Cajun Corner Vol. 2, No. 42

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 42 – October 29, 2010


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

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Don’t forget to visit our catalog at www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

CHANGE IN POLICY: In the past I have tried to give the customers a particular dollar amount that an item will cost. We will now begin giving you a purchase price, plus shipping and handling fees that we incur. Cajun Stitchery maintains a small amount of actual inventory. When you order from us; we order from the manufacturer for you. I usually try to include in the price of the item the shipping and handling that Cajun Stitchery must pay to get the item here. That worked very well when we were dealing with a few wholesalers. Since Cajun Stitchery came into existence, we have accumulated quite a few accounts with wholesalers and manufacturers nationwide. Each one has its own set of rules from no minimum orders to minimum orders of several hundred dollars or several hundred items. Some of our newer wholesalers do not provide us with the shipping/handling charges until the item or order is shipped. So, we do not know the shipping/handling charges until AFTER you place your order. If we know the charges up front, we will tell you.

Obviously, if I order a single item and the shipping is $10, then the purchase price to you is the item’s cost, plus any shipping and handling charges that we have incurred for you. If you or someone else orders another of that item at the same time, then the shipping and handling that we incur from the wholesaler will be divided between the two orders or items. Thus, the more you buy, the less you spend per item.

– Thank you for your understanding – The Management --

I still haven’t received the certified copy of my birth certificate. Today I will try to get a temporary license. My present license expires on Monday.

Dale, our CPA, is coming for a well deserved dinner Saturday night. We are planning on having chicken Alf redo on fettuccini, French bread, wine, and some kind of dessert. Yes, I plan on cooking. Have I ever made this before? No, but it tasted real good at Olive Garden. You may want to say a little prayer for Dale. If it’s not raining we will probably retire to the chiminea for after dinner conversation.

There was some hoopla around here about Halloween being on Sunday this year. Some said the kids should trick or treat on Saturday because Sunday is a holy day. Well, how silly is that! Saturday is a holy day for some people, too. Then they said that they should trick or treat on Saturday because Monday is a school day and the kids will be tired. Who thinks up this stuff? The kids trick or treat during the week if that’s where Halloween falls. What difference would Sunday night make? The last I heard was that the trick or treaters are coming to my neighborhood on Halloween night – Sunday. Usually we don’t have many trick or treaters, anyway. Then all of a sudden one year, there are bunches of them. All I know is that they better get here before George eats all of the candy.

My friend, Paulette, is having an auction for the Village Du Lac Bowling Team and needs things to auction. Cajun Stitchery has sent her several items but if you are in the Lafayette, LA area please send stuff for the auction to Paulette and/or go bid on her stuff. If you are interested in helping, please contact me independently and I’ll put you in touch with Paulette. If you know Paulette, then give her a call and lend a hand. Paulette is my Aunt Philo’s friend. You must recall the orange bowling shirts that we embroidered last year for this wonderful bowling team which includes the elderly, Aunt Philo is 91 and still bowling, as well as the disabled.

There was so much gumbo left over from the other night that we ate gumbo for days and shared with our neighbor. I took the remaining gumbo to our Wednesday Girls Night. It’s all gone now. In fact, Wednesday night was a pot luck gathering. It turned out to be a gluttonous feast. Aside from my gumbo and rice, another girl brought gumbo and rice; there was French bread, a Thai salad, another salad, stuffed mushrooms, shrimp dip and chips, pizza, lasagna, birthday cake, pumpkin cake, carrot cake, and a peanut butter/chocolate mousse.

Our neighbors came over one night last weekend to sit by the fire and chat. My dog, Evie, took off for the bushes and was barking furiously. Turned out she cornered a possum on the fence. It wasn’t really cornered but it wasn’t moving. I guess it was playing possum.

We’ve decided to finish the house next door. I’ve called my air conditioner guy and he is going to get back with me next week to come over and give me an estimate on the outside AC unit and the inside heat unit for the central heat and air. Then we need to start getting the appliances, including water heater, sinks, tubs, toilets, etc. I’m holding my breath because it sounds like an expensive endeavor. But I learned something about electricity this week. I didn’t realize George had already had the house re-wired and all new electric was installed. I had worried about the old electric wires in the plaster walls. So, I called our new client, Moses Electric, and was told that those old 1940’s homes had copper wiring, which is good wiring. There is no need to re-wire those homes unless there is something wrong with the wiring. The reason those old homes burn is because of the fuses. They all need to have circuit breakers installed. The house next door already has the circuit breakers, so, we are good to go forward.

The handmade purse and neck wallet turned out great and my friend liked them. She was supposed to give them as a gift on Thursday. I can’t wait to find out how that turned out.

This week a lot of items were listed on Etsy. All of our Christmas tea towels have been listed, as well as, our Christmas placemats, and some cell phone pouch.

I’ve also been working on our gallery. When you go to www.cajunstitchery.com and then click on the word “Gallery”, it takes you to our Picasa site where the photographs of all of the projects are located. I’m going through those photographs and giving them captions and tags to make it easier to find them in a search. Remember that the handmade items are listed in the Etsy shop. In the Etsy shop you are able to order items specially made. If you haven’t seen this feature of the shop, go to www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com and browse around. Look on the left hand side of the screen at some of your options.

Monday is my birthday. When I was a little girl living in Lafayette, everything was closed on my birthday—it was a holiday. There usually was a fair in town and my daddy would take us to the fair. Of course, I always believed that the State of Louisiana had a holiday for my birthday. It wasn’t until we moved to Atlanta that I realized that there wasn’t a national holiday for my birthday. In fact, mama and daddy had to explain that All Saints Day is a Catholic holiday celebrated in Louisiana. They weren’t celebrating my birthday. I was highly insulted. Since I’ve been trying to get my certified birth certificate lately, I now realize how lucky I was to be born on All Saints Day. I was, apparently, born at 2 a.m. A couple of hours earlier and my birthday would have been Halloween! I share my birthday with my Uncle RL, who is also my godfather. My mother had the best timing in the world.

My birth wasn’t exactly a wonderful thing. My father was dying from Hodgkin’s disease. He passed away when I was 10 months old. I was actually due in September but Mama always told me that she was so frantic about my father and trying to care for him and Nancy that the doctors presumed I was so late because she was so stressed. Mama, as I’ve said before, was a wonderful seamstress. She had made Nancy a Halloween costume. Nancy would have been 5 years old on November 7th. She was dressing Nancy in her costume when her water broke. It sure wasn’t like this day and age because Mama was at my grandmother’s house in Woodstock, GA and someone had to drive her to Marietta to Kennestone Hospital where I was born. That was a long drive in 1950 in the middle of the night. As a side note, my son, Jeff, was also born at Kennestone Hospital. He was late, too.

Christmas is coming and customers are doing their Christmas shopping at Cajun Stitchery. Get this out of the way as soon as you can. For all who have businesses out there, remember that we also sell personalized gift baskets.

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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Well Boudreaux and Thibodaux get lucky and get a job at NASA anyway. But they get fired the next day. Because every time the PA system says "Launch." Boudreaux and Thibodaux take out their lunch box and start eating.

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French phrase of the week: Il a ôté ses souliers avant d'entrer dans la maison. (He took off his shoes before entering the house.)

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From: http://hbbase.com/grooming/nail-care/home-remedies-toenail-fungus-unusual-products-act-toenail-fungus-treatments.html

Six Unusual Home Nail Fungus Treatments

As soon as you have seen the presence of fungi in your toenails, you should think of some other home remedies aside from the ones mentioned above. These products are unusual in the sense that you may have never thought that they can be effective in treating toenail fungus. Also, these products are noted to perform other functions in the body that is far from treating toenail fungus. Well, despite this, you might as well want to have a look at these so-called unusual home remedies for toenail fungus.

1. Vinegar. Vinegar, as we all know, is an important condiment in the kitchen. We use it most especially in cooking or preparing a sauce for our favorite dishes. But yes, it can be a cure to toenail fungus as well.

What you need to do is to simply mix vinegar with warm water with the same proportions inside a basin. Apple cider vinegar is highly recommended for the process. After preparing the solution, you may soak your toenails for 20 minutes. Dry your toes with the use of a towel at the same time use a super absorbent paper in the process. Prepare this solution at least twice a day until such time that toenail fungi is gone.

2. Tea Tree Oil. This essential oil is known for its many uses. Well, it is also capable of killing fungi while also getting rid of germs and all other harmful microorganisms that may infiltrate into your toes and toenails.

Get a cotton ball and dip it into the tea tree oil solution. The moistened cotton ball shall be rubbed into the infected areas. This will yield maximum results when done three times daily until you also get rid of the toenail fungi.

3. Listerine. Who would ever think that a mouthwash such as Listerine can be used to treat toenail fungi? Well, it is a good thing that it can be a solution to the problem. Just soak your toenails into the solution at least twice a day for a period of 20 minutes. Listerine works as antiseptic that can destroy or even prevent fungi from bothering you again in the future.

4. Rubbing Alcohol. This product is available anywhere in the corner. Used as an antiseptic or in cleansing wounds, it can also be used in treating toenail fungi. Soak your infected toes and nails in the solution once every morning and once in the evening. With the aid of paper towels, you should dry these areas thoroughly.

5. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide Solution. You may use this solution the same way you use Listerine and rubbing alcohol. If any irritation occurs during the procedure, you may combine hydrogen peroxide with water. The proportion needed is 1:1.

6. Vicks Vaporub. This is the most controversial among home remedies for toenail fungus. Some have vouched for its efficacy while some people say it does not. Vicks however is good only for stopping the growth of the fungus but does not totally eliminate the fungi.

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 catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Thursday, November 4, 2010)

(Cajun Stitchery maintains a very small inventory in house. When our customers order items from us, we then order the items from the manufacturer. We pass the cost of shipping and/or handling that we incur from the manufacturer to the customer. When we ship items to a customer, we include our shipping cost on the invoice, as well.)

SALE: Jacket without embroidery = $18.00 plus wholesaler’s shipping/handling

Satin Baseball Jacket

Light lined satin baseball jacket is available in two styles: Style 326, available in 7 colors with two white stripes knit trim, and Style 327, available in 5 colors with solid knit trim. Our light lined satin baseball jacket is available in adult sizes up to 3XL and complements the youth versions of these styles. Features include:

• 100% Nylon Satin

• Knit Collar, Cuffs & Waistband

• Color-Matched 8 Snap Closure

• Light Flannel Lining

• Stand-Up Collar

• Raglan Sleeves

• Reinforced Nylon Pockets

• Water Repellant

• Machine Washable

• Individually Poly-Bagged

Available sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL

Available colors: Red, Black, Royal, Navy, Dark Green, Maroon, and Kelly are available with stripe trim. Black, White, Royal, Navy, and Red are available with solid trim.

Christmas Is A Deadline

A good portion of last week was spent looking for satin baseball jackets.  Oh yes, we found them and we can get them for you and embroider on them.  We can get lightly lined, flannel lined and quilted lined satin jackets in many different colors, including black, pink, and purple.  Here's the deal with the satin jackets, and with all of the items that I purchase wholesale.  I can get some pretty terrific deals for you.  Once ordered the items must be shipped to me.  If it's only one item that I'm ordering, well, the shipping charges are pretty steep.  And different companies have different shipping rates.  The main company that I order from is in Florida.  They have the cheapest shipping and can usually get the item to me within the next day or two.  But that tacks on about $10 more or less to your order.  For instance, I can usually get you a good deal on t-shirts for about $10.00, more or less.  Then I can embroider, let's say, your name or initials on it for about $7.  That's $17 for an embroidered t-shirt.  However, if that is the only thing I order, the cost of your t-shirt just went to $27 because of shipping.  If I ordered 2 t-shirts for you, then the $10 shipping would be split between the 2 t-shirts and the cost would be the $17 plus $5, or $22.  Of course, the shipping also goes by weight, so there is a point where the shipping charges increase but not much.  If you ordered 5 t-shirts the cost per t-shirt would be $19.  A lot of wholesalers will give free shipping when you order a certain amount, i.e., $100 or $150 worth of items.  All of this varies with each wholesaler.  The search for the satin jackets had me excited when I found them for $27.  That's a good price.  That particular wholesaler charges $23 to ship the one jacket.  The cost just went to $50 for the jacket, and that is before embroidery.  Oh sure, I was taken in by the online retail satin jackets for around $20-$25, but once ordered you pay shipping and handling.  I don't charge for our handling but I do pass the shipping and handling charges that I have to pay onto the customer.  The above scenario is why most embroiderers won't take an order for less than 100 items.

Ah, but worrying about shipping is not all we've been up to.  It's time to load the Etsy Store with our Christmas items.  We have listed a bunch of the Christmas tea towels and have several more to list, hopefully, today.  As these items are listed, I share them on Facebook.  One of my friends told me that she has a hard time emotionally at Christmas.  I suggested that she "hide" me for awhile.  She said she would not do that.  It is a hard time at Christmas for a lot of people.  As wonderful as Christmas is, it does bring a lot of stress into your life.  Let's face it, Christmas is a deadline to meet.  Deadlines cause stress.  That is only one of the reasons that I keep telling everyone, including myself, to smile.  The simple act of smiling does something physical to you.  It does lift your spirits.  I've said it before but one of these days I'm going to start a line of products with smiles and smile quotes.  We already started that with the red lips; although, some of those red lips were not smiling.

My plan is to put all of the Christmas stuff on Etsy now.  The tea towels and placemats.  Then I'm going to put a bunch of other items that we have that can be given as gifts.  Stuff without a Christmas motif.  Then, and only if I have time, I'm going to start making Christmas stockings.  They will have to be a really unique design; not the plain old red and white sock shape.  I have some ideas in mind.  Stay tuned.

We have continued to enjoy our evenings by the chiminea.  That is the most peaceful time of day.

Got to get back to work.

C'est tout, mes amis:>)

Cajun Corner Vol. 2, No. 41

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 41 – October 22, 2010


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

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com, catalog at www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

What a week this has been, poo yie! We had several things to-do this week in addition to embroidery. Luckily, last week I did the quarterly sales tax for the State of Florida. I don’t think I could have managed that this week on top of everything else. First of all, we voted. Everyone should vote in every election, no matter how small. People have died so that you and I can vote. Don’t let their sacrifice be in vain. And women, well, we have absolutely no excuse not to vote. I love the early voting. No lines. No waiting. Do it in your own time. The only thing easier is to have the ballot sent to you – and, that can be done, too.

The next thing on my agenda was to renew my driver’s license. Luckily, we have a branch office within a block or two for the Escambia County Tax Collector and Division of Driver’s Licenses. I had to get this year’s tag and registration for my car, too. The tag and registration were not a problem. Renewing my driver’s license was an experience. Apparently there is a new law that everyone, in all 50 states, must provide a paper trail of their name, in order to re-new your driver’s license. I don’t know if all 50 states are doing this but Florida certainly is. I received the card to renew my driver’s license a few weeks ago. I kept putting it off because, frankly, we’ve been busy, and I was gathering all of the documents required. I had a certified copy of my birth certificate; I had a certified copy of my marriage license; I have my original Social Security Card; and I have 2 pieces of mail sent to me at my address (one was for the tag and registration and the other was for my license renewal). First of all, the nice lady explained that my birth certificate that I have used all of my life for such occasions is not a certified copy but rather a complimentary copy given by the hospital. Second, I needed to have a certified copy of my first marriage license to my first husband. Holy cow! Glad they didn’t ask for my first born, too. Hmmmm, my birthday is a couple of weeks away. What are the chances of the State of Georgia providing my certified birth certificate before my driver’s license expires? The nice lady did tell me that if I don’t get the certified copy in time, they will give me a 60 day temporary license.

Luckily, I have a certified copy of my first marriage certificate. It turns out that Georgia charges $25 for a certified copy of my birth certificate. You cannot order it online and must pay with either a cashier’s check or money order. Any remote idea of simplicity went out the window. I went to the post office, got the money order and mailed with the appropriate form. Now I wait. I did tell George to go ahead and get his birth certificate because if all drivers in all 50 states have to do this, I would assume that the price for certified copies of these items is going to be raised soon.

Then I checked my mail and found that we each had a notice from the IRS that we owed about $1,000 each. Well, isn’t that special. We are blessed to have the most wonderful CPA and friend, Dale Jones. I’m telling you that if you ever need a CPA, go see Dale. A few weeks back the IRS sent us a notice that they had lost one of our returns and would we please send them a copy. Can you say “inept?” Dale sent it. When we received our notices this week, Dale went down to the IRS and straightened them out. They just hadn’t received the copy of the return. We do not owe the money to IRS, but I do owe Dale a huge THANK YOU, a bottle of wine, and dinner at Chez Henshall.

Then I ran right into yesterday. October 21, 2010, would have been my youngest son’s 38th birthday. I usually get past his birthday and February 9th (the date of death) by staying real busy and just praying that the day will end soon. Yesterday I suffered from a broken heart. I miss him each and every day but yesterday hit me hard. Today I intend to bounce back.

On top of everything else, I realize more each day that I am my mother’s clone. It’s the little things. I’ve started writing the date and time that I open a pack of cigarettes to keep track of how many I smoke in a day. I write to-do lists by the dozen, as well as notes to myself on everything. But I did something this week that only my mother would have done. You see, last weekend we had dinner guests on Saturday and I made seafood gumbo. It was delicious. I never said I couldn’t cook. I just don’t like to cook. But I do exceptionally well with Cajun dishes. There is no way that you can make a good gumbo for a few people. You have to make enough for an army. Luckily, it freezes well. I sent a container of gumbo home with my guests but still had enough to store many quarts. I think George has had gumbo every day this week. I took a quart to my neighbor across the street. You remember he’s the one that likes to bake and has brought us cakes and pies in the past. He returned the container amid accolades of how good the gumbo was and he refused to share with his roommate. I asked him if he liked herbs. Then I took him into the garden and picked rosemary, stevia, lemon balm, purple basil, sweet basil and topped it off with a couple of bell peppers. We talked about how much I do not like to cook and how much he loves to bake. Then he took the bait and asked THE question: “What kind of cake is your favorite?” Ah ha! I just reeled him in and I’m expecting a cake any day now.

We have embroidered a lot of pillowcases this week. One order is for embroidery on a guitar strap. I’ve read that our embroidery machine will embroider on webbing. We just never tried. The guitar strap is made out of webbing and it embroiders as smooth as butter. We did a sample stitch out on webbing we already had. Remember when I lost my mind and went on a shopping spree at Cheap Trims? One of the things that I bought was a bolt of black, 2” wide, webbing. I took pictures of the stitch out and posted it on Facebook. We had several positive comments. Then I search for tutorials on how to make a guitar strap and, of course, there are many tutorials on the internet. I have just about figured it out and plan to make some and sell in our Etsy shop.

A friend suggested that we make and personalize Christmas stockings. Personalized Christmas stockings have always been available from Cajun Stitchery. I haven’t made any of the stockings and need to conceive something very original. There are a few ideas floating around in my head.

Right now I’m working on a special handmade purse. I don’t usually do this type of thing but this particular purse sounded intriguing and fun. It will take several days to complete.

Lately we have been enjoying the weather. The air conditioner is turned off during the day and the windows are open. As the sun goes down each day, George and I have a glass of wine by the chiminea. I’ve decided that we will burn all of our burnable garbage, especially the junk mail. We use it as tender for our fire. The ashes are wonderful in our compost. It’s like the circle of life. Not to mention the safety aspect. I certainly don’t ever expect anyone to go through my garbage, but it has happened to people. It’s amazing how much personal information your garbage gives and once you put it out in the garbage, anyone can take it. It is just safer to burn it. In fact, that is how soap used to be made. The old lye soap was made from leftover grease from cooking and ashes from the fireplace. Years ago, when we lived in Orlando, I decided to make soap and asked the owner of the corner restaurant that I frequented if I could have his leftover grease. Surprisingly, he said that he sells it each day to a soap company.

This morning I received a phone call from the lady who ordered the Moses Electric logo embroidered on shirts. She wants me to give an estimate for the logo and Cajun Stitchery purchasing the shirts. She said that Moses Electric loved the embroidery. She even asked if we embroider on caps. I love embroidering the heirloom and cutesy stuff but logos on business shirts is the backbone of this type business. You know we always say that no job is too small or large for Cajun Stitchery. This is a perfect example of why that is important. Most well-established embroidery houses won’t take orders of less than about 100 items at a time. We will take 1 item or 1,000 items. There really is no significant reduction in the pricing of items until you get around the 100 item mark. So, orders of less than 100 at a time are not easily filled, unless you can find an embroidery house like Cajun Stitchery who specializes in these types of orders. The customer with the Moses Electric logo said that she is so pleased that the company is interested in using Cajun Stitchery because she lives only a mile or two away and it is so convenient for her to drop off and pick up from us. Plus she doesn’t have to hassle with the heavy traffic on the other side of town.

We now have accounts with many different companies that carry the satin baseball jackets. They aren’t cheap but we can get them in several colors, including: black, purple, and pink. They come with a light lining, and also with a quilted lining. The jacket, alone, will cost around $50 (that includes the shipping but does not include the embroidery).

Christmas is coming and customers are doing their Christmas shopping at Cajun Stitchery. Get this out of the way as soon as you can. For all who have businesses out there, remember that we also sell gift baskets.

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

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Boudreaux told Thibodeaux he was having trouble selling his truck, with 200,000 miles on it, for $1,500. Thibodeaux advised him to set the odometer back to 50,000 miles to make it easier to sell. A few days later Thibodeaux asked Boudreaux if he had sold his truck. "No," replied Boudreaux, "I decided to keep it. It has only 50,000 miles on it."

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French phrase of the week: J'aimerais commander 100 chemises, s'il vous plaît. (I would like to order 100 shirts, please.)

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From: http://www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm

• Tree-Free Home: As much as possible, create a tree-free home:

o replace paper napkins with cloth napkins

o replace paper towels with a special set of cloth towels/napkins (or cut up old t-shirts for great towels) - store the used ones in a small container in your kitchen and just wash and reuse

o purchase bleach-free, toilet paper that is made from the highest post-consumer waste content you can find (80% minimum)

o if you print documents, print on once-used paper and/or bleach-free, recycled paper with the highest post-consumer waste content available (or hemp/alternative-source paper, if you can afford it)

o reuse envelopes, wrapping paper, the front of gift cards (as postcards) and other paper materials you receive wherever possible

o read books, magazines, and newspapers from your local library

o create and use note pads from once-used paper

o leave messages for family members/roommates on a reusable message board

o make your own cards/letters from once-used products or handmade paper

o if you will be doing construction on your house, search out alternatives to using newly cut wood (no endorsement of any company intended):

 Eco-Friendly Flooring Guide

 straw bale

 bamboo -- two sites to check out: Plyboo and Teragren

 true (natural) linoleum

 previously used wood -- one site to check out: Vintage Timber Works

 cob -- three sites to check out: Cob, Cob Cottage, and EcoBusiness-Cob Building Resources

 composite decking -- The Latest Trend in Decking

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 catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Thursday, October 28, 2010)

SALE: Jacket plus embroidered initials or name $35.00 + tax/shipping

Sierra Pacific - #3301

Moisture Free Micro Fleece

Colors: black, forest green, gray, navy, red

100% Polyester. 5.6oz. Moisture resistant micro fleece. Convertible collar. Dyed to match piping. Barrel toggle drawstring waist. Open hem cuffs. Dyed to match zippers and nylon reinforced zippered pockets. Twill neck tape. Back yoke.

Yes, We Embroider Company Logos

Yesterday I was having difficulty getting pictures on this blog.  Let's hope things go easier today.

  

Our customer stopped by this morning to pick up her shirts with the Moses Electric logo.  She was very pleased.  She told me that the owner is anxious to see the embroidery and she hopes to send more business our way.  That is so sweet of her.  She continued to tell me that her daughter is also anxious to see the quality of our work.  Her daughter works for a large embroidery company in South Florida.  They would have done the embroidery but the order was too small.  This is another things special to Cajun Stitchery.  No order is too small or too large for us.  Most embroidery companies have a minimum number of items that they will embroider per order.  One local company that I am familiar with has a minimum of 100.  We will take one item or 1,000.  We can get it done with equal quality. 

In the case of Moses Electric, and a lot of other smaller companies that used to provide their employees with the work shirt with their name embroidered, in order to cut back on expenses the employee must get their shirts embroidered themselves.  The problem with that is the digitizing and set up fees.  Now that we have digitized the logo, other employees can come in and not have to pay that fee.  It's already done.  If the employees want to go to other embroiderers, then each new embroiderer will have to digitize the logo and charge their digitizing fee.

As you can tell, I'm thrilled with this customer.  I really like the lady.  She lives near my house.  And, if she really can bring in more customers, this will be a new area of customers, which will be healthy for Cajun Stitchery. 

Moses Electric isn't the only job we are doing around here.  Another customer wants us to embroider a guitar strap for her brother for Christmas.  The strap is made from 2 inch black webbing.  Well, it just so happened that we have a bolt of 2" black webbing.  We stitched a sample on our webbing and were amazed at how nice the embroidery machine stitches on webbing.  Now I have all kinds of ideas creeping into my head about making guitar straps, dog collars, dog leashes, etc.

There's a lot of digitizing to do this week, as well as, locating some special items.  I've had 2 people contact me about satin jackets.  The black satin isn't a problem.  But I am having a difficult time finding the purple satin jacket.

Then there is the customer who wants the market baskets.  You know, those baskets that have the aluminum frame and the fabric basket attaches with Velcro.  At first, I thought I found a really good deal but the closer I looked at the item, it has a zippered lid and is insulated.  It would make a gorgeous picnic basket but it's not what my customer is looking for.  I did find what she wants are a really good price in China.  There is a minimum order that has to be placed.  I've never ordered anything from China but if I get enough orders, I think I will give it a shot.  It does take awhile, I believe something like 2 weeks, to ship.  My understanding is that we can embroider all over the cloth basket, and they come in several colors.  Although, it may be one of those things where you place the order and get the colors that they send you, unless you purchase all the same color.  I don't know.  It looks as though I could sell those baskets with the embroidered name on them for about $30, which seems to be on the low end of the prices that I've seen on the internet.

Got to get back to work now.

C'est tout, mes amis.

Cajun Corner - Vol. 2, No. 40

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 40 – October 17, 2010


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

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our catalog at www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

Remember last week, the customer who spent the afternoon with me. This week another customer spent a delightful afternoon with me. She brought her Christmas list and we began ordering. People are different. These two ladies are very organized. This particular customer knew just what she wanted and we sat down and I digitized the designs with her telling me “a little more space here” or there; no, the letters need to be larger or smaller; I like this color or that. We did the whole thing right there while she was here. The smaller details such as lowering the density and more technical things were left for me to do without her assistance. It actually was a lot of fun. We went to lunch at Sonny’s Barbeque. Once we returned she went through a stack of books that we are going to take to the library or donate someplace. We chatted at length and discussed new items that I’ve found through my wholesale companies and new things that we can do here. This gave her more ideas for other occasions. As she was leaving she did tell me that she enjoys shopping at Cajun Stitchery, not only for the convenience, but because she can get exactly what she wants and our prices are usually lower or equal to what others charge.

After she left, I told George to get the gardens in shape because I may just start tours of the gardens as a part of this personal afternoon session. I find a walk through the gardens always excites my imagination.

As I said before, this personal service is available for anyone. You just need to make an appointment and we will set aside a convenient afternoon to take care of all of your embroidery needs. Tea, coffee, wine, or whatever the drink of your choice will be provided, as long as you let us know your choice beforehand. Take a leisurely stroll through our yard, if you like. George and I are always happy to show off our gardens. We can go to one of the local restaurants for lunch or provide lunch at the house. Please understand that Cajun Stitchery is located in our home and the dogs and cats will be here. There is also no reason that we couldn’t do this with a group of 2 or 3 people. Of course, in that situation, you would not get the undivided attention that you would get by yourself.

It’s been a busy and enjoyable weekend. Friday night we invited a couple of neighbors over for a glass of wine by the fire and we gave them an anniversary present. They have worked so hard taking care of her parents. We gave them tickets to see Willie Nelson on Sunday evening. I sure hope they can go because they really need a break from taking care of her parents. Everyone needs time to go out and have a good time.

Since we planned on friends coming over for dinner Saturday night, Friday we went to Joe Patti’s for seafood. I was making a seafood gumbo for our guests. As much as my Mama didn’t like to cook, she could cook Cajun food and so can I. We just didn’t like to cook. Joe Patti’s is like a seafood amusement park. I could stay in that place and browse forever. We ended up with 10 lbs of shrimp, some oysters, lump crab, and crawfish tails.

The shrimp were boiled for our dinner Friday night. It was: eat your fill because whatever is left over goes in tomorrow’s gumbo. There is nothing like Gulf Coast shrimp. It’s the best in the world. When our neighbors came over later that evening, the wife and I started peeling the remainder of the shrimp in the kitchen. She would eat one and peel one. They were delicious.

Saturday was spent cooking the gumbo and cleaning the house. Our guests were expected at 4 p.m. and they arrived exactly on time. The cute Halloween runner and napkins made the table setting very festive. We ate our fill with garlic bread and wine. Then we retired to the deck. We toured the yard and had a marvelous time. As the sun set, George lit a fire in the chiminea and dessert was served on the deck. The dessert was brought by my friend. It was an ice cream sandwich pie. She crumbled up ice cream sandwiches and mashed them down in a plastic container as the base, then she crumbled Butterfingers on top of that, then a thick layer of whipped cream, topped with melted chocolate, and then froze the whole thing. Oh my, that was delicious. In fact, after they left, George proceeded to eat every last bit of that dessert that remained in the container.

You cannot make a little bit of gumbo. The gumbo was delicious but we have enough left over to feed a small army. We sent some home with out guests and our refrigerator is now filled to the brim with gumbo. If anyone wants some gumbo, come and get it.

Sunday we plan on just bathing the dogs and kicking back. This has been a delightful weekend without any work. At one of my women in business meetings last Friday we talked about boundaries and boundaries between home and work, personal time and business. It’s difficult when you and your spouse work together in a business in your home. This weekend was a refreshing break from business.

Another highlight was of the week was an order from a lady who needed to get her husband’s work logo embroidered on his work shirts. A special thanks to my friend, Tina, for directing them to me. I’m hearing more and more that in an effort to cut back on expenses, many businesses that require names or logos on work shirts have stopped paying for the work shirts and now require the employee to get this done. The problem that I foresee these company employees encountering is digitizing fees and set up costs. When the logo is brought to an embroidery company, like Cajun Stitchery, they are going to charge not only for embroidery but also for digitizing the logo. If the company has had the logo digitized previously, there is someone out there with the digitized design. In this particular case, I believe the embroidery company went out of business. If the digitizing file is not available to the new embroiderer, then there’s a fee to digitize. Also, there is a set up fee with each order because even if you have the digitized file, you have to set your machine up with the design, the right threads, and stitch out a sample to make sure the file hasn’t been corrupted or the tensions are set right for the thread, etc. This was a fairly easy design with lettering that I was able to digitize. A sample was stitched out and the customer came over to approve the stitch out. She will pick up her finished order on Monday. Now any of the other employees can come to Cajun Stitchery to get the logo embroidered without having to pay the digitizing fee because it is already done. And since the customer did not pay me for digitizing the logo, I am not obligated to give my digitized file to any other embroiderer without payment for it. This lady is very nice and says she is eager to tell the other employees to get in touch with Cajun Stitchery.

In the past few weeks, I’ve been requested to find various types of specialty jackets. First, we needed to find micro fleece, full zip jackets. This is the really soft jacket where the outside of the jacket feels like the soft pile of the inside of a sweatshirt, only denser. I found those and then received a request for the same thing in a youth size, with a light blue color. That was more difficult but I found it. Now I have requests for satin baseball jackets. I have actually found them but I don’t have an account with that company. So, I’ve been emailing forms and paperwork back and forth trying to get our account set up. I’m pretty excited because I love those satin jackets.

Another thing that I’ve found, and will try to get an account with that company, is those market baskets. The kind that have the metal frame and the cloth basket that attach to the metal frame. If you would be interested in something like that, let me know. It may turn out that there is a minimum order and it would help me decide whether or not to order them, if I knew people would buy them.

Christmas is coming and customers are doing their Christmas shopping at Cajun Stitchery. Get this out of the way as soon as you can. For all who have businesses out there, remember that we also sell gift baskets.

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

ΘΘΘΘΘ

This may be a repeat, but worth it :>)

Boudreaux walks into a bar and orders three beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves Boudreaux three beers, which Boudreaux drinks quietly at a table, alone.

An hour later, Boudreaux has finished the three beers and orders three more. This happens yet again.

The next evening at the bar, Boudreaux again orders and drinks three beers at a time, several times.

This happens for several nights.

Soon, the people up and down the bayou are whispering about Boudreaux going to the bar and always drinking three beers at a time.

Finally, a week later, the bartender says "Boudreaux, I don't mean to be nosey, but everybody around here is wondering why you always order three beers at one time?"

Boudreaux replies, "You see, I have two brothers. One moved to Texas and de udder one to Mississippi. We promised each other dat we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keepin up de Boudreaux bond."

Everybody on the bayou was impressed with Boudreaux's explanation, and Boudreaux was the talk of the bayou.

Then, one day, Boudreaux comes in to the bar and orders only two beers.

The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for the rest of the evening ... Boudreaux always orders only two beers. The word flies up and down the bayou. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the Boudreaux brothers.

The next day, the bartender says to Boudreaux, "People on the bayou and I want to offer condolences to you for the death of your brother. You know - the two beers and all."

Boudreaux ponders this for a moment, then replies, "You'll be happy to hear dat my two brothers are alive and well. It's jus dat me, myself, has decided to give up drinkin' for Lent."

ΘΘΘΘΘ

French phrase of the week: Tu te rappelles du petit cheval nain que Théophile avait qu'on restait à la campagne? (Do you remember the little pony Théophile had when we lived in the country?)

ΘΘΘΘΘ

I recently read a rather interesting article at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/384755/uses_for_ancient_age_kentucky_straight.html Here is an excerpt:

The uses for Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey are a lot, but I will only list a few, and let you figure out the rest. I would like to explain that this product has a very smooth taste, and the smell is very refreshing. But, consider health hazards before drinking Ancient Age Kentucky Straight Whiskey, because health comes first, "before getting drunk." This whiskey is very good when mixed with energy drinks, especially the sweet energy drinks. I would not recommend mixing it with Red Bull Energy Drinks, because I personally do not like Red Bull Energy Drinks. You can also mix it with sodas like Coca-Cola, or a refreshing Sprite. I usually put about half of a shot glass with a mix of an energy drink. Ancient Age Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey can also be used to marinate your meats, before they go on the outside grill. But, I would be very careful not to cause a fire or something, "just be prepared." Because, this whiskey is forty percent alcohol by volume. This product can also be used when baking, which I am still trying to come out with a good recipe for a cake. And, last this product can be used for morning uses, but it's up to you to try it out. This product can be used to rinse out your mouth instead of the regular mouth wash. Not only does this Whiskey freshen up your mouth, but it kills all the bacteria causing germs in your mouth. I have seen a show on T.V. called Mythbusters, and they proved that hard whiskey can destroy the smell of onions, or food in your mouth. And, if you use this product before going to work, "please do not swallow because you will get a police ticket on the road while driving!"

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 catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Wednesday, October 20, 2010, Cajun Stitchery will be closed on Thursday, October 21, 2010)

SALE: Waffle Weave Bath Robe with initial or name embroidered on left chest area = $40.00

Waffle Weave Bath Robe

White One size fits Most

48" Length 3.0 lbs ea

Very Elegant 60% Cotton

40% Poly

Is It Mylar or Is It Cellophane?

There is a new embroidery technique that intrigues me.  It's called Mylar embroidery.  I've been searching on the web for any and all articles, videos, etc.  Apparently, Mylar embroidery is so new that even the "experts" are contradicting each other.  If you've been a reader of this blog for awhile, you probably remember, at some point in time, mention of the dastardly metallic thread.  Metallic thread is beautiful and adds shine and bling to your embroidery.  It comes in a variety of colors, not just gold and silver.  However, you will find that most embroiderers either charge more for metallic embroidery or shun it entirely.  Why?  Because it is a pain to work with metallic thread.  There are all kinds of articles out there in the internet world with tips on working with metallic thread.  The bottom line is that it is metal and if it doesn't saw itself in half going through all of those metal holes, i.e., needles, then it simply curls up and breaks.  Metallic thread causes friction because of the metal and you must embroider at a very slow speed to get the work accomplished.  All of the precautions make metallic thread embroidery a much longer process than with regular thread.  So, how do you get bling from embroidery if you don't use metallic thread?  The usual poly type of embroidery thread has a beautiful sheen and does give a shine to the embroidery -- but not like that metallic thread.  Enter Mylar embroidery.  Mylar, yes, as in the balloons.  Well, more or less.  Some experts says it's the Mylar in the balloon, others disagree.  Enter the contradictions.

What everyone agrees on is that Mylar embroidery is shiny, blingy and beautiful.  There are also some advantages to Mylar embroidery.  You get the shiny bling without metallic thread and that's a real plus.  In order for the shine to be seen, the embroidery design must be more open that your usual designs.  A more open design means less stitches.  Less stitches, in the case of embroiderers who charge per 1,000 stitches as Cajun Stitchery does, means lower price due to lower stitch count.  The way it works is the design is created to show shine in certain areas.  It could be the entire design or a part of the design.  Wherever the shine is desired, the digitizer puts codes into the design to stop and allow a sheet of Mylar to be inserted, then the open Mylar stitching stitches right on the Mylar.  More codes stop the machine after the stitching to removed the Mylar outside of the stitching area.  Then the machine starts again to finish the project.  The excess Mylar tears off easily since the edges have been perforated with stitches. 

At this point, there is more controversy.  How durable is Mylar?  Some compare Mylar with cellophane and use them interchangeably.  Others do not.  Still others says that it's not Mylar at all but a poly type material that isn't the official Mylar.  Some say they use, or rather re-use, Mylar balloons.  Others say never use Mylar balloons.  Some say you can use Mylar and cellophane to the same result.  Others say the Mylar is much more durable and the cellophane will bleed and not last as long.  They all say that it is washable, dryable but not dry cleanable.  They all seem to agree that it is the same thing as shrink wrap.  All of this leads to the question of whether someone is trying to make money off of a special type of material when plain, old cellophane will do fine.  A roll of cellophane can be purchased at the dollar store for a dollar.  The official material that these embroiders are selling costs about $5 a sheet.  That's a big price difference.  One article said that you can use cellophane to the same end as the Mylar but the cellophane doesn't launder well and would be more suitable to items that do not get washed much, such as hats and purses.  But if you are going to put it on a shirt or something that does get washed frequently, cellophane will not last as long as the Mylar.  The controversies go on and on.

You know we had to experiment.  We bought a roll of cellophane from the dollar store and used it as the base of a low density design.  Yes, I could see some sparkle but I really wouldn't say that it is as shiny as metallic thread.  We washed and dried it twice.  The sparkle is still there.  We will have to bite the bullet and buy the "official" material to determine the difference.  Be expecting more about this Mylar embroidery and our determinations from experimenting. 

All of that said, we are already getting orders for Mylar embroidery.  Search on the internet for "Mylar embroidery designs" and you will see some beautiful and sparkley designs.

Frequently we are asked to handmake items.  This is done through our Etsy Shop, only.  Cajun Stitchery does embroidery on ready-made items.  It is confusing and we do apologize for the confusion.  The blog does talk about our handmade items and recently the posts have been consumed with these handmade items for the Arts & Wine Festival.  It is one thing to make items in our spare time, between orders, and make things that are our creations and not to spec for an order.  It is a totally different thing to take orders for handmade items.  It takes a lot of time to make something from scratch.  For instance, in one of the posts, I gave directions for making plain 20" napkins.  That would be as simple a project as there is.  But even those plain napkins take probably 30 minutes each to get the fabric, square the fabric, cut the fabric, serge the edges, and sew up the serger tails.  We do take orders via Etsy for handmade items.  Depending on what you want, it can get pricey.  There are usually some blank items in our Etsy store, i.e., blank napkins, blank handkerchiefs.  The blank items may be purchased as is, or, if requested, we can apply embroidery for an additional charge.  This is confusing and I do apologize but it keeps my books straight.  Please feel free to order handmade items via our Etsy shop.

All of that said, the Etsy shop now has a set of 4 blank napkins made from the festive orange and yellow fabric.  The little witch that was embroidered on my orange napkins is 13,000 stitches.  The cost for embroidering the witch on a napkin would be $16.95 each.  We do, however, have smaller Halloween designs with considerably less stitches.

Time to get back to work.

C'est tout, mes amis!

Childhood Memories

George went to the post office this morning to mail some orders.  It's Columbus Day and the post office is closed.  He came home and decided to call our local voters registration because he lost is voter card.  It's Columbus Day and voter registration is closed.  Is someone telling us to take the day off?  I think so.

Lately, I've been reminiscing about old times.  When I was a young girl in Atlanta, Mama decided that I should write to all 50 states and get brochures.  I think I wrote to the Chambers of Commerce.  She was teaching me to compose letters.  I sure did write to all 50 states.  Can you imagine the sheer joy when all of those responses began arriving in our mailbox?  Children love to receive mail.  It was like Christmas and I thought I was hot stuff getting all of that mail from my letter.  I not only learned to compose a letter, make an evelope and mail it, but I learned about all 50 states.  My Mama was a smart lady.

While living in Louisiana (we moved to Atlanta when I was 10), I used to love to play Madame.  Outside of Louisiana that is called playing dress up.  I loved to play Madame so much that the old ladies in town would send Mama all of their dresses and clothing that they would otherwise discard.  Mama had a barrel in her sewing room where we kept all of the Madame clothes.  Since I was one of the original latch key kids, I would get home after school and be alone for an hour or two before Mama or Daddy arrived.  Usually, I would play Madame.  One day, while perusing my Madame Barrel, I found that someone had put a large brazziere in the clothing.  I thought I had found my pot of gold.  I put that huge bra on and stuffed it with every piece of clothing or fabric that I could find.  Then I put on one of my Madame dresses.  Then I located a pair of high heel shoes.  To complete your picture, I was very short for my age -- still am.  Here is this tiny, little girl with huge boobs, a dress that is so large it's trailing on the ground, in high heel shoes that would flop with every step that I took.  I put on a large hat and took a look in the mirror.  I remember that I was convinced that I looked beautiful and very adult.  So, I decided to go for a stroll.  Lafayette was a small town then, most people were either friends or relatives.  I began my stroll on St. Johns Street and turned down Congress St.  Mama said that as I would pass in front of homes and businesses, people would call her on the phone.  She had to take off work to come get me off the streets. 

I should write the stories from my childhood.  They are all delightful and I was blessed with good parents and family, and lived in a time when life was good and everyone knew each other.  It was a wonderful childhood.

We had a lot of orders at the beginning of the weekend and have just about filled most of them.  Once we fill the next three orders, it will be time for me to seriously sit down and do some digitizing.  Not long ago, I joined a Yahoo forum on digitizing with my software.  I've learned some things that I didn't know before.  The main thing that I learned is that there is a free update for my software.  As I read the forum entries each day, I see that many people are having problems with the update loading.  I've put it off and put it off.  I simply cannot afford to be without the digitizing software at all.  Yesterday, I decided that I must not delay any longer.  It was unnerving because I would have to uninstall the present version completely and then install the new updated version.  I finally did it and it was a piece of cake.  I used it once, just to try it out and make sure everything was working properly.  Now I need to work.  There are birthdays approaching.  Babies are being born.  People are getting married.  Not to mention there are some new embroidery techniques out there that I want to try out.

The Cajun Stitchery gallery at Picasa has been updated.  Goto http://www.cajunstitchery.com/ and click on "gallery."  I sent an email to this effect to several of our customers, suggesting that since Christmas is approaching, they might want to look at the gallery to get ideas for Christmas presents.  Immediately, 2 orders came through.  Both wanted things in the gallery that are handmade.  Please understand that all of our handmade items are sold via our Etsy store at http://www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com/.  The main Cajun Stitchery does embroidery on ready made items.  Goto www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery to see some of the ready made items that we have available.  The obvious reason is because it is time consuming to make things.  I love doing it, don't get me wrong.  Even a simple handkerchief or napkin takes time to make and that is before any embroidery is applied.  If I accepted orders for handmade items, the price would be outrageous and the time required to fill the order would be preposterous.  But I do love making things, in my own time, without any boundaries.  Those are the things that go into our Etsy shop.  They are pure creativity.  They are new techniques and things I just want to try out.  Feel free to give me ideas and suggestions for handmade items.  I may make them and put them in our Etsy shop.  If it's handmade by Cajun Stitchery, please purchase the item from our Etsy store. 

All of that said, I think I am going to make some blank handkerchiefs and napkins to put in our Etsy store.  If you or anyone would like to purchase them, but you want some embroidery applied to them, please contact me.  This can certainly be done.  And it can be done via Etsy.  Just find the item that you want and convo or email me that you want the item embroidered.  I will put a reserve on the item for you and let you know the additional cost for the embroidery.  I can change the price of the item on Etsy to reflect any additional embroidery cost.  So, it's not necessarily that I won't make anything handmade.  It's more the proper channels to get it done.  Thank you all for your understanding of this.

Back to digitizing.

C'est tout, mes amis!

Cajun Corner Vol. 2, No. 39

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 39 – October 8, 2010


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

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com, catalog at www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.

The Arts & Wine Festival was a huge success and is now only a memory – until next year.

One of the nice things about preparing for this festival is that after the festival we have the leftovers as stock items that you can purchase from us. It gives us an inventory of things you can purchase off the shelf.

Yesterday, a friend, who is also one of our best customers, spent the afternoon with us. It was a delightful afternoon. We began by having lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. Then we came to the house where we leisurely discussed some projects she had in mind. We looked at patterns, fabric, designs, etc., until she was satisfied with every aspect of the project. After we had the main project on paper, we discussed upcoming events requiring gifts. During this phase, we reviewed photographs of previous project and brought out some of our current project for her to see. Once those projects and orders were on paper, we brought out our inventory for her to view. All the while she was able to sit at our kitchen table with a glass of tea and take it all in. I had a wonderful time. Better than that, she sent me an email saying, “You need to know that I am not the shopper some of the girls are. I do not mind shopping if I have someone and something in mind, but to just browse makes me crazy. So ‘shopping’ at Cajun Stitchery is a dream come true for me! Now, to just figure out what to get for whom...... It was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon Peggy.”

This personal service is available for anyone. You just need to make an appointment and we will set aside a convenient afternoon to take care of all of your embroidery needs. Tea, coffee, wine, or whatever the drink of your choice will be provided, as long as you let us know your choice beforehand. Take a leisurely stroll through our yard, if you like. George and I are always happy to show off our gardens. We can go to one of the local restaurants for lunch or provide lunch at the house. Please understand that Cajun Stitchery is located in our home and the dogs and cats will be here. There is also no reason that we couldn’t do this with a group of 2 or 3 people. Of course, in that situation, you would not get the undivided attention that you would get by yourself.

Have you voted yet? George and I like to vote early to avoid the rush. We were all ready to vote this morning when, luckily, George checked on the computer and we can’t vote early for another week or two. I don’t know why I thought early voting began this week. Whether you vote early, mail in your vote, or vote on Election Day, make sure you do vote. This is a privilege provide to us through a long history of a remarkable country.

Do you celebrate Halloween? This is a question that I’ve posed on various venues on the internet this morning. Some people definitely celebrate Halloween and wouldn’t miss it. Others definitely do not celebrate Halloween for various reasons. Some don’t celebrate because of the lack of trick or treaters in their neighborhoods but would if there were children in the area. So, I ask: Do you celebrate Halloween? Do you go all out with decorations and costumes? Do you just hand out candy? Tell me why and how you do or do not celebrate Halloween.

This week we made Halloween napkins and a table runner, since I’m trying to get my table decorated for each holiday. The cloth napkins are easy. The size of a dinner napkins is 20” square, lunch napkin is about 15” square, and a cocktail napkin is 10” square. All are made the same way, just different sizes. Cut your cloth in the appropriate size and cut as many squares as you would like napkins. Then hem around all 4 sides. I like to use my serger to do this but most any kind of hem is fine. I like to use nice broadcloth for my napkins. Once the sizing is washed out of them, they are very soft. However, I’ve seen napkins made of organza, satin, or any kind of fabric you like. Then embellish. A pretty print fabric, hemmed, makes a lovely napkin by itself. You can add lace, or trim for an extra touch. Please don’t use glitter. That would make wiping your mouth a bit difficult, albeit colorful. Beading, actually, would be acceptable as long as it is kept to a minimum to allow the napkin to be functional. Of course, I embroider mine. The photographs of our Halloween napkins and runner are now in our Picasa Gallery, along with all of our photographs. Just go to www.cajunstitchery.com and click on “Gallery”.

The weather this week has been gorgeous. We’ve had our windows open and air conditioner off all week. One day did get a bit brisk and we closed the windows and put on my fuzzy socks. The garden loves the weather and I’m so glad the fall garden is now planted. We are still picking bell peppers and some hot peppers are almost ready to harvest. The 20 days came and went and the radishes are not ready to harvest yet. Does anyone know what we can do with radishes other than put them in salads or eat them by themselves? Is there any way to cook with them?

Christmas is coming and customers are starting to do their Christmas shopping at Cajun Stitchery. Get this out of the way as soon as you can. For all who have businesses out there, remember that we also sell gift baskets.

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 Thibodaux was at the Fourchon Beach one day and all the girls were around Boudreaux. "How you do it?", asked Thibodaux. "Well", said Boudreaux, "You go to Walmart and buy you one of them bikini bathing suits. Then go to Delchamps and buy you one of them Idaho potatoes." The next day Thibodaux went and buy the bathing suit and potato, put it on and went to the beach. "Oooh, all the girls are gonna love me.", thought Thibodaux. He walked down the beach and all the girls were laughing and laughing. When he got to the end of the beach, he met up with Boudreaux. "What happened?", Thibodaux asked, "I bought me the bathing suit and Idaho potato just like you said and all the girls are laughing at me." "Thibodaux", said Boudreaux, "You're supposed to put the potato in the front of your bathing suit not the back!"

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French phrase of the week: Quelle qualité de crème tu veux? (What kind of ice cream to do you want?)

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The following were provided to us in an email received this week from Christy:

To pay tribute to the popular beverage widely celebrated during the festival of Oktoberfest (or should we say OktoBEERfest), let’s take a look at other wacky uses you can use beer for - other than chugging it down and making huge beer bellies with it.

1. Hair volumizer – Dousing your locks with some beer will actually give more bounce and volume to it. Although we know that beer is loaded with calories, it also has some nutritional value to it, such as potassium, niacin, some natural sugars and also a little bit of protein. Beer is also great for dyed hair, prolonging the color and boosting the shine factor of your crowning glory. Warm up some beer, soak your hair into it and finish off with a cold water rinse to lock in the shine and bounce. For a healthier head of hair, you can mix some raw egg to the beer.

2. Insect Bait – You might not know it, but certain insects and garden creatures like butterflies, bees, flies and slugs are attracted to beer. You can use beer to attract butterflies or to lure bees and garden slugs away.

Sprinkling small amounts of beer on the trees and flowers will attract butterflies and will make for an awesome garden attraction for your guests.

The next time you have a barbecue party with the neighbors, put several dishes containing beer just outside your backyard. This will attract bees and flies towards that area and keep your party buzz-free.

For those who want their garden a no-slug zone, you can half-bury a shallow container of beer just outside your garden. Slugs and snails will waste no time going for that dish, lapping up some beer and eventually drowning. This might sound a little mean, but at least your garden stays pest-free. Plus, you can make some fertilizer with the dead slugs and snails.

3. Skin softener – Want to show off some healthy and soft skin? Then head off to the tub and soak in some beer. Darker beer works better for a beer bath as compared to the pale variety. You might have to shell out some money for a six-pack, but it might just be worth it once you come out of the tub with über-soft skin. Just don’t go outdoors right after or you might be the bees’ center of attraction.

4. Metal polisher – Beer’s acidity is subtle enough to make for an excellent metal polisher without tainting or staining the metal in any way. Moisten a cloth with beer and rub it on your metal décor until it shines. Now you can once again hang your copper pots and pans to make your kitchen look more elegant.

5. Stain remover – Once in a while, you get to have those clumsy guests who spill their drinks on your carpet. Beer can be handy for situations like this. Spot-test a small area first to see if the beer can do its magic, then pour the beer little by little on the stain and blot the carpet with a cloth until the stain comes out.

6. Fertilizer – Not everyone is born with a green thumb, but you sure can fake having one with a little help of beer. Beer is actually a good fertilizer because it contains some calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and folate, among other natural ingredients. Pour out some beer for your flowers or you can dilute it with some water. Your plants will show their appreciation by looking healthier and greener.

So the next time you have a party and there are dozens of half-empty beer cans and bottles around, don’t just throw them out. Recycle the bottles and cans and use the left-over beer in these unusual but effective ways. You can even build your own beer bottle house, just like Tito Ingenieri did. Cheers!

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 catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Thursday, October 14, 2010)

SALE: Napkins + embroidered name or initials = set of 4 for $20.00

Purchase matching tablecloth or runner for a beautiful holiday table setting. We can provide tablecloths, napkins, chargers, napkin rings, overlays, runners, chair covers, or chair sashes. Make your holiday table a beautiful setting.

Our Royal Crest Napkins & Tablecloths are comprised of Spun Polyester. These linens will give your events the ultimate experience. They are available in a wide array of colors and sizes. Our linens are ideal for the hospitality, food service, and institutional industries. These durable linens are easy to care for and do not require ironing.

***THE EDGES ON OUR ROYAL CREST PRODUCTS ARE HEMMED***

These Restaurant Linens Can Usually Ship Within 1-2 Business Days From The Date Of Your Order

Cajun Stitchery has several colors of these napkins in stock presently.