Frogging Out

I Love Organized Spaces

2012-01-07T10:51:00.001-06:00

Love these! Look what iheartorganizing did with them. Her blog will make you want to organize every corner of your home.

Where Have I Been??

2011-07-31T14:57:00.000-05:00

Busy with new job! That's good. No time to blog or stitch...not good. Working on it. In the last 3 months my DS/25 has redeployed to Afghanistan (last deployment was to Iraq). My DD/29 and her family have moved again...this time they are only 3 hours away. My DS/14 has been inducted into the National Honor Society, went on a mission trip, camp, and is becoming quite the drummer. DH has his plate full with work (new hours), music, and he is the cook in the family now that he gets home before me. Lots of changes for us. Just need a little time to get caught up and I hope to be stitching again in no time.

New Job Is An Answer To Prayer

2011-03-03T20:22:00.000-06:00

After a very long search I finally got the call I've been hoping and fervently praying for.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Phil. 4:19

I got a new job! Needless to say, there are many changes in our household and schedule. Overall, it's a good change though. God is SO good!

Now if I can just squeeze in some stitching time...

Stitching Away on Gathering Honey

2011-02-10T17:56:00.000-06:00

Snow days make for great stitching time...not to mention chocolate cupcake baking. :)

I have had long breaks of not stitching on "Gathering Honey", and I'm just ready to knock it out. It has been a WIP for five years! While it is a large design with many color changes, half- and quarter-stitches, it would not have taken more than six months if worked on diligently. Since I didn't put a time line on it or schedule specific times to cross stitch it, well...let's just say life got in the way...a lot.

Above is the progress as of yesterday. It will need to be cleaned and pressed (pardon the wrinkles), but it's come a long way. The left side still needs to be back-stitched on the frame, bees and flowers in the top left corner. I think there is one more bee to be stitched just under those flowers, too. I'm so glad to be on the home stretch!

Snow Day!

2011-02-09T18:41:00.000-06:00

School closed today at 11:00 and NO school tomorrow! Woohoo!! We have over 3 inches of snow and it's creating a bit of a challenge for our Boston Terrier, Lucy! She can't "grab" her soccer ball because it just scoots across the snow...so frustrating for her! She just looks at me as if to say, "Can't you make this stuff go away?!"

Giveaway Love!

2011-02-02T15:16:00.002-06:00

I found a lovely Valentine Giveaway at Nataly Needle Creations. The stitching giveaway ends Feb. 7th so hurry if you want to enter!

Yummy Felt Veggies

2011-01-25T17:54:00.000-06:00

I slightly modified the tutorial at Elemental Stitches for the broccoli. I cut my felt 7" x 4" instead of 9" x 6". For the carrots, I followed I Make Stuff's tutorial. She has created a PDF file with pictures! Gotta love that!

These are for my granddaughter to use with her new pink kitchen Santa brought her!

Please Vote! Only 4 days left!!

2011-01-17T17:59:00.000-06:00

Only a few days left to vote at the poll on the right sidebar. You can read more about the Q-snap "issue" that led to this question in my previous post.

Best Stand For Q-Snaps?

2011-01-14T19:18:00.001-06:00

I've had my needlework stand, the original Gazelle by Artisan Design, for about 20 years. My frame holder will not hold Q-snap frames. I've tried a few tips, such as using the rubber jar openers as a barrier in between the frame and the Q-snaps, but it still slides around. I called the manufacturer and inquired about a Q-snap adapter (like the one for the Gazelle 2). They told me I should be able to use the frame holder that came with the stand, but I would just need to turn it a certain way. I tried it, but the Q-snap frame still loosens up after a short time, even if I can get it snug at first. I'm a "flipper"...I flip my stitching over to the back side a lot when I'm cross-stitching so I need a stand that will accommodate that without having to re-insert the Q-snap frame repeatedly.

I've created a poll to get feedback on the most popular needlework stands. Please vote (top/right sidebar) for your favorite!! I would like to know what stand you prefer and why. Can you use Q-snap frames with your stand? Give me your thoughts. I love comments! (I don't have any stitching buddies locally, so I'm depending on my blogger friends!

Reach Total Care Floss - Product Review

2011-01-07T21:46:00.001-06:00

I purchased Reach Total Care Floss over a month ago and I actually enjoy flossing now! The floss has ridges that grip, is flexible, and is comfortable to use. The floss hasn't shred even once. One of Johnson & Johnson's claims is that Reach Total Care Floss removes up to 2 times more plaque than Glide (my previous brand). All I know is my teeth feel cleaner than before! What a life-changer!

Johnson & Johnson are offering a coupon now for the floss, so give it a try. I think you'll like it.

(Please note: I'm not getting paid to review this product. I just happen to LOVE it and want to spread the word. Doesn't everyone want a clean mouth?!

Linky Parties

2011-01-05T22:36:00.019-06:00

Check out these great linky parties:

So many great ideas!

Beauty Rest

2011-01-04T21:44:00.000-06:00

The divine Miss Lucy, sacked out on the sofa...such a diva!

She usually sleeps in my lap while I cross stitch. I call her my 4-legged heater.

First Attempt at Felt Food

2011-01-03T22:43:00.001-06:00

Here are the first of the felt foods I made recently. You can't beat a couple of Swiss rolls, donuts, bacon and eggs all with no calories! These were gifts for my granddaughter's birthday. I've seen beads sewn as donut sprinkles, but I chose to use DMC floss instead to prevent a choking hazard.

I use a combination of the Escape Artist tutorial and Skip to My Lou's tutorial for the donuts and Swiss rolls.

The egg tutorial is found on Day to Day. Some of the links to the tutorials were found on Ucreate. I just winged it for the bacon. Easy peasy!

One more great site with many links to felt food is Ohdeedoh.

Day 2 of New Year...Round 2 of Deployment

2011-01-02T22:44:00.001-06:00

My DS/24 just informed me he was deploying to Afghanistan this summer. This will make his second deployment (first one was Iraq). He was supposed to finish his 4+ years in the army in a couple of months, but he re-enlisted. I've been looking forward to him returning home. Now, there will be much praying, mailing of care packages, and keeping the news on 24-7.

Happy New Year with a Strawberry on Top!

2011-01-01T18:01:00.001-06:00

The holidays flew by without a single blog post. No looking back though. 2011 is here...so...Happy New Year with a strawberry on top!

I found the tutorial for these sweet felt strawberries here. I think they may look more realistic with a different shade of green felt, but I used what I had on hand. The tutorial is great and easy to follow. Once the red pieces were cut, I just ran them threw the machine and cut them apart later.

Of course, they would also make wonderful clown noses at this point...just saying....

The rest of the sewing was by hand and the "seeds" took the longest to sew. I finished that part while watching TV. If I sew any more, I think I will enlarge the pattern a little just to have more than one size and maybe use fabric instead of felt. Moda Bake Shop has a different tutorial for a larger strawberry sewn in the fabric they offer.

Crossing stitches and counting blessings

2010-09-25T14:04:00.000-05:00

Finally picked up "Gathering Honey" again. I need to knock it out but just haven't felt very creative lately. I'll share an update pic soon.

I've been job hunting so that has been the priority. I recently had a great interview with a senior executive for exec. administrative assistant. Didn't get the job though...they went with the interim candidate instead. Still, it was a neat blessing just to get the interview.

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." ~Christopher Robin to Pooh

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28 NIV

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed...nothing will be impossible for you." ~Matthew 17:20 NIV

And this just puts a smile on my face...my granddaughter....Miss P

Missing My Soldier

2010-05-23T20:57:00.002-05:00

He has less than a year left before he can return home for good (unless he changes his mind and re-enlists). I don't think he's going to do that though, but you never know.... I miss him. He sure has aquired a lot of "bling" on that uniform!! I'm so proud of him.

Contest For Handmade Planner!!!

2010-05-14T22:34:00.004-05:00

I ran across a contest for a neat day planner at Make It and Love it. The planner is handmade by Much Ado About You. The contest ends on May 18th, so hurry if you want to enter! You can see Make It and Love It's blog by clicking on the button in my sidebar, too. There are lots of great projects and ideas there. Check it out!

Loudly Silent

2010-05-11T17:33:00.007-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day!

I know I haven't blogged lately, but a lot has happened recently. My daughter, son-in-law, AND granddaughter, moved almost 8 hours away from home in April. It's been quite an adjustment for everyone, but I think things are settling down now. I plan to visit soon. :)

No stitching lately, but DS/13 gave me a new pair of purple victorian cross stitch scissors for Mother's Day, so I'll be picking up the "Gathering Honey Sampler" again very soon! DH and DS/13 also gave me a gift card to Marshall's. I love gift cards! DD gave me perfume (the same scent she wears) and a soup mug! She actually had it delivered to me by a friend of hers that lives in town. So sweet!

DS/13 recently took a trip with his school choir to Disneyworld in Orlando. He also has a mission trip to Ohio coming up with the church choir in a couple of weeks. This week he received the William H. Sweet award for maintaining a high grade point average all year and having good conduct. I'm so proud of him!

I also have been blessed to have some work coming in this month after being laid off since July of last year. It's still slow, but any work is better than no work! Just not sure when any housework will get done...LOL!

So, when I'm silent and not blogging...I'm still here...just living out loud.

Another Pillowcase Dress

2010-03-05T23:01:00.006-06:00

This was a fun project! I used the notes I had written before when I helped my DD made the previous pillowcase dress.

She provided the fabric (1 yard cotton)
I purchased the grosgrain ribbon ("shocking electric pink" color) 2 yards
I had vintage brick red rick rack and threads to match in my stash.

Tutorial:

NOTE: Make sure you have your iron handy! There is quite a bit of ironing for this project!

Cut 2 panels (RST-right sides together) 18" wide x 22" long
Press under 1/4" on all 4 side seams (the 22" sides are the side seams)
Press under another 1/4" on all 4 side seams and stitch close to edge.
Pin the 2 panels (RST) at the side seams from the bottom edge up to 16" from the top. (mark with a pin).
Sew 1/2" side seams from bottom edge up to the 16" mark and STOP. (these will later become armholes.)
Press seams flat.
Press under bottom edge 1".
Press under bottom edge additional 1" and pin.
Sew hem close to edge.
On front and back panel, fold under 1/2" and Press.
Fold under another 1 1/4" and Press, pin and Stitch close to edge. Either lay the 36" ribbon in tunnel before sewing or feed through the tunnel afterward...just be careful not to catch it in the stitching if you do it the first way!)
Gather the fabric to the middle of the ribbon leaving 7" of gathered front and back panels and equal amounts of ribbon (approx. 14" of ribbon on each side).
Sew the fabric to the ribbon on the edge to keep the ribbon in place.
I cut the ribbon at an angle and burned the edges to keep it from unraveling.

Baby Doll Bed & Coverlet

2010-03-02T21:44:00.000-06:00

I recovered a doll bed mattress and made a new coverlet for my granddaughter's antique baby doll bed that belonged to her great grandmother. The nursery is painted yellow and has shabby chic pink accents, so my daughter chose a floral print that would better match the room than what was already on the doll bed.

The "Before":The "After":
I added antique lace and satin ribbon trim. The coverlet originally had been 2 pieces of fabric sewn together and tied to mimic a quilt. I chose to add a layer of batting to the new coverlet and quilted around the edge, tying only in the middle. As you can see, I also stitched up a pillow for the doll bed. Doesn't every dolly need a pillow?? I made a pillowcase for the pillow and added more lace and ribbon trim.

I was pleased with the result since I had no idea what I was doing!

Pillowcase Dress & Recycled Shirt Dress

2010-03-01T13:08:00.003-06:00

I'm teaching my DD, at Moms the Word, to sew. She wants to make things for her daughter who is one year old (my granddaughter). I took measurements from a purchased pillowcase dress she had and added seam allowances and showed her some basic sewing techniques. All the sewing was straight stitching which was good practice for her on the sewing machine. She had white satin ribbon in her stash that we used for the ties. This photo was taken before the ends of the ribbon were trimmed and treated, so please overlook! The photo doesn't do the dress justice. Hopefully, I'll have one with my beautiful granddaughter modeling it soon!
Here is an earlier project I sewed a few weeks ago for my granddaughter. My DD found a tutorial on Waldeck Dry Goods blog for a dress made from a shirt with fabric added to it. I didn't follow the tutorial exactly, but it is the same result.Of course, it looks much better with my sweet model in it! I used one of my granddaughter's Gap shirts that was getting a little short. She's ready to go shopping!

Black Spray Painted Frames and Glittered Candles

2009-12-29T13:17:00.001-06:00

I "shopped" my home to decorate this holiday season with picture frames and candles. I had saved all my used pillar candles and old nicked-up frames for a "future project". I got an opportunity to pick up some black spray paint at Wal-mart. I also bought Modge-Podge because I was out. I l-o-v-e that stuff!

Here are some of the "Before" items that got the spray paint treatment.

I propped the items on anything I could find...from rocks to pieces of wood, just whatever was handy.
And "After"....

I plan on sanding the edges of the frames and candle sticks, but I still need to get sandpaper!

For the candles, I cut the melted tops off and smoothed out the edges. This part is NOT kid-friendly! However, once that's done, the rest is child's play! : ) I used a sponge brush to paint Modge-Podge on the sides of the candle. Next, I took the top of a shoebox and sprinkled glitter (Sulyn Brand) and rolled the candle back and forth in it until it was completely covered in glitter. I know that the finer grain glitter is very nice for this project, but I didn't have any on hand. The regular glitter gave the candles a more retro look in my opinion. Another idea I've seen is to use Epson Salt instead of glitter to give the look of snow. I think I will be glittering a few Easter eggs this year, too!!!

Special Christmas

2009-12-27T12:42:00.005-06:00

My son (who is in the army) was finally able to come home for Christmas for the first time in 3 years! It was so good to have all three children home again for the holidays!

Also, my granddaughter (who turned 1 yr. old on New Year's Eve) really made it special this year! Grandchildren are such a blessing!

My gift from my DH was a Brother CS-6000i sewing machine! I am really enjoying having a portable sewing machine after 30 years of using one in a cabinet. I love it! More on that later...

Baby Legs

2009-12-09T21:17:00.004-06:00

My daughter asked me to make my granddaughter some "baby legs" leggings from knee hi socks. I had found several good tutorials here and here. The ones with the "lettuce edge" hem is great for girls and the cuffed edge is good for boys. Target has 3 pair of ladies socks on sale for $6. That's $2 a pair if you're doin' the math! Much better than the $12+ price at Gap and other retail stores. Of course, I grabbed some up.

I basically just cut the foot part off each pair of socks and set my machine to sew a moderately close together zig zag stitch. I stitched along the raw edge and gently pulled the fabric as I sewed. This created the ruffled lettuce edge hem. The next thing I knew, I had sewn up six pair of leggings in no time at all. This was so easy. The only thing that slowed me down was simply threading bobbins and rethreading the machine to match the different colors in the socks!

Ta Da!

Edited to Add:
And here is Miss P modeling a pair!

Gone TOO Long!

2009-11-27T18:12:00.003-06:00

I actually MISSED my 5th year blog anniversary (November 22)! Everything has been pretty busy around here, and my office/sewing studio has been turned upside down (again) because DS/12 reclaimed his shelves. Boo hoo for me, but great for him!

We had the family over for Thanksgiving (minus our son who's still in army). It went well, except for missing him. Hopefully he'll be home Christmas.

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!

Where The Wild Things Are Furry Frenzy

2009-10-28T17:43:00.012-05:00

I don't get many requests from my DS/23 for sewing projects, but he asked if I could make him a costume of "Max" from "Where The Wild Things Are". (It was one of his favorite books as a kid.) Of course, I told him I would make it for him. It was shipped it to him today. Sure hope he likes it! It's snowy where he is stationed in the army, so I don't think it will be too hot in all that fur!

The Jockstar (love him!) modeled the hood part of the costume for me to get photos. What things we do in the name of love!

The costume is made of light grey fur. The lining of the hood is showing a little, but it can be tucked in. I was in a time crunch so I didn't have time to tack it to the hood. :( I designed the ears in a cone shape (like the "Max" costume in the book). Black pipe cleaners were used for wolf whiskers.

As for the crown, I would have probably use felt or gold poster board to make one. DS/23 wanted to buy his instead.

Here's the front and back. I would have liked to have altered the pattern for the front and put a placket and buttons (with velcro closures), but I had already cut into the fur before I realized I hadn't modified the pattern yet! It was late at night and I just got carried away with the cutting. That meant I had to go with the pattern and put a zipper in the front. Oh well... By the way, the zipper zips all the way up (I just forgot to do it before snapping the photo!) Arrrgh...
The back of the costume has the "wolf" tail. You can't tell in the photo, but the tail turned out quite realistic. Hancock Fabrics has just enough of brown/black fur for just the right touch!
I cut 2 rectangles of fur for the hands/paws. I used white craft foam cut into triangles for the claws. I sewed them upside down onto one long edge of the fur, then flipped them the right way and top-stitched. Next, I sewed 3/4" elastic (from my stash) to each side. The are a little big for me, but should fit DS/23.
Pattern Review:
I used Easy McCall's Pattern M5956. It wasn't a difficult pattern to sew, but the fur made it tricky. If I was sewing this for a child, I would probably make it in fleece instead of fur. That would make the costume lighter (weight-wise) and I would modify the front as I mentioned earlier (but only if I was creating a "Max" costume, though). Also, the pattern instructs to "clip curves as necessary" in the general info. However, it isn't mentioned again in the numbered instructions. So beware.... if you sew this pattern, don't forget to clip each and every curve! On another note, since the movie "Where The Wild Things Are" just came out, why aren't "Max" and monster ready-to-wear costumes available? I think they would have been a big hit this year! Here's the trailer, if you're interested.

Tutus & Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T18:22:00.004-05:00

I've been busy making tutus for my daughter's business, Sugar N' Spice. It mostly involves cutting, not much sewing. Here are 2 pink ones (Sold) for twin girls for their upcoming first birthday.This one was a special order...

And here is my DD and granddaughter at a recent show. You can see the Christmas tutu (Sold at another show) and the fall-themed one. On the table are a lavender one and a black/pink/white one also. My DD made the pumpkin tutu and blue & white U of M ones.

My DD and granddaughter at the pumpkin patch...

And.... just because I could eat her up,
here's Presley, my little "pumpkin"!

Small Happy Dance

2009-09-15T22:33:00.006-05:00

I started stitching a small design from the Just Cross Stitch Magazine (July/August1988) while on a recent trip. It was a very quick project! I used some 28 ct. linen that I had on hand.After I had started stitching the design, I realized I had turned my working copy around inadvertently. Notice my dragonfly is "flying" northwest instead of northeast! Oh well, at least there was no frogging necessary. I haven't pressed it yet, but you get the idea.

Welcome Home from Iraq

2009-08-17T21:18:00.004-05:00

We attended the "Welcome Home" ceremonies for our son that was deployed in Iraq for 1 year. It was very emotional.

I am so relieved he is back in the US. I feel like I can breathe again. Prayers have been answered.

We are so blessed to live in the USA.

Another Year Has Flown By

2009-08-14T20:54:00.003-05:00

I'm another year older today. Whew! The years seem to get shorter as I get older. We celebrated at Bonefish Grill. I love that restaurant! August is a busy month for us. School has started, 2 family birthdays, our son will be returning from Iraq, and a few other personal matters to wrap up this month.

I'm anxious to pick up Gathering Honey again. I also have a few items I would like to sew up for my granddaughter just as soon as life levels out!

I have enjoyed seeing all the patriotic stitching as I lurk around blogland. I plan to stitch up a few soon.

Having a Wedding or Party? Need a Band?

2009-08-09T22:59:00.007-05:00

Rockstar is in a new band, On The Move (or OTM). They will be playing receptions, corporate gigs, and private parties. Love the tuxes; love the song list so far which includes Chicago tunes! Hopefully, I'll hear them rehearse soon. Can't wait!

If you are in the Memphis metro area, they are available.
Ok, end of shameless plug. Can't promise it will not happen again, though!

Organized Chaos?

2009-08-07T21:57:00.007-05:00

I've been slowly getting my office/sewing studio in order. I have quite a bit left to do, but at least I've begun. Baby steps. Here is one corner of my room that has 2 black bookshelves. The bookshelf on the left has some of my sewing patterns. I wouldn't have chosen purple and pink containers, but they were on sale (under $1.50/each) several years ago at Target. They are actually trash cans made out of thick plastic with metal trim. I would prefer to have all the same color (maybe the wall color), but I haven't run across a reasonably (ok, cheap) priced solution yet. What would be totally awesome is those 5 across, 5 down cubbie shelves from Ikea, but now I'm totally dreaming! My cross stitch thread is stored on the bottom shelf in those handy, dandy plastic divided boxes. The black shelf on the right holds reference books, quilting mags, sewing mags, and scrapbooking mags. The bottom shelf is a few card-making supplies. Those will probably be moved as this organized chaos is tamed. The small purple crates were bought at Walmart a couple of weeks ago ($1.50/each). They are a good size for the small bits of fabric. Don't be fooled. Most of that is not fat quarters, but smaller pieces. Our Boston Terrier, Lucy, seems to think I folded all that and placed it there for her to pull out again and again and again! Grrr!

Next to the shelves and crates is my pegboard (a leftover piece that DH put in frame I had from a recycled piece we salvaged and painted some time ago. Since taking this photo a few days ago, it has been tweaked again! However, the main change is the 2 baskets of tulle have been moved, and in their place will be 2 more small crates to hold the patterns that Lucy keeps pulling off the lower shelves!

She's a plastic freak, and of course, just about all my storage is plastic. By moving the patterns to the pegboard, they are beyond her reach, thank goodness! All the fabric in the wire bins (purchased at Gordman's last fall) is from yard sales, estate sales, leftovers from projects, and inherited stash.

I haven't bought hardly any new fabric in years. I need to use up some of this so I can justify buying some new stash. The white shelves formerly were in DS/12's nursery. On the left is the white plastic basket that the dog kept pulling off and running away with. That spot will be for something else (not sure what yet.) Next to that are some larger pieces of fabric (from an estate sale). On the bottom left, the brown basket thing is a 3-drawer unit I bought a year ago at a yard sale for $2. It holds scrapbooking supplies. Next to that is a couple of photo boxes and my big bite, crop-a-dile II. On the right side is more scrapbooking supplies and photo boxes. Once everything is in a more organized state, I'll give a better tour, but you really don't want to see the rest of the room yet. Trust me.... it looks like this....

The rest of the room is one hot mess, I know. Photo sorting is years behind in my house. Hope to have this under control soon. I have made progress, but there so much more to sift through.

Changing gears....DS/12 had 2 teeth pulled and was quite the trooper. He had a good nurse too!
See?

Stitching Update for Gathering Honey & A Crazy Story

2009-07-18T22:56:00.007-05:00

Finally, a stitching update. I haven't worked on my WIP, Gathering Honey, in a while. However, I have stitched some more areas since I last updated with a photo. I hope to work on it more consistently until it's complete. I really have enjoyed this design so far. It has so many colors and is very detailed. If you notice the top left corner, it hasn't been backstitched yet. The lower right corner is complete and the backstitching really brings it to life. Trish, of Just Another Stitch in Paradise, is stitching the companion piece to this design, Rose Garden. Gathering Honey and Rose Garden are both OOP designs from the magazine formerly known as Cross Stitch & Country Crafts (now Cross Stitch & Needlework).

I just have to share something we saw today while driving on a very busy, 6-lane parkway (not counting the turning lanes). My DH was driving along and we happened to look to the car beside us: a sleek, silver convertible BMW. The speed limit is 50 mph on this particular road. Keep that in mind. The driver has one hand on a FORK and the other hand is holding a bowl of salad and she's eating it while driving down the road! There also is a passenger in the 2-seater car. I would have said, "Pull over and let me out!" if I'd been riding with her! Can you say it with me..."Things NOT to do while driving!!!" It should be in a David Letterman's Top Ten List! My 12 year old son couldn't believe it either! He has more sense than the woman driving the BMW. I tried to get a picture of her with my phone, but couldn't. It would have made a great youtube video, that's for sure! I hope she didn't hurt someone before she finished that salad! Please tell me, dear blogging friends, that you know this isn't safe! Hands-free driving? I don't think BMW's come with auto-pilot, do they?

Rosebriar in the Country - True Southern Dining

2009-07-15T14:20:00.009-05:00

Last night our bunco group had dinner instead of playing bunco for the month of July. We dined at Rosebriar in Eads, TN. One of the bunco ladies (thanks, Linda!) had been there a few times and highly recommended it to our group. Well...it was wonderful! We are all looking forward to going again.

The owner, Debbie Sisk, has entertained groups at her custom built home for over 15 years. The ambiance was so pleasant!

There are many wonderful antiques and collections vignetted throughout her home. which she based on a planters cottage. Fine china teacups, rose-colored, depression glass cake plates, and vintage lighting all help set the mood. She entertains small groups throughout the year (by reservation only) and has several menus to choose from for brunch, lunch, dinner, and teas. All the meals are prepared fresh in her kitchen. She even has a cookbook! Now, you know I had to buy one! You can find out more about it at Rosebriar Dining. If you want to see more of her beautiful southern home, you can see more photos from Miss Janice who actually had "Tea and Dining Etiquette" seminars at Rosebriar. Miss Janice has some great tablescapes on her blog - Etiquette with Miss Janice, as well. Check them both out!

Contest for French Cross Stitch Book!

2009-07-11T10:16:00.005-05:00

I hope I win...but if I don't, maybe you will! It's for a book - Cross Stitch Letters Bible by Valerie Lejeune. Violarium's blog will draw 1 name out of a hat and ship this book to the lucky winner. This 712-page book is full of letters to stitch (more than 800 different alphabets)!

Violarium is an online cross stitch store, selling mainly French designs, magazines and accessories.

If you link Violarium's blog and mention this competition, they will count your name 5 times in the drawing hat! Contest ends July 19th.

Whipped Up Some Napkins

2009-07-05T21:59:00.006-05:00

I've used cloth napkins for over 20 years instead of paper. I guess I was being green when it wasn't cool yet. The ones we use every day are worn and faded from many washings, so I needed to sew up some more. Digging through the stash I went. I ended up using a remnant of vintage fabric from dear Aunt Eunice (who passed away over 4 years ago). She was a very thrifty lady, too. She was also partial to purple, as am I. While they aren't perfection, they will definitely be used on a daily basis. Eunice would be proud!

No tutorial is needed. They are a piece of cake. I cut four 17 inch squares and folded each side 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again for a finished hem. Finished size is 16 inches. So easy.

I still need a few more. I'll have to do some more digging.

Taggie For Miss P

2009-07-02T11:44:00.007-05:00

Here is the first sewing project my DD/27 did mostly on her own. It's a taggie for Miss P.

She used yellow flannel (from my stash) for the back side...so soft! The black and white gingham also pulled from my stash along with the batting. The only cost was ribbon that DD/27 had bought previously. We both wished for a embroidery machine to monogram a big ole "P" right in the middle. Toys can be hooked onto the loops for a really good time. Miss P loves it!

Tutu-too Delicious

2009-06-14T09:51:00.007-05:00

Now you must admit, the tutu from the last post is way cuter with my granddaughter modeling it instead of just hanging on a silly ole hanger! I also made the headband and my daughter attached the flower. I think Miss P is having a photo shoot this weekend and I'm sure she'll love every minute of it.

No sew Project: Tutu

2009-06-11T20:07:00.005-05:00

Here is a tutu I made for my 5 1/2 month old granddaughter. It's the tiniest tutu I've ever seen. I hope it fits her! I found several tutorials online and used a combination of them. The most time-consuming part was cutting the tulle. I used elastic for the waist, but a ribbon would work, too. The elastic has a stiffness that helps hold the waistband in a uniform position which I like.

It's not cross stitching, but it's crafty, at least!

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T17:13:00.007-05:00

This day takes on a whole new meaning since my son is deployed in Iraq. It's more than just a day for a picnic for some of us.

Thank you to my son and all the men and women who serve in the military.

Freedom = sacrifice of many - present and past.

Quickie Recycle/Reuse Project

2009-03-02T17:50:00.009-06:00

Well, here is what DS/12 and I came up with for a t-shirt that he never wore. He wanted a book cover for his library book. He already had the patch, too. I just laid out the shirt, put the book on top and cut out a generous amount to allow for error. It was so quick, maybe 30 minutes. He was excited and I was glad to recycle something he had never worn.

It snowed like crazy yesterday! We got between 7 1/2 to 8 inches of glistening snow. You can see my "wedding cake" table to get an idea of just how much snowfall.

Oh, we just discovered our dog, Lucy, thinks she can sing...

Sewing Project

2009-02-16T18:08:00.007-06:00

I found a great tutorial at Little Birdie Secrets and had to try it.

Can you guess what it is?

It's a nursing cover for a new mom to use when nursing her baby. Boning is sewn into the center of the top so that mom alone has a view of the baby. I wish someone had thought of this when I was having babies!! It cost around $11.00 to make, but it could be made for less if you have the supplies on hand in your stash.

Just in Time for Valentine's Day

2009-01-26T15:39:00.003-06:00

Inside Number Twenty's blog, Monique of My Mark Designs, has an adorable freebie that is perfect for Valentine's Day. Check it out!

New Year's Eve Baby

2009-01-01T21:14:00.006-06:00

After 12 hours of labor and an emergency c-section, DD gave birth to our beautiful granddaughter, Presley. Mom and baby are doing fine.

Weight: 7 pounds, 11 ounces - Height: 20 inches

She is absolutely breathtaking! I am so proud!

Bun In The Oven

2008-12-30T19:29:00.004-06:00

My response to my expectant daughter's concern over going past her due date....
"The longer they cook, the better they look!" She seemed to like that. Tomorrow is the inducement day!! We will finally see our granddaughter!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:39:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We are still waiting on our new granddaughter to arrive. Christmas Eve was fun (but just not the same without my DS/22 who is in Iraq). We are a Wii family now. Yay!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Tag You're It!

2008-11-27T19:06:00.006-06:00

We had our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. I was sad to not have my soldier home. Otherwise, we had a pleasant dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging friends!

Lucy at Folk-N-Fancy tagged me to share 6 random things about myself! Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

1. I love reading the dictionary! Nerd-o-fied, I know...I know. I love playing Scrabble, but can't always find an opponent.

2. I enjoy making someone laugh, even if it makes me look silly doing it. It's totally worth it. (e.g. {Gasping} "I got a red straw!") If you would have been there, you would have laughed. Trust me. Not funny in print, but in real life it was a pretty good one.

3. I cry at the drop of a hat. A friend recently told me she is a "free-crier". I had never heard of that before, but I suppose I am one.

4. I am married to a very talented musician. Translation: I've been a roadie and a groupie "with benefits" ;^)

5. I am totally blind in one eye, but most people don't even know it. It doesn't keep me from cross stitching or sewing...but I can't play tennis!

6. I feel like I'm being frivolous when I don't use coupons when buying groceries. I'm the lady who brings her own bags to the grocery which earns .03cents off per bag on the total.

I'm tagging RuthAnn, mimpinmom, Kim, Beth, Tobie, and Andrea.

Now let's see what's random with you!

4 Year Blog Anniversary

2008-11-22T20:16:00.002-06:00

My 4 year blog anniversary! Wow! Now if I can just blog more consistently!

Free Quilt Giveaway...but hurry!

2008-11-17T14:50:00.004-06:00

I have entered a free quilt giveaway over at Old Red Barn Co. What awesome quilts! The giveaway ends soon, so hurry if you want a chance to win. You can also click on the sidebar button to go to total quilt awesomeness.

Baby Shower for My Daughter

2008-11-02T20:04:00.017-06:00

Today I hosted a baby shower (my first ever) for my da ughter. I used some of the items I had kept of my daughter's when she was born. I had saved some of her dresses and a couple of crocheted items my mother had made, so I used those for decorating. Here are some of the photos.

I used pink fabric (from my fabric stash) underneath a Battenberg lace tablecloth I already owned. I found the doll and teddy bear for the centerpiece at T. J. Maxx. The Petit Fours were made by Brown Baguette. They were delicious!

Menu:

Petit Fours
Brownie Bites
Fruit & Dip
Spinach Dip & Hawaiian Bread
Chicken Salad on Croissants
Beef Ball with Crackers
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Punch
Tea/Coffee/Diet Coke
The baby will be named Presley Ruth and I just happened to have the letters to spell her name. The punch table was covered in a white floor-length tablecoth with a "bed canopy" draped over it. The canopy was $10 at Tuesday Morning. I bunched the top half under the punch bowl. It worked great!

I used some of my daughter's own baby dresses for decorating. I displayed some of my son-in-law's and my daughter's baby pics around, also.

My mother had made me the crocheted bag and vest for my daughter when she was born 27 years ago. The bag has a heart pocket and a patch that says "Angel". I used it on her crib for small toys, etc., but it can be used several ways. The afghans were also treasures I had kept of my daughter's. I am sooo glad I held onto them.

We had so much fun! She got lots of precious gifts, too. Here's the whole bunch and my daughter with my sister-in-law (who loaned me the glass plates, etc.) It was great just to see the ladies in our family since we don't get many opportunities to get together.

Halloween Baby Shower

2008-10-29T15:52:00.005-05:00

DD's bible study group gave her a Halloween Baby Shower.
Everything was wonderful! Check out the cake!

I am giving her a shower for our side of the family. I have no clue what I'm doing. Wish me luck.
The theme will be "pink".

Future Mom!

2008-10-18T21:47:00.005-05:00

Here's my beautiful daughter! She is simply glowing! She has a fairly new blog, Mom's the Word.

She's expecting our first grandchild, a baby girl!!
We are so excited! I'll be giving her a shower in November.

Praying like never before

2008-09-08T10:27:00.005-05:00

My son has deployed to Iraq. He is on the right. I can't imagine what the next 12 months will be like. Lots of praying, that I do know for sure....

Where Did I Go?

2008-08-06T09:03:00.008-05:00

Well....I didn't really go anywhere, but my DS/22, who is in the army, was in town for his leave before deploying to Iraq. It was so wonderful to see his face again!! I've missed him terribly!

While he was home, he wrecked his bike and broke his foot in several places. He had burns to his side, shoulder and back. After his accident, he spent most of the remaining time at home, trying to heal. I tried to be a good nurse, but anyone who knows me knows I am not a good one. I did the best I could and we had a few laughs at my ineptness.

Here's his bike (his pride and joy). He rebuilt and painted it himself. This was before the accident.

He received a promotion to "Specialist" before he returned home, and may be a corporal very soon. I am so proud of him! I am also terrified for him, but I know he has been trained well. I know God will look over him no matter where he is (because I keep reminding God about it : } ).

Other Breaking News.......

We found out last week that our first grandchild is a G-I-R-L!!!!! We are overjoyed! It wouldn't have mattered either way, boy or girl, they are both awesome!

I have a couple of other things that have kept me from blogging, but hopefully I'll be able to get back on track soon.

We've been busy with guerilla shopping for school supplies and clothes. There was also a tax-free weekend last weekend, so people who never shop were out shopping. There was craziness on the roads (who turns left from the far right-hand lane??) and even more craziness in the stores. Waiting in line for over 15 minutes to get into a dressing room stall, then another 15 minutes in a checkout line, is not my idea of a fun day.

The Rockstar and I even made a few midnight runs to Walmart to get 5 cent spiral notebooks (aka themebooks, composition books). My DS/11 always corrects me if I don't refer to them as "spirals". I am giving away my age here, but I'm just happy to be alive...at any age!

School is starting for DS/11 next week. I am picking up more hours with my job, also. I will still be busy-busy, but I'll try to get in some stitching time. I miss it. I miss the way it relaxes me. It gives me time to think.

Hopefully, I'll have a stitching update soon. We shall see...

Music is playing inside my head, could it be Blue Hawaii?

2008-06-13T21:43:00.007-05:00

We've had a busy few weeks, so no blogging, but I've been trying to keep up with some of my favorite blogs. DH played keys with the awesome Fried Glass Onions band for the Shannon Street Blues Festival in Jackson, TN. It was packed. I had no idea so many people would attend. The crowd seemed to really enjoy the music. Here he is (far left) along with the horn section and the fabulous Jackie Johnson. She has an outstanding voice, so it was a joy to hear her sing again.

You can read more about who's who here, if you're interested.

On Tuesday, I hosted my Bunco group at my house. We had a luau and I made the tissue paper pompoms that are so popular lately. (I made mine own instead of buying Martha's kits). There are a couple of tips I found after searching online. One is the tissue should be 1/3 longer than it is wider. These are very addictive once you get the hang of it. I hate to take them down now that our party is over. I served fresh fruit, fruit dip, chips with cheese dip, deli sandwiches, pineapple with cheese squares, potato salad and assorted cheese cakes for dessert. The table cloth is actually a vintage sheet that I had in my linens for just this type of occasion.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T22:02:00.007-05:00

Having a son in the military makes this day even more emotional for me. This holiday many wives, moms, sisters, fathers, and brothers are paying respect to their loved one who gave their lives for our freedom. It is the ultimate sacrifice. My son is deploying very soon. I can hardly bear to think about it, however, I know God is watching over him, as well as the other men and women serving in the armed forces.

This weekend, DS/11 and I went with his scout troop to Veterans' Cemetery for a ceremony and placed flags on the graves of soldiers.

Mothers Day

2008-05-20T13:24:00.005-05:00

I had a very nice Mothers' Day this year. I received a storage box for my stash of scrapbooking paper from DS/11 and an OTT light from my DH. My DD/26 gave me the beautiful white roses. I took her and my mom to lunch. I didn't hear from DS/22 (he was at Ft. Irwin, CA, for combined training with the other battalions that are deploying in August). He was, however, able to call me this past Sunday and wish me a late Happy M'day! I was so thankful to hear from him. He will be coming home for a brief visit and then deploying to Iraq (at least, as far as we know).

It's hard to wrap my brain around becoming a grandmother for the first time and seeing my son go off to war within the same 4 months. Needless to say, God has a bigger plan than I can see. I just can't quite grasp it all yet.

Showing some Pink Love

2008-05-14T15:06:00.005-05:00

Stitch Pink blog is having a contest to win some pink threads . Check it out...quick. It ends tomorrow!

Estates Sale Bargains

2008-05-10T13:56:00.006-05:00

Just take a look at the "loot" from the estate sale DS/11 and I found today! I could hardly believe it! I recently had to throw away my pattern cutting board because it was falling apart. The new ones are $6 to $9, and I just haven't replaced it...until now. The last sewing project, a Harry Potter robe for DS/11, was a pain to cut out without a cutting board. I'm so glad to have replaced it without having to pay full price for a new one.

Also, The "hot dog" looking thing is a Dritz seam roll. It's for ironing seams in sleeves and tight areas of clothes. I was so excited when I saw all the thread, I could hardly believe it!! There are over 100 spools and some are wooden (which is a bonus since I use the empty ones for small bits of lace, ric-rac, and trims. I paid $17 for everything. Almost all of the thread I have (prior to this "new" find) is thread from a yard sale I scored about 20 years ago. Any time I can buy second hand, I get more satisfaction knowing I'm being "green". Thrifting is much kinder to our planet, don't you think? It's definitely easier on my budget!!

Stitching Goodies in the Mail!!!

2008-05-07T20:06:00.005-05:00

Becky sent me a grab bag of stitching goodies in the mail. She had a giveaway, but I didn't know I was picked!! Look at all the lovely designs. I'm going to have a blast stitching on these! You must check out her blog. Her stitching is awesome!

This is the very first time anyone has ever sent me cross stitching in the mail. Thanks Becky, you are too sweet for words!

What happened to me???

2008-05-06T11:16:00.004-05:00

Well......I have been stitching again and I'll share an update soon. In the meantime, I got great news from my DD/26 and my SIL. On their second anniversary they found out they are expecting a baby! I am going to be a grandmother!!!! I'm so excited! I can't wait to start sewing for the baby, as soon as we know if it's a girl or boy.

I have been lurking around all the stitching, sewing, scrapbooking, and organizing blogs during my quiet moments. I will, however, try to do better (we've heard that before) and blog more often.

RIP Sawyer

2008-03-28T11:33:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a tough day for our family. Our pound puppy, Sawyer, went to "a happy place" (so DS/11 said) after 15 years of being a part of our family. It's been very sad, we've all been very teary-eyed, but we know he was in pain and had lived a very long life. We miss him and his loyalty, his trusting nature, and even his stubbornness.

Bunny Cake and Craft Eggs

2008-03-24T15:14:00.007-05:00

Well, it's been too long between posts, so rather than try to backtrack too far, I'll just start with this past week. DS/11 and I made a bunny cake (without the coconut). He wanted chocolate icing, so we made a yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting. DS/21 called, while we were baking the cake, and told me he would most likely be deployed to Iraq on Aug. 15th. It's hard to believe he has been in the army for 1 1/2 years.

I made a some decorative eggs to use each year for Easter. I found an awesome tutorial at Inspireco. I used sheet music for these. They are a lot of fun to make and I'll be making more. I want to make some more from old pages from books and dictionaries and thrift bibles. I plan to put some of our family's favorite verses on some for a more personal touch.

I haven't been cross stitching lately. Unfortunately, my magnifying lamp broke. I did, however, sew up a quick "Harry Potter" robe recently for DS/11 who had to dress up like a favorite book character. I'm anxious to get back to my "Gathering Honey" sampler. Now I just need to find a new lamp on sale!

Baking Frenzy

2008-02-12T17:14:00.000-06:00

Guess who's been baking like a crazy woman? Me! I had to bake a bunch of goodies for my son's scouts bake sale last Sunday.

The bake sale was to raise money for their individual saving accounts. The accounts allow them to save money to be used to offset costs of camping trips, etc. Here are some of the goodies I baked (didn't get photos of the cookies - chocolate chip and sugar).

Here are 2 of the 3 tables of bake goods. Most everything sold!!

My DD/26 decided I needed my hair colored.....so she offered to do it for me. It's
not quite my best color for my skin, but we'll keep trying. At least my hair is all one color, which is an improvement.

What happened to January?

2008-02-07T18:52:00.001-06:00

I can't believe how packed the month of January was for our family! Our calendar was full! Hopefully, things will settle down a bit. We had a birthday party for DS/11 at The Incredible Pizza Company. It is new to our area and made for a great party for the 8 boys, a few parents, and family members. The venue is set around the 50s era and there is a huge game room with bumper cars, go-carts, and such. Here's a few pics of the party.

The Pinewood Derby was exciting this year. DS/11's car was silver with a #1 MSU Tigers theme. He won 1st in his scout pack.

This month, DS/11 "crossed over" to become a Boy Scout. A ceremony and banquet marked the occasion. At the ceremony, he received a trophy for 1st place Webelos 2 Pinewood Derby, then another trophy for 1st place Overall in his pack! Now, he will participate in the district-wide derby later this month.

In the meantime, I will be baking for the scout bake sale this Sunday and help with a science project. Two fundraisers have been going for raising money for DS/11's chorus trip that is coming up in April. Oh my goodness, it just never ends.

DH played a gig at Higher Ground recently.
It was a fun "road trip" of sorts. In the first pic, DH is in the middle and in the bottom pic, he's on keys.

DS/21 is still stationed in Colorado. I miss him so much.

January is starting off with a Bang!

2008-01-10T17:37:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned earlier, DS/21 came in town for a couple of weeks following Christmas. We got to see him a few times which was great! He had to rely on us and his friends to get around because the military said it was too high risk to drive his motorcycle home. He was disappointed, but managed to see some of his friends and family before flying back to Colorado today. Unfortunately, during his trip, he misplaced his cell phone twice, so he had more "down time" than he had planned, and to top it off, he lost his wallet! Here's a photo of my son-in-law, DS/21, and DS/10 the night we took him out for dinner.
Here's a photo of my son and me. Notice the cut and bump above his right eye. Yep! He got that while he was here, too! I'm just so thankful he got to come home for a visit. I was sad to have to tell him goodbye again. We have no idea when he'll be allowed to return home for a visit.

Today, while he was flying back, I was having minor surgery to remove a cyst on my wrist. I now have a huge wrap on my hand, but I can remove it Saturday. I don't think I will be cross stitching until I remove the wrap. It's bulky and besides, I'm on pain meds, so handling a needle may not be the best idea!!

I also got the results from my MRI on my neck. (2 bulging disc and 1 herniated disc in my neck). No wonder I'm in pain! I got some meds and will have a shot (in my neck) for pain relief in a few weeks. Hopefully, that will buy some time to watch and see if it will get any better (or worse).

That's all for now....it's a little tricky trying to type with this "extra padding" on my hand!

We love Christmas!

2007-12-27T09:44:00.000-06:00

Our family had a good Christmas this year. I prepared dinner on Christmas Eve and we ate so much that almost no one ate the desserts!
We opened gifts and played Uno (the card game). Later that night, we watched National Treasure 1 on dvd, before seeing the NT2 on Christmas day. We really enjoyed the movie and I recommend it as a family movie.

Here's a photo of our tree. I couldn't get the lighting right, but it's must prettier in real life.
Oh well.

We have a very eclectic collection of ornaments; everything from handmade to very fragile figurines. Some are pretty, while others are just plain odd. One in particular is a "pigpen". It's a ballpoint pen with a tiny pink pig on the side of it! All I know is my DH has had it since before we were married. I won't bore you with a photo of that one.

Every year I have bought each child an ornament. When DD/26 was married last year, she was given her ornaments for her tree. Now, we have our ornaments, plus 2 sons' ornaments on the tree. Here's one of two jesters I gave DS/21 a couple of years ago. The face is very detailed and the fabrics are velvets. Another ornament that my aunt gave me this year is 3 snowmen holding an American flag.Here's the first nutcracker DS/10 got for Christmas. He loves nutcrackers, just like his older brother.

Every one of my children has enjoyed making the cloved oranges. They make the whole kitchen smell great!

I didn't put out my Dicken's Village this year. There wasn't enough time. I miss it not being out. Maybe next year!

DS/21 (the soldier), will be home for a visit tomorrow!!! WooHoo!! It has been 10 1/2 months since he's been home.

I have enjoyed reading and seeing all the Christmas decorations, crafts, sewing, and ideas on your blogs. What a treat it has been this season to have so many blogging friends that are creative!

Here are some of my favorites for you to check out:

RuthAnn at Warm Pie, Happy Home
Hillary at Wee Wonderfuls
Andrea at The Craft Room
Katrina at A Kiwi Stitching

3 Years and Still Blogging

2007-11-22T20:40:00.002-06:00

Today is my 3 year blog anniversary. It's hard to believe I have stuck with it, though I have been inconsistent in my posts. I'll try to improve on that. I love all your comments and I especially enjoy all your stitching, sewing, quilting and scrapbooking blogs. They make me very happy. I get so inspired. Now, if I could just find time to stitch up something new to share!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2007-11-22T20:23:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging buddies!

We actually celebrated last night, so today we are recuperating. I hardly took any photos, but here's a couple...
The photo above is my mom and daughter. My daughter works for an orthodontist, so she has braces (a job perk) for the 2nd time. Here's another of the 3 amigos...how many guys does it take to carve a turkey?We had a big meal, played a few rounds of Uno (card game), then watched Deal-or-No-Deal on TV. We began at 5 and everyone left around 10pm. Today is leftover day. Yeah!!!

Unfortunately, DS/21 wasn't able to come home from Ft. Carson, so that was tough. I did get to talk to him by phone though. He's hoping to come home after Christmas. (We haven't seen him since February.) He's the one in the foreground.

New Job!!!!

2007-11-01T19:04:00.002-05:00

I have started my new job and I love it so far. It's contract labor, which is what I've done since I left a full-time job (executive assistant to VP). I am using a micro-cassette transcriber to transcribe tapes, scanning photos and maps, etc., and other "clerical" tasks. The great thing is that I do all this from home!!! It took quite a while to find this type of independent contracting work, but the hunt has finally ended. This has the potential to turn into full-time hours, which is also a plus.

How many of you know someone who uses a Dictaphone or other micro-cassette transcriber? I'm just curious because I love using one, but apparently there are newer ways to transcribe (like digitally or by speech recognition software). Let me know if you do this kind of work or use another method.

I am still in the process of rearranging my sewing studio/office, but I will find time to catch up on some stitching very soon. I need to stitch to relax and give my mind (and ears) a rest.

I'm Also Trying to Win A Red IPod Nano

2007-10-29T19:24:00.001-05:00

I found this contest today, too! It's worth a try, right. You can find out about it at Its Right Now.

Win A Pink Dyson!

2007-10-29T18:45:00.001-05:00

I found out about a contest to win a $400 Pink Dyson! You can see the information about it if you click on the Pink Dyson in my sidebar. Out of each PINK DYSON VACCUUM CLEANER that is sold, Dyson donates $40 to help Breast Cancer Research. Not only is this vaccuum for a great cause but it also does a great job of keeping your home clean.

The contest is ending soon, but I'm giving it a shot. I would love to have one. You should take a chance.

You Light Up My Life

2007-10-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

While you may be another year older, you are still the light of my life. In other words, you're still a hottie. Yeah, you're Hooooooottt! Happy Birthday to my Rockstar.
(photo from appearance on television show Live at 9)

A Small Finish and A Few Deals

2007-10-23T15:36:00.000-05:00

While the boys were on a camping trip, I finally did the finishing on the ornament "Jesus, Author of Faith". I bought 1 yard of the 4mm rope trim ($1.34) at Hancock Fabrics. So, now I'm dancing a wee little happy dance.

Recently, I went to an estate sale and walked out with one small item. It's an old double digit numbers stamp ($1.00).
I just need to clean it. I am sure I can use it for scrapbooking or something, right?

Look, what a deal I found at a yard sale...almost new hot rollers ($4.00)!!! Now, I can retire my 20+year old set.

The dr. told me I have a couple of bulging disc in my neck, so I will be doing pt soon. Oh what fun...

16 Years of Marriage & A Pain in the Neck

2007-10-18T19:52:00.002-05:00

DH and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary the 11th of this month. We had an awesome dinner at Bonefish Grill. I just love that restaurant!

I haven't crossed a stitch lately. I've been having some neck problems. A CT scan showed my cervical spine was a mess, so I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. I've got to get my neck "straightened out" so I can get back to cross stitching!

Good news, hopefully, on the job-hunting front. I am beginning a contract labor job soon with a company that conducts studies for hotel investors. I am looking forward to a paycheck. Maybe I can get a new lamp for stitching after a paycheck or two. If you have any suggestions on a lamp, let me know.

Bunco was a hit!

2007-09-13T10:09:00.002-05:00

Well, this past Tuesday, our Bunco (aka Bunko) was at my house. Everyone had a good time, though we only played with 2 tables (total of 8 players) instead of 3 tables (total of 12 players). Music can really make or break a gathering, as I discovered that evening. I put the T.V. on XM Radio (channel 804 in our area). This channel, called "70's at 7" played 70's music continuously. Everyone loved it. I'll have to remember that for next time. Every time I looked around, several of the ladies were groovin' to the music. They even started rolling the dice to the beat. It was a hoot!

DH is doing well in his class, with all A's so far. He's a rock star AND a computer geek! Imagine that!

Now, if I could just find a J-O-B. Between Hotjobs, Craigslist, the local newspapers, private business career pages, Beyond.com, and others, it's just confusing to sort out. Surely, one will turn up soon.

I know...No Blogging Lately...My Bad

2007-09-06T21:11:00.002-05:00

This has been an eventful past few weeks for our family, so the blog has been neglected. My bad.
DH thought it would be a good idea for me to take a continuing education class to learn web design. After I did the research and we discussed the options, he decided he would take a class on web design. Who knows, after he finishes this class, which counts as 3 college credits, he may go for a degree. We'll see. He also joined another band, Tuesday Sun.

In the meantime, DS/10 has started a new school. He likes it so far. Since school starts at 7:15 a.m., he has more time in the afternoon that he did last year. His soccer season has started, he joined Awanas at church on Wednesday nights, and Scouts meet on Mondays. It's a busy schedule!

I've been busy with the usual. I'm also looking for a job. I will probably be taking some classes in the next year, also. (Oh yes, we attended a wedding and I attended a funeral since I last blogged). The photo is from the wedding we attended.

Next Tuesday is my turn to have the Bunco group at my house, so the next few days will be filled with house/yard cleaning.

I haven't cross stitched at all the last few weeks, but I plan to get back on track! I have been keeping up with my blogroll visits, though, and I am very inspired.

I have lost 12 lbs. Go me! It's not much, but it's better than gaining 12...right?! Now if I could just lose the rest of extra lbs., that would be awesome!

I love the UPS Man!

2007-08-05T21:43:00.002-05:00

UPS delivered my Arccivo that I won on Donna Downey's blog!!! It's even one of my favorite colors (honeydew). It matches the wall color of my sewing/scrapbooking studio!

Here's what the Arccivo looks like on the inside...Thanks to Donna Downey and Arccivo!! I can't wait to use it!

A Tiny Happy Dance

2007-07-28T15:23:00.000-05:00

I finished stitching the "Jesus: Author of Faith" ornament I'd started last fall. Until a few days ago, it had been a UFO (unfinished object). Now I just need to press it and sew it into an ornament. The fabric is plain white 14 count Aida, which I'm trying to use up.

The design is from the Cross Country Stitching Magazine, Dec. 1992. Here is the list of DMC colors used.

Since I've gotten used to stitching over 2, I prefer linen or evenweave fabrics to the Aida. I think that's what took me so long to pick this one back up.

Harry Potter Freebie!

2007-07-26T15:11:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, we visited my aunt & uncle, who live on the lake at Pickwick Lake. DS/10 was given the latest Harry Potter book by his Aunt Linda. Boy, did she score some serious points! He was very excited. (He is on book #4 right now.) We all enjoyed the time spent with family. It was nice to just relax.

Here's a freebie, Hedwig's Four Patch, for all you Harry Potter fans. If I decide to stitch this, I'll change the owl to white, as some other stitchers have done. The gallery of this design is here. Check out the designer's site, The Sampler Girl.

I'm almost finished with a UFO that had put aside for quite some time. I'll share it as soon as I finish the backstitching.

I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting for my Arcchivo that is on it's way. I can't wait to use it!!

I won an Arccivo!!!!!

2007-07-22T08:08:00.002-05:00

(photo credit to: Donna Downey)

I am so excited a won an Arccivo!!! All you scrapbookers will love this new product! For months, my homepage has been Donna Downey's blog, Simply Me, because it's so inspiring. She is still giving away 1 Arccivo a day to the 14th commenter, so check it out. She also has a video of it on her blog that explains how to use it. What's even more cool, she is appearing on QVC on my birthday, Aug. 14th, 9pm-12am EST, to demo and sell them. If you don't win one, you can still buy one on QVC below retail!!

I don't know what color I'll be getting yet, but I'll post a photo of it when it arrives.

St. Louis City Museum

2007-06-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

Here's some of our trip to City Museum in St. Louis, MO. I highly recommend it if you have child or if you are young at heart! Enjoy!

Cool Slideshows!

Long Time No Blog

2007-06-25T18:40:00.001-05:00

I'm still busy dragging out all our belongings! What a process! We painted our master bedroom and recarpeted. Boy, does it look better! We also hung 2" blinds in the windows and trashed the old ones (the old ones were 16 years old). We are hoping to sell our home soon so this is only the beginning. We still have to tile 2 bathrooms, paint them, and maybe replace a tub.

Per Doctor's orders, DH is having to stick to a no sugar, bread, rice or potatoes diet. You would be amazed at the food that has sugar. It has been quite an education to learn what he can eat. In 2 weeks, he lost 8 lbs! I told him I would follow the same diet which can't hurt (especially if the result is losing a few lbs.!) We shall see....

Scout Camping trip to Kia Kima

2007-06-07T21:30:00.001-05:00

DH and DS/10 went on a camping trip to Kia Kima in Arkansas a couple of weeks ago. They had a blast! DS is th 4th one from the right. The raccoons got into their snack foods and ate most of it up. DS shot a bb gun and got 2 bull's eyes.

He shot a sling shot and hit 2 cans, went on hikes, crossed a monkey bridge,

and did arts and crafts.
When they returned home, boy, were they dirty and dusty! They had a great time, but were glad to get back home.

We have Too much stuff!

2007-05-26T22:32:00.002-05:00

I've been cleaning out closets and it is amazing what can accumulate over 16 years in one house! A yellow and green polka dot purse, a gold fake leather purse (eww!) and red felt hat with a feather are just a few of the items that have got to go. We are having a yard sale next weekend, so we are still rummaging through the clutter. "One man's junk is another man's treasure"....right? I hope so, because we definitely have a lot of junk to sell and donate! I think it would be way more productive to have an unbiased person go through the stuff with me. I know I'd probably get rid of even more. I am learning (and it's about time), that we all actually need very little stuff. I haven't put aside one item for the sale that I've regretted. The deeper I go into the clutter abyss, the more I want to let go of the stuff that isn't useful or has a sad or negative memory attached to it.

Today, in observance of Memorial Day, DS/10 participated, with his scout troop, in a parade and placing flags on 47,000 soldiers' graves at National Cemetery. He's 2nd from the left in the back row. He did this last year, but it takes on a whole new meaning this year, since his brother is in the army now.

Decluttering is a good thing!

2007-05-02T16:13:00.001-05:00

I've begun the overwhelming process of decluttering our home. Spring cleaning is next. It's amazing what can accumulate over the years! DS/10 has begun going through his things, also. I haven't missed one item that we've donated to charity. I love having more space, less clutter.

DH replaced our worn-out bathroom sink and counter in the master bath. It looks so much better!

I have stitched a bit on Gathering Honey since my last progress pic. I'll share a new one soon. I really need to finish it. I'm anxious to start a new "big" project.

Thanks to all who read my blog and comment. I enjoy reading each and every one!

Border Stitching

2007-03-23T15:10:00.000-05:00

Here is my progress on "Gathering Honey". I haven't backstitched the border flowers or bees yet. You can see that one of the bees on the left border only has wings and no body. I may not back stitch any of the border until I get all the cross stitching done. The photo doesn't do justice to the colors. I am itching to stitch a few other projects, but I'd like to finish this large one first! So much stash...so little time.

Changing the subject entirely....
Our team, Univ. of Memphis, won last night...again! Go Tigers!! What an exciting game! I can't begin to tell you how funny the "happy dance" was that my DH and DS/10 did as we scored the winning point in the final 2 seconds of the game.

Check out the funny photo of my DH with the band he is in. This was taken in the Green Room, before they opened up for Jason Aldean. There were about 2,500 people there! Our son said he wondered if they had a button that said, "Son of the Keyboard Player" he could wear. I almost cracked up! ; )

DS/20 is now assigned to Ft. Carson, CO, in the Army Infantry. If anyone knows anything about Ft. Carson, I would like to hear from you.

I'm Still Here... Really

2007-03-16T22:34:00.001-05:00

I know I've been a neglectful blogger. I just haven't been able to "express" myself very well lately. I hope to do better.

My soldier son has gotten his orders to be stationed over 16 hours from home. He may possibly be deployed soon. I can't bear to think about that now. It makes my stomach knot up.

This week was spring break for DS/10. He was sick the whole week. We did get to play UNO Attack a few times. It's a fun variation of the card game we enjoy as a family. We've been busy this past month with Pinewood Derby, Science Fair, Scouts, DH's music gigs, VBS decorations, etc.

I have been stitching off and on. I will share a pic shortly.

Long Ways Down

2007-02-08T20:56:00.001-06:00

My Army son called me to tell me he jumped from a 250 ft. tower (with a parachute, of course). He said it was "very interesting". Next week, he will parachute from a plane. The jump next week will complete his Airborne training. Then, I'll find out what's next on his plate.

DS/10 had a birthday in January, entered Pinewood Derby (won a trophy), and had a ceremony to become a Webelo 2 in Scouts. He also completed his first science fair project. He won 2nd place at his school level! He is so excited!

Sorry, it's been so long since I blogged....life just got in the way.

My Hero "Turned Blue" & Graduated From Infantry

2007-01-25T10:27:00.001-06:00

Our 20 year old son, a private in the US Army Infantry, "turned blue" last Thursday. The following day, we attended his graduation from Basic Infantry Training. Both ceremonies were very emotional. We also saw 3 different units being deployed to Iraq from the Atlanta airport while we were there, also. They are all sons or daughters. Some are moms, dads, brothers, and sisters of someone who loves them. I kept a lump in my throat both trips to the airport and throughout both ceremonies. Our freedom is being protected by these heroes.

Now, he is in a holding unit until a spot opens in Airborne training. Here's my hero.

Thanks, everyone, for all the comments! I've actually stitched some on Gathering Honey. I just need to take an updated pic. I'll share that soon.

I'll Be Home For Christmas...

2006-12-26T17:20:00.001-06:00

Mr. & Mrs. Claus, our elves, and 1 very old reindog. No, actually, it's my husband, children, new son-in-law, and dog. Yep. That's us. Remind me in January to lose some weight for goodness sakes!My two sons (Oldest is in the Army and only home for 2 weeks). We had a wonderful Christmas this year. I hope your families had sweet memories also. Here's a few more photos...
This is our tree before the angel was placed at the top (and before the gifts were added!)

This is a 5-Minute Fudge Wreath I made after hearing from my aunt that it was a great recipe from Rachael Ray. It's very easy! You may have seen her make it on Oprah.Please remember to pray for our troops!

Bunco Night

2006-12-14T21:08:00.001-06:00

It was my turn to host Bunco this past Tuesday, so I gave out these ornaments from Old Time Pottery. We had a great time! I served a huge salad, rolls, chicken vegetable lasagna, and cheesecake. I had never tried Stouffer's chicken vegetable lasagna before, but it was really yummy!

I still haven't gotten all my Christmas decorations out yet. I'm still looking for my treetop angel and the stockings. My son who's in the Army, is returning home, on Sunday. He will be here for Christmas Exodus (2 weeks), before returning to Fort Benning. I'm looking forward to seeing him!

My aunt came and helped me clean and prepare for Bunco and Christmas. What a lifesaver!! She's a doll! I haven't stitched any in over a week. We had to rearrange my stitching spot, too, so the tree could stand in the corner.

I will try not to go so long between posts!

Thanks for the comments/compliments!

2006-11-29T16:10:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all of you who commented on my DS/20! I appreciate it so much!

I actually stitched a little bit while we were out of town for
Thanksgiving. I worked on a Christmas ornament, Cross Country
Magazine's "Jesus, Author of Faith". I'll share a photo soon. The
progress I made was in white DMC thread on white Aida fabric. So it's
hard to see the stitching, for now. I've been stitching another small
area of Gathering Honey, also.

Check out Trish's blog, Just Another Stitch in Paradise, to see the companion piece to Gathering Honey, called Rose Garden: top and bottom. Her stitching is awesome!

Proud Army Mom

2006-11-24T21:18:00.001-06:00

I am so proud of my DS/20. He's my hero. He's in the Army. Please pray for him and his safety. (Currently, he's in the Infantry.)

2 Year Blog Anniversary

2006-11-23T01:00:00.001-06:00

Today I have been a blogger for 2 years. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to stop by and comment and take a look at my stitching. Your encouragement has kept me motivated to finish a few UFO's. I always look forward to reading some of my favorite blogs when I can steal a moment. Obviously, according to my blogroll, I have quite a few favorites!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-21T20:14:00.001-06:00

I wish all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I have so much to be thankful for.
I'm thankful... for my husband, my daughter and son-in-law, and my 2 sons.
... for my faith.
... for my extended family.
... for our health.
... for our friends.
... for our home.
... for our country, USA.
There are so many more things I'm grateful for, too many to list.
What are you thankful for?

Progessing on "Gathering Honey"

2006-11-19T11:46:00.001-06:00

I finally took another progress photo of "Gathering Honey". I haven't backstitched the border of flowers I stitched yet. I usually wait until I get a section completed, then I go back and backstitch the area.

I got a phone call from me son, who is in Basic Combat Training at Ft. Benning, GA. He sounded great. He actually was outside, in the tornado weather that whipped through Alabama and Georgia last week. His "company" was on a survival mission with 1 meal per day and no shelter from the tornado, rain, and wind, except for a poncho. He said it was a muddy mess. They were in the elements for 2 days and 1 night. Tough guys! I'm glad he is safe, though.

We had an outing in the woods last night with out Bible Fellowship Class. We had a great time. Every family brought a crockpot of soup. There was a big bonfire and even the movie, "Cars", was showing on a tarp tied to two trees! It was just like being at the drive-in, only way better!!!
(They used a laptop with DVD, powered by a van that had a power cord in the lighter, and a cable that connected to a Epson projector on top of the van. Is that cool or what?!!!!! All the guys were saying they were doing it again for the ball (games, etc. What have we started?

And, back to the soup. Here's the recipe for the White Rotel Chicken Chili that I made. (The original recipe was passed on to me by my DD/25, but I changed it a little.

White Rotel Chicken Chili (serves about 10-12)

2 pkgs. McCormicks White Chili seasoning Mix
2 cans Rotel (mild) drained
4 cans white beans undrained
3 cans premium white chicken breast drained
salt and pepper

Using a large stock pot, mix beans, rotel, chicken, and seasoning mixes together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil covered, stirring occasionally. Then, turn to low and simmer. You can also make this in a crockpot. Top it with sour cream and shredded cheese. (My daughter uses fresh chicken breast, cooked in oil in a skillet, then cubed.) It's even better the next day.

Easy recipe for a crowd.

SBQ of the Week

2006-11-11T18:03:00.001-06:00

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Jan and is:

How many different brands of “complete” embroidery floss sets do you own? How do you keep track of it? (i.e., spread sheet program, index cards, palm pilot, etc.)

I have a complete set of DMC , ordered as a complete set years ago. The set includes a yard or two of each color, not near what a individual skein contains. It has been, however, a big help to use for a reference to see the actual color of a number looks like. Also, I do use some of it, if I only need a very small amount of that color.

I also have a nearly complete set of DMC, wrapped on bobbins. I have multiples of some numbers and none of a few others.

I also have a lot of whole skeins or bobbins, pulled from the storage boxes, kitted with several charts.

If I had to give an exact number of sets of DMC, I'd have to say 2 1/2, give or take a few numbers I'm missing.

I plan to use Microsoft Excel to keep track of all my thread stash, but so far, I haven't taken time to do it.

(I have about 20 - 25 spools of metallic Kreinik threads, too.)

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week

2006-11-04T16:06:00.001-06:00

This week'’s SBQ was suggested by Lee and is:

How did you decide on the title of your stitching blog? Was it random, or does it have a special meaning to you or about you?

(I finally joined this yahoo group, so this is my very first question to answer.) Before I started a blog, I seached for cross stitchers and the blog world opened up to me. Through other cross stitching blogs, I learned what it meant to "frog" stitches. I had been doing it for years in sewing and needlework, but had not called it "frogging". Ironically, one of my uncles, who is only 4 years older than me, has called me "Froggie" since I was a teenager. He is the only one that has ever called me that and never calls me by my real name. I frog out stitches often, and it's my nickname, so it fit perfectly.