Saturday, January 23, 2010

Berries and Birthdays






Good morning everyone! Well, I went back to stitching a smaller piece this week and felt much more "in my comfort zone". This is my ornament for January and I'm trying to finish/finish as I stitch this year so I'll have twelve new ornaments for my tree by Christmas. LHN's "Holly and Berries" is stitched one over one on 28 ct. natural light Jobelan using DMC threads. I trimmed it with this pretty burgundy colored cording and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. What do you think?

Thank you all for your "Happy Birthday" wishes last week. I had a wonderful day and my family presented me with a new computer as my gift. Wow--I had no idea what I had been missing on your blogs...Now that I have a widescreen monitor, I can actually see your entire blog without having to scroll across the screen. And the download speed and brilliant colors--amazing! Oh, and this computer doesn't take 10 whole minutes to shut off like my old one did. My previous computer was at least 10 years old, so this is a huge upgrade. So thanks so much to all my guys...


I also received two more very special birthday gifts! My blogging friend, Cindy surprised me with the cutest little birthday stocking ornament which she stitched on a lovely shade of pinkish-mauve linen. She included my initials, birth date, and the year (well, not the year I was born, thank goodness!). I love the pretty pastel cake all stitched up in pinks and greens. It is just perfect, Cindy, and I'll think of you as I admire it through the years. She also included some soft, pink stitching socks to keep me warm on these cold winter nights. Click on the photo and you'll be able to see all the details a bit clearer...Thank you so much, my friend :)

And just who is my other secret gift certificate giver? Gosh--you are spoiling me whoever you are! I received a wonderful gift from Stitching Bits and Bobs to treat myself to some new stash. Hmmm...you really have me stumped. I am trying to narrow it down, but the only hint given was that it was from a "Stitch Friend." If you would email me, I would love to thank you personally. When I opened my email and found the notice of your thoughtful gift, it really made my day. I'm sending you a huge hug--whoever you are and I'll be sure to post what I end up purchasing with your gift...

The prize for my funniest birthday card has to go to my brother. I laughed so hard when I saw this card with the grown woman scraping her dinner plate into the wastebasket and singing, "La la la la...I'm throwing out my veggies and no one can stop me!" And on the inside it says, "See, there are perks to getting older. Happy Birthday." The card is absolutely perfect for me and if you have the time to read the following story, you'll find out why...

For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you may know that I hate green vegetables--always have, always will. This "quirk" as I like to call it, goes back to my childhood when I just refused to eat anything green. I would hide the vegetables under potato skins or chicken bones, wad them up in my napkin, spread them around the plate to make it look like I'd eaten them. Anything to keep the horrid things from going down my throat. My poor mother was at her wits end as to what to do with me, so she began sending me into the dining room to eat by myself on nights when I wouldn't eat my veggies. I would soon saunter back into the kitchen without a vegetable left on my plate and she was so pleased with herself for coming up with a solution to get me to eat them--or so she thought!

Now, my little brother, figuring that there must be something special in being allowed to eat alone in the dining room, found a way to get himself banished there, also. He soon discovered (and of course tattled to mom), that "Carol isn't eating her vegetables--she's throwing them down a little hole in the dining room floor!" You see, we were having a lot of construction done on our house at the time and there were holes all over the floors for cables and wires and I had discovered one the perfect size for disposing of those dreaded green things! My mother had previously noticed an army of ants marching across the floor and into the hole so she went down to the basement to check it out. She found a pile of moldy food there, but blamed the workmen for leaving pieces of their lunch behind. Her eyes were opened to the truth, though, when little brother ratted me out! Sigh... that was the end of the dining room for me and I went back to gloomily sit and sit and sit at the kitchen table until I had eaten all of my vegetables. And the rest, as they say, is history. To this day, I'll eat salads and peas, but not one single other green vegetable... This little anecdote is part of that special group of old family stories that we all still laugh about and never get tired of telling, so thanks little brother for reminding me of it again--and I forgive you for tattling!

Don't forget, there is still time to enter my giveaway from my birthday posting...I'll be picking the winner next Saturday, so be sure to check back then...

Thank you all for visiting and for taking the time to comment. It sure brightens my day to read your thoughts!

38 comments:

Cole said...

Haha, that's a great story!! And the card is a perfect fit for you too :)

Kathy A. said...

Wow an ornament finish and a finish finish too!! Good job.
Lovely birthday gifts. What a great birthday surprise!
Love the card from your brother and how appropriate. I'm not much of a veggie fan either.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely ornament! Enjoy your new computer, and your extra birthday gifts. Your veggie story made me laugh, definitely an appropriate card from your brother lol.

Lois said...

I love your Holly & Berries ornament. I have this in my stash and have yet to stitch it. Thank you for reminding me because I'm going to get that pattern out and make sure that I stitch on it at some point this year!
What a lovely little stocking!
Congrats on the new computer and I loved the card from your brother. Can't say I was too fussed on vegetables when I was growing up, loved how you managed to get rid of them until your brother let the secret out!
Enjoy your weekend.

Nic said...

Lovely finishes!

And what a fun story. My sister used to be a picky eater too (still is to an extent) and mealtimes used to be a real battle. Fate has come back to get her though - her daughter is exactly the same! :o)

Shari said...

gorgeous stitching & finishing!~! Great job!
Congrats on the new computer! I know you are enjoying it!
Your birthday gifts are all beautiful! Lucky you!
Love the story about your veggies...reminds me of my daughter! She was that way with her food.

Catherine said...

What great birthday goodies!

I'm still laughing at your veggie story - what a hoot!

Sherry said...

LOL. What a great card and so perfect for you from the story! I love the ornament. The cording looks wonderful on it.

Martine said...

Your January ornament is very beautiful !!! and I love your birthday gifts !!!!!!
Your great story made me laugh !!!!
Hope you have a wonderful week-end !

BeckySC said...

PERFECT choice of finishing for the ornament :) It looks lovely!!
Happy Be-lated birthday :)

Carolyn NC said...

Ornie is beautiful! Love, love the veggie story! Enjoy your BD gifts, especially the stash and computer!

Jules said...

That ornament is beautiful! And thanks for sharing the story. I think every family has a funny story or two like that!

Blu said...

Great finish! The cording is lovely.
Funny story and card. Congrats on getting a new computer.

Barbi said...

Such a pretty finish to one of my favorite LHN pieces!
oooo a new computer...I'm jealous! Mine takes about 5 minutes to shut down. LOL

Kim B said...

Absolutely beautiful! I love this finish! And what wonderful birthday surprises too! I love veggies of all kinds, but DH would be the one scraping his cauliflower off into the trash :)

Pumpkin said...

ROFLMBO!!!! That is such a cute and funny story. You must have been a handful ;o)

LOVE your finish and the cording is perfect!

What a beautiful gift. And another anonymous GC! You don't want to know who the sender is. That's the fun of it ;o)

BrendaS said...

Great ornament finish. 1 down and only 11 more to go. Your tree will look great in December.

Happy late birthday to you! Cute story about the vegetables and your brother.

Have a great weekend.

BrendaS

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Beautiful ornie, and a very smart plan!

Myra said...

I think your finish looks wonderful Carol. Love the stocking gift too - stitching friends are just the best!

I loved reading the story of you and your brother and the vegetables. LOL He was a little scamp for ratting you out.

Mylene said...

Great ornament finish! Congrats.

Enjoyed reading the veggie story. Have a nice weekend.

Sweet Sue said...

Well-well, that's a good one-LOL!

xoxo

Julianne said...

Loved your story about the vegetables. You're right you brother certainly did find you the PERFECT card:)

Your stitching is all very lovely and your ornaments are so well done.

Cindy's Stitching said...

How funny Carol - I just finished the same LHN design, I will be posting soon. My sister bought me the chart for christmas. The veggies story is so funny. I used to do stuff like that with liver - I hate liver and even the smell of it.

Annie Bee said...

That is such a funny story and we have one in our family that don't like green vegetables either - when he was little he used to call them long peas....LOL. What a darling birthday stocking from a friend.

Rowyn said...

Great ornament finish, and lovely gifts!

What a great family you have to give you a new computer for your birthday!!

LOL at your vegetable story. My two sisters and I were never forced to eat vegetables. My Mother lived with her Grandparents as a child (her parents had six children and couldn't afford to keep them all), and they used to threaten her with the boogy man if she didn't eat her vegies. She was terrified, and vowed not to do that to her children. She does have very fond memories of her Grandparents though :-)

Melanie said...

Holly and Berries looks fantastic! Congrats on all your new b'day gifts (I would looooove an upgraded computer!) Funny story about the veggies. When I was a toddler, my mother fed me so many carrots, I turned jaundiced!

Edit said...

I love your latest finish Carol. This pattern is so nice, I would also like to stitch it one day.

And the story... :) :) :)

Siobhán said...

Beautiful ornament, Carol! I love the stocking, too. How cute. ROFLOL about the vegetable story. My older brother & I used to leave signs on the front door to warn the other if our mother was making spinach or liver. That was the signal to stay outside & play! LOL

Jackie's Stitches said...

What a beautiful finish. The cording is perfect!

The computer is a fantastic gift. It sounds like you were truly surprised! I was never so lucky to have construction going in our household to dispose of my green beans! Lucky girl!

mainely stitching said...

LOL @ the veggie story! I was also a picky eater as a kid, but for me it was a matter of texture. Anything at all runny (or snotty, as I thought of it) would just sit there on my plate till my parents gave up and sent me to my room. My four kids have very different tastes from each other, but thankfully none of them are as picky as I was!

Shirley said...

Beautiful piece of stitching and I love the finishing.

Michelle said...

The LHN ornament is beautifully stitched and finished!
The stocking is very pretty - lovely gift to have received.
Loved the story of you hiding the vegetables - the card is indeed very appropriate!

Julie said...

Fantastic story it did make me giggle, a great card and so appropriate too.

Beautiful ornaments, the cord and hanger are just perfect.

Love the little stocking gift you received too, that is so dainty and delicte looking.

Meari said...

Hahahahaha.... That's a great story about your brother tattling on you.

Holly Berries looks wonderful.

Wendy said...

Wow! That is a nice finish. Great work!! I'm planning to stitch on Christmas things the whole year as well. I have some ornaments in my stash as well.

Jennifer said...

Love your blog. Your Christmas tree is gorgeous!! All those beautiful ornaments. I love your new Holly and Berries ornament too. That card is hilarious..
Have a wonderful Birthday month.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I am happy to have found yours and have added you to my blog roll. Love your LHN ornament finish and what a lovely gift from your friend; I love pink! Have fun spending your gc, too! Love your story about the veggies and the card was perfect!

Deb said...

Carol - Your holly berry ornament is adorable! Congratulations on the new computer. Isn't it amazing how much things change over the years!!! That card your brother gave you is hilarious. Reminds me of being a kid and all of us trying to get rid of the veges without our parents knowing about it!