Liebster Award

You like me, you really like me! 

If you aren't familiar with the word Liebster, it means 'favorite' in German,  and the award is a way for bloggers to help each other out by spreading the word about cross stitch blogs with less than 200 Followers.

The Kathy at Gracewood Stitches and Heather at It's Geek to Me both nominated 'Garden Grumbles and Cross Stitch Fumbles 'as a Liebster Blog.  Thank you both for the award.

As part of the Liebster tradition, the award is passed along to 5 bloggers that have motivated and inspired you. To accept the award you should:

1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value.
4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.

I am happy to offer the Liebster Blog Award to these 5 blogs:

1. Melanie @ Moonraker Lampwerks - a great stitcher, awesome knitter - and the beads she makes!  Oh my, the beads!  Can anyone say Stash Enhancement!

2. Barb @ Wicked Stitcher - a Pacific NW stitcher, she shares her wonderful stitching and photos of the lovely Field Trips she takes in western Washington.

3. The Inspired Stitcher - a Midwest stitcher with great stitching finishing skills (always envious of that!)
  
4. Maggie @ Black Country Wench - a UK stitcher in the Midlands shares her superior stitching with wit and charm - her own unique personal voice!  

5. And last, but certainly not least a HUGE shout out to Tammy @ Stitching Blogs We All Luv to Read - Tammy maintains not one, but two large blog rolls of cross stitching blogs.  She performs a wonderful service as a One Stop Cross Stitch Reading Center.  I've 'discovered' several new stitching blogs on her two websites.  I certainly do not expect Tammy to nominate anyone as she serves that function by continually adding and updating her Blog Rolls.  You Rock Tammy! 

I'm not a real fan of Blogging Awards, but I am very aware of just how many days and months (and years) I toiled away at this blog with no Followers and only my sister and mother as loyal readers.  For a long time this was nothing more than an on-line yet 'private' journal of my stitching and other interests.  I wondered if there was anyone else out there in the blogosphere who would ever think that what I wrote and photographed was of interest to them.  Then slowly, slowly the first few Followers joined up.  My Big Break came when Edgar of Blacksheep's Bit of the Web fame put me on his Blog Roll.  With his large readership I gained yet more Followers, and was added to more Blog Rolls. 

So Blog Post # 1002 is a Great Big Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my blog, comment on my blog, and make blogging fun and interesting conversation. 

The North Wind Doth Blow

Design - "Six Eggs in a Row"

Designer - SamSarah Design Studio

Fabric - 28 count R & R Dark Espresso

Fibers - Crescent Colours - 2 stands over 2 threads

Started - 27 March 2012

Completed - 29 March 2012

This was a great project to work on while watching TV ("NCIS" and a recorded episode of Louis Gate's "Finding Your Roots").  I love the soft spring colors.  Next year I'll stitch the other two sets of eggs in the series.  

We had a wind advisory until 11pm yesterday - and oh my, the wind did blow!  I was lucky as the rain did not arrive until mid-day.  I was able to stroll about outside in the morning - face into the wind, but not wet.  It was like being at the coast without the salt-spray.

I set out some stale bread for the Jays...

...but the deer got there first. 

I did not see any deer last week while we had snow on the ground.

Nor did I see any Chipmunks during our snowy weather.  I wonder where they sheltered during and after the storm.

Yesterday morning I counted three of them. 

Bottoms Up!

Post # 1000 Before Cross Stitch

After several months lurking on the net, and a blogging class at my local library, on June 10th,  2009, I published my first post on GG & CSF.  Almost three years later, here we are - 240 Followers and Blog Post #1000.

I feel like that calls for a Walk.

It this case: A Walk Down Memory Lane.

Because I hoard carefully store and archive my crafting, we can stroll back to the 1970's and 'My Life Before Cross Stitch'. 

Before you pass judgement keep in mind crafting creations of a teenager! 

I'm sure you're impressed I still have the instructions and the plastic "Flower Maker" ...

...for "Ele-fantasy".  This qualifies as a BAP - it's 18" or so wide and 12" high.  It's a combination of embroidery and funky flowers.  I think reflects my Junior High School taste circa 1972.   

A bit later I became interested in Needlepoint. 

I used to buy small printed canvases and wool.  Then I was off tent-stitching my teen-aged heart out.

My color tastes have not changed dramatically - I still like periwinkle!

This one I think is a High School creation.

...And I still like mushrooms!

Isn't this a funkified piece of embroidery?  The fabric is quite yellow (not greenish).  There is nothing quiet about it.  I noticed that in the 1970's I was buying these kits at my local Department Store.  Remember when a Department Store had more than clothes and jewelry?  They also had books, and toys, and art prints, and sewing notions, and a stamp-collectors department.  

Love and Peace 4 U, 4 All, 4 Me

Goodness - I was probably wearing bell-bottoms too! 

Does anyone recognize this board?

With the addition of a few pins (and some instructions) I created many a fine macrame choker with this set up!  Once again - I'm still in love with the colors I used back in the day!

I hope you enjoyed My Walk Down Memory Lane - My Crafting Life Before Cross Stitch!  

Wednesday Walk Redux

I stitched last evening on "Happy Bunny Bunny Day".  The alphabet is almost done, the the bunny is stitching up quickly and easily.  

A Wednesday Storm Revisited 

This Wednesday the only signs of last week's snow are broken branches, and a few small piles of dirty snow on the north side of the house. 

I did take a walk last week though, and I wanted to share some of the snowy photos.  Button up your parka and put on your mittens! 

As you can see, we received a heavy, wet snow.

It was like living inside of a snow-globe.

The Douglas Fir trees were flocked with snow.

Here's a photo at our driveway entrance.  You can see downed branches along the left side of the road.

In this storm, the Ash trees and under brush took the hardest hits. 

The Big Creek flowed in a muddy brown contrast to the pristine white snow.

Somehow it looked more intimate in the snow.

Even a wood pile had a structural interest.

This is Dorothy's Creek, the smaller of our two creeks. 

It was flowing fiercely.

Just after taking this photo, I knocked all the snow off the Paperbark Maple.  I was afraid the branches would snap under the weight of the snow.

This poor daffodil provided one of the few spots on color on a white / gray day.

I like this Winter / Spring juxtaposition - snow on the budding Acer.

A Currier and Ive's winter etching!

I'm tired and cold and there's nowhere to sit outside...

...and inside the Comfortable Cats have taken all the prime spots before the fire!  No power either, so I can't offer Hot Chocolate! 

Spring Stitching Spring Gardening

I got out my Easter decorations yesterday (still need to put them up).

The decorations inspired me to kit up this SamSarah Design Studio stitch "Six Eggs in a Row".  I'm going to stitch the pair on the far right.

It's Tuesday and time again for a Garden Party over at An Oregon Cottage.

This week I'm going to sing the praises of a local wholesale nursery, Log House Plants of Cottage Grove, Oregon. 

Copywrite: Log House Plants - Ornamental Cucumbers

Last Tuesday Alice Doyle, co-owner of Log House Plants spoke at the Avid Gardeners' meeting.  Her talk focused on what's new in vegetable gardening - from rediscovered heritage strains to new varieties, new flavors, new colors, and new techniques for grafting super vegetables (all non-GMO!).

She also brought several flats of early spring vegetables - all ready to plant out here in the Pacific NW.  

Early Mustards

Tah Tasi Mustard

Atlantis Brokali - no it's not mistake!  Brokali is a cross between Broccoli and Chinese Gailon.

Arugula

Super Red Mini Cabbage

Dick's Picotee Kale

Here's what I bought - "Hose in Hose" primroses.  Hose in Hose primroses have two flowers, one inside the other. The name refers to the Elizabethan habit of wearing two layers of hose under the doublet to keep out the cold.  I bought six plants two years ago - they've made nice 6"-8" mounds and are blooming like crazy.  And I won three containers of Cat Grass - great decorations for Easter.

Copywrite: Log House Plants - Butterfly Host Plants

I would encourage any flower and/or veggie gardener to take a moment or two and look at the Log House Plants website. It is an amazing resource for gardeners all over the United States.  Besides a list of retail outlets, the nursery has taken the time and effort to create a resource library of everything from Sweet Peas to Pesto, from Spring Greens to Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening.  The library also includes timely news articles, and a list of interesting gardening blogs.  If you've had trouble lately with tomatoes, read about Grafted Tomatoes. 

I'd encourage you to sign up for Log House Plants' newsletter no matter where you garden.

Copywrite: Log House Plants - Garlics

Spring Break

It's Spring Break for local schools and universities.

That means day after day of unremitting rain (usually).  

Fortunately I'm able to perk myself up a bit with these pretty spring stitches.

I used a couple of gift certificates and bought a new Lizzie Kate baby sampler(always useful), the JABCo's "Love Bird", Shakespeare's Peddler's "Spring at Bean Family Farm", and the GAST limited edition flosses, a SP limited edition kit "Spring", and a L*K limited edition kit, "Little Easter". The colors are all bright with the promise of Spring. 

Sunday morning was a Golden Crowned Sparrow day.

Look how puffy and downy this one is.

I had a crowd of 'em waiting impatiently for me to put out sunflower seeds.

Like other kinds of sparrows, they are pretty courageous and let me get close to them.

  

Junco - nothing more to say!

The male House Finches get more and more red. 

Do you think she thinks he is a handsome boy?