The tid-bit:

For all of you fellow nature/wildlife lovers, the 2012 family of the Dacorah Eagles are currently beginning a new family!  The first egg was laid February 17th. If you haven’t experienced watching the nesting, mating, egg laying, hatching, growing, parenting and all else that brings their offspring to the point of leaving the nest, as well as offering tracking information of where they travel when they do fly from home with photos and videos, now is a good time to begin peeking in.

Take a few moments to watch the video of the second egg being laid. Second egg arrived at 9:06 PM CST Monday, Feb 20th!

The observance of these marvelous, spiritual, nothing-less-than awesome creatures can offer so much to increase one’s own inspiration and insight, as well as bring to light that perhaps life really isn’t so bad, even if it seems so.

Personally, it brings me peace … except when they have to battle the weather. That is truly depressing.Check out the Raptor Resource Project blog by Amy Ries that explains things like why it’s okay for the egg to be alone awhile and how the eagle is able to survive through nature’s wrath: RRP Blog.  Each day brings a new change and a new struggle. Today the snow of last eve was replaced by cold high winds.

I just have to say, what an inspiring example of hope, strength and beauty!  Oh, to have the patience, tenacity and endurance of the eagle!

The rising moon caused a lot of ooo’s and ahh’s in Washington D.C. as it ascended above the capital; a photographer’s dream shot, as seen at “Daily Eye Wonder”. The Full Snow Moon is so named by Native American tribes because it’s a time when the heaviest snowfall is expected, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2012.

This winter there hasn’t been much snow landing in my Midwest backyard and no heavy storm is predicted (yet). Nevertheless, Groundhog Phil in PA saw his shadow on February 2, indicating there would be six more weeks of winter. Well, considering that in Southeastern MN, we woke up to thick fog that morning, I’m putting my money on Unadilla Bill in NE, a stuffed groundhog residing at Unadilla’s local pub of the same name, who has decided it’s time for Spring.

Floral Heart Applique - © Copyright by Adorable Ideas

Ironically, February “observances” are packed into the shortest month of the year, but 2012 is a Leap Year, so at least we’ll have an extra day for celebrations and create smiles for those born on February 29th. (Happy Birthday x 4!)  Leap Day is said to be a popular time for women to propose marriage, which I suspect might be a Sadie Hawkins moment for the impatient who didn’t get a ring on February 14th. And then those lucky ladies whose proposals are accepted, can plan a romantic wedding for the next Valentine’s Day, a somewhat popular date for getting hitched. The Dade City courthouse in Pasco County, FL even offers a mass wedding to avoid possible overflow.

There’s a slew of other things to observe this month – both respectable and bizarre – from Florida strawberries to spunky old ladies, according to a list at BrownieLocks.com.  Some of the national observances – both logical and odd – include:

Couch Flamingo © Copyright by Embroidery Patterns

• African-American History Month
• Bake for Family Month
• American Heart Month
• Cherry Month
  
• Grapefruit Month 
• Snack Food Month
  
• Pet’s Dental Health Month
• Children’s Dental Health Month
  
• Wild Bird Feeding Month
• Library Lover’s Month
• Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month wp
  

And here’s one that I need: National Time Management Month. To help folks manage precious time in both business and personal life, eResources has a few quick tips.

Let’s not omit global observances like International Friendship Month. I’ll mention the obvious – Facebook. I still have not yet updated to the new profile. Normally, I dive in and get the inevitable changes out of the way, but life has caused social networking housekeeping to fall to the rears. I suppose I should tidy up soon or it will likely be done for me. I’ve been hesitating wanting to find that one cool pic I can use for the header like some of the pretty darn good ones I’ve seen out there amongst my friends.  My current favorite is that of FB friend Eric Campbell, which displays a portion of his work that adorned last month’s cover of Stitches Magazine. Yeah, that’s pretty nice.

That brings to mind that February is also National Embroidery Month. Celebrated internationally up till this year, folks in all countries love embroidery. Like music and other arts, embroidery is an internationally understood language, whether or not it’s being observed in lands across the ponds. It’s one of the first skills achieved by humans, and an embroidery needle has been declared one of the earliest artifacts found in the line of tools. Embroidery has been used as a method of keeping records and defining honorary titles, as well as making a statement via art and decoration. The first hand embroidery machine, according to Wikipedia’s article “St. Gallen Embroidery” was invented by Franz Mange in 1828. It made gradual advancements up to the 1980s when Melco introduced the first computerized embroidery machine and Wilcom created the software to go with it.  The rest, as they say, is my history as well as other “old dogs” in the industry (and there isn’t a day that goes by we don’t learn a new trick.)

And so, it seems appropriate to decorate this post with designs by different digitizers, many who offer their designs via EmbroideryDesigns.com where I work a few hours each day as one of their customer service reps. It’s a part-time position, but I don’t really consider it a “job” – more of an educational pleasure as I exchange knowledge with countless embroiderers, chatting about the new machines on the market or thread breaks and such, when I’m not rescuing an occasional lost password or suggesting the right stabilizer or design for their project.

Butterfly by Moonlight Design - February Masterpiece Embroidery

It’s somewhat of a fun break in my day from operating Moonlight Design Embroidery Digitizing or working on stock designs as a participating designer at Masterpiece Embroidery, or writing “Punching Sense“, my column in Stitches Magazine, as well as various other duties like creating and updating tutorials for I-Cliqq Software (FYI to users: a new tutorial is penciled in for the near-future so to catch up with recent awesome updates.)

Yes, I have to admit I have a sometimes chaotic, but fulfilling, career that often swallows my time. On the other hand, it also offers me something many folks continue to search for – making a living at what I love to do. After all, if I wasn’t making money at it, I know I’d still be spending time at it anyhow.

Brilliant Rose Hearts - © Copyright by Sweet Heirloom

And “doing what I love” brings to mind a video that seems appropriate to mention by movie director Tom Shadyac that I saw on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday last week called, “I Am“.  I could write an entire blog post about my opinion on this thought-provoking and inspirational documentary, but I’ll let you make up your own mind if you catch the chance, and for now I’ll just close with my brief two stitches: worth watching! 

Happy February!

I had been told all of the stories. I knew the value of each piece (more sentimental than monetary) and after years of trying to find them, I had finally conceded they’d never be found again. Instead, I turned my attention to compiling her stories, keeping the promise I had made to her before she died, as I reported in my post, “Mission Accomplished ….“  Little did I know then the mission wasn’t over yet.

The evening I had completed the stories and gathered photos and information to include on CDs to send cousins, I took a break by doing a little Ebay gazing. I was in search of “spaghetti poodle” figurines to add to another that had once belonged to my aunt (daughter of said grandmother). Before my aunt passed, she had broken one of the pair and she mentioned sadly that she would have liked to acquire a few more and pass them down to any granddaughter who might appreciate their value. I recently became aware of two darling little girls who are her great-grandchildren and felt that’s where I would eventually send my aunt’s lone survivor at the right time, along with others I might collect – but first I had to find a few.

I typed “spaghetti poodle figurines” into the Ebay search box and started to sift through the list when I was surprised to see two cat figurines – very familiar cuddling cats that made my heart leap. I had purchased a pair exactly like them when I was 8-years-old for a Christmas gift to my grandmother. It actually was my first work experience. After seeing them for sale at the corner drug store, I begged my father to buy them so I could give them to her, and he in turn gave me the option to work for them at $.10 a chore. When I reached the $3.00 mark he then advanced the remaining $4.00 to be sure that they weren’t sold before I could earn enough (and yes, I indeed worked it off.)

My grandmother proudly displayed them on a shelf in every home she lived in, and though she moved around quite a bit, the only damage I saw on them the last year she was alive, was a little chip on one paw and the tip of the tail of one figurine and they both had lost a few of their plastic whiskers. During that last visit I also noticed a little dirt on the chest of the other figurine, and when I began to reach up for it with the intention of washing it for Grandma, she called from the other room, requesting a glass of water. They were then forgotten until after she died, and I began inquiring with family members of their whereabouts. Eventually, I realized all of her cherished heirlooms had mysteriously vanished from  family possession.

I wouldn’t allow myself to fancy the idea that these cats were one and the same, but I bought them at $24.95, believing they would bring some solace for the loss of all else, and mostly because no matter their origin, they reminded me of Grandma. When they arrived a week before Christmas, I carefully unwrapped each one and then became giddy as I saw the chips on the tail and paw on one and the dirt spots on the chest of the other. At that moment, I believed it was truly a God-send for having kept my promise of writing her stories, and all I could think of saying with tremendous glee was “Merry Christmas to me! Thank you, Grandma!”

I set them in a place where I can see them as I write and then turned my focus back to finish making and sending the CDs of her stories to my cousins. After the last CD was mailed, I again returned to Ebay on a search for those poodles. But first, there was “feedback” to do for the seller of the cat figurines, and curiosity led me to peak at the seller’s store.  A familiar cup was first on the list – one just like the cup Grandma served me coffee in while she told me one of her most important stories.  And then the matching saucer.  And the dinner plates.  And my grandfather’s wedding cufflinks and tie clip set, the coin bank he had as a child, the gifts sons brought home from WWII and on and on and … oh my, it was all there – everything I had given up hope of ever seeing again in this world!

I contacted a cousin who agreed we had to get these treasures back into the family. I started hitting the buy button and bidding on most important items and those I suspected might be wanted by various cousins. The hardest part was waiting for the items on auction to end at 1 a.m.  While trying to win the apothecary bowl that Grandma used for crushing herbs and nuts, I became a determined, crazed mad-woman – a side of me I’d never met before. I snarled threatening expletives at every counter bid (followed by “sorry, Gram”) until it became mine after nine bids. The last minute of the listing became the longest 60 seconds of my life until I read “Congratulations! You have won this item!”  I screamed.  Then, I cried.  Then, I laughed.  Then, I screamed, cried and laughed until my hubby woke up and asked if I’d lost my mind. “Go back to bed honey, it’s only a dream,” I told him quietly, not wanting to shock him with the approximate $2200 total of the scored treasures. Fortunately, he shuffled back to bed and wasn’t aware of the cost until after the sweet seller dropped about $600 worth of shipping from the invoice.

Am I crazy?   Perhaps.  But my heart is full.  And I know my grandmother is dancing in the clouds right now.  I owe that lovely lady very much.  Had it not been for her, I would have never learned as much of what I know about surviving the struggles in life or the significance of family values, which I gained by listening to her insightful stories. As well, she taught me how to bake an apple pie, sew an apron, crochet a doily and hand embroider my first stitch.  Grandma encouraged me to keep drawing and writing, both of which I make a living at today, and she looked at my first digitized embroidery sample and proclaimed, “God has found a place for you in this world.”  Even now, Grandma has taught me to never give up hope.  As she used to say, “Whatever will be will be, and nothing can stop it if it’s meant to be.”  Once again, Gram, you were right!

I may not be done shopping or I’d mention the terrific Ebay seller who deserves a zillion-star rating for handling this overwhelming order with an understanding heart. But it’s best to remain quiet awhile – I’m just trying to bring these precious treasures home and I don’t want to bid against friends or family.  (Cousins may contact me about any item they’ve been looking for.)

Thanks for waiting on this post, folks.  Blog time had to be sacrificed for Ebay time.  Also, I am adjusting the blog schedule for the next post to be made in about two weeks when I hope to have even more smiles to share and possibly a couple of stitches! 

When I began the project, I sat down and decided, “This should only take a few days.” My grandmother had passed years before and it was difficult to trigger recollections, so I delved into history books and watched history TV. A few weeks later, I said, “just one more day” and each following day I repeated the proclamation until it reached completion six years later.  One cousin called it, “tenacity”.  I’m leaning towards “obsession”.  And now I’m basking in satisfaction for not breaking last year’s resolution – even if I did miss that goal the previous five years.

But now what? my writer-self asks. What will I do to lose the tension of the day? Where will I go to see things like I never saw before? What will keep me intrigued as does getting to know those ancestors whose lives have grabbed me with surprise, sorrow and delight? How will I experience that sweet ride of the words without having an impelling reason for the quiet tick-tick-tick of the keyboard guiding my creativity and imagination? This sucks.

Then again, perhaps not. I still have many blinking leaves on Ancestry.com and I’m sure I’ll find a new muse from a zillion different stories yet to be recalled and discovered. There’s a lot of darn good tales in that tree left to be written – both truth and fiction. Even seeking information about unrelated historical people can be easily found. I highly recommend Ancestry.com to any writer who needs facts or inspiration, but most of all, researching family history can be an enriching experience for everyone. Simply, it’s great for the soul.

The project even led to the discovery of things I might not have ever known. For example, I made good use of Google Maps when researching census records to establish a location timeline. And don’t get me started on how fantastic I have found Google Earth to be! A homebody like myself can fly – yes, fly like a bird! – anywhere around the world, into the universe, under the sea, and during different eras! The engineers of this wonderful software app get a high twenty (all fingers and toes) for saving me a lot of leg work, not to mention traveling expenses! And it’s fun!

When it came time to create the CDs, I just couldn’t picture handing Grandma’s special stories to my cousins on a dull, naked disc with the title written in felt pen, and I wanted it to be easily found in a pile of CDs (more for my benefit than others – I lose a lot of discs). Then I recalled the LiteScribe label engraver that had come bundled with my laptop, which I’d never tried, though I had bought a stack of LiteScribe CD blanks, thinking one day I might use them for a Moonlight Design collection. It takes about 15 minutes for engraving each CD, but well worth the time, and I’m sure I’ll be using it more in the future.

I discovered the convenience of using my new Kindle Fire for sharing the CD with my sister who refuses to move into the high-tech world for any reason. She asked if I might print out the stories for her – all 37902 words, along with multiple folders of information and color images. She doesn’t understand the cost of ink. (Who does?) I have a special Kindle mail address where I can send documents that I want to read on the Fire, so now I can call up Grandma’s stories on it and hand it to her (but she will have to tap her own pages. I have to draw the line somewhere!)

And on the “life” side of things … I learned that our history books need more than an update; they require a total upgrade. Better said, let’s revamp – toss them out and start all over! What I was taught in school certainly isn’t what I know now as truth!  Oh sure, the skeleton of facts are there, though inaccuracies are many as stated in “Lies My Teacher Told Me”, but when you start filling in the lives, emotions, beliefs and cultures, a completely different view emerges. After the last six years of merging my grandmother’s stories with American history that covered the last few centuries, seems to me we’ve created a big ol’ tale that has been washed over, manipulated by pride and prejudice and has survived via naivety and ignorance.

Well, that’s just my two stitches.  Now, on with 2012! 

It’s a few days before Christmas and all through the house, not a gift is in sight, not even a tree. What?!  Oh, I’ll dig out that plastic, partially decorated tree

At the risk of sounding baby-boomer cliche’ (but trust me, it’s true) I came from a blue collar family at the lower part of the pay scale, but my sister and I never knew we were “poor”. Sure there were gifts, but as soon as we realized who Santa Claus was, the gifts became something the entire family could enjoy – a reel-to-reel tape recorder so we could converse with family thousands of miles away (AT&T long distance was $5-7 a minute), a camera to capture precious memories during special occasions (film and development costs were a luxury), a used station wagon so we ladies didn’t have to ride to church squished in the cab of Dad’s dirty work pick-up, and one year we voted for a new refrigerator (we lived in Southern California with no AC and we were ecstatic that we finally had ice cubes again!)

Our “real gifts” were family moments – decorating the tree together and singing carols, reading the Bible and stringing popcorn with Mom, baking cookies or making fudge with my sister and roasting a 25 lb. turkey with Dad; topped off with visiting relatives and attending Midnight Mass. Christmas Day was spent relaxing and chatting with visitors who stopped by for a cup of eggnog and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” on our black and white TV – the only one in the house. We were together, laughing and smiling. Nope, I just can’t see how a box with a surprise inside would have made Christmas any brighter!

Today, now that there are a few more pennies in my pocket book, I do give a few gifts to the children whose sparkling eyes and giggles fill me with joy, or to a special, grateful few who have a real need.  But personally, I don’t expect, nor do I want any store-bought gifts piling up under the tree tagged with my name.  My husband and I agreed before we were married to give what we’d otherwise spend on each other to a children’s charity each year, and I also have an agreement with most other adult family members – don’t buy for me, I won’t buy for you; make something if you like (fudge is always welcomed!), but let’s just appreciate and celebrate the fact we still have each other in this world.

So for those who have an uncontrollable urge to hand me a gift – if you really must because it makes you happy – I request the following:

• Don’t buy me a book or movie video – do read or view it and write a poem or tell me a story about how it inspired you and what you’ve learned from it.
• Don’t buy me music – do sing me a song or join me in a carol or two.
• Don’t buy me jewelry, trinkets or clothes – do give me something you’ve made with your own two hands from recycled materials or those found in Nature (that includes fudge).
• Don’t buy me a bank gift card – do give that amount to the Food Shelf and visit or write me after so I can experience the love that your sharing surely created.
• Don’t give me a frown if you’re not able to buy what you wanted to give me – do please give me your beautiful smile.

That’s all I really want for Christmas – just a smile – because to me, a loving smile is the most precious gift of all.

So, having said that, I’m headed for the store room for that Christmas tree that needs to be decorated with the only ornaments that I carefully put away each year – handmade gifts and family heirlooms that bring to mind loved ones who have given me tons of wonderful smiles. Some ornaments are as brilliant as the day they were new, others are a bit tattered with age, but each and every one comes with a cherished memory that makes my heart sing.

And so I’ll leave you now until next year, wishing you and yours the best of holidays! Make some memories, string some popcorn, whip up a batch of fudge. May your homes be blessed with cheerful laughter, and may the only tears be that of joy!  Merry Christmas to all and to all many, many smiles!

Well, I did it. I bought a gadget – something I swore I’d never own because I don’t buy anything unless there’s a real need. But when I found I was spending too much time running into the office and turning on the computer only to check for urgent messages from clients while cooking my Thanksgiving meal, I started rethinking my “gadget need” and hit that Amazon.com “buy button” on the Kindle Fire sales page. I’m now one happy gadget owner!

Granted, I wasn’t so pleased last week when my Kindle Fire arrived. Ten minutes out of the box and I was ready to ship it back to Jeff Bezos with a nasty note! But I soon realized I simply had to wait for the cold Fire to thaw (pardon the oxymoron). The box had been sitting in the garage a few hours where the UPS man is instructed to leave all packages – it’s cold in Minnesota. After a sufficient amount of time plugged into its power adapter (included with the $199 purchase), it fired right up (pardon the pun … this is just too easy). But the touchscreen is warm-hearted, getting stubborn when finger-tips are cold, so it was necessary for me to occasionally warm my finger – or tap it furiously. I’ve since purchased a $6.95 Mini Suit stylus that has completely taken care of the problem.

Ebay email opened in the Fire.

I’m quite computer literate, but not gadget savvy, so any mobile device smaller than a laptop is strange territory for me. Nevertheless, set-up took less than five minutes, and when I got to registration, the Fire told me who I was!  Buying it directly from Amazon.com has its perks.

Initially, I just wanted to make sure that email worked well enough to monitor during my time outside of the office – the main reason for the purchase. AOL Mail, as well as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, and an “Other” category are pre-installed, making set-up a no-brainer. “Freedom is mine!” I proclaimed, as I walked around the house to test out the WiFi. It dropped a bar in a few spots, but no more than one and not for long. Email arrives instantly and sending emails/texts is easy! (Note, the keyboard expands when the Fire is held to rotate to its side, and typing is a breeze when it’s held either way when using a stylus.)

I bought my Mini Suit stylus and folio case through the Fire using the app for Amazon.com One-Click shopping. My recently viewed items or similar recommendations immediately appeared in the stream, as well as current specials. The Amazon.com search bar is available and the collapsing menu allows access to my Wishlist, Cart and Account Information. Now, instead of driving to a store or even turning on my computer, I can walk around the house taking inventory and shop all at the same time!

Amazon.com Prime members receive free shipping for almost everything sold by Amazon.com, and Prime Kindle members also get access to “Kindle Owners Lending Library” of movies, TV shows and Books. I didn’t expect much more than saving a chunk on yearly shipping costs for my $89-a-year Prime membership, so I was quite surprised at the offerings – there aren’t enough years to watch all of the available movies and TV shows that I’ve wanted to see but have had to sacrifice to keep on schedule.

Although the best sound is achieved with head phones, it’s not unbearable through the small speakers. Movies run seamlessly, and the video/graphics is clear and colorful on the 7″ screen. The Kindle Fire is perfect for viewing movies or shows in bed; it isn’t too heavy, fits comfortably in one hand and if you fall asleep in the middle of a movie, the Fire goes to sleep too, but not before tucking your movie on the Carousel shelf, awaiting for you to “Resume”. (Yeah, that really happened to me!)  “Amazon’s Whispersync technology automatically syncs your library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across your devices. On Kindle Fire, Whispersync extends to video.”

The Carousel saves the most recently viewed apps, books, movies, etc. on the book shelf with storage on lower shelves. I was already familiar with Kindle Books, having installed Kindle for PC, and was pleasantly surprised to see a few of my books already on the Carousel. As well, my entire established Kindle Cloud library is tucked under the Books tab.  Thanks to Whispersync technology, I can start reading a book on the Kindle, then finish on my laptop without loosing my place.

The Fire will either play Amazon MP3 purchases or any music file uploaded to the Kindle Cloud. As well, it will surf to YouTube on the web, and I think I even saw an app for that. Using apps that connect via the Kindle Cloud instead of using the Web URL location bar is likely a better idea, as URL surfing requires a tight connection in order to load content quickly. There’s plenty of room to download and store tunes with “8GB internal (approximately 6GB available for user content). That’s enough for 80 apps, plus 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.”

Facebook runs a bit quirky, with only the status text loading okay, but without some profile images, and posted images won’t load at all. (I suspect there is in issue with the Fire loading Flash content.) According to a very helpful Kindle Fire CSR (thank you Valerie), images refuse to load because my WiFi is weak; and per the Frontier folks, my WiFi connection has a conflict with my neighbor’s connection. Well, I wasn’t about to ask my neighbor to shut off his modem so I could verify the possibility, and I refused to try the “maybe-this-will- work” solutions that Frontier suggested, which required changing passwords in all my WiFi connected computers. I am quite satisfied with the way everything else works right now, so I’ll not be checking Facebook often or any other web sites that contain a lot of content and take too long to load. I have computers for that anyhow.

Facebook folks will also want to know: Facebook Security Settings must be set to Disable “secure connection only” for a mobile device to connect. It took me three days of trying to log into Facebook before I recalled that mobile devices can’t connect if that Facebook security feature is enabled – a rule I’d seen float by in the News Stream a year or so ago. (I had ignored it thinking I’d never need to know that – ha!) I usually go the secure route, so I had chosen to enable the “secure connection only” setting. After trying in vain to hack into my own account I can confirm, Facebook’s secure connection works quite well! I disabled the setting for a temporary test of the Fire and then logged in successfully, but I’m not sure how long I’ll leave it that way. Note that this would be an issue for any mobile device trying to connect to a Facebook account and should not be a consideration when purchasing a Kindle Fire.

Kindle Fire comes preloaded with 10-15 apps. I fail to recall the exact number and I’ve since added a few to the shelves like Adobe Reader that will retrieve any PDF file I email to my very own @Kindle.com addy in the Kindle Cloud. I have suddenly become app happy, digging through Amazon.com’s Android App Store available via the Fire, and that led to searching for a way to delete unwanted apps that were piling up on the shelves: hold finger on top of the app and wait for a menu to appear that asks if you’d like to “add to favorites” or “delete the app“.

I love the preloaded PULSE app that gives me news and feature stories of various interests. The first article I read was about the Kindle Fire from TechCrunch. I thought it appropriate. Well, actually, I worried it might be one of those “beware, don’t buy” warnings but was relieved by its report, “New estimates from IHS iSuppli have Amazon shipping 3.9 million Kindle Fires this quarter, which would make it the No. 2 tablet after the iPad 2 (with an estimated 18.6 million shipments). The Kindle Fire will become the No. 1 Android tablet by a wide margin (the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the next biggest, with an estimated 1.4 million shipments).”

Personally I agree, even if I can’t rightfully compare the Fire to anything else. There’s a lot of us non-gadget folks out there who don’t need the features of a Smartphone and don’t like the size or the price of an iPad — the Fire fits my budget and it fills my needs. Combined with Amazon’s excellent service and brilliant way of bringing it all together the Kindle Fire is smokin’ hot! (Seriously, no better choice of words!)

The phrase “Black Friday” was first coined in about 1966 when it was used in a newspaper article to refer to the opposite of businesses being “in the red”. Then, in 1975 after a recession that brought the price of coffee up to a cost affordable by only the richest (those who actually didn’t need the caffeine to get themselves to work each day) it made a comeback as a spur to increase shopping on the day after Thanksgiving – an opportune time as many folks have the day off and with kids out of school, the whole family can holiday shop together, and of course it created a needed bump in the economy. For me, like others who had jobs that required working that day, Black Friday shopping was never an option up until online shopping became a reality. Then, about 2005-2008, Cyber Monday was added to the event, along with pre-sales and previews as early as mid-October, and my email box began filling with all sorts of spam that I actually welcomed from my favorite online shopping sites. Having a business that must be maintained with working, updated technology, and facing the end of my tax year, it’s become the perfect time to buy.  I try to prepare all year, researching reviews and studying products that I suspect I’ll need, and then I sit back and wait for Black Friday offers to hit the inbox.

November for me is also a busy family time with anniversaries, birthdays and the like going on, so the sales are the perfect solution for my gift-giving. I managed to pick up a $169 TomTom XL 340-S GPS unit for an anniversary gift to my husband in an early sale for $89. It’s exactly what he wanted – one he had been drooling over and gushing about since he’d borrowed one from a friend, and gee, wouldn’t it be great if he had one for the jobs he was traveling to soon?  Yeah, I took the hint.  Had I waited to give it to him for his birthday at the end of the month, I’d have saved another $40, as TigerDirect.com has announced a refurbished model for $49 (I love refurbished/recertified electronics – always good as new and usually include a 3-12 month warranty) but I suspect refurbished models don’t include the lifetime upgrades anyhow (and besides, there was the drooling and sighs).

Black Friday Faces via HuffingtonPost.com

Yes, Black Friday has turned the entire month of November into an online shopper’s paradise – no crazy grandma’s fighting over the toy of the season, no camping out in the cold to be able to say, “I got mine” and no dodging the pushers, grabbers and screamers. According to a Wikipedia report, “Black Friday 2010, a Madison, Wisconsin woman was arrested outside of a Toys ‘R’ Us store after cutting in line, and threatening to shoot other shoppers who tried to object.” This brings to mind the sad 2008 tragedy of the Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death by the crowd. I read the story that day on AOL‘s News Stream, wondering what the hell had gone wrong in the outside world – seems “stuff” has become much too important!  I had made the decision at that moment to never attempt offline shopping on Black Friday, and any regrets of never having the opportunity melted with intense cyber-appreciation.  God bless e-commerce!  It seems a much happier place.

To those who agree and would rather save a few bucks on gas, as well as their sanity, most big chain stores have now made their sales available online. Sure, there are some in-store specials that aren’t found on the net, but you’ll also find “online specials only” announced in that wonderful seasonal spam or on home pages of cyber malls like Amazon.com. To help, there are a few websites specializing in hunting down Black Friday deals, such as TheBlackFriday.com.  The best part: you can do your hunting and buying nestled in your jammies, while chewing on a turkey sandwhich. 

But if you’re looking for a way to work off those extra Thanksgiving calories or you simply prefer to experience the battle over items that you’ll probably enjoy with less energy than you’ll use in gaining their possession, do be kind, and don’t forget to ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” – especially if you are staring into the snarling eyes of a determined grandmother who is clutching the other end of the Elmo box in your hand. If you wait until next month, you might find that same item on Ebay at half the price, and simultaneously, make an old lady smile.  Well, maybe; maybe not.  But, at least, you’ll both still be able to smile.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I am so excited that I can’t even think of the best way to begin this post, so, I’m just going to dive right in … CONGRATULATIONS! to this year’s winners of the Stitches Golden Needle Awards™ : Steve Freeman, Qdigitizing; Tanda Bundy, Bass Pro Shops; Affinity Express Team; Jane Swanzy, Swan Threads; Lee Caroselli, Balboa Threadworks; Marjorie Corrow, Life’s A Stitch Embroidery; U.S. Digitizing Team; Peggy Severt, Pegboard Crafts; Cathy Cattle, Sew B It Custom Embroidery (cover); and Barbara Stuemer, TexDesign!  Kudos to each one of you for some of the finest digitizing in the industry!

As one of the judges, I have to admit it was a difficult event this year to find something to write down as a “con” with so many beautiful, interesting and highly technical entries.  I found it near impossible to keep opinions silent about my share of the entries since I opened The Box last July.  (I said many “WOW!”s as I opened each entry!)  So, let me say now, the 2011 contest entries – including many that didn’t make the list of winners – proved to be some of the most astounding and simply awesome pieces that I’ve had the pleasure to critique.  Thanks to all who participated and made this contest so tough to judge!  See for yourself and check out the November issue of Stitches Magazine!

As well, congratulations to Stitches Magazine, honored as “Magazine of the Year” by the American Society of Business Publication Editors in the 33^rd annual Azbee Awards of Excellence competition!  And congratulations to ASI publications, honored by ASBPE with eight national and 11 regional awards of excellence for writing, editing, research, design and photography.  Whew!  I must say that all this gives me great pride as both a writer and a digitizer to be a contributor to such a fine publication by a fantastic organization!  Read more …

Now on to other things … which there isn’t enough time for.  I am swamped!  As we near the holidays, custom digitizing orders fill every extra moment and I fade to the background of blogs and e-clouds, as well as anywhere outside my home office.  “Just My Two Stitches” is currently a difficult task to keep on the schedule so, I’ve decided it necessary to cut back to posting every other week, at least until the rush has passed. I’m hoping that you won’t notice because you’re staying just as busy!  See you back here in a couple of weeks!

Homespun Country Apple - Moonlight's Design Shoppe

My hubby set fresh picked apples on the counter and asked for pie. I sighed. Business has picked up with holiday custom orders, so domestic things take a back seat. I try to keep a little holiday cheer going this time of year, but things like baking from scratch have to be scheduled, because if it’s not on the white board, it won’t happen. I just can’t think about that sort of fun until custom orders are delivered by holiday deadlines, usually the first part of December.

Can’t we just stick with Sara Lee® this time of year, please?

As if he heard my thoughts, he announced, “I’ll do it, just tell me how.”   Visions of a floured floor and sugar-speckled kitchen flashed through my mind.  I think not.   But, if I didn’t bake them into something, these tart apples would only be good for squirrel food.  Anyhow, I hadn’t baked an apple pie for awhile, so perhaps it was a good time to refresh my memory.

I had a double-crust, ready-to-bake crust in the freezer, so I didn’t need to worry about rolling out dough – half the battle. But, first I had to hunt down my grandmother’s apple filling recipe, which is actually a list of basic ingredients with a few instructions: “some of this and some of that – and it depends on how many apples you have and their size, and what kind of apples they are to know how much of ‘this and that’ the pie needs”.    Grandma was a “dumper” – eye-balling measurements and judging the unbaked taste and texture before putting it in the oven. Not everyone would chance baking without a measuring cup; baking requires a specific science.  Grandma was a pro at baking. I am not.

Long ago I had jotted additional notes on those instructions after experimentation with various combinations of apples and amounts to determine default measurements.  So, I began digging through the jungle of books, papers and cards I keep stashed in an antique pie cabinet (that ironically never gets used for its original purpose of keeping fresh baked pies), but when the recipe didn’t immediately surface, I headed online for the basic ingredients of any apple pie, hoping it would jump start my memory.  I found one that sounded similar, and the fact it was named “Apple Pie by Grandma Ople” sold me – until I got distracted by another recipe of Food Network‘s Paula Deen whose recipe included applesauce. I had an opened jar of applesauce aging in the fridge, so I figured it would be worth combining it with the first recipe I found, which would work if I compensated for the extra liquid and sweetness by adding a little more flour and reduced the amount of sugar.

Paula’s recipe suggested a crunch topping, that sounded worth a try, and considering I had enough apples for one high double-crusted pie, if I spent a little time making the crunch topping, I could make two pies – and perhaps even get more than one piece (Kevin loves pie).

After the pies were baked, I was only disappointed with the topping that I thought would be crunchy like yet another recipe I’d found.  Mine lacked enough crunch – perhaps, a bit too much butter. (I should have known. Paula Deen is the Butter Queen.) I considered drizzling a vanilla icing over the top, but hubby stopped me with a smile, claiming, “It’s perfect” – the main objective.

Digitizing is very much like baking apple pie. First you need to plan and calculate the ingredients: consider what kind of fabric and/or garment it will be sewn on and what weight/type of threads will be used. Then a preliminary plan is done by mapping the path on the artwork, decide stitch types, calculate whatever automatics can be used for efficiency, punch with compensation for push and pull, and choose the best values for parameters like density, stitch length and column width.  After digitizing, the design file is then test-sewn to be sure the results are what’s intended; and if not, time is taken to polish it for results of a smooth running design that meets with the customer’s satisfaction.

Each design comes with different requirements.  If designs were consistently the same, digitizing would be easy – easy to quote, calculate and do.  Specific steps and parameter values for each type of art, fabric and stitch types would be memorized via repetitive action. But just like the ingredients that have to be considered for pie, the ingredients for a design have to be carefully measured.  The next design will be completely different, and the next; it could be years before the specific needs discovered in one design will come around again. When you find a digitizing recipe that works for a particular art/fabric/thread/stitch type combination, write the parameter values down in a notebook and keep it close to your design system (as I refer to in “Software is a Tool – You Control the Digitizing!“)  Having a collection of these technical recipes to reach for exactly when needed will save hours of digitizing time – time that you can use to bake pie.

Baked Apple Pie Design by Concord Collections at EmbroideryDesigns.com