Martha's Fruity Button Embroidery Napkins

So many birthdays this month already: Justin, Jason, John, Tobey, Lexi, Miles, Maria, Sam, Ed, Alyssa, Mike, Michael, and...my Mom!  She's always had a love for fruits: in her kitchen adorning the cabinets and walls, fashioned in clay, wood, porcelain and glass, so I used this Martha Stewart idea to make a gift for her: little hemstitch Irish linen cocktail napkins embellished with little button fruits.

I got the plain napkins from the extensively-stocked Boutross Imports in Brooklyn where they have "everything in linens since 1894"!  I love their amazing selection for table, bed, bath and baby from doilies to sheets to dresses and beyond.  I started in the car on the way to our DC/Philly vacation at the beginning of the month.

It took a little planning...

and for the dozen napkins I chose a dozen fruits and got going...

and then there were 12.

There were the citrus fruits: lemon, orange and lime.

The stone fruits: cherry, plum, peach and apricot.

One vegetable (peapod) and the "other" fruits: apple, blueberries, banana and grapes.

Then time for wrapping: one of my favorite parts!  I was very pleased to find a box I had saved from Manhattan Fruitier that came with a Christmas basket last year.

So, in they went with some sunny, yellow tissue.

Had to add a nice tag

and I had a little something for my sister, Emily, so why not wrap that too?  

P.S.: the other little box is Maple Walnut Fudge from the Reading Terminal Market  in Philly, fabulous foodie haven!, but more about that soon.

Everything's Gone Green

Happy late St. Patrick's Day...I mentioned that it's been a busy week, but I still squeezed some craftiness in.  These are some Shamrock Boutonnieres from a Martha Stewart pattern.

I actually traced and cut the shamrock shapes and it took SO much longer than when I use the cute, little paper punches that I'm a liiittlle too much in love with, ha.  But eventually I had a good bunch.

Then I received this lovely card from my friend, Koru Kate from Koru Wedding Style!

I also tried coloring some carnations...

and they did take on a slight green tint:

And I embroidered a little tea towel:

and brought some gifts to St. Pat's dinner.

Here's my parents' dog Guinness hoping for a treat.  They brought him home around St. Pat's Day 2 years ago, so he got an Irish name.

And then it was corned beef and cabbage time with Irish soda bread and (green) beer.  Good luck and good health for the year!