Hobby Lobby!

About a year ago I heard about Hobby Lobby on a TV show dedicated to highlighting quality companies.  Not only is Hobby Lobby a large craft/hobby chain store, as I learned they are also a value based company. The Christian founders of the company still close stores on Sunday and have a large array of religious items in stock.  While not all of my readers may agree with their Christian values, I find something admirable in the fact that they keep their beliefs as a core part of their business.  As a crafter who gets many requests for unique religious gifts and decor I also appreciated the religious items that can be hard to find when crafting.  

Anyway, after hearing about Hobby Lobby on TV I asked my craft buddy from work if she had ever been to a Hobby Lobby.  While we have Michael's and AC Moore in NYC we unfortunately do not have a nearby Hobby Lobby.  I kept saying I would make my way to a Hobby Lobby eventually but it wasn't until this past weekend that I finally got to explore.  There was one not far from the route I was driving and the ten minute detour was well worth it.

As soon as I walked in I was greeted by this beautiful fall foliage tree.  While I am enjoying every last minute of summer, I also love the fall season so it was nice to see this decorative touch.  It may not be important to everyone whether their craft store decorates, but to me it is more than just looks.  Sure a pretty store can lift my mood, but it also shows that the owners/ staff of that store have an appreciation for creativity.  Like the crafters who frequent their stores they can take parts and envision a greater whole.  It is a connection to the store and materials I just don't feel looking down an aisle of bins and racks.

The effort put into Hobby Lobby was evident in more ways than one.   I was immediately struck by the size and neat layout of the store.  While I do enjoy exploring through chaotic craft stores, it is nice to walk into a store sometimes and to know exactly where to find what you are looking for.  Even the clearance section was organized and   When everything is neatly displayed you will be surprised what new things you may come across.  I don't know about you, but my mind is always looking for new ways to create and it can be the least expected thing that will trigger a new project idea.

Along with the aisles upon aisles of crafts there is also a large selection of home decor items.  Creativity can be expressed in so many ways and this is one of the few stores that give you the tools to turn your home into a work of art.  Neatly organized are decor items for firefighters, cowboys, police officers, car lovers, and musicians just to name a few.  I had one of my best guy friends with me and he HATES craft stores.  I usually have to beg him to stop in with me when we are hanging out and pass a craft store.  Since I was driving this time he had no choice but to come along.  I was sure that I would hear complaints about stopping the rest of the drive but boy was I wrong.  While he still was not amused by the typical craft store items he was like a kid in a candy store when it came to all the unique decor sections.  He even asked as we were leaving if Id let him know the next time I was heading to a Hobby Lobby!

Overall I have to say Hobby Lobby met my expectations and surpassed them.  My little detour turned into just the fun I needed on a rainy summer day.  I will definitely be heading back in the near future.  I'm thinking a pre-Halloween trip will be a necessity after seeing their adorable Halloween displays.  Halloween happens to be my second favorite holiday, running a close second to Christmas, and Hobby Lobby has plenty of unique items for both.

         

If you have a Hobby Lobby in your area (or are willing to go a little out of your way for a good craft store) dont forget to download their SmartPhone App.  The app provides coupons and the more you save the more crafts you can get! So whats your favorite part of Hobby Lobby, or is there another craft store you think out shines the others?

Marshall's Farm Market

This past weekend I had the pleasure of selling some of my crafts at a yard sale in East Stroudsburg, PA.  Even though it was incredibly hot, the time flew by and I met some very interesting people.  I had so much fun at the PA sale that I can't wait for my next one in the Catskills this weekend.  Anyway, after a long weekend my family and I began our trip back from PA to NYC.  The traffic on I-80 was bumper to bumper so we decided to take Route 46.  It has been years since we have taken this back route home and we were pleasantly surprised when we came across Marshall's Farm Market.  

There is something special about out fashion farm markets and stands, a magic that is lost in the big city.  We pulled over at first to take a look at some of the beautiful wood yard decorations and furniture but once we saw the wide selection of fresh produce, we had to explore further.  The fresh harvest colors welcome guests to the farm stand.  Everything was ripe and it is clear that these farmers know their produce.  While the outside is  quaint the smell of just picked fruits, vegetables, and herb mixed with the homemade pies and baked goods draw you into the traditional market.

Inside the market, customers are taken back to a time when homemade, made by hand was valued.  The wood floors, shelves and barrels at a cozy feel.  It is easy to forget that you are so close to a modern interstate filled with trucks delivering mass produced goods.  If even for just a moment it is nice to feel a connection with your roots.  I loved the large selection of canned goods dips, jams, jellies, vegetables etc.  Not only was there a nice selection but there was a table filled with free samples, encouraging guests to be a little adventurous.

While exploring the store I came across a few shelves filled with items from the Irondale "Whistle Stop" Cafe.  For those of you that are unfamiliar, this cafe inspired a book which later was translated in the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes."  This movie about friendship and the families we make has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager.  I thrilled to see that I could now take home the Whistle Stop's famous fried green tomato recipe and taste the signature dish.  I grabbed a box right away and headed back out for tomatoes (buying green tomatoes from my local supermarket just wasn't going to cut it if I wanted that true country taste).  My family had never had green tomatoes before and we had no idea how to pick them.  After debating back and forth for a while one of the employees explained to us what we were looking for a why.  (For those who are as clueless as I was: firm with an even green color- no spotting of white or pink because this means they are beginning to ripe and the colors represent growing sugars in the tomatoes.  Green tomatoes are not suppose to be sweet).

In case you bought as much as we did and needed some help carrying all of our farm market treats home there is a lovely room to the side filled with baskets of all shapes and sizes.  Along with the baskets is a selection of some other country favorites (soaps etc).  And don't forget before you leave to wave goodbye to the adorable puppy that "guards" the back door.  While I was not happy about the traffic on I-80 and the resulting added time to my travel time home, I am happy that I found this family owned farm market.  If you are ever in the area, stop by and get yourself a taste of the country. And yes, we made the fried green tomatoes last night and they were perfect, every bit as delicious as the book/movie says they are :)

For more information about the Marshall's Farm Market visit their website at:

http://marshallsfarmmarket.com/

A Single Thread: Book Review

I think I have made it pretty clear that I have a passion for crafts.  I am also a reading/writing addict. I have always found a connection between the creativity required for crafting object with your hands and the creativity required for crafting a story with your mind.  It is because of this connection that I cant help but to be drawn to reading books that bring these two creative worlds together.  When A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick popped up on my recommended books list I just had to read it.  

A Single Thread takes place in a lovable old fashioned New England town.  The reader is given a pass into this tight knit community and asked to come along for the emotional ups and downs of four special women.  The main character, Evelyn Dixon, finds that the cure for her heart ache may be to finally follow her dream of opening a quilt shop.  Her first big event at Cobbled Court Quilting, a Breast Cancer Awareness Quilting Day, establishes a connection with three strangers, soon turned family. It is through tragedy and challenge that these women learn together to grow and conquer.    

While A Single Thread is set in a quaint town, has a cast of likable characters, and a plot that will have you routing for these incredible women, it is so much more.  Bostwick was able to put into words so much of what I love about crafting.  She highlighted the tradition, the sense of community, and the love and care that is behind every handmade treasure.  It is a great read for anyone interested in reading about how friendship, love, and community help us through the obstacles in life (not to forget the quilting aspect which makes it a great read for my crafty side).  Oh and did I mention the best part?  This is just the first book in a series so we have the chance to follow the characters we have grown to love through a few more books.  I cant wait to get book two.

Aside from being an inspiring read A Simple Thread has renewed a dream of mine from many years ago.  As a little girl I received a Furby as a birthday gift and I absolutely treasured it.  I treated the adorable electric toy as if it was a real pet.  Of course every pet needs a bed of its own, right?  Well my nine year old self was determined to create the best bed ever for my Furby.  While some of my friend's parents had purchased doll beds etc for their Furby counterparts, we were going through a bit of a rough patch and ordering a doll bed was out of the question.  My grandmother had the perfect solution for our dilemma; Furby could sleep in her box and we would make her a pillow and quilt to keep her warm.  

We went through the closet and found a few pieces of clothing my baby sister had outgrown.  Carefully we cut the material for the pillow and my grandmother began to teach me to sew the seam by hand.  We even make a ruffle to make the pillow look more like a decorative sham.  Next we cut a bunch of little squares and she showed me how to join them together in a pretty quilt.  We used the scraps from cutting our squares to stuff the pillow and a larger piece of a shirt to make a back for the quilt.  

When we were all done with Furby's set I knew it was better than any of my friend's Furby bedrooms.  I might not have had a canopy or a bed with drawers but I had something better.  I was able to reuse something, and with my own two hands (and a lot of help from Grandma's) make a quilt that was all my own.  Even the mistakes were special because I was able to see how far I'd come and how much I learned about sewing by hand.  Sixteen years later though the reason I remember that quilt was not because of the Furby, but instead because of the time Grandma and I spent together working on it.  That little Furby quilt was not very big but it was special and I dreamed of  one day making a quilt of my own.  One that would represent little pieces of important moments in my life and one big enough to wrap myself in.  I know now that hand stitching a full sized quilt is no where near as easy as Furby's so I forgot about my dream for a long time.  This book has reminded me of how special the quilting experience can be and I am once again determined to make a hand stitched quilt.  It might take me a while with the holiday season (AKA crafting crazy season) so close but look forward to some quilting experimentation in the near future :)

Crafting Away- More Cross Stitch Tips

I am still working on the footprints cross stitch.  Thankfully I am stabbing myself less, undoing tangles and knots less, and accomplishing more (with fewer mistakes)... I guess I am learning by trial and error.  While it doesn't seem like I have accomplished all that much I am happy to report I have completed five colors on the pattern so far.  I have been busy with some craft orders as well so the progress hasn't been as fast as I would like.  I love that the little blue Xs are becoming a beautiful nature scene and I can't wait to see the finished piece.  In addition to the cross stitch tips and tricks I recently posted, I've also learned:

• As you stitch the thread becomes twisted.  Stopping every once and a while to let the thread and needle hang will help prevent tangles and knots.  The weight of the needle will allow the hanging thread to unwind making it less likely the thread will cause you trouble.  
• While some crafters I spoke with disagree, I find it easiest to work with one thread color at a time.  While more experienced cross stitchers may prefer to have multiple threads going at once, I find it easier to follow a pattern and keep the cross stitch neat by working one color start to finish before beginning the next color.
•  The patterns for cross stitch can be hard to follow.  There are a lot of tiny symbols each representing a color and stitch and many of them can look a like.  One way to keep track of what you have done and what remains is to highlight the stitches that are complete.  



Bobbins

• A system to keep track of your threads is very important.  Who knew there were so many thread options?  It may seem easy to remember which thread is which now but your best bet it so start a storage system.  I have seen some people just wrap the thread in the wrapper and staple it so it stays snug. While this might work well for larger amounts of thread, small scraps that may come in handy later need a better system.  I found a pack of cheap pieces of cardboard (also come in plastic) called bobbins.  These little helpers keep threads organized, tangle free, and you can write on them to easily identify a thread number.  These bobbins can then be stored loosely in a bag, on a ring, or they even sell special cases fits just for this purpose. 

Cross Stitch Tips: Beginner Lessons Learned

In my last post I wrote about my latest project, a very special special cross stitch project.  This is the first time I have experimented with cross stitch.  A few pin pricks and mistakes later I have learned a few things that would make cross stitch easier for a beginner.

• There are two main forms of cross stitch, the first is stamped cross stitch.  This is the type of project i am currently working on.  It is much easier for beginners as there is a print on the canvas to guide your stitches.  The other form counted cross stitch gives you more deign freedom but takes more skill.
• Separate the thread (typically comprised of 6 strands).  Depending on the tightness of the canvas weave you should divide the wider thread and make either 2 or 3 strand sets.  Straighten and unwind the threads before using.  If you leave them even slightly curly/kinky it is more likely a tangle will form when working.
• Buy a needle threader!  I can not emphasize this enough.  I try my best to conserve my resources when crafting so I tend to avoid some of the "make it easier" accessories.  On more than one occasion I have passed over a needle threader in craft stores.  Why spend even a few dollars on something I can do without. right? WRONG! It is easy to loose your sanity trying to thread a needle with the multiple strands cross stitch thread.  There was a needle threader in the bag with Donna's cross stitch and I never want to work without one again.
•  If a tangle begins to form, do not pull the thread taunt.  Use the needle to separate the threads and determine how to undo the tangle without pulling it into a knot. One way to limit tangles is to cut your thread to a reasonable length.  I have found that it is much easier to work with thread pieces 1 8inches or less.
• Use a hoop (also referred to as a fabric stretcher).  While some experienced cross stitchers can create a masterpiece without placing it in a loop, I think it is an important tool.  These loops are designed to pull the fabric taunt and allow for even well placed stitches.  Be careful not to pull the fabric so taunt that it tears or damages the threads, but it should be tight enough to bounce a penny on.
• When you are done working for the day remove the loop.  Leaving the work in the loop for too long can damage the stitches, fabric, and even warp the loops themselves.
• Make sure you can see... this seems like common sense but one of the first obstacles I came up against was poor lighting.  The patterns may seem easy to follow at first but as your eyes get tired low light can easily lead to a mistake.  Some people also find it helpful to purchase a lighted magnifying accessory in order to aid in completing these tiny stitches and patterns. 
• Our final tip was brought to us by our reader Bobbie: "Make sure all of your Xs are going in the same direction. That the top stitch is always tilted in the same direction. This is what makes a huge difference in the end result of your piece." (Thanks Bobbie for the advice).

I hope to share some more insight as I learn this new craft.  Please feel free to share any other tips and tricks you find helpful while cross stitching.  Here is a picture of my progress so far... I'm excited all those little blue Xs are starting to come to life.

A Cherished Cross-stitch

I would first like to start by apologizing for not posting recently.  A lot has been going on in my personal life, good and bad, some of which I will update you on in future posts. One of the more difficult parts of the past few weeks has been the loss of three incredible women.  Each taught me something about life: to live every day as its your last, to find pleasures in the small things, and to believe in yourself and your dreams no matter how bad the situation may seem.  


Dealing with these loses has not been easy, but as always I have found comfort in crafts.  Working with my hands and that simple piece of string gives me the chance to be alone with my thoughts and feelings.  While looking for a new project to fulfill this need I was asked to take on a very meaningful craft. 


One of the women I lost, Donna, was incredibly supportive of my crafts.  When I doubted anyone would want something I made, she helped give me the courage and confidence to pursue my passion.  This is what Donna did best, she saw the good in each person and nurtured it.  Donna's last few years were troubled with health problems but she put her own challenges aside to better the life of others.  In the days after she passed I was struck by how a woman, who could often times not even leave her bed, was able to reach out and touch so many lives in such a unforgettable way.  It was clear the Donna's faith in God was the driving force behind her strength, compassion, and understanding. She shared this faith with her family in a special way, especially with her nieces and nephews.  


For all these reasons and more, when her family asked me to complete a project Donna had started I couldn't say no.  Donna had begun a Footprints in the Sand cross-stitch.  For those of you who don't know Footprints in the Sand is a beautiful prayer showing how God is always by our side, especially during tough times.  Donna believed in the words of the prayer and was working on the cross-stitch for her nephew.

While I have worked on many crafts in my life I have never attempted a cross-stitch.  Despite my lack of experience the meaning behind this project has me ready to give cross-stitch my best shot.  I guess Donna is still pushing me to tap into my creative potential.  Donna started the tree tops and I have started to complete her unfinished work.  Wish me luck as I stitch this cherished craft.  

Veslo: Croatian Restaurant Review

When I started this blog I decided that I was going to focus on crafts, family, and my life in New York City. I know I have been lacking a bit on the New York City part, seeing as how I've enjoyed my country getaways quite a bit lately.  It is about time that I start sharing a little piece of my amazing city.  New York is known for so many different things and one of the most important things to me is diversity.  Cultures from around the world are all living together.  While New York is often referred to as a melting pot, I can not agree with this reference.  Yes people from around the world are all here in one place but they are not melded together.  Instead they find a way to hold onto their culture and traditions while sharing in the cultures and traditions of those around them.  I like to think on New York as a mosaic.  Each tile is beautiful in its own right, but when put together they form something even more special.

One of my favorite ways to get to know another culture is through their food.  (Yes, I know this may just be my Italian family food=love philosophy shining through, but I think there is more to it than that)  The food a culture serves can teach you about their location, their industry, and their traditions.  Living in Queens, the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world, I have been blessed with easy access to so many amazing cultures.  Recently, I had the chance to eat at a Croatian Restaurant in Queens.  If any of my readers are anything like I was you may be asking what is Croatian? Until a few years ago when I became good friends with a Croatian I didn't even know a country called Croatia existed. The geographic area has been under the control of other countries and cultures for a long time.  It is not until recently that Croatia has begun to show the world all that it has to offer.  And as I recently discovered, I was missing out on Croatian food!

Veslo is a little Croatian restaurant in Astoria Queens.  The second I walked in the door I was taken by the decor.  There is a modern bar in the front (with plenty of TVs to show the soccer games on), yet the rest of the restaurant speaks to rustic Croatian culture.  The world Veslo means ore in Croatian.  This is a fitting tribute to a culture strongly based on their relation with the sea.  The ceiling of the back dining room is lined with ores brought from Croatia.  The wooden tables, shelves lined with actual Croatian tributes to the past, and back patio all make it easy to imagine you are sitting in a foreign land away from the modern New York hustle and bustle.

The menu has a wide array of options, sure to please even the fussiest eater.  For a quick bite to eat you can sit at the bar and order classics like fish and chip, mini pizzas, and chicken wings, or you can be a little more experimental and Ćevapčići (a personal Croatian favorite) or truffle fries.  If you are looking for a sit down meal with friends there is an extensive lunch and dinner menu.  There is a large selection of seafood (once again referencing the nautical presence in Croatian culture) as well as many other meat, poultry, and pasta options.

Thanks to my friends sharing a little from their plates I was able to try a number of things from their menu.  While everything was good there were a few things that stuck out as a must try for any new comer.  Growing up in an Italian family pasta fagioli soup has always been one of my favorites.  Croatian food in many ways mirrors Italian cuisine (Croatia is in close proximity and was at one point under the Roman Empire).  Though pasta fagioli soup is often thought of as an Italian dish this restaurant served it with the tasty Croatian addition of barley along with the pasta (I was told Croatian's peasant roots mean nothing is wasted so it is not uncommon to find a wide array of ingredients in Croatia dishes).  Along with the soup, the stuffed cabbage was the best I have ever tried ( and I am not a big cabbage fan).  And for those of you who are fans of Goulask (also a peasant dish) you must try Veslo's.  It comes over homemade gnocchi and it is out of this world.  We were lucky enough to met the woman who was making each and every piece by hand, adding to the authentic feel of the meal.  My phone died so unfortunately I do not have pictures of the food, but I hope you enjoy the pictures of the decor.

I had a great time at Veslo, enjoying the decor, the staff, the food, and the company.  I would recommend if you ever find yourself in Astoria, Queens that you stop in (32-11 Broadway Astoria, NY 11106) and enjoy a taste of Croatia.