Happy Mother's Day

Some of my stitching fabric has arrived and some of it is on back order but should be arriving soon.I was catching up on some blog reading and on more than one blog I saw a sampler that made my tongue hang out as I drooled. Margaret Cottam by La D Da. This is a picture from  Maude and Mozart and was taken at Country Sampler. It is one of the many pictures I have seen of this design. I debated on whether I needed another BAP in my stash but in the end, I could envision it hanging on my dining area sampler wall and I caved!

DH decided to reward me for my efforts in quitting smoking. I have to brag a little and say yes, I am proud of myself. There are some days I just want to light one up sooooo badly but I get through it. I have quit before and made long term promises to myself and others that I would NEVER smoke again. Ha! That never seemed to work so this time there were no promises. Just taking it one day at a time. Oh, back to my reward for not spending all that money on those devil weeds. A new stitching chair for the bedroom! I have been wanting one back there for some time for those times I want to escape for some privacy.

 

We are getting ready to start some work on the house. You know, those things that build up over the years. Something happens and you say "oh, that's not big. It can wait." Twenty years of saying that really adds up and one day you realize that you have one honker of a long honey-do list! Since my first choice is not do-able right now (selling this place and getting a smaller place for just me and dh) we will opt for choice #2 and do some of the more important things on that list.

I have finished stitching on Primitive Adam and Eve by Country Rustic Primitives. On the last day, my hands were swollen, stiff and cramping but I saw how close I was to finishing and trudged on. Now I have a wonderful finish and I can let my hands rest up for several days before a new start! I love all the red and I am looking forward to adding another A&E to the sampler wall.

 

While we were out puttering around town, I picked up a new tomato pin cushion. If you read my blog, you know I really fried green tomatoes so a green tomato pincushion will be right at home among the others! I also picked up several magazines and a darling new journal! I love all the bugs and butterflies on the cover. This may be my "what's happening outdoors" journal.

 

I was feeling sort of blue that my chickadee family had all flown the nest. I had not seen the goldfinch babies and parents at my feeders in a while either. My backyard had gone from buzzing with activity to being a ghost town of sorts. Even those pesky squirrels who try to eat up all my birdseed were no where to be seen. I was thinking about how much I wanted another family of birds to nest in our yard when I heard babies! A group of baby birds all chirping at once. I focused in on the sound and saw a moma wren at my feeder getting some food then fly off into a clump of shrubs at the back of our yard. You may remember hearing me say that I have a soft spot in my heart for wrens. The leaves on the shrubs where the nest was would shake and tremble with delight as she fed them. The babies would once again all chime in with their anxious "feed me first" chirps. All is good. I have babies in my backyard and I am happy. DH helped me put up two more birdhouses!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I wish you a happy Mother's Day whether you are being waited on or waiting on someone else!

Frames and Things

The weather is so iffy these days. Cool then warm. Sunny day then several rainy ones with that cloudy overcast chill. I try to get outside and do some container gardening and enjoy watching the birds as much as possible. Our backyard is jumping with all the nesting! Baby gold finches, baby purple house finches and baby mourning doves take their turns at my feeders. A chickadee family is nesting in one of my birdhouses and a bluebird couple is building a nest in another of my birdhouses to raise a clan of their own! I am getting over the case of shingles that surprised me a few weeks ago. I do not remember ever having chicken pox so over the years of hearing all the shingle horror stories, I was pretty cocky and sure I would never get it. Boom! I got shingles so I guess I did have chicken pox as a child!

I picked up some framing and am thrilled with the outcome! She did a wonderful job on them! I picked up several but will show them one post at a time so I don't overload on pictures! Here is Baby, It's Cold Outside by Heartstring Samplery. I love the frame, too.

 

How many sampler walls do you have? I am working on building up three for now (no pictures until after we paint and hang everything back up). One in my dining area and two in my bedroom. Of course, there are a few pieces scattered through out the house on various walls by themselves.

I finished up Sarah Schall by Heartstring Samplery on May 1st. I used 18 count Aida and stayed with the recommended colors. No changes this time! Isn't she beautiful! I do have to say that Fido looks like a devil dog with that red eye! Maybe I should change that one thing. Sort of creeps me out.

 

I sorted out my stash into groups based on which walls they would be stitched for then put them in individual boxes. Most of them are already kitted up. Since it is May and the month of Mother's Day, I pulled out my Mother's Tree sampler to work on. I am working from the bottom up and am currently on my grandmother's name. After her, 5 more generations to stitch! For some reason, this sampler seems to be scraping my nerves but I know I will treasure it so that makes it all worthwhile!

I placed an order for several school girl type samplers that I liked but a big part of my order consisted of fabric. I know I have plenty of fabric to last a while but each time I go through my stash, I panic. What if I run out of fabric before I can complete them all? What if the stores stop carrying the type I like or the manufacturers stop making the color I prefer! Good grief! Talk about a melt down! Get a grip, old gal! lol.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and not giving up me and my blog! I always enjoy your visits and am thrilled to see new followers to my blog as well!

Are you sure it's Spring?

The longer hours of Spring turned into longer days but Winter just did not get the message and overstayed its welcome for another week or longer. The cold winds. The cold rains. Too much cold for my taste. I stayed indoors with my stitching and heat! I am ready for those warm birdwatching Spring days now! We even had a little bit of snow and sleet today!

Without any delay I will jump right in and show off my most recent finish, Needleworker by LHN. I love the crow, the needle, the thread and the berries! This piece will look right at home on my sampler/sewing wall. I stitched it on 18 count Vintage Country Mocha Aida and used the threads that came with the pattern. It took longer to finish than I had expected since I was interrupted by a case of "life happens" again.

 

I have plenty of LHN patterns but Needleworker is my first LHN finish! Have you ever noticed that you seem to stitch one designer's patterns more than any other? I do. I try not to but each time I see something new by this designer, I have to stitch it!

Since I finished a piece, it is time for a new start! I know exactly the one I want to do. Sarah E. Schall by Heartstring Samplery. I am still gathering everything. I will take pictures once I get far enough along. I don't like to work to work on more than one at a time but I have been itching to start on Sampler Folk by CHS, too! I may just start both of them if I can talk myself into it.

 

I am using one week per month to work on several WIPs that have been sitting in my basket for a year. I may not get much done within that week but even a little bit is better than letting them sit un-stitched for another year!

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart! Thanks for stopping by!

 

Before the End

I thought I would make another post before the end of the month sneaks up on me again! We had a glorious taste of Spring last weekend only to be thrown back into Winter this week.

I started on the sweet little free sampler by Kathy after my last post and I finished it up over the weekend. I chose to work on 18 ct. Aida Fiddler's Cloth and used a variety of DMC threads. This is the kind of sampler I like to work on. Enough to show off the alphabet and some cute motifs but small enough to get it done quickly so I can move on to the next sampler.

I made another trip to my LNS to take advantage of their framing sale (since I only do this once a year). I know I said I would be stitching from my stash for a while but I saw several designs that really wanted to come back home with me! I picked up the new chart Needleworker by LHN. Love this. Here is a picture of my progress so far. I also picked up Sarah E. Schall 1850 by Heartstring Samplery. This was not a new chart but it was to me. How did I miss ever seeing this? I can't wait to start this one!

Finding something to eat on Friday during Lent is somewhat of a challenge around here. I have plenty of choices but not one that everyone agrees on. I finally decided to make Fridays "do for yourself" meal day. If the boys want a cheese pizza, they can get it. DH and I are fine with tomato soup and a good grilled cheese. To liven up the same plain 'recipe' for I have used for so many years I have given it several new twists.

Twist #1 - I add some sliced jalapeno peppers in between the cheese slices before grilling. That gives this old stand by sandwich some real kick!

Twist #2 - I call this one my Extreme Grilled Cheese. On Youtube it is called an Inside Out Grilled Cheese. First get a GOOD non stick pan to use for making this. Believe me, this is a must unless you like a really messy clean up. Use either potato bread or white bread. They just grill better. Save the whole wheat bread for a turkey sandwich later.

Get your sandwich ready. I use a little mayo on each slice of bread then instead of American cheese slices, I cut strips off a block of sharp cheddar cheese, making them a little thicker than the usual processed cheese slices.

Put a tablespoon of butter in the pan to melt instead of on the bread. Put in your sandwich. Let side 1 get a golden brown. Flip to brown side 2. While side 2 is browning, add some more cheese to the outside of side 1. Some people use a combo of Mexican cheese mix and crumbled Feta cheese. Others use shredded Mozzarella and shredded Parmesan. It is your preference. After side 2 is brown, flip back to side 1 and let that cheese get nice and carmelized. Repeat for side 2. You will have to add more butter to the pan as needed. *using my best italian accent* Moma Mia! That's a lot a cheese!

 

Thanks for stopping by! I do enjoy your visits!

Spring is Around the Corner

I meant to post before the end of February but..... It seems like everything has been up in the air around here for the past several months. Too much to go into details about. Besides I don't want to sound like I am throwing myself a pity party and I really want to move on and away from all the hullabalu that was our life for several months. I did get a post in before the end of March. *giving myself a fist bump* No pictures this time around. Maybe by my next post, I will be back "in the groove".

The past several winter months have been very dreary, weather wise. Lots and lots of rain. Cold wind. Many days of overcast skies. But we did have a beautiful snowfall. It was a "here today, gone tomorrow" type of snow. Now Spring is around the corner and I am getting excited about planting veggies and flowers. I love the longer hours at the end of the day and I love listening to the birds sing and chirp during all this wonderful weather.

 What I don't love are the allergies that accompany Spring. This year has already proved it will be a doozie and the pollen hasn't even reached it's peak yet! I have already had a swollen lip, swollen side of my face, sore throat, swollen glands and lots of itching with tiny red bumps.

  During the time I was away from blogging, a lot of other things were put on hold as well. The one thing I really missed was my stitching. I had such grand plans for my stitching in 2013 and I felt I got off to a wonderful start then it all sort of got devoured in the quicksand of life! For now, I will resume my stitching with what I have in my stash and I do have plenty to choose from! I am sure that I will order a few new things on down the road but not right now.

I am finally able to pull my stitching back out but am having a hard time deciding what to begin working on! I have narrowed it down to a small stack of 6 designs. Why is it so hard for me to make a simple decision? Then I saw the new freebie by Kathy. Love the alphabet, love the birds and love that I can choose my own colors! I went my LNS to drop off some items for framing. I still have others from last year that have not been hung up yet!

  That's about it for now. Next time I will share photos and here's hoping a more upbeat post! Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits.

Two Finishes!

I can't believe that January is almost half gone! I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. It was a quite holiday season around here. I finished up Thomas by NFF right before my birthday in December and decided that he would be my last finish of 2012. The picture was taken a step or two before being completely finished but you get the idea. He is such a handsome fella and that look in his one visible eye says "Don't even think about it" almost like a dare! I already have a place of honor for him to hang after he is framed.Of course, Thanksgiving may never be the same at our house again! LOL On Vonna's advice, I worked on his big fat body a little at a time instead of waiting to do it all at once!

I reall;y don't have any stitching resolutions for 2013 but I do have some ideas. I have plenty of medium to large size charts to keep me busy along with some WIPs. I also joined a SAL for the LHN Virtue series. While waiting for my first LHN Virtues to come in, I decided to kit up some of the charts I got last month and I went ahead and started one of them. My first start of 2013, my first stitch by this designer and so far, I am thrilled with it! Silent Night by Country Cottage Needleworks.

I have bought the threads for LHN's Virtues series. I saw this thread by Wisper. Can you tell in the picture how fuzzy it is? Just like a sheep's wooly coat! I picked up a couple of skeins and may try to use it!

While I was out I picked up this basket in the Christmas sale section. A little too green for my taste but I can tone it down a bit with a coat of stain wiped off. If stain in unavailable a coat of brown acrylic paint lightly brushed on then wiped off quickly has the same effect. I may use this basket for all the other Christmas ornament size pillows I want to make and get a wooden bowl I found to use for Virtues.

It's still Winter outside and our worst weather (sleet and snow) has yet to come. We can get hit by it anytime between December through March, although January and February are the most likely months for us. After the holidays, I pull out my gardening/birding planner for the upcoming Spring. I make a list of what I want to plant in the garden and put out for the birds. I already have two new birdhouses waiting to be put out for nesting season. As for veggies and plants, I have a long list and a good start on my seeds but only time will tell how many I actually get! We skipped on growing tomatoes last year. Not this year! We really missed those Fried Green Tomatoes! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year!

This is the same post I make at the end of each year with a few changes here and there to suit the time of my life. It may get old to some but it works for me.

A New Year is right around the corner! A brand new clean calender! It's up to each one of us what we do with it. Each year I make the same goals with a possible extra or two tossed in for good measure. I prefer to use "goals" instead of "resolutions" because I feel that taking already important things in my life and putting my focus on strengthening them.

1. To make an effort to learn something new every day. The joy of knowledge is indeed a blessing no matter what you choose to learn.

2. To make time for myself. It's amazing what 15 minutes sitting on the deck with a hot cup of coffee and watching the birds can do for my soul. A little time each day to refresh my spirit is all it takes.

3. To take time to appreciate each day. Too often we forget to see the beauty around us and take the simple things in life for granted. My continued goal is to look with my eyes but to see with my heart. To simply enjoy life and all that is a part of it.

4. To enjoy my family and friends. I am lucky to have each and every one of them in my life. I have been blessed with so many online friends and each day I am grateful for each one of you! My online stitching and blogging friends are a very important part of my life!

5. Organize and Simplify! Two key words I always yearn to make a part of my everyday routine but often lose focus on. Organize doesn't mean I have to go on a cleaning rampage each day. It just means I need to get my life and things that are a part of my life in some of manageable order so that I feel comfortable instead of constantly overwhelmed. Not putting things off until the last minute can contribute greatly to this cause! Simplify! Just what it means - plain and simple! Stop making a mountain out of a mole hill, do what I can and leave the rest, don't volunteer for more than I feel I can handle or feel will stress me out!

6. To Remember. So many people have come and gone from my life over the recent years and I want to keep their memory alive.

7. To keep my faith alive and strong.

8. A Random Act of Kindness. Like so many others, I was raised to do them. Only back then they were called "manners" or just plain "consideration for others". So many people still do these and often without even realizing it. For the New Year coming up, I challenge myself along with each and every one of you to make RAKs a regular part of your life and to become more aware of them. Whether it means opening a door for a person, buying a stranger a cup of coffee, taking the grocery cart back inside the store or something else. Let us all strive to bring back those values and in doing so we will give back. I would love to hear what you did today to make someone's day a little brighter.

9. To Forgive. Things happen that cause hurt, anger and resentment but often the people who cause these emotions don't care. We are the ones left with bitter feelings that only mount up and make us more and more miserable. I will let the past remain in the past and let go of these feelings so that I can move on with my life.

10. To use kind words and practice patience more often. I will try to live by the good old standard saying "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

And of course the New Year just wouldn't be complete without a few just plain fun goals!

1. Take more trips. Even day trips can be fun.

2. No pressure. Keep the fun and joy in stitching. This is why I started in the first place! I actually have several special projects planned for this year but will keep them a secret until I start.

3. Work on some WIPs I have been neglectful of. Each stitch on them brings me a little closer to a finish!

4. I also have a lot of freebies, smalls and magazine patterns I have been wanting to stitch.

5. Take more pictures.

Have a safe New Year's Eve! Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Christmas Dreams

First of all, let me send a big Thank You to everyone who helped me clear out some of my stash on my Wishlist blog! There are still some items left, some have been marked down and a few more have been added.

And then there were two. I don't like working on more than one piece at a time but sometimes it just can't be helped! Every time, I go through my stash (for whatever reason) there are patterns screaming my name. Their voices just got louder and louder over time until I could no longer ignore their cries for attention! It was beginning to resemble a "stash war". "You promised to stitch me up this year. Time is running out!" "Just because I wasn't designed yesterday doesn't mean I'm over the hill!" "You don't appreciate me anymore!" So I caved and gave in to them! I could not see working on more than two but maybe this effort will show my stash that I love each and every one of them and they are NOT forgotten!

As you can see in the above picture, I am still working (slowly) on Backyard Birds. I have had a love/not so in love relationship with WIP 2. I brought it home because I love the design. I still do but I would pull it to begin working on but change my mind and put it back for whatever reason (usually because of the long color sections). This went on for more than a year until I saw that Vonna had started it and her progress on it. After visiting her blog over and over and over to take "just one more look", I finally decided to pull it out and actually begin this time! Can you guess what design it is?

Don't you just love how we (as stitchers) enable each other with our work? I do! I see a piece done by someone else and I just HAVE to do it. When someone sees my work and tells me they love it so much that they are going to stitch it too. That is the ultimate compliment! The talent, the creative ideas, the bond that it all creates! I may not stitch as fast as other but that's ok. Each day when I pick up my stitching, I say a prayer of thanks that I am able to do it again because with each turn of my needle, I realize just how much I missed it during those years when it constantly caused migraines.

I am so excited about the new stash that is on it's way to my house! Fabrics! Wonderful, beautiful stitching fabrics! And some charts as well! While we were running a few errands, I stopped to pick up some DMC so I will be ready to stitch when they arrive! Just a peek of the patterns that will be delivered soon! Do you see a theme here? LOL.

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Sale Page Updated

I have updated my sale blog once again. Some items are marked down and there are some new items added. Thanks for looking!

December Days

I could come up with all kinds of excuses and reasons for not making many blog posts lately but honestly, it's mostly just plain laziness! I keep thinking that I will wait until I have something exciting or clever to write about. Well, that's not going to happen! *wink*

After my three finishes over the long Thanksgiving weekend, I had planned to continue on with my Christmas stitching but then I remembered Backyard Birds by La D Da. I had started this piece when DH had out patient surgery on his elbow back in September. I had hoped to get more done on it before posting any pictures of my progress but I had a bad spell with my stitching mojo. Then I decided to work on other themes for a bit but I have picked it back up and am working on it steadily! I have changed a couple of colors (nothing major) and I am using an Ivory 18 count Aida.

I made a recent update of my charts for sale on my Wishlist blog. I hope you find something you like. Maybe an early Christmas present to yourself? With the arrival of the holiday season, also comes more baking. Not just turkeys and trimmings either. Cakes, pies but mainly lots and lots of cheese cookies! A batch of these will disappear around here before they have time to cool off after being taken out of the oven!

December has arrived and I have my Christmas wish list all ready for Santa! But I also get to make a birthday wish list for later this month! In the past, I have tried to be good and only ask for what I need. Pooh on that logic this year! LOL. I gave my list to DH last night thinking he would either break out in laughter or give me a "are you out of your mind?" look. Neither happened. He just sat there and nodded as if he was (pretending or not?) taking it all in. Now to wait and see if my "wishes" come true!

After my last blog post, I was asked what were my stitching goals, wishes and dreams for 2013. I still have to go through my stash but for right now I am wanting to work on some WIPs to finish them off. I have some A&E designs that I would just love to get stitched, primitive marking samplers (a must) and I want to do more Christmas/Winter pieces for our bedroom and, of course, there is always new stash that cries out to be given attention! That sounds like plenty to me!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

More Destashing

I have added more charts and items to my blog. There are more Goode Huswife and Blackbird Designs. Keep watching as I have some more boxes of stash to go through later this evening and should have even more to add!

Destashing Update

I have udated my stash for sale in my Trade and Wishlist blog (link in right side bar) and on Never Enough Stash (link also in right side bar).

How about a trade?

After finishing off Baby, It's Cold Outside by Heartstring Samplery, Joy to the World by Shepard's Bush and Favorite Spot Sampler I was looking around for my next new start. I decided to keep with the Christmas theme and chose another holiday design from my stash. I would love to do a trade with these three charts. They are in good condition. A little dog earred but no tears or other damage.

I am interested in any of the following charts - Silent Night by Country Cottage Needleworks, Christmas Carols by Country Cottage Needleworks, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Pineberry Lane, Up on the Housetop by Sunflower Seed and Tate's Stocking by Raise the Roof Designs.

You can contact me through the comments on this post or at my email (birdwatcher17@aol.com) if you are interested. I may have other charts you have been looking for as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Autumn Review

The last days of Autumn are making a grand show.

The splash of colors are making their final curtain call for this year.

Good bye Autumn 2012. See you next year!

Stitching Holiday

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. We had a lovely Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. Two days of chopping and baking but worth it all. Everyone was happy and full. In between cooking on Turkey Day, I was thrilled to finish off three pieces! Not one. Not two. But THREE - count 'em - 1, 2, 3 finishes! Do I sound excited? I have gotten on a Christmas/Winter stitching kick lately. I love a pattern that has a portion of the lyrics or words to a winter/holiday song or phrase! With the cooler mornings and evenings, I decided to pull out Baby, It's Cold Outside by Beth Twist of Heartstring Samplery to start on. I had taken several weeks off from stitching and I needed something to get that mojo flowing again! I just love this song. It makes me want to snuggle up in front of a fire with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate! I chose 18ct Aida Fiddlers for the fabric. Beth had used WDW and TSA threads in her piece. A lot of you know that I am mainly a DMC gal so I converted the threads to accommodate my stash.

There is only one thing I love more than a new start and that would have to be a new FINISH! This was a great piece to stitch! Simple. Fun. I pulled out Favorite Spot sampler by Plum Street Samplers. I had almost finished this piece when I set it aside for some reason last year. It only took a couple of hours to finish it up. It really isn't a holiday song but the way Paulette designed it, it fits perfectly on my winter/holiday wall!

After getting these two finished up, I decided to pull another Christmas start. Joy to the World by Shepard's Bush! I did not have the buttons they used but I had some of my own in my button stash.

The challenges and stitch a longs for 2013 are beginning to surface on blogs. As of right now, I have no plans to join any of them but instead have made my own list of stitching goals, hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. Thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time, may you simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Happy Holidays

Good Morning everyone! It has been awhile since my last post but everything is fine around here. We are just staying busy. Getting ready for the holidays. Doing some extra baking. And I finally got my mojo back so I have been stitching up a storm.

I decided to extend my blogging break on through the holidays this year. I may pop in every now and then though! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family, friends, food and lots of warm fuzzy feelings!