Already August!

Where did June and July gone to? By the way, where has the summer gone to? Oh yeah, out the window! For some reason, this summer has seemed to fly by faster than usual. Let me try to do a little catching up in this post.

I have been stitching on She Feeds Them Well by The Scarlet House. I still have a little more stitching before I can call this one finished. I have had to make a few adjustments here and there to make it work on the 18 count Aida I am using. I had already started on it once before on 28 count evenweave. I had practiced just for this piece because I wanted to do it so badly. I thought I was ready. I ripped out so many stitches and got so frustrated with that evenweave! Normally, an experience like that would have me packing up my threads and the chart to hide away in a drawer never to be seen again but I really like this pattern by Tanya and I was determined to stitch it. 

My first 2013 Loose Feather chart arrived! Wild Berries by BBD. I love this year's series dedicated to family history, samplers and birdwatchers! Three of my favorite things! I have a special plan for the series and can't wait to share it when I finish Wild Berries but it will have to remain a secret for now.

I normally shy away from BAPs but when I saw A Yuletide Welcome by Plum Street Samplers was going to be released soon, it was love at first sight! I know what I will be working on.

I have already decided that beginning in 2014 I will go on a stash diet -- again! Except for a few special charts, fabric and threads I plan to stitch with what is already in my stash. I don't think I will get bored or run out!

 

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

Is Mr. Spock Here?

Thank you to everyone who showed concern about my new allergy reactions. I went to see the allergist and had all the tests. Turns out I have what the allergy doctors call copy cat allergies, of all things! Not one true allergy among the bunch but all the seasonal suffering and all the symptoms, none the less. Plus I am taking even MORE allergy meds now! Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me. LOL. A few other little things were found wrong but I am feeling like myself again (for the most part). Yea!

Dr. Doorknob (a well deserved nickname based on his personality) told me that I have Idio Yabba Dabba Do (some long word that sounded like Vulcan). Huh? After he told me this several times and I reacted the same way he finally said "I guess I have to speak English for you". Yes, please. Now live long and prosper! Basically this alien word means I have a sensitivity to aspirin products. I can still take them but in moderation. Uh, isn't everyone supposed to do that?

 

It also turns out that I have over active Mast Cells. These cells (located on your skin) have histamine in the center of each cell and histamine is what makes you itch and break out in hives. I know this because Dr. Doorknob gave me an oral pop quiz before I left his office! When I asked him WHY my Mast Cells were so over active, he looked at me like I had just asked him to solve the mystery of the universe and said "because". An answer any parent is familiar with when your child asks a question you don't know the answer to or don't want to answer.

He tells me I need to have a list of bloodwork done BUT my insurance will not cover it. When I checked it out, these tests will cost hundreds of dollars so on my next visit I asked him if these were life or death tests. He looked at me with his blank stare and asked what I meant. I said "if I get these tests, can you find a cure that will stop all this and possibly save my life or if I don't get them will it continue to get worse until it kills me? Life or death tests." He looked at me like I was crazy and said "No. The tests will only provide me with some information that really won't make your situation any better or any worse" Ok. Problem solved. I told him that unless HE was going to pay for the tests I would not be getting them because I could not afford to pay that kind of money for (basically) useless information!

When we moved on, I asked him why I had been losing my voice so much. Turns out I am hyper sensitive to the chemicals in cleaning products! First of all, it seems like I am a really sensitive person with these hyper sensitivities! Second of all, now I have a reason NOT to clean and it is from the horse's mouth! LOL.

Between now and a few months down the road I have to decide whether to go back to the Office of Vulcan or just let my PCP handle it for me. If you stuck with me and read all this post, I salute you (Vulcan style, of course)! Thanks for stopping by!

Better Late than Never

I am sorry to be so late in posting the winner to the Silent Night chart giveaway! It has been wild around here the past several weeks. The Grumpy Ol' Gazer (better known as my DH) took some vacation time, lots of doctor appointments, regular errands and even a few unexpected surprises!

The winner was Lynn Jones. She has been contacted and should receive the chart soon. As soon as things get back to normal around here, I will have another giveaway so keep coming back!

Chart Giveaway!

Another blog post and so soon! Let me check my pulse. Everything seems to be fine. Ahh yes, I knew there was a good reason for this post. While cleaning up my stash and the corner where I keep everything, I found several used charts that I no longer need.

I thought about putting them on my for sale page but these have been lovingly used. Meaning they are still good but not in new condition. They are crinkled, wrinkled and dog earred. I think they deserve a giveaway! I will do them one at a time so there is no confusion (mainly for me).

 

Two small rules. 1. Be a Bloglovin follower to my blog and 2. leave a comment on this post by July 9, 2013. If you do not have a blog with an email address, leave your email address in your comment or I will have to choose another winner. I will post the winning name on July 10, 2013.

The first chart is Silent Night by Country Cottage Needleworks. This was a fun piece to stitch and it turned out beautiful! Just a reminder, this giveaway is for the chart. Not the stitched piece! lol.

If you are not interested in this chart, come back later as I have a few more left to giveaway! Thanks for stopping by!

Remember

Tomorrow is the last day for Google Reader. I have been very happy with Bloglovin and recommend it to anyone looking for a good swith over. It took about 3 minutes for me to set it all up and that's good for me!

You can click on the link in the right sidebar of my blog for Bloglovin.

Queen for a Day

Have I mentioned lately just how much I love our backyard? The birds, all the bird houses that they use each Spring to raise a new family, the feeders that stay busy, the rabbits that come sneaking into our yard in the early morning hours. The occasional owl, hawk or peregrine falcon that flies into our yard to sit on a tree branch and once in awhile several deer may wander into our backyard. All my plants and trees are perfectly placed and each one brings a smile. I enjoy all the seasons but it does seem that the older I get, the more I enjoy Spring and sitting out back on the deck like a queen overlooking her kingdom!

 

I have had my eyes on 272 Words by Primrose Needleworks for awhile and I finally gave in! Am I crazy? DH likes it. I usually give him a preview of things I am thinking of working on. This is going to be one BAP! I am stitching it on 18 count Ivory Aida fabric with the suggested threads. I have to get a little more done before I show a picture of my progress.

When I ordered this chart over Memorial Day weekend I must have been feeling the holiday spirit because I ordered several others along this same theme. Looks like there will be a patriotic wall in our house (if I can find another wall to use)! That's fine by me because between me and dh we have plenty of relatives who fought for our country and I can just vision a wall of patriotic stitching along with pictures of these family members in uniform!

I may have another new start to work on during the long drawn out process of 272 Words. When I choose which one it will be, I can officially announce it! I do want to get serious about my Mother's Tree WIP. If I just finish one line a month, I can have it finished by the end of the year. Good plan if I can stick with it!

I have been having allergy problems for awhile now. I never had allergies as a child or even a young adult but within the past 9 years, I have developed quite a few. Spring is usually the worst time for me but they can pop up anytime of the year. I have had a really hard time since February. I have been swelling up like a Macy's Parade balloon. It seemed to happen more and more often and each time it was worse. My throat, my lip, face, arms, legs, hands, feet. I even lose my voice to the extent that no one can understand my high pitched squeaks and I have to write notes to convey my messages. The doctor preached the severity of this to me and made sure I knew to get to the ER if it got bad enough I had trouble breathing. It usually takes 3 days for the swelling to go down completely then I am all bruised up like I was in a fight and I am just plain sore! My doctor was so baffled by it all that he is sending me over to an allergist to help find out what the culprit is.

 

Thanks for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Getting Set Up

Follow">http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2789449/?claim=dknbk427pc7"> my blog with Bloglovin

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Over the past several weekends, DH has helped me get some things done out in the yard. We put up several new birdhouses, bought and put out some tomato plants and put out some fun yard pinwheels I found at the Dollar Store.

Some new rose bushes adorn our yard. Two climbing and one shrub. One of the climbing roses already has several blooms on it. Two of these three are yellow. We also added two yellow knock out roses to the yard. I guess by now you can guess that I like yellow roses!

On the stitching front, I worked on Patty Polk by Falling Star Primitives and finished her up. I just love the verse and you can tell by all her mistakes, shortcuts, no frill design and sudden color changes that she was really bored with this project and just wanted to finish it up so she could get back to reading!

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

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.