Friday, August 10, 2012

Home Sweet Home



This is Home Sweet Home Sampler by Pineberry Lane. For me, home sweet home is a sentiment I feel very strongly. I will be going back to school in a few weeks (which I'm very excited about) and don't expect to have much free time to devote to fun things like stitching. I've also been cautiously enjoying that things have been quieter with my parents lately but that will change at some point I'm sure. :)

I wish I had more to show but have been trying to shake a gastrointestinal illness that just doesn't want to go away. I can't seem to get the house cool enough, so couple the warmth outside with a fever and I've been covered with a fine sheen of sweat or perspiration whichever you prefer. Whatever name you give it, it makes me feel cranky and not in the mood to do much of anything. We did take a few days to visit the Salem County Fair in New Jersey. I felt bad for the sheep covered in wool and the rabbits with all of that very warm looking fur. Some of the luckier rabbits had bottles filled with ice water and they were taking full advantage of them.





A question - do you find it creepy, odd (insert adjective of your choosing) when someone starts from your first blog post and reads all the way through? I love to do that and have to say that looking at all of the beautiful framing and stitching has been one of the few things that has made feeling like crap bearable. :) I have been informed several times though, that some people don't feel comfortable with someone doing that. I was even called that crazy person from Delaware once. I think I would be flattered, but everyone is entitled to their feelings I guess. :)

I apologize for not leaving many comments lately - surely I will feel better soon. I do appreciate everyone who visits my blog and enjoy reading your comments! To all of the no-reply commenters, I will take this opportunity to thank you all! I hope everyone finds some free time this weekend to enjoy some stitching! And come on cooler temperatures!!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Greetings From The Easy Bake Oven

Finally finished! I may have said this before, but stitching that grass was better than a sleeping pill. A few stitches and I was nodding off. I know I don't want to stitch anymore grass for awhile. :)



Actually,this grass is a lot greener than the real thing around here. I know we were supposed to have a brief respite from the heat, but I must have missed it.

There were some heavenly breezes blowing off the water in Old New Castle the other day. This poor little guy was probably wishing he could strip his fur suit off. Because of the blazing sun he is a little hard to see.



Being busy with my parents has left my garden sadly neglected this year. I still can't believe I didn't buy any annuals. Thank goodness for perennials. These hardy little things aren't looking too bad.



I may be adding a new planting to my garden soon. It's called Vinny.



He is so sweet with people. Unfortunately, not so much with the other cats. This is the look he sometimes gives me when I have had to be firm with him.

My daughter has been in North Carolina for a week now and I still miss her terribly! I know it will get easier with time (I hope). This is a picture of her and my future son-in-law taken at Greenfield Lake in Wilmington, North Carolina.



I know we all go through tough times in life but those times become a little easier when you have wonderful blogging friends! I find encouragement in the lovely comments I receive! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit. I don't know if I will ever quit being amazed at the kindness I have found here in blogland.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Oh Boy!

Just checking in, because I can't believe it has been a month. Yikes!! Family issues have seriously limited my stitching time. So try not to be overwhelmed with all of the lovely stitching photos. :)

I'm hoping to be finished with Never Let You Go by Heartstring Samplery in the next few days.



This is a freebie from The Drawn Thread called Four Fat Friends.



Vinny, the square peg, continues to try and fit in. He looks like he might be thinking "Why me?" :)



The lunch queue in my kitchen -



My husband and son recently spent an afternoon at Fair Hill, Maryland. It's a beautiful area and they have been going since my son was just a little boy. They have had many interesting father/son bonding adventures there. Like the time my son disappeared over an embankment and into the creek or the time he stopped to chat with a skunk on the trail. My son took this picture of Foxcatcher Farm Covered Bridge. Very tranquil looking.



We celebrated a milestone on June 1. I'm no longer the mother of a teenager. I can't believe my little boy is 20.



He has been a good kid and we are proud of him.

I really want to thank everyone who has stuck with this pitiful little blog. I'm always amazed when a new follower pops up. I want to say welcome and thank you to everyone who takes time to visit. I'm afraid I have fallen seriously behind in my commenting and hope to rectify that soon.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and relaxing weekend!

Friday, May 11, 2012

It Seemed Like Such A Good Idea...

It really did. :) But it was really like trying a new recipe the night you are expecting company.











The design is Sweet May Flowers by Threadwork Primitives.

I really had quite a few hateful feelings towards this little project. It's one of my gifts to my mother for Mother's Day. I'm pretty sure she will be kind, as she is used to my shortcomings. Starting way, way back. :)



I've made a little progress -



I'm well on my way to killing this poor thing.



Any advice cheerfully accepted. :)

Finally Goldilocks (Lola) visiting the bears. Actually, I think she may have been looking for Vinny.



Thank you to all who take time to visit. I appreciate it so much. Life has been extremely hectic lately, so many apologies if I have overlooked any emails. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! :)

Thursday, April 19, 2012

A Surplus of Starts and a Cat Named Vinny

Lately it has been a surplus of starts instead of a flurry of finishes. I can't seem to sit still long enough to make much progress on anything. I've actually been doing quite a bit of reading. I find it a much better escape from the realities of life right now.

Here is a small finish - I won't tell you how long it took me to stitch it. :)


I will probably put it in a little frame and stick it in my bathroom. That room is rather barren, as I tend to neglect decorating it. :) I have made several new starts recently. Heartstring Samplery's Never Let You Go and Land of the Free by Willow Hill Samplings. I would like to make a little more progress before showing pictures.


On to the second part of this post -

This poor cat has had such a rough life. First someone found him on the streets and took him in only to leave him behind when they decided to move, run away - who knows. He was taken in by someone else and eventually brought into the veterinary practice where my daughter works. I'm not sure how my daughter ended up with him, and I'm a little hazy on how he came to live with me. But here he is. His name when he arrived on my doorstep was Ash, but that seemed too close to another word, so I renamed him Vinny. That is what I call him when I'm happy with him. :) He meows incessantly, and has just about driven me crazy. I've never had a cat that is as needy as he is. My husband says he is a square peg in a round hole. So true! Here he is giving me some mouth when I told him to stop chasing my girls (cats that is)


I prefer him in a more mellow mood - assisting me when I read


I am determined that this is his last stop. I've committed to taking care of him and I may be committed someday because of it. :)

I would like to thank everyone who has sent inquiring emails. You don't know how much they have meant to me. I'm trying to get back on track with my commenting and still hoping to be more frequent with my posting. I would also like to thank my followers old and new. It is so amazing to me that I still get people who find my blog follow worthy. :) I still don't know how to address no-reply bloggers, so I will say thank you to all of you now. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave me a comment!

P.S. For those who have let me know they are Pittsburgh Penguin fans - although I am a Flyer's fan at heart, I have been known to root for the Penguins on occasion. Unless they are playing the Flyers. :)

Take care everyone and happy stitching!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

An Award

Thank you to Chris at totstitch.blogspot.com for giving me the Liebster award! She was one of the first to welcome me to the blog world.
Liebster is a German word meaning favorite, dearest or beloved and is awarded by bloggers to newer bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. By accepting this award, I:
  1. Choose 5 blogs to award the Liebster to.
  2. Thank my friend and link back to her.
  3. Post the award on my blog and list the bloggers I pass the Liebster on to with their links.
  4. Let them know by leaving them a comment.
  5. Share 5 random facts about myself that people do not know about me.

My five blogs to pass on the Liebster to are:
  1. Catherine at diamondc-diamondc.blogspot.com
  2. Natasha at astitchersramblings.blogspot.com
  3. P.J. at porcupineneedle.blogspot.com
  4. Lorrie at astitcherssnippets.blogspot.com
  5. Shelly at shelly-anarizonastitcher.blogspot.com

And five random facts about me:
  1. I LOVE olives. I could eat them all day long.
  2. I am a Friday the 13th baby.
  3. I am a fanatical Philadelphia Flyers fan. The neighbors will be glad when hockey season is over.
  4. I'm a snowman collector.
  5. While in school I shared a name with then First Lady Betty Ford. Endless teasing.

Thanks again Chris! :)

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Remember Me???

Wow, a whole month! I either need to get better at this blogging thing or give it up altogether. I feel like I should have more to show, but really don't have much. Scary health matters have made me want to hide under the covers, and that really isn't conducive to stitching. After finishing On Diligence, I have had an aversion (temporary I hope) to stitching anything too big. I just love the little rabbit in this Stacy Nash design. It is called the Spring Hare Standing Pinkeep. Obviously, I did not finish it into a standing pinkeep, although it might have been easier than what I did. My sewing skills are atrocious! :) It has been quite awhile since I had my sewing machine out and I think it shows.


Apparently, my housekeeping skills are atrocious too. I just noticed the dust. :) Here is a picture minus dust.


I thought this little rabbit family was cute.


I seem to have a problem getting the ideas from my head to my hands. It took me forever to finish these two small items. It didn't help that the sewing machine gremlins had visited since the last time I used it. I found Vonna's tutorials helpful. They were first tries, and I'm pretty happy with them. I guess it beats stitching them and putting them in a drawer.
Moving on from the rabbit theme, one of my favorite designers is Heartstring Samplery. I think this design is so pretty, and I love the verse. Here is a picture of my small start.


A recent purchase from 123 Stitch, using the gift certificate I won in a giveaway from Marly. I'm not much of a gadget person, so I stuck with charts.


I recently received these boxes from Marly. I think she did a wonderful job, and I love them!


I have really enjoyed looking at wedding gowns with my daughter, and all of the other fun things that go into planning a wedding. I can't wait for next May. :)


Finally, a very simple 25th wedding anniversary celebration. I can't believe it has been that long. :)


Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful spring weather, I know I am!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

On Diligence and Lots of Good News!

Yesterday was the kind of day that I wish I could have everyday. First, I found out that I was the lucky winner of Marly's giveaway! I love her blog and if you have never visited, go take a look. Then, I found out that my daughter's boyfriend of six years was planning on proposing to her today. I wish that I could be there to see the look on her face. We all know that when our children are happy, we are happy. Then, we got the news that my husband's job was safe for now. I feel like the whole world has been lifted from my shoulders. Finally, I finished On Diligence. Boy, how could I have so underestimated how long it would take to finish it. It is huge! I hate the fabric it is stitched on though - very fuzzy. In places it is so fuzzy that the threads look worn. :( But it is done and I am excited to move on. I guess to end it on a positive note, all of the bad things I felt would be wrapped up in it seem to have been resolved on the very day that I finished it. Now if I could only master picture taking. How frustrating!




Leaving you with a picture of my daughter's horses.


Happy stitching everyone! :)

Saturday, January 21, 2012

A Lady Named Margaret

I spent most of my summers as a child on my grandparents' farm. My grandmother, Margaret, managed to remain a refined woman even in the midst of life on a farm. Whether she was feeding the animals, cleaning stalls or countless other farm duties, she always wore a pretty dress with what she called a brooch. Additionally, she wore an apron, her watch (so she never missed Bonanza at 4pm), stockings, and a sturdy pair of low-heeled black shoes. She was a quiet woman. I never heard her raise her voice or curse and my sister and I could certainly be a handful. She led a pretty austere existence on the farm. It wasn't a home with a lot of pretty things in it, but she managed to add little touches of beauty here and there. From the way she dressed everyday, to the beautiful china she served every meal on (three times a day), to the pretty silver brush/comb/mirror set on her dresser. She wasn't one to show a lot of affection, but you knew you were loved. She was no nonsense, but I will never forget the time she traveled to North Carolina with us. We stopped at a gas station and for some reason they had a little monkey in a cage. I will never forget how she shook its little hand, and how she thought it was the funniest thing. She wasn't one for having her picture taken, but it looks like she may have been trying to crack a smile in this one.


This is Rosine's Sampler by C Street Samplerworks, but I've made it Margaret's Sampler. She always favored blue, so I stitched it in GA Summer Shower.


Sadly, I don't have anything of her's to treasure, but I do have many wonderful memories. She has been gone for 25 years and I would give anything for one more day on the farm with her.