Marshmallows, Mermaids and Moonlight

 

{When your cappuccino matches your mug....}

 

I took a quick trip up to the lake over the holiday weekend to sort a few things and soak in a few last rays of the summer sun.

The weather was distractingly amazing.

{Heron on the sandbar} 

Unfortunately, I know I cannot store enough of that energy for the winter ahead.

We have already had frost and there are frost warnings in effect for tonight again.

Back home, I am trying to "sort a few things" as well, but with little-to-no success.  

Many of you, I know, are "sorting" in your own ways - downsizing, purging, minimalizing - as I well should be.

The "need" becomes more apparent with each day that passes, and, at times, the motivation increases as well, but I'm not quite there yet.

If you hadn't figured it out by now, things come slowly to me.

And, most often, I do what I should not do and put myself more than a few steps back.

I have too many collections and I have mostly done well at not adding to them. But every now and again I give in to a weakness.

I can't tell you when I last added to my marshmallow tin collection - other than last week when I added this one.

Nope...I don't like marshmallows particularly - but I do love these old funky tins.

This one will likely end up in the back row - once I wrangle the ladder inside.

(You're right - one probably won't see it back there - but I'm about the only "one" who even knows there's a collection of marshmallow tins up there.)

But back to sorting!

For me that involves tying up loose ends and taking care of things that have lingered about too long.

Like my mermaids. 

I stitched these many years ago - when we first purchased the lake house I believe. (There's not a reason I can conceive of why I would choose to stitch mermaids if I did not have a home near water. And, no - that was NOT the reason we purchased the lake house.)

Anyway - they are finally framed.

First up - The Mermaid of Salem Bay (pattern by The Primitive Hare).

This is stitched on 30 ct "Pirate Linen" also by The Primitive Hare (2 over 2 with a gazillion quarter/half/three-quarter stitches and backstitching and beading). 

I had a meltdown when I ran out of the overdyed floss called "Mountain Mist" and could find none remotely close to what I had started her with as the dye lots had changed dramatically.

Marly (Samplers and Santas) came through with many skeins of not only Mountain Mist, but other colors she thought would work.

She was right.

Marly is always right when it comes to color.

I'm not typically a bead person, but the beads made this design.

And what's better than 1 mermaid?

Two, of course.

This is, obviously, another Primitive Hare design.

This one is called Oceanarium and is stitched two over two on 30 ct. "Ancient Stones" linen, also by The Primitive Hare.

Again, lots of quirky stitches, backstitching and beading.

I should have done a video so you could see how the beads twinkle - but I didn't.

If these make it to being hung on a wall, it will be at the lake house.

They don't quite "fit" here in Nod.

And, lastly, moonlight.

Last night was a full "blood" moon - and a total lunar eclipse no less.

While the eclipse wasn't visible to us here in the states, the moon still put on a spectacular show.

 

...and now back to sorting.

😒

When It Rains, It Pours.....

 Ain't that the truth??

But that kind of rain is not what I'm talking about.  I'm actually not even talking about any kind of rain.  I'm talking about salt.  Specifically, "Morton's Salt."

(Yes, I'm bored now that Spooking Season is over.  😞)

Many, many blog seasons ago, I started a series of posts about my collections. 

I forget where exactly I left off, but I know I never finished...because I have many collections.  My philosophy:  If one of something is good, MANY more of them would be better.  But I know I never did "this" collection, because it isn't much of a collection...and it was one of my later-acquired habits.  So here we go:  Collections - Part ????

Anyways...who doesn't know the Morton Salt Girl??? The iconic little girl with the big umbrella holding a package of trailing salt.  But, (here comes your history lesson LOL), she isn't as popular as I thought she would be amongst collectors.

Morton Salt traces its roots back to 1848 (I won't bore you with those details) but "back in the day," people had to deal with salt that clumped together in damp or humid weather.  In 1911, Morton's came up with a genius solution:  Add an anti-caking agent to the salt.... i.e., magnesium carbonate.  (Now most salt has calcium silicate added instead).  The result:  free flowing salt, and the dawn of a new era for cooks and diners alike. The company soon adopted the slogan "When it rains, it pours."

The iconic little girl was not actually added as the company "mascot" until 1914.

{Back}

There have been seven versions of the Morton Salt Girl since her debut.  The 8-year old (bet you didn't know her age, did ya???) has had curly hair, then straight, then curly again.  She's had pigtails and a bob, and been a blonde as well as a brunette.  Her yellow dress, however, wasn't added until 1941.

No, I don't have all 7 versions, but I do have popcorn salt....does that count???

Oh....and some tenderizer....

Boring I know...but the non-boring stuff in my world these days are things I rather not breathe more life into by putting into words.  And, yes...I am still putting away Halloween.

As for stitching, I want to thank everyone who ventured an opinion on my flower floss.  Whether you're a stitcher or not, each and every input was appreciated and considered.

I felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears....I kept trying floss, and one would be too dark, one too orange, one too red....but then, I think I found one that was just right (at least I think so).

In the top vine the lightest flower floss (on the right) is the original called-for DMC 436.  To the left of it is one I really liked (DMC 310) but, after studying it a bit, decided it was a bit too "shocking" for the muted, "moody" (thank you Marly...that's the perfect descriptive) colors of the rest of the piece.

So, I ended up with DMC 435 (that's what is on the bottom vine flowers).  Thank you Color Queen for your patience with me in my venture into this unknown and new color-changing world.

As for hooking....There's nothing to discuss.  Sorry Mummy Dearest.

There's so much ugliness in the world right now, I will leave you with this photo of my neglected little plant in my laundry window.  I went to the lake for an extended "unplugging" and came home to these beautiful blooms.

Always remember, there are unexpected and undeserved miracles in this world. I believe in them, but not in coincidences.