The Super Side Note feat. Katie Elder

The squirrel behind the stitches....

“….these are a few of her favorite things .”

One of my most favorite parts of this publication (that, full disclosure, I did not see coming) is The Super Side Note. I love this little needlepoint-adjacent-and-lifestyle slice of creativity. I love putting together little snips of things that catch my eye in the ebb and flow of the everyday. Quite frankly, these are things that add a just the right #finishingtouch. Things that spark joy for me, and in sharing them, I hope they do the same for you.

Recently, I noticed one of my dear friends Katie started a“Sunday Saves”. It truly slowed me in my scroll, as I was very much invested in the things that not only caught her attention, but that she felt would grab ours as well.

I am always trying to think of new-ish ways to create content that connects people. Content that makes others feel seen. Content that’s authentic, meaningful, helpful and (fingers crossed) leaves you walking away feeling as though the time you spent reading it was time well spent.

After scrolling through Katie’s “Sunday Saves” it dawned on me…..I love seeing that caught Katie’s eye and I bet others would too. What if instead of it always being my perspective, what if I had some guest contributors share their view point with the rest of us here on The Super Side Note?

And here we are….

I hope you enjoy love hearing from Katie’s world this week and if you aren’t following her, she is such a good-for-the-soul follow. The perfect pinch of kindness, humor and decorative stitching that your Instagram feed needs. Trust me, I’m still laughing out loud over this little nugget she shared….IYKYK #onetwostep

An extra warm welcome to anyone new here—I'm so glad you’ve joined! While this is mostly a needlepoint blog, the #SuperSideNote is where I share everything beyond the stitches (you can find the origin story linked here). Your time is valuable, and my goal is to make every moment you spend here feel like time well spent.

“I am loving throwing on a classic jean jacket over a dress or blouse! It's a great layer for spring in Georgia where it's 30 degrees in the morning and 75 degrees by 3 PM...”

“The Rookie on Hulu! It was one of those shows that automatically played after something else and before I knew it... I was 4 seasons in.”

We’ve all been there, Katie….you’re not alone. Watch the trailer here

“Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. My 10th grade language arts class is reading this right now, so I'm reading it alongside them. My dad is an ALS patient of 24 years, so this is a particularly personal read for me.”

“Ooey Gooey bars! My students ask me to bring them in instead of having a jar of candy in my classroom… LOL”

“My two personal projects are an Initial K butterfly and the Camilla Moss "Angel Party" canvas. I'm slowly stitching all of the butterflies because they remind me of my grandparents. When I was younger, my grandparents took my brothers and me to the botanical gardens for some sort of etymology (bug) show. Yes... a bug show. But I remember it being so fun-- especially the butterfly exhibit!”

“In college my friends and I went through a phase where we substituted the word ‘squirrel’ for ‘girl’ in song lyrics. I’m not sure if I just did it the most or if I had a talent for finding the best lyrics, but I’m the one that landed with (and still have) the nickname ‘Squirrel’.”

Example: “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani = “Hollaback Squirrel” ; “My Girl” by the Temptations = “My Squirrel”

For the record - I will never listen to these songs the same way ever again….lol!

Thank you Katie for all the beauty, thoughtfulness and grace you bring to our community. We are so grateful for you!

Follow along with Katie here on Instagram

Equally as important to note here, Katie is a true one-of-a-kind friend. We met virtually almost a year ago (Katie can you believe!?) via DM and I am so grateful for her and her friendship. If you have had any type of interaction with her, you know how true this rings.

Today, reach out to your virtual friend(s) that lifts you up. The virtual friend that sends you a DM at just the time when you feel you need it most. The virtual friend that is more than just someone who “likes” your Instagram content and helps you cope through the heavy and hard things. The kind of friend that always shows up and believes in you, even when you don’t believe in yourself.

That type of friendship is the rarest kind. Hold onto it with all your might.

❤️ Thank you for being here and for supporting my readership. This publication may contain affiliate links from which I receive a very small commission - this is what allows me to keep this publication 100% free.