Snow, crocheted scarf and a stitched Christmas ornament

Designer:  From the Heart Needleart

Design:  Merry Christmas

2015 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

Fabric:  16Ct Aida

Floss:  Gentle Arts Sampler & DMC

1st Stitch:  02/08/2019  - Last Stitch:  02/17/2019

For:  Laura's 2019 Christmas Ornament

Scarf I Crocheted it looks like there is a lot of grey in

this but is shades of cream, tan and brown.

I am practicing as I want to crochet an afghan to go with

the new chair I am getting in a couple of weeks.

Snow from our front porch

Went out to breakfast with a group of friends this morning and by the time I got home it started snowing.  Now at 2:00 it is starting to accumulate a little.  The snow is supposed to turn to rain later this afternoon and by tomorrow it will be all gone.   It's so pretty.

Off to stitch on Prairie Schooler May and listen to V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton.

Yesterday I finished reading Origin by Dan Brown.  I enjoyed this as much as I did the other books he has written.

Map of Scotland Update

I have been stitching on The Map of Scotland designed by Sue Hillis.  It has been slow progress.  I have been sick since early Saturday morning with a stomach virus.  Although I am starting to feel better I am very tired and don't feel like doing much of anything. 

We had invited my sister over for Easter dinner but had to cancel it since I didn't want her to get this bug.  So Bob and I spend Easter day alone.  Bob did fix dinner and I did eat a little. 

Map of Scotland by Sue Hillis

I have started stitching The Map of Scotland by Sue Hillis.  I started this a few weeks ago and have only made a little progress.  Of course I did have a week at Disney World in which I didn't stitch.

Designer:  Sue Hillis

Design:  Map of Scotland.

Fabric:  16CT White Aida

Floss:  DMC

Started:03/19/2017

I am going to try and post a picture weekly to show my progress.  Maybe it will give me an incentive to keep working on it.

I am also stitching a couple of Easter ornaments.  I have the stitching finished on 2 of them and should finish the 3rd one today.  I am also stitching Button Tree on a sweatshirt although I am not making much progress.  I hate stitching with Waste Canvas.  I need to get busy on this project so I can finish it before it gets hot. It is going to be a birthday present for my sister in November.  I am also making progress on Christmas ornaments. I finished the stitching on #8 yesterday.  Only 2 more to go.  I have the next one all kitted up and ready as soon as I finish the Eater ornament I am working on.

As I said I spent 6 days in Disney World with my sister, Shirley and her daughter, CJ.  I think that will be my last trip to Disney.  It was really tough on my feet.  I did rent an electric scooter for 3 of the days we were there.  However, that was stressful because I felt I was constantly dodging people.  It is bad enough while walking but it is even worse while operating a vehicle.  We did have a good time and I love Disney World.  We had a couple of good meals but not a lot as my sister is not a big foodie like Bob and I are.  One excellent meal was in EPOCT in France.  It was absoutely yummy.  On the last night we ate at an Italian restaurant in Hollywood Studios which was really good also.  I had a tomato and mozzarella salad there which was the best I have ever had. 

Bob is starting his outdoor work today.  He is tilling the winter rye in the garden today so it will have a chance to decompose before it is time to plant all the good vegetables.  Can't wait for home grown tomatoes and basil. 

Off to do some stitching and maybe watch the Phillies or maybe some stupid police show.  Depends on what is on.

Till next time.

What I want to stitch

Some how I have gotten a long to do list.  I have decided to post it here so I have it somewhere in writing rather than just in my head.

First my WIP:
a) Santa Mill Hill Kit which I only need to do the beading on.  I need to find a beading needle and am really at a loss as to what to use.
b)  Lizzie Kate - 6 Fat Men.  I am working on the 5th chart and should have it finished in the next couple of days.  Then on to the 6th and final chart and then a little backstitching and adding the buttons.

I have many things that I want to stitch but here is a list of the ones I want to get done now.  Luckily I have my Christmas ornaments done for this year so that is a big help.

1.  Country Cottage Needleworks - Red, White, Bloom
2.  Blue Ribbon Design - Acorns and Owls - this is a freebie and I really want to do some Autumn designs rather than Halloween.  Something I can display September through Thanksgiving.
3.  Little House of Needleworks - Beneath the Stars
4. Country Cottage Needleworks - Afternoon in Paris - I actually have a place in my office all picked out for this to hang.
5.  The Prairie Schooler - Santa yearly designs - I want to stitch many of their yearly Santa designs and make them into pillows and display them in a basket.  I don't know how many of these I want to stitch but I have many of them in my stash.  Maybe once I get a couple done I will decide to make a new one each year.

This list isn't in the order I want to stitch these designs.  Unfortunately I can't decide what I want to stitch 1st.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  I hate making decisions.  Just ask Bob. 

So many things I want to stitch and so little time.  I would rather spend my summer afternoons on the back porch reading rather than in the rec room in front of the TV stitching.  So right now I am concentrating on the 6 Fat Men which I stitch on for a couple of hours in the evening as long as it isn't to hot.  It is OK to stitch when the AC is on but sometimes Bob thinks we don't need it when I do and then I can't stitch if it is hot.  My hands sweat to much.

We have a busy week.  It seems everyone wants to go out to dinner or lunch this week.  On top of that I have to get the State Inspection and oil change on my car on Monday and then a hair cut on Thursday.

This past month has been an expensive one.  We had to get a new dishwasher and a new wall oven.  Then I decided I wanted a new Kindle Fire.  Maybe not a smart decision but it is one I made and I just love my new Kindle Fire.  The wall oven not so much.  The dishwasher is OK.  It works and I don't have to wash dishes.

I will try to post a picture of 6 Fat Men as soon as I finish the stitching on the fifth design.

If you have taken the time to read this far I wish you a great weekend. 

Happy Memorial Day

I hope we all take some time this Memorial Day to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can all be safe.  I am thinking of my Uncle Dale today who served as a paratrooper in WWII and died during that war.


I want to post a few pictures.  The 1st one is a Memorial Day cross stitch I did many years ago.  Then I am posting a couple of get well cards I received after my surgery in January.  They were both counted cross stitch cards that I repurposed.  The 4th picture is my ornament tree all decorated for Summer.

Blueladie Design I stitched many years ago.
It hangs on my office door every Memorial Day.

This is a get well card I received from Leslie from KYKS.
It is a Blueladie Design
I took the whole card and put it in a frame.
It sits on the shelf above my computer monitor with other
counted cross stitch I have received from friends.

This one was taken from a get well card
from Marl from KYKS.
I took it out of the card and made it
into an ornament for my ornament tree.

This is my ornament tree all
decorated for Summer.
Not a great picture but you can
see the ornament from Marl has the
place of honor for this year.

Bridge In Monet's Garden

Page 34 is done.  Only page 35 left.

Page 34 is now finished.
It shouldn't take me long to stitch page 35 and it is
only about 1/3 of a normal page

 I did start page 35 last night and I think this page will really go fast.  It only has 4 or 5 colors.  I will miss this project when it is finished as I have been stitching it since March 2011.

This is a Viburnum in our back yard.
We got this as a little misshapen bush from
Bob's Mon many years ago.  It had
grown up to be a beautiful addition to our yard

A close-up of one of the Viburnum flowers.
These smell so good when you walk out our
family room door. 

Another ornament finished

This is a freebie I got off the Internet so I stitched it for my DH.  It is going to be a surprise for him when we decorate our tree this Christmas.  I had to have it finished by May 30th as that is when he retired from work.  I usually stitch on ornaments in the afternoon so it has been easy to keep it as a surprise so far.

Project:  Eiffel Tower Ornament
Fabric: 16Ct Lambswool Aida
Floss: DMC
Started:  end of April
Completed:  05-30-2014
For Bob for this Christmas

This is Bob on his last day of work.  His c0-workers
decorated his desk and had a breakfast to celebrate
his retirement.

Another Christmas ornament is ready to go to the finisher

I finished stitching this ornament yesterday afternoon while watching a hockey game.   GO FLYERS!!!!!!!!



Project: It's Snow Cold
Designer:  Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 26CTG Aida - Ocean Kiss
Floss:  DMC
Started:  04-04-2014
Completed: 04-12-2014

Now off to pick the fabric and pull the floss for my last Christmas ornament for the Great Nieces/Nephew for 2014.  I am glad they are almost finished.  Don't laugh but I already have the ornaments for 2015 picked out.  I saw them on 123stitch and they are on my long, long, long wish list.

Yesterday Bob and I went out and picked the stone for our new countertop ad tiles for the backsplash.  What a chore.  I am amazed that we actually agreed. They will start the installation on May 12th and it will be finished in 2 weeks.  I can't wait to see it all come together.  After picking all the out we went and purchased a new dining set for our patio. 

We had some sad news this past week.  Bob's aunt passed away after suffering with liver cancer for the past couple of months.  She would have been 91 on April 22nd.  I feel so bad as we didn't even know she was ill.  I will never understand why her friend didn't call us to let us know.

Baby Christmas Tree and an update of Bridge in Monet's Garden

Bridge In Monet's Garden
Page 24 completed and Page 25 started

This is our Christmas Tree for this year.
It is almost 3' tall
The best we could do since
I fell on the ice on December 11th and
broke my ankle.

Wishing all my friends a Very Merry Christmas

Happy July 4th

DH and I have had a very quiet day so far.  We spent the morning on the back porch reading and listening to the birds and just enjoying our back yard.  After lunch I sat down with my stitching and watched the Phillies beat the Pirates.  I would say GO PHILLIES but they aren't doing very well this season.  Oh well I still like watching a game.  While I was watching the game I finished stitching house 7 of Country Cottage Needleworks Santa's Village.  Just in time because I was just notified that house 8 is shipping.  DH spent the afternoon in the room we call the library and continued reading.

Wanna see a picture or 2?
Even if you don't you are going to. lol

Christmas Tree Farm
Country Cottage Needleworks
Santa's Village
Started Stitching 6/10/2013
Completed Stitching 7/4/2013

The whole of Santa's Village
only 5 more houses to go

Now I am off to start dinner.  We are having steak and potatoes on the grill and asparagus.  I think I will roast the asparagus with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and parm cheese.  Later we will have a Hagen Das ice cream bar while watching a cozy mystery.  Can't ask for a better day in my opinion.

I hope you all are having a safe and happy July 4th.

Bridge In Monet's Garden

I started stitching Bridge in Monet's Garden in April of 2011.  I should be half finished some tine in February.  That means almost 2 more years before I actually finish the entire project.  I hope it will be worth the wait, the time and yest even frustration.  Only half a page more of stitching and I will be half finished.

Page 17 of 35 completed on
January 14, 2013

This has been such a frustrating week.  Seems nothing has gone right.  I had a doctor's appointment on Monday.  Waited almost an hour past my appointment time to be seen.  Then I was told that I could not continue to get my mammogram at the hospital I have been going to for 20 years.  No I would not have to go pick up my past mammograms they would have the hospital send them to the new place.  When I call to make the appointment I was told I have to get the mammogram from last year and bring it on the day of my appointment.  Then yesterday my boss flies off the handle at me.  I was ready to tell him that they are the ones who begged me to come back to work and I really didn't need to continue working.  But I didn't.  However he did make me decide that I will be leaving at the end of this year.  I had been thinking about working part of 2014 but that is now off the table.  This morning I went to the gym and was told that when they put the monthly charge through at the beginning of January it had been denied.  Called my credit card and they had no record of a charge being denied have the gym resubmit the charge. 

Hope you enjoy the picture of Bridge In Monet's Garden.  I fuss about it but I think it is beautiful.

Well I am off to stitch for a little while.  Hope to finish a small project I am working on so I can get back to CCN's Santa's Village Poinsettia House.

Have a great Wednesday.

A small finishe and a WIP

I just finished the September SAL from Blueladie Designs and so I thought I would post a picture of that and of the Tribal Santa Hat WIP.

Blueladie Designs - September SAL
Stitched on a scrap of 14 CT Aida with
DMC Floss
Started 9/1/2012 - Completed 9/2/2012

Tribal Santa Hat WIP
I have finished the red portion

I went to my LNS today because I needed WDW Lucky for a Lizzie Kate project I started the other day.  She was having a sale but she didn't have much in stock.  I did get Lizzie Kate's Unwrap the Joy - Santa '12 and Full Circle Designs Pumpkin Season.  I was looking for something that was just fall not Halloween hence Pumpkin Season.  I did want a few other things but she didn't have them. 

Two weeks from today my sisters and I will be off on our cruise to Bermuda.  Except for some spending money and packing I am ready.  But I have a busy two weeks before then.

Off to stitch a little more before it is time to fix dinner.

I hope everyone is having a lovely Labor Day Weekend. 

Bathroom Renovation

We recently had the bathroom in our basement remodeled.  It turned out really nice and as Bob says it is now the best room in the house.   We took lots of before and after pictures and posted them in Webshots.  I don't want to download them again here as there are just way to many pictures. So if you are interested in seeing them you can go to:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/582477471FWQLCe

We have one major problem with this renovation and that is we had in-floor heating installed and it doesn't work.  It is so frustrating and I sure hope that it is an easy fix because if they have to tear the whole bathroom apart to fix it that is what they will have to do.  We are not paying the rest of the money until the heat works.

We had snow

Just wanted to post some pictures of the snow we had last night and also a couple of WIPs.  The snow didn't amount to much but the trees and shrubs in our backyard were beautiful this morning and I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures.

Our back yard decorated with snow

Another view of our back yard

 Here are a couple of pictures of my current WIPs.  I did finish stitching another ornament yesterday and will post a picture as soon as I make it into an ornament. 

Kitchen Sampler 2 as of yesterday.  I am having
lots of problems with the lettering on this so
I am going to frog out what I have done
and stitch it differently

Bridge in Monet's Garden as of last night
I have about 500 stitches left on page 9 and then
on to page 10.

Some Finishes and my WIPs

JBW Designs - Peace on Earth
This is an ornament for one of my Great Nieces or Nephews for
Christmas 2012

JBW Designs - French Country Star
Another ornament for the one of the Greats for Christmas 2012

JBW Designs
Another ornament for Christmas 2012

Kitchen Sampler 2 by Lila's Studio
This designer lives up the street from me.
Stitched on 14CT Aida - Vintage Country Mocha
using GAST threads
I am stitching this for my sister

And last but not least is
Bridge in Monet's Garden
I am half finished with page 9

I cannot believe that today is my 65th birthday.  Where has the time gone?  I don't feel that old most of the time.  Bob is taking me out to dinner tonight to the Craft Ale House for mussels.  Yummy I can't wait.  This morning after the gym I went out to breakfast with the ladies, there were 8 of us.  After that I went to the mall shopping and got a birthday present for Sue.  She is having surgery on her knee today.  They had to replace a part on her knee replacement, it seems they used the wrong size part when they originally did the replacement. 

We had our bedrooms, bathroom and hallway painted last week.  It looks so nice.  Now we are having our downstairs bathroom remodeled.  They started last Friday.  No one seems to be working here today.  I wonder what that is about.  The electrician just dropped in to take some measurements but other than that I haven't seen a soul. 

Well I am off to relax for a little while before Bob comes home. 

KYKS Ornament Exchange

Here is a picture of the ornament I received yesterday from Tara. Well actually there were 2 ornaments in the package.  You know you can't separate a perfect couple.  I love them and I love the fabric Tara dyed and included in the package.  Thank you Tara.

Aren't Mr. & Mrs. Snowman just beautiful. 
The fabric they are resting on is the fabric
Tara dyed.  It is a really soft green. This
picture does not do it justice.

I am all ready for Christmas.  I did my grocery shopping yesterday.  What a mess, I am so glad I didn't wait until today.  The store was packed at 8:30 in the morning.  I got my nails done yesterday afternoon.  Today I am going to be lazy and read or stitch.  I just need a little down time.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for this day and every day. I need to remember to be thankful for each and every day that I am given. I have a great husband and two wonderful sisters whom I love very much. I hope and pray that we all remember to be thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives.


Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God. ~Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)


Here is a picture of an ornament I made and sent to Patricia for an exchange I was in at KYKS.  I think this turned out so cute and I hope Patricia liked it as much as I do. 

LHN He's a Flake
I stitched this for an exchange for Patricia from KYKS

I finished

PS Christmas Village last night.  Despite a few little mistakes I think it looks wonderful.  I haven't taken a picture of it yet but I will as soon as I wash and iron it. I started it on March 1st and completed it on June 23rd.  I also finished Lizzie Kate's Easter last week.  I have it sitting on the cube but haven't pinned it yet.  Actually I don't have the fabric for the back and sides as my oldest sister has it at her house.  She will be down for a visit after July 4th so I hope she remembers to bring it with her.  I am stitching on the July ornament for my other sister in the mornings before work and have it a little over half done.  It is Quaker Snowman.  I have stitched this one before and really like it.  My next night project is going to be LHN Sunflower Inn.  I have everything for it I just have to pull the DMC floss it calls for.  I think I will do that tonight.

It is so hot and humid here in PA.  Today it is going to be 96 with a heat index over 100.  We have been in a heat wave since last Saturday.  I think tomorrow it is suppose to me a little cooler and less humid.  Then by the middle of next week they are saying it will only be in the 70's.  What is with this weather?  We need rain so bad but except for a possibility of thunder storms this afternoon there isn't any in the forecast.

This morning

I finished the June ornament for my sister.  It is Blue Ribbon "May You Be Blessed"  I had to change the wording on it as I stitched it on Aida rather then the Linen the design called for.  It should have read "May You Be Blessed With Health & Happiness"  I just stitched May You Be Blessed" as that was all I could fit. I will try to post a picture later this week or maybe I will wait until I actually make into an ornament.   Then I stitched a little on the Lizzie Kate Easter that I am doing for my other sister.  That should be done fairly soon.  I am stitching on the last house on the PS Christmas Village and then I will only have the top right corner to stitch which is trees, a reindeer and a goose or two.

Sunday afternoon B and I sat down and figured out where we are staying when we go to Sonoma in September and he made the reservations.  Now we just have to find a hotel in San Francisco for Saturday and Sunday night and then one at the airport for Friday night..  So that trip is almost planned as far as lodging.  I guess we will work on it some more this coming Sunday.

We are having our annual Friday Night Group picnic on Saturday.  There are 2 couples that won't be coming so it will be a small gathering.  There will only be 7 of us instead of the usual 11 or 12.