Summerthyme Blog Hop Wraps Up! My day!

 Welcome to the final day of our wonderful Summerthyme Blog Hop! 

First off, I would like to thank each of the other designers for joining in and taking time out of their busy schedules to create a free design for you, work through the kinks (as we always seem to have something come up) - especially when it comes to formatting the artwork.... and share a family favorite recipe with you! 

Without you designers...

there would be no hop! 

 

I would also like to thank each of YOU readers for stopping by!  I know many of you waited with anticipation for each new day of the hop!  I am so glad you all have been enjoying it... and also enjoying getting to know each of us designers a bit more! 

Please, please, make sure and give them thanks and/or follow our blogs!  We really do appreciate your support and really need to know if this is something worth doing for you!  Without hearing from you or liking our blogs... we really have no clue!  And - a lot of work really does go into this (even though we make it look easy!!! LOL!).  So please share and help spread the word about our fantastic blog hop! 

We LOVE sharing & creating for you all!!!

 

Up today is me, Miss Buttermilk Basin! 

I, too, have been waiting patiently to share my day/project with each of you!  Each of the past 9 days felt like a mini party here in blogland!  We  enjoyed numerous mediums of handwork, shared some delicious recipes and we also learned who has a green thumb and does not!!! {LOL!}... and most importantly, we have had fun & got inspired! 

So...let's continue celebrating with my scrumptious "No Bake" Banana Split Dessert Recipe & my darling Americana wool pillow tuck I created just for you!  It will be perfect to stitch up while enjoying some porch sitting

{of course, with a nice mason jar full of Sheri's FAV summer beverage!}  I hope you enjoy my day & project... Have a wonderful summer filled with lots of memories!

 

PS:  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (I post there a LOT!), Facebook, (I post daily & give away goods weekly each "LUCKY" Friday!) and on my website (always posting new designs & the FREE "Mystery" BOM!)... 

 

My Complimentary Pattern:

Please click the link to print off the pattern! Enjoy!

http://siterepository.s3.amazonaws.com/2457/summer_blog_hop.pdf

Here are my thoughts on summer!

Favorite Summer Memory:

Toss up between attending the Roseau County Fair (exhibiting in 4-H) & sitting on the porch with my Great Grandma Lily watching the vehicles go by.  We would take turns pretending to get one of the cars that drove by!  We sure would get some good laughs about some of "our" cars!!!  It was awesome, too, seeing the "big" fair trucks with the rides coming to town! 

Pretty big thing for a small town!

On the 4th of July we:

Start the day off with a parade... and end with fireworks in our front yard with the neighbors! 

(I love the snakes that grow & smoke!!! LOL!)

Green Thumb or Not? 

Yes!  Not half as good as my mother & grandmas though!  I am not as patient as they are.  But I am working on enjoying the growth process!  I just redid my memory garden in honor of my mother... Here is the start of it!

 

Favorite Fair Food:

Tie: Cheese Curds & Crepes!

Favorite Summer Drink & Farmer’s Market Find:

Raspberry Lemonade & rhubarb at the Farmer's Market!  Love me some rhubarb! 

Summer Designs You are Working on:

NONE!  I am skipping summer and going right to the Autumn in the Country Barn Event & the Caribbean Cruise projects for the February!!

Favorite Quote:

 

 

NOTE:  Use 1/2 cup of butter & 1/4 cup of sugar. 
We also used 4 bananas and graham cracker crumbs on the top instead of walnuts!

Lost a good friend today...

 

I am so sad... Today I lost a good friend and a very supportive BB fan. 

Jean was 48 and lost her battle to cancer.  She was diagnosed after mom this spring and there were a couple of times they were actually in the hospital together... 

I never dreamt she would pass away this soon. 

 

The minute Jean walked thru the doors of Buttermilk Basin, we clicked!  She was one of my first workshop students here at the shop.  I taught her how to do wool applique.  She was left handed and had a dickens of a time grasping the technique of reversing the image to be fuse ready and learning the blanket stitch.  We laughed so hard in that class!  I will never forget it! Ever since she had been swinging in restocking her punch needle supply, showing off her latest projects including her latest, needle turn applique.  She worked in the printing industry and on her way home most Thursday nights she would stop in and we would chat, laugh and cry until it got late!  We shared the love of handwork, taking in cats, loving a good recipe... She help me with my photo shoot for market and even offered to clean the back room for me... She helped us load the trailer and more importantly... she became my friend and really supported me and helped me believe in me during some very difficult days.  Words can not express how important my customers are to me. 

You guys are a huge piece of me (and I bet you don't even know it!) 

 

So Jean.. Girl, YOU were the bomb!  You were strong, beautiful and always made me laugh! I will miss you so much and thank you for introducing me to our friend Erin (a huge blessing)... I will miss you on Thursday nights, hearing your crazy stories, seeing your sweet smile, twinkle in your eyes and your hugs!  Love ya girl! 

 PS * Erin and I got your message today!  You will not be forgotten!!! XOXO

New Year~Gratitude

Happy New Year!  I hope this note finds you doing well and enjoying 2013.  I had the pleasure of spending time with my in laws and extended family on Christmas Eve and being a host on Christmas Day for a couple of school classmates and their family…  After a few days of Holiday fun, much needed rest, {and after receiving my 3^rd set of Matchbox 20 tickets for this year!} we rang in the New Year in a (sooo much needed) simple way… with just the 4 of us!  It was low keyed, but together as a family…

I also wanted to thank each of you {again} for your business throughout the past year.  I know there are many designers out there and only so much time and money to be put into one of your favorite past times.  Know I appreciate you for purchasing my patterns, but more importantly for the joy you bring to my days, like today, when I spoke to all of those who were so excited and eager to sign up for the club(s)!  I have a gift, and I choose to share it with you because I wouldn’t want it any other way!

As some of you know, this year has been very challenging for me on a personal and professional level.  There have been days when I almost threw in the towel… For those of you who do not know… I am A ONE WOMAN SHOW at Buttermilk Basin {but have great friends who lend a hand when I need them}!  Without getting into the specifics – I honestly TRY to do it all…  Some days I ROCK at it and some days I don’t.  One minute I am spending 4 hours at the hospital with my mom then juggling to get my work done... the next moment I am a mom to my darling young girls!  Some days I may even be “burnt out” and find it hard to get motivated {but I DO} – even if you don’t see it happening.  I work when I am sick {like right now} and I lay awake at night thinking about all the things I did or did not do.  My to do list and opportunities (blessed) don’t end….  I am NOT perfect by any means and make mistakes.  But through it all, YOU support me and encourage me.  Your emails and stories INSPIRE me to PRESS ON!   I love hearing about how it helped relax you while you were in the hospital recovering, or how it helped heal your soul as you were grieving or how special your day was when you taught your granddaughter how to stitch one of my designs.  Those are the reasons I do it…. for that, I thank you! AND - I thank you for your patience, your understanding and your kind words as I simply do the best I can with what I have to work with during these crazy hectic days of my life here at the Basin! 

Speaking of blessed… I thought I would share this little treasure with each of you… I have set goals, have a list of things to work on, and will continue to be grateful for my wonderful life!  And… this is where I am doing each day of the year!  Don’t  you just love it!  You can find it on Etsy under the seller Iloveitall!  Happy New Year...let's make it a great year!