Cajun Corner - Vol. 1, No. 32

Cajun Corner – Vol. 1, No. 32 – JANUARY 2, 2010
Bon Jour! Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Another exciting, holiday week has come and gone. Well, almost gone. Today is George’s birthday. Our holidays always get this extra special day at the end.

I do hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s Day and Eve and that everyone was safe. We usually don’t go out on New Year’s Eve but this year was an exception. We attended the “Old Farts New Year’s Eve Party” at the Islander Bar on Pensacola Beach. It was very casual but so much fun. The party is, of course, on New Year’s Eve but the time of the party is 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The younger set starts coming in after 8:00. After the Old Farts party we came home and the neighborhood got together around our chiminea. One of our neighbor’s daughter and son-in-law had driven down from Georgia to spend the weekend. They are a delightful young couple. Around 11:00 the group, minus George and me, went downtown for the Pelican Drop at midnight. George and I enjoyed ourselves and welcomed in the New Year together at home. Afterwards, the group returned and we partied by the chiminea until 3:00 a.m. One of the group brought his guitar and we all sang. Some of us were very off key but who cares, we were having a ball. I think we literally partied until we dropped.

Yesterday was New Years Day and I didn’t awake until 11 a.m. I was moving so slow that at 3 p.m. I was still in my pajamas. George had the sniffles and I hope he is not coming down with a cold. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he was, since we were out in the cold night air the evening before. While everyone had gone to the Pelican Drop, I had begun cooking the ham for New Years Day. There really wasn’t too much to do to cook on New Year’s Day. The black eyed peas, cornbread and fruit salad were pretty simple. George stayed home while I brought dinner to my next door neighbor. After dinner we visited other neighbors and had another lovely evening. I was home by 8 p.m. and immediately went to sleep. My whole sleep schedule is now off sync.

If you don’t know by now, George and I are on Facebook. Initially, I got on Facebook for the business. As time has gone by, I have discovered that Facebook really is a great place to meet people and stay in touch. Most of our family, including extended family, is on Facebook and we are all in touch with each other. You just type in what you are doing or thinking every once in awhile. At first, I was just asking people that I know to be friends on Facebook. As time has gone by, I ask just about everyone. I usually link the blog to Facebook when I’ve written something and I think it’s a good advertisement for Cajun Stitchery. What I have found is that I’m making real friends. Many of the beach people that I’ve met on Facebook, I end up meeting in person at the various beach gatherings.

One of my nieces has been telling me for a long time to put my wares on Etsy.com. I don’t know why I avoided doing that but I did it this week. I read an article a few days ago about the success of Etsy and was pretty impressed. Etsy, for those of you who are not familiar with that site, is a website that sells everything handmade. It’s comprised of mostly individuals, rather than companies. I found Etsy awhile back when I did a search and found their tutorial on fusing plastic bags to make a thicker plastic that can be sewn. They have great tutorials. Most of the handmade items are done by younger people and have a real artsy flare to them. After reading the do’s and don’ts, I found that whatever I put on Etsy must be handmade by me. There are others on there who do machine embroidery, so, I’m good to go on that. However, they make it pretty clear that if you place something on Etsy for sale, you cannot send the customer to your own website to purchase the item. They feel that would be fee avoidance. So, if you see it on Etsy made by me, then that is the only place that item will be sold. However, if I made one, I should be able to make another, and can sell the other anyplace I want. Right now I have arm warmers a/k/a fingerless gloves on Etsy. I do need to put more on there. Nevertheless, Etsy is good advertisement for Cajun Stitchery since that is my name on Etsy, as well. In fact, if you go to www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com you will be at my page on Etsy. I need to get back to it and pretty up the page but right now, I’m just happy it’s there.

The advent of Cajun Stitchery on Etsy made us decide that Cajun Stitchery will now be two pronged. The first venue, of course, is the machine embroidery on ready made items. The second venue is going to be handmade items. We are diversifying.

Our Christmas table is so pretty that I hate to take the pretty napkins, runner and all off. In fact, last Monday some of the ladies in the neighborhood took a “Ladies Day Out” and went to Destin to shop and browse the sales. I found a set of Christmas tree ornaments in the shape of a circle, brought them home and am using them as napkin rings for the Christmas table. They work perfectly. There are so many things that can be used as napkin rings. One of the cutest napkin rings that I’ve seen was made from a ponytail holder. Take the plain, elastic ponytail holder and glue a silk flower or something decorative to it. Voila! Napkin ring. Another idea is the decorative pipe cleaners. Just take a pipe cleaner and bend it into a circle, secure the ends and glue a silk flower or something decorative to it.

On our Ladies Day Out, I also found some placemats upon which we can embroider. I have 10 in white and 10 in gold. So, if anyone is interested in the placemats let me know. They are $7 each or a set of 4 for $25.00, plus tax in Florida and shipping, if required. The placemats are difficult to find wholesale and for a decent price, so I pick them up when I find a good sale. Maybe I’ll start making them again. I could put them on Etsy.

Resolutions? Well, we actually haven’t made it that far yet. Too much partying but it is time to get back to business. There are so many things that Cajun Stitchery can do. The problem is determining what YOU want. Cajun Stitchery is, after all, about YOU.

• Are you having a special dinner party and need a beautiful table? We can get the tablecloths, runners, napkins, placemats, and even the chair covers and embroider your name, initials or whatever you like on them.

• How about your guest bathroom? We can get the towels and wash cloths and personalize to your liking.

• Is your kitchen out dated? We can get you the towels, aprons, and pot holders and embellish with the latest designs and colors.

• Are your bed linens getting old or out dated? We can get you the sheets, blankets, comforters, and pillow cases and embroider a variety of heirloom designs.

• Do you want that real professional look? Your initial embroidered on your sleeve cuff or corner of the collar of your dress shirt says you are a professional. Ladies don’t forget that your initial(s) can also be placed on a scarf or most book covers.

• What about handkerchiefs? This old standard is coming back en vogue. Men’s handkerchiefs should have their initials in the corner. Remember the beautiful, dainty, ladies handkerchiefs?

All of our projects can be seen on our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com.

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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I've got some bad news. There will be no more Boudreaux & Thibodeaux jokes. Boudreaux passed away and left a will. He wanted to be buried at sea. Thibodeaux drowned trying to dig his grave.

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French phrase of the week: tante (n.f.) aunt. petite tante/ti-tante aunt who is close in age to at least some of her nieces and nephews.

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Here’s one that I have not heard before:

Taken from: http://www.ecologyfund.com/ecology/res_tips.html

Keep cats indoors:

Domestic cats kill over one billion small birds and animals every year (1 outdoor cat averages 40 kills per year). They upset natural predator/prey balances and eliminate ground nesting birds.

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.
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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.