Father's Day Blessings

God took the strength of a mountain

The majesty of a tree

The warmth of a summer sun

The calm of a quiet sea

The generous soul of nature

The comforting arm of night

The wisdom of the age

The power of the eagle's flight

The joy of a morning in Spring

The faith of a mustard seed

The patience of eternity

The depth of a family need

Then God combined these qualities

When there was nothing more to add

He knew His masterpiece was complete

And so,

He called it "Dad"

~Author Unknown~

Happy Father's Day to the best daddy ever.

I miss you more with each passing day.

Spaces to Create

Karen, at My Desert Cottage, is hosting the

Second Annual Where Bloggers Create!

Originally posted at My Desert Cottage

Whether it is to stitch, scrapbook, illustrate, decorate or craft in another manner,

many of us have carved out a special spot in our home where our creations come to life.

Originally posted at Mockingbird Hill Cottage

I, of course, was drawn to those spaces including sewing machines.  One of my most favorites was Rebecca's lovely studio, which can be viewed at her blog A Gathering of Thoughts.

Originally posted at The Wrought Iron Gate

There are spaces displaying lovely fabrics and vintage linens.

Originally posted at The Raspberry Rabbits

There are spaces displaying a sense of humor by elevating the mundane to the sublime!

Hop over to My Desert Cottage and enjoy hundreds of inspiring and creative spots.

In the meantime, I will be attempting to restore some sense of order to my own sewing room!

Changes

After residing with us for a few years following college graduation,

our son decided his bank account would finally allow for a place of his own.

So, this little trailer followed us around for a few loads of furniture and belongings this weekend.

Who says that parenting is any easier when they grow up?

Now, to quickly turn his bedroom into a larger sewing room for me

before the money runs out and he returns!

Happy Hippos for Hungry Humans

Ever since Santa managed to slide down our chimney with Henry* for our son's very first Christmas,

hippopotamuses have held a special place in my heart.

It wasn't just a three foot tall plush hippo that kept us entertained during those childhood days.

 

There was also the Milton Bradley game, Hungry Hungry Hippos!

Seems to me there were several stories read over and over, too.

Nor can we forget the holiday song, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"!

Now, I understand that hippos can be one of the most aggressive creatures in the wild, but you would never know it by the cute and humorous representations in toys and literature.

So, speaking of cute . . . . 

 

I could not help but smile, when I recently spied these on a stroll through our neighborhood World Market!

See?

I told you they were cute and could prompt smiles!

They are actually quite delicious!

The outer covering is a thin and crispy wafer.

Inside is a combination of a creamy white filling and a rich chocolate filling.

Did you know that most female hippos reach their maximum weight

around the age of 25 years, and are not believed to grow much beyond that?

Sadly, that is not true of humans.

Too many of these Happy Hippos for this hungry human, 

and I will be bigger than any real hippopotamus! 

*Henry still remains a part of our family, patiently awaiting a day to be loved by other little people in our family!  The Hungry Hungry Hippo game is long gone, though.

On a side note,

thank you so very much for the many kind and thoughtful expressions of sympathy during

our family's recent loss.

Your prayers and care were felt and very much appreciated.

A Life Well Lived

Please remember our family

as we travel and gather to celebrate a life well lived.

A gentle man.

A husband.

A father, grandfather and father-in-law.

A brother and brother-in-law.

An uncle.

A respected attorney.

A loyal friend.

An avid gardner.

A pillar of faith.

Charlie,

we rejoice that you have been healed and made whole again.

You are joyfully reunited with other dearly departed family members.

Gone from this earth, but never forgotten.

Always loved.

Thank you for always loving us.

Playing Dolls

As a favor for a friend, I am stitching some doll clothes.

They will be part of a raffle to raise money for a hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

A very worthy cause, in my opinion.

This was a quick casual ensemble that I whipped up in just a couple of hours! 

I love that the skirt is called Easy-Peasy. 

It really is!

I used dotted swiss for the little peasant top, and added a small bow

at the neck.

For the skirt, I used two early Amy Butler prints from my personal stash, accented with

hot pink baby rick rack.

The pattern is ModKid's Mini Nina, a dolly-sized interpretation of Patty Young's

child-size Nina pattern.

The Mini Nina may be found here.

I have a few more doll duds in the making.

They are such fun!

Christening Ensemble Stitched with Love

Can you imagine being an expectant mother and opening a baby shower gift such as this?

You then would discover that your mother had been keeping secrets from you!

For weeks, she had been creating a gorgeous christening gown!

That was not all . . .

as there

 was also a lovely christening coat.

She still was not finished!

A precious bonnet completed the ensemble.

Each stitch filled with love for baby and new mother!

This precious babe will not only be wrapped in the love

of family and God on its special day,

but also wrapped in a special christening ensemble

created with loving hands of a grandmother.

Thank you to a dear customer, Lorrain,

for sharing her gorgeous creation!

Congratulations to her family on the upcoming arrival of a new little one!