Mar 7, 2012

SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ENCOURAGE HER?

My mom can't come to the blog right now. She's too busy prancing around in the house in her pink fuzzies, hollering something about borders and stitchy friends and how special she feels when you all say such nice things to her. I swear she's going to break out the "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" song, and nobody needs to hear THAT more than once in a lifetime. Trust me.

Hello, friends! I know I've been absent of late, but there has been so much to do around here! In addition to monitoring all of the national and international news, I'm left to devise a plan for how we're going to get Chez Spinster spiffed up for the warmer weather, and if that will effectively encourage my Aunt Chrissy to come over for Mumus and Mocktails on the patio once again.

I love my Aunt Chrissy, I really do. She "gets" me and always lends a hand (or a sympathetic ear) whenever the old lady drives me up a tree. Usually all I have to do is place a quick call, and before I know it Aunt Chrissy is in the driveway in her fancy sports car, and we tear off into the sunset. (She always secures me safely in the car seat, so don't even think about writing to the ASPCA or anything. She is, if nothing else, a safety girl).

Our recent adventure included a trip to the flower store so that I could re-fashion the cone on the front door:What I find really amusing about this is the fact that my Grandma Sig is probably rolling around in her drawer right now over the fact that her daughters have become so enamored with silk flowers. Apparently, silk flowers have come a long way since the days when Grandma Sig was around. From what I know of the family traditions, there wasn't a silk flower to be had anywhere in the rooms that my mo-ther and Aunt Chrissy called home, and the real flowers that were on display were a sight to behold. So, forgive me, Grandma Sig, but I'm a pup on a budget, and I know I'll never get the old lady trained well enough to keep that arrangement fresh looking.

Mom finished the border on her canvas and made some headway on the next flower: While I would never tell her this to her face, I will admit that I am rather pleased that Mo-ther has decided to spread her stitchy wings a bit and try new things every now and then. I do, however, want to clarify that this particular project is a painted canvas and that Mo-ther is using a stitch guide that was created by Miss Ruth from Bedecked and Beadazzled. Please don't think for a moment that my stupid mom is capable of coming up with all of this on her own. She needs supervision, people. Some of the stitches she's figured out by herself, but the master "plan" of the canvas is definitely all Melissa Shirley and Miss Ruth.

Mom got quite a few emails about the difference between this type of project and others that she does that are counted work (like the ones from Miss Laura J. Perin Her Very Self). With painted canvases, you start with the picture already on the canvas and you embellish it with threads and whatnot. In counted work, you actually create the picture on the canvas with your stitches. Does that make sense?

I suppose that all of the confusion would be avoided if Mo-ther would just pick one medium and stick with it, but the truth of the matter is that she is a...how shall I put this delicately?...a stitchy HARLOT. In other words....she does it all.

(That's not to say that she's any good at any of it, mind you, but you have to give her points for trying, no?)

Spring has sprung and I'm desperately trying to select a destination for my holiday this year. I'm quite partial to the British West Indies, but Mo-ther thinks I should stay closer to home and settle for an inflatable baby pool on the back patio instead.

She's such a bumpkin.

I hope that you are all well, my very dear friends. I do want to thank you all for your notes and calls asking if we were affected by the tornado outbreak last week. We were spared, but out hearts are broken for those who were in the path of those storms.

Do something fun and wonderful today. I've finally found the perfect spot for a little sunbathing and a book. I'm reading "Little Bee" and enjoying it immensely!

With love from your pal,
Stewey

18 comments:

  1. Hello

    What a fantastic post. It's very nice to meet you Master Stewey!

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  2. Oh - and if those "prove you're not a robot" words get anymore squiggly and hard to read - I'm going to rename them "prove that you're not a 47 year old who needs reading glasses to read the temperature directions on the Papa Murphy pizza instructions!"

    :)

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  3. So glad to hear from you Stewey; I've missed your insight. Tell Mo-ther that the border fraing her project is wonderful...I may have to try that.

    Be well, enjoy the warm weather and sunshine.

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  4. Stewey, SO glad to see you post again! All seems well at Chez Spinster, and glad to hear you and Mother fared well through all of the storms. Of course everything Mother stitches is completely fabulous, so this canvas should be no exception. LOVE the border! And great pic of you, by the way.

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  5. Your looking good Stewey and the Bug says hi ya! I was concerned about my Hoosier relatives myself this past weekend. But they all live nearer to your area than the southern part of the state so they were all well also. But it really was a terrible storm and I also feel so sad for all that suffered and lost family members. Enjoy your spring weather, the snow is just starting to melt this week here in Michigan and much mud is being left behind for our boots to sink into.

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  6. Your flowers are very pretty. The stitching looks wonderful.

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  7. Coni, you have really made that border bloom! Whole canvas looks fantastic! Keep going, you're on a roll!!

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  8. I'm glad to hear that you and your Mo-ther along with my sister, niece and her little one stayed safe through all of the storms in IN. The needlepoint is looking beautiful and so are the flowers at the front door. Bud says to tell you hi and his dream vacation spot would be somewhere with out loud smoke detectors and lots of pillows in the sun.

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  9. Lovely stitched piece and lovelier floral arrangement. Yes, silks have come a long, LONG way since then. Stay safe and warm!

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  10. Stewey, your floral arrangement is lovely, just perfect for Spring. I see no problems with using silk flowers when the genuine are not available from the garden. My only gripe is seeing them plunged into the dirt in a real garden when there are no blooms blooming. as I did the other day.
    I am so glad you and Mo-ther are safe,and I hope the weather continues to improve.
    Mo-ther is definitely on the right track with the beautifully stitched border.

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  11. Let us know what you think of the ending of "Little Bee." Would you have made the same decision regarding the trip?

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  12. Oh, Stewey, you poor doggy, I never liked that song! Just call Aunt Chrissy to take you shopping again if Mo-ther reaches for the CD. The flowers in the cone are fab and your Mo-ther's stitching is a sight to behold.

    Glad you are all safe and my heart goes out to all those affected by the devastating storms.

    Enjoy your book!

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  13. I so love to read your blog! You and Mo-ther are the highlight of my day. I fear you are wrong, Stewey dear. Mo-ther is indeed very good at all she does. I aspire to be like her in every way :)

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  14. Hello Stewey. Your Mother is just Fab!! nice of her to share her computer with you...Nothing wrong with being a Bumpkin-Harlot. Variety is the spice of life! me and my Casey ( a deer head Chi) have a kiddie pool here in Alabama and have lots of fun making the neighbors LOL! have a Great Day. :)

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  15. Stewey, so good to hear of you and your very own point of view on Chez Spinster. So glad to hear that you and Mo-ther were left untouched by the storms. It is heartbreaking for those who were and hearing their stories. Great progress on Mo-ther's stitchy piece. I LOVE seeing the different pieces she works on. So inspiring. Stewey, have you ever considered writing your memoirs? Something to think about. Enjoy your piece of the sun. It is raining where I am and I think I shall curl up with a book and/or stitching. Ta Ta. :) Cathryn

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  16. Hey Stewey,
    It was good to hear from you. My mom loves seeing all the cool stuff that your mo-ther is working on. She does get a bit jealous because her stitching time is really limited. Glad you didn't get blown away. There was a tornado very close to our house. There was lots of damage all around us , but we were ok. Stay safe in this crazy weather.....your friend Scully

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  17. Hi Stewey, you're lucky to have a mom who enjoys so many endeavors and still has time to lavish loveys on you! Love seeing her creativity and enthusiasm, so glad I found her blog to enjoy!

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