If you are here you already know, but I’ll tell you anyway, I have a new website!  My husband set it up for me as an early birthday present (thank you dear).  It looks just the same, I know, but there will be changes in the future.  Nothing huge, as my style sheet knowledge is not huge, but at least I can make it more my own.  It’s funny how a blog like this can start to feel like another home–granted one that is always clean and quiet and where things magically get done.  The picture above is of my real home.  I found this little tabletop kitchen at a thrift store near my mom’s house.  It was very lovingly designed and handmade by someone and I snatched it up for 5 bucks.  We don’t have enough space for the full on, pimped out kitchens kids have nowadays, but my kids love it.

Two perfectly good thrift stores very close to my house closed recently.  One so quickly and secretly that I didn’t even get in on their unloading all this crap for a ridiculously low price sale.  But I did manage to pick up these sweet little tin houses while I was on the other side of town. I think you’re suppose to put candles in them, but I’m content with them just looking pretty.  They are on our mantle next to our christmas tree away from four curious baby hands.

I found this beautiful piece of embroidery at my local thrift store the other day. He is almost entirely done using the stem stitch, with a couple of french knots here and there. And his little beady eyes are, well, little beads. He’s not quite finished, but I’m happy to fill in the rest. I have a question for all you seasoned embroiderers out there. I think someone must have just sketched directly onto the canvas and then embroidered over it, but there is some color (fabric paint? watercolor?) you can see on his jacket and on the ends of the feathers. Is that meant to stand on it’s own or be “colored in” with stitches? I’ve never worked with transfers or patterns so I’m not familiar with the rules. He’s a little dirty: anyone have any laundering advice for something like this? He was meant to be a rather large pillow, but I might try to stretch it over a frame and hang it in the kid’s room.