Sunday, February 28, 2010

Trying To Get Back to Some Kind of Normalcy

It has been a wonderful weekend with the neighbors.  Friday night we had a fire in the chiminea at our house.  Saturday night we had a fire at the fire pit next door.  Tonight we had dinner with some other neighbors.  Ah!  We seem to be getting back into the neighbors at fireside again.  I do look forward to that.  We have such wonderful neighbors and such a great neighborhood.  Next weekend a friend from Pennsylvania and his son or sons are coming down for vacation.  We are really looking forward to that.

I had lunch with a friend last weekend that has asked that we do some embroidery on her dogs' harnesses.  I enjoyed working on the little dog costumes during Christmas and this looks like it will be fun, too.

Another friend has requested some initials on very delicate handkerchiefs.  This will be challenging but I'm sure we can do a good job for her.

We are also expecting a shipment in, probably Tuesday, for orders that we need to get out.  Not to mention some more Junkanoo stuff.  I love the Junkanoos!

This weekend, because it's time to play and not to work, I worked on a pair of bluejeans that I wore during Mardi Gras to paint the float.  I did get purple paint on them and today I was busy embroidering butterflies over the purple paint splotches.  I have one leg done.  They are kind of cute and VERY artsy now.  I'll post a photo when I'm finished.

I changed to napkins when our neighbors called us to have dinner at their house. These neighbors love the colorful southwestern lizard designs.  I made a set of four napkins and they turned out so pretty.  The neighbors loved them as much as I did.  Bright colors are so appealing and make me happy just to look at them.

George and I had a business meeting this morning and, frankly, it was very productive.  We came up with some fun and beautiful ideas for this coming year.  Our last contest which actually ends tomorrow did not get many responses.  We are very hopeful to acquire more and more readers and more and more participation in future contest, because we plan on more and more contests. 

George and I have always been interested in our community and mankind.  If you have a charitable or civic type organization and need items to raffle, please do not hesitate to contact Cajun Stitchery.  We also have a deep love of nature and the environment.  We try to live as eco-friendly a lifestyle as we possibly can, although there is always room for improvement.

George has been busy in his off hours lately embroidering animal designs and he has done some beautiful work.  He has this design on both his jacket and t-shirt back.  It's tan work, obviously, because it is done in tan colored thread.  It is all one color thread and so lovely.

I may not have posted the picture of the bowling team shirts that we embroidered last week in gold metallic thread.  They turned out very nice and were well received.

As you know, this is the year of the pillowcase at Cajun Stitchery.  This pillowcase is one of an idential pair that we embroidered for my dance instructor for her birthday.  This one still has the stabilizer hanging out at the bottom and has not been cleaned up and trimmed.   Shhhhh, it's a surprise and she hasn't received them yet.

And let us not forget the wonderful Nereid Love Ladies now have their own Love Lady shirts.
Until next time.  C'est tout cher.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Cajun Corner Vol. 2 No. 8

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 08 – February 26, 2010


Bon Jour! Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

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Don’t forget to visit us at  www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

I am still trying to get back on track. At least this week I am starting Cajun Corner in the morning. Do you realize that this is the last Friday in February? March is marching in. Our contest has not brought many responses. The best idea will be chosen on March 1st so get your ideas into Cajun Stitchery.

CONTEST: Our one year anniversary is March 9, 2010. I want to do something really special for our anniversary month. Please send in your ideas of how Cajun Stitchery can celebrate their anniversary month. In fact, let’s make this fun. Let’s make this a contest. Send in your ideas and the winner will get a set of four napkins embroidered with your initials or other napkin friendly design. The winner will be announced on March 1, 2010.

It has been a busy time on the embroidery machine. I need to post several pictures of projects done and projects that we are doing.

We cleaned up Krewe Den and took all of our krewe belongings back to the storage facility. Mardi Gras is officially over until next year.

One of our new Nereid Love Ladies suggested that I write sewing tips that I have learned either from Mama or on my own. The conversation was centered around pin cushions and how nowadays pin cushions are filled with cotton or other non-abrasive matter. In the old days you would get the red pin cushion in the shape of a tomato with the little strawberry at the end of a string. The strawberry was filled with sand to keep your needles and pins sharp and free from rust or gunk. I keep a cup of sand in my sewing area for this purpose, as well as pin cushions filled with sand. We live in Florida near the beach, so sand isn’t really hard to find. Even if you don’t live near sand, you can always pick up a bag in the lawn and garden department of your local Wal-Mart or other store. Use your scissors and cut through the sand to keep them nice and clean, too.

This year I am fascinated with pillowcases. In our embroidery room there is a chart that shows the appropriate placement of designs on various items. For pillowcases, the proper placement is above the hemmed area. That makes no sense to me at all. Why not decorate the nice, big hem on pillowcases? Perusing pillowcases on the internet, I have seen it done both ways. Lately, our pillowcases are getting designs on the hem area. A friend said that she felt it would be uncomfortable to sleep on a pillowcase that was fully embroidered. Of course, right above the hemmed area is not the center of the pillowcase and not where you would necessarily lay your head. However, I have seen pillowcases with the embroidery in the center, as well.

Looking through pictures and graphics of pillowcases on the internet brought back many memories of the hand embroidered items of years gone by. The antebellum lady with the full skirt was so popular. Sunbonnet Sue was another popular design. Sunbonnet Sue always makes me smile because that was a way to embroider a little girl without having to mess with facial features.

Nevertheless, I’m very excited about pillowcases this year and designing them. Certainly by the end of the year Cajun Stitchery will find its own special techniques. The pillowcases are available for sale. The price will vary depending on the embroidery requested. Our pillowcases are white, standard size, hotel quality pillowcases. We have chosen white because it matches everything. The pillowcases themselves are $15.00 for a pair, plus the embroidery and sales tax/shipping. These would make wonderful, unique gifts for weddings, birthdays, showers, holidays and don’t forget graduation. Take advantage of our stock designs, too. The pillowcases would be considered an heirloom type item that would be wonderful for a Hope Chest. You can have a name embroidered or the typical “Mr.” and “Mrs.”, but don’t stop there. How about “King” and “Queen”, “Prince” and “Princess”, or “Captain” and “Mate”? We have many fonts available for lettering and beautiful designs, as well. Everyone can use pillowcases, so, why not have pillowcases designed for each holiday or season, such as Mardi Gras, Easter, Patriotic, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years? Or, send a message like “I love grandma” and “I love grandpa.”

Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.

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Thibodeaux & Boudreaux go fishing in the lake. Boudreaux catches a lamp. So Thibodeaux says Boudreaux rub the lamp to see what happens. A genie pops out and says you have 1 wish. Boudreaux says we could use a lot of money. Thibodeaux says wait Boudreaux lets think of something real good, its hot and we are in the middle of the lake with nothing to drink. Let’s turn the whole lake into beer. Boudreaux says no. Thibodeaux says why not. Boudreaux says because we are going to have to pee in the boat.

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French phrase of the week: Ils aimont pas le garçon que leur fille sort avec. (They don't like the boy their daughter is going out with.)

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Article submitted by Courtney Winstead:

Grow Your Own Mosquito Repellent

.....By Stephanie Bloyd

Lemon balm, the International Herb Association' s 2007 Herb of the Year, is an ancient antidote to modern-day stress. This versatile herb can be used to calm nerves, promote restful sleep, and reduce digestive distress — plus it could be your new best friend in the great outdoors. Not only do its leaves have a rich, zippy, lemon smell, but they also contain compounds that can repel mosquitoes.

"Some northern European forms of lemon balm are high in citronellal, a compound which mimics the well-known herbal repellent citronella oil," says Arthur Tucker, an ethnobotanist at Delaware State University . He notes that some forms of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) are nearly 38 percent citronellal. A variety called `Quedlinburger Niederliegende' with this higher content of essential oil is available from Johnny's Selected Seeds and Richters.

For a quick mosquito repellent, simply crush a handful of lemon balm leaves in your hand and rub them on your exposed skin. Grow the plants near your backdoor or in your garden, where the leaves will be handy when you need them.

LEMON BALM TO THE RESCUE

In addition to keeping biting bugs at bay, lemon balm has a long history of medicinal use. Cultivated in the Mediterranean region for the past 2,000 years, this perennial herb was prized for its catchall curative properties. During the Middle Ages, King Charles V of France was said to drink lemon balm tea daily for his health. Paracelsus, a Swiss Renaissance physician, called lemon balm the "elixir of life." And in the 17th century, the French Carmelite nuns made their famous Carmelite Water with lemon balm and other herbs to treat nervous headaches and neuralgia. Today, lemon balm is gaining acceptance as a useful herb for modern stress-related maladies.

"Weedy lemon balm, which any old brown thumb can grow, would be one of the herbs you should try before resorting to pharmaceuticals, " says James Duke, an internationally renowned herbal expert. "It's cheap, easy, efficacious, pleasing and safe; and it makes a good tea. Lemon balm is about as safe and pleasant an herb as there is."

Duke thinks lemon balm could compete favorably with drugs such as Ambien for insomnia, Avirax for oral herpes, Zoloft for depression and Zantac for indigestion. The German Commission E, established by the country's Minister of Health in the '70s to review herbal remedies, has approved lemon balm for gastrointestinal problems, as well as nervous sleeping disorders.

Lemon balm is frequently used in combination with other medicinal herbs. Though studies of these are limited, lemon balm has been tested alone, or with other herbs for the following:

Anxiety. Two studies conducted at the University of Northumbria in England found that a standardized lemon balm extract improved participants' moods, with no decrease in mental alertness at certain dosage levels. "The results suggest that low doses of lemon balm may enhance calmness and high doses may have a mild sedative effect," writes Christina Chase for the American Botanical Council.

Cold Sores. Topical applications of lemon balm have proven effective at treating cold sores (oral herpes). A study published in the journal Phytomedicine found that a cream made with lemon balm extract reduced the number of blisters in an outbreak, if used early. Celeste Robb-Nicholson, editor in chief of Harvard Women's Health Watch, writes: "A safe long-term treatment [for cold sores] is topical application of lemon balm. It doesn't prevent cold sores, but it appears to speed healing."

While lemon balm creams may be hard to find in the United States , Tucker recommends making a cream formulated with 1 percent dried lemon balm. (For detailed advice on making herbal products, try Richo Cech's Making Plant Medicine, Horizon Herbs, 2000.)

Sleep. A Swiss study published in the journal Fitoterapia showed that a combination of lemon balm and valerian root improved sleep quality as compared to a placebo group. Another study published in Phytotherapy Research found that the lemon balm/valerian combination reduced anxiety among healthy participants who were subjected to laboratory-induced stress.

Indigestion. Lemon balm is recommended by herbalists for digestive disorders, especially anxiety-related dyspepsia, since its antispasmodic properties are thought to calm indigestion. A German study examined 120 patients with functional dyspepsia who were given a preparation containing lemon balm as the main ingredient. After eight weeks, 43 percent of participants on active treatment reported complete relief from their symptoms.

Other than the possibility of an allergic reaction, lemon balm has few side effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies it as "generally recognized as safe." The German Commission E recommends a dosage of 150 to 450 milligrams of the herb per cup of tea, taken daily as needed. However, if you are pregnant or nursing, avoid taking the herb in large quantities. Lemon balm may also interfere with thyroid hormones, so speak to your doctor before taking lemon balm if you take thyroid medication.

CALMING AND CONVENIENT

There are numerous ways to enjoy lemon balm, whether you add it to tea, use it as a cooking herb, purchase supplements or tinctures from the health food store, or simply enjoy its aromatherapeutic qualities in a relaxing bath.

"Since many of the effective compounds will pass through the skin, you can have your tea, drink it too, and bathe in it," Duke says. To make lemon balm tea, add a handful of lemon balm leaves to 1 cup of water and steep for at least five minutes. For a soothing lemon balm bath, put some fresh (or dried) crushed lemon balm leaves into a muslin bag, then let the warm water run through it as you fill the tub.

Lemon balm also adds a light lemon flavor to a variety of culinary dishes, such as salads, pasta, fish, chicken, sauces and marinades. Since the leaves lose flavor when dried, add fresh leaves to your dish near the end of the cooking process. Look for fresh lemon balm at your local farmers market if you prefer not to grow it yourself.

How to Grow

Lemon balm is easy to grow from seed, rooted cuttings or by root division. The herb thrives in full sun, but can be grown in partial shade. Varieties `All Gold' and `Aurea' have variegated and yellow foliage, and need some shade because they tend to burn when exposed to full hot sun. They are not as hardy or as flavorful as the common green Melissa officinalis, or the high-citronellal variety, `Quedlinburger Niederliegende. '

Lemon balm looks and grows much like mint—it is a member of the mint family—though it does not send runners. It will compete for garden space and is best planted next to other vigorous perennials that will hold their own against this sweet yet somewhat invasive herb. The plants grow from 2 to 2½ feet tall, bushing out laterally, so give each plant about 2 feet of space all around. Prune plants a few times during the growing season to help maintain new growth. If they become too dense and thick, thin by yanking out some of the inner stems. The hardy root system will survive the coldest winters if plants are well mulched.

Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list.

C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the new catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Cajun Corner Vol. 2, No. 7

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 07 – February 19, 2010


Bon Jour! Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our blog at http://www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com/ often.

Well, did you miss me? Last week there was a Friday without Cajun Corner. This week Cajun Corner is coming to you late in the day. Hopefully, next week we will be back on track and timely once again.

Mardi Gras, for the most part, is over. For the most part because we still have to clean up Krewe Den and take all of our krewe belongings back to the storage facility. We’ll do that tomorrow.

The Krewe worked hard on the costumes and float this year. We played hard, too. It comes down to the moment when we all get on the float in our costumes and start rolling down the street. After such terribly frigid and wet weather, Sunday morning the sky cleared up, the temperature rose, and there was no need for us to even wear coats or jackets. A more beautiful day could not have been ordered. I’ll spare you all of the details of the weekend and just suggest that you read it all in an earlier blog.

The most noteworthy item is that we won the Grand Marshall’s Trophy. It was totally unexpected. For many years now the judges have been tourists. That’s fine except the tourists do not know that the local small krewes make a new costume every year and create a new float every year. Bigger krewes from off the island can afford big, expensive, fancy floats and costumes. They have the same float and costumes each year and consistently win. No sour grapes here. Good for them. That explanation shows that it was not because we thought we had bad costumes or float that we did not expect to win; it was because we are just a small, home grown krewe that really cannot compete with those big, beautiful floats and costumes. When the announcement came out for the Grand Marshall’s award, we were not really paying attention because we did not expect to win. The award had to be called again, and yes, it was the Mystic Krewe of Nereids.

Needless to say we partied hard Sunday night. Several of the girls went in different directions but we all met up at Krewe Den in the end and partied together. We could not stop saying “WOW”.

Here we are, back at work and trying to get back in the flow. We have embroidered the jacket back logo for the Krewe of Junkanoo countless times. We created a new, casual, non-tuxedo jacket with a gorgeous new embroidered logo on the back for the Mystic Krewe of Nereids. We have created a “Love Lady” logo for our non-member Love Ladies for the Mystic Krewe of Nereids. The fingerless gloves were a hit, especially with the Mardi Gras embroidery. It’s been wonderfully crazy these past few months. I almost want to take on the subtitle of “Embroiderer for Mardi Gras Krewes.” I do not want to limit us, though. There is so much more out there.

Now, I guess, we look forward to St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Here come the pastels! But wait! Something else is coming up. March 9th will be Cajun Stitchery’s one year anniversary. Yes, we have been in business for one whole year. Yay!!!! I want to do something really special for our anniversary month. Please send in your ideas of how Cajun Stitchery can celebrate their anniversary month. In fact, let’s make this fun. Let’s make this a contest. Send in your ideas and the winner will get a set of four napkins embroidered with your initials or other napkin friendly design. The winner will be announced on March 1, 2010.

Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.

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Boudreaux was out in da field talkin' wit his frien Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux said, "Boudreaux, you see dat ole barn out dere?

Well man, it's completely infestered wit rats. I tried everything

I know an can't get rid of dem."

Boudreaux say, "Thibodeaux, I know xactly how to get rid of dem rats. You gotta get you one of dem bull constriptors."

Thibodeaux say, "What's a bull constriptor?"

Boudreaux explains, "Man, dats one of dem big ole snakes and he loves to eat rats and swallers dem whole, all at once."

Well, da nex day Thibodeaux went down to Klibert's Reptile Farm and bought him da biggest bull constripter dat dey got.

He brought dat snake to da barn an let him loose right in da middle and just sat dere and watched.

Well, Thibodeaux was watchin' for a long time, I mean long, an dere wasn't nuttin ' happening.

Dat big ole snake jus curled up hiself in da middle of dat barn and slept all day. He didn't even move and dem rats jus run all around.

So Thibodeaux got real frustrated and he called up Boudreaux on da phone, "Boudreaux, man dats some bad advice bout dat snake..

Dem rats is still runnin' al around and dat snake jus lays dere sleepin' all day long."

Boudreaux says, "Man, Thibodeaux, I know just what to do. Give dat snake some Viagra."

Thibodeaux say, "What! Viagra! What's dat gonna do?"

Boudreaux say,"I was just listening to da radio and de man say dat Viagra is da best ting to use for a 'reptile dysfunction'!!!!!!!!!!"

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French phrase of the week: Marie et Jacques s'adonnent bien avec leurs voisins. (Marie and Jacques get along well with their neighbors.)

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Aloe Vera contains many enzymes and amino acids and has been shown to be beneficial to skin. So, grow some aloe vera and use it to wash. I’ve always known aloe vera was good for burns but never stopped to think that it would be good for bathing.

But that’s not all:

Aloe vera is one of the only known natural vegetarian sources of Vitamin B12, and it contains many minerals vital to the growth process and healthy function of all the body's systems. Numerous studies worldwide indicate that aloe vera is a general tonic for the immune system, helping it to fight illness of all kinds. Various research studies are underway to explore the potential of aloe vera components to boost immunity and combat the HIV virus, and to treat certain types of cancer (particularly leukemia). It may even have a role to play in managing diabetes.

Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list.

C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the new catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

And the Grand Marshall's Trophy Goes to...

Today is actually Mardi (Tuesday) Gras (fat) Day.  We have been partying since the beginning of January, and before that, Christmas and New Years.  I am tired.

Our Krewe bought a brand new float this year and our costume committee made beautiful, new costumes.  We felt like the phoenix rising out of the flames, all anew.  The costume committee sewed the final stitch around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning.  The last of the float was put together on Saturday.

On Friday north Florida was closed down due to snow.  Saturday was frigid.  Sunday the sky was clear, the sun came out, and we had no need for our coats and jackets.  It was a beautiful day on the beach.  Our parade began at 2 p.m. on Sunday but we were in lineup around 10:30 a.m., all dressed and ready to parade.  All of the krewes party during lineup.  We eat lunch, exchange beads, walk up and down admiring each other's floats and costumes.  Everyone gets their beads arranged and ready to throw.  Lineup is a fun time for all of the krewes.

At 2 p.m. we start rolling.  Our float was number 27.  I do not know how many floats there were on Sunday but we were not the last.  We had our lipstick check and took off our sunglasses and started to roll.  The excitement was palpable.  We are not allowed to throw beads before the barricades but each year crowds of people line up before the barricades, all begging for beads.  This year the crowds got so close to our float they were pushing our spotters and walkers into the float.  I thought for awhile that the crowd was going to climb aboard.  When the barricades began, our music was blaring, we were dancing, smiling, and throwing beads and trinkets.  The crowd roared.  There is an excitement during the parade that I never experienced as a parade spectator.  Maybe it is because all of the work has finally culminated in this moment, in this short period of time, called a parade.  There is an adrenaline rush.  All of the fatigue is gone and you are digging into your bags for more and more beads to throw.  You look out onto the sea of people all looking and screaming at you.  I particularly look for the little children.  We all have stuffed animals and special things for the little children.  George is usually walking next to where I am located and I give him the stuffed animals or trinkets and point out the children.  On the float I am much higher than George and have a better view.  Bending, throwing, stooping is all part of parading and it is good exercise.  Our parade turns off of the main street, Via de Luna, and into the beach parking lot.  People are still lined up and we are still throwing.  Slowly we pass in front of the Judges' Booth.  We are so busy throwing that we do not even see the Judges' Booth.  Finally, we cross into the float side of the parking lot and park.  We gather all of our belongings together, separating the empty bags from whatever is left over, collecting our garbage for disposal, and waiting for the parade to end.  Floats are next to each other and everyone's music is being turned down because by this point it is just loud noise.  The krewes are talking to their neighboring krewes and starting to unload.  As everyone gathers their belongings we exit the float and start walking to the pavillion for the awards ceremony.  Dragging bags of beads, purses, coats, jackets, ice chests, and all of the other things that we brought for parade, we all slowly arrive at the pavillion where music starts to play and we are all dancing and resting and enjoying the whole montage. 

I arrived at the pavillion to find my precious neighbors had all come to the parade.  Two of our neighbors were in the parade as spotters for our float, the rest of them were waiting for us at the pavillion.  We hugged, kissed, talked, sat, stood, danced, and played around meeting and greeting everyone until the announcer says that the Krewe of Nereids will now perform the dance routine.  Popping and bopping to Jimmy Buffet's Fins song, and all in unison -- I hope -- we performed our dance that we have been learning and practicing for three months.  The girls who were not dancing were in the background with tamborines, slapping the tamborines to the beat of the song.  The dance ended to the roaring of the crowd and we exited the stage.

Next in line were the awards.  Second place went to the Krewe of the Lost Pirates.  The krewe walked onto the stage to accept their prize.  The crowd clapping and yelling.  They exited.  First place went to the Krewe of Le Pez.  The announcement went out once and no one came forward.  The announcement went out two and three times.  No one came forward for the Krewe of Le Pez.  Then came the Grand Marshall's Trophy winner.  The announcer said "The Nereids".  We all just looked around.  Were they not coming forward, either.  The announcer said "The Nereids".  Holy moly -- that is us!  I was later told that the entire krewe dropped their jaws in unison.  Finally, we roared and yelled and cried and ran upon stage to accept our trophy.  This trophy was so far from anything that we expected we just could not believe we won.  The excitement level soared to pandamonium.  All of our fatigue was gone.  We jumped around hugging each other.   The word for the evening was "WOW".

Most of the krewe went to the bars to party.  Some of us, including myself, went back to Krewe Den.  Once at Krewe Den, I sat on the sofa and simply could not move.  I was exhausted and exhilerated.  My feet hurt, my knees hurt, my back hurt, I was sore all over.  A few hours later the rest of the krewe returned and the party started in earnest at Krewe Den.  I do not recall when we left Krewe Den but I know I awoke where we were spending the weekend.  And I awoke at 10 a.m.

On Monday is Red Beans and Rice at the beach parking lot.  This festivity is hosted by the Krewe of Wrecks, our mother krewe.  We had planned on arriving at 11:30 but since most of us slept until 10 a.m. we finally arrived around noon.  We had bragging rights at Red Beans and Rice.  We met up with all of our friends amid many congratulations and accolades.  Finally, George and I politely bowed out and came home.  After unloading our SUV, greeting and feeding the dogs and cats, we cooked dinner and sat back to watch a movie.  I guess we both fell asleep before we were 10 minutes into the movie.  We awoke later and went to bed for a full night's sleep. 

Still tired this morning, we have decided not to attend the Krewe of Coma's festivity this evening.  We need to get back to work and back into the swing of things.  I cannot wait for everyone to share the photographs taken this weekend.  Another glorious Mardi Gras.  Until next year...

Monday, February 8, 2010

When Those Saints Come Marchin In, Oh when those saints come marchin in

We had a fabulous weekend and are suffering for it this morning.  Saturday night was the Krewe of Wrecks Ball and Sunday night was the Super Bowl.  All of that sprinkled with working on the float and costumes for Mardi Gras.

The Super Bowl was simply magical.  It was wonderful enough that the Saints made it to the Super Bowl, but to win, on top of that, fair and square, was truly magical.  We can put the following design on your shirt, jacket, or one we purchase and change it to say "Who Dat Won Dat Super Bowl" for $30.00.

Cajun Stitchery's Super Bowl Special:  for $5 plus tax, we will embroider "Win", "Winners", "Champ", "Champions", or most any other descriptive word or phrase on your Saints apparel.

Notice:  Cajun Stitchery will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 10th thru Feb. 15th to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Cajun Stitchery has recently acquired ten (10) new mermaid designs.  We haven't had a chance to stitch them all out, but this is the biggest (8"x9") and I think she's the most beautiful mermaid design that we have.  This design consists of 65,000 stitches.  The photo really doesn't do her justice.  The shiny thread makes her glisten.  This mermaid embroidery design is $82 plus tax and looks fabulous on a jacket back.  She is not suitable for leather.

The Mardi Gras table runner is still available for $25.00 plus tax, roughly two (2) yards long (72") coming to a point at each end with the design set in the triangle of the point.  Machine washable and handmade.  This is not embroidery on a ready made item.  I make the table runner myself.

C'est toute, mes amis

Friday, February 5, 2010

Cajun Corner Vol 2 No 6

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 6 – February 5, 2010


Bon Jour! Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our blog at http://www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com/ often.

My first ball of the season was the Mystic Krewe of Nereids’ Masquerade Ball. In the best Nereid fashion, we stunned everyone. Our Queen was not able to make the ball due to a prior engagement that had been set for nearly a year and could not be changed. So, our Queen joined us via a prerecorded video. In addition, we had taken a mannequin, dressed it up in our Queen’s attire, enlarged a photo of our Queen’s face, put a wig on it, and all of the queenly trappings and voila our Queen joined in the festivities. It was truly hilarious. She was on the dance floor with everyone and only lost her head a couple of times. I heard that in the buffet line, her clothes fell off and several Nereid subjects immediately re-dressed her. Needless to say it was a fun and special evening.

Upon her return, our Queen met her twin. It was appropriate that she said “off with her head” since this year’s parade is on Valentine’s Day and she was merely acting as the Queen of Hearts. Yep, the mannequin had to be returned from whence it came and the queen’s head has sat on the television at krewe den all week. I believe the head was head has now been returned as well.

The next ball that I will attend is this Saturday night, the Krewe of Wrecks Ball. The Krewe of Wrecks is our mother krewe. In New Orleans they have the Krewe of Rex, but on our beach we have the Krewe of Wrecks. This is a very special year for the Krewe of Wrecks. It is the 30th Anniversary. Of course, I have another gorgeous gown to wear – thanks Judy.

In the meantime, the float is coming along just fine. Everything that we can do on the float in the garage will be finished this weekend and next Wednesday we are rolling her out to the street for the decorations too high for the garage.

In fact, Cajun Stitchery will be closed next Wednesday through the following Monday. We will re-open on Mardi Gras Day since our parade is on Sunday. We will be in and out that week because we have to clean up Krewe Den, put our stuff back into storage and say goodbye to Mardi Gras. I’ll have my cell phone with me.

We have done some beautiful embroidery this Mardi Gras season and I believe I have captured it all in photographs, albeit not the best photographs in the world. There are still more to come.

Most of you know that George used to work in animal care at our local zoo and later at the Wildlife Sanctuary. They used to have the most fabulous group of animal care people at the zoo when George worked there. That group of people were very tight friends and truly loved those animals. Not to mention they loved to party, too. As time has gone by, we lost touch with these wonderful people. I am not joking when I say that animal care people are a breed apart. Animal care is not a high paying job and there is only one reason that anyone would stay in that field – they truly care about the animals. This week on Facebook, George found one of his zoo buddies, then another and by now I think we have most of the animal people connected on Facebook. It was like a family reunion. Most are far away now, but a few are still local and Facebook brought them all together again. We have already started embroidering animals.

More Junkanoo jackets are coming in today. If I wasn’t a Nereid, I’d be a Junkanoo. These people are fabulous and have such a wonderful camaraderie. Keep those jackets coming.

The Saints are headed for the Super Bowl on Sunday. The other day on the news they said that there had been some controversy about using the phrase “Who Dat.” I know I was concerned about legal consequences and wouldn’t embroider the phrase. The Saints legal staff has said as long as the printers/embroiders don’t connect the Who Dat with New Orleans or the Saints, there is nothing prohibiting the embroidery and printing of the phrase. Cajun Stitchery can embroider WHO DAT on everything. Just give me a call.
Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.

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Boudreaux and Marie take a vacation to the Cajun Riviera, Holly Beach Louisiana. They had a great time. Boudreaux buried Marie in the sand on the beach. Then Marie buried Boudreaux in the sand. It was so much fun. Boudreaux buried Marie in the sand. They had so much fun. A year later Boudreaux sat back and was thinking of how much fun they had on the beach. He thought it was so much fun that maybe he would go back there and dig her up.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

French phrase of the week: Il y a du vent. (There is a wind.)

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When George was a little boy his dad and uncles used take him along when they went to golf. As time went by, he even caddied for golfers at the local range in Atlanta. He used to tell me that he could go out on the golf course and retrieve numerous golf balls that the golfers had lost and then sell them to golfers. That became a rather lucrative pastime for him in those early years.

George’s stories of selling the golf balls were revisited after I found a website http://www.greenecoservices.com/re-use-recycle-make-money-golf-balls. Here are some excerpts:

I Just Gotta Tell Ya

• Over 1 Billion Golf Balls are sold every year

• 1 Palm Tree cut down at the Olympic Club in San Francisco in 1999 and disgorged 200 golf balls

• In an average year, all but the scuzziest of ranges will replace 100 percent of their golf ball stock. Gartner figures that 40 percent or so are lost in the mire or over the fence; 40 percent are “retired” to the garbage bin and the rest are stolen.

• An estimated 518 Million Rounds of Golf are played every year

• The average golfer loses 4.5 balls per round of golf.

How To Make Money Selling Used Golf Balls

1.) Buy a golf ball retriever that you can use to fish golf balls out of lakes and ponds. It needs to be one that is attached to a string or rope that you can pull along the bottom of a golf course lake to collect the lost balls.

2.) Visit as many Golf Courses as you can

3.) Clean and separate golf balls by type and condition

Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list.

C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the new catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Heirlooms, Keepsakes and Memories

I just watched a precious video interview of my friend's 90 year old mother on YouTube.  That is a great idea.  I sure wish I had thought of doing that for my mother.  The video is a real keepsake.  Photographs are not the only way of remembering people and times.  My father passed away when I was 10 months old.  I have no recollection of him, although my sister, who was 5 years older than I, remembered him well.  Mama kept his books and a barrel that she covered and used for an end table full of items that belonged to him.  He was a mechanical engineer and there were a lot of engineering books.  The thing that I remember best is that he made a 78 rpm record of him talking.  Anyone younger than me will probably not remember the old 78 rpm records.  I don't remember what he said on the record but I do remember how comforting it was to hear his voice.

Sometimes memories come from items other than photos and recordings.  I remember my Aunt Philo had embroidered "The Last Supper" and it hung in my grandmother's dining room.  Just the thought of that embroidery brings back so many fond memories of my childhood in Louisiana.

It was wonderful having my mother stay with us the last year of her life.  I had so many pieces of memories from my early childhood in Lafayette that she was able to explain and complete the stories.  Over the years I had taken pieces of memories and put them together where they didn't belong and it was good that Mama could help sort them all out.  And there were so many funny memories.  Of course, Mama had a load of stories of her own.  She certainly was a wonderful story teller.

As a child, I was the little girl who loved frills and lace.  My favorite game was playing "Madame", otherwise known as "dress up".  The ladies in Lafayette would send their discarded dresses and clothing to Mama to put in my Madame barrel and I would dress up in all of those dresses.  I was also one of the original latchkey kids.  I would stay home after school and wait until Mama and Daddy would get home from work.  Frequently, I would play Madame while waiting.  One day, I guess I was about 7 years old, I found someone's brassiere in the Madame barrel.  You know I put that huge brassiere on and stuffed it full of other clothes from the barrel, put on some huge high heel shoes that would flip flop as I walked, a frilly dress that dragged behind me, and someone's old wide brimmed hat and decided that I was pretty enough to go to town.  So, all gussied up, I walked out of the house and was walking down the street.  Someone saw me and called Mama at work and told her that her daughter had breasts as wide as she was tall and described me walking.  Mama had to come take me home.  I don't remember getting in touble for doing that.  I think it was just such a hillarious sight that she couldn't scold me for it.  I do remember that brassieres were no longer allowed in the Madame barrel.

This is a picture of me playing Madame at my Grandmother Theaux's home in Lafayette.  How adorable is that?

All of this nostalgia is probably why I chose this year's star embroidery item to be the pillow case.  We had feather pillows when I was growing up.  I especially remember the hard ends of the feathers sticking through the ticking and as I slept, I would pull out feathers in my sleep.  In the morning, my bed was usually covered in feathers.  Mama would gather the feathers in the morning.  As the ticking would wear out, Mama would buy yards and yards of ticking, make the sacks, and then we would spend the afternoon pouring the feathers from the old pillow to the new pillow.  We had feathers everywhere.  Once the pillow was full of feathers, Mama would sew the end shut and put on a fresh pillow case.  Oh my goodness, it felt so good to lay your head on a new feather pillow with a fresh pillow case. 

The beautiful pillow cases of years gone by with the cross stitching and embroidery of all sorts on them were the pillow cases that I laid my head on as a child.  For those of you in my age bracket, do you remember the embroidery design of the antebellum lady with the umbrella?  For that matter, do you remember the dish towels with the days of the week and each day had a special chore, i.e., laundry, cooking, etc.?  I even had panties with the days of the week on them -- no chores on those.  I have found many of these designs for my embroidery machine.  I am looking forward to embroidering those designs and others onto pillow cases this year. 

These are photos of a pair of pillow cases that I have recently done for a friend's birthday present.  I love goldfish.  They are so beautiful.  However, I've never been able to keep them alive at my house.  Usually we end up with the burial at sea in the bathroom.

C'est toute mon amis

Monday, February 1, 2010

Ball, Gloves and Old Friends

This past weekend was the Nereids' Ball and what a fabulous time was had by all.  The funny story from the ball was that our queen was not present.  She had made arrangements for a cruise to the Bahamas last April and could not cancel.  Of course, at the time she made the arrangements, she did not know she was going to be queen.  In true Nereid fashion, we did not let this get us down.  The queen made a video prior to leaving on the cruise, to be shown at the Ball.  The girls got a manequin and dressed it in a ball gown, applied all of the regalia of our queen, took a photo of our queen's face and had it blown up to life size and put a wig on and our faux queen joined us for the ball.  Her head fell off a few times while dancing and I understand that when posing at the buffet table her clothes fell off and she had to be re-dressed. 

I made a couple of pair of the fingerless gloves this past week.  One pair was white with the initial "Z" and a camera for my photographer friend and another pair was black with gold fleur de lis for one of my Krewe of Drew friends. 

The Krewe has been talking about the hoodies with the krewe name on the back.  After some discussion, we think the jacket is wrong.  So, I'm off looking for a nicer, all round jacket.

Yesterday my neighbor and I cooked dinner for the Krewe at Krewe Den.  It was a wonderful dinner.  Let's face it, all I did was buy the stuff and made the green bean casserole.  By the time we got home last night I was exhausted.  I slept 9 hours straight. 

I love Facebook.  I love it because you can find friends and family with whom you have lost touch and make so many new friends.  This weekend George found a bunch of his old Zoo buddies on Facebook.   If you didn't know, George used to work in animal care at the Zoo and later at the Wildlife Sanctuary.  Animal people are really special people.  It saddened us as we lost touch with all of these folks, but now, thanks to Facebook, they are back.  I would love to see us all get together again.  Alas, everyone seems to be scattered to the four winds.  This is, however, making me want to embroider animals.