Nature's Bounty

These pictures were taken when we took a day trip to Grandfather Mountain this summer. So much beautiful nature. What a great place to refresh your soul and spirit! And yes, we were at the top of the mountain and the clouds danced around our ankles as we walked!

A lot of people have asked just how close I was to the Mountain Lion to get this picture. LOL! Actually -- TOO CLOSE! Even though you are walking above the animal's habitat area, it is not caged. These mountain lions CAN JUMP HIGH enough to get out if provoked! While we were admiring these beauties, Harold turned to me and said "That mountain lion sure is staring mighty hard at you, Sherry". He wasn't staring at me but at the little girl next to me (about 3 years old) that kept screaming with an excited high pitch voice "I see Tigers! I see Tigers!" Maybe he didn't like her high pitched screaming or maybe he didn't appreciate the fact she mistook him for a Tiger. Whatever the reason, I moved away from her! There is a reason they have up signs that say DO NOT TEASE, SCREAM AT OR PROVOKE THE MOUNTAIN LIONS.

Stitchy News! My JSC Ornament issue arrived yesterday! Lots of drooling while I thumbed through it!

Yum Yum

No stitching updates this week because of too many other things keeping me busy right now. But I did place an order at Peek (www.apeekintoyesterday.com) after a long absence! *BIG HAPPY GRIN*

What a great recipe and so easy to make! This is a Fall favorite for me and Harold!
Homemade Oyster Stew

4 cups of whole milk
1 can of oysters, drained
1/4 stick butter
salt and pepper
several dashes of Worsterchire sauce

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients and heat. A delicious and easy hot homemade soup to serve with crackers and a sandwich! Serves 3. Can be doubled or tripled or quadrupled! LOL

Home stretch

I ordered the rug for the living area and it is pictured at the side! Not the one I originally intended to get but I have drooled over this one for several years and it went on sale at a price to fit my budget! It feels like we are on the home stretch to getting this place fixed up -- finally! Alot of things are either not in our budget right now or not possible to do because of the way the house was built but we have done what we can and are happy! We are doing the best with what we have and who can ask for more!

I spent yesterday hanging the rest of the items back on the walls. We got the last few shelves back up last night. A few new things were put up and a few empty spaces remain because of the spots have been reserved for future cross stitch pieces (some in progress and others that will be started soon)! Stop by Friday to find out what my new starts are! Nothing like a new look!

I feel like my stitching has suffered the past week with turning the house upside down to paint and then all the time to put everything back! I am hoping the furniture store calls today and says the chairs are ready to deliver! A stitching chair is just what I need to get back on track! *big grin*

I want to start a new mini album and decided to do one from one of our day trips this summer. I will still have more day trips to scrap along with plenty of other themes but this will be a fun one to start with!

The mail man brought my new Gooseberry Christmas book for my preview. I will definitely be keeping it!

A New Start

No progress updates on the Willow Tree Sampler. Painting has taken priority this week! But I am getting ready to begin several new starts this week! Stayed tuned to find out what they are!

It's a new week. Harold's vacation time went by too fast. I have had some issues to deal with that kept me from enjoying my normal routine. I am at a point now where I feel I can resume my life. So I start this morning with my old and beloved routines -- coffee, blogs and Peek!

I looked though my stack of charts over the weekend that I still want to stitch along with the list of those I still want to purchase! Yikes! Where in heaven's name would I put all of these?!! We would have to move to a MUCH larger house with ALOT more walls! LOL! It seems I have made plans about doing certain themes and walls. Good intentions but maybe I should just stick with doing pieces as I choose them. No pressure!

Poor Aida. So many people have abandoned you for different types of stitching fabrics but you hold a special place in my heart. I learned to stitch with you and you stuck by my side all those years I had such a hard time stitching because of my eyes. When I was able to take my stitching up again, you and your friends were waiting in my sewing basket to greet me! Maybe I just have a soft place in my heart for the underdogs. Sort of like the plants I buy at the store that are close to dying from neglect. I must bring them home and try to revive them with love and care. You will always have a place here with me, dear Aida! One of my scrapbooking friends, Linda (http://elendae.typepad.com/bliss/) sent me a wonderful package full of Aida scraps and larger pieces! These will be great for ornaments and smalls! Thank you, Linda!

I am so ready for cooler weather! This awful hot, stale heat is keeping my birds at bay. They are only venturing out early in the mornings before the heat gets unbearable! Right now, taking pictures seems futile because everything is either dried up from the heat or in hiding from the heat!

Paint update! What a fiasco! We started too late in the week. We were continually being side tracked and interrupted thus having to stop which delayed our progress even more! Then when we finally got started good, we discovered the paint we bought didn't cover as good as it should so back to the store for a different brand of paint and a new start!

The living and dining areas are finished. The hall will have to wait until a free weekend. We have been busy putting things back in their places. A big job and it may take a while to completely finish. But the rooms are painted and ready for the new chairs that should be delivered this week and the new TV we hope to be getting very soon! Hopefully I will get some pictures later in the week!

East Coast Gal

create your own personalized map of the USA

Gee, do you reckon I am pretty much east coast bound? I need to travel some! Westward Ho! I found this fun map and you can see states you have visited, countries and more.

New Look

Before. After. The larger frames are how I wore my glasses for years. I got tired of the big look and the way they felt so heavy on my face and switched to a smaller wire frame. Also with Transition (turn to sunglasses outside) and no line bifocal lenses. I may have made a mistake getting the transition lenses. I like them but just don't know if I like them enough to get again. Next time I may get separate sun glasses but for now, these will be fine. You can't see it in the picture but there is BLING down each side. Love those little sparkles! I haven't had no line bifocals in quite awhile but remember enjoying them so I am really happy to get them again! I think the new frames are going to take more adjust to than the new lenses. One minute I love them and the next minute I wish I had gotten big frames again! LOL! Not the best picture but it gives you an idea and I hope to get a better picture later!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my husband!

I didn't do as much on AAFG the past few days as I had hoped to get done. Possibly because Harold is taking some time off and we have either been busy around the house or taking off in the car! That's alright but I will wait until next week to post a picture of my progress so that by then I will have had a chance to do even more and it will look like I have really done a whole lot! LOL!

I have decided that when we finish painting the two major rooms this week that I would like to designate two walls for special cross stitch pieces! In the dining area, a forest wall. where cross stitch pieces of trees, birds (I have a lot of charts that will fit into this category) and forest critters will reside. In the living area, a Home Sweet Home wall. This wall will be home to cross stitch pieces with houses or anything homey! These will be the two walls I would like to concentrate on for awhile and should keep me busy even longer! Especially along with all my other projects! I have wonderful intentions and hope to carry through with them!

Awhile back, our local fabric shop (and where I used to work) had some cross stitch fabric on sale. Aida 14 count. Ten Yards. 60 inches wide. Rolled on a tube. $10. What a deal! It sold out in no time but I was lucky enough to grab one of them!

Painting update! The ceilings in the hall, living and dining areas are done! We really should be on the home stretch by now instead of just beginning! I wonder if we will be able to finish this up by the end of the week. Probably so. We just have the walls to paint now and then put everything back! Everyone had best help to keep the walls really clean because I don't want to have to paint again for a long time! It's too much work to take everything down, prep, paint and hang everything back up!

Today's picture is of a lone flower growing by the side of the road.

Testing the Water

I refilled the bird bath yesterday evening which I try to remember to do on a regular basis. This weather has been so hot and stale lately! So I wasn't at all surprised when I saw a group of Mockingbirds this morning taking turns getting cooled off!

Harold and I had a nice anniversary. We were bold and tried out a pizzeria we had never been to. Different and very good! He had the Greek pizza and I had the Mexican pizza!

Happy Days

Several years ago, Harold came home with a fancy new projection TV. Within the past several months, we have been seeing growing numbers of "blotches" on the screen when the TV is turned on. Greens, blues, reds, pinks and thin pin stripes all across the screen. Luckily he had bought the extended warranty. We contacted the company and after they sent out a repair man to estimate the cost, we were told it cost too much to repair it and they would be giving us a voucher to replace the TV with. Nice! A brand new TV and we have some ideas of what we would like to get this time around!

This is a great Autumn recipe or can be special enough to save and fix for holidays!

Crock Pot Pork Lion Roast
3-4 lb pork lion roast, well trimmed
salt & pepper
several dashes of soy sauce
4 to 6 apples, quartered
1/2 large bottle apple juice
3 Tbl brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger

Place apple quarters on bottom of CP. Place roast on top. Sprinkle w/salt & pepper. Combine apple juice, sugar, soy sauce & ginger. Spoon over roast, covering entire top. Cover & cook on LOW 10-12 hrs. TASTY! :o)

Happy 31st anniversary to us! WOW! That REALLY is a LONG time! LOL!

Fresh. New. Clean!

Yesterday we ordered what will be my chair for the living area. I wanted a different fabric on it than was on it at the store so it has to be special ordered and should be in within the next 10 days (I hope). The chair that will be Harold's is in stock at the store so about mid week, we will go and pay for it so they can deliver it.

Today we start painting! I walked around the rooms last night taking things down from the walls and removing nails! I hate the thought of having to re-hang it all but knowing we will have fresh newly painted walls makes it worthwhile!

An update to my wishlist and another chart added FOR TRADE.

Don't Wear White After Labor Day! LOL!

Happy Labor Day!

I worked on the Willow Tree Sampler for a few nights again. It seems to be moving along quicker now. Maybe I just needed a break from it so I could see the progress better!

I keep finding more and more designs I want to start! For those of you with more than 3 WIP, how DO you do it? Right now my stitching schedule includes working on The Willow Tree Sampler for 3 nights and then working on And A Forest Grew for 3 nights. The seventh night is used for whatever my heart desires. Usually TV! I finally got a link for my wishlist posted in the sidebar of my blog! YEA if for no other reason than making it easy for myself!

What a big week we have ahead of us! Wednesday is our 31st anniversary. Friday is Harold's birthday. Saturday is my 5 month anniversary of quitting smoking! Plus new chairs for the living area, we will pick up our new glasses, get the rug for the living area ordered and hopefully get a little painting done around the house!

September Goals

I was busy yesterday and didn't get a chance to post my goals for Sept. Here we go!

AUGUST GOALS
1. Continue working on building up my stash -- YES
2. Post to some group blogs -- NO
3. Work on some finishing techniques -- Not as much as I would like
4. Complete at least 2 projects this month -- YES
5. Print out some freebies -- YES
6. Finish up Their Song -- YES

SEPTEMBER GOALS
1. Continue working on And A Forest Grew
2. Complete Willow Tree Sampler
3. Get new chairs for house
4. Get new rug for living area
5. At least one new stitching start
6. Stitch no less than 2 smalls
7. Paint the kitchen

A New Month

Today is the first day of September! Where did the summer months go? School has started back, the leaves are beginning to slowly change colors, the stores are stocked with autumn clothes and decor but the weather still says summer is hanging on! I am ready to pull out my sweaters and enjoy some cooler days but that's not gonna happen just yet!

Did you notice anything different about my blogging this week? I tried out a schedule with themes for each day.

Monday was Crafts and Hobbies
Tuesday was Home Decor and Tips
Wednesday was On the Road and Recipes
Thursday was Nature's Bounty
Friday was Crafts and Hobbies again (cause I love to talk about them)
Saturday and Sunday were left blank and available for whatever may pop up!

I haven't decided if I will continue this schedule or only use it occasionally. I have the weekend to make up my mind!

I plan to keep my September goals on the simple side. And will list them within the next several days.

Sight Unseen

Yesterday we went for a long overdue eye check up and picked out the frames for our new eye glass prescriptions! I went with a totally different look than in the past years. Smaller wire frames instead of large plastic ones. We should have our new glasses sometime next week! But with dilated eyes for the majority of the afternoon and then using the drops I was given my eyes were feeling very weak so there was no stitching for me last night.

I did work on AAFG for several nights previously to get a start on it. So far I am really enjoying it!

I was able to get a free back copy of The Gift of Stitching from a coupon in Just Cross Stitch. I was extremely impressed with this online magazine! So much so that I subscribed!

Nature's Bounty

There won't be much stitching or scrapping today with the TV repairman coming out and our eye check up appointment later this afternoon. Maybe I can sqeeze something in later this evening!

Time to Chow Down

Don't you just love getting rewards for spending money? Especially when it's the necessary kind like grocery shopping! The store I grocery shop at gives at various rewards through out the year. In the past I have gotten gift cards for gasoline, luggage, a gardening tool set, lawn chairs and much more! Last night I made a quick run to the store to pick up some milk and upon checking the bottom of my receipt I noticed I had yet another reward waiting to be claimed! I was able to choose a gift card from a long list of well known stores or restaurants. This weekend, Harold and I will be enjoying a nice gift card to one of our favorite steak houses compliments of our grocery store!

Easy Chicken Parmesan
INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
seasoned bread crumbs
8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION:
Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. In a skillet with a little olive oil over medium-high heat, brown on both sides until golden. Set chicken in a baking dish.
Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with spaghetti, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

On the Road. While stopped to get some gas this horse and I were infatuated watching each other! He seemed to enjoy having his picture made too!

Progress

Here is an updated picture of my Willow Tree Sampler WIP. It isn't moving along quite as quickly as I had thought it would but it does help that the color changes are few and far between! My goal was to work on this piece for a week (and obtain a good head start) before beginning another start. It has been a week and I have achieved my goal so now I can begin another piece. And with that being said, I have made the first stitches on a new start - And A Forest Grew! A big project but what a awesome piece to have in your stitching portfolio.

After pulling out all my mini albums I am even more hooked on these scrapping delights! I have made up a list of various topics I want to use for themes on these books. We took a lot of day trips over the summer and the pictures are still waiting to be scrapped in their own mini books! I have several I want to finish up first (Being a Mom and Blessings) then I can begin on these!

Making it Home Monday

While we were out yesterday I made a quick run into the craft store to pick up some threads for my current cross stitch WIP. I meant to run right in, pick up the threads, pay and leave. 1 - 2 - 3 easy as pie. But as always my eyes were looking for those marked down prices whether I realize it or not!
And I did find a yummy bargain! A wonderful iron wall sconce complete with a glass hurricane to hold the candle. I have admired these for a few years in some of the country catalogs I shop from but never took the leap to buy one. Now I have one and can't wait to put it up after we paint! But for now it goes into the pile of things I have been accumulating "to put up on the walls after we paint" and then I will have lots of new pictures to share!

While picking up a few items from the grocery store over the weekend, I noticed a very nice wire basket. Hmmmmm. I had been thinking about getting one from another place that was smaller and more expensive. I decided to get the bigger, less expensive one at the grocery store. When I got it home I had to find a good purpose for it. It didn't take me long. I pulled out all my mini albums and piled them into the wire basket! What a great place for them and I can slide the basket in and out of the bookcase whenever I want to look at (or work on) one of my mini treasures!

RAIN! We finally got some last night. It came down hard for awhile and there was more while we slept! It did cool the temps down quite a bit which was a blessing in it's self! Our local newspaper recently had an article about a hometown man who had baked cookies on dash of his car because of the extreme temps! He had put a pan of slice and bake cookies on the dash of his car (that was parked in the sun) and left them there all day while he was working his job. The cookies were done by the end of the day! LOL! WILD!

Saturday Shopping

I totally LOVE needlepoint samplers! I would have every wall in our house covered in them if I could! But I can't afford to buy that many and I really don't want to commit myself to making that many! LOL! But I will commit myself to (hopefully) several walls of samplers. Of course I plan to intermingle some grapevine wreaths and such with them.

We went out to some furniture stores today and get an idea of chairs and prices. I found exactly what I want for the living area! Harold is taking some time off in a few weeks and we will do some painting indoors so that we can have the chairs and area rug delivered to a nice fresh room! Posted is a picture of the area rug we plan to get. It really wasn't my first choice but the more I look at it, the more I like it and it will work wonderfully around the colors in my decor. *The room pictured is in a catalog*

I scrapped 8.5x11 for so long and I have at least 3 bookcase shelves filled with these albums I have completed! I still like this size and I'm sure I will continue to create more of them (especially for family albums since I have several empty albums waiting to be used) but at the moment I am really hooked on mini albums! So many different shapes and styles plus they look great sitting out in a large bowl or basket!

With this horrible heat, I haven't felt the urge to get outside and roam the yard for picture opportunities! Even the evenings are miserable with all the left over mid-day heat still hanging around! I may be forced to do a rain dance if mother nature doesn't send some storms our way! Now, wouldn't my family just love to see me do that! They would all go running to find a hiding place while yelling "We don't know you! We don't know you!" LOL!

Weather Forecast

I ordered this new thimble cabinet. It will hold up to 59 thimbles and/or miniatures. I like the glass door feature on it that makes it hard for dust to gather on the items inside the cabinet! The less dusting, the better! And a lot of room for adding new thimbles to my collection!

The past several evenings, Harold and I have sat on the porch and watched lightening dance in the distance! Somewhere, someone is getting some good storms but it isn't us! We are hopeful these storms will move towards us and grace us with some needed rain but they haven't yet!

I have a completed project to report. I have completed my part of the DML Circle Journal and it will be on it's way home to Vicki tomorrow! She is going to have a wonderful journal and I love the paper bag album she made for this!

I am going to work on my current WIP for several more nights and allow myself a nice head start before beginning a new piece! But I did get several new charts that I am looking forward to starting on! SOON!

From Start to Finish

A new start! Willow Tree Sampler by Carriage House Sampling. I think it will be an easy one that will stitch up steady and smooth since color changes are few and far between.

I was going to wait on getting our new living room chairs before starting a new piece but -- what the heck! If I have my way, we will be going out this weekend to shop for them!

Here is my recipe of the week. With the heat still going strong, no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking over a hot oven so here is a good meal made with the convenience of your crock pot.

MUSHROOM BEEF and PASTA
1 pound beef stew meat
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 tsp. pepper
Hot cooked pasta
1. Combine beef, soup, soup mix, mushrooms and pepper in crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Serve over pasta. Yield: 4 servings.

Double the Fun!

I have several charts I am willing to trade. Because of my forgetfulness I bought the same charts TWICE so these have never even been opened!

Alpha Bird by Sheepish Designs and Home is (band sampler) by The Sampler House.

Another trip to the store for some threads and I should be ready to begin my new starts!

I have been drooling over Stoney Creek's Insect Sampler and was lucky enough to order the last one today!

And a picture of my latest new thimble! It's hard to see in the picture but it is surrounded by dancing fairies.

It's the Weekend!

Weekend happenings: I finished up another Circle Journal and sent it on. Two more and I will be finished with both groups! I have already received my CJ back from the DML group and it is BEAUTIFUL! Thank you ladies for making this such a special keepsake!

Grocery shopping. Not a lot to get excited about here but it is nice to have some full cupboards again! With 3 hungry guys it never stays this way for very long!

What a long hot dry spell we are having! I water the plants and bushes but they need a good soaking courtesy of Mother Nature! The weather is calling for more temps in the 100's for us. UGH!

The mail man brought me a nice surprise! New charts to drool over! Now I get to wrestle with the decision of which ones to do first! I have decided what my new starts will be and will update the two open days when I choose what I want to do on them.
Mon - Weeping Willow Sampler
Tues - And a Forest Grew
Wed - (spot to be filled)
Thurs - (spot to be filled)
Fri - Alpha Bird (one of the new charts)
Sat and Sun - various smalls

I learned that Benison means blessing. A new word. A new definition.

I also learned that I feel better when surrounded by country/cottage decor. This is really nothing new but I did forget for a spell and tried out a different look in our home decor. Nice but I am so much happier since pulling out all the good country decor again!

It's a Challenge

It's been awhile since I shared a recipe so get out your pencil and pad cause today is the day!

Ritzy Chicken Cassarole

INGREDIENTS:
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1 can cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom
1 cup sour cream, regular or reduced fat
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 to 6 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked
4 ounces melted butter, melted

PREPARATION:
Crumble one sleeve of Ritz crackers in the bottom of a 2 to 2 1/2-quart casserole dish. Drizzle half of the melted butter over the crackers. Mix chicken with soup, sour cream, and broth. Pour over crackers. Crush the remaining sleeve of crackers over the chicken mixture. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the crackers. Bake at 300° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
Serves 6.

Since yesterday's finish I have been looking through my charts and pulling out a few to make into kits. But I'm going to be a stinker and wait until I actually start on each one before spilling the beans as to what I am going to work on!

For quite a while I challenged myself to learn something new everyday by making it a regular New Years resolution. I know it sounds over whelming but it really isn't. Read an article or watch a documentary about something. You will surely learn something new. Start a new hobby. Try a new recipe. It's amazing and fun to do. Actually most of us are already doing this whether we realize it or not! During the time I did this regularly I felt good. Physically and emotionally. I was exercising my brain while expanding my personal self. Starting today I am going to begin doing this again and I will report what I learn!

Today's picture is my bottle collection! Kind of hard to get this picture because of glare. Glare from overhead lights. Glare from the flash. Glare from the sun streaming through the window. I love to fill them or let them stand on their own!

Two in One Day

I promised to post THEIR SONGS when I could get the picture loaded and here it is!

As I said previously I did make some changes but I like it much better this way. I left off all the design at the bottom on the original chart because I felt it was just too busy for my taste but I love love LOVE the top half. And I added a birdhouse button to the bottom. My own touch. So -- I am happy!

Drum Roll........

Big scare this morning! DS got up extra early and decided to take Whiner out. He turned on the outside lights since it was still dark and set Whiner on the ground. Suddenly he noticed 3 big raccoons within several feet of them! He was able to scoop up Whiner and get back in the house before the raccoons decided this area was THEIR territory and attacked! He came inside out of breath but poor little ol blind Whiner was oblivious to it all.

FINISHED! That's right! I said I would complete THEIR SONGS by the end of the week and I did it! I am so thrilled with it! Unfortunately, I can't get the picture to load but I will keep trying! I did make a few variations which is ok since it is for me! I can't shout it out enough -- IT'S FINISHED!

A picture of another word in my kitchen! And some good advice to live by!

Word for the Day

I cleaned off and re-arranged the top of the fridge with my mixer, cookbooks and a great word! CREATE! I don't need to be reminded to do this each day but I just love seeing the word greet me each time I go into the kitchen!

I am going to wait until we get our new chairs before starting any new charts. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long. The thought of sitting in my very own brand new comfy stitching chair is enough to make me put all new starts on hold!

It feels like our horrible heat wave is over for now. I HOPE! Yesterday was definitely still hot but by no means unbearable and in the 100's! I am looking forward to Autumn now! Cool, crisp days. Beautiful colors on the trees as the leaves change. Even though my boys are no longer in school, I still enjoy the sound of the school bus making its rounds. Pumpkin carving time. Geese flying overhead on their way to find a warmer place to spend the winter! And sweaters!

Harold is taking some vacation time soon. No plans to go anyplace except to the dr or an occasional errand to run. Since we would like to have the house finished up by the holidays, we need to get busy!

Lazy Days

A picture of a collection I forgot to mention in a previous post. Mini Books. I really enjoy them. And they are small enough to put a nice sized collection into a large bowl. Our bookstore usually carries a small variety year round then offers a larger selection during the holiday season!

No stitching the past couple of days but I am only a matter of days away from completing THEIR SONG. I should be finished by the end of the week if all goes smoothly! And I will share one final picture sometime during the week!

There really hasn't been a lot going on around here lately so there isn't much to report on! With the extreme heat, it's been a week of lazy days to try and keep cool.

Dog Days

When I look at how far along other gals have gotten on charts I am only now beginning (or planning to begin) I feel REALLY behind! But as the old saying goes "better late than never" and I'm sticking to that!

Now that I have been stitching awhile again and making up my wish list I have found that I am partial to reproduction samplers, Quaker samplers and samplers featuring birds and/or houses. There are plenty that don't fall into any of these categories that I like but the majority do. Of course, you gotta love those quick and simple charts!

Aren't these little books adorable? My friend, Sheila, sent them to me. She says she bought them but they look yummy enough to be homemade! I have find some special uses for these! The mailman also delivered my new thimbles today! What beauties!

I did some shopping today. Out around town AND online. I picked up some fabrics and threads for AAFG plus several other charts. Everyone at the store was very impressed that I was going to tackle AAFG and asked me to bring it in when I finish! A quick run by the post office to drop off another circle journal. Plus several other quick stops where I picked up a few items for some neglected collections! Then home to shop online a bit for a few more charts! YEE HAW!

It was still hot today but not quite as bad as the past few days! That was a relief! And for those of you wondering how I have been doing on not smoking -- ALL IS GREAT! I just passed my 4 month mark without a cigarette. If you want to stop I highly recommend you ask your doctor to give you a prescription of Chantex!

Goof Up

REJOICE by Carriage House Samplings. I just can't seem to bring myself to work on it anymore. I still like the pattern and hope to finish it one day! It was one of the few charts I had remaining when I began my stitching again and it was mainly started with the intentions of keeping my hands busy until some orders with new charts began arriving. Basically I can say it served it's purpose. For now I will just say that you are on hold, dear friend but I will keep you on my Current Project List (just in case)!

I usually read a few blogs each morning over my first cup of coffee then backtrack to leave comments. This morning I got a comment mixed up and posted it on the wrong blog! My apologies for this! The best excuse I can think of is "it was early and my coffee had not started working yet"!

I spent yesterday evening studying my new AAFG chart and making the list of threads I need to get. I love that this chart is divided into sections. Otherwise it would definitely be too overwhelming!

August is looking to be a month of things to get excited about! New chairs and rug for the living area. Eye exams which means new glasses will be close behind!

Good Vibes

Blogging mistake yesterday. I said I had only 2 circle journals left to do and these projects would be complete but I forgot about one so now the total is 3 more to finish up!

I stitched on THEIR SONG some more and it is really coming along! It should be finished in a matter of days now! This verse means so much to me because of my bird feeding practices. Those of you who know me, know that I feed the birds from the end of October through the first part of June. This covers cold weather and the nesting season when they need a little extra help. From June through October there are plenty of insects and berries available to them so they can eat as nature intended. To help nature out a bit and to keep the birds around, I have planted oodles of berry bushes in our yard. They have many different selections - blueberries, blackberries, pyracanthas, barberries, cotoneaster, viburnums, Virginia Creeper and more!

"I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries and very frankly give them fruit for their songs"

The mail man left some stitching goodies for me today! The JCS 10th year anniversary collection of Christmas Ornaments book, Jeanette Crews 51 Little Houses AND (drum roll, please) And A Forest Grew chart! YUMMY! I am already so in love with this one! I need to check my threads and make a run for any colors I don't have!

After some searching I found the doilies my grandma crocheted for me. They were really dirty (probably the reason I had put them away) but have been washed and set back out for all to enjoy! And the room is humming with good vibes again!

Picking out only a few charts from my LONG wish list is NOT an easy task! LOL! Since I am prone to frequently changing my mind I will keep the choices a secret until I actually order them! *UPDATE* I have already changed my mind 3 times since making my first choices!

I'm Melting! I'm Melting!

Another miserably hot day (it got into the 100's) and the rest of the week should be just as bad! During this heat, inside is a good place to be! Thought I would share a picture of several thimbles from my collection.

By the end of the month (if not sooner) I will have enough completed (both circle journals and THEIR SONG) that I will be able to begin a stitching rotation schedule to begin on September 1st. I could start at any time but would like to finish up the previously mentioned items before doing this.

I have finished up my WISH LIST for the time being! It is probably long enough it could be called a WISH NOVEL! LOL! I sure hope Santa plans on being REAL good to me! *wink! wink!*

A list of the first ones I have my eyes on to start are posted below. I may have toss a coin to see which ones get chosen first! There are many more which are not yet listed so not worry! The ones marked with ** still have to be purchased!
1. Willow Tree Sampler
2. Hunt Sampler by Homespun Samplar **
3. Because Nice Matters
4. Birds of a Feather by Long Dog Samplers **
5. And a Forest Grew
6.Home is.. by Sampler House **
7. Matter's Choice by Carriage House Sampling **
8.When the Calling Bird Sings by Exemplar Dames **
9. The Needle Charmer by Exemplar Dames **
10. Crowflower by Workbasket **
11. Paradigm Lost by Long Dog Samplers **
12 Acorns and Threads by Carriage House Samplings **
13. A variety of smalls

The sound of the UPS truck got my attention earlier as I am waiting on several things to arrive! He pulled up at our house. He sat in the truck. He left. Nope - he NEVER even got out! What a bummer to get me all excited and then pull a mean trick like that!

As hard as it will be I have vowed NOT to buy anymore scrapping supplies until my current stash status reaches a certain point. You know the old saying "Waste not. Want not" and I have enough to keep me scrapping for quite a while without any worry of running low!

What I did today: stitched on THEIR SONG, got another CJ ready to mail (only 2 more to do),

Mid Week Heat

Here is my progress on THEIR SONG so far. I am working on finishing up the cherries on the branch then I can move on to another section of it. I goofed on the word "blackbirds" by doing the entire word in black instead of using brown on the last 4 letters. No biggie. I like it this way!

It has been at least a week or more since we have had any decent rain and without some moisture, this hot Southern summer sun is doing a real number on my plants so I spent a good part of the afternoon making sure they all got plenty of H2O along with refilling the bird baths! Nothing like some cool refreshing water on a hot HOT day! I would love to see a good steady rain for several days! And I'm sure my plants would be thrilled for that to happen too!

We are planning to get a new rug and chairs for the living area. A new recliner for Harold and a nice cozy TV / stitching chair for me.It's going to mean some furniture re-arranging but I think it will be worth it!

The more I look at the chart And A Forest Grew by Rosewood Manor (and pictures from gals working on it) I want to get it and start on it! It's one of those "the more I look at it, the more I like it" type charts! *UPDATE* I have ordered the chart and it should be arriving by the end of the week!

Working on my stitching / project weekly rotation chart as well as my wish list! After all, the holidays really aren't that far away and it doesn't hurt to have some ideas ready!

What I did today: Stitched on Their Song, ordered And A Forest Grew.

Some of This. Some of That.

Today is my last day of such harsh restrictions! YEA! Tomorrow I begin partial restrictions and will be allowed to go out among people. I just have to be careful and continue to stay away from small children and pregnant women! That shouldn't be too hard. Also I am not to cook food for others for a few more days.

Also, after today I can work on some more Circle Journals. I have been fine with working on things for myself during this "quarantine" period but I didn't feel that I should work on something that belongs to another person!

These are the faux apples I bought on sale the other day! Don't they look good enough to eat? Also they are surrounded by part of my pie bird collection. It isn't a big collection anyway but there are a few in the kitchen. Most of my collections are a small to medium size right now. I guess because I enjoy collecting such a variety of things and the fact we are limited on space, small to medium collections are best for me! If I feel a collection is getting too large and starting to take up too much space I get frustrated and put it away or on rare occasions have been known to just toss it and start completely over! So what do I collect? Other than hobby stuff, that is!

1. Stoneware mixing bowls
2. Quilts
3. Pie birds / vents
4. Thimbles
5. Gnomes
6. Santas for Christmastime
7. About anything with houses on it
8. Cookbooks

and I am thinking I would like to collect Cross Stitch Smalls such as pin cushions, scissor fobs, needle rolls and sachets.

I really REALLY need to get busy! It seems like most of the stitching blogs I read almost always have some sort of show and tell! A part of me wants to jump in and share while another part of me isn't sure my work is up to the same standards as these gals!

The WIP that I found hidden away yesterday is Rejoice by Carriage House Sampling. I realized that I changed some of colors around and forgot to write them down on the chart! Oh brother! This is gonna be fun trying to figure out colors and match them up!

What I did today: Stitched on Their Song. Cleaned out my scrapbooking area and supplies (still have more to work on). Looked through my other charts for a new start.

A Change of Mind

Here it is the 2nd day of August! Where did the first day go? Oh yeah -- at the doctor's! LOL! Last night Harold slept beside the bed on his air mattress and Whiner slept on the floor (both of them at least 7 feet from me).

Last night I started on a freebie by Drawn Threads (The Tree Keeper). Loving the ease of it so far. As soon as I can poke my head out of this hole (meaning to step out into the world again) I need to pick up some tiny gold beads for it! I know! I know! I said that using beads on my cross stitch just wasn't my thing but this little piece really does need them. Hoping I can do this sometime on Saturday! I hate not having everything I need as I need it! But that happens when you are building your stash up again! Hopefully I will this one finished to show by Sunday!

As I was going through some supplies I found hidden away I came across another unfinished WIP! No telling how long it has been sitting there just waiting for my attention. Probably at least several years! I will be adding to my list of "current projects" and have officially become a "more than one project at a time" kind of gal! LOL!

My August stitching goals will remain fairly simple but definitely good to do!

1. Continue working on building up my stash
2. Post to some group blogs
3. Work on some finishing techniques
4. Complete at least 2 projects this month
5. Print out some freebies
6. Finish up Their Song

Glowing

Today was the big day - in a manner of speaking! LOL! Harold keeps joking around and saying that I will glow in the dark tonight! LOL! Three days of stitching, magazines and lounging about in my jammies!

When I quit smoking, my primary doctor gave me a prescription for some anti-depressants (even though I didn't think I was depressed) to help me cope if I needed it. My moods became unbearable! I was MEAN beyond MEAN and just totally NOT NICE! The doctor gave me these before we knew about my thyroid and he feels that this medication just helped to make a bad situation even worse! So I am now off the anti-depressants and feeling like a much nicer person again! THANK GOODNESS!

I picked out some small charts to stitch on over the next few days! I thought it would be nice if I could add a few more to my list of completed items for the year and get some ornaments done at the same time!

I know I said that I didn't like working on more than one project at a time. This may be changing very soon! I end up getting frustrated with the medium to larger size projects because they are taking longer to finish and I am NOT a patient person! So I need to work on these several days a week and do some smaller ones that are quick to finish on the other days! *big grin* Besides, these smalls are so neat! How can you resist them?

I am VERY tiffed at our town! We have NO cross stitch/needlework shops or scrapbooking shops! Oh we have Michaels and Hobby Lobby which carry a dabling of these items as does our local Walmart but I am talking about stores that specialize ONLY in these crafts! Totally not fair that they are all so "out of the way" from here or in some ridiculously large city that dh hates to drive in!

I totally forgot to mention that we went to the Biltmore Estate earlier this month! FUN! DH had never been and I haven't been since I was little so it was like going for the first time again because I saw things much differently than when I was a child! Today's picture is but one of the beautiful sculptures there that took my breath away!

On the Eve....

When they do the radiation on my thyroid tomorrow I will not be allowed to do a number of things for 3 days. A brief run down of all my no no's!

1. Cooking for people other than myself.
2. Doing other people's laundry.
3. Sleeping in the same bed with DH
4. Doing any type of errands or shopping
5. Being around small children or pregnant women
6. No picking up Whiner or being too close to him which will be hard since he is my shadow!

and I must stay at least 3 feet away from people. Seven feet the first day! So I am planning my hibernation! I am stocking up on magazines and craft supplies so that when the time comes, I will just stay in the bedroom and enjoy my mini vacation - of sorts!

Even after the treatment (a pill), it will take about 4 months for the radiation to eat away the bad part of my thyroid completely. So I have been told I will continue to have days that aren't so good but they should gradually happen less and less. Unfortunately this isn't an overnight cure but I sure like it a lot better than the thought of surgery!

I told Harold and the boys that there was plenty of food they could cook for dinner while I am unable to cook for them but I know my guys. They will be ordering pizza or a quick run for hamburgers for a few nights!

Harold and I noticed that it is beginning to get dark earlier now. Even though we are still on DST the days are getting shorter. Last week this time, I was able to take Whiner out at 9 pm without turning on the outside lights. Now it is totally dark at 9 pm.

Yes, I am still scrapbooking! Just not sharing a lot right now since I am doing more family than nature layouts. And I have been doing more stitching lately than scrapping. It is very soothing and relaxing for me and that is just what I need right now!

What I did today: worked on my current cross stitch, finished up a CJ to send on, laundry, watched a tv show that was recorded last night and printed out more freebie charts! Can't get enough of those!

Survey Questions

Found these fun questions on a survey in a CS magazine so thought I would answer them here!

What type of fabric do you prefer to cross stitch on? Aida vs. Linen. I tried some linen the other night because I know that most swaps and round robins do require linen or evenweave now and NO aida! Call me old fashioned but I am probably one of the few who are more partial to aida cloth! At first I felt this may cause some problems but then I realized there was an easy solution! I will keep some linen on hand to use for swaps and such while I stitch the pieces that I plan to keep for myself on aida! Good plan!

Do you work on more than one cross stitch at a time? I usually don't like to have more than one project going on at a time. It's too distracting for me to handle. But I can handle one medium/large project and a small (ornament, ect) at the same time! No problem!

Have you ever used hand dyed fabrics to stitch on? Sort of. I have tea dyed my own cloth before stitching on it. Does that count?

How do you feel about embellishments on your stitching? I love the look of beads on cross stitch but I just never do it. Not practical enough for me. Of course I do love adding buttons to help liven up a piece!

Have you done variations when stitching? Oh, this is something I have always been notorious about doing! Changing colors or even the pattern it's self by not doing part of it so that I can finish up quicker! I'm impatient that way! And occasionally I like the main part of the chart but not all the extras. Sometimes less is more! I did a Home Sweet Home awhile back and I left out about 30% of the pattern on it but you would never know it cause it looks great!

How do you prefer to finish off your projects? In a frame or another way? I would have to say both ways. I am anxious to get my "wall of samplers" completed but I see so many boxes, fobs, bell pulls, needle rolls and more that I want to do as well! And now that I have a new sewing machine, I can do a lot of fun finishes! Too many projects, not enough time!

I was told that I needed to list the charts pictured in my previous post! LOL! I might get in trouble if I list them all but here is a brief run down --

1. Merry Sunshine by La D Da
2. Their Songs by Blackbird Designs
3. You are my sunshine by La D Da
4. Season of Rest by Little House Needleworks

What I did over the weekend: Stitched on my current WIP. Bought a couple of CS magazines, subscribed to Just Cross Stitch magazine, ordered the JCS Christmas Ornaments 10th Anniversary Collection, printed out some freebie charts from The Drawn Thread, picked up several new hoops in smaller sizes and some specialty threads.

On the Road Again

Went to see the endocrinologist for the third day in a row! Days 2 and 3 have been for the iodine scan. Next week I go for the radiation treatment. According to my doctor, hyperthyroidism is much harder to control than hypothyroidism. So the point of this procedure will be to make me hypo thyroid then it can be controlled with medication that I will remain on for the rest of my life. I was also curious about the fact that I was gaining weight instead of losing which is a symptom of hyperthyroidism. It seems that it is not very common for this to happen but it DOES happen. Your appetite will increase thus the weight gain. This is what is going on with me right now. It feels like I just can't eat enough! I have gained but not too much and it should come off fairly easily after this is over but for now I sure am loving all the good food and the way everything just seems to taste so wonderful! Just glad to be on the road to feeling like my old self again!

I am anxious about our eye exams next month! New glasses! Hopefully I will be able to cross stitch on something other than 14 ct. aida and the help of my Mag Eyes magnifier! The thought of using 28 or 36 count linen is exciting! But I'm not going to push my luck! I would be happy just to be able stitch on 18 count aida again!
We recently bought a new sewing machine. Definitely different from any other one I have ever used so I need to find the time to play around with it and learn to use all the bells and whistles it came with! Then I can do some awesome pillows and finishes!

Stopped by the craft store on the way home and picked up lots more DMC thread that was on sale! Nothing like a good sale especially when you are building your stash back up! Our mail man brought me lots of new goodies this week! Enough new charts to keep me busy for a long time!

Catching Up!

Ran across a great sale and candles, faux fruit, potpourri, wreaths plus lots more ended up coming home with me!

Cleaned out my closet which is a nice way of saying that I made room for more junk! I will be so glad when we have an extra room (after ds leaves) for storage space!

I was ready to start on my next cross stitch piece when another one caught my eye! I may be putting Mockingbird by La D Da aside for awhile while I stitch on Their Song by Blackbird Designs. I hate doing that but this piece is just screaming my name to work on!

I set up our appointments for eye exams in August! YEA! New glasses are in my future and I definitely need them!

I had the appointment with the endocrinologist about my thyroid. It was determined that it is time to remove the bad part of my thyroid. He gave me the options and let me make the choice. I chose Radioactive Iodine treatment instead of surgery. Much simpler and effective. I go back tomorrow and Friday to begin treatments that will determine how much radiation I will need then will get the final treatment next week.

After that I go back once a month for several months to let them observe my thyroid's stabilization and that will determine whether I need to take thyroid hormones the rest of my life or not.

In short, I should begin to feel ALOT better very soon!!!

Long Days

This weekend we decided to set a goal for ourselves to have the house finally finished up by! I told Harold that I wanted to finally see it how I wanted instead of just dreaming about it! I picked out the colors for the kitchen am so excited to get started again! We did a good bit last summer but came to halt and never got moving on it again! Now's the time! Hopefully I will have to lot to report within the next few months!

The first thing on our agenda is to finish painting. Then re-arrange furniture, get a few new pieces of furniture, a new rug for the living area, get rid of junky clutter (which will be a job for a family of pack rats) and hang all of the pictures, samplers and signs I have made or bought recently. I know it sounds like a lot but actually we have already done a lot of the big stuff and we have most of the paint sitting here just waiting to be used. Pictures are bought and just waiting to be put up. I hope to have a lot of pictures to share showing our progress!

I have spent alot of time working on re-vamping my blog lately. Notice the side bar! Lots of additions and changes! After thinking it over, I have decided to make MOCKINGBIRD by La D Da my next WIP. Yep - another La D Da chart! I am loving their stuff and have quite a few more waiting to get started on!

The new Technique Tuesday stamps, Tool Time and Rocket Man are on my list of TO GET items. I am also anxious to see the new Mustard Moon papers and Autumn Leaves stamps start rolling in from CHA!

I finally heard from my doctor's office and my appointment with the thyroid specialist is on Wednesday! Maybe I can get a few answers then and hopefully be on my way to some sort of treatment that will resolve most of these issues I have been dealing with lately!

Twiddling My Thumbs Wins!

I am still waiting to hear when my appointment is for the specialist! It sure is taking a long time to set it up! *Update* I spoke with the doctor's office and I should be hearing something very soon. They are just trying to find the best specialist for me! So I can either pass the time by cleaning or twiddling my thumbs! It's a coin toss!

It is time for CHA and new scrapbooking goodies! I am anxious to see what all will be coming out. I will have to fight the temptation to get everything that comes out and remember that I still have oodles of unused stash from CHA Winter!

During the past several weeks, I have done enough shopping for cross stitch supplies to keep me busy for quite a while! Patterns (over 20), fabrics, threads, needles, carrying bag and more! Getting my stash built back up will definitely NOT be cheap! LOL! But in the long run it will definitely be worth it!

Now that I have completed the piece I was working on (By Her Hand) I am ready to begin another but which one!! Maybe I will wait a few days and see which pattern strikes my fancy to start on! I realize that the present year is already half over but I hope to have a nice long list of finished pieces by the end of the year for my future "wall of samplers".

Two Times in a Day

Today hasn't been one of my better days so I have been taking it easy with some stitching, catching up on some of the blogs I read and reading new blogs recently discovered!

I have made up my WISH LIST of cross stitch patterns and reformatted my blog to accommodate my stitching also! There are only about 784 patterns I want to get AND complete! LOL! I'm sure a lot of them are older ones but they are all new to me since I haven't stitched in quite a while! Thus the LONG list! I am discovering new designers while enjoying new looks from familiar names! I am currently working on BY HER HAND by La D Da.

Out of curiosity, how do you know when your blog is almost full? Do you start a new one then or just delete older posts?

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Several years ago I was diagnosed with an over active thyroid. My family doctor sent me to see a specialist who kept telling me "it isn't bad enough to treat yet. Come back next month." It seems that since then, my condition has taken a nose dive and I am near what is called a Thyroid Storm which isn't very pretty from what I have been told! I am anxiously waiting for treatment to begin so that I can get back to feeling like my old self again! Oh, I am NOT going to see the same doctor that wouldn't treat my condition earlier! A new doctor for me and hopefully one that will actually do something this time!

In the meantime, I was asked if I had a hobby. Something I could give my attention to. Something to help keep my mind focused and calm. Well, yes I have a lot of hobbies but none of them really seemed to fall into the calming category. Then I remembered when I did cross stitch. That would definitely work but then I remembered why I stopped stitching.

I had to quit this hobby eventually when my eyes paid the price for all of the close up work involved. Over the years I have tried to stitch only to get a horrible headache each time. After all, you can't keep a true stitcher down! Then Harold and I went out hobby shopping. Cross stitching patterns called my name! Oh, but what about those horrible headaches? We found magnifier called Mag Eyes. Different and better than any I have tried before!

I have re-discovered my old love and have been stitching with the help of the Mag Eyes magnifier with NO headaches! I am one happy camper! And my new goal is to keep all the pieces I finish for our home and catch up on lost stitching!

Goals and Plans

No, I didn't miss the 4th of July! As a matter of fact we celebrated with some more day trips! Fun! As soon as I get the pictures downloaded, I'll be sharing some!

Now it is time to get myself back in gear and organized all over again! I picked up several weekly planners because I had found myself bound to the computer calendar which wasn't always convenient! Now I have a planner to use at home and one to carry in my purse. I also picked up a new address book to replace our current one of 20 years! Amazing how much the new one has changed. I also picked up several organizers at www.gooseberrypatch.com this weekend! I just LOVE the stuff here!

I decided it is time to tackle that "gonna do" list! You know what list I mean. I find myself saying "I'm gonna do (fill in the blank) one day" about various things but more often than not they never seem to get done! I have made my list and I am going to start on it NOW! Not so much because they have to get done but because they are things I want to do and I hate leaving them dangling! I don't think I will share my list right now or it might seem too overwhelming and I will end up quitting before I even begin once again! But I will definitely keep myself up to date as I complete each goal!

Where Did the Time Go?

What is the glue that holds you together?

Everyone has something (or several somethings) that help them keep sanity and reality in focus. An interest. A hobby. A job. A passion. For some it is reading. For others it may be more hands on like gardening.

My glue consists of many ingredients.

1. Creativity - an absolute must. If I go too long without it, I feel incomplete.
2. Nature - there is so much to absorb and it has such a restful effect on me
3. Details - I love to look for details as we are out riding around!
4. Family - especially on a good day when everyone is home and content. Whether we are interacting or not, we are still together.
5. History. I love a good historical tour or day trip! Just soaking up history and feeling connected with the past!

Do you ever feel like you are standing still in time and not accomplishing a single dang thing? I sure do! I just realized that my third anniversary to online scrapping is approaching and I have not achieved the goals I had set myself back then! That really makes me sad and also pretty darn mad with myself! What the heck have I been doing? Time to get my tushie busy and start really concentrating on accomplishing (or trying to accomplish) some of these!

Here and There

That's where we went on day trips while Harold was taking some vacation time! It was definitely a rainy week (and we needed it) but we managed to work around it and still have fun!

The Transportation Museum
A Civil War tour
The Mountains with lots of wildlife habitats
and a few unexpected adventures on the side!

I took approximately 700 pictures and am now trying to catch up on some long over scrapping before we decide it's time for some more day trips!

Monday Thoughts

Time for plants and time for planting! Can you guess what I've been up to by that opening sentence? We had over 250 square feet of pine bark mulch delivered last week and I worked on making an "island" in the backyard. When I ran out of mulch (and I need to get more) I began working on the area of our yard I call the "birdie buffet" because of the berry bushes I plant for them in this section! I added two more bushes - a rosy glow barberry and a cotoneaster! I also found a blueberry bush I am hoping to pick up this weekend to add to the group!

We are also looking at retractable deck awnings! The sun hits our deck almost all day which heats it up and makes it almost impossible to sit outside except in the early Spring or Fall. One of these awnings would be wonderful to have by providing shade and cooling off the deck area. It would also help keep the sun from hitting the back of the house so much thus helping cut back on our high air conditioning use!


In the Spring and early Fall, I work in the yard. During the hot humid Summer and cold Winter months, I scrapbook! Like a friend of mine told me -- "Balance. Keep the balance". *big grin*

Time to share another winning recipe! This time it's Homemade Tomato Dill Soup and sooooo good! Bake some fresh bread or pick up a loaf of fresh caraway seed bread at the bakery for eating with this! You can easily double this recipe which I often do! The fact that this soup is delicious either hot or cold makes it perfect for any season!

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until tender. Stir in the tomatoes and condensed chicken broth, and season with dill weed, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup in small batches until smooth. Serve immediately, or chill and serve cold. A spoonful of sour cream is delicious on top!

Feeling Good!

What gets your blood pumping? Is it a passion? A secret? Maybe it's a little of everything! Here are a few things that really keep me on my toes!

Sales! I love a good sale and saving a few pennies to stash away for a rainy day! Whether it be scrapbooking supplies, groceries or anything else I need -- let it be on sale!!

Words! I love single words! I just got some of Heidi Swapp's new one word stamps that I can't wait to use!

Cooking! I really enjoy to cook when I have a good recipe, all the ingredients and the kitchen to myself!

Blogs! I just love to read them! I often forget to leave comments but I do read them! I love to keep up with my online friends daily lives and see what they are up to personally and creatively!
Mini Books! I love the look of these and the whole idea of having smaller scrapbooks for certain things! I just don't do them as often as I wish I did! Maybe I should work on changing that! How do you decide what topic to use on a MB? Do you only do holidays or seasons? Certain people like your kids? Do you break out of the box and find a fun and different topic or do you just do whatever comes to you with no certain topic or theme?

Stamps! For while it was stickers. Then rub ons. Oh, I still love and use both of these but for now my blood really gets pumping when I shop for stamps! Clear stamps, rubber stamps or any ol' stamp! *GRIN*

Photography! When I have my camera in tow, my eyes are always alert and watching for that special picture opportunity! And what a wonderful feeling to download a picture that completely takes my breath away!

Style! Granted, my basic style is simple but every once and awhile I feel dangerous! Not enough so to completely change my style but enough to add some extra splashes color or a few surprises that are out of the box for me!

Sketches! Recently, I have really been getting into these! And it is so nice to use these instead of moving things around for 3 hours while looking for the perfect layout design!