New Flowers from My Garden

These flowers in the little majolica pitcher are newly picked from my garden around my house in Naples. I chose this Hibiscus to plant because it's such a vibrant tangerine color...then the Gardenia and Night Blooming Jasmine for a heady fragrance. Oh, it's so yummy to walk by on the brick/pavers to my door! So, I want to share it with you.


The picture behind is of my son's grandmother and his aunt. His daughter, my little Hadley looks just like his aunt!! We were all shocked at the resemblance when she was here to visit last week!



The other pic is of my favorite little Lambie and a gift my son and DIL gave me while visiting. It's a candle, actually! It fits my decorating style, as you can see. Love it! Lambie sits with me on my computer and keeps me company...I touch him for good vibes.


Thanks to everyone who's been emailing and commenting on my Neighborhood idea! I'm excited to get it going. I really appreciate your kind responses.

Also, thanks for your comments on the Mermaid. The colors are so vibrant and my camera work just doesn't do them justice! It's a shame..:(
Love and hugs, Deb

April's Final WIP Posting

I just want to give you a look at the progress on my last rotation piece for April. This is the one I haven't shown you for the month. It is, of course, "Mermaid of the Pearls," and she's been rather neglected for a couple of months as I've been working on other things. But, I picked her up this weekend and was reminded how much I love stitching on her.

I stitched her tail section, her tummy and part of her fin/gill attached to her back. See my new seahorse needlekeeper? I love it!

Stash: This to the lower right is my newest stash. It's the new Whitman's tin collection of tiny bits, some Workbaskets for my Neighborhood RR and a couple of Angel tops for my RR, too. My Neighborhood is going to be starting June 1st, so I'm in high-drive to get it started!!

Mailart: I really have to work on my Mailart starting this week. I have my design planned out. It's going to be fairies. And, I'm stitching it on banding fabric. It's my first Mailart piece, so I'm hoping it meets the expectation. When I finish stitching, I'll post it.

Good luck with your stitching plans for May! I'm eagerly awaiting your blogs and photos for the month. You know how I love to come visit you, and I make it a point of seeing you often because you're my friends!

Hugs, and happy stitching! Wish me luck, too!! Deb

Some New Blogsites to Share

This is the very beautiful and wonderous work of Sara Butcher which is converted to cross stitch by Heaven and Earth Designs. I know most of you know HAED. But have you visited Sara's blog? You can find her at the above site and then click onto "visit the artist."

Also a newbie site to me is Renee's http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/ she is such a treat to read. Anybody who is an Anne Rice fan and loves Lestat is a fan of mine!!


My best stitching friend, Deb from CT, has decided to join us in blogland with her new blog at http://cattailsneedle.blogspot.com/ . Please give her a big welcome when you stop by. She's a stitcher extraordinaire, but has to get her pics up. She leaves me in the dust with her stitching capacity!! :[ But, I love her to bits, and she has lots of good investigative skills...freebies...webshops...new stash, etc.. :)

Everybody who is a stitcher probably knows this is coming out May 1st. I've already ordered it. Will Mirabilia stop tormenting us!!??? I'm still trying to finish my "Mermaid of the Pearls!" And here she is, "Mermaid of Atlantis." I'm now convinced I'll never get through my stash, and I'll have to bribe my grandchildren to learn to stitch!!


Thanks for stopping by! Hugs to all my stitching friends,

Deb in FL
Lavender Rose



PS: Nearly forgot: I'm working to get my Neighborhood RR together by June! If any of you has any Chartmakers Tombstone Angels you'd like to sell or trade with me, could you please email me?? I'm having trouble finding them. Thanks.


Thanks to all of you for your ATS encouragement! I'm crawling along with it. But you make me feel so accomplished!!

April And They Sinned

Here's the stuff that the Sinful Sisterhood is made of!! I've only stitched the completion of the upper alphabet and some of the green separation border this month. But it's something! So, I have to take pride in posting it, I guess!

I've been busy with my grandbaby's visit (it's such a trip!), taking office as the Newsletter Editor for our local American Needlepoint Guild chapter here in Naples (and writing the first copy this week!), starting work with my DH by sitting on weekends in some of his realestate open houses, and stitching on other WIPs in my rotation (which you have seen this month...and will see later). Whew!!

I've also made it a point to visit all your stitching blogs and my ez Board groups this month to keep up on things. And, have been emailing stitching friends and supporting some who are going through crisis right now.

It's been a full, and rewarding month. I'm contented and happy with my life. I wish the same for each of you.

Here's a picture of a rose from one of my rose bushes from me to you! It smells so sweet, and I wish you were here in the sunshine.

Hugs,

Deb

My New Wishlist

I've been window shopping today at the online Needlework Show. So, I thought I'd share with you some of the things that caught my eye. Not that I have any money left for stash this month! My birthday is June 1st, and I'm going to sneak a list in my DH's computer pile and see what happens!! It will probably get lost in noman's land! LOL This Beardie Designs, "Iris" is unlike anything I've ever stitched. I love the colors and the design placement--composition is wonderful on it. It's just something different for me, and I think I would enjoy stitching it for a change of pace. It's really a beautiful piece.

Then, I like this Beardie Design, too. It's called "Frasselt 2." Reminds me of ribbons and silk patches from Europe when I lived there as a little girl. I really like it.

And, finally, these threadwinders are so great! Look at the costumes!! These are from "The French Needle" and I think they are to die for!

So, that's my window shopping for the day. Hope you've enjoyed.

And, thank you as always for stopping by and leaving comments.

I hope I didn't scare any of you with my VA Tech soapbox the other day. It's an American thing, I guess...:p

Hugs, Deb

New Passione Ricamo Design!!

OOOO!!! Just found this new design from Passione Ricamo and I can't wait for it to actually come out so I can order one! Isn't it beautiful? I've held off getting any of hers to date because I couldn't chose one. But I think this might be the one for me.

Virginia Tech Shootings

As an American, it's difficult not to be inundated with news this week about the shootings in Virginia. I think it behooves us to take it in and comment upon it for our friends across the world, and at home. My heart is so sad about the children and teachers who were killed.

Of course, my first reaction when I saw the inital live tv news was simply, "Oh, no, it's more student killings." I didn't think for one moment it was a terriorist plot or anything of the sort. It seems a national disorder in the States that our children are doing these things in their schools. I wouldn't be surprised if this sort of problem on a lesser scale is happening every day in several locations across the nation. Children/young people carry weapons all the time in this country. They threaten others with them. They kill others with them. They bully eachother all the time.

Children in our society see violence in every media: on tv and nearly every movie and video game, on their computers; and, in their homes, neighborhood streets and schools every day. They hear all manner of vulgarity and see it on the streets and in the schools and in their homes on a daily basis. They are surrounded by a world of "dog eat dog," survival of the fitest, every man for himself, survival/reality tv, the good die young, gangs, sex and drugs, rap and sexy music videos, etc...morality is pretty much unknown and out of fashion.

This is no longer a country with moral foundations. We've become a nation of greed and tolerance of things unheard of in former generations. There are no boundaries, no limits for what we will tolerate seeing and/or hearing in the media.

And, we fear our own children. Because their parents are unavailable or disconnected, many young adults have disconnected from family and feelings. Games and gangs become their connection. Fantasy and unrealistic expectations become their visons. And, when they are disappointed, they get angry enough to become violent...because that's what they see getting results most of the time. Violence and aggressive behaviors probably gets them what they want at home and in the neighborhood. Fear works better than negotiation and love.

I'm not surprised when violence breaks out at schools and colleges anymore. I know that this young Korean man was a psycopath. But, the boys at Colombine HS were not. Children killing children isn't news anymore.

I'm not saying all American children are undisciplined and lack moral foundations, values and boundaries. I certainly don't believe that. I am saying that it's getting to be more and more the majority; however, that do lack these important characteristics. I don't think it's their fault in many cases. It's parenting and strong role-models to a large degree.

It's difficult to parent in a permissive world gone mad. But we have to be vigilant. It's a dangerous and harsh world, but we have to allow our children to go out the door prepared to face it. It's frightening, and we have to arm them with the tools and the armour to protect themselves mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically and educationally. We have to love them enough to allow them to be angry at us for protecting them!

I think all we can do is vote responsibly, pray for our leaders and the nation, volunteer in our communities, and teach and lead our own children...standing strong for what's of a moral base. We can only live by example, and love our children enough to say "no" sometimes, too.