Final Finish For 2011

Well, I didn't get this finished before Christmas, but I did get it finished before my goal of  the end of the year. This is a project I started at the end of 2009, and then neglected it until Nov. of this year. At that point, I determined it would be finished by the end of December. Had it not been for so many visits from little people the past couple months, it would have been done sooner. This is finish #60 for the year. Not bad....I have done better, I have done worse!!
Now, we need to find a matte for it, so my husband can make a nice frame for it.

complete project...ready to mat & frame

close up to show star & floss beauty

Here are the details, for those who will want them.
The pattern is called Spirit of Christmas. The pattern was in the January 2010 issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine. It is stitched on 28 ct. Queen Annes Lace Jobelan, using The Thread Gatherers Silk N Colors floss. I did add gold Kreinik to the star...just felt it needed some shine to it!!! I am adding a close up picture of the star & the top of the piece for detail purposes...
All of the tote bags were a HUGE hit....I think my son was just as happy as his boys, because now he can keep track of who is taking what car when they go anywhere....he does a bag check as they leave & as they get back from anywhere.
I have decided to join Vickie's UFO blog..mine are more WIP pieces, but some are UFO's. I will be updating on that blog later today. I was hoping for a clear, bright day for pictures, but no luck....it is overcast & rainy..
You may notice at the top of my blog, there is a new email address for me.....I found that I couldn't use my normal email address to join any of the 'specialty blogs' like the one Vickie is hosting. So, she suggested I open a GMail account & waalaa....it worked.
I would like to take the opportunity here at the end of the year to wish each & every one of you a Very Happy New Year. Thank you for your continued support thru 2011 & I hope you will continue to visit in 2012....

Another Tote & a Gift!

I finished the 4th & final tote tonight. The package came with four bags...one red, yellow, green, and blue. The boys have 'their colors', so that took the yellow, green & blue. I decided the little guy I babysit would like one too, so I did the red one for him.
I also made a previously stitched ornament into the ornament tonight...it is so big, it could be a door knob hanger if they want!
Yesterday, my mom & my aunt came for the day, so we could go shopping together. This has become a yearly thing..they drive to here & then I drive the rest of the way...we shop & have lunch out. We had a nice day...I found some Peppermint Crunch Junior Mints that I have been searching for....they are for a new cookie recipe. Now, I am anxious to make them!!
My mom brought a surprise along for me. I have mentioned in the past that both my parents also stitch....I guess you could say I taught them something!!! (I started & since I have, both parents & one brother have started)
Anyway, I have always loved Koala Bears. My dad found a pattern & decided he would stitch it for me...he has been working on it for a while because he showed it to me last time we were up there.(sometime in Oct. I believe) He didn't tell me it was for me thou..just showed me!
Backing up, when the boys were here last time, I was giving all of them piggy back rides. My dad snapped a picture of me with J on my back. Little did I know, he had thoughts about that picture.
When I called him to thank him yesterday, he told me it reminded him of the picture he took of me & J. and that made it all the more special to him.

bag for boy I babysit

gift from my dad

ornament for my nephew & his wife

Excuse the poor lighting..it is evening here. Have a great rest of the week! Thanks to all for stopping by & for your kind comments...they make my day, each & every one!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, the past week or so has been extremely busy & I fear, that is a sign of how the next 3 weeks will be.
Besides trying to finish some stitched gifts, life must go on. I have been wanting our bedroom painted for over a year. We FINALLY got it done this weekend & I LOVE it...the color is so rich & warm....I just want to spend all day in that room!
On Sat., we went & cut our Christmas Tree down. How many of you have heard of a concolor fir? That is the kind of tree we got & it is different than any Christmas tree we have ever gotten. If you aren't familiar with them, do  a search & take notice of the scent this tree has....
On the stitching front, I have been doing my best to stay up to date on the Advent SAL I am involved with. I was so thankful that one of last weeks charts was very tiny!! I got it done, along with other projects that I have been working on.
Do you remember me mentioning tote bags for my grandsons? Well, I finished the stitching last night & I got the bonding material this morning. You can see how I spent the early part of my afternoon!
I also have done a little bit on the Spirit of Christmas piece....not much, but hey, every X counts!

tote bags for my grandsons!

advent SAL piece

Spirit of Christmas WIP

newly painted bedroom

I need to get busy now on my yearly candy making. I have done some, but not as much as I should have done. Oh well, one day at a time!
Have a great week & try to not stress about the season's busyness....I am trying my best to enjoy it!!!

Ok, there is no such thing as NORMAL!!!

If you look at my previous post, I labeled it "Resuming Normal". Well, that hasn't happened & now we are into the Christmas season full force, so thus the reason for today's post label.
I no more than posted my previous post, and our son asked if dad could come down for several days & do home renovations for him. So, he got off early on Friday that week, and was to come home the day before Thanksgiving.
I decided on that Friday morning, to pull out a WIP that had BARELY been started back in Dec. 09. I mean barely.:>) You can see how little in the picture attached. My goal was to have all of the words stitched before he got back home on Wed. afternoon.
You see above, I said he WAS TO COME HOME on the day before Thanksgiving....????? Well, Mr. Handyman worked so fast, he was done on Monday evening. So.........he packed up & left early on Tues. morning & pulled in here Tues. about 2:30........needless to say, the lettering wasn't quite done...I thought I had 24 more hours!!
But...the lettering was done on Wed. evening, so I did meet my goal, he just got here too soon!
I also have been working on some advent pieces for one of the groups I am in. I have shown the first one, but I have 3 more stitched now. I have 52 finishes thus far for the year.
This week, my goal will be three tote bags. My grandsons have taken a love to the movie CARS & they love their little cars.(see previous post) My son said" mom....why don't you make tote bags for them, like you have done for other kids?!?!"  So....grandma has got to come thru.  I found tote bags in "their colors" & will stitch on white fabric & add it to the bags!!
Ok, with so much to do & so little time, I better get going. I need to put my house back in order! We had all 3 of our kids & their families for Thanksgiving. So...with the  boys here, my house is a mess!!!

the little bit that was started

the lettering is finished

Advent piece

another advent piece

yet another advent piece

Have a great week everyone!!!

Resuming 'normal'

We are resuming our normal(?) lives now.
We met the boys parent's half way on Sat. & gave them the boys back. It is always so hard to let them go, because they live so far away & we know not when we will see them again....normally! But, since Thanksgiving is next week..guess what?! We do know this time when we will see them again.
I wonder if they will still remember how to say GRANDMA....yes, I managed to teach at least 2 of the boys how to say grandma!!!! Made my week!
We did lots of things to create wonderful memories. They probably will not remember, but I sure will. One day, we made a new dessert called Mountain Apple Cobbler. You chunk apples & wrap them in crescent rolls. I let the boys do that part & put them in the pan. I then added the topping ingredients.
The next day, we made sugar cookies...ok, I cheated this time...I had a package of dough in the refrigerator. I let them take the chunks off of the cardboard & put them on the cookie sheets. I then let them add sprinkles to the cookies. Lastly, I turned the oven light on, so that they could 'watch' their cookies bake! And of course, they had to enjoy them as soon as they were finished cooking.
They are 'into' the cars from the movie CARS. So, one night, it was a trip to Walmart. Papa helped each boy choose a car. You would have thought we gave them a million dollars each. They were all so happy. They slept with their cars each time they were put down to sleep. (I would go get it out of the beds when they fell asleep!)
Ok, onto stitching! One of the groups I am in is doing advent stitching. We will end up with 24 little designs....just the right size for ornaments or cards, etc....
I have done one so far & hope to do one today. I am attaching a picture of the first one. I think this will be an ornament, but I am not sure yet.
I have also been working on the 12 days pieces. I have now finished day 3. This is finish #49 for the year.
In another of my groups, we are doing an ornament exchange. I received mine while the boys were here, but haven't shown a picture yet, so it is attached as well.
I think that is my update for now. I have GOT TO clean house today...Monday & Tues. are busy with babysitting & running him to &  from preschool, so today is the day!!

watching our cookies bake

ornament & card from exchange

Advent stitching, Day 1

PS 12 days......day 3

Thanks for stopping by & for your kind comments....they mean so much to me. Have a wonderful week.

On the First Day....

I finished day one of the 12 days of Christmas on Friday of last week, but didn't take time to update my blog. I was getting ready for my grandsons arrival...had to toddler proof my house!!
I finished day 2 this am, before they got up.....I have one sitting on my lap right now, as I type this....he got up a little earlier than yesterday, so I didn't quite get done what I wanted!! (wanted this update done before any of them got up.) Please excuse the wrinkles & hoop marks...didn't take time to iron them first!!!
For those of you who may be new/newer to my blog, we have triplet grandsons who are 2 1/2 years old. They come to stay with us periodically, to give our son & DIL a much needed break.

Day One

Day Two

My precious grandsons!!!

ok, I am not going to get long winded on this, just want to show that it is very possible to stitch & update with three toddler boys in the house!!!
I will show one picture of them, having fun with grandma & papa (that is what they call him!)

Let the Holiday Candy making begin!

Funny title for a post, right???
Well, I am officially done with my canning for the year, so now it is time to start on my candies that I make for the holidays..
Most of it is given as gifts for Christmas, but there is always some available at Thanksgiving as well.
This morning, I made my last batch of applesauce. I was able to get a bushel of my favorite sauce apples on Monday. I babysat M, T, and W, so I knew today was the day. I had 109 apples in the bushel.
You can see in the pictures some of the steps that take me from round, red apples to delicious pink sauce....yes, the sauce is pink. I do not add anything to my sauce....JUST APPLES....
I also have had some stitching time....I started this ornament on Monday evening & finished it last night. It was a fun stitch, except for the dreaded .............
yeah, you all know what goes in that blank....
Today, I plan to start the first of 12 ornaments I hope to stitch quickly!!! I am going to do the 12 days of Christmas by Prairie Schooler...

apples after they have been softened

sauce ready to be canned

results of my labor!

dark picture, but a soon to be ornament

Ok, I have sat here long enough......I need to keep moving.....lots to do yet this week!
Have a great week..thanks for stopping by...thanks for your kind comments...they make my day!!!

Popcorn and a Christmas Gift

Some of you know, I tried growing my own popcorn this year. Well, it grew, but I learned something new during the growing process. I have never had 'critters' in my garden in the past.....mind you, we live in the middle of a corn field or bean field, depending on the year....
Well, for the first time ever, we had critters visit the garden & guess what they liked.....yup..you guessed it...my popcorn...As soon as the ears started growing, they started 'disappearing'.. I found tracks to two different critters around the stalks.....we had raccoons loving  my popcorn & also deer.....
They missed 2 ears, so I did get to at least try my popcorn....ha!!!! You can see in the pictures the ears, the amount unpopped & then the end result, which tasted WONDERFUL last night!!!!
Stitching this weekend was a lot of fun.....I had 2 of my stitching friends over for the day on Sat...we had our own private little Stitch In.. One gal almost finished what she was working on. I got word later that evening that she had finished... The other gal did a little stocking border...those premade stockings that you add stitching to the band around the top. She started & finished it while here. I worked on an ornament for my nephew & his wife. They are expecting baby #2 in Feb. I thought this ornament would be a perfect gift. They know the baby is a girl, so I changed the one color to pink. This ornament was done with a variety of flosses. I didn't have the called for flosses, so I went on a hunt thru my hand dyed flosses. I used some dmc (310) some Carries, some Dye is Cast & some San Man Strands... The fabric is Sassy's Crocus..the picture does not do the fabric or the flosses justice..that is what I get for taking a picture while it is still dark out..bad lighting!
today I need to find a Disney themed pattern for an ornament for an exchange....may be harder than I thought!

Sam Sarahs JCS 2011 ornament issue

My two lone ears of popcorn

The popcorn ready to be popped

The results of my new test!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend & has a great week....it is Monday....start fresh & enjoy!

Two Fall Finishes

Well, the canning has slowed down...for a few days....:>) I just found a place that has my applesauce apples on sale starting tomorrow, so guess what I will be getting tomorrow?!!?!? Yup, a bushel of my sauce apples......
I also made another batch of the caramel cider jelly this week...it is so good on a piece of toast, with peanut butter...oh my!
I saw the surgeon doctor again this am...we have ruled out anything thyroid related for my 'clump'...we are now steering toward possibly allergies. He feels I should just try zyrtec for a while & see if that helps....he said allergists are very costly & if this will do the trick!!!! So, here we go...trying something else.
I finished two more of the LK Halloween Rules this week. I am done with these now. I am having my husband make small frames for them & will display them this way. These are stitched on PTP 32 ct. Doubloon lugana...I really like this fabric...one of my new favorites I think.. (wow...they look so different..the Scare a Crow is more true of color)
I am going to start several ornament size pieces now. I kitted up one for my nephew & his wife last night...it is the baby bump one in the new ornament issue.

Have a great rest of the week & weekend......I have some stitching friends coming over for the day on Sat. & I am so ready!!!

In Place of Stitching.....

this week has been crazy busy...normal extra activity on Monday & Tues. am....hubby had a meeting on Monday night, I had a meeting on Tues. night, we had flock on Wed. night...this is the first evening we are BOTH home...
Yesterday & today, I spent in the kitchen. Yesterday, I made 14 pints of applesauce, using my favorite apples for sauce...Ida Reds. They make a very light pink sauce & it is a sweet sauce...no sugar at all needed to flavor it. After the sauce, I got the supplies out to make Caramel Apple Jam...I didn't have any small jars, so I only got 4 pints out of the whole process.
Late yesterday afternoon, my brother text me & asked if he could come over today & we could do jam & jelly together. I said sure, because I wanted more of the caramel apple jam & he had a recipe for Caramel Apple Cider jelly.
I had to run to get a few things before he got here...I wanted 1/2 pint jars, I needed lids & I HOPED to get more Ida Reds...a local store had them on sale for 2.99 for 5 lbs. They were out thou..... :<(
Before he got here, I made a batch of Cherry Pear jam....I got 7 1/2 pint jars of it.
When he got here, we made 2 batches of the caramel apple jam & 2 batches of the caramel apple cider jelly. Those 4 batches yeilded 42 1/2 pint jars, which we split between us.
Denise of Riverside Stiching asked how much canning I do...she also said I should show pictures of my canning pantry. I am sort of ashamed of how it looks right now. I always ORGANIZE it, after I am done canning for the season...I am not done yet, but I went down & took pictures anyway. My canning pantry is under the stairwell in the basement.

L-R: Cherry Pear Jam, Caramel Apple Jam, Caramel Cider Jelly, Ida Red applesauce

main section of canned goods

overflow of canned goods

Tomorrow, my plan is to STAY OFF THE COMPUTER & STAY AWAY FROM THE PHONE & STITCH THE DAY AWAY!!!! We shall see!!!
Have a great rest of the week & weekend...Thanks for stopping by & those of you who leave comments, thanks even more...sure do love knowing people have stopped by!

Northwinds Week NINE & Novalee SAL

I intentionally waited until late evening to post for two reasons. I was waiting to see if we would get pictures from Angela & Rose. As of 8:45 pm, they haven't sent them. I know they have much busier lives than I do..
Denise & I both finished Northwinds this week.......Denise on Sunday & myself on Tues. But we were both good & waited until today to post.
I also waited until now to post, because I wanted to finish the Autumn section of the Novalee SAL. I finished a little bit ago. Just one more season to go & this piece will be finished. I am counting it as one finish, so it isn't in my total for the year.
Northwinds is finish # 41 for this year. Who knows how many more I will have....I want to work on some small things now....no commitments for a while....
Thanks so much for stopping by & for commenting...the comments mean so much....

Denise's Finished Piece

Shari's Finished Piece

Novalee SAL, autumn finished

view out my back door

Oh! I almost forgot....I am also attaching a picture taken out my back door this morning. The sun was hitting the trees just right & the sight was beautiful...

Northwinds Week 8 & an Autumn Finish!

LK amongst friends

Two of the four SAL gals had a super busy week & haven't been able to send their pictures yet, but I am going to go ahead & show you Denise's & my own. I also want to show my small autumn finish.....it kept me from cheating & doing more on the SAL...I wanted to finish so bad, but I had done my 2 days, so I pulled this cutie out & did it....
The pumpkins on the front porch are from the lady I babysit for. Aren't they adorable?!?!?!! One of the local sororities makes them each fall. I have always loved them, but have never bought them. She remembered me commenting about liking them. So, meet Mr. Duane & Mrs Shari Pumpkin!!
I am going to stitch a few of these LK charts as individual pieces & have my husband make small frames for them.

Denise's

Shari's

Angela's

Close up of LK

have a super week...enjoy autumn wherever you are!

third of three finished!!!

After having to FROG the letter, I have finished the 3rd grandson ornament. I don't know what I was thinking, but I was nearly finished & realized I had stitched one of the other boys letters on this one as well...oops!!!
These are stitched on Sassy's brushed suede opal lugana, 28 ct. The other two are stitched on the same fabric, but you wouldn't know it looking at the previous pictures!!
This is finish # 39 for the year. Boy, compared to some previous years, that number is really, really low....but.........we are coming into the holiday season & I typically do a lot of ornaments, so we shall see!!

Thanks so much for all of the kind words on the past few posts...especially about my health tests....I appreciated so much your taking time to comment....

An Ornament finish & Northwinds SAL week 7

Boy, I just made it with this ornament!!! I stitch one ornament per month. I usually get them done in the first couple days of the month, but for some reason, I waited in Sept. I literally started it on the 29th & finished it on the 30th!!! Needless to say, today I started my Oct. ornament...these are simple little ornaments & they are for our grandsons...Might just make them into gift tags....
As you saw on my previous post, I finished the LK piece last week...I had spent a lot of time on that in Sept. I loved it & my husband promises a frame soon...He likes to have a bunch to do when he goes down....well, I told him 2 that I want, he has orders for about 8 more...I THINK that is a bunch...now to get some free time for him!!
Northwinds SAL update:
Rose had no time to work on her piece this week, so I am not including a picture for hers....see post from last Monday... (I didn't save her old one on the computer!!!)
Angela made nice progress on hers, even thou she had a very busy, testing week!!!
Denise is still recovering from her surgery, but I think she made great progress, regardless!!!
Me, I don't think I did that much, but each XXX is one closer & I am still enjoying this piece!!!

ornament for my grandson

Shari's Week 7

Denise's week 7

Angela's week 7

I hope everyone has a great week.....we have a birthday filled week here....we have 4 between tomorrow & next Monday!!!

Lizzie Kate ABC Lessons

What a great reminder this piece is to me & can be to all of us. The last words I put in it were "Count Your Blessings". This has such great meaning to me, & was perfect for today.
I haven't said much on my blog, but I just went thru a period of not taking my thyroid meds, so that I could have a test done. This test was for a couple things, but one was the possibility of cancer. I was at peace about it......I just felt there would be no cancer found.
I went to the doctor yesterday for the results of the test.....NO CANCER.....just one of many blessings I am counting today!!!
I loved each X I put in this piece. The chart was given to me by a friend after she stitched it, so it was just the chart......no floss...I do not have many specialty flosses, so I subbed most of them with floss I do have. One specialty floss that I have a lot of is Victorian Motto Sampler floss. Many of my substitutions are from these.
I also changed one word in the piece.........I will let you look & try to guess where I made that change....might be something new & fun for on my blog....we have heard of the old TV show, Name That Tune......well, this will be Name that Change!!!
Time to go make some more jam.....everyone who has tasted my Traffic Jam has loved it.....I fear I will run out before winter even hits at the rate it is going...
have a wonderful day......I hope the weather is better in 'your neck of the woods' than it is here.......it has rained each &  every day since last Friday........

Northwinds SAL..week 6...Already?

Has it really been six weeks of working on this piece??? Where does the time go? I remember being so excited to start it & then each week thinking.....do I have to put this away now??
It is amazing to me how much can be stitched, if a person just sits still & stitches. Anyone who knows me well, knows I am NOT a good sit still person. Even when not feeling well, I cannot sit still. I have to be up moving, doing all the time.
Three out of 4 of us had weeks this week that did not allow for much stitching. Angela on the other hand caught right up.....
Great job ladies...Like I do each week, I am putting the pictures on in alphabetical order, but how blogger posts them might be a whole nother story!!!!!
I am also showing my LK ABC Lessons. My goal for this piece??? Be done before my Next Monday Update!!!!! We shall see if I can do that or not.......
It is autumn & autumn to me is lots of time in the kitchen, so my stitching becomes a little less of a priority. This past week, I did the peanut butter banana bread which you saw in my last post, the 40 pints of applesauce, I baked an apple pie, I made a huge batch of caramel corn & I made some coffee ice cream for my son to share with friends.
Have a super week & keep those needles flying....

Angela's

Denise's

Rose's

Shari's

Shari's LK ABC Lessons