Friday Update....Stitching, Cooking, etc.

Happy Friday, everyone!

I finished and mailed the model I'd been working on.  It's always a good feeling to get to this point.  Then I hold my breath until it reaches its destination.  I enjoy model stitching; it's like being in on a surprise.  How fun it is when the model is released by the designer!

While putting away threads and looking through my wips pile, I found a piece that only needed a few more stitches and a button so I finished Homespun Elegance's "Fall House Sampler".  I'm not sure why I put it down with so little needed to finish but there must have been a reason.

Warning:  I've been too busy (and too lazy) to press out anything for the pictures today.

Next up...a selection from Blackbird Design's "In Full Glory" that I'm stitching for a block exchange.  I haven't decided yet just how much I'll stitch of this design.  It might turn out to only be the house.

Next is Hoo Hoo from one of the JCS Halloween issues for an owl-themed Halloween ornament sal:

Last but not least, I stitched some more on my Hetty Child sampler (Brenda Keyes):

I did a bit of baking since last posting, an apple pie for Pi Day and some chocolate chip cookies for DS who's been home this week on spring break.  For St. Pat's Day, I made some corned beef with potatoes, onions, and some roasted cabbage from a Pioneer Woman recipe.  I tried making some soda bread "farls" but wasn't happy with them.  It's basically a buttermilk biscuit dough that's fried in a cast iron pan.  If I'd do it again, I'd just cut the biscuits in circles and bake them off.  For dessert, DS wanted those store-bought iced, soft sugar cookies but I also made parfaits from slightly sweetened Greek yogurt topped with fresh blueberries and blackberries.

What I really like about the St. Pat's Day dinner is making the Reuben sandwich with leftovers the next day.  Some years there hasn't been leftover corned beef but I lucked out this year.

Later today I'll be baking a banana cream pie (an early birthday treat for DH) and another batch of cookies for DS to take back to college tomorrow.

Spring has sprung here.  I always say when you start seeing those lizards on your windows here in Texas, that it must be spring.  This week, I've finally walked all 5 weekdays.  (We'd had several days where I hadn't walked because of weather issues.)  Now I just need to work on increasing my distance.

Also, we're seeing flower buds on our Meyer lemon tree.  I'm hoping this year we'll have lemons.

Happy stitching!