Santa's finished in the "Nick" of time

Ta da!!  Here he is!  I'm really enjoying stitching the PS Woodland Santas and probably will try to stitch the remaining 2 from that leaflet in 2013.  I saw 2 of these stitched and hanging on a friend's wall and that's all it took.  I know you fellow stitchers can identify.  Sorry it's not the greatest of pictures.

Now I'm turning to working on a sal I'm in of the LK 6 Fat Guys and the Snow Belles.  I'm a bit behind on this one but hopefully can catch up.  A wonderful thing about sal's is that they keep me going so I can be "accountable".

I hope to start on a gorgeous sampler, Three Things, in January.

I hope all of you who celebrated Christmas has a wonderful and blessed Christmas and for everyone to have a happy new year.

Happy stitching!

Rita

It's Snowing!

Well, not really snowing here in SE Texas, but I'm stitching the snow in my PS Woodland Santa wip.  I've never "met" a PS Santa that I haven't liked.

I also FINALLY started my LK Fat Guys and Snow Belles sal.  Not much done but at least it's started.

I received the cutest ornament in the mail this week from a small ornament exchange. (Remember what I just wrote about PS Santas.)  Thank you, Julie!  I love it!

I hope everyone is doing well and not too frazzled getting ready for the Big Day.  Have a great week!

Progress and a couple of finishes

We've been having warmer than normal weather down here in SE TX...sometimes in the low 80's.  This girl from OH does NOT like this and wants it to cool down.  Harrumph!

I've made a bit of progress on the PS (Woodland) Santa.  I love how this piece is turning out. I've never met a Prairie Schooler Santa I didn't like.

I also, despite not feeling confident about it, "finished" 2 pieces.  The first is a Lizzie Kate for my DD who enjoys long distance bicycling.  She doesn't have much space in her city apartment so I thought this could be used hanging from a doorknob or cabinet pull.  I was trying to simulate handlebar streamers with the ribbons hanging from the bottom.  DD wore her hair long (and often in pony tails) when she was young so this reminded me of her.

I also participated in a small ornament exchange and since it was received yesterday, I can show it.

The pic I took:

....and on her tree:

I also finally cut my fabric for the LK Snow Friends sal.  Everyone else started stitching last month.  Hopefully I can get caught up.

I have some Christmas errands to catch up on today.  Hopefully I can get a lot done.

Everyone have a great week!!

Happy stitching!

December already!

Happy December!

I finally have some stitching I can show.

Nikki at Country Cottage Needleworks released one of her designs that I model stitched, Silent Night.
I could tell just looking at the graph that this one was going to be a beautiful one and I enjoyed every minute of stitching it.  Good thing because I want to stitch another one for myself.    Here's her picture of it:

...and here's her website:

Country Cottage Needleworks

I've also been working on an ornament for an exchange but can't show that just yet.

I love stitching seasonal things during the appropriate season so have been working on one of the PS Woodland Santas:

I stitched another from this leaflet earlier this year:

I'd like to stitch at all of them and hang them in a grouping during the Christmas season......eventually.  (I wonder how long that will take me with my "stitcher's ADD".)

Gotta go.....I have several things on my "to do" list today so I'd better get started.

Happy stitching!

After the turkey

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with someone you loved.

We had a quiet one here, just 4 of us.  Our DD and her BF visited my parents in OH and our son in Atlanta spent the day with friends.  We're all meeting for Christmas so we're looking forward to getting together.

Our "baby" had his wisdom teeth extracted on Monday and is doing so well that he ate pretty much everything he wanted yesterday.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen and here is the result:

And the pies:

Marching band has finally ended and now it's on to the holiday season!  I did manage to stitch a little this past week.  I'm working on a CCN model--hope to finish today or tomorrow.  Then it's on to an ornament for an exchange, and then a snowman sal.  It feels good to be stitching again!

New Giveaway at another blog

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is holding not one but 25 giveaways in Dec.  You can read about it here:

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/2012/11/25-days-of-christmas-and-25-give-aways.html?showComment=1352896893450#c1296933405853009341

More marching band winding down

Our last regular season home game was a busy night with it being band senior night, intermediate school  night (when we invite the intermediate school band to sit and play in the stands with our HS band), and, if that wasn't enough, I got to be guest band director for the night.

There was a short ceremony on the sideline at pregame when the seniors and their families were introduced.  (How could this be our last year??!!)  We have a tradition to have shirts made with a baby pic of our senior on one side and a current pic on the other.

 As the guest director, I was allowed to play "dress up" and "make believe".  I got to climb the tower in the practice field during run through, ride to the game with one of the band directors (instead of the yellow dog (school bus), got to direct some stand music, was introduced during half time, and got to watch the half time show from the top of the press box.  The kids and other volunteers had more surprises in store for me since this is my last year with the band.  I felt like a queen!  I love working with these wonderful students, directors, and other adults and, although will appreciate more time for myself in the late summer and fall from now on, I'll sure miss being with the band after this year.

Very early Tuesday am we boarded buses for our trip to the State (TX) marching final competition in San Antonio.  While the band didn't make finals, it was such an accomplishment for them to make it that far.  I'm so PROUD of our band students!

We spent the night in San Antonio and relaxed on the River Walk for a few hours before our trip back where we were welcomed home by a fire truck, a police escort, and lots of parents lining the roadside cheering and holding signs.

Buc Band Seniors of 2013

Most of the "roadies"...what wonderful people to work/play with!!

We have at least one play-off game before we finish marching season.  Then there's this coming weekend when, in addition to the game, we participate in our city's Festival of Lights.  DS's drum line will perform at noon on Sat. and the whole band will march in the parade that night.  After the parade we have a masquerade party in the band hall.  I always think it's funny that even though we spend so much time together working, that when we have some time off, we like to spend time with one another again.  I think it speaks volumes about this group of wonderful people.  GO BUC BAND!!!!

On the stitching front, I sat down yesterday and worked on a cute model for Nikki Leeman.  You Country Cottage Needlework fans will love it.  I hope to soon get back to more personal stitching and have some stitching pics to show.

If you got all the way through this, thanks for reading.

Winding down....

Since I last posted, DS's marching band finally received their spiffy new uniforms and have earned a trip to compete in the State (TX) UIL marching competition.  WOO HOO!!!!

DS is pictured above with a band friend and the principal and superintendent.  They were asked by their head director to dress out and deliver invitations to State to them...and, of course, the photo op.

This will be our last year involved in the band as my "baby" graduates this year.  (I've helped with the band for a total of 8 years straight.)  It's been such a pleasure to have been involved with so many great students, directors, and wonderful fellow volunteers.  Falls will be very different for my family from next year on.

No matter the outcome at State, I'm very proud of these kids.  This year they've encountered some unique challenges but they rose to the challenges.....a good life lesson for all of them.  :-)

GO BUC BAND!!!!!!!!

Another drawing at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Nancy's having another giveway on her blog:

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/

Checking in

Sorry for not posting for a while.

I thought it would be a good idea to show you why I'm not stitching much lately.  This is DS's HS marching band for which I spend most of my waking hours volunteering for during marching season.

Their show this year is called "Up in the Air" and they've been working very hard at practices.  They competed in their second contest last weekend and made 7th place.  We're hoping they make it to be able to compete in State competition in Nov.  (We have 2 more contests before that.)

My DS is playing the smallest bass drum and is bass drum captain this year.

GO BUC BAND!!!!!

Another great giveaway at

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/2012/10/lets-give-away-anther-friendship-gift.html

Another beautiful giveaway from Victorian Motto Samplers

Nancy at Victorian Motto Samplers is having another great giveway on her blog:

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/2012/09/is-it-time-to-give-away-some-hand-dyed.html

Check out these beautiful colors!

Another great Victorian Motto drawing

Go here to enter the drawing:

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/2012/09/lets-give-away-another-fallautumn-gift.html

A Weary World Rejoices

Please pardon the poor lighting on the picture.  I really enjoyed stitching this one and LOVE the colors.  It's "A Weary World Rejoices" by Shakespeare's Peddler.  I found myself singing to myself as I stitched this.

I will frame it..eventually.  (There are several others ahead of this one in the framing line.)

I picked up another wip (autumn theme) to work on but am itching to start Moira Blackburn's Three Stitches soon.

I'm exhausted from working with DS's marching band but it's such a rewarding activity.  I LOVE their music this year...the ballad section almost makes me cry by its beauty.

Good news!  DS's cast came off this week and he's started PT.  He has a bit of work ahead of him increasing his strength and flexibility but he's young and active so I'm sure he'll do fine.

Never forget

Once again we observe another anniversary of that horrible day that changed us all.

Of course I remember the horror of that day and mourn all the innocent loss of life.

I choose to remember the bravery of so many, the many acts of kindness toward others by so many people, the sense of "we're all in this together" that I wish we'd all still feel today.

My prayers go out for all the victims' families, all who were touched that day, and ALL of us.

May we learn to live together in peace.

Quick check-in

I finished a model but can't show a pic.  What a great feeling it is to finish one.

I stitched a few stitches in Shakespeare's Peddler's "A Weary World Rejoices" but not enough to take off my scroll rods for a picture.  Hopefully I'll keep plugging along on this one between marching practices to be able to finish it soon.

Happy stitching!

Another great drawing on Nancy's blog

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/

Another great giveaway on another blog

Nancy at http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/2012/09/halloween-gift-bag-full-of-goodies-give.html is having another great giveaway drawing.

Good-bye summer!

Yesterday was the last day of band camp and our college son went back to Austin.  School starts Monday so summer break is over.  It always seems to go so fast!

Our first football game is this coming Friday so the business will be ramping up.  I'll be busy buying and packing sodas for the kids and adult chaperones, preparing for pregame meals, and, of course, attending practices.  Stitching and blog posting will take a back seat until early Nov. but I'll try not to disappear entirely.

I picked up my Little House Needleworks Family Sampler from the framer the other day and am very pleased with how it turned out.  I really enjoyed stitching and personalizing this one.

I also made some progress on Shakespeare Peddler's "A Weary World Rejoices".  I just may get this one stitched before Christmas this year.

Happy stitching!

Remember me?

We've now completed 3 weeks of marching band camp in the hot, humid SE Texas weather.  The kids are tolerating the heat pretty well.  I serve with a group of parents who make sure they have lots of water, dispense band aids and such, monitor their comings and goings into the band hall, help cool off overheated kids, and generally help out to free up the directors' time so they can concentrate on practices.

Last year we were gifted a tractor trailer to get our instruments to games and contests.  A group of parents built it out inside with shelving, instrument racks, etc. cut out 2 side doors and made stairs to make it efficient for the kids to get out and put away their instruments.  Today Pearl 2 was unveiled to the kids.  It was driven outside the band hall and the kids rehearsed how they are to load and unload the truck.  It appears even from one "run through" that the way it's built out will streamline loading and unloading time for games and contests.

Pearl 2 you ask?  We're the Buccaneers so thought The Pearl would be a good name for our "ship".  This is our second tractor trailer, hence the 2.

I've gotten a bit of stitching done...when I'm not collapsed on the couch because of all the exercise and heat from band camp.  I picked up a wip of Shakespeare's Peddler's "Weary World" and have been working on that this week.

  I'm really enjoying stitching this one and hope to finish it by the time some special ordered fabric arrives for my next sampler, Moira Bladburn's "Three Things".

Diane Williams just revealed a model I stitched for her, "Pumpkin Patch Inn".  I really like this design and most likely will stitch it again for me.  I love the frame Diane chose for this one!  You can see it on her website here:

http://www.littlehouseneedleworks.com/

We've gone to see DS's hand surgeon and everything looks good.  Hopefully another 5 weeks in the cast.  He can't wait to be "normal" again.  Just when I think we're getting done with some appointments, his orthodontist says it's time to consult with the oral surgeon about wisdom teeth extraction.  It sounds like we can wait until after marching season for the extraction.  This is his senior year and I have a feeling it's going to be very busy around here the entire year.  (He's already starting his college applications.)

That's it for now.  Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Happy stitching!

Finally finished!

I put the last stitch in my LHN Family Sampler Sunday night before band camp started on the next Monday morning.  Sorry it's such a horrible picture.  I changed the color of the house to reflect the house we built in MI.  I loved that house!

Thanks for all you concern for DS.  His pain is much decreased...he hasn't needed his pain med since Tuesday and he's doing some finger and elbow exercises to keep these joints from becoming stiff.  He just can't use his arm.  We go back for his post op appointmen next week and expect that everything is healing as expected.  I'm hoping he can at least learn his marching drill and maybe even drum one-handed for a while.  He hates this!  (...and I don't blame him.)

He's started his college applications so that's keeping him busy. 

He can't march or drum now but DH and I worked all week at morning marching band practice....wondering what's wrong with this picture?  lol!  I'm getting used to the heat again and pretty wiped out every day so not much stitching going on.  It's hard to stitch and watch the Olympics anyway.  Go, team USA!!!!!

Posting on my blog will be hit or miss during band season but I'll try to keep up with blog reading when I can.

Happy stitching!!

A little catch-up

I'm plugging right along on LHN Family Sampler....that is I was plugging right along until the weekend.  DS fell out of a tree Friday and broke a bone in his wrist.  Apparently one that is tricky to heal properly.  After seeing an ER doc and an orthopedic doc, we're off to see a hand surgeon today.

The timing is awful...percussion camp is this Thursday and full band camp starts next Monday.  We're not sure how long he'll be out of commission.

Speaking of band camp, in addition to his possible surgery, I volunteer a lot (like a full time job) with the band so I may be a bit scarce here on the blog.

Happy stitching!

Plugging away....

I'm still plugging away on LHN Family Sampler.  I have most of most of the bands finished except for a few little touch-ups (one more band to go).  Then I have most of the border to tackle.  I'm enjoying this project but will be glad to finish and move onto something else.

I felt the need to have a finish AND was in a patriotic stitching mood so I stitched up this little beauty (a freebie at the Janlynne website) designed by Sandra Cozzolino:

 A quick little mom brag....DS received his AP scores this past week and scored 5's on both of them.  Yay, T!

Also, our baby barnswallows reached a milestone this week;  they've taken flight!  They still return to the nest in the evenings and mama and papa are still feeding them.

Tomorrow I'm meeting with some stitchy friends for a little get-together.  For some reason, the food always has a theme.  This time the theme is the beach.  I'm bringing a watermelon carved like a shark (as seen on Pinterest) and filled with watermelon and gummy fish.  I also had the idea of taking some goldfish crackers, serving them from a plain fishbowl.  I thought it was a brilliant and easy plan.  You'd think it would be easy to find a plain old fishbowl in the pet dept. of Wally's World but noooooooooo.  Hopefully I'll find one somewhere else without too much trouble.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Testing....no need to read

http://nikkiscrossedstitches.blogspot.com/

An old finish designed by Prairie Schooler

Red, white, and Blue

In honor of tomorrow being US Independence Day, I thought I'd post a few of my patriotic stitching projects. 

Little House Needleworks Liberty and Justice

Country Cottage Needleworks Liberty Lane.  Some friends and I collaborated to change the colors on this one.

Crescent Colours Liberty for Ewe.

Hester's Needle Liberty Sampler.  I love the saying on this one.  I also remember working on this both at my DD's in San Fran and also at my brother's in Hawaii.  (Does looking at certain projects remind you of what was happening in your life while you were stitching them?)

4 My Boys Liberty Manor

AuryTM Quaker Heart

Hinzeit Americana

From an old JCS issue

From another old JCS issue:

Prairie Schooler Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam

Happy birthday, USA!!

Contest at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having another contest drawing.  Go check it out!

http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/

Meet the Family

This week I've been working on the family band of LHN's Family Sampler.  It's been fun choosing the colors for the eyes, hair, and clothing.  I see now that I didn't stitch in DH's mustache...I'll have to fix that.  Sorry the picture quality isn't great....I've been taking pictures of it on the stitching stand.  I'm really enjoying this piece and look forward to finishing it.  I've got a way to go, though.

Speaking of families, our bird couple's eggs have hatched.  For a while we only saw 3 babies but yesterday I saw the fourth...so all their eggs have hatched.  Mama and Papa bird have been very busy tending their babies.  It's fun to watch.

I hope everyone in the US has a happy July 4th!

Friday already?

I'm not sure how but I seem to be keeping pretty busy this summer.

I finished and mailed the model and it's been received.  Sending a model out is almsot like dropping a child off at college...by then you've done all you can but your sort of hold your breath.  I'm always a little afraid the PO will lose the package but so far, so good.

My walking buddy is on vacation...so getting myself going (and walking the full distance) has been a struggle, especially because it's been so hot.  So far, so good on that too.  The ipod helps...a little.

I'm back to personal stitching.  I finished a little DMC freebie called Island Stamp.  It had numbers in the corner...like would be on a stamp but I left them out.  I'm thinking of someday finishing it into a little pillow to display in a basket (with other future beach themed little pillows.)

I also started a beach themed wedding piece for a neice who had a beach wedding.  I like the design but am not enjoying stitching it.  I think rather than stitching on it constantly, I'll put it in rotation.

I also put in some more stitches on LHN Family Sampler.  It's not a great pic because I was too lazy to take it off the scroll rods but you get the idea.

On the very day of our anniversary, I was looking at Jill Rensel's blog and found a sampler I just have to stitch....A Sweeter Love by Plum Street Samplers.  It's on its way to me as we speak.  Now to decide if I want to stitch it in silks or DMC conversion.  (I'm leaning towards silks.)

I really have to stop looking at stitching blogs.  I'm so week against the enabling.  lol!

On the reading front....I'm on the second book of The Hunger Games trilogy and really enjoying it.  I should make some time to find an online discussion groups about this series.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Wedding photo

I mentioned our wedding anniversary in a previous post so I thought I'd post a pic from our wedding day in 1978.