It is now mid-March. There is still way too much snow on the ground for my liking, and it's still freezing. Actually, my husband just advised that he started a fire in the wood stove. It's cold. I'm cold, and it's been a very long winter that seems to be lingering despite my constant prayers. It's during this time of year when I feel beyond depleted of vitamin D and sufficient sunshine to make me happy. It usually starts by late January, and ends in April. I have a ways to go. Truth be told, I found myself wanting to crawl into a hole, hibernate, and never come out most of February. Not just because of the cold, and snow, but because of people judging me, my book, family things, parenting things and then I got sick. All these things added up and it became the loneliest feeling and one I don't wish on my worst enemy. It was then that I started praying for sunshine. I certainly didn't leave out blue skies and birds chirping, but of all the things I needed....it was sunshine.
A few weeks had passed and I get an email from a dear friend,
Laura Kelly. She had emailed a slew of friends/bloggers to join her rainbow blog hop. I've participated in a two of her hops, and they are always fun. Truly. But I was in that deep dark hole, and didn't want to come out. She must have sensed something, because I didn't reply right away - and posted a message for me on facebook to see. She told me to check my email - and to hurry up with a reply so I didn't miss out. I ended up emailing her and said "I was trying not to reply". I didn't want to do a fun blog hop, because I was feeling quite the opposite and was too much in a slump to think of anything fun. I didn't want to sew - was even at the point of packing up my brand new baby bernina and putting her deep into a closet. I didn't want to do anything. But she convinced me to reply, so I did....reluctantly. While that was going on - I was in the process of making a huge duck tape house. With my girls playing on occasion, and collaborating with me - I was able to stop thinking of everything that brought stress or sadness.
I continued to think about the package Laura was sending and what would I make with random green things. Yep - I thought she was sending me green. SO I had this grand idea...and when I got the package - I tore into it and saw tons of yellow. What??? Yellow - Laura? Seriously. I could've sworn she'd mail me my favorite color, but she didn't. Now what? What am I'm going to make with all this yellow.
Somehow, someway - she must have gotten a message. A message passed down from a prayer. ANd this was my answer. I needed more sunshine in my life - and she sent me yellow. One of my most favorite and special patterns from my book is the Gnome Doll. I decided to make a yellow Gnome. A little girl that brightened my days, as I worked on her. She gave me hope. I debated her name, as did my daughters, my mom and my sister...and ended up on Lily. Little Miss Lily. I could've named her Sunshine, or Summer, or Daffodil, Lemon Drop, Lemonade....but Lily seemed like a more gentle name. Most lilies are white, but many are yellow too.
As sad as it will be to see her go, I have decided to spread the sunshine and send her off onto new adventures in a new home. In a way she saved me. She helped me to think of spring and summer, and all the beautiful good things to come in just a few short weeks. I can hold on a little longer now. If you have gotten to the end of this - thank you. If you are feeling the same way as me - I'm sorry. And yet - I'm so glad to not be alone. The sun will come out tomorrow. That is my hope. That is my wish.
So here's the deal - visit me on
Instagram....I will post
this giveaway image (above - the one with the extra fabric/thread and Maine candies) on Monday...follow the instructions on there for your chance to win this most special Gnome. Did I tell you - this will be the first Gnome I've given away? She can be yours - if you try your luck. Thanks for reading my long winded sob story. Thank you Laura for inviting and encouraging me to participate in your rainbow hop, and for giving me yellow! Please visit
Laura's blog for a list of the other participants and to see what they made or see links below.
To find out more about my book
Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love, click the book link to the right. To sign up for my newsletters, click the link below.
So sorry to Laura for leaving out the fun Rafflecopter! Enter for your chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
