What we are is God's gift to us.......

What we become is our gift to God.
 Eleanor Powell

 

God can use each of us regardless of our imperfections.

 He wants us to come to Him just as we are.

 

How about you?

Do you see yourself..........empty......broken.....at times??

Or do you find a way to fill that emptiness and overflow with what you were meant to be??

I would love to hear!

Yes, I have been published.....................but

it's not my embroidery book...........yet

 

When I posted this on my sidebar and on my farm blog............some of you emailed me with congratulations on getting my embroidery "out there". I write for magazines..........off and on........and this particular magazine article was aimed for their topic......Self Rising. No, it's not about flour or bread..........it's a whole new twist. For you creative souls............I think you will like the read.

Many have told me they are not familiar with this magazine. It can be found in Tractor Supply and in Barnes and Nobles. My article is on page 24 of the Keeping In Touch Section of this Self Rising Dec/Jan Issue 2012

Sorry for the confusion.

I guess I am just not ready to let go of the Fall season

It is my favorite season

. The fields are still full of golden grain.........

The trees are still wearing their leafy dresses of red, yellow and gold.

I had one more empty grape vine wreath............and instead of decorating it with holly and berries...........

I decorated it with the grain and the colorful leaves.

It's so pretty against the green farm house.............don't you think?

 

But I am getting into the Christmas spirit............

I gathered pine cones and evergreen and made this wreath ...........for now

I am about to haul the tree in and give it my attention.

How about you?

Are some of you dragging your feet to welcome winter's arrival?

Have you gotten your tree trimmed and your stockings hung?

I would love to see and hear!



In my friend's antique store , stashed away in an old cardboard box,

was this beautiful piece of crewel work on linen.

My friend told me that she has had this piece for many years and had always thought about making herself a pillow from it. As you can see it is heavily stained......

 

the crewel work was stitched, perfectly, by someone years ago

and it has bounced from, being improperly stored, to garage sale item, to my friends antique shop.

The water stain and mildew has completely covered the linen and the stitching.

As I was leaving, she placed it into my hands and told me that she would never find time to make it into a pillow and that it needed a good home with me.

Of course, this touched my heart!

If you have  linens in this kind of bad condition...........

you can make them look brand new...........

by following what I did to this piece..............

 

I took it home and placed it flat on a table surface............

and then I covered it in a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda .

NEVER USE BLEACH ON LINENS

I then carefully placed it in a large bowl and filled it with water just above the surface of the linen.

Then next morning, I took it out of the bowl and gently washed it in regular detergent.................

and look!............

It came out like brand new. The stains and the mildew are all gone.

I then placed it onto the top of a pillow form

added a pretty backing and made it into a beautiful pillow.............to surprise my friend with!

She was so delighted and loved it so much, she hugged it!

The most wonderful reward of creating something, is to see someones reaction to it..........

don't you think??

 

(click onto photo for better view)

 

She also knows how much I love buttons, and found 2 tins full of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen.

There was mother of pearl and if you look at the bottom center of the photo ...........

the plastic buttons with the flower clusters along with the 3 plastic ones above are all from the War time when metal , sugar, and other things were rationed.

I love them all..........

I pretty much took them all home with me.

I am pretty sure there are a lot of button lovers out there...........

are you one?

What is the most unusual kind that you have??

I would love to hear!

Christmas candy

is one of the highlights of the season that I enjoy!

Ribbon candy in all different fruit flavors...............

and peppermint. I have always thought that the candy cane is one of the prettiest candies........

so bright and cheery.................but wouldn't it be wonderful

if the candy cane had flowers stamped on it??
I decided to have fun with my idea about candy canes..............

stitching flowers along it...........

and was delighted at how it turned out. Almost good enough to taste...............

don't you think?

How about you?

What is your favorite Christmas candy?

Is it the candy cane...............or ribbon candy??

Maybe rich chocolate fudge?

I would love to hear!



When life hands you

lemons mice, make............

..............something pretty!

There is more than chickens, cats and dogs that roam on the grounds of Pleasant Prairie Farm.

 

Especially in the greenhouse. Mice are a common problem . I try to eliminate them as quickly as possible...........but I have to admit............I find them whimsical............

and cute.

Once particular mouse caught my attention as it scurried along looking for dropped acorns from the oak tree. It was not the usual gray mouse that I am accustomed to seeing.........this one had colors of browns and creams. It was pretty. 

 

This time of year the oak tree has the most colorful leaves...........

 

The bright colors seem to accompany the mouse real well............

don't you think?

I wanted the mouse's body to look furry, but not the mouse's tail, so I worked it in a different stitch.

It looks as if it is ready to be a character in a children's book............

it needs a name...............

let's have some fun................

What do you think would be a good name?

Is it a boy?..........or a girl mouse??

I would love to hear what your suggestions would be!

 



When I tell people I have written a book.............

their eyes light up............they are so interested................and  I can almost say for certainty..........they are wondering what my view  on romance is and what kind of romance novel it will be.................

and then I tell them.................

it's an" embroidery and design book"...........

all about my hand work and the designs I create...............

instantly, the light goes out............ they don't get it ................ they have lost interest..............

and once again, I have  reduced my "life status"

to the question........"you just stay at home??".......... as only that..........in their minds..........

.cleaning and cooking..........

 But for those close to me ..........who really know me,  and for all of you. dear blogging friends who have asked when my book will be coming out

..............." published"................

thank you............

just asking really makes me feel like pressing forward in the twisted and turned road of publication.

To answer your question.............the answer I have been so disappointed to announce publicly...............

I got a very nice "rejection" a little while back.............

at first they seemed interested and invited me to show them my dream.............

then with a big hammer.............

they slammed it down.............

One of my favorite poems describes the hopes and dreams.........

and then the frustrations of a writer..............

Thinking Like A Butterfly

Monday I was told I was good.

I felt relieved.

Tuesday I was ignored.

I felt invisible.

Wednesday I was snapped at.

I began to doubt myself.

On Thursday I was rejected.

Now I was afraid.

On Saturday I was thanked

for being me. My soul relaxed.

On Sunday I was left alone

till the part of me that can't

be influenced grew tired of

submitting and resisting.

Monday I was told I was good.

By  Tuesday, I got off  the wheel.

(Mark Nepo)

 

 

For a while, I put my shattered dream on the shelf.........letting it gather dust..........

and right beside it hanging on a nail........the rejection note..........

but my creative spirit and my needle refuse to quit stitching...........

and  now, I have even more designs .............and a bigger list of potential publishing doors to go knocking on.

I have done a lot of research........tuned up my pattern writing skills, and refined my book............a bit.

So for all of you dear souls who ask............

"will their be patterns in this book?"..........YES!!

along with easy to follow instructions and tips on making use of the designs in other ways.

I just have to find a publisher .

Thank you for asking, thank you for believing,

thank you for following along!

(kathleen)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson



 

This is a time for all of us, to slow down with friends and family as we gather for a day of wonderful food and happy times. It is a time for us to reflect on all,.........no matter how great or small........that we have in our lives................and to be grateful.

May your Thanksgiving be full of many blessings to be thankful for.