Valentine's Embroidery

Happy February! I almost feel guilty that we are having such beautiful weather when the east and midwest is covered in snow and the west in drought. Here in the Pacific Northwest we are having beautiful sunshine mixed with days of temperate rain and the flowers are starting to blossom. Everything seems to be a month ahead of itself. While basking in the sunshine, we saw a couple of honey bees on our English Heather yesterday!

English Heather blooms all winter and spring

February is one of  our favorite months. It's the month of love. And, what's not to love? 

Our first daffodils bloom in February

The daffodils, heather, snowdrops, hyacinths and primroses are in bloom. And let's not forget Valentines Day filled with loving sentiment and chocolate hearts.

Updated conversation hearts...notice the "e-mail me" valentine?

We're making cupcakes with conversational hearts for a special luncheon we've been invited to.

I embroidered this tea towel while on a long plane ride for a recent business trip to Atlanta. I may decide to make it into a cute pillow for my reading chair in the studio, though. It was an easy pattern to embroider...here is the pattern if you want to make one! Just click on the picture, enlarge as much as you want, print and then trace onto your fabric.

It's another sunny day and I must get out to prune the pink dogwood before the robins nest in it. I hope that, wherever you may live, your February will be just as bright, colorful and filled with love as it is here in our little corner of the world.

A Wonderful Holiday

Christmas this year was extra special. Glen came home from surgery just in time for us to enjoy a good, old fashioned Christmas with all the trimmings. My only complaint is that I'll have a couple more pounds to lose from all of the good food.

Right on cue, snows are forecast to arrive the first week of 2015 along with a big arctic chill. Glen's already stacked plenty of firewood and we've made our errands to gather goodies to help celebrate New Years.

And this is the result of one errand! Ingredients for a real New York cheesecake which Glen made for us. It was his first try at making a true cheesecake.

A topping of our cherries picked last summer was added. It was creamy, not too sweet and oh so decadent. As an amateur cheesecake connoisseur, I have to admit this is one of the best I've had. I can't believe my husband made this...am I lucky, or what? Actually, blessed is the word. 

A little bubbly to toast the new year, which we expect to be filled with many wonderful things.

I finished a new holiday art collection just before 2014 ended, and within one day of the submittal it looks like it may already have a major home decor license! Now I have a clean calendar and canvas to paint more new collections right after I get home from the large home and gift show in Atlanta this next week. I'm excited to get inspired and meet with so many licensees I've worked with over the years. I'll hopefully have many pictures to share about the Atlanta show...next blog!

For now, I hope that you are also enjoying having a clean canvas in front of you to make 2015 a year that can fill your life and those you love with joy.