Leopard and Lace Boutique

06/24/2026

Do y’all remember when I told you I needed a dopamine stitch? 🪡✨

If you don’t know what a dopamine stitch is… here’s my definition:

A dopamine stitch is a small, fun, usually quick-to-finish project that gives you that little burst of happiness and motivation when you need it most. It’s not about the size of the project or how complicated it is… it’s about the joy of finishing something and feeling that “I did it!” moment. 💕

Sometimes we need those little wins. 🥰

And that’s exactly what Berry Mouse Pincushion gave me!

I just finished stitching this precious little mouse designed by Sarah, and I have to say… he was the perfect little dopamine boost I needed. 🐭🍓

There is something so special about sitting down with needle and thread, watching little X’s turn into something you can hold in your hands. The best part? The finishing details! Adding the trims, ribbons, beads, and all the little touches that make it feel like mine. ✨

A quick finish doesn’t mean it’s not meaningful. Sometimes the small projects are the ones that remind us why we fell in love with stitching in the first place. ❤️ PS. My brain is mush after last week so I did the outline and just freehanded the rest of it 🤷🏼‍♀️ and you know what… It’s OK 😉

Now I’m curious… do you have a “dopamine stitch” waiting in your stash? The one you pull out when you need a little stitching joy? 🪡💕

06/23/2026

I seen a reel about the eucalyptus tree and something about it gripped my heart. 🌿🔥

Some eucalyptus trees are uniquely designed for seasons of fire. What looks like complete destruction can become the very place where new life begins. The heat can open what was once closed, and after the ashes settle, new growth can appear.

Isn’t that such a picture of what God does?

Isaiah 61:3 says:

“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”

God never wastes our ashes.

The things that hurt…
the seasons that felt like they took everything from us…
the moments when we wondered how anything beautiful could come from the broken pieces…

God can breathe life into those places.

The eucalyptus tree doesn’t know the fire is preparing the way for something new. And sometimes we don’t understand what God is doing while we’re walking through our own fires. But He is still working. 🌱

The ashes are not the end of the story.

God is still the Creator of beauty.
He is still the Restorer.
He is still making all things new.

“Beauty for ashes.” ❤️

06/21/2026

I am finally sitting down to stitch again… and I cannot tell you how excited I am. 🥹🪡🍓

Tonight I’m starting this precious little strawberry mouse that Sarah 🐭🍓 Sarah Jenkins designed, and it is exactly what my heart needed.

Have you ever heard of a “dopamine finish”? It’s a phrase I’ve really been focusing on lately. It’s the idea of choosing a project that gives you a little spark of joy — a finish that is achievable, encouraging, and reminds you why you fell in love with creating in the first place.

Sometimes we don’t need a huge project or a complicated goal. Sometimes we just need a little win. A few stitches. A pretty thread. A project that makes us smile.

After the heaviness of last week, I needed something simple and sweet. Something that would let me sit down, breathe, and enjoy the process again.

When Madison was here, we sat at the table and made several bag charms together. I decided to use my strawberry bag charm as a floss drop, and this little setup is bringing me so much joy tonight. 🍓✨

Sometimes the little things fill our cup.

Jennifer Jennifer Michelle made the frog needle minder 🐸🧵🪡

So tell me… what are you working on tonight? 🪡❤️

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

Tomorrow we will lay my sweet friend to rest. 💞

Tonight, I finished this tribute in her honor.

She loved sewing, embroidery, quilting, and creating beautiful things with her hands. Inside this display are her treasured sewing notions, including wooden spools that belonged to her mother and have now been passed down to me. In this floral arrangement I wove in a pink measuring tape( perfect finishing touch) , ribbons, all reminders of a life spent making pretty things.

Beside this display tomorrow will be her final embroidery project. It remains unfinished because her eyesight had begun to fade, but it is still beautiful—just like the woman who stitched it.

Today, I also had the privilege of fixing her hair one last time. What a sacred gift that was.

Please keep her family and friends in your prayers as we say goodbye for now.

My heart is heavy, but I find comfort in knowing that this is not the end. Because of Jesus, I know I will see my dear friend again someday.

Until then, rest well, my friend.

06/16/2026

🚨FATHER’S DAY SCAM ALERT FRIENDS 🚨

THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING, but authorities suspect the wife may have been involved.
EVIDENCE INCLUDES:
✅ Fabric
✅ Floss
✅ Charts

🚔 SUSPECT: ❓

WIFE 🤷🏼‍♀️

A suspicious amount of excitement upon opening the box🫪🤭

⁉️Be careful out there, friends!
I ordered my husband an expensive tool for Father’s Day.....and somehow the package arrived full of
cross-stitch supplies 🤣🎉

🤭🚨🚓 THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING TOOL CONTINUES...😉

🔍 If anyone spots Jon’s missing tool, please contact the authorities immediately. Until then, I’ll be over here organizing my “evidence.” 🧵😂

06/15/2026

“Be kind. You never know which person is fighting a battle you cannot see.” 💞

A little different than my usual stitching content today…

When I got home from church, I opened social media and found a rude comment waiting for me. I chose to hide it because I don’t believe in giving negativity a platform.

What I do want to say is this: please remember there is a real person behind every account. You never know what someone is carrying when you hit “post.”

If that comment was yours, my best friend passed away less than five days ago. It’s been a very difficult week, and the last thing I needed was unnecessary cruelty.

I was raised to believe that if you don’t have something nice to say, it’s better not to say anything at all. As a Christian, I believe our words matter. They can build up or tear down, and I try to choose mine carefully.

Life has taken me through some very hard seasons, but those fires didn’t destroy me—they strengthened me. What was meant to hurt me only deepened my faith and resilience.

There are thousands of creators online. If my content isn’t for you, that’s okay. Feel free to scroll on or unfollow. What I won’t tolerate is unkindness. Those comments will be removed, and those accounts will be blocked.

This isn’t anger—it’s a boundary.

To everyone who continues to support me, encourage me, and follow along with my crafty adventures, thank you. Your kindness means more than you know. 💞🐆🫶🏻

06/12/2026

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:7 (KJV)

Yesterday morning, I woke up knowing I needed to get dressed and make my way to the funeral home. As I sat with my coffee, I found myself marveling at the peace of God.

Knowing the task before me, I expected my heart to feel heavy. Instead, I felt His presence carrying me. I walked through that day with a peace I cannot fully explain. 🥹

I know there will be hard days ahead, and grief will come in waves. But today, I can honestly say I feel the peace of God abounding in my heart. I have joy knowing my dear friend is no longer suffering, no longer in pain, and is resting in the presence of Jesus.

One of our last conversations was about that very thing. She smiled and said, “I’m resting in Jesus.”

And she was.

Then Wednesday night, as my pastor and his wife sang “Reassure Me,” I felt the peace of God sweep over my soul, and I knew…

I was going to be okay. 🥹🙌🏻

Today, I’m choosing to rest in Him.

🙏🏻 Have you ever experienced God’s peace in the middle of a storm? Share your testimony below. Someone may need that encouragement today. 🤍

06/11/2026

🪡🧵 Her needle is laid down, but her legacy remains woven into our hearts.l 💞

Today, as I sit and think about my sweet friend Sister Carolyn and her love for needlework, my mind wandered to a piece of cross-stitch linen held in the hands of the Creator.

Life is much the same.

Each of us is given a piece of linen—a measured number of days, conversations, victories, heartaches, and opportunities to love. Stitch by stitch, color by color, our story starts to unfold.

Some stitches are bright with joy, laughter, friendship, and celebration.

Others are stitched with the darker shades of grief, loss, disappointment, and trials we never would have chosen for ourselves.

Then there are the quiet stitches—the ordinary days that seem insignificant but become the foundation of the design.

As stitchers, we know that a single thread never tells the whole story. What looks random up close often becomes beautiful when viewed from a distance.

The same is true of our lives.

We see only a small section of the linen, but God sees the completed work.

Today I find comfort in knowing that when our final stitch is placed and our needle is laid down, the story is not over. It is simply the moment when the masterpiece is finally revealed.

As I think about Sister Carolyn today, I can’t help but imagine that what we seen as an unfinished corner of the linen is, in Heaven, a completed masterpiece.

And one day, when we stand in His presence, we’ll finally see the beautiful design He was creating all along. His masterpiece 🪡🧵🖼️

Every color mattered.
Every stitch had purpose.
Every thread was held securely in His hands.

06/10/2026

My best friend is dancing with Jesus today. 💃🏼💞🥹

The tears that run down my face today are not tears of despair. They are reminders of precious memories, sacred conversations, and moments I will cherish forever.

As believers, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. Our hearts ache because we love deeply, but our hope is firmly anchored in Jesus Christ.

Granny has finished her earthly race, but this is not the end of her story. Today, her faith has become sight. She is whole, joyful, and home with the Savior she loved so dearly.

For years, Tuesdays meant Bible study with Sister Sue and Sister Carolyn—better known as Granny. We spent countless hours studying God’s Word, encouraging one another, laughing together, and growing in faith. What a gift those days were.

Many years ago, Granny taught us how to embroider at a ladies’ meeting. Little did I know that one day some of my sweetest memories would be sitting beside her, stitching, sharing stories, and talking about the simple things that matter most.

Today my heart is full of gratitude for a woman who loved Jesus well, poured into others, and showed me what it looks like to finish faithfully.

Until we meet again, my dear friend 🫶🏻🥹💞

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” — Psalm 116:1