Hello Saturday! Since Blooming Daisies Crafts’ last blog, the much anticipated visit from my sister has transpired. We had so much fun and the time flew by. She and I packed our time with little excursions, morning walks, and quality time while building a 2000 piece Buffalo puzzle.
When my husband told me that he had an extended business trip in the works in late May, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for some sister time. Siblings share so much more than genes. Growing up my sister and I shared a room, and for a number of years, a full size bed. Now, our common interests include enjoying simple little pleasures. The weekend breezed by with us walking thru the local Flea Market (where I found a set of British Pyrex—who knew it was a thing?- to post on my Ebay sales site), and buying an incredible breakfast for immediate consumption and local produce for roasting and consumption later at the Farmers Market. My sister and I are big supporters of local, small business so we drove a short distance to visit Wicked Dolphin Distillery for taste testing—we, of course, agreed that the coconut rum was the tastiest--and souvenir shopping.
As it was Florida in May, we spent some time around the water as well. While my husband was home, we took the boat out on the adjoining river. Because my bruised rib was still achy, we kept the bumps and the time to a minimum. Later in the week, my sister and I enjoyed a sedate trip across the water to “house shop”. No, I am not planning to move soon but we had fun seeing the different architecture, paint schemes, and yard art all while expressing an opinion or two.
These few days were like a stay-cation for me and a nice quiet break for my sister. Relaxing. Rejuvenating. Perfection. Well, almost…
Early on in the trip, my sister and I investigated the mango tree on the side yard. I say “investigated” because I was not sure if we, or the neighbor, owned it. As a gardener, I love the thought of homegrown produce. Anyway, my sister picked two mangoes and happened to get some “sap” on her arm. Fast forward a day or two, and that area is now looking very angry. It was my brother-in-law, who knows firsthand of my sister’s “sensitivity” to poison ivy, that asked, “Are they related?” Ha! A fruit tree and an ivy plant?! Ha! Google it. They are, in fact, related! Who knew?!
“Urushiol is a chemical found in the oil of mango sap. Urushiol is also found in poison ivy and poison oak. Therefore, people who have a history of reactions to poison ivy and poison oak should be cautious when handling mangoes. Contact with urushiol causes an itchy, blistering skin rash in some people, called allergic contact dermatitis.” Acaai.org
Picture this, my sister, who suits up in long pants, long sleeve shirts and gloves to combat sprigs of poison ivy, picked mangoes from a large tree in a tank top and shorts and carried them around, cradled in her right arm. Now, thirteen days, a topical cream, and a grueling regimen of six daily doses of steroids later, her rash is just now manageable. Remember this: Urushiol-you rush to get the oil off. Seriously.
In cross stitch news: I have cleared something out of my stash! I had purchased the perfect gift for my sister: the April gnome from the Cross Stitch Wonders “A Year of Gnomes” collection. It is so cute and so unique because it is wood! Well, I was going to sew the gnome and then give it to my sister but I was sneakier than that! I gave it to her with the floss to stitch for herself instead! Winner! You see what I did there, right? LOL! She does too! She sends me updates of her progress. Look at the bright colors and how perfect the Blooming Daisies Crafts mini Ink Spot Needle Minder complements it! If you want to try the Gnomes - go to Lisa's site: goldeneedle.com - she has these adorable ones available and will ship it to you!
Seeing my sister’s WIP helped me pick up my own cross stitching after a long hiatus due to my bruised rib. While I did not get too much done, I am farther along than I was before. Any step forward is progress!
Blooming Daisies Crafts news!
Recently a customer sent four sets of fabric for some custom Q-Snap Bags and Grime Guards. They are very pretty fabrics that look nice independently as well as combined. Quilters would have coveted the collection. However, I quickly observed that one of the lining fabrics had a print that ran the wrong way for the lining of the bags. Sigh. Now I know! I was able to cut and piece the fabric to fit with an expertise that has been years in the making. I have made a note to ask future special order customers for information on the directional print of their chosen fabric.
Featured product is for late spring!
Purple Flowers on White Grime Guards - that match our Q-Snap Bags!