit in the center of our kitchen table. Again... if you would like more information on each finish, just click on the names in the caption below the photo.

In the back row on the left is a design by Patrick's Woods called "The Heart's Chase," in the back middle is a Prairie Schooler Bunny from "A Prairie Year (Book No. 13)," and that sweet pair on the right is from The Snowflower Diaries and is a freebie called "Spring Bunny Love." In front of the rabbit couple on the right is another Prairie Schooler design from the PS Mini Card Set F. The one on the left stitched on black is a freebie from the Kissy-Cross blog,  and the tiny pillow in the very front is by Just Nan from the "Hummingbead Heaven" chart. 

And how about a favorite among the pink pieces? Mine is that sweet "Spring Bunny Love" couple that I stitched way back in 2013.

My favorite of the pink smalls: "Spring Bunny Love," a freebie from The Snowflower Diaries

Whew! Posts like this (where I link to past finishes) take a lot of time to put together! It's really hard to remember and track down the posts for some of the older pieces--and as my brain ages, it's not getting any easier! Anyway, I've had so many folks, both here and on Instagram, tell me how much they appreciate my efforts--and that it makes it worth all the effort. I've made many more Easter/Spring smalls in green and yellow hues, but I've run out of energy to post them today! However, if you scroll through my March and April posts from any given year, you're sure to find even more Easter and Spring stitching inspiration.

So, I'd love to hear about your plans for Easter... Will you be having visitors? What do you serve for Easter dinner? Do you have any special family traditions? I can hardly wait to spend Easter with 3 1/2 year old (Yes! How on earth did he get so old?!?) Mister B as he is so enthusiastic about all the traditions that accompany celebrations and holidays. Dyeing eggs, hunting for his Easter basket, making a bunny cake, etc. will all be part of our weekend with him. And while preparing for my visitors, I truly hope to squeeze in the finishing of the six small Easter finishes that I mentioned earlier in the post. We'll see...

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing your spring stitching and hearing about your plans for this very special Easter weekend coming up in just two weeks! Thank you all for stopping in today--I always love to read your comments and hear about what you're up to! And just a reminder...if you have a question for me, please make sure to include your email address so I can get back to you.  Bye for now...

Pink bunnies and Florida sunsets

Well, hello there! We made it to April! Are things greening up in your part of the world? This morning as I looked out from my upstairs window, I suddenly noticed the little green buds sprouting on trees and bushes throughout the woods beyond our pond. It's as if they seemingly appeared overnight! Such a welcome sight mixed in with hints of the blooming yellow forsythia. Now, if only the weather would cooperate and we'd get some warm, sunny Spring days. I shouldn't really whine, though, as I was lucky enough to spend the beginning of April in beautiful sun-drenched southern Florida. 

I've done some decorating for Easter and it's amazing how a little pink can brighten up the house. Well, in this case, there is a lot of pink (for me, anyway; I'm a well-known lover of blue!). Over the years I've stitched many, many bunnies--just love them! I have so many now, that I tend to group them by color when I decorate. Today, I'll share with you my pink-hued Easter stitching which I included in a sweet vignette on the side table in my kitchen. 

Lots of "hop-hops" as my grandson calls bunnies!

Would you like a closer look? I'll try to identify each piece for you, too. You can click on the name of each finish to be taken to the corresponding blog post for more information.

In this photo is the Prairie Schooler bunny (from Prairie Year-Rounds book no. 52) finished as a pouch hanging on my sweet rabbit chair, Springtime Sampler from the January/February 1986 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine, and "The Hearts Chase" by Patrick's Woods.

From left to right are La D Da's "Briar Rabbit," Just Nan's "Bunny Hop" found in the HummingBead Heaven booklet, and a Prairie Schooler bunny finish from the PS mini-card set F.

The little rabbit couple is a freebie from Snowflower Diaries called "Spring Bunny Love." In back is another Prairie Schooler Rabbit from Book No. 13 called "A Prairie Year" and the piece on black is a freebie from Kissy Cross.

So, which one is your favorite? I have to admit, I'm partial to the little Prairie Schooler bunny stitched on black that I made into the tiny pouch. I've hung it from the chippy, white bunny chair that I found in Florida a few years ago for $5.00. That's definitely one of my best finds ever! I also love the dear bunny couple holding paws in the front. 

I don't have any new stitching to share today as I really haven't stitched much this month. I do have a charming Easter card that arrived for me from my sweet friend, June in England, though. Just look at that little bunny with the butterfly perched on the tip of his nose--isn't it adorable? Thank you so much, June--I love him!

Such a sweet Easter card from dear June!

 

Giveaway winner... I loved reading your answers to my last "Getting to Know You" question asking if you are a picky eater. I'm so relieved to know that I'm not the only adult who doesn't care for green vegetables! Thank you so much to all who responded to the question and entered the giveaway. I had about ten entries for the Little House Needleworks "Spot of Coffee" chart and the winning name pulled from the hat is...

Barbara From Kansas

Barbara From Kansas--you are the winner! Please email me with your address and I will get this in the mail to you as soon as possible! Congratulations!

How about a new giveaway? Since Mother's Day is arriving here in the U.S. on May 8th, I thought this cute Lizzie Kate chart shown below would be timely.  (This was also a gift from the generous Janet in Texas who told me I could use it as a giveaway. Thank you again, Janet!). This will be my second Mother's Day without my mom and it's still so very hard, especially since her birthday often fell around that day.  Perhaps one of you might like to stitch this cutie up for your own Mother or a new mother or mother-to-be? If you would like to be included in the drawing for the chart, please...

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win the chart in your comment 

2) Be a follower in my blog's sidebar (to the right)

3) Make sure to leave your email address in your comment if I don't already have it--(this is very important as I have no way of getting in touch with the winner if you don't)

4) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below.

If you would like to win this chart, please follow the four guidelines above.

 

Getting to Know You... For my new readers, I like to include this little section to help me get to know you and to help other stitchers get to know you, as well. I've had a couple people ask what my little grandson calls me so I thought I'd incorporate that into today's question which is: "What do your grandchildren call you?" Now, I realize not all of you are grandparents, so in that case, "What did you call your grandparents?" 

My answer: As a new grandmother, I just assumed my grandson would call me "Gramma"  or "Grandma" like I had called my own grandmothers, but he had other ideas!  For a long time he didn't call me anything. In January, he began calling my husband, "Pompaw" which we find hilarious. We have no idea how he came up with it. And, it's stuck! I have to admit, I felt a bit sad that he hadn't yet picked a special name for me... But, just last month he started calling me "Nonna!" Okay... Nonna is a very common name for grandmother in Italian families, but I don't have an ounce of Italian blood (that I know of). My daughter-in-law is Mexican-American and she had always referred to me as "Abuelita" when talking to my grandson about me. Well, Mister B had his own ideas of what I should be called so "Nonna" it is! It's just the best feeling to be greeted with a big smile and hear "Nonna!" each night when he sees me appear on FaceTime! Now, it's your turn to answer the "Getting to Know You" question...

Florida visit... As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my husband and I spent the first nine days of April in what I consider to be one of the prettiest parts of Florida: Naples. Have any of you been? My in-laws own a home there, but now that my father-in-law is gone and my mother-in-law is up North in a nursing home, we are renting it out to help pay for the taxes and insurance. So, we went down to check on it and do some improvements/housekeeping after the tenants left at the end of March. We actually worked most of the time sprucing up the yard and patio area, shopping for items, and doing a lot of organizing and a bit of painting. But, there were free moments that we spent strolling the beach and taking long walks in the evenings after the heat of the day had passed. Following are some of the more memorable photos that I took from our visit this year.

Looking down the beach to the Naples Pier

A lone cormorant stands guard

Can you spot the airplane in this beautiful Naples sky?

A magical sky lit up the Naples City Dock

Another peaceful evening in Naples

I so enjoyed taking long walks in the evenings and admiring all of the colorful flowers and birds. The orchid is growing in a tree right outside of my in-laws' back door!

Returning home on Saturday to 37° and rain was a shock to my system. I just couldn't warm up! But, hopefully, within a week or two we'll be having consistently warmer weather. 

Are you having a big family dinner for Easter? Only our middle son and his girlfriend will be here on Sunday with us. My youngest son and his girlfriend are vacationing in Tuscany (just a bit envious here!!), and my oldest son and family will be coming the following week for a few days. So, things will be pretty quiet here. I hope each of you who celebrates Easter has a wonderful day with your family and friends.

Thank you so much for visiting me today and taking the time to comment and say "hello!" I hope to be back with some actual stitching finishes for you by the end of the month. Do take care, everyone. Bye for now... 

Wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend!

Bunnies and blue (and a bit of beach time)

The last day of April--can you believe it? The year is one third over! I'm back with some stitching and a life update and I hope this finds you all doing well. Who else is finding stitching time to be in short supply at this point in the year? I think I stitched a total of about two hours over the past week (but I do have a good excuse for that which I'll go into later on in this post). 

For those of you who know me only as that dedicated "one ornament a month" or small pillow stitcher, you'll probably be a bit surprised by this new finish. I began "A Stitch In Time" by The Workbasket back in July 2020 when we were in California quarantining before our grandson came into the world. I worked on it from time to time since then and finally finished it completely in early March. I've had this chart in my stash for years (it is from 2005) and I'm glad I finally took the plunge and stitched it.

"A Stitch In Time" finish

The suggested Kreinik Silk Mori threads on 40 ct. Woodland Newcastle linen were used for this finish. I love the beautiful flowers in varying shades of blue with their specialty stitches.

And the little creatures are so adorable... I mean who doesn't love a pale blue swan? Those cute white owls are so sweet, too!

As always, I made a few changes to my finish... The original design had the saying "A stitch in time saves my mind" charted below the flower pot (you can see it right here) and it just didn't appeal to me. So, I made the decision to center the entire motif and eliminate the words. Instead, I stitched my initials and the year on either side of the flower pot and I'm very pleased with the result!

Can't wait to get this one back from the framer!

I took a leap of faith and mailed this piece (along with two other large finishes) to Total Framing in Virginia so they could work their magic. Hopefully, I'll have them back some time in May. And, of course, I'll share the framed finishes with you right here. 

What draws you to choose what to stitch? For me, the colors in this design are perfect for my family room, but the thing that really called my name were the cute bunnies on the flower pot. They remind me so much of the Dedham Pottery bunnies that I've collected for years. I began collecting these reproduction pieces in the '90s and purchased most of them on Ebay. Through the years I've probably added nearly 50 pieces to my collection. 

For the past couple of months, I've filled my Pottery Barn cubby with some of my Dedham Pottery. As you can see there are bunny figurines, little vases and jars--even a two-piece egg!

My Pottery Barn cubby this month

I'm not sure what captivated me about this pottery. I do love the bunnies' sweet faces, of course, but I also love the crackled glazing on the pieces. And, of course, I love the blue and white--always such a crisp, clean look.

Do you have a favorite?

 

I also have some larger pieces not displayed here including two different teapots, a casserole dish, even a recipe box! They've been displayed in the glass-front cabinets in my kitchen for over 25 years and I've never grown tired of them. 

Why, I even have similar bunnies on the pillow covers in my family room which I ordered on Etsy--they came all the way from England!

Here you can see the pillows in my family room setting. Remember the new rug that I mentioned a few posts back. Many of you said you'd like to see it, so here it is... Yes, it's clear that I love blues! That navy blue chair on the left is my stitching chair, which, sadly hasn't seen much use lately. Why is that? Well... read on!

My family room--and my stitching chair where you'll find me most every evening!

 

And here is a view from the opposite end--on the far right you can see my Pottery Barn cubby hanging on the wall leading into the kitchen. I stood on the window seat to take this photo which is why the room looks bigger than it is! It's simply a nice cozy space and the new rug gave the room some much needed pattern...

So, why haven't I been stitching? Two weeks after we returned from seeing our grandbaby in California, we were on the plane again--this time heading south to sunny Naples, Florida. No, it wasn't for a holiday--we were there to work. And work we did--boy, I can't remember the last time I was that tired at the end of each day. You see, my in-laws' health has deteriorated so they had to bid farewell to their Florida home and are now residing in a nursing home in Ohio (about an hour from us). We flew down to get their home ready for the rental market which meant a lot of trips to Goodwill (for both dropping off and purchasing), organizing, cleaning, repairing, rearranging, etc. 

We did enjoy a bit of free time over the weekend when my youngest son flew in for a quick visit. We went out to eat with him a couple of times and saw the prettiest skies as the sun was about to set. I did manage to take one lone walk on the lovely Naples beach which is only five blocks from my in-laws' home.

Naples, Florida at sunset

Naples is truly one of the prettiest places I've visited--beautiful homes, wonderful restaurants, and charming little shops and boutiques. If you haven't had the chance to visit, I highly suggest it! I'm usually not one for the sun and heat and beach life, but even I fell under the spell of this Gulf Coast city.

The beautiful end of a busy day

My youngest son took this photo of my husband and me at the Naples dock right before dinner. We don't look too tired here, but, honestly, we were both wiped out from working from dawn to bedtime... Did we get everything done? No, we will be making more trips down at some point. But, I think next time, we'll try to fit in a bit more relaxation (and I'll definitely make sure to carve out more stitching time!).

Tired, but still smiling!

Giveaway winner... I drew a name for the chart of the yellow daffodils in the blue vase  that I offered in my previous post and the winner is...

APRIL M. 

April--you are the winner of this chart!

Congratulations, April! Please email me with your mailing address and I'll get this chart right out to you. I hope you enjoy stitching it--it really is a beauty. I'll be having more giveaways in future posts, so please stop by again!

I was the winner of a beautiful giveaway on Instagram myself! Just look at this huge project pouch made by the talented Michelle from Under the Woolen Willow. Michelle "saves the stitches" that she finds in thrift stores and turns them into beautiful project pouches. She has a wonderful Etsy shop which you can find right here. Thank you again, Michelle--this was a real treat and your work is perfection!

A lovely giveaway win from Michelle at "Under the Woolen Willow"

I was happy to find our spring flowers and trees still in bloom when we returned from Florida. Honestly, is it just me, or do they seem to be more beautiful than ever this year? This busy bee certainly seems to be loving the miniature rhododendron. We had heavy rains yesterday which brought down many of the blossoms, but I was so glad to enjoy a few days of their beauty and lovely scent.

Spring in western Pennsylvania

 

Well, a busy month lies ahead, but it's one I've waited for for ever-so-long--my grandson is coming for a visit! Yes, my oldest son, daughter-in-law, and almost 10-month-old (and into EVERYTHING!) grandbaby will be here for two weeks in May. I've been busy setting up a little play area (at the far end of our sunroom where the Christmas tree usually sits), babyproofing, and purchasing a crib, highchair, diapers, etc. in preparation. (My oldest son has not been home in over a year and a half so I think he is more excited than anyone)! Thank goodness for vaccinations--such a feeling of freedom after all the time we were isolated from our loved ones. I feel truly grateful and thankful for the scientists who worked so hard to come up with these vaccines, don't you?

I'm having such fun setting up a little play area for my grandson's visit!

I'll be reading blogs only off and on during their visit, but I hope each of you has a wonderful month of May. Not sure when I will post again, but I'll try to check in with you at some point. Thank you for all of your supportive comments--I do appreciate each and every one. I'm also thankful for those of you who have taken the time to email me and thank me for inspiring you, stitching-wise. Those kind emails always make me smile and give me the push I need to keep on writing "Stitching Dreams." Have a wonderful day, everyone! Bye for now...

Bunny stitching as the days slowly pass...

How is everyone doing? Still hanging in there? I sure hope so... I've been keeping busy with my stitching, reading, beginning a new (non-cross stitch)  project (which I'll let you in on some day soon!), trying to limit my news intake, and connecting with family members via Zoom and Board Game Arena . Since this whole strange Covid-19 saga began for us in mid-March, the only person I've talked to face to face is my husband! Such a strange feeling...  My family met up for a virtual game night on Easter Sunday (on Board Game Arena) and it was wonderful to see everyone's smiling faces. My oldest son and daughter-in-law in California, middle son and girlfriend who live 30 minutes away, and my youngest son in the Washington, DC area all connected online for games of Yahtzee and Sushi Go. I basically just watched and coached my husband a bit in Yahtzee as only five players could play at a time.

My stitching has been hit and miss--still having trouble settling, but I do try to sit down each day for a couple hours in the evening. I know you've seen these designs stitched up many times, but I hope you don't mind seeing my versions... First, is the Easter Holiday Hoopla design by With Thy Needle and Thread. I fell in love with this cute bunny the first time I saw him and am so pleased with how he turned out. I loved the colors on the chart and chose some similar overdyed threads from my stash to stitch him. He is stitched "over one" on 28 ct. ice blue Jobelan so the stitched area is a mere 2" X 2". I finished him into a circle (just traced a drinking glass to get the shape on the mounting board), padded the board with batting, and added a silk handmade cording trim. A mini-pompom gave his tail a nice fluffy look. 

Easter Holiday Hoopla finish

The round piece is simply glued onto a fabric-covered piece of sticky board and placed in a rustic looking 3.5 inch square brown frame. I purchased a bunch of these frames from an eBay seller, years ago, who had used them to display his butterfly collection (no, the butterflies were not included--thank goodness!). They sure have come in handy over the years and can easily be painted. Here is another of the frames that I painted and distressed last year for a different Easter finish that resides with my oldest son and daughter-in-law in California.

An Easter finish from 2019--such a cute bunny!

My second finish is so bright and cheery! It is called "Easter Wreath" and is a design from Tiny Modernist. The bunnies also have white mini-pompom tails like I used in the Holiday Hoopla finish above. They, too, are stitched "over one" on 28 ct. white lugana. I used the suggested DMC colors for everything except the carrots. I wanted a darker looking carrot so I used DMC 976. And, because of a slight counting error--my carrots are just a bit longer than those charted. Oops! It doesn't affect the overall look so I just left them larger. Ripping out "over one" stitching is the worst, so I avoid it whenever possible! I kept the finish very simple as the design itself is very "busy." Just a handmade cording in that pretty shade of blue that I love so much!

"Easter Wreath" finish

Here are both of my new Easter finishes together--looks like we had a big party going on on Easter Sunday, doesn't it? Nope--just me and my husband. It was a quiet day, but certainly one we'll always remember due to the circumstances. I didn't even get most of my Easter decorations out this year--it felt like too much of a chore for some reason. I've been gradually learning that now is the time to cut yourself some slack--be kind to others, but also to yourself. These are unnavigated waters and no one really knows what the next day will bring...

I absolutely love the pretty teal blues in these two finishes!

I also got a very sweet Easter card from my friend, Gabi, in Germany. She knows how much I love stitched bunnies (or any bunny, really!) so she made me this lovely card. Thank you so much, Gabi--I always love hearing from you and being the recipient of your pretty stitching!

Easter card stitched by my friend, Gabi, in Germany!

Much of my Easter seemed to be spent on the phone reminiscing with my mom, exchanging old photos via text with my siblings, and looking through old photos. The photos below brought back such wonderful memories of times with my three boys--dyeing eggs, hunting for baskets, and making a bunny cake each year. Oh, I miss those days so much. These were all taken in the late 80s / early 90s as you can probably tell by all the red and blue.  I think, back then, clothing designers only made boys' clothes in combinations of red and blue! It's so nice how things have evolved. And yes--they all have the same haircuts--courtesy of my husband. He sure saved us a ton of money through the years by cutting the boys' hair until they became teens. He even cut my hair when it was longer--not sure if I trust him to cut it at this shorter length, though! What are you doing about your hair? Trying to cut it yourself, getting a loved one to cut it, or just letting it grow? And we won't even talk about the hair coloring issue--yikes! By the time this is over, I'm going to have a very wide "skunk" stripe where my hair is parted, that's for sure! Time to let it go gray?

I also made a couple of masks for myself and my husband. Oh, dear! I am really  not good with a sewing machine... The first one took me two hours to create, and, although the second one was easier--I do struggle!  I used one of my husband's old shirts for the green checked one (mine) and a piece of quilting cotton for my husband's. They are "okay"--mine is a bit too loose around the sides. I found another tutorial that might work better for small heads on YouTube so I might give that one a try this weekend. Wish me luck!

My two masks--pretty good, but I need more practice!

Comfort foods still seem to be appearing on the menu at my house and I found this delicious recipe for apple crisp right here. When I make it again, I'm going to try about 3/4 as much sugar and maybe even take it down to half as much. It was plenty sweet!  We enjoyed this as our Easter dessert (and for the next two nights, too!). Have you been whipping up any tasty comfort foods during this lockdown period?

Do the apples make this a health food--ha ha!!

Watching old television shows seems to be comforting to me right now, too. My husband and I have started watching an episode of Cheers (on Netflix) each night before we go to bed--a light, fun show that doesn't upset us or keep us awake. Honestly, I think we've both been sleeping better lately... And I've begun watching Downton Abbey again from the very beginning. You see, I never watched the final season, so I decided to begin all over again. I absolutely love it-- and I really think I'm picking up on so much more of the dialogue than I did before. The Dowager Countess's (Maggie Smith's) lines are just so delightful, aren't they? "Edith, you are a Lady, not Toad of Toad Hall!" ~ "What is a weekend?" ~ "Every woman goes down the aisle with half the story hidden." I could go on an on! And the scenery, the dresses, the jewels--sigh... All so well done. I still haven't seen the movie, but plan on watching it after I finish the series.  Anyone else have any comfort watching television shows to recommend?

So, how many of you have talked to friends or family using Zoom? I had a Zoom get-together with my three sisters-in-law (on my husband's side) on  Tuesday and, after some initial difficulties connecting on my end, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing their faces and catching up with them. They live in Indiana, Ohio, and Connecticut so we rarely see each other anyway. We already have plans to meet this way every other week. At the end of our session, the following question was posed to us so I've decided to use that as my "Getting To Know You" inquiry this week:  "Have you found a "silver lining" in this period of being confined to your home?" In other words, few love being stuck at home, but is there something nice in it that you've discovered? For me, that answer is easy! Yes! I've discovered that my husband and I can live together happily and quite easily (other than the occasional disagreement) after he retires. I was truly worried about that, as I was so used to being home alone,   but--so far, so good! How about you?

Giveaway Time... I haven't had a giveaway in a while... so how about the chart for this lovely red house sampler? It is simply two pages removed from a magazine (sorry,  I don't know which one) and if more than one person wants it, I will draw a name. All you have to do is: 1) mention in your comment that you specifically want to be entered in the giveaway,  2) answer the "Getting To Know You" question above, and 3) include your email address if I don't already have it. You may enter until April 29th, 2020 and then I'll pick a winner and announce it on my next post. The chart will be folded and mailed in a legal sized envelope to save money on postage. Good luck to all!

If you are interested in winning this pretty red house sampler chart, see above!

I'll leave you with what, to me, has always been a sign of hope and comfort each time it blooms. This orchid was given to me when my father died on October 31, 2014 and it still blooms almost yearly. Each time it blesses me with these beautiful white and fuchsia blossoms, I think of him and feel like he's visiting me. And this year, that feeling is especially needed and meaningful. It's an absolute perfect time for it to be blooming with all the worries and unrest swirling around us these days, isn't it?

This special orchid always brings me comfort...

So, more of the same for a while--at least here in Pennsylvania. We are shut down until at least April 30, probably longer. The hardest part for me in this whole thing is being unable to visit my mom--I miss her so much. It is extremely lonely for her having no family visits to look forward to and eating her meals alone in her room at her senior living residence. I call her daily and we still play "Words With Friends" each night online (and yes, she is almost 93--amazing!). But, it's not the same... Stay well, my friends--keep on hoping and praying and social distancing. Life may be very changed when we emerge from the other side of this, but we will get through it. Bye for now...