The beauty of flower gardening

We have several flower gardens around our house. Most of these I started by dumping several inches, you need at least 6, of sawdust right on the grass. The sawdust kills the grass and you can plant right in it. It acts like mulch and keeps the weeds down. You want to look for older sawdust that is not too acidic. Lime can also be mixed in with the sawdust to balance out the acidity. This is very economical too. We live near a sawmill. They have a huge mound of sawdust that available for the taking. The owners can even point you in the direction of the most mature pile. Over the years, we have collected field stone from local farmers to add a border to the flower beds. This bed caught my eye when working outside this weekend. Right now it's full of pinks and purples with the promise of peonies in a week or two. In a month or so this garden will take on a new look with a lot of yellow blooms!

I love God's creation! It is so awesome that He made flowers bloom in so many different shades of color! This rose bush below gives off the best fragrance!! I am not a perfume girl, but I love the scent of my rosebushes!



I enjoy using flowers and vines in my stitching. Several of our primitive samplers have flowers in their design. This 9x12 sampler references a verse in 1 Chronicles that talks about the whole earth singing praises to the Lord and declaring his glory.



The primitive stitchery below talks about fearing God and loving Him with our whole hearts. It is surrounded with vines and flowers.



This is a great time of year to get outside and enjoy some flowers. The old saying "take time to stop and smell the roses" is actually some very good advice. Happy spring!!

Mother and Daughter banquets

I was given the opportunity to speak at two Mother and Daughter banquets this week. Thought you might enjoy seeing a couple pictures of the display tables. I so enjoyed seeing familiar faces and getting to know some new ladies. I was asked to share about my business, Hearthside Collection. It was very fun to show the ladies my passion for creating things.

One of the goals of my life is to bring honor to the Lord by the things I say and do. The primitive samplers I make, are one way that I can share some of my favorite passages of scripture or inspirational sayings with others.

I truly count it a priviledge to own and operate Hearthside Collection. It is a very rewarding job! The past 1 1/2 years have been such a blessing and I love meeting new people from all over the world!

Mom and I at Santa Anna Church in Argos.

Me at Maple Grove Church in New Paris.

Country Sampler magazine is featuring our primitive samplers and americana pillow!

We are so excited to announce that Hearthside Collection has some of our products featured in the June/July issue of Country Sampler magazine. My copy just arrived today! I can't wait to devour the whole thing!

The magazine showcases our personalized wedding samplers, stick family samplers and our new primitive americana pillow. These samplers have been some of our most popular items and we are thrilled to see them in this issue! We have several primitive wedding samplers to choose from. If you have a wedding coming up this summer, check out our personalized gifts. I would love to make for the special couple in your life. Just last Sunday, I attended a bridal shower for my future daughter-in-law. I had stitched a wedding sampler for her and she was very touched. It was a hit at the party.

The primitive stick family samplers are a hit anytime! These make great gifts and are a unique family portrait to treasure for years to come. These can be made to fit any size family. We offer larger ones for all of the grandkids too.

All of our primitive country samplers come in a black distressed frame and ready for hanging in your favorite spot. Let me know if I can customize a sampler for you!

Primitive Child decor!

One of my customers recently asked me to make a sampler for each of her sons with their name and date of birth. We have added this Primitive Child Sampler to our line of products. These would be great for in a child's room or you could display it in wall grouping of pictures of your kids or grand kids.

As I was making samplers for her boys, I had one of my creative explosion moments! I get theses every now and then. Fortunately, they usually come at a time when I can drop everything else and use all of my energies on my new idea. I have been wanting to find a way to use old books. I made one of these Primitive Child Book Stitcheries with my youngest daughters name and date of birth. I can't wait to make one for all 4 of our kids! I think they would look great displayed on a shelf or in an old cupboard.



Family is so important! Hopefully these new "Primitive Child" items can be a way for you to spruce up your primitive country decor and let your family know how important they are in the process.

Primitive Americana Pillow

Today, I wanted to show you one of our new creations here at Hearthside Collection! It is about 8x10 inches and "Land of the free because of the brave" is stitched in black with a star, berry and twig design. Add this Primitive Americana Pillow to your country decor. Most of us either have a family member serving our country or personally know someone in the military. This pillow is a reminder that these brave men and women who serve, continue to provide freedom for those of us at home.

Consider taking time this month to send a letter to a service man or woman you know. There are websites that make it easy to encourage a solder even if you don't know one personally. Visit www.anysoldier.com. They can help put your letter in the hands of a soldier.

Barn Star Specials in May

We just love stars! You can put the finishing touch on your primitive country decorating by using barn stars. Shop Hearthside Collection during the month of May and get 10% off all Barn Stars.

We have several sizes in stock. Our 5" and 8" come with a rusty curled wire, ready for hanging from a peg on your favorite shelf. The 12" and 24" will look great hanging on your wall or above an old cupboard.

Decorate your table

The lilacs are in full bloom in Indiana and they're so beautiful! Walking through the dining room brings a sweet scent from their natural perfume. I love to put fresh flowers in this old Ball jar. Our mason jar salt and pepper shakers add charm to the table top. I like to use one of our jelly jar baskets to keep napkins in order and ready for meal time. May I encourage you to cut some fresh flowers for your dining room table today, gather the family around the table at meal time and enjoy each other!

May Giveaway at Hearthside Collection

This month our giveaway is for a 5x7 country sampler that says "The laughter of a child is the light of the house". This was chosen in honor of our 8 year old nephew, Sawyer. He was hit by a truck on April 26th. God's hand of protection was very evident in his little life and body! We praise the Lord for his strength and power! Sawyer was able to come home from the hospital on April 30th. We stand in awe...

It has been such a blessing to be able to watch God work. Sawyer was thrown over 20 feet and landed with his head taking the brunt of the fall. He has a fractured pelvis, several bruises, a swollen eye and a lot of road rash... but not one single stitch!! Today he was walking (slowly), talking, laughing and joking with us. Our bodies were created with incredible resilience!

If you would like to be entered in our drawing for this primitive sampler, just leave me a comment on this post or visit Hearthside Collection and use the contact us page.