EmnEllie Cross Stitch Blog

Happy Tuesday! I love red floss. My favorite shade is DMC 816. When I design red charts, I try to stick with 816. Everyone has their favorite color, but when you start talking cross stitch floss, things become a bit more technical. For instance; do you like a deeper, more maroon shade of red? Or the rich, Turkey kind of red? Speaking of red cross stitch charts, here’s my progress on Red Alphabet Sampler: Since my last WIP update, I’ve finished the second row, made the second squiggly line between the second and third rows, and started stitching the third row. Very pleased with how that flower motif turned out! While I didn’t have any particular flower in mind when I was designing it, that flower reminds me of a rose. The letter G has a nice sprinkling of motifs, but when I got to the letter H, I decided to balance out the sampler by making H a little less busy. The first motif of the second row is a heart (H for heart!). Here's my progress pictures throughout the week: If you like ...

Happy Tuesday! We need to have a serious discussion about how underrated Ginger Ale is. I think that most people will only reach for the bubbly beverage when they feel ill, but I like the taste all the time. It could be because I like the taste of ginger in general, especially Gin Gins (a delicious ginger candy with amazing illustrations of Ginger People on the bag;  the link is HERE for those of you who are interested ). The flavor isn’t the only appealing thing. Think about it; the bubbles, the crisp, clean flavor that you don’t get after drinking a Coke, and that champagne-like color all combine to make it one of my favorite drinks. Full disclosure- I’m sipping a can of one right now as I write this post. Making some steady progress on Trick-Or-Treat Moon:  Filling in the pale yellow on the face was super quick. I think I was off one somewhere on the word “Treat” at the top, but it won’t make a big difference, so I won’t worry about ripping it out. It’s such a treat (haha, ...

Happy Tuesday! How was your week? Can you believe that it’s almost September? The end of Summer is right around the corner. The temperatures at the Castle, however, will stay pretty warm for a while, and we generally won’t start getting Fall weather until mid-November. But there is a subtle difference in the morning air, and I’d say that the day time temperatures are five degrees lower than a month ago. Not much, but it’s something! One of the ways that I’ve been beating the heat is by drinking smoothies. It’s also a great way to get calcium, since I’ve never been one to drink a glass of milk. So far, these are my favorites (not arranged in order of tastiness!): Banana Mango Banana Guava Peanut Butter and Banana Can you tell that I love bananas? It’s overpowering, for sure, but it’s a great flavor in those smoothie combos. Once in a while, I’ll add some chocolate to the Peanut Butter and Banana smoothie. It’s delicious! If you want to know how to make a Peanut Butter and Banana smoothi...

While I was stitching the other day, I listened to a podcast about the very interesting history of Champagne. The podcaster covered some of the story of the region, as well as the famous drink that bears it’s name.  I learned so much from this episode; for example that Dom Perignon was a real person.  First Chef Boyardee,  now Dom Perignon. I find myself squinting at other brand names and brand mascots wondering, “Were they a real person too?” ... Click here to continue reading...

Happy Tuesday! Although it’s a bit late, happy World Cross Stitch Day! Mind you, I didn’t know that World Cross Stitch Day even existed, but now that I do, I’m prepared for next year. Maybe I’ll make a chart in commemoration of the day… maybe. But that’s all the way in the future, and a whole year from now. Stay tuned! Click here to continue reading

Happy Monday! Ever since I was a very little girl, I’ve had a fascination with Ancient Egypt. I think I had an interest in it because my elder sister adored hieroglyphics (we used to write each other letters in hieroglyphics. Yes, we are nerds) but I think The Mummy with Brendan Fraser really fanned the flames of my love of Egypt. My Mother tells me that I watched that movie so much, I wore out the VHS tape! In my opinion, it’s the only movie, none of the sequels exist (and the world is a better place that way). Longtime readers will know that I love a good murder mystery; and what better mix could there be but Egypt and murder, with a famous Belgian detective?... To continue reading this post, click here

  How was your weekend? Mine was filled with cross stitch and sheet pan pizza. (Not at the same time though!)  Have you ever made pizza at home before? My Mother has used the same pizza dough recipe for about forty years, and every time it turns out deliciously amazing. A few years back, my Mother and I went shopping at a thrift store and found one of the most amazing finds ever… a pizza stone! It was there on a shelf, and didn’t cost an arm and a leg! And it’s true, the pizza stone really does make a nice, crispy pizza crust. Click here to keep reading this post.