The Beauty of Blessing, Milkglass, Garden Up Date and It's ONE Downfall

             " Our lives are just two threads in this eternal canvas.

They diverge, converge and interweave with each other,

Then diverge and converge again until the fabric is complete."

Kahlil Gibran

Two beautiful lady's blessed me so much last week!

First I was flabbergasted to find all of this gorgeous hand dyed lace by

Pamela Kellogg sitting by the door with my name on it! 

(via the mailman of course)

I'm still in shock and it is still sitting just like this on my sewing table.

It was ironed so perfectly but I couldn't wait till my camera was charged to unfold each piece and study all the beautiful colorways running through it!

Each piece is truly a work of art!

You absolutely must go to Pam's Blog and Etsy store where you will be delighted with gobs of eye candy!

THEN I was so lucky to win this breathtaking kit from my pal Pat Winter
I never win ANYTHING ~ this was truly my lucky week!

Beautiful fabrics, cigg print, lace, beads, trims and her gorgeous hand dyed silk ribbon!

This was all in a gift bag made from an old story book pages.

See the Dragonfly ~ that was a picture in the book ......

 a matching Dragonfly charm was enclosed with the beads!

These two beautiful woman have put the spring back in my step and ignited my flame of inspiration that was firmly in the OFF position.

Thank you SO much!!!!!

My garden offered some surprises as well!
These beauty's were hiding under my Birdhouse Gourds.

By the way ~ the latest issue of Mary Janes Farm had a great article on Milkglass

so I thought I'd share some of mine with you.

(the pumpkin is from my son's garden)

One day I will share my whole collection but this is the stuff I had handy.....

this is really a sugar bowl from a child's set but makes a perfect vase for

flowers with tiny stems.

One of my favorite pieces ~ a Punch Bowel complete with cups ~ $10.00!

Later I found just the bowl part so I have a spare if one breaks.

The little vase on the right is my favorite shape for a vase even though they don't hold alot of water.

The Salt and Pepper Shakers are like new.

I like using Milk Glass at Christmas time ~ it goes so beautiful with the colors of the season.

These candlestick holder seem to have been made to use upside down as well but I'm not sure.

Do any of you know how they might have been used?

Other gifts from the garden ~ the cornstalks for my fall decor.

I hear you guys laughing ~ what's so wrong with growing 12 cornstalks???

This is a Birdhouse Gourd flower.......

and the Gourd beginning to form.

If these grow nicely ~ I will have a giveaway this fall.

They are just the coolest things in the world!

The Trumpet Vine attracts Hummingbirds ~ they almost fit right inside!

I forgot the name of this but they are common ~

I bet most of you have one.

They grow very tall ~ this one is about about 5 feet.

Notice the rust colored mums already blooming!

The ones in my back yard started blooming the first of July.

Here in my corner of Connecticut ~ our growing season is about 4 weeks ahead of any year previous. We started picking tomatoes the end of June!

The shade garden is mostly a jungle of green except for the hydrangea and variegated grasses. The heat wave really stunted the growth of the impatiens which I rely on for late summer/early fall color.

This week I'll start tucking mums into bare spots to catch the eye and

provide flowers for cutting into the late fall.

Now here is the biggest downfall of my little peaceful domain I call my garden ~

 ~ my destination when I want to think

~ or get a good work out

~  possibly lose a bit of the ole' tire tube .

Look closely between the 2 bunches of tall grass ~

Here ~ I'll give you a close up shot ~

 Friendly's Restarant !

 as in Hot Fudge Sundaes ~ soft serve with fudge dripping down the sides, Orange Fribbles, Banana Splits!

Now don't even mention FishAMajig Sandwich cause I haven't had one in like a million years but that doesn't mean I'm not tempted.

As a matter of fact ~ I don't even like Freindly's all that much BUT

sometimes it just calls my name.

If you don't have a Friendly's in your back yard ~
Give this little recipe a try...........

Caribbean Delight

1 fresh pineapple cut lengthwise
2 medium mango's ~ cut in 1 inch pieces
2 mandarin oranges
2 bananas sliced with juice of one lemon poured over
1 cup fresh strawberries sliced
5 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons curacao
3 cups vanilla ice cream
5 Tablespoons grated coconut

Hollow out pineapple and cut it fruit into cubes.
Combine all fruit in large bowl.
Add sugar and curacao.
Spoon vanilla ice cream into the pineapple shell and top with fruit.
Sprinkle with grated coconut and DIG IN!!!

(from "The Book of Friendship" by Ariel books)

Farmers Market LOVE and Recipes, A Paula Deen Book Review and A Crazy Heart

I feel like the best Momma and wife in the world when I shop at the

Farmers Market!

It's like gathering all the ingredients for a special medicine that will cure all that is ailing them.

My family will love these beets ~ cooked in time for tonight's dinner and the rest pickled ~

if there are any leftovers!

Pickled Beets

4 cups beet juice, 2 cups vinegar, 1 Tbsp sea salt, 4 cups sugar, a few pinches of cloves

Cook beets and slice. Mix liquid and boil. (Use beet juice and add water to make 4 cups)

Place beets in a large glass jar and pour liquid to the top of the jar. 

Store in the fridge.

The Red potatoes were picked yesterday and they will melt in our mouth ~ boiled till tender.

Frank will eat all six (okay 5 ~ I ate one) of these Apple-Cider donuts ~ still warm when they put them in the bag.

Even homemade treats for Teddi !

You get to use your favorite Market bag at the farmers Market ~ I love this one from TJ Maxx!

A fresh baguette ~ that comes in VERY handy when your stuck in a traffic jam on the ride home.

Soap for Frank ~ he will Love these!

As I came in the door with my treasures ~ I noticed one of my Dahlias had bloomed in the front yard!

We have truly entered into the Sweet Spot of summer!

Cilantro from the garden goes perfectly with fresh corn off the cob.

Terri's Black Bean Salad

1 large can of Black Beans (rinse well)

1 red onion ~ chopped fine

2 stalks of celery ~ chopped fine

As much cilantro as you can pull from your garden - I used the fluffy fennel looking pieces on the stems as mine had gone to seed and the leaves were gone.

5 ears of corn ~ cut off the cob and blanched

(to do that I simply boil a few cups of water and pour over corn ~ then let it sit for about 10 minutes)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix together with olive oil and a bit of  vinegar ~ I use rice vinegar.

I found myself sick in bed a few days this week and was able to read Paula Deen's memoir ~

It Ain't All About The Cookin'

She is Full of spunk and reminds me so much of my Aunt Shirley ~who talks just like Paula!

I enjoyed the book and her candor. She is completely honest about how she got where she is.

Here is Paula's Blueberry Muffin recipe. Frank LOVED them!

They aren't super sweet and need a yummy homemade jam to complete them in my opinion.

Paula calls them ~

The Best Damn Blueberry Muffins You'll Ever Eat

2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking flour,1/2 cup sugar, 1 stick butter ( melted)

1 egg (slightly beaten), 3/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I doubled that)

1/2 cup brown OR white sugar (this will be used during baking for the top)

1.Pre heat oven to 350'. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups.

2.In a bowl, combine flour,baking powder, and thew 1/2 cup sugar. In another bowl, combine the butter,egg,and milk.

Pour the wet stuff into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.DO NOT over beat ~ it's okay if there are lumps.

Gently fold in blueberries.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar and return muffins to oven for 10 or 20 more minutes, until tops are golden brown.Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning muffins out.

I will add to that ~ these taste better then next day!

 

My project this week has been this little heart.

Someones Mom at the church that I attend passed away and I felt inspired to make this for them.

It had loads of lavender inside ~ and love.

This is another one of those projects where I depend on the Lord's leading for colors etc as I don't know the recipient.

God Always lets me feel His love for the person as I am creating.

Please remember God's Greatest work is done NOT at church but by YOU 

in your home,

 in the market place,

 in the way you do what you love,

the flowers that you grow,

the smile you pass on to a waitress.

YOU are a living breathing instrument of the Creator of Our Beautiful World ~

Designed with His Own Hands.

You are Special , Beloved of God.

We don't need to reach some kind of perfection to be used by God.

He uses us all.

In my life ~ SO OFTEN ~ he has used YOU ~ the readers of this blog

to soothe my soul and make me feel A Okay.

I LOVE you guys ..............

This is not pleasant.
I am praying the right person will come across this post and have some knowledge to pass on.
Someone I love with all my heart had a leg amputation this morning.
The pain associated with it ~ we were not prepared for.
If anyone has a loved one who has been through this ~ please email me.
tthreadart@aol.com

A Crazy Quilted Pouch to Share and My Garden

What's the thing that just makes your heart leap every time you do it?

For me it is being able to go in to my sewing room

and create a gift to match the love and appreciation in my heart for someone.

I finished this crazy quilted pouch this week for my spiritual mentor from afar ~ Paula White.

This woman's ministry has been the salve during some very difficult times in my life.

The other times I have seen her has been in big venues in NYC with thousands of people but

 Fri night and this morning she was at a local church. 

I knew I'd be able to get this to her quite easily.

I sure hope she likes it!

This is a Vintage Hanky Mini Quilt I made several years ago.

When I put the roses in front of it ~ I noticed they matched the ones on the bottom hanky perfectly!

Teddi and Daisy .......

(who have been known to practically fight to the death over food)

.......  sharing!!!!!

Hear that???? It's the fat lady singing

See that??? The man jumping over the moon!

Awwww ~ the last of the foxglove. If I'm lucky I will get a few blooms in late August.

Check out the bloom on the left ~ I have never seen a foxglove bloom Up like that before ~ have you?

Can't you just see the tiny garden Faeries scrambling into each bloom just before the crack of dawn.

Have a Beautiful Week-end......

Remember how special you are ~ there's NO ONE just like you.

Hold your pretty head Up ~ straighten that back

Feel Proud to be YOU!

A Shell Picture Frame Giveaway & Book Reviews

update update update update update update update update update

My daughter Jaci just picked the name out of my shower cap ~
hey it's what I had handy!

The winner of the swap is the One & Only
FREDA from Sew Whats New !!!
YIPEEE ~ Freda!

Here is the Sweet Shell Picture Frame I will be giving away.

Just leave a comment at the end of this post ~

you have until June 30th when I will pick the lucky winner!
If you are my follower ~ 2 chances for you!
(you'll have to use the follow button at the top left page of my blog ~ I dont have the fancy button)

Of course it will look like this when you get it ~

I just can't part with the cute photo of my son and daughter when they were little.

It measures 11" x 91/2" and has little pockets filled with lavender,sea glass &  pearl buttons.

I whipped this up yesterday and got the idea from page 73 of Ruth Rae's book

"Layered, Tattered & Stitched"

(see the review below)

But don't think "Oh how Nice of Terri to spend an entire afternoon on a labor of love and give it away."

Oh no ~ the real reason is ~

I Want More Chances To Win Pat Winter's Giveaway!!!!!

Go see for yourself ~  if you post a giveaway that gives you 4 chances to win.

My pal Laurie is having a Give Away too ~ something she will make especially for YOU!

Go Here to her blog Blue Waters.

Book Reviews

Layered, Tattered & Stitched
by Ruth Rae

I am enjoying this book so much!

It is has clear step by step instructions with lots of great pictures.

Ruth has lessons on tearing, stitching, burning and dying!

She will leave you feeling confidant that you can do any of these projects yourself.

I really enjoyed the Tools and Supplies section in the front.

It always fun to see what other artists are using ~ what brand needles, scissors etc.

My Janome 10000 will forgive her for preferring Bernina Aurora 440 QE.

In the back she offers patterns and 2 pages of beautiful clip art with words and phrases you can copy for your projects.

Visit Ruth Rae's blog " Let The Beauty We Love Be What We Do" for more inspiration!

The Psalms of David

with illuminations by James S. Freemantle

I recently discovered this book on another blogger post and had to order my own copy.

What a story this is.

James Freemantle was born in 1859. In 1906 he married his beloved wife Clara.

About this time ~ he began this illumination of the Psalms.

He was not a religious man but poured all he had into his drawings.

Because the Psalms were such beautiful poems of Love ~ he saw this as a testament to his love of Clara.

He would often spend hours on just a few lines and strokes, sitting by the light of his window.

The book has brilliantly colored flowers, animals, butterflies and cottages.

He died in 1934 ~ the year he finished the book. 

Many years later his son published the book.

This may well be the most beautiful book I have ever layed my eyes on.

"The Lord is good,

His Mercy is for ever sure,

His truth at all times firmly stood,

And shall from age to age endure."

I have added  'The Psalms of David" and "Layered,Tattered & Stitched"

to my Amazon link at the top of my blog.

I was able to purchase them at an excellent price via Amazon.