Crisp White Sheets

Not just anyone is allowed to visit the bedroom, but for you...

A few months ago I read an article about insomnia. The author contended that something as simple as bedding and sheets could be the problem. Right then and there I decided to invest in some quality sheets, which I interpreted to be something with a higher than 400 thread count.

Big mistake. I wish the lesson hadn't been so expensive. I purchased something from ).(. P*enney's C*indy C*rawford line — awful things. Seems that those high count number sheets can be some of the most uncomfortable bedding one'll ever sleep on. It certainly has been our experience. If you're a fan of limp, overly soft sheets, the high count numbers are for you.

Then I began to hear echoes in Blogdom about crisp, white, cotton sheets available through the Vermont Country Store. Despite the fact that there's no free shipping, the sheets turned out to be about the same price as the ones I first purchased. They arrived yesterday and were washed and dryed (with a lavender sachet) and that bed was made up so fast... and easily, too. No wrestling with the fitted sheet because it was large enough to accomodate the high mattress. The packaging says it will fit a mattress up to 17 inches deep. (The C.C. fitted sheet was advertised for deep-pockets, but comes woefully short of its claim.)

The pillow cases (not part of the set) were embroidered this week. Apparently, the blog that offered the pattern has left Blogdom. Sigh. You can see the version I first saw *here* (source no longer exists) where the embroidery threads match. I chose yellow (my favorite color) and green (John's) because I have tons of embroidery floss that must be used. I refuse to buy any new colors. It's an idea that could easily be amended to your own handwriting or your own phrasing. I placed my embroidery further down the pillow so that it wouldn't be at cheek level.

***

Having just wakened from a good night's rest, I am giving these sheets an "A." I think with a few more washings they'll be an "A+." I'm off to sip my morning coffee, eat a cookie or two, and read the nice catalog the company sent me. Don't you love a good catalog? And just to be clear, Vermont Country Store has/had no clue that I was going to say all these nice things. ☺

A happy weekend to you...

RamSign Winner

And the winner of a beautiful baked enamel house number sign from RamSign is...

She says she likes the Lighthouse Style. Let's see what that one is...

 Source: Ramsign

Oh lovely!

Okay then, this gal lives on Hospitality Lane.

Congrats, Becky! Just as soon as I have your permission to forward your email addy to RamSign, it'll be a done deal.

Thanks to everyone who participated and most especially a big thank you to RamSign for the kind offer.

(It's a Nonni day so I have no idea when I'll pop up again. Have a wonderful day.)

Turkey Feathers State Quilt

My goal for the Irish Linen is to create a State Flowers Quilt as seen at Vicki Haninger's blog Turkey Feathers. I've been gathering my free patterns and have done two of my own state flower. Let us not discuss what the Maine fathers were drinking thinking when they decided upon a white pine cone and tassel as the state flower. My first attempt was on muslin. I can't find it. Anywhere. So the second attempt is on a scrap of the Irish linen turning out as you see below—unironed and unwashed to remove the embroidery pencil lines. It's destined to become a pillow.

I've already whipped up a quilt on my Photoscape program alternating between my embroidery and a piece of brown transferware for contrast. I am planning to embroider two five by five panels with each of the 50 state flowers featured. I'm unsure about actual size of each panel...perhaps 8x8 inches.

This will be my evening work through autumn and winter. To see what it really should look like, visit Turkey Feathers.

Just a reminder that the Ramsign contest closes tonight at seven. The winner will be revealed tomorrow!



ETA: Cleaning out some email when I discovered that my mother had sent me this Jacquie Lawson card called An American Sketchbook.

Delicate Enjoyment~A Tea Party with Friends

Welcome! It is three-o'clock on a lovely summer afternoon and I'm so glad that you have joined me for our tea-party.

Ladies, may I just say that you've never looked more lovely!

Hopefully, I've got my tea cups all in a row... You know how these short notice tea parties can be.

Please select your favorite and come sit down for a good while...

The garden is particularly delightful today. If you'd prefer sitting on a comfy quilt, you'll find several on the cool grass.

Oh, my dear, we have so many delicious things to eat and drink. (Thank you all for bringing your favorites.) We have butterhorns, summer pudding, plum platz, and *my favorite tea sandwiches* not to mention that there's champagne with strawberries being served somewhere nearby.

Now, tell me, what delicious topics shall we discuss?


Graphics sources include, but are not limited to, the following:

The Feathered Nest
The Graphics Fairy
Vintage Catnip
Country Living

Tricolored Beech

Good thing I'm writing this here blog for myself; otherwise, I'd quit. Pretty sure that everyone is at the beach!

Let's discuss a beech of another sort.  My favorite tree, and I know that I've shared this before, is a tricolored beech. I shared it in autumn last year and so I wanted you to see it in summer.

Beech and Barn

It's called tricolor for the rose, green, and white of its leaves. Here, a closer look...

Pink Loveliness

Tricolored Beech Twig

As I was taking these photos the other day, I thought how pleasant an outdoor tea would be right under these branches. I'm planning one for tomorrow and you're invited, bring your imagination. By the way, do you have a favorite tree?

Filling in the Gaps

Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance God and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. ~Kent Nerburn

~welcome to August~

Often I do a Mosaic Dud on Monday afternoon or late morning as the case may be. Sometimes I'm so good lazy that I don't. =}

This week I have several.  The one above? Not good enough and done just this morning. The one below — rejected on the basis of being too much the same-old, same-old.

The day lilies are all but gone. I'm pleased that they made it all the way through July as that is not often the case. Since there was a large space without color, I purchased, at a deep discount, a wave petunia basket to hang there. It's not as lovely as the ditch lilies by a long shot, but pleasant all the same.

X marks the same tree

What do you add to your garden to fill the empty places?  You green thumbs gals must have some tips!

John and I both have big projects started today. He's working on the fence and I'm working on the Irish linen.

John on the line; Irish linen on the line

Guess that I have wandered around long enough... Wait! One more little project to show you that my daughter made.

she loves posing for me...see that cheeky little grin

So cute!

Stay cool now...

Tea Cup Party~Mosaic Monday

My goal today was to tidy up the tea cups so that I could actually have a cup of tea without pawing through everything to find the matching saucer. Then I had a little brainstrom wondering if I could find tea cups that matched flower photos I've taken this summer. My only success was with the astilbe and the rose. Other than that, it is hodge-podge all over the place.

It's back to sorting and matching and readjusting storage space for me...

Linking to Mary at Little Red House. Wonder if Mary's still in Bunny's Garden?

I Peter 1:6–8

source 

No matter how fiery the trial, the main thing is that you and I remember the temperature is ultimately regulated by God's sovereignty. It's also important to understand that we don't suffer our trials in isolation; we are part of a flock that is lovingly tended by faithful shepherds. Finally, we need to know that no matter how formidable our adversary, the power of God is available to help us endure. ~ Chuck Swindoll

I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. You never saw Him, yet you love Him. You still don't see Him, yet you trust Him—with laughter and singing. I Peter 1:6–8 The Message


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A Blessed Day to you!