Storms, Stitching, and Wedding Prep

We've been experiencing some strong thunderstorms lately in our area.  A week ago Friday, a really violent thunderstorm with torrential rain, hail, and strong winds (up to 72 MPH) came through.  We had a lot of branches and trees down in our yard, the lake behind our house is up into our yard, and our poor PC was fried.  Luckily a friends' DH who, I discovered, is an IT guy was successfully able to diagnose and treat it.  He refused to take any money for helping us so we had him and my friend over for dinner last night.

Wouldn't you know it, another strong storm went through this am too.  This storm wasn't as bad (although I found out after the fact that we were under a tornado warning) and aside from the lake level rising even further, the PC is OK.

Nikki from Country Cottage Needleworks released one of the designs for which I stitched the model...Seasonal Celebrations-Summer.  I really enjoyed stitching this one.

I'm stitching another model now but took a little time out to stitch this cutie from Homespun Elegance...Patriotic Home.  It's a gift to the Star Spangled Stitchers group on Facebook.

Our daughter's wedding is quickly approaching.  I'd been shopping unsuccessfully for a dress and starting to get a little nervous about finding something until Tuesday night when I finally found the dress.  The next day I found shoes and now just looking for accessories.  I'm not much of a shopper so this has been an annoyance for me.  lol!  We're all getting excited for the wedding and looking forward to seeing family we haven't seen for a while.  The groom is from Scotland and will be wearing his kilt.  We "met" his parents (in Scotland) via Skype and are looking forward to meeting them in person.  The week before the wedding, they've invited us for dinner at their airbnb apt and we will be hosting them and their family and ours another night.  DH is "famous" for his pizza so it will be a pizza party.  I'll be making pies....our future son-in-law strongly hinted that they should be lemon meringue so lemon meringue they shall be.  :-)  There will also be a picnic on the beach the day before the wedding, dinner out the night before the wedding with the happy couple, the groom's parents, and DH and me, and a BBQ the day after the wedding.  DD's idea was that the picnic and BBQ will give everyone a relaxed time to spend some time together.  I think it's a great idea!

Happy stitching!

Stitching update

First off, Nancy from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe recently posted pictures of some of her framed finished models from this year.  Among them was "Welcome Spring" that I stitched for her.  Just look at that beautiful frame she used with it!

Nancy has some beautiful sampler designs, threads, trims, buttons, fabrics, etc. for sale which can be seen here:

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe ebay store

Victorian Motto Sampler Shope blog

I also finished and mailed off a model for Nikki at Country Cottage Needleworks  .  In fact, I see that she's released another recent model I stitched for her called "Cookies for Santa".  I love her designs and am honored to get to do some model stitching for her.

I'm expecting another model soon but in the meantime, I'm working on the PS Santa 2014.

La D Da's Wicked Witch has been "calling" to me lately, so I ordered the fabric called for and will stitch that up, hopefully, before Halloween.  It should be a quick stitch.

Our is visiting from Denmark.  He's keeping busy trying to see as many friends as he can while he's here.  He just left with a friend to go hiking near here.  He also spent last weekend in Austin visiting with his brothers, a friend, and going to the UT football game.

On the cooking front....DH and I should probably stop watching cooking shows.  We had one on as background noise Saturday before football started and were intrigued by a recipe called "Milk Can Dinner". Apparently it started out when people with dairies stopped using the metal milk cans to get the milk from the barns to where they'd process it.  (Now they pipe it there.)  Someone got the bright idea to use them for cooking.  They'd put a layer of hot rocks on the bottom, then layer different veggies (potatoes, cabbage wedges, carrots, onions, whole garlic cloves), put in some fresh thyme sprigs and a couple of bay leaves, and top with sausage of some kind.  It was enough to feed a small army!  The recipe was adapted for use in a Dutch oven...even that recipe made a lot, so I cut it by half.  You start out by browning links of Bratwurst in a little oil in the Dutch oven.  Take the sausage out and layer your veggies in the Dutch oven.  Cut your sausages in half, then place them on top and season with a little salt and pepper.  Pour a little beer over the top, cover, and cook "slow and low" on the stove top.  I added some big chunks of green pepper about halfway through the cooking time.

It was very easy and very tasty!  We'll definitely be making it again.

Happy stitching!

Quiet Week

We're enjoying a quiet week...and DS is starting to act bored.

DH and I celebrated our anniversary Monday by going out to eat.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Unfortunately, even though we've eaten at this place many times before with no problems, the service that night was TERRIBLE...from waiting way to long for orders to be taken, food delivered (and incorrectly--the ceasar salad had no dressing), and waiting so long for the waitress to take up our check.  DH is very easygoing and never does this....but it was so bad that he left a tiny tip this time.  We're hoping that was just a bad night but we'll think long and hard before going there again.

It's been really hot and humid here in SE TX but I managed to drag myself out every weekday morning for my fitness walks.  That shower afterwards sure feels good after getting all sweaty!

I got to stitch some more this week.  I'm awaiting an order from 123 Stitch including Betsy's House and also the materials needed to stitch an old Carriage House Samplings pattern I borrowed.  In the meantime I stitched part of Prairie Schooler's July for an exchange block.

I also worked a bit on my LK Fat Guys and Snow Belles project, working on the Snow House block.  (I have a theory that if I'm thinking about snow, it may help me think it's not quite so hot.)  The lighting for this picture isn't great but you get the idea.

I also pulled out my wip of One Nation (ByGone Stitches) to work on for a bit.  It had been so long since I worked on this one that I'd forgotten that it's stitched with one strand on 36 count.

Nikki released a design that I model stitched for her, Stars and Stripes.  This was a fun one to stitch and so cute!

You can see it all framed up on her website here:

Country Cottage Needleworks

On the cooking front...I've been seeing banana pudding recipes posted a lot lately on Facebook and it's made me want some.  So, I looked up a recipe online and made some today.  I don't remember the last time I'd had some but I don't remember a meringue on top, but that's what this recipe called for.  It was really good but I think next time I'll just stick to making the pudding and skip the meringue.  (You know, the way we eat things like that as a child is the "right" way.  Besides, it was INSANE to have the oven on when it's this hot.  lol!)

Until next time.....

Happy stitching!

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!!

Friday check-in

I finished a cute model for Country Cottage Needleworks.  Of course I can't show it but you CCN fans will love it.  Next I'll start a model for Little House Needleworks and it looks to be another "winner".   I really enjoy stitching for both these ladies;  I'm a big fan of their designs.

I finished a little freebie from, I believe tantes zolder.  I saw it stitched up and made into a little pillow finish on someone's blog.  I really wish I'd written down the blog addy to link you to it.  If anyone knows, feel free to send me the url.

I acquired the last of the needed Belle Soie for LHN's Elizabeth Hancock.  I'm hoping to start it soon.  What a beautiful design and beautiful silks!

There are some other wips that deserve some attention;  hopefully I'll get to them soon.

I took in one of my samplers to the framer this morning.  (LHN Virtue Sampler)  I even have a place picked out where it will hang.

This was my first week without my walking buddy...although she was in town Wednesday so we "did" lunch.  As much as I enjoy walking and how it makes me feel, I have an inner battle with myself just getting started every morning.  I managed to walk 4 days (3 -4 1/2 milers and 1- 3 miler).  I have to get accustomed to my "new normal".  Finding another walking buddy would be nice too;  I have my feelers out.  In addition to the motivation, my buddy and I joke that we manage to talk out and solve the world's problems while walking together.  If ONLY someone would take our advice! ;-)

Happy stitching!

An unwelcome visitor at our house, ornaments, and model

The stomach flu has made its rounds at our house.  YUK!  Our son attending college is glad he wasn't around for all the "fun".  We're all on the mend but nobody feels much like eating anything more substantial than soup and jello.  On the plus side, it should be good for avoiding eating too many Christmas treats.

I participated in a small ornament exchange and all the ornaments have been recieved so I can show them now.  First is the one I stitched, a Country Cottage Needleworks design from an older JCS ornament issue:

Here's the ornament I received, a SamSarah design from an older JCS ornament issue.  My friend, Renee, and I are both avid Ohio State fans and she changed some of the colors to scarlet and grey.  Perfect!  She also sent a little purchased OSU snowman ornament (not pictured).

Here's an ornament I stitched for another dear friend.  It's a Prairie Schooler from another older JCS ornament issue (see a theme here?):

Finally, it's such a pleasure to be a model stitcher for both Diane Williams (Little House Needleworks) and her daughter, Nikki Leeman (Country Cottage Needleworks).  Nikki just revealed a recent design for which I stitched the model.  I'm sure it will appeal to many of you.  You can see it on Nikki's blog here:

http://countrycottageneedleworks.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-meadow.html

That's it for this time.  I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season!

Catch up

Things have been pretty busy around here lately.  I volunteer a lot with DS's HS marching band.  We've finished our second week of band camp.  I work with some other wonderful women who support the band by trying to keep the kids hydrated, dispensing bandaids, etc., and generally helping out where needed.  We've been under a heat advisory since the beginning of camp and the kids so far are doing pretty well tolerating the heat.  We moms have been "working out" a lot by lugging cooler after cooler of ice water out to their practice field so they can refill their camelbacks.  This week they started putting some music to their drill, always exciting to see it begin.  Go, Buc Band!!

Yesterday we drove to Austin to move DS into his college apartment.  It's almost a 4 hour drive from here so, as you can imagine, it was a long day.  We discovered in Austin that we'd left part of his futon here at home so we'll be making another trip soon.  At least he can sleep on the mattress on the floor until we can make it back.

On the stitching front, a model I stitched for Nikki at http://www.countrycottageneedleworks.blogspot.com/ and http://www.countrycottageneedleworks.com/  has just been released on her blog so I can finally share it.  I loved this one!  My kitchen has an apple theme and I suspect I'll be stitching this one again for me.  Nikki seems to really be "on a roll" lately with lots of beautiful designs.

My birthday gift from DH this year was a StitchMate needlework stand and it just arrived Friday afternoon.  I think I'm going to love this...and wonder what took me so long to ask for it.  You can read about the stand here:  http://www.cozycottage.com/

I also finished and sent another model out to Nikki this week so I'm back to personal stitching (when I have any time or energy left from band.  I'm working on LHN's (Dianne Williams, Nikki's mother) designed this piece, Virtue Sampler:

I finished the Moonwalking with Einstein book (very interesting) and started another Erik Larson book,  IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS: LOVE, TERROR, AND AN AMERICAN FAMILY IN HITLER'S BERLIN and am finding it very interesting.

Until next time, happy stitching!

Another Friday already

Happy Friday, everyone! My younger boys have spring break next week and I celebrated by buying some flowers for them to help me plant.

I've been stitching too. I may have mentioned that I recently stitched a model for Country Cottage Needleworks. Nikki's released it on her blog so I can now share it with you. It's a beautiful design and it was a pleasure to stitch it.

I also finished a couple of blocks for exchanges. One is a summer themed block by Erica Michaels, and the other is an owl themed block from a blog called Stickeule.

I'm working on another model for her now. I'm also working on an older freebie by Jean Farish called America, Land That We Love. I decided to stitch the states in the order that they became states instead of alphabetically.