Thursday, May 31, 2018

Happy Summer



Summer, 2018

Happy Summer!  My boys would happily point out that this season is technically 3 weeks away, but for me it's Summer.  Our back yard city garden is going crazy--due to Teri's tender ministrations.  We have harvested tons of sweet radishes already, and the peas are just coming on.  The tomatoes are growing like weeds, and we are willing the cucumbers to take off.  Last year we tried making Not-so-sweet Bread and Butter pickles, and they were amazing!  I can't wait to make more this year. And--as you can see above--the Clematis is breath catching.  Ahhh...Summer.


We, the Pizza
Washington DC

To start out this wonderful, lazy, beautiful season, Shepherd's Bush has a few new little kits to show you.  They all come complete and will work up in a flash, so you will be well on your way to a very patriotic July. 

From Sea to Sea
kit:  $30.00


This new kit is part of our larger pincushion series.  It is stitched on 32 count Flax linen, with Overdyed silks and cotton threads.  It includes little buttons, a darling red polka dot backing fabric, and Lady Dot chenille trim.

There is also a mini pin pack from Just Another Button Company to go perfectly along with it.

Mini Pin Set:  
$12.00


Home Of The Brave
kit: $16.00
White box: $22.00  (sold separately) 


We just love these new little boxes.  Our Patriotic kit is very fun to stitch, and fits perfectly into this small box.  Fill it with red, white and blue buttons or a treasure of your own. I am going to put in a few tiny stitching necessaries--hopefully in patriotic colors.
This piece is stitched on 32 count linen and comes with the linen and threads complete. 

Flag Tag
kit: $8.00


Teri loves to do these tags.  She filled a bag with patriotic M & Ms, and it will be a great gift for a friend--or a sister.  The kit comes with everything you need to make 1 tag--swirly paper, thread, a star button, polkadot ribbon, and a 2 sided paper tag.  This is a quick, sweet stitch. If you have a patriotic tree, like we do, it would be darling hanging from one of the branches.

Summer Reads and Treats  

 This is going to be my thing to share for the next few months. 
If you love a good read and love to read historical fiction, this series of books is one of Teri and my favorites.  Charland sent the first one--The 
Circle of Ceridwen--to us last year and I read it almost obsessively and continued to read the next 5 in the series.  I just finished reading her newest one earlier this month and loved it.  
It is very well researched and detailed about a woman's life in the 9th century and I just found it fascinating and exciting and sweet. If you like that kind of thing, you will love this one.  
Unfortunately there are a few pros and cons to this book:
Pro:  you will fall in love with her world.
Con:  It does cut into your stitching time.  
So perhaps buy it on Audible and listen while you stitch.

And now for the treat:

Rice Crispy S'mores
Teri made these a few weeks ago, and they were addictively delicious.  Make a batch of your favorite Rice Crispy treats--however you like to make them is fine.  Before you add the marshmallow/butter mixture, smash up a half of a sleeve of graham crackers quite small and add to the crispies.  Once you have added the marshmallow mixture and stirred it up, wait a minute or two until the mixture is no longer warm. Add a couple of handfuls of mini marshmallows and as many broken up pieces of hershey bars as you like.  Stir together and put into your pan to set up.  Yummy!!



Have a great, safe June, and I will write again in a few...
fondly, Tina