Cyber Monday

Brace yourselves! Cyber Monday is about to tax computer networks across the globe, with shoppers searching out the best deals from their favorite on-line sources! I've put a few special deals on my What's New page, please make my web site one of your cyber-stops and check out my offerings!

Mouse and credit card ready? Stay safe and happy surfing & shopping!

Oh Tannenbaum!

Oh Tannenbaum is one of several new patterns just added to my web site from Country Stitches/With Thy Needle & Thread. This little cross-stitched ornament cost me $24.95 - that's because I finally said, "That's it! I've gotta make these awesome things!" and bought a magnifying Ott light so I can attempt this tiny stitching. My eyesight isn't as good as the younger people who have been making me cross-stitch models for the patterns I've sold over the years. I figure this is the only way I can even try it.



Pineberry Lane's recent Bringing Home the Tree had me planning to make the Ott light purchase, and this new pattern sent me completely over the edge! I hope I'll have enough patience for the counted cross-stitch - I'll let you know!

Small Business Saturday has seen some folks shopping on my web site - thank you! I'm going to have a few special deals for Cyber Monday as well, so stay tuned for another post about that tomorrow.

Small Business Saturday

Saturday, Nov. 27th is Small Business Saturday, a day to help grow the economy by patronizing your favorite on-line and local businesses, restaurants, etc. While I'm updating my web site with special deals and new goodies for the holidays, I hope you'll drop by!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. It's the most challenging meal I make all year! That last half hour when all the vegetables need to be drained, mashed and seasoned, turkey swapped out of the open to pop a cookie sheet of rolls in, lighting candles and making sure everyone has what they want to drink is crazy-wonderful! Now that the flurry is over, my brother is on his way back home again, the house is quiet and it's time to relax a little. Some new patterns beckon and I might settle in and indulge in some rare sewing time.

Have a great after Thanksgiving weekend!

Gobble Gobble!

Not sure if I'll be back to post again before the holiday, so just taking a minute to wish all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I've got my brother driving down 3 hours from up around the Bar Harbor ("Bah Hahbah" to you true Downeasters!) area arriving later this afternoon. It will be nice to have family around the day before and staying for a few nights. Today is baking day - apple and pumpkin pies, cranberry bread (a traditional Thanksgiving morning breakfast treat), cranberry-pecan cookies and something called a "New England Apple Duff" - basically an apple upside-down cake. Recipe from Martha Stewart's web site.

I'm already exhausted! Again, a bountiful feast for body and soul to all!

Serendipity

"Serendipity - the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident."

That's what happened the day I went to Border's to look through their huge collection of magazines, specifically for something new from Interweave Press (Quilting Arts, Cloth, Paper, Scissors). When I spied the November issue of Country Living, the cover grabbed me, as most anything with the wonderful, muted shades of autumn does. When I saw the words "The great wool revival" on that cover, it was coming home with me!

Husband returned from the DVD section and we were headed towards the check-out when I saw up in the right corner, "British Edition". Oh no, this was not the Country Living that I thought it was, and I said to my husband, "Oh, I don't want this", but as I was turning around to put the magazine back I began to flip through it - sheep!! There is a whole section titled "The Wonder of Wool" with various articles about sheep herding, milling fine British wools and yarns, and there's even a fabulous free poster with beautiful photographs of favorite British sheep breeds. I think I'll frame this and hang it in my sewing/craft/computer room.

Needless to say, I bought the magazine and have spent much time pouring over each page - oh, the English countryside! There are some absolutely gorgeous photographs in this magazine! I really loved the photographs of inside homes as well, such great inspiration and eye candy! So - if you can find this magazine where you live, I highly recommend it! I think I'll check out Borders soon for a holiday edition - it's bound to be even more wonderful!

Have a great week - almost Thanksgiving!

Oh Boy!

There's a new magazine launching in April, have you heard? Primitive Quilts & Projects will be devoted entirely to primitive quilting, rug hooking, stitching and much more. The list of regular contributors is studded with names of the most popular designers today: Maggie Bonanomi, Renee Plains of Liberty Star, Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm, Lynda Hall of Primitive Pieces by Lynda, Renee Nannemann of Need'l Love, Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings and more. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it! Published 4 times a year, it will be a new obsession. Do we really have to wait until April??

I plan to carry the magazine on my web site and it will retail for $9.99 an issue. I'll keep you posted with information on the premier issue as I receive it.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Boy, it's really coming fast this year! And is it just me or are people really anxious for Christmas this year? I keep hearing people talk about getting their trees up right after Thanksgiving, putting up the lights and bracing for Black Friday, even more so than last year.

Time to really plan out my menu and grocery shopping list. Saturday we'll do the bulk of that shopping and Turkey Lurkey will come up from the freezer and begin his thaw. A turkey needs to thaw approximately 24 hours for each 4-5 lbs. There's my cooking tip for the month! Hope your holiday plans are coming together too.

Good Eats!

I love diners! And my favorite is The Maine Diner on Route 1 in Wells, Maine. One of the BEST for seafood "chowdah", super-fresh fish and awesome corn muffins that come with a meal. Great breakfasts too - the blueberry pancakes are to die for! We always sit at the counter when we go, usually close to the pie cabinet where we can oogle the sugar-free apple, blueberry and today an awesome looking cookie dough chocolate pie. It's so much fun to people watch and there's always the intricate dance of all the busy waitresses weaving in and out of each other's paths fetching meals, coffee, steaming cups of chowder or those wonderful pieces of pie. My favorite place to eat! If you're in the southern Maine area, do stop in! They've got a great gift shop too, "Remember the Maine", with lots of different styles of Maine Diner t-shirts and all sorts of other Maine souvenir stuff.

That's where we pretty much began our shopping trip today, after I did some rug hooking guild errands and delivered a few things to a friend's wool shop. The diner was right along the way and my husband knows I'll take any chance I get to go there. It's been a picture-perfect day here in Maine, temps in the mid to high 60s, not a cloud in the beautiful blue sky, and I got to see the ocean too! We managed to get a few good deals at Eddie Bauer, Stonewall Kitchen's flagship store in York, then on to The Maine Mall in Portland to check out what they had at Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn. Dinner and a gift coupon for my son at Uno's and here I am, snug in my fleece hoodie and sweatpants, pondering sewing some little stocking ornaments for a craft fair while hubby watches hockey downstairs. A satisfying day! I hope yours was just as fun! Guess I'd better get off the computer and do something with all this creative mojo I've got going tonight!

Enjoy your evenings, all,

Playin' (Rug) Hooky

Love Maggie Bonanomi? This is Cornucopia, one of two new hooked rug patterns she's done for Blackberry Primitives. Maggie's patterns are on paper, full size, no need to enlarge at the copy shop. Just transfer onto your favorite rug backing and start hooking! The other new pattern is called More than a Basketful. There are now four rug designs by Maggie to choose from, all in her signature primitive style and color palette.

Boy, oh Boy, wait 'til you see what's coming soon!! Winter holiday goodies to charm and delight you! Keep your eye on this blog, my web site or Facebook page to be sure not to miss these when they're here - well worth the wait!

My 20% off Facebook sale goes through the weekend - have you used your discount yet? Just enter FACEBOOK (upper or lower case) into the Coupon block of your online order at check-out and you'll see a 20% discount on your order. Not one of my Facebook "peeps"? Click on the Facebook link on the left and "Like" my page to be eligible. And with free shipping through the holidays, now's the time to pick up those new projects you've been thinking about.

OMG, am I starting to sound like a used car salesman?? Sigh... It's been "a week". Has the time change kicked anyone else's butt? I'm uber glad it's Friday and I can put this week in the books. Just miserable in all kinds of ways...

But, on the bright side - there are only 42 days 'til Christmas! Eek!! We're starting our shopping tomorrow! Now that's something to look forward to.

Have a great weekend!

It's On!

My special Facebook friends sale, that is! It worked - I've got over 200 "Likers" on my Simple Folk Facebook page now, so have enabled a special 20% coupon for Facebook friends. Just enter "FACEBOOK" (either upper or lower case, doesn't matter) in the Coupon block at check-out and your order will be discounted 20%! The only exclusion is already sale-priced items, I can't reduce them any further. Orders including Sale Bin items will be adjusted accordingly.

And shipping is FREE through the holidays to boot! Here's another sample of what you can buy with your Facebook discount - Bringing Home the Tree from Pineberry Lane. Isn't this the sweetest thing? It just speaks to me!



See more new things on my What's New page. This Facebook special runs through the end of this weekend and won't be mentioned on my web site. Happy Shopping!

Being Social

Mah goodness!! Was it really AUGUST when I last posted?? That's shocking... Hope you all had a nice summer! Now that the heat and humidity are gone, as well as a hectic month of October, I'm ready to be social again.

Speaking of which - are you on Facebook? I need ONE more "Like" on my page to get to 200! Once I hit that milestone I'm offering my Facebook "Likers" a 20% discount - tell your friends, tell your mother, tell your grandmother too!




And here's just one of the cool new things you can buy with that 20% off: from Country Stitches/With Thy Needle & Thread, Home for the Holidays, a totally awesome cross-stitched stocking. There are other new cross-stitch patterns and a couple of returning favorites for holiday-inspired stitching. All on my What's New page.

44 days 'til Christmas! Is it just me, or is time racing away this year? Speaking of racing - off to the next task of the night! I promise I'll be back soon!