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Civil Rights: 50 years forward

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’” Matthew 5:43-44 reads. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

Jesus’ famous words framed Sixteenth Street Baptist Church’s Sunday School lesson on Sept. 15, 1963. Titled “A Love that Forgives,” it was a message that the predominantly African-American congregation, who were suffering under racial persecution’s climax, desperately needed to hear. Just three months before, Police Commissioner Theophilus “Bull” Connor ordered the use of fire hoses and police dogs against thousands of African-American youths. The atrocious police brutality attracted national and international attention to perhaps the most racist city in the United States.

In a cruel irony, the congregation never heard the lesson on forgiving its enemies. Instead, at 10:22 a.m., a bomb interrupted the service, killing schoolgirls Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Denise McNair and Carole Robinson and injuring more than 20 other worshippers. Later that day, two more African-American children lost their lives to police and white mobs.

Although that day’s events were horrific, they also served as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement’s victory. City officials could no longer ignore the infamous reputation of “Bombingham.” By the end of the decade, African-Americans were vying for and often winning positions as police officers, school superintendents and even suburban neighbors.

Today, Birmingham looks back in reflection and forward in anticipation. The bells of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church tolled in memory of the four girls on Sept. 15, 2013 – exactly 50 years since the tragedy. Their ringing reminds attendees just how much Birmingham has changed. Next to the historic church lies the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which opened in 1992, and Elizabeth MacQueen’s Four Spirits statue memorializing the four schoolgirls unveiled this year in Kelly Ingram Park. An avenue named after Richard Arrington Jr., Birmingham’s first African-American mayor, pierces downtown. Downtown blossoms under the leadership of Mayor William Bell – also African-American – with the construction of Railroad Park, Regions Field and a new entertainment district orbiting the city center, a scene suggesting Birmingham’s best days are yet to come.

‘The blue collar town’
While it may be Birmingham’s most infamous chapter, the Civil Rights Movement is merely one piece of its history, Samford history professor Jonathan Bass said. To fully understand its significance, Bass said one should start at the very beginning—1906, to be precise.

That was the year U.S. Steel bought the behemoth Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company and, in about four decades, built an empire in Birmingham. By World War II’s end in 1945, the city’s iron ores and steel mines were in full production and U.S. Steel had become the city’s largest employer.

“This was a blue collar town,” Bass said, “and that was the heyday of Birmingham’s industrial might.”

But that heyday ended during the 1950s when U.S. Steel found cheaper, higher quality iron ore in Venezuela. The mines closed as quickly as they opened. African-Americans bore the brunt of that change.

“If you go back and look in the city directories, you’ll see African-Americans played a pivotal role in the labor forces,” Bass said. “But [the closures] shifted around jobs a good bit. Unskilled and skilled black labor gets pushed out of the workforce as whites lose their mine jobs and transfer elsewhere.”

That decline in the steel industry, Bass said, set tensions high for 1963.

The Third Great Awakening
During the steel industry’s great leap forward, another factor that would propel the Civil Rights Movement was coming to power—a religious revival.
“[Some] scholars have found ways to interpret the Civil Rights movement without recognizing the role of religion,” Bass said. “But you cannot separate those.”

Bass said that Martin Luther King Jr. is often seen as a political hero but in many ways he belongs with Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney and other American religious powerhouses. The fight for Civil Rights was, in turn, also a religious crusade, nestled perfectly within a spiritual awakening that marked the mid-20th century.

A few years ago Bass attended a Bible study with African-American men ages 18 to 81. He recalls his fellow participants comparing the disciples with local citizens’ sacrifices for civil rights. “That was really eye-opening for me,” Bass said.

Bass continued that, too often, quests for social justice are secularized. That wasn’t the case for African-Americans. “At the center of the Civil Rights Movement was actively practicing your faith,” Bass said. “[The foot soldiers] weren’t out there saying, ‘Bring on the dogs, bring on the fire hoses because I have a secular commitment to social justice.’ If you ask foot soldiers why they were out there, they’re going to say they were putting their faith into action.”

Towards the light
“Most people really look at the Birmingham story as police dogs, fire hoses, four little girls, end of story,” Bass said. “But that’s only the beginning of the story.”
The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision to desegregate schools and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 dealt strong blows to segregation, but they weren’t enough. Dismantling segregation was a lofty task, but under the leadership of Mayor George Siebels and city councilwoman Nina Miglionico, it happened.
After three long years, the first African-American policeman, Leroy Stover, was finally hired. Then African-Americans D.M. Jefferson and E.W. Taggart joined the Birmingham Dental Society. In 1968, African-American Leon Kennedy became superintendent of Jefferson County schools.
But Bass said the Civil Rights Movement culminated in 1979 with the election of the city’s first African-American mayor, Richard Arrington Jr.
“That was [the conclusion] of what King began in 1963,” Bass said.

Miles to go
Although the dark days of segregation may be over, the battle for equality continues. Mark Stribling, a volunteer at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, recalls his first visit to Birmingham in 1999 for a job interview at UAB.
“My coworkers said, ‘We want to take you to the Civil Rights Institute,’” Stribling, a native of Pittsburg, said. “‘But we can’t because there’s a KKK march.’ I didn’t know racism would be so public [here].”
But for the most part, racism is more innocent. Stribling highlighted the wealth disparity between African-Americans and whites. “White people just bought a car, and black people still have to ride the bus,” he said. “Segregation’s just in a different form.”
Bass noticed the same phenomenon. “Even before the great white flight had started, people on this side of the mountain look down their noses and over the mountain at what goes on in Birmingham,” he said. “What so many residents don’t realize is that what’s good for Birmingham is good for the rest of the county and these municipalities as well.”
Stribling said that education is the antidote to prejudice and indifference. “[Racists] walk around in ignorance,” he said, describing local teenagers who dressed as Ku Klux Klan members and even carried nooses for Halloween. “You have to teach what things represent,” he said. “People in the KKK [dress] to be the ghosts of Confederate soldiers coming back from the dead to kill black people.” Once teens learn this, they usually stop wearing their costumes, Stribling said.
Likewise, Bass challenges youth to examine the faith of African-Americans. “I think the best way for young people to understand the Civil Rights movement is to really look at what motivated these people,” he said. “They would say they were Christians doing what Jesus called them to do.”
Interestingly, when Stribling described the future of Birmingham, he mentioned little of racial division. Instead, he talked about young urbanites flocking back to downtown, UAB forging a law school and a booming business district.
On Dec. 3, 1963, “Look” magazine published Charles Morgan’s editorial about Birmingham titled “I Saw a City Die.” “Who killed Birmingham?” he said in his introduction. “Not only the hate-filled murderers of four girls, but we ‘nice people’ who did nothing to save our city from race hatred.”
Then the nice people came and resurrected Birmingham so Stribling could say something that 50 years ago would be unimaginable.
“No black person fears walking down the street and getting harassed or called a name.”

The Sweet Southern Sojourn

IMG_9010By Reed Richardson

The downtown radius of Greensboro, Ala. compares to the size of a regulation football field. However, right in the middle of it all is a simple pie shop that sure knows how to make an impression.

PieLab is the sweet spot to stop for any explorer passing through lower Alabama, especially if exceptional pie makes you weak in the knees. Flavors range from the all-American apple pie to the unusual Greek yogurt cheesecake pie.

“But butterscotch pecan is the top seller of everything,” staffer John Wilkerson says.

While the dessert pie is a specialty to the shop, PieLab sells a handful of savory pies like pizza and quiche for hungrier customers. “No matter what day it is, there is always a quiche option,” Wilkerson says.

As customers come and go from the counter, Wilkerson mentions that the shop is often filled with travelers looking for a bite to eat or an afternoon sugar rush. “Lots of out-of-towners are always stopping in as they pass through, but it’s also a place to bring people together through pie and conversation,” he says.

Wilkerson’s comment refers back to the beginning of PieLab, a social entrepreneurship plan started by Project M in 2009, and now sponsored by Hale Empowerment and Revitalization Organization, or HERO for short.

PieLab is a shining star in Hale County, one of the poorest counties in all of Alabama. In conjunction with HERO and Project M, the business works as a facility for economic revitalization, job training and people-pleasing pie. Their mission: “Pie + Conversation = Social Change.”

Customer and out-of-towner Lauren Bates says, “They have a gift when it comes to entrepreneurship. They are using the resources they have in their formula for success. I just wish I lived closer. I would go a lot more.”

With such friendly vibrations, it is easy to see the appeal. Staffers and locals alike welcome customers in with cheer and a quest to get to know you. “You come to the store and talk to someone you might not talk to on the street. It’s amazing what a good slice of pie can do,” Wilkerson says.

With a big bite of lemon icebox pie, Bates confirms, “You never feel like you’re eating alone.”

Located just two hours from Birmingham, Greensboro is a wonderful Southern sojourn for both city and country folk. After a slice of goodness, take a stroll through the square. An eco-friendly bike shop, a quaint little library and a friendly antique shop beg to be explored.

Photos by Reed Richardson

A Future for Dance: Alabama Ballet gives inspiring dancers the chance to learn from the best

Aspiring dancers throughout the state covet a chance to dance with the Alabama Ballet, but with only 33 years of history, the company is relatively new in the world of dance. So what makes the Alabama Ballet so appealing?

Easy. The Alabama Ballet offers dancers the chance to work with outstanding directors. In its beginning, the company followed the artistic direction of Dame Sonia Arova (previously dancing with the Original Ballet Russes, the Royal Ballet, and America Ballet Theatre) and Thor Sutowski, and then 15 years later, the leadership passed to Roger Van Fleteren and Wes Chapman. Today, Tracey Alvey serves as the ballet’s Artistic Director.

“I love everything about it. Everyone is very professional and we all get along very well,” says dancer Christy Delenick.

Studying musical theatre at Samford University, Delenick has been with the Alabama Ballet’s school for two years. In those two years, she has been privileged to dance in George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” and “The Sleeping Beauty.”

As a student, Delenick’s days and nights look much different than that of company dancers, keeping up with academic classes and homework as well as ballet classes and performance rehearsals. But the busy days are worth it. She couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn from the best.

Kelli Murdock, 24, began as an apprentice for two years and has now been a company dancer with the Alabama Ballet for the past six years. Unlike Delenick, as a full-time company member Murdock spends her days in and out of company classes and rehearsals.

It’s an all-day job, but it pays off. Murdock recently danced the role of the Lilac Fairy in the ballet’s rendition of “The Sleeping Beauty.”

“I feel so honored and blessed to have gotten such a role. I felt like I had more of a responsibility with this role because it was a Principal role,” she says. “I needed to always be prepared and it was a great challenge! I had to learn more mime than I was used to, but I loved every bit of it.”

Like Delenick, she shares the same positive outlook on the company.

“I love being apart of the Alabama Ballet. I think Tracey has done a terrific job at building the company’s repertoire and taking us in a great direction.”

Photos by Arik sokol, Billy Brown and Melissa Dooley

Out of the Shadows: How The WellHouse is Exposing Sex Trafficking in Birmingham

WellHouse As a teenager Tajuan McCarty was trafficked from Atlanta, Ga., to Birmingham, Ala., by her boyfriend-turned-pimp. “I was trafficked so much to Birmingham it became home,” McCarty says, which is why 25 years after her first visit as a victim of exploitation, she is back to fight the very system she was once a part of.

In July 2010 McCarty heard God calling her to open a shelter for exploited and trafficked women in Birmingham. She answered that call and opened The WellHouse in January 2011. In the two years it has been open the shelter has rescued more than 50 women.

The WellHouse describes itself as a “place of grace” on its website. Women who are trapped in sexual exploitation can come for rescue and restoration with no questions asked.

“I just wanted to help the ladies here in Birmingham. I know there are a lot of them and there’s no place for them to go,” says McCarty, who holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and two masters degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“I’ve done social work for years so I knew there was a gap, that they had nowhere to go. And so God just laid it on my heart to open The WellHouse.”

While most shelters require women to be drug free or have identification in order to enter, The WellHouse’s only requirement is that they are victims of sexual exploitation who want a way out. The shelter can house up to six women at a time, and the women are encouraged to stay as long as they need to.

“Sometimes they come in and they stay five minutes and sometimes they stay for a year,” McCarty says. “They can stay because there’s really nowhere for them to go.”

When women come to The WellHouse, McCarty makes sure their physical needs are met first. Most of the time they come with only the clothes on their back, but they soon receive all new things.

“They don’t get anything trial-sized because trial-sized says you’re temporary,” she says. “I want them to have the best, and God’s honored that.”

The same goes for how the house is decorated. The walls are colorful and the décor is inviting because McCarty wants the women to walk in and feel special.

But visitors shouldn’t be deceived by the beautiful and pristine condition McCarty keeps the house in. This is not an easy ministry, and the women she works with are fighting deep inner battles.

“There’s no woman who, if she’s healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, would ever sell herself,” McCarty says. “She has psychological chains you can’t see that are worse than anything you could ever think of.”

McCarty is no stranger to the chains binding the women she helps rescue. She used to blame herself for being sexually exploited.

“It took me 25 years to realize I was a victim. This is not something you grow up thinking you want to do.”

She finally found healing in Christ, but it wasn’t easy. “I didn’t believe in Jesus because I was taught growing up that if you did this you were going to hell, and if you did that you were going to hell, and I’d done it all.”

Even now, McCarty admits she still has days of insecurity and doubt. “In the back of my mind, Satan will just get in it and say, ‘You’re just a nothing, you’re just a prostitute. It doesn’t matter how many degrees you have, that’s all you’ll ever be.’”

On those days she finds comfort and purpose in the gospel. “Jesus loves prostitutes. His lineage is from a prostitute,” she says. “He didn’t turn the Samaritan woman away. He loved her, and she’d had five live-ins.”

The WellHouse’s work goes far beyond the women who find protection within its walls. Every Monday, McCarty and others hit the streets of Birmingham to share the gospel and pray with men and women they meet. They hand out Bibles and hygiene items and let women know about The WellHouse.

Spreading the Word

McCarty is also a vocal advocate for trafficking victims, speaking at conferences and using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to inform the public about trafficking in the United States.

In January, The WellHouse launched an online awareness campaign highlighting trafficking along the interstate that brought McCarty to Birmingham so many years ago. I-20: The Sex Trafficking Superhighway takes a closer look at the major connector between Atlanta and Birmingham. Interstate 20 is the number one roadway for trafficking in the country according to the video.

“This stuff is happening in truck stops up and down the interstate. It’s not just the method of transportation; it’s also the theater in which this thing plays out,” says Executive Creative Director for Lewis Communications Spencer Till.

Till is the creative force behind the video, which has been viewed more than 15,000 times. As soon as he heard about The WellHouse, he knew he had to get involved somehow.

“[At first I thought] there’s no way this could be happening. This is Birmingham,” Till says. “[But then I started asking] ‘What can I do to bring this to light? What can we do to bring this out of the shadows?’”

Over the next year, Till and his team spent their free time researching and filming, talking to victims, truckers and public officials. What they found is that the problem of slavery on the interstate is particularly bad at truck stops.

Girls frequently approach the truckers offering their company while their pimps are around the corner watching. If an unfamiliar vehicle pulls into the station, the pimps signal the girls, and they disappear so quickly that even an observant driver wouldn’t notice that something was amiss.

“It illustrates how we can be so clueless about what’s going on. We drive up and down the interstate every day without realizing what’s happening,” Till says.

Becoming Aware

Awareness is key in the battle to end human trafficking, especially in our own backyard. Victims aren’t just foreign nationals, they’re girls from right down the street.

“It’s mind-boggling how innocent it starts. No matter where you live or what you do or what your upbringing is, anyone can become a victim,” Till says.

“When you’re a teen you go through kind of a rebellious stage, and they [the pimps] are capitalizing on that. And it’s so easy for [girls] to get their heads turned by a guy who starts giving them a lot of attention and giving them gifts or by a girl that always has nice clothes and seems to have a great life,” Till says of the ways that girls are lured in.

Trafficking can happen to anyone because the high demand for commercial sex creates a need for a high supply of women, an important reality to consider when approaching how to end sex trafficking.

“If you can cut off the demand, you can cut off the supply,” Till says. “If you can bring it into the light and make it taboo, then maybe you do have a shot at getting rid of it.”

Looking to the Future

Only four other shelters in the United States do what The WellHouse does, and the need for shelters is great.

“I’m finally wrapping my mind around the United States, that that’s where God’s leading us. Because there are not enough beds,” she says.

She recognizes that there’s a long way to go toward ending trafficking and that it’s a difficult road filled with obstacles.

“This is not nice clean ministry where you go in and feed people and everyone is full and you walk away and [think] ‘Aw I’ve done a good thing,’” she says. “There are many days where I walk off this front porch and go, ‘Oh Lord what am I doing? Have I made a difference?’”

But her faith in God’s provision and the ways that she has seen Him bless The WellHouse keep her going.

“I don’t know how big your God is but my God’s really big. He made all 27 million of those slaves plus all the moons and stars and heavens and earth and everything,” she says. “My God is bigger than that, so if we get together, unified in Christ, then we can make a difference.”

To learn more about The WellHouse visit

Photos by Rachel Freeny

Residential Central

For David Averyt, downtown Birmingham isn’t just a work area, it’s home.

For the past three years he has enjoyed the urban lifestyle from his City Central residence.

“It’s growing and it’s very vibrant,” Averyt said about the downtown scene.

Like Averyt, many young professionals have discovered reasons for moving to the heart of Birmingham. The Magic City is experiencing a growth of downtown residents during the dawn of its revitalization.

The Suburban Migration

After the Second World War, the Birmingham steel industry began to fizzle, leading to a decrease in the city’s commercial and residential properties.

As downtown businesses began to suffer, many residents sought a more prosperous life in the outskirts of town.

In the 1950s, suburban shopping centers began popping up, like the Eastwood Mall, which threatened the retail and residential life of downtown Birmingham. Incorporations began to spring up, like Mountain Brook in 1942, Vestavia in 1950 and Hoover in 1967.

The populations of these suburbs began to rise as businesses downtown began to fall hard.

The New South

Now Birmingham is rapidly transitioning from the abandoned steel mill to a super-center of medical facilities, banking operations and telecommunication companies. As Birmingham shifts from its steel mill roots to more technologically advanced businesses, the city can expect a growing demand for residential properties as well.

Recently, downtown Birmingham has experienced a growth of construction and development. Among the new parks and museums is the loft district. This urban residential haven welcomes many young professionals seeking to live the chic downtown lifestyle, close to work and close to the entertainment of the city.

The prices of suburban living are increasing along with rush hour traffic, which makes living in downtown Birmingham more practical and economical for professionals working in the heart of the city. As the demand for downtown living increases, so does the amount of lofts and condos to meet this need. Space is available in the older, unused buildings; all that’s left to do is make this space livable.

The Renovation Project

Some buildings that are getting facelifts include: City Federal, the Phoenix Building and the Blach’s building.

In 1913, the Jefferson County Savings and Loan building opened the doors to the Second Avenue North location and claimed the title of the tallest building in Alabama. In 1963, it was renamed City Federal and still remains the Southeast’s tallest neo-classical skyscraper. Its preservation has made it one of Birmingham’s most iconic architectural structures. The building now houses 84 luxury condominiums.

In 1926, the Phoenix Building replaced a horse carriage service on the corner of Second Avenue North and 18th Avenue. This new construction, built next to a vaudeville house, served as a warehouse with modern storefronts. In 1950, the Southern Bell Co. moved into the building allowing the Phoenix to double in size. The telephone company stayed at the Second Avenue location until 1987.

In 2004, Metropolitan, LLC set out on an 18-month journey to bring the Phoenix back to life. They created 74 lofts with parking and restored the terra cotta façade to its original beauty. Today, 95 percent of residents living in the Phoenix are young professionals enjoying the downtown lifestyle.

More than 130 years old, the Blach’s building on 20th Street North was originally a general store.

In 1910, it became the Bencor Hotel and later renovated into Blach’s Department Store. It was completely remodeled in 2008; but each loft keeps the original hardwood floors.

The City Life

For Averyt, living downtown is a perfect fit for his city lifestyle.

“I just feel drawn down there. It’s a place where I belong. It’s really endeared itself to me,” Averyt said.

Averyt grew up in the suburbs of Birmingham and has since lived in various cities around the country. Yet through all his experience, he still finds Alabama’s largest city appealing.

“It’s the people of Alabama, in particular Birmingham, that I really love,” Averyt said.

Like Averyt, people who live in downtown Birmingham can experience the culture and lifestyle of the urban chic. The loft district is walking distance from some of the best restaurants, shops and entertainment venues in the city.

“It’s cool, not just the lofts themselves but the whole downtown scene,” said Kim Mason, site manager at The Phoenix Building Lofts. “There is such an eclectic mix of people, something you don’t get in the ‘burbs.”

The downtown loft district is a community of neighbors from all walks of life who share one thing: they love the city and love living in the heart of it.

3 women

The Lovelady Center

Story and photos by Leah Jane Henderson

Starting over and getting back on your feet is anything but simple. The women residing in the Lovelady Center bear first-hand knowledge that the next chapter of their lives entails seeking relief from adversity.
3 women

Despite facing adversities, women at the Lovelady Center still find reasons to smile.

Sitting at the corner of 79th Street and Second Avenue South, the Lovelady Center serves the community by providing shelter and assistance to women and children.

The Foundation

The shelter offers a life-changing program with the goal of providing tools necessary to overcome obstacles and start over. Many of the residents were homeless at one point or have been released from prison and are unable to provide for themselves or their family.

The nine- to 12-month program is designed to rebuild lives and give hope to the 378 women and approximately 100 children currently residing at the shelter.

Basic care includes housing, clothing, medical care and hygienic products. The staff provides nearly 1,200 meals daily. In-house psychologists provide counseling for substance abuse and drug rehabilitation.

Available transportation is provided for work, school and doctor appointments, as well as the in-house KidZone daycare center open to the public.

The center partners with Jefferson State Community College and Tennessee Temple University for women to gain higher education and job skills.

The Workforce Development Program trains them to find sustainable jobs for a more hopeful future.

Jennifer White is one of many graduates that have advanced to working on staff.

“If it weren’t for this place I wouldn’t be nearly as successful as I am now. I thank God every day for showing me this place. It really is amazing,” White said.

In the Beginning

Brenda Spahn possessed determination and a huge heart when she single-handedly began what is now one of the most thriving shelters in Birmingham. Five women inhabited Brenda’s home and quickly became 40 after local press coverage. The shelter opened in 2004 and currently holds a plethora of mothers and aunts, daughters and wives.

Because of a lack of state or federal funding, the center relies predominantly on donations. Bright pink donations bins are planted on the sidewalk. They accept clothing, linens, baby items, and small appliances. Food donations, volunteer work and tutors are also essential segments of the center’s success.

Road to Success

The Lovelady Center is no day camp when it comes to the requirements that serve as the foundation for advancing toward graduation.

Every occupant and visitor must sign in and out at the front desk, residents must complete drug tests upon return from any outing and curfews are stricly enforced.

b miller

Outreach coordinator, Bonnie Miller (middle), oversees rules and regulations that provide an environment for success.

Outreach coordinator Bonnie Miller administers the stern policies that are monitored by all staff members.

“It’s strict. There are mandatory church services and mandatory devotions. You have to take a certain number of classes, no rated R movies or secular music. It is strict, but there is a lot of structure,” Miller said.

The women have an option to participate in work contracts associated with the shelter. Businesses include Dunkin’ Donuts, Piggly Wiggly, the Blackwell House and the Lovelady Thrift Store.

Rent costs $150 per month and covers room and board, transportation, classes and meals. A total of 20 credits are required for graduation and departure. Twenty to 25 women are taken in each week including repeated returns.

“If someone transitions out and they feel they’re about to stumble, or even if they do mess up, they know they can come back. They always have a place to stay,” Miller said.

Numerous volunteer opportunities await any who are willing to help at the center. Opportunities involve group and individual work including prayer warriors groups, room makeovers, mentors, church services, devotionals, teachers and tutors.

For more information about volunteer work and donations contact the Development Department at (205) 833-1064 or The Lovelady Center is located at 7916 Second Ave. S in Birmingham.

2 girls

Nearly 400 women of various ages currently reside at the shelter in Birmingham.


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the last couple weeks

the injury
climbin & pickin
tom likes pie
no title necessary
after pool smoothies

Tended to an injury. That's nine stitches if you're counting. Well, Maw Maw (Brian's mom) did lots of the tending- I mostly marveled at how fast kids heal.

Hung out with friends and ate their yummy food and ice cream made by my sweetie.

Went to the lake with just grown-ups. Drank some beers. Played in the water.

Picked peaches. TONS of peaches. (Note to self: if you let your children pick over a bushel and a half of peaches, it will be expensive.) Ate peaches. TONS of peaches. Baked two cobblers and a pie for a guest.

Said goodbye to habit. Realized what a wonderful place those ladies have created. Felt thankful to be a part of it.

Hosted lots of out-of-town family for a weekend, and then the girl and I headed to St. Louis with them. Did lots of fun St. Louis-y things. Rode the train home and found ALL of the laundry done. (Thanks again, sweetie.)

Bought school supplies, ordered a new backpack, got the teacher letter. Listened to the boy call everyone he knows to figure out who got who. Dried a few tears. (His two best friends are in another class.)

Spent a long afternoon at the pool. Slathered on sunscreen but realized they are still getting awfully tan.

Came home and made smoothies. Added rum to the second batch for the grown-ups. Decided wrap-up posts like this make me really think about all of the good things in my life and forget all the mundane and frustrating things.

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Michael McCarthy

President and CEO, Springer-Miller Systems

Michael McCarthy is a business operator with a strong track record for optimizing, transforming and growing software based businesses in a variety of industries. Recently, Michael was responsible for Dealertrack Technologies Canada (TRAK: NASDAQ), a financial technology company in the auto sector, where he leads business strategy, market development, and operational execution. In addition to holding senior roles at both D+H (DH: TSX) and Scotiabank (BNS: TSX) Michael has worked as a Venture Capitalist and Management Consultant in the technology sector. He has sat on the boards of fourteen entrepreneurial companies with several successful exits. Michael holds Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts degrees and has taught finance and entrepreneurship at several Canadian universities.


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Monday, April 16, 2012

Chico's Bail Bonds Softball Team

It's that time of year again that I look forward to.....softball season.

My league starts next week.  Same place, same people.  Different night.
The last two years I played with "Chico's Bail Bonds" we did bi-weekly Sunday night double-headers.
This year will be weekly Tuesday nights.
Still the same amount of games though.

The fields are still down by the airport so that's a 40 minute drive one-way but this year I will be carpooling with Nicole and Jackie from work.  So at least it won't all be my gas and mileage.

Hopefully this weekend I can get out and get some swings in.  There's been talk of getting together to pitch/throw some balls around but I know I'm going to need to hit the batting cages.

In the past, I've played with many different types of groups.  Church leagues, bar leagues, community leagues.  This has been the best group of people that I've had the opportunity to play with.  They've made me feel like one of the team and not an outsider filling a spot.

Church leagues (as a kid)....more emphasis on fun.
Bar leagues (as adult)...more mean people.  Because they're drunk.  And way too competitive for me.
Community (as kid and adult)....very much clique-y.

Chico's central people consist of Nicole and a couple of her high school friends from Melrose.  Each has brought their own set of friends along for the ride.  Beside myself, Nicole has brought friends from college and another girl we work with, Jackie.  We all get along.  We all are able to joke around.  We have fun and look good while doing it.  And we're not all that bad.  I think in the last two years, we've only lost 2 or 3 games.  We Rock!!!!

If you wanna catch us in action, let me know!!!  The fields aren't that far away from The Grand Ole Creamery!!!  I'll take you out for ice cream.


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Shiro and Fubuki
Shiro and Fubuki

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The Extra Dimension (Gen.)

Parts:   Prologue  -

Sonorous (O)

Summary for The Extra Dimension: Rated - PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) - An evil reborn to unfathomable heights; a new container for Celebi's power, whether he wants to or not. A Pokemon in too deep to be saved, and a boy whom, like the person he's unwillingly becoming, boasts a streak of white across his face. But beyond even that, the Timetravel Pokemon holds all the strings...

Summary for Sonorous: Rated - PG (Parental Guidance suggested) - She was a student in a small town, living as if the days dragged on forever. Thus, what better thing is there for Delia Ketchum to do but to fall in love with a total stranger? [English Names Used]

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Download "virtual kitchen design softwarevirtual kitchen design software stware er virtual kitchen design tool free" Book at link Below

The Engine 2 Diet

Lose weight, lower cholesterol, significantly reduce the risk of disease, and become physically fit--in just 4 weeks. Professional athlete-turned-firefighter Rip Esselstyn is used

ISBN10 : 0446543683 , ISBN13 : 9780446543682

Page Number : 288


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Friday, 16 November 2018

We've got some really nice specials for you.....

It's that time of year when, after a really busy time, we sit down, take stock, think about what we're doing next and - while we're about it - try to give our loyal customers an end of year 'gift' in the form of specials. And no, this is not Black Friday. We don't do Black Friday, we prefer to just be nice to you when we can find the time to do that.

So here we go.

This book, a collaboration between Di van Niekerk, Monique Day-Wilde and myself, came out about two months ago and, I'm afraid, with not a lot of fanfare from me. I was in Australia and not in a position to write to all of you. So, to make up for that, I'm doing it now and to make up for my tardiness, we are running a special.

We don't stock all of the kits on our website, only the ones where I was involved in the stitch design. You will find all of those on our website on the Mandala Special page. For the next two weeks, if you purchase 3 full kits of any of the designs on that page we will send you the Mandala book for nothing. To sweeten the pill some more, we have put a 10% discount on all of those kits for the same period. You will also find the same thing happens on our normal Mandala Page.

My Crewel Creatures book has been so well received and I have received so many compliments, so thank you all for that and to celebrate the fact that you like the book, we are offering full kits of all the creatures on our End of Year Specials page at a 30% discount.

In amongst the Crewel Creatures are the Tumbleweeds Series, currently our other popular line and also at a 30% discount for the full kits.

And also..............the bead flower brooch. Specifically designed with instructions that take you through 3-dimensional bead flowers, I did this for those that need to have more extensive instructions that there is ever space for in any book or similar publication. I am in the process of putting a whole bead embroidery book together, similar to the Needle Lace and Needle Weaving books but these things take time. So until I've actually come up with that book, the bead flower brooch gives you some fairly good instructions and we are offering our stock at a 30% discount.

And now, onto the subject of threads. It has become difficult to get Anchor threads - which is a pity because they were really nice with some sublime colours, but that's life. Because of this, I made a decision to, therefore, up our range of DMC threads and in the next month or so the last of the stock should arrive. When it does, we will have the entire ranges of: Stranded Cotton, Colour Variations, Coloris, Light Effects, Satin, Perle #12, Special Dentelles and Diamant metallic threads. I will send out a newsletter with a complete list of our DMC stocks when everything is here. In the meantime, it is only the Special Dentelles and the Diamant threads that are waiting for the last few colours.

One of the problems that I encounter when I am playing around with needle weaving and needle lace techniques is the limited range of colours in the DMC Perle #12 and Dentelles ranges. The solution to that is Presencia threads. They really do have a fabulous range of colours in the Finca Perle threads and I have started bringing in some of those in Perle #12 (simiilar to DMC Perle #12) and Perle #16 (simiilar to DMC Dentelles). I'm slowly building up this range and if you click on the links to each page you will be able to see what we have in stock at present, remembering to check in from time to time to see what we've added. On both of those pages are links to colour charts, so have a look at those. Such a fabulous range of colours and, having worked with it over the last year or two, I can tell you that it is good quality thread.

So, that's it for now. Must get on with the next thing that has to be done and we do hope you will be tempted by our specials.

Thursday, 8 February 2018

Going Round In Circles

Going Round In Circles

Around the end of November last year, a week or so after I had my shoulder fixed - so my arm was still in a sling - we had a bit of a dog fight here.  With blood. Never nice when that happens and I was to be found doing an emergency dash to the vet with a distressed Maltese and my own dicky right arm.  I left her there to be fixed up and came home somewhat unhappy myself and set about sorting out the root of the problem - another Maltese who was living with us and was upsetting the balance.

Halfway through organising her a fabulous new home (where she is now settled, spoilt and very happy) I received a message from my publisher asking me if I would collaborate with Di van Niekerk and Monique Day-Wilde to stitch and write a book on hand embroidered mandalas.  Being a most agreeable person I said yes, no problem, absolutely fine and got on with my day which ended with me picking up poor little Phoebe the Maltese from the vet, still a bit confused from the anaesthetic and with all sorts of drains coming out of her worst wounds.  I'm pleased to report that she got back to normal very quickly and all is now happy in the Blomkamp Dog pack or, as I call them, our armed response team.  Because we have crime, they are our first line of defence.

But back to the mandalas.  I woke up the next morning realising that stitching 25 mandalas (between Di and me) in four months was going to be a bit of a stretch.  Actually, impossible.  So, got on the blower to Di and said we are going to have to find a team to help us.  By the end of our conversation we had identified 11 people who we could ask to help and we set about asking them.

And this is what I want to tell you.

Every time I phoned one of them I did so with trepidation.  It was a big thing to ask.  I fully expected some, if not all of them, to refuse and to tell me a thing or two whilst doing that.  Well, that didn't happen and currently there are 13 of us, all over South Africa, madly stitching till late every night.  Di and I do a wedge of each circular design, put the threads and beads together, write up basic instructions and a stitch guide and send it off to whoever is going to do the repeats and turn it into a completed project.  We have people popping into our homes to fetch (and as of a week ago, deliver) and Aramex Couriers are being kept very busy delivering, fetching and delivering back to us those that are being worked in other centres.

Every single person we asked - and admittedly we only asked people who we knew were competent along with being nice people - has come to the party with enthusiasm and some even said they felt honoured or excited, said thanks for trusting me.

I probably don't even need to mention that, on the whole, I trust dogs more than I trust most people but this is the second time in less than a year that I have been pulled up on this, the first being the wonderful response to Inspirations Magazine's request for donations of needlework supplies to the ladies in Harare, Zimbabwe.  Wow, was that amazing and did it go a long way to restoring my faith in humanity, particularly in these turbulent times.

And now again.  What a wonderful bunch of ladies we have helping us.  Our work party.

It's too soon to tell you anything about this forthcoming book other than to say that it is going to be varied, colourful, but also with some more muted mandalas.  Monique's designs are out of this world and it is such fun working out stitches and colours to do them justice.  The wide range of designs will be divided up into skill levels so that there will be something for everyone - from very simple to the more complicated techniques - and we envisage that it could also be a great teaching tool for all you tutors out there.  We haven't yet got as far as a publication date, but I will keep you posted on this.

In the meantime, I am sitting some 8 to 10 hours a day doing circles and loving the process.  Some of them remind me of previous circular designs I have done and because I'm so enthused I decided maybe we should do a special on some circular designs.

So here they are.   Full kits for all of them have been marked down by 25% and they are available at this price until the 22nd February or until stocks run out, whichever happens first.

Midnight Meander featured on the cover of Crewel Twists and remains popular.  If you would like to order the full kit at a 25% discount, click on the image above or here and choose "full kit" in the drop down menu when the page opens.

Jacobean Tangle turned out to be the most popular design in the Crewel Twists book and features small areas of needle lace, along with more conventional crewel stitches - and beads.  If you would like to order the full kit at a 25% discount, click on the image above or here and choose "full kit" in the drop down menu when the page opens.

And then two designs that are similar to mandalas in that the projects involve repeats.  One would think that it would be tedious to repeat what you have already done but my experience is that this is not the case.  You are watching the whole thing come together as you stitch and that is not at all boring.

Monochromatic designs don't show up particularly well in photographs - well not if you have my lack of photographic skills - but I loved doing 8 Shades Of Beige.  It is delicate and filled with really interesting needle lace stitches, bead embroidery stitches and, of course, crewel stitches.  If you would like to order the full kit at a 25% discount, click on the image above or here and choose "full kit" in the drop down menu when the page opens.

And the last one is a mandala design that I did a few years ago.

Called Mandala Magic, it is full of my 'tricks' - weaving, needle lace, beads, you name it.  My original intention was to mount it in a pole screen and I am still going to do that one day.  Just have to find the time to have one made.  If you would like to order the full kit at a 25% discount, click on the image above or here and choose "full kit" in the drop down menu when the page opens.

So, there you go girls.  Get in quickly because these specials usually go fast.

My new book, Crewel Creatures, is about six weeks away.  If you want to get a small preview of what the book looks like, either go to my home page or click here.  You'll be able to have a squizz at the back and front covers along with a selection of the content pages.

When I know that the arrival of boxes of books into my studio is imminent, we will be uploading all of the packs - along with the books - on the website and I will let you know they are there.  We intend to do specials on a selection of the full kits, so watch out for that.

And now I'm going to go back to stitching mandalas.  I think I'm on number 13 but, actually, I've lost count.

Till the next time,

Monday, 13 November 2017

Two New(ish) Books

Some of you will remember, and will have purchased, my needle lace and needle weaving stitch guide books.

I put those books together as a teaching tool, a place where all of the techniques relating to either needle lace or needle weaving, as one would use them in hand embroidery, were in one place with easy access.  I then sent a copy of each to Mary Corbet who reviewed them on her blog.  If you want to read that review (and its update) you'll find it here.

And things went crazy! As they always do when Mary Corbet says something about anything. With justification of course. Mary is always worth listening to, no matter how clever you are (or think you are).

As a result of Mary's post, Search Press asked me if they could publish them on my behalf. I have a great relationship with Search Press in the UK, because they publish my other books in conjunction with Metz Press in South Africa. They redesigned the books to suit their regular format and those books are now available.

Actually, they're been available for a while but as I have only just received stock of them, I have held back on writing about them until now.

So, what do you need to know if you already have them in the old format?

The content of each book is identical to what it was before. If you buy the new editions you won't find any additional stitches or information but what you will find is strong binding, books that are really well put together. I really am not trying to tempt you here, just raving a bit because they really are nice.

The way they have been put together allows you to be able to put a magnetic board and ruler under each page, having folded the covers back. This makes it easy to keep track of where you are. I will be putting together a short video clip of how this works, so watch out for that.

For those of you that would like to order them from me, you will find them here and here on my website.

If you are in South Africa, then it would probably be where you would want to order them from. You will also be able to find them at places like Exclusive Books, Bargain Books, CNA and, of course, on

If, however, you are elsewhere in the world you will find it cheaper from the shipping point of view to order them from places like Amazon (here and here), Book Depository (here and here) or, of course, you local needle work supplier. I know that a lot of the needle work suppliers that I deal with in Australia and New Zealand have got them in already, so it's a good idea to check with them first if you're in that part of the world.

Unlike my other books and also my forthcoming book, Crewel Creatures, these two books are stitch and technique guides. They do not include any projects, are a reference for you to use in your own embroidery, rather like those stitch guide books from days gone by (the TH de Dillmont book, Mary Thomas's book, the Weldon's book) and those from recent times, my favourites being the A-Z guides put together by Inspirations Magazine and now published by Search Press.

I have already received a couple of emails from those who have enjoyed my other books asking me how they're going to use these books and to this end I have spent the afternoon putting a lot of information onto the product pages for these books on my website. That information includes the designs that, in each instance, use the techniques described in these new books.

So, even if you are going to order from a supplier close to you, it might be worth looking at the product pages here and here. When you get to these pages scroll down to where there are lists of designs. Each one has a link ascribed to it and a simple click will take you to the page for each of those designs that use either needle lace or needle weaving techniques - or both in many cases.

It goes without saying that my forthcoming book, Crewel Creatures, features quite a few needle lace and needle weaving stitches. When that is ready for launch, I will add the relevant designs to the product pages for these two books.

The most useful way to use all of these stitches is in crazy patchwork either in conjunction my own book, Hand Stitched Crazy Patchwork, or any other crazy patchwork that you'd like to try.

So, having inundated you with information today, I promise to shut up for a while. Life is busy and somehow, becomes compartmentalised. I stitch every single day, but then I'm also doing diagrams, writing, dealing with order issues, couriers, post office, website.........and so it goes on. Then just when everything seems to be going smoothly, a dog gets sick (two of them last week because I have altogether far too many dogs), so they have to go to the vet.

'm sorry that both of these got done on the same day and I hope I haven't (in the words of my wonderful son) cooked your collective brains. If I have, I apologise.

Till next time (which will be a while, I promise)

Showcasing Crewel Creatures

About ten days ago I received the first proofs of Crewel Creatures from Metz Press. That's always an exciting time for me because I am always amazed at how Wilsia Metz and Liezl Maree take my ramblings along with the photos from the photo shoot and weave them into a work of art. They have, once again, produced a beautiful book.

Some years ago I spotted a painting of an owl in the window of an art gallery in a quaint village area of Montreal. Although it was probably in what is known as the 'steam punk' style, it was the clock face tummy that caught my eye. I obsessed for the rest of my Canadian trip over how I could interpret that idea, particularly the tummy, in Jacobean embroidery. Owlfred was the result and while I was stitching him it dawned on me that there was absolutely no reason to stop with an owl, why not other animals and birds?

It's been about two years in the making and Crewel Creatures is the result of those imaginings.

In the book you will find:

The shell of a tortoise is an area which cries out for Jacobean elements. Norman, as he is known, is colourful and decorative.

Living in Africa, as I do it was inevitable that I would choose to interpret the animals and birds that reside on this continent. Audrey is worked, not in the normal colours of an ostrich but rather, in the colours of the Klein Karoo, the area in South Africa where you would expect to find these large flightless birds.

Having enjoyed Owlfred, I wanted to do another owl for the book. One in full flight, about to pounce on the rat that, as is happens, ate my ethernet cables at about the time I was dreaming about it, the rhodent that left me with no internet for a while. Maureen is a big girl. She needed to be large if the Jacobean elements were going to look like anything at all so she is a long project but really will take pride of place on any wall when completed and framed.

To my mind, the hood of a cobra is an area just waiting for Jacobean embellishment. Despite this, a snake is a subject that may not appeal to many even though it often formed a part of the old Jacobean Tree of Life pieces, so it took a while to make the decision to include Janet and of course, she needed to be a happy and pretty snake. So, plenty of small glass pearls and a smile on her face. I have to say, I did enjoy stitching her.

hat could be more African than an elephant and also, the next and final design, a Rhino. Shirley is a stylised elephant with large, decorative ears. It is those larger ears that distinguish the African from the Asian elephant and, having seen images of so many decorative elephants that come from Asia, it was very difficult to not automatically fill her with red and gold elements. Instead, she is altogether more muted which, despite the common belief that Africa is mostly a continent of bright orange sunsets and brightly coloured Ndebele art, are very much the shades that you will find on this most colourful of continents.

Both of these animals are on the endangered list, the Rhino critically so with Rhino poaching being one of the great scourges of our time. At least every week there will be footage and mention of Rhino slaughter on our local television news and all of this because far away men from another continent believe that its horn, ground into powder, is an aphrodisiac. I had a lot of fun with Roger's hide and the trees behind him - using a freestyle variety of stitches to create texture.

I'm privileged to have seen both of these large animals many times, and in their natural habitat. I hope that they will still be around for future generations to be equally privileged.

So, when will you be able to get this book?

As mentioned, it is still in its production phase. I expect to have copies in late February to early March, that being for the South African market. With regard to the rest of the world, that will be a little later, around the beginning of June. It is available for pre-order on Amazon, Book Depository, Fishpond and I would imagine other book websites No pressure then for the author. It's quite nerve wracking when you're still busy with it and it's already out there. If you click on the book site links above you will be able to pre-order right now. But best not to tell me you've done that. It's nail biting stuff until I receive the advance copies and know it's real.

As soon as I get boxes of the book available in my studio, the packs will go online. They will be the normal packs that we provide - i.e. print packs, bead packs, thread packs and speciality thread packs. Obviously you will need the book for the instructions and we provide the packs to make it easier for you. No tracing onto fabric, no trying to source threads and beads from all over the place. All in one place from us.

But what are you going to do in the meantime if you would like to start on a creature. Maybe this will solve your problem.

We have full kits of Owlfred available on our website at a discounted price. Well, only 8 of them because that's what we have in stock. We've got them at that price until the end of November so if you want one at a good price, probably get there quite quickly. Click here and you'll be taken to the place where you can order one.

So, that's Crewel Creatures.

I'm afraid that you're going to be hearing from me again very soon because I also have two other new books. I'm going to write a separate newsletter about that, just so that we don't mix things up too much.

Till then, Hazel

Thursday, 7 July 2016

I Want A Refund

It is now the first week of the seventh month of the year and, having given it a six-month trial, I think I would like to send 2016 back - and get a refund.

It has gone by in a haze of puppies, canine mastitis, more visits to the vet than I can count, rushing up to Zimbabwe for the Harare Needlework Guild’s bi-annual competition, going straight on to South East Asia for the Inspirations Mekong cruise, and then coming back to surgery for myself and – as a result of some complications - having to cancel my trip out to Australia to teach at Koala Conventions.

Apart from not getting any time to write on this blog, the people that I need to apologise to are those that had booked to do my workshops in Brisbane. I am going to admit, right here and now, that I have to take some of the blame. I should have gone to the doctor sooner than I did but I was hand-rearing puppies. Hungry mouths are hard to ignore. Much easier to just put up with some, albeit rather alarming, tummy grumbles. Once you’ve ignored it once or twice, it is easy to keep ignoring it and travel off to countries that have either doubtful medical care, or speak in a language that you can neither speak nor understand.

However. I am better, with a surprisingly clear head. I didn’t realise that it had been fuzzy for a long time. Obviously I had forgotten what normal feels like. That happens when things slowly creep up on you. We have two gorgeous Boxer Weapons Of Mass Distraction (gosh, what a delight they are), five hand-picked families are enjoying their Boxer puppies and, having found myself stuck at home when I didn’t expect to be, I am catching up.

I started this embroidery business on my dining room table. As time went on, I outgrew that space – and anyway, one needs a dining room table for family meals. Our study was not nearly big enough for all the things that were needing storage space and certainly did not have enough working room for extra staff, so I converted first one side of our double garage, then the other side, then the servants’ quarters and eventually the store room (all in the same building). If the truth be told, we could do with still more space and I will probably add a room onto that building in time but, in the meantime, I am making an attempt to go digital to the extent that I can and to that end there is now a section for Downloadable Patterns on our website.

Over the last twenty-five years I have brought out a lot of designs for both embroidery and beadwork. At the beginning I designed a lot of simple patterns, ones that are still useful to embroiderers who are at the beginning of their embroidery journey. I don’t put those out as kits anymore but, it has been pointed out to me, there are many stitchers out there who would like to have access to these. That there is still a demand for not only less complicated stitching but also, smaller projects.

Along with beadwork patterns, I am slowly converting all of my older designs into downloadable patterns. Having got far better at layout, I am updating that. Since I started doing this I have gone from hand-drawing stitch diagrams to doing them on computer, which produces a much-superior result. Even my photographs have improved. So, as my time allows I am slowly wading through the whole lot, editing, redoing the instructions, inserting better images, and as I complete each one, I upload it here.

From time to time, I get a request for a kit that I have discontinued. Those patterns are all going to eventually be available as Downloadables. Please do have a look at them. There might be something that takes your fancy, or even something that you wanted, had asked for, and was told it had been discontinued. Likewise, if there is something that you can no longer get from me, please let me know because I would probably be able to convert that pattern ahead of others.

I have been on the receiving end of dire warnings about unscrupulous customers who will buy one design and print out many copies for every member of the sewing circle, their mothers, aunties and even their daughter’s gay friend who is into needlework. I am sure that this is possible, but I have chosen to trust the better side of human nature.

Each embroidery pattern comprises the line drawing with instructions for how to transfer it to fabric, colour images of the completed embroidery, full stitching instructions with diagrams and a stitch guide, and a full list of the materials needed to complete the project.

The beadwork patterns give you comprehensive instructions on how to complete the project, with diagrams, colour images and, as with the embroidery patterns, a full list of all of the materials needed – along with a suggestion that you use the recommended beads, crystals, pearls, etc. in colours of your choice. Because there are beads and then there are beads. You don’t get the same result if you use rubbish beads. You just don’t.

And now I’m going to leave you with a photograph of Colin and Lily. Every single puppy from Brenda and Neville’s litter went to a hand-picked home, homes where I knew they would be loved, spoilt, fed properly and taken to the vet if they were sick. I’m in regular contact with all of the new owners and these delightful animals are giving their families as much pleasure as we are getting from our two. All of them are proving that the only reason to breed a litter of puppies is to pass on good temperament.

Colin is very much like his father, Neville. A huge and gentle giant with absolutely nothing between his ears. No IQ whatsoever, just galumphs around all clumsy and looking confused. And so affectionate. Lily is as affectionate, very much like her mother, Brenda. Sparky, naughty, bright eyed and convinced that she is a lap dog, even though she is now getting a bit big for that. I kept her for our son and as the weeks went by I realised that we were getting into an impossible situation. One where it would be impossible for me to let go of her, and impossible for her to leave the pack to which she is so bonded.

Then we discovered that our neighbours were moving to another city. So, we bought the house, my son moved in yesterday, I’ve checked that the perimeter walls and fences are secure, next week our builder is knocking a space into the dividing wall, which will give all the dogs access to both properties, and Lily will never leave home.

Is that not a perfect solution?

Wednesday, 30 March 2016

My New Book – at last

I am ashamed to say that my new book has been available for a few weeks and only now am I able to tell you that it is available on my website, as are the packs for the projects in the book. There are 8 reasons for this delay and I’ll talk about those later.

I told you all about the new book in November last year and you can read my blog post here.

Designed and written for both quilters and embroiderers, there are over 160 techniques in the book so, even if you don’t want to do the projects that I have done, you will nevertheless find a wealth of information on how to do a range of techniques. These include quilting, crazy patch piecing, embroidery stitches, ribbon embroidery stitches, simple tatting, needle lace, needle weaving, bead embroidery and even simple beading techniques – all of them used to embellish crazy patchwork. But not just crazy patchwork. Most of these techniques can be used in any kind of needle work.

My publisher described it to me as ‘encyclopaedic’, and yes, there is a lot of information in there.

You will be able to buy the book on my website. We are about to publish a brand new website which is why I’m not going to give you the actual links. Go to and follow the links to BOOKS in the ONLINE SHOP.

If it is the packs for the projects that you want, they are available in the KITS section of the ONLINE SHOP under the HAND STITCHED CRAZY PATCHWORK section. As always, you will be able to buy the full kits or, if you prefer, the separate packs, i.e. thread, special threads, bead packs, print packs, fabric packs and so on.

If you have a registered account on our website you will also be getting a newsletter in the near future, asking you to update your PIN number on the site. As mentioned above, we will shortly be going live with a brand new website and whilst we can transfer all of the information in your user account to the new website, we can’t access your PIN number. Hence the email that you will receive, asking you to click on a link to update your PIN. You won’t have to change that number, so don’t worry about that. It’s more a confirmation really. Just click on the link and do what it asks you to do just to prove that you are an actual person and not a virtual being, robot, hologram, etc.

The website should have been ready by now but, once again, because of the aforementioned 8 reasons, I have not found the time to ‘sit on’ the web man, to pester him to get it ready by the time the new book is available. You do have to do this thing because they are busy and tend to forget the dates that are so important to you.

And now for the 8 reasons.

I announced the birth of our Boxer puppies in my last blog post. They are now five weeks old and along the way it has been a little difficult. Brenda, the proud mother, developed life threatening mastitis when they were about five days old. The sort where she went from just fine at seven in the evening to a medical emergency which necessitated my calling out a veterinary surgeon at 11 at night.

A day later, having been put onto oral treatment, she had an allergic reaction to penicillin so thereafter she had to be taken in daily for injections. It got worse with two eruptions and just as she was beginning to look brighter she developed a different infection in another teat. So, a different antibiotic and back to daily veterinary hospital trips.

Needless to say, through all of this the puppies remained hungry and I was to be found doing four hourly feeds, night and day, sterilising bottles, mixing puppy formula. All that stuff. Just like having new born babies. Along the way we lost the tiniest puppy, not from lack of care but because he had a congenital problem which meant that he wasn’t going to survive, no matter how hard we tried.

I am, however, pleased to report that all of that is behind us. We have 8 naughty little devils, eating us out of house and home, and causing general mayhem.

Mother is much better and teaching them how to dig in the flower beds.

And I am not even going to mention what has to be cleaned up, great big piles of it. It’s hard to fathom where it all comes from.

And they are a complete and utter delight. I can sit for hours just watching them sleep, let alone watching what they get up to in their playful periods. I don’t breed puppies that often – the last time was twenty years ago – and I’m not sure that I will do it again so I am savouring every precious moment until they go to their new homes. And we have lovely homes for every single one of them. Hand picked for hand reared babies. Couldn’t hope for more.

We are keeping Colin, who is just like his Dad, Neville. The reason why we bred this litter in the first place. We had to pass on the best Boxer temperament on the planet.

Here is Colin.

He and his siblings are the reason why the new book ‘launch’ has all been a bit delayed. It is, however, now available and whilst I hope you will forgive my tardiness, I am sure you will all agree that I had 8 very good reasons.

Friday, 26 February 2016

Something so exciting....

One of the joys of what I do is that I get to travel to places various and exotic to pass on my knowledge and experience of embroidery.

I really am one of the luckiest people I know because not only do I meet wonderful, like-minded people who become friends, if only via the email machine, but I get to travel to places that I may not have chosen to go to if left to my own devices. Without exception, when I land up in these places I have gone there with no expectations whatsoever and it is those trips that end up being the best surprises.

It happens every time, but the one that does stand out in my mind is the cruise down the Mekong that I did with Inspirations Magazine in late-2014. Cambodia and Vietnam had not ever been in my mind as somewhere that I would like to visit one day. Yes, I was probably curious about what had happened there because at the time of both countries’ upheavals I was either in my late teens or a young mother with new babies, not really interested in the rest of the world. I was also not aware that there was much to see, from a ‘sights’ point of view, so it was not on my radar when Fiona and Susan invited me to teach on their first cruise down the Mekong. I said that, of course, I would go and in a sense, left it at that. I was, anyway, having a very busy year and it was just another place that I needed to get to in 2014.

I flew out of Johannesburg, having heaved a sigh of relief because I’d managed to get myself and my passport onto the plane in time, and promptly fell asleep. Not the demeanour of a terribly excited person.

And what a surprise was in store for me. From the moment we landed in Siem Reap in Cambodia, to the time we flew out of Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, at the end of our cruise it made for an experience that I will always cherish.

From fabulous hotels, to ancient temples, colourful markets, floating villages, interesting and unusual smells, great service on a five-star boat and the fabulous South East Asian people, it never stopped. Our fellow cruisers were out for the same experience along with learning some embroidery from Susan and myself. My experience of teaching on that cruise was very special because we had so much time to, not only get to know our students but, also, to really teach each technique more properly than we might otherwise have been able to do at, say, a convention where time is usually a bit limited. You can add to that the fact that for Fiona and Susan, nothing was too much trouble. If someone needed to know something they found the answer. They provided care beyond the call of duty for every single person, not to mention their sparkling company and wit.

So, when Laura emailed me from Inspirations to ask me if I would consider teaching on another Mekong Cruise, I did not hesitate. I can certainly do all of that again. In fact, yes, I’m first in the queue.

It’s all happening from the 15th to the 22nd of May and all I really want to say is that if you are thinking that it may be something that you might possibly do, don’t hesitate. Do it.

It doesn’t matter if, like me, you are a frequent and jaded traveler that has been to a lot of different places. Or if you are someone that has not, in the past, ventured too far from home. It will be an experience that you have never had before and will treasure forever. I also think that, in today’s world, it is one of the parts of the world that is safe to travel to. We’ve all, inevitably, become a little nervous in the light of various recent and present threats to travelers, but I have to say that I have absolutely no qualms about this trip. Nice people, well organised and as safe an adventure as you can expect to have.

Have a look at this and this, then go to the cruise website. After which, get hold of Laura by email at You can, of course, book on the website too, but I am sure Laura will be quite happy to receive your person emails.

So, all that’s left to say on the subject, is I look forward to meeting you. We’re going to have a fabulous time.

Quickly before I close, I have a small announcement as under.

BLOMKAMP: Neville and Brenda are delighted to announce the birth of Colin, Roger, Frank, Norman, Shirley, Maureen, Audrey, Janet and Linda by Caesarean Section at 6 pm on Wednesday 24th February. Mother and babies well, father confused and grandmother running around with bottles of puppy formula.

And 24 hours later, recovering well from the Caesarean Section, utterly focused on her beautiful brood.

Happy times, clever Mummy and now I’m off to feed babies! It’s a huge litter, so I’m helping with supplementary feeding.


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Golden Browns

(Jacket: Boohoo; Cardigan: H&M; Culottes and sandals: Topshop; Bag: Sophie Hulme; Watch: Michael Kors; Necklace and ring: Thomas Sabo)

The Stranglers had it right. Well, not literally - 'texture like sun' is a creative interpretation - but it's certainly an inspirational shade, not least because it does look good on everybody and goes with everything. Even black. No I don't care what you say.

The evenings are getting longer and the idea of spending them sitting in fields or in gardens wearing floaty things or short things with sandals seems like less of a ridiculous one. Whether you'll be sweating it out in suede or girly in gingham or feminine in florals, I hope your wardrobe is ready!

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Stressed Out Entrepreneur? How Important Will Your Business Be To You When You Die?

You own a business. You work hard. You prioritise ‘success.’

But how would you like it if you could see into your future?

What if you could know what was important to you on your death bed?

Would it help you to put things into perspective?

Watch my latest video to discover how.

Then share your reaction in the comments section.

I’m curious.

About The Author

Bob Buckley

My name is Bob Buckley. I'm the founder of The Soul Scientist. As a Coach and Mentor, I support extraordinary people, stuck in personal or professional transition, to create a life of freedom, authenticity and joy. My motto: "Change looks hard. But it doesn't have to feel crippling" #Leadership #SelfDiscovery #Enlightenment #InsideOut


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Home International

Japan plan to drop swastika as temple symbol ahead of Tokyo 2020 causes backlash

A Japanese proposal to stop using swastikas to identify temples on tourist maps ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo has caused a backlash on social media.

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI), the country’s official map-making body, believes foreigners could mistake it for a Nazi symbol and that temples should be represented by a three-storey pagoda instead.

Pronounced manji in Japan, the swastika is an ancient Sanskrit symbol meaning “good fortune” or “well-being” and has been used by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains for millennia.

Many say tourists should learn this with a number of Twitter users expressing their objections to the proposed change.

“It’s said some would mistake the manji for the Nazi symbol, but Buddhism has a much longer history with this symbol,” said one user, Konosaki Lem.

“So I strongly oppose changing our maps for some foreigners who are ignorant and extremely stupid.

“The idea is foolish.”

Takayuki Nakamura, GSI’s executive officer for national mapping, admitted that the change was not to everyone’s liking.

“Japanese users are divided in their opinions on the new symbols,” he told the Japan Times.

“Some say we should change symbols for Japanese-language maps at this opportunity, while others say the traditional symbols should stay.

“Either way, it will take a while before any changes are made, as we need to co-ordinate with related Government agencies.”

The swastika is one of six map symbols the GSI has proposed replacing after speaking to experts and polling more than 1,000 people from 92 countries, including tourists, embassy officials and foreign students, about the clarity of 18 symbols regularly used on maps.

Other symbols that will be changed for foreigners’ maps include that for a hotel, a capital H inside a circle, which research revealed looked too much like the sign commonly used for a helipad.

The traditional symbol for a post office, derived from an old Japanese term dating back to the 19th Century meaning “communication”, was also considered similarly baffling.

Also confusing many was the huge X symbol for police station – meant to represent two truncheons crossing each other – which will be replaced by a saluting policeman, and a cross that is meant to represent a church but could be mistaken for a graveyard.

Some of the old symbols will be kept, however, such as the mark for hot springs, much to the amusement of some who have pointed out looks like a bowl of steaming miso soup.

  • By Daniel Etchells
  • This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, www.insidethegames.biz

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The Studio 4 Blog
We like to keep you up to date with everything that is happening here at The Studio 4, so welcome to our blog.

All-Stars 2 – 7 The Studio 4

The charity match between the Newport All-Stars and The Studio 4 proved to be a great success. Fortunately, the weather stayed fine and at 2pm, 25 players and a good crowd descended on the football pitches at Lilleshall Sports centre. Studio 4 charity football match

The studio 4 had pre-match concerns about their keeper with none of our players seeing it as their best position, so it was agreed that 3 or 4 of the lads would rotate. As the game kicked off, The studio 4 were under the cosh a little as we tried to get our shape. The All-Stars were passing the ball well and tried to capitalise on the fact that we did not have a natural goal keeper. They operated with a 4-5-1 formation with Ben Jones in the All-Stars midfield looking sharp as the All-Stars gathered a bit of momentum. Twenty minutes into the game and against the run of play The studio 4 got their first goal scored by Stephen Beech, this was followed 10 minutes later with another goal for The Studio 4 this time scored by Jack Pennells. Five minutes later Chris Latham was brought down in the box and we were awarded a penalty. The studio 4 nominated captain Matt Curbishley to take it who slotted it in the bottom left hand corner. The Studio 4 were in dreamland, now 3 – 0 up.

As we approached half time The Newport All-Stars managed to knick a goal back and then as the second half started, a shuffling of defence and a keeper change saw us lose another goal making it 3 – 2. All of a sudden it looked like we had a match on and we needed to regain our composure and not let them score another.

The Newport All-Stars had the bit between their teeth now and gained a series of corners. Last ditch headers from Jonny Stiles and Dan codling ensured that we stayed in front.

The Studio 4 then made another keeper change and all of a sudden, we started to get our shape back. Stephen Beech Slotted another one in to make it 4 – 2, he then completed his hat trick with a solo run down the left to make 5 – 2. Tom Trimmer made it 6-2 with a beautiful curling effort from outside the box which went in the top right hand corner and after a few missed opportunities earlier in the game, Chris Latham put one away to make the final score 7 – 2!

The most important thing on the day though was the money we managed to raise for charity. With each of the players chipping in and kind donations from the ref and Lilleshall Sports centre, along with a raffle at half time, we managed to raise £364.50 for Children in Need.

The page is still open if anyone still wants donate and thank you very much to everyone.

Donate now >


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The Studio 4 Blog
We like to keep you up to date with everything that is happening here at The Studio 4, so welcome to our blog.

Blog Archives

Socail medai is’nt desroyting spellin and grammer

I waved goodbye to my last full-time role in the newspaper industry six years ago and immediately found myself embroiled in an online row regarding the quality of the blogs the company I had just left were introducing.

The subject matter of the blogs was not the issue. The poor spelling, grammar and overall style of many of the individual posts was, however, proving a major source of distraction and irritation.

It wasn’t just me complaining, regular readers were not impressed either. When such mistakes were pointed out, apologies were forthcoming…initially.

But there came a point when the newspaper, the bloggers and their editor went on the offensive and stopped apologising for the regular mistakes. “The rules have changed,” I was reliably informed. “This is blogging, it isn’t journalism. So that stuff about spelling and grammar doesn’t always matter these days.”

My argument did not change. It came down to … [Read More]


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Gifts of Clean Beauty from River Organics

I discovered River Organics at a Farmers’ Market in Ocean Isle this past summer while on vacation with my family.  I was so surprised to find this gem of a brand with quality, clean beauty products in such an unexpected place!  At the time, I purchased their after sun spray and their detangling hair mist.  Unfortunately these items are not currently available online, but take me for my word when I say they were fantastic!  Since then I’ve tried several more items from their line of products and have absolutely love them, so I wanted to share them with you: Aura Face Oil, Organic Tinted Lip Balm in Rose and Organic Tinted Lip Balm in Berry.

River Organics is a small batch, organic beauty company located in Wilmington, North Carolina.  It was founded by Corinne & Fabien, a husband and wife duo who are originally from Canada and France, respectively.  With Corinne’s eye for beauty and Fabien’s experience as a natural product chemist with Chanel in the South of France, they have developed a lovely line of products that feel luxurious while maintaining a level of environmental consciousness that we can all agree on.  In addition to using only organic ingredients, they also encourage customers to opt for a refill on body and facial oils, which are contained in recycled glass amber bottles, by offering a 30% discount.  Their lip balms come in recyclable kraft paper tubes and they use as little packaging materials as possible in an effort to reduce their footprint.

The Aura Face Oil has a beautiful citrus scent as it is crafted with blood orange essential oil, rose hip and carrot oil with a splash of Vitamin E.  This blend will brighten and smooth your complexion when used regularly.  Plus, the roll-on bottle is a brilliant idea for those who travel and makes the perfect stocking stuffer!  I recommend applying to cleansed skin at night (by itself or under a night cream) or use it for an added glow during the day under your makeup.  The lip balms are the perfect size to fit in your pocket, stash in a clutch, or keep tucked in a compartment of your handbag.  They’re coconut oil is moisturizing and I love the subtle scent from the cacao and mango together.  Each one adds just a touch of color to your lips while protecting them from any environmental stresses like sun, wind, or cold.  You can purchase them separately or buy them in a great little gift set like this one here and here.

I highly recommend giving the gift of clean beauty this season!  Whether it is as a stocking stuffer or a full cosmetic refresh for a loved one, it is something that you can feel good about giving for years to come.  If you would like to learn more about safer beauty and personal care alternatives, feel free to email me at or read more about why this movement is so important on the Beautycounter website.

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Our new “Stories We Might Have Missed” segment includes stories that we’ve seen around the week that didn’t quite make it into our main posts this past week. At the end of each bullet there should be a source link for our information where you can go grab more details. Enjoy!

  • Google I/O Registration Starts Today!

Today (March 8) marks the first registration day of Google I/O. If you don’t remember, Google I/O 2016 starts on May 18th and ends on May 20th. Google I/O is where we learn about upcoming projects and software releases. We also learn about Google’s performance in 2015 and look forward through the year.

Google I/O registration goes from today until March 10th. On the 10th Google will choose the applicants randomly. Those chosen will be able to purchase a ticket. Ticket prices are $900 for general admission and $300 for academic admission. For more information on registration check out Google’s official I/O site here.

  • OnePlus Gets Featured in House of Cards

If you’ve been watching the new season of House of Cards you have most likely noticed some cameos from OnePlus in multiple episodes. OnePlus paid $300,000 to have some of the characters in House of Cards use their devices. To learn more about the product placement deal check out this link.

  • A Wild HTC M10 Was Found!

The HTC M10 has reportedly been leaked. The leaks show several pictures from different places that all show the same device. Of course, who knows if this is actually real. The leaked pictures show the front, back, side and bottom of the phone. They also show pictures with the screen on and things like the model number and the fact that HTC BoomSound with Dolby Audio will be present. Take a look at the leaks here.

  • Updates, Updates, Updates!

OxygenOS has an update that’s rolling out right now to the OnePlus 2. The update is version of 2.2.1 which includes a security patch update, Bluetooth and Ultra SIM compatibility improvements and RAW support in the camera. Of course there are some more improvements with update 2.2.1. For more information on the rest of the improvements take a look here. The update will be incremental, so you might not see it immediately. Rest assured, you will receive your update eventually.

Speaking of updates, the Sony Xperia Z5 has an update coming out, as well. This update brings your Z5 to Marshmallow. A few of the regions that have been confirmed to receive the update are the United States, Saudi Arabia and Russia (among others). For more information on this update, check out this link.

  • Hound evolves from Beta

Hound gives you fast results in a natural spoken manner. It was in beta, but now it has grown up and been officially released. You can get it on the App Store or Google Play Store in the United States. Take a look at Hound’s features here.

  • Google Photos Gets a Little Touchup

This update to Google Photos features an improved design and some enhancements to performance. The “bottom bar” is where you can click between the Assistant, Photos and the new Albums view. Google states that the new update makes Photos faster and easier to use. Check out the announcement here.

  • Sharing Spotify Songs Gets Easier

You can now share songs and playlists directly from Facebook Messenger. You’ll have to tap the “more” option in the Messenger, but once you do that you should see the option to share from Spotify. Now you don’t have to go to Spotify first to share. Check out more information on this here.

  • Play Store Ratings Might Get Updated

Google might be looking into doing away with the current popup that you see when you’re leaving a rating or review on the Google Play Store. Take a look at the possible changes here.

Christina Cooper
Christina is a tech lover who currently lives in California. She has been writing about technology for about three years and has loved every minute of it. Christina has had the opportunity to go to CES and explore upcoming tech. She currently uses an iPhone 6s Plus as her daily driver. When she’s not writing or working she’s playing video games like Call of Duty, Fallout or Pokemon. She’s always down to converse with fellow geeks and nerds.


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