ugh...

putting that together was absolutely no fun

  especially since it involved the A word - i do detest doing applique 

whose bright idea was that tree in the middle?

 oh yeah, it was mine ... sheesh

close ups of the border

onward...

bruisers

not cruisers...

cute shoes, huh?!? 

that heel is 5 and a quarter inches (13.5cm) from the ground 

yes, and they add more than 5 inches to a five foot frame (not mine - i'm not short, i'm average)

they used to go great with a little navy blue dress - but that was twenty pounds years ago and they went from being a cute accessory to just taking up space ... they were headed for the VVA donation box when someone who shall remain anonymous but her initials are Melissa decided that she still needed them to give her enough height to water some of her indoor plants without using the step stool

one of many  - on the mend

and that worked till her ankles decided that they'd had enough and down she went ... no doubt, the donation box it is...

rest easy, dear Dolly

 

and know that i will always love you 

welcome back

 the sunflowers are looking raggedy and i was thinking that it is time to cut them back ... sunflowers are gorgeous from a distance ... up close they are scratchy and woody and unruly and messy and buggy and they don't smell good and my neighbors think they are weeds...

but this guy?!? this guy has another way of thinking...

he/she and his/her family have been missing since the bird die off six years ago and it was awesome to see him/her hanging out and willing to pose for Melissa... 

the sunflowers are staying...

henry the xxviii

i gave this panel to Melissa for her half birthday in june...

since then i've been highlighting it with embroidery - plain old stem stitch,  for the most part...

after hours and hours and hours of stitching, the only way that i can see a difference is if i look at the back...

june 27

july 4

july 12

july 23

and enhance the picture with the auto feature...

anywho ... it FEELS pretty doggone cool even if it doesn't LOOK much different...

august 16

he's kinda cute, isn't he?

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

it's opposite day

when  the sky is white and the clouds are blue

*note to self - the haze is smoke from wildfires that have killed four firefighters and a pilot in Colorado