Spending the day in bed

Which is probably what I should be doing since I hurt my back yesterday. Last night I could not seperate myself from the heating pad. I even went to bed wearing it which I know is dangerous but I set it to shut off after an hour. I would not have been able to fall asleep without it. The very idea of spending all day in bed just sounds so . . . boring. After Mina was born I was in bed for 24 hours straight in the hospital. With IV medications, a catheter and being waited on hand and foot I literally did not get out of bed once. Of course I did have that new little angel to keep me company :)

Even if I'm not spending the day in bed, my stitching is. I suppose my bed isn't the most pratical place to choose threads and linens but during the morning my bedroom has the best natural light in the house. I'm currently working on three projects right now but of course since I'm close to finishing one of them I need to have another ready to start stitching.

I really want to host another giveaway but I cannot choose what to giveaway. I suppose that's the most imporant part, isn't it? I am horrible at choosing presents for other people . . . I'm contemplating taking the easy way out and giving a gift certificate to this nice little online shop. Though gift certificates seem like such a thoughtless present. Since you ladies will be the ones entering the giveaway what do you think?

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Whistle while you work

Yesterday I celebrated my 31st Birthday. Emma made dinner; she made her specialty, spiced potato wedges. My husband made strawberry shortcake for dessert (my favorite) and did all the evening cleaning for me so I could have some stitching time. A wonderful birthday indeed.

I'd had every intention of hosting a birthday giveaway but just haven't found the time to pull one together. I will still have one (cross my heart) and I'll give it some thought today.

For the next couple of days the whole family is pitching in to help me tidy up the house and yard. Not exactly a vacation but it's nice doing it together. Even Mina takes a rag and scrubs everything within her reach. The house takes such a beating with the kids home it could really use a thorough cleaning. I figure that if I can get the house sorted it may help to streamline my daily schedule. I just finished organizing the cabinet in the dining room (where Ben keeps all his art supplies). Now how long it stays that way is another question. I even found some time while Mina was napping to organize my fabric stash. Again, no guarantees how long it will stay organized. But by their very definition fun and creativity aren't neat and tidy.

Last week was so overwhelming I really feel the need to . . . take it easier on myself. It's Summer. Dinner will not be on the table every night at 5pm. My boys' hands will be permanently stained brown with dirt. My floor will be carpeted with toys. My mudroom will be filled with precious rocks and sticks. There will be a great pit dug in my backyard. I will sigh and roll my eyes, but I'll be smiling the whole time, because life is good.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Happy Father's Day

Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father . . .

To Every Season

Hectic? Chaotic? Disordered? There isn't a word to describe my house this past week. I've made it through the first week of Summer Recess and all I can say is "When does school start?" I always think I'm prepared but alas never am. I have a selective amnesia and somehow throughout the rest of year forget exactly how . . . tiring Summer can be. Oh how I long for Autumn. As you can see I've started some tiny samplers in the spirit of that season. I haven't picked up needle and thread in days. Every morning I tell myself I'll stitch that evening but once the kids are asleep for the night I'm never far behind. I'm hoping that eventually my body will adjust to the new schedule . . . .

In the meantime there's the pleasures of Summer to enjoy. There are many things about Summer Recess I forget, but the things I remember are the things I cherish. Picnics, trips to the beach, fireworks, carnivals, lazy mornings, strawberries, watermelon . . . . and dreams of my stitching spot.

I have been mucking about with blogger quite a bit. So much in fact I think I will have to "unplug" the next few days. I did manage to design my own blog background. That's quite an accomplishment for me given that I've been trying to figure it out for awhile now. What do you think?

I promise to get more stitching done, though. I've been blessed with a great deal of inspiration lately just not the time to accompany it. I have several new free patterns in the works along with a larger sampler and I promise I'll have something to share before the month is out so just be patient with me while I adjust to the madhouse I call home.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

June Blooms Free Pattern

I do enjoy designing and stitching these truly primitive designs. It's not a conscious choice but I always tend towards them this time of year. While my life takes a decided shift towards complete and utter insanity during Summer Vacation the simplicity of these designs are a welcome respite. I'm still waiting on the fabric to sew this into a little pinkeep. Click here to see it. Isn't it lovely?

I can't keep a garden for anything. A few years ago I stopped at a garden center and asked for the most resilient, hardest to kill plants they had. I bought a few and only one lasted longer than a month. I joke the only think I can grow is children. The closest I'll ever get to a garden of my own is a stitched one, which is fine by me.

The flower stems are done in a stem stitch that I freehanded; a simple backstitch would work well too. The colors are GA Garden Gate, GA Copper and CC Khaki Mocha and the linen was a R & R 30ct from my stash. If you would like to stitch it for yourself the pattern can be found here. Let me know what you think . . .

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

My Little Dancer

No stitching yesterday. I did something even better. I went to my daughter's dance recital. This was Emma's fifth recital. She started lessons when we first moved here at eight years old. Of course this was after trying violin lessons, martial arts classes, voice lessons and soccer. She started dance lessons only because a friend was. After a year her friend quit the lessons but Emma has kept it up. It's such a joy as a parent to watch your children discover one of their true passions in life and share in that with them. My sons and I are still searching for their passions and well Mina's greatest passion in life right now is knocking down block towers.

Emma danced two recitals that day. This is a picture of here taking her lunch break in between shows. That's her jazz costume. She also does tap (her least favorite) and ballet (oh, how she loves her toe shoes). My favorite was the ballet costume. She promised me that today she would dress up in it again and allow me to take a picture of her. She refused a picture in her tap costume because it's "frumpy" (her words not mine). She always looks so grown done up in her costumes and makeup. The recital includes all classes at the Dancenter from preschool (how cute those little girls look in their tutus) up through high school. I watched the girls perform that are now the same age Emma way when she started then I saw her perform and it showed me in such a clear was how much she has grown. It literally took my breath away and she's only thirteen. I imagine when it comes time for her to do her senior solo performance I should bring a box of tissues with me.

I'm almost done charting the next freebie so look for that next week and I plan on getting as much stitching done as possible in the last week of school and will hopefully have a border finished to share with you.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn