stitch

I only stitch on days that end in "y".







Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Out With the Old....In With the New

Wow!  2014 just flew by!

Here's my last cross stitch finish for the year.  It's a CEC freebie "Cup of Cocoa" mitten.  I'm in a stitching group who will be doing a sal of the mittens for 2015.  We also do a themed bimonthly exchange block and January will be CEC designs...so this little guy will serve 2 purposes.






Today/tonight I'll be working on Texas Snowman by Redbird Designs.  I've stitched it twice but for exchanges so the one I'm stitching now will be mine (ALL MINE!!!!!!).  Here's a picture of one that I finished.  (The little horseshoe charm came with the design and I haven't yet found a replacement the right size for it.  It's cute without the charm too.)  He'll hang on my snowman tree next year.




It occurred to me recently that, despite love samplers, I haven't been stitching enough of them.  So...I'm hoping to make 2015 "The Year of the Sampler" for me.  I'll start off Jan 1 starting "Hetty Child" by The Sampler Company.  I'd also like to stitch (or at least start) "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Heartstring Samplery.   I can't even think of this one without the hymn playing in my head.  ;-)  I love that hymn so I think it's totally appropriate.

On to food!  As we were finishing the last of the pie the other day, my guys had the "deer in the headlight" look...despite the fact that we still have loads of cookies in the house. Yesterday I decided to bake a pumpkin pie and, since some bananas were getting very ripe, some banana bread too (for the freezer).  DS requested homemade whipped cream too and since we had some cream leftover from something, I made some of that too.  I'm probably high on the candidate list of "Mother of the Year".  What do you think?







It's cool here in SE Texas...bitter cold according to some (but not for us since we've lived in the "frozen tundra" of MI and OH).  I'm enjoying it.  The plan for DH and me is to stay in tonight and snack on appetizers.  We'll decide later which time zone to celebrate the New Year and toast 2015 with a glass of champagne.  We really are party animals! 

Happy New Year!!!

Happy stitching!

Monday, December 22, 2014

Merry Christmas

The decorations are complete, the gifts are bought (need to be wrapped), and the cookies are baked.  I have just a few more odds and ends and we'll be ready for the big day.  Tuesday will be pie day, I think.  (Cranberry Blueberry and Lemon Meringue)


                                                               Sugar cut-out cookies








 DH's Almond Biscotti





Date Nut Pinwheels



Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies





No Bake Cookies (Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Oatmeal)





Peanut Butter Blossoms




DH's Rustic Nut Bars




Spritz



Do you think we baked enough?  

I also managed to finish the kids' ornaments for this year thanks to Foxwood Crossings' little sleds and the designs that go with them.  I got a late start but they worked up quickly.  Taping them on the sleds with a little Stitchery Tape is a finishing technique I can handle.  (New Year's Resolution:  learn some finishing techniques and "finish" some of the many ornaments I've stitched.)  I also stitched a gingerbread house ornament but everyone on the planet seems to be out of the sleds.  I hear that the manufacturer says they'll be available again in the spring.






These little "sled guys" are addicting.  I also have a leaflet of snowmen for these sleds so I'll probably do some of those for next year's snowman tree. 

We're "down" a few kids for this Christmas.  Our DS who lives in Denmark was here in October and he'll be back in the States for DD's wedding next year. Our DD and her finace' are traveling in Asia.  (Hong Kong, Viet Nam, Cambodia).  Here's a picture they sent from Hong Kong:



Merry Christmas!

Happy Stitching!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

I worked on decorating 3 Christmas trees this week.  (Well, if you don't count the little ceramic tree, the already decorated tabletop tree in the main bathroom, and the little wire tree.)  I added the third tree this year that I bought on sale after Christmas last year for the entry.  I had so many snowmen ornaments that I decided to theme that one:


I thought I might have to go out to buy more snowman ornaments but, as it turns out, I already had plenty.  The topper is a snowman made from plant pots.  I also added some crochet snowflakes made by my late Grandma.  She was so talented!

I also found a little snowman to hang off the front door's doorknob and today while at the thrift shop, I found a wooden snowman bowl to add to the snowman "collection":





Dining room tree:


The angel on this one was made by my sister-in-law for my first baby.  I put it on each of my kids' cribs so I think of it as their "guardian angel".  The tree skirt is a latch hook one that I did many years ago.  It's all bunched up because our dog likes to mess with it.

Living room tree (a 9-footer this year):


The crochet angel on top was another of my late Grandma's creations.

Of course, one can never have enough ornaments so I vow next year to "finish" some of the many cross stitch ornaments I have done or received over the years.

I finished and mailed off the model so I was able to stitch and finish a little freebie from Lori Brechlin for the Prim Stitchers Society Facebook group.  It's called "Sleighbells":


Our church choir's cantata is this Sunday.  We've had 3 rehearsals for that in addition to the little Faith band rehearsal.  I've been drinking a lot of tea to take care of my throat.

I'm still doing some shopping but almost finished.  On to cookie baking!  It seems I work off a daily list these days.

Happy stitching!


Saturday, December 6, 2014

Trip to Chicago and Playing Catch-Up

I accompanied DH to Chicago where he was attending the annual RSNA meeting.

RSNA 2014 Annual meeting

He'd eaten at an Italian restaurant on an earlier trip and thought I'd like it too.  I did.  Good food, interesting ambiance, and a waiter who was very friendly and funny.

Pizano's

I also got to have lunch with one of my (axe murderer) friends, Pam.  (DH calls my internet buddies "axe murderer friends).  We enjoyed a great lunch at Park Grill right under The Bean. (I had no idea what The Bean was until I looked it up.)  I don't know if the food tasted so good because it was or if it tasted even better because I got to eat with my friend that I hadn't seen in WAY too long.  (Please forgive my "hat hair".)


Park Grill




Here are a few pictures I took:

The Bean


There's an outdoor ice skating rink just under The Bean.  For some reason, I didn't snap a picture of it with the skaters.  Maybe I was too cold.  ;-)


I've not mastered the art of selfies but here's my reflection in The Bean:




Some cityscape:




Did I mention that it was cold?!  The day we left Texas, it was in the 70's.  We arrived to the 40's in Chicago but the temps plunged down to the low 20's one day and then warmed up to the 30's.  I actually enjoyed walking around in the brisk temps.  Probably knowing that I'd warm up in a few days helped.  (It's in the mid 70's here in Texas now.)

On the stitching front....I'd intended to finish up the model and send it out before we left but I discovered I was one stitch off so had to do some frogging and restitching.  I'm really down to the last little details now and hope to send it out Monday.  THAT will teach me not to push through and stitch when I'm too tired...it was a rookie mistake.  But....I love the design and you will too when it's released.

I worked a bit on a little Christmas piece for myself while in Chicago but haven't taken a picture yet.  Hopefully next time I post here, I'll have a finish pic to share.

I was the lucky winner of one of Nancy's (Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe) recent contests...I won the entire 1795 floss collection.  WOO HOO!!!  I was going to take a picture but Nancy's is all arranged beautifully so I'll borrow it to post here.  Isn't it gorgeous?!



The trip caused me to be late preparing for Christmas so we're hoping to put up the tree and some decorations today.

Happy stitching!




Friday, November 28, 2014

Another Thanksgiving for the record books

This year there were only 3 of us for Thanksgiving dinner.  Since I don't know how to "cook small" for holidays (and since I promised leftovers to go back to Austin), I made a ton of food.




For the first time this year, I made homemade cranberry sauce.  I don't usually eat the stuff, but after tasting this, I decided I like it now.  (My cranberry sauce aficionado says it's way better than the canned stuff.)





I can't believe how easy it is to make!

I made 4 pies and a pumpkin cake this year.  I had to laugh after putting them in the fridge:








It was great to get to talk to our son in Denmark.  We texted with our daughter and other son.  Our other son was working and our daughter and her fiance spent their Thanksgiving serving Tgiving dinner at a food kitchen.

She sent pictures of their pre-Thanksgiving dinner from the night before:







(She's getting to be like me...not taking pictures of herself, lol!)

I haven't yet decided what I'll do today but whatever it is will not include standing for hours cooking like I did the past couple of days.  Stitching, perhaps?

Happy stitching!








Day 24 of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas

Nancy's giving the lucky winner a $25 gift certificate to her shop or the winner can choose a surprise package.

Read all about it here:

Day 25 Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas

Good luck and

Happy stitching!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Day 23 of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas

For Day 23, Nancy is giving the lucky winner a choice from a number of possibilities.  Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 23rd Day of Christmas

Good luck and

Happy stitching!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who reads my blog.  I hope you have a wonderful day filled with family and/or friends and may all the food magically not contain too many calories, sugar, and fat.  Yeah, right!  ;-)

Happy stitching!

Day 22 of Victorian Motto 25 Days of Christmas drawings

For day 22, Nancy will be giving 2 lucky winners their choice of her Christmas or Quaker charts.

Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Day 22

Good luck and

Happy stitching!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Day 21

Nancy will be giving the lucky winner a surprise for the 21st Day of Christmas drawing.
Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Day 21

Good luck and

Happy stitching!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Day 20 of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas drawings

Nancy's giving the lucky winner his/her choice of linen, aida, or floss.  Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Day 20

Good luck and...

Happy stitching!!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Victorian Mott Sampler Shoppe's 19th Day of Christmas contest

On the 19th Day of Christmas, Nancy's giving away...

30 skeins of floss from her 1840 Sampler Floss Collection.

(I'm humming the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas as I write this.)

Read all about it here:

19th Day of Christmas at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Good luck and happy stitching!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 18th Day of Christmas drawing

On the 18th day of Christmas, Santa Nancy's giving the lucky winner a $25 gift certificate  for her ebay shop.  Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto 18th Day of Christmas

Good luck and....

Happy Stitching!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Snowing!

Well, not real snow here in Texas. 

I'm still model stitching (on the home stretch now) but last night (while watching Scandal and How to Host a Murder) worked a bit on my little Christmas piece.  I found a couple of mistakes so frogged a bit and then started some snow.






Happy stitching!

Days 16 and 17 of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas contests

Day 16...Your choice of any of her charts.

Day 17... sewing necessaire filled with sewing goodies!  Your choice from a variety of fabrics.

Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto 16th and 17th Days of Christmas

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Day 15 of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas contest

A surprise for the 15th day!

Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 15th Day

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppes 14th day contest

Santa Nancy will give 40 skeins of her beautiful floss to the winner of her 14th Day drawing.  Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 14th Day

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Brrrr!!

After living in Gulf Coast Texas for 13 years, I've officially become a winter wimp.  I know from living all those years in OH and MI that temperatures in the high 30's aren't really cold but.....it's very humid here so my story (and I'm sticking to it) is that it feels colder in this humidity.  So there!  ;-)

I braved the "frigid" temps today for my 3 mile walk and discovered that the winds last night that brought the current cold front here blew down a big tree near the jogging path.  It's no wonder it blew down--you might be able to see from the photo that it's almost hollow.





There are a lot of pecan trees around the path and also in the field in the middle.  I saw several people out picking up pecans that the wind had blown down.  One woman had 2 Walmart bags full!

It was a dreary, drizzly weekend here, perfect for hanging around the house watching football, stitching, and reading.  I worked a bit on a freebie of Barbara Ana's called Silent Night:

It has 2 color options for some of it and I haven't yet decided so I'm stitching the parts where there's just one color choice before deciding on the rest.  I'll get back to model stitching during the week days this week.  I'm almost on the home stretch of the model.  I'm enjoying stitching it.

I won a contest from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe for some of her beautiful floss.  What a treat!  As you can see from my other recent blog entries, she's running a series of contests for the 25 Days of Christmas.  She has lots of beautiful designs, floss, fabric, and other hand dyed goodies.

Yesterday afternoon, I intended to read about an hour and then do other things but I got so into the book (Gone Girl) that I read all afternoon and most of the evening. I should be able to finish it soon. Wow!  I'd like to see the movie but wanted to read the book first.

Happy stitching!!




Day 13 of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas contest

Your choice of fabric or floss.

Read all about it here:

Day 13 or Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 25 Days of Christmas

Good luck!

Happy Stitching!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 12th Day contest

For Nancy's 12th Day of Christmas contest, she's giving a lucky winner a $25 gift certificate.  Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 12th Day

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Nancy's 9th Day of Christmas contest

Today's drawing is for a surprise from Nancy.  Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 9th Day

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 8th Day of Christmas drawing

Today's contest is for a free sampler pattern for the winner and another free sampler pattern for a friend of the winner.

Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 8th Day

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Day 7 of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppes 25 Days of Christmas contest

On Day 7, Nancy's hosting a drawing for a $25 gift certificate for her ebay store.  Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Day 7

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Nice weekend

We don't go out a whole lot but the stars must have alligned for the past weekend.  (I DID notice a full moon, lol!)

Friday night we played cards with some friends. DH made a new, to him, treat to take along to share...Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos.  The urge to learn to make them came after a friend gave us some of his home-grown jalapenos. 


When we arrived, we saw that at least one other person brought some (apparently jalapenos are in season now) but by the end of the evening, they'd all been consumed.

Saturday we drove to Austin to watch the UT (Texas) game.  Our friends who are in a group with a block of tickets on the 50 yd. line (2 rows from the field) offered to sell us a couple of tickets from a couple who weren't going to be able to make it.  It was a splurge but so much fun!  The weather was perfect, there were some military who skydived onto the field, and UT won.  We then had some pizza and watched the first half of the OSU (Ohio State) game at a sports bar and then checked into our room to watch the rest of the game.  My Buckeyes won their game too!


Not ONE stitch last weekend but I'll get back to working on a model today or tonight.

Happy stitching!

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 6th Day of Christmas drawing

For Nancy's 6th Day of Christmas drawing, she's giving away a trims bag with her goodies.

Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe's 6th Day

Good luck!!



Saturday, November 8, 2014

4th Day of Christmas contest at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Todays contest at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is for a handmade sewing necessaire filled with some of her goodies.

Read about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 4th Day of Christmas

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Friday, November 7, 2014

Day 3 of Santa Nancy's (Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe) 25 Days of Christmas contest

This drawing is for 20 skeins (400 yds) of her beautiful, hand-dyed floss.

Read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe contest Day 3

Good luck!

Happy stitching!

Thursday, November 6, 2014

A Finish and Some Progress

This is one of Redbird Designs' Monthly Minis that I stitched for a Winter-themed exchange block.  It's the second time I've stitched it and yet I haven't stitched one for myself.  lol!  I'll have to fix that soon.  I used the tiny horseshoe charm for the first one I gave away.  I couldn't find another charm (and the star button I have in my stash is too big) but I think he looks good the way he is.


I also made a little progress on La D Da's Wicked Witch.  I'm back to model stitching now so I set this one aside until I finish the model (or take a little break from it).  I hope to finish it in plenty of time to display it for next Halloween.




Happy stitching!

Nancy's Second Day of Christmas contest

Read about it here.  Nancy has designed some beautiful samplers.  Good luck!

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 2nd Day of Christmas contest

Happy stitching!


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe contest

Nancy's hosting 25 Days of Christmas contest.  You can read all about it here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe contest

Nancy dyes beautiful floss, fabric, trim, buttons, etc. and designs beautiful samplers.

Good luck if you decide to enter.

Happy Stitching!

Friday, October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween

I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween.  I'll admit, it's a lot more fun when you have young ones in the household but still fun nonetheless.

Here's my progress so far on La D Da's Wicked Witch:


I'm using the Weeks Havana fabric with DMC floss (instead of the silks) and love how it looks (in person...the picture doesn't do it justice).  I think I'll work on this some more tonight and then get back to the model.

In the spirit of Halloween, here are some of my older Halloween finishes:



























Happy stitching!