One of the Royal Wedding Dress Embroiderers-Sophie Long

Mastering the Art of Embroidery: Tutorials, Techniques and Modern Applications

This is another one of those books I love to borrow from the library more than once.  This book was published in 2013 so is more modern in its approach to embroidery.  It was written by Sophie Long who is with the Royal School of Needlework and was part of the group who embroidered Kate Middleton's wedding dress for her marriage to Prince William.  What an honour that would be for an embroiderer!  I can't even imagine it.

Sophie has her own web site at and her gallery of work is really worth looking at.  In particular I loved the giraffe she has stitched, and her ribbon embroidered hearts are lovely. 
The link to her website which is truly worth a visit is http://www.sophielong.co.uk

Sophie's book covers a lot of ground; as promised in the title there are lots of tutorials and illustrated techniques.  There is also a dictionary of embroidery stitches.  All these are accompanied by beautiful photographs which are sure to be visually pleasing.  I loved the works by a variety of artists that are used to highlight the various techniques.

I should tell you that this book has been praised for what it attempted to do but also criticized for actually trying to cover too much ground a fault shared with many instructional type books, but that certainly did not detract in my humble opinion.

 I love this book. It is available from the Book Depository for around $30 with free shipping.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Writes, Photographs ...

It is amazing to see what Ree Drummond has created since beginning her blog Confesssions of a Pioneer Woman, http://thepioneerwoman.com.  This blog is a treat for the eyes, a wonderful, professionally arranged resource and has grown into a jumping off point for more and more topics for Ree to write about.  These include her now regular columns on photography, giving advice, and homeschooling besides her cooking and recipes which I think is what started it all. The family dog has even gotten in on the act and now is featured in a series of children's books. As a result, Ree has been a guest on many t.v. shows and these days is hosting her own cooking show, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, on The Food Network which is a favourite of my mother's.  I've watched her become more comfortable in those on-air roles and you can check her out yourself on Youtube.
Ree also has a number of cookbooks in print and I have enjoyed looking at all of them.  This one, A Year of Holidays, is arranged according to the major celebrations in a calendar year.  Typical of her blog and books is the very beautiful, vivid photographs which you find in this book also.  As well, she writes little vignettes about her family and life on the ranch and background about the 140 recipes she has included.
One thing I really love is the way she photographs each step of a recipe.  You really can't go wrong.

 I think this would be a wonderful cookbook for anyone beginning to learn to cook.  It is available from Amazon.com for about $20.   I borrowed this copy from the library and I could see it was a well used edition; I'm thinking a very popular check-out. I copied out several of the recipes including her versions of Caesar Salad and potato salad.  I know the recipes would be mostly considered home-style, nothing particularly gourmet or dietetic, and perhaps a little simplistic by some folks standards. Not mine!  And perhaps that is its charm and why it is one of the best sellers in the cookbook world. 

Where the Men Are

Here is Rex helping Hubby read the instructions to the brand new leaf blower.  It seems like quite a super sized apparatus well researched and newly purchased at Princess Auto.  For those who may not know, Princess Auto is a store specializing in tools, automotive supplies, farm and garden equipment, camping gear, and all sorts of other manly odds and ends.  It may be sexist to say, but it is a man's idea of paradise to shop there.
 I know Hubby just loves it when we have an excuse to go there.  Last visit we spent an hour or so wandering around, Hubby in serious pursuit of things he had on his list.  For myself, I was looking for a new ash shovel to use in the wood stove and a brush to use when shampooing the dogs.  There were dozens of brushes to choose from and I found a nice one simply labelled wash brush.  Loads and all sizes of shovels, but neither one that quite fitted the purpose I wanted it for.
 I spent a long time in the trapping aisle and that is where I found the mouse trap I've shown you a few times now.  I was happy to see how many traps were of the humane type with a catch and release mechanism; you can trap most things it seems...badgers, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, beaver with the intention of letting them go.  It was a very large aisle. The rat traps always make me shudder, though.
I was only one of three women shopping at the time amid many, many men.  In fact, it occurred to me that it would be a great spot to meet men, if you were 'in the market'.  Several men spoke to me; one asking was I doing my Christmas shopping, with a ha ha to his friends. One man struck up a conversation in the electronic aisle and we had a pleasant conversation about trying to stay current with all the new-fangled internet gadgets.
  I thought to myself that never mind going to the supermarket to meet men, head to the nearest Princess Auto instead.  It seems most men end up there at some time or other and are in very good moods while there. 

Madame La Fee's Beautiful Site

I am always adding to my list of things I wish I knew more about especially of a technical nature.  This is a very long list because you must realize you are dealing with a person here who still is in awe of the notion that voices can carry through wires hence telephones.  Imagine how confounded I feel about the concept of wireless anything.
 So I am still trying to work out how to do a few more things with this blog.  Some of the sites I visit invite you to link them to your blog so today I will attempt to do that.  Bear with me....
I have found the most beautiful little cross stitch site called Madame La Fee originating in France.  I just love the patterns and kits and the prices seem reasonable too.  Also there is an archive of free patterns which is always a treat so I invite you to check it out here....

http://www.madame-la-fee.com

I think that worked!

Am I Catching the Same Mouse?

Am I catching the same mouse (or mice) over and over?
Here is the new mouse trap we bought at Princess Auto in action.  It is a humane one that operates on a catch and release system.   It has proven to be very successful with catching a mouse just about every night.  Here is one little guy...

He was not anxious at all and just kept looking at me.  He'd eaten a good meal of peanut butter so I knew I was sending him off with a full belly.  I set him free down at the shed in the wood pile and he took his own time before running off.

This morning two little creatures looked at me when I pulled the trap from deep in the cupboard under the sink.  One was seemingly unafraid while the other little fellow stayed backed up in the corner.  When I opened the lid to let them loose, the timid one took a while to leave but eventually scampered off into the same gap in the wood chunks as his friend.
I am loving this trap and wish I'd had it for my other winters here. No messy setting of springs and no sad little corpses in the mornings.
My count is now up to four and they have all looked identical (and not like the white with brown mice of last winter).  It really does make me wonder if I am trapping the same little critters over and over.   

A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Coffee Go Down

Coffee is not worth drinking without all the trimmings, some fellow in a novel once said, as he liberally lashed his cup of coffee with sugar and cream.  I think of this comment now that I am trying to wean myself off sugar in my coffee and finding it hard to do.  I gave up milk in tea and coffee many decades ago, but still hang on to the bit of sugar.  I've been pretty good, down to less than a teaspoon but I'd love to give it up altogether.  I have tried Splenda and liked it but I have been going more naturally lately.  Coconut sugar was one; couldn't even taste that in the coffee.  Truvia was another; I was a little put off by the slightly 'too sweet' taste.  I am now using Stevia and finding the same thing...just a little too much saccharine flavouring for me.  Maybe as Dr. Oz suggests, I should just go back to real sugar and keep at the weaning process.  I do love a cup of coffee in the morning    ( tea for the rest of the day) but maybe it is time for me to rethink that. 

And here are a few of my little felt houses in the beginning stages.  These are so much fun to work out.  I have since added embroidered flowers and a word or two.  Progress!

From the Wonderful Mary Corbet

From the wonderful Mary Corbet at ...www.needlenthread.com
 Her work is beautiful (check out her blackworked fish) and I love how she has not skimped on her web site.  She obviously has put a lot of time and effort into developing a workable, useful and inspiring site that hand embroiderers will want to turn to time and again. 
I just can't praise Mary and  Needle 'n Thread enough. This site is generously chock a block with loads of information for the hand embroiderer.  There are how to videos, tips and techniques, patterns plus a gallery of free patterns that is just wonderful.  All manner of monograms can be found there.
  I'm one of the embroiderers who has returned to this site many times over the years and I always find something new and inspiring.  Her latest offering is a set of four patterns entitled Lavender Honey and Other Little Things. 

 This is available as an e-book and features patterns for five basic designs which can be finished in a variety of ways making a total of twenty possible projects in all.  These are lovely little designs of nature...the sheep and hedgehog in particular are adorable.
But as I say there is lots on this site to use as a resource including the links to a wonderful list of other sites offering more free downloads.

Meanwhile, I keep stitching away on my little ornaments.  I have started to complete the embellishments on the original pieces and I like how they are turning out.  I am using buttons and small seed beads and a variety of ribbons for the hangers.  I will post some photos of the finished products later on.