Another year almost half over!

Wow! June sure passed by quickly! In just four days, 2025 will be half over--can you believe it? And here I am again, with one lone blog post for an entire month. I'll blame it on my grandsons who came for a weeklong visit and nicely shared their colds with me right before they went back home. So, almost two weeks went by with no stitching, no finishing, and no desire to blog. But, that's okay... I so enjoyed every minute spent with them, especially holding my sweet new baby grandson. Wouldn't trade that time for anything, and yes, it was worth getting sick! I'm happy to report that Baby N is growing like a weed (oh, those sweet chubby thighs and arms!) and Mister B is proving to be one fabulous big brother. Thank you all for your words of congratulations and well wishes that you left on my last post!

I did manage one finish and that is this beautiful summer design by The Scarlett House called "Hannah's Brownstone." Not a huge piece--in fact, on the 40 ct. burch Newcastle linen it ended up being just over 6 inches by 5 1/2 inches. But, I'll tell you--building that stone house sure took a while! I used the suggested overdyed threads along with DMC 935, but did change the blue in the flag to GAST Freedom. Unfortunately, the burch Newcastle seems to no longer be available here in the U.S. Why is it that all the fabrics that I love keep disappearing? So frustrating!

"Hannah's Brownstone" waits to be framed

I love the slate blue in the door, don't you? Such a pretty house with a very historic look to it. I like to think that it holds many memories of happy family times. I plan on framing this piece--hopefully, sooner rather than later. 

Lots of stone and mortar went into building this pretty home.

Speaking of framing, I do have a newly framed piece to share today. I ordered this pretty rustic blue/gray frame from Franken Frames online and was so pleased to see how well it picked up the colors in "Prairie House Sampler" by With Thy Needle and Thread. I finished stitching this sweet design back in 2022--and for me, three years between finishing and framing a piece is actually pretty good :) If you'd like to read about my finish, just click here. It was a bit fiddly to frame and while I got the top and bottom lines reasonably straight, it wasn't until I had it all done that I realized the lines under the alphabet are a wee bit wavy. Oh well--better to have it out and on display rather than hiding away in a drawer, right? 

My newly framed "Prairie House Sampler"

I'm nearly done stitching my baby grandson's birth sampler... I ran out of one of the main DMC colors in the border, though, so I have to make a special trip to Hobby Lobby to pick up a new skein. And I'm almost done with my ornaments for June and July which I'll share with you next month. What are you working on? Summer/patriotic things, Christmas in July pieces, samplers? Or have you moved on to fall stitching in hopes of bringing on cooler temperatures. The 90-95° days that we've had this whole week have been tiring, but I can't imagine how awful it must be for the folks who endure this kind of heat and don't have air conditioning.  I just stay inside and I'm fine, but I know some people don't have that luxury. Hope you're all staying cool!

My European adventure concludes... So, here I am--nine months later--finally concluding my posts on our Rhine River/Switzerland/Italy trip that we took last September. Honestly, I'm so glad to be writing this last one--these travel posts take a lot of time to gather up the information and select and edit the photos.  But, I hope you'll sit back and relax and enjoy my final stop in the city of... 

 Milan, Italy

All I can say is that I'm so thankful that we traveled with my youngest sister and her husband who are very seasoned travelers. They helped us take the train from Como to Milan and without them, we probably would have ended up in Siberia! I have absolutely no sense of direction and my husband isn't a confident traveler either. But, we made it, and although, Milan wasn't my favorite stop on our itinerary, I'm still glad we visited.

 

The heart of the city is the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral), one of the largest and most visited cathedrals in the world. It's construction took thousands and thousands of workers over six centuries to complete and it can hold up to 40,000 people.

 

Just a few of the over 3400 statues showcased adorning the cathedral. 

The front central door of the cathedral is the largest and features scenes from Mary's life.

My husband and me with my sister and brother-in-law outside the Duomo di Milan

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is actually Italy's oldest shopping arcade and was built in the 1860s. It houses many of Milan's upscale fashion and jewelry stores. And no--we didn't purchase anything :) 

The stunning ceiling at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Although damaged during WWII bombings, it has been refurbished and was absolutely breathtaking.

More scenes from the shopping arcade. Notice the lovely tile mosaic floor in the lower right. 

Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle) was built in the 1400s as a medieval fortification. It now houses art collections and several museums. 

The days when we visited Milan happened to fall during Milan Fashion Week 2024 so, of course, we fit right in. NOT!! We are not fashion plates in our family, preferring to dress nicely, but casually--no high heels or designer clothes for us!  The Pinacoteca di Brera (above) was a venue for one of the fashion shows. Do you see all that white stuff that looks like snow? It's simply soft, white floor covering that had been rolled out for the event. Even the benches were covered! They had just started to remove it, as you can see by the darker slate floors in the right corner. Unfortunately, we were unable to see the paintings that are normally displayed there due to the fashion show.

A glimpse into one of the many charming courtyards in Milan.

My sister found this wonderful hotel for us, Hotel Gran Duca di York. The location and rooms were just perfect for easy walking to the main sights of Milan.

The view in the pretty hotel breakfast room. I kept thinking of my mom (who adored wallpaper) each time I sat down to eat one of the scrumptious breakfasts.

The Vertical Forest buildings were fascinating. Each unit has two trees, eight shrubs, and forty plants, which help with shade thus lowering air conditioning costs. If you'd like to read more about this creation of Stefano Baeri, you can do so right here. 

As you can see from the architecture above, Milan is not all about its history. This very futuristic looking building, The Unipol Tower, was just completed two years ago. 

And yes... Milan has canals, too!

For lunch that day, this amazing charcuterie board was a treat to both our eyes and our stomachs.

Of course, we still "forced ourselves" to partake in some of these yummy pastries. And let's not forget the gelatto--Italy had the best I've ever tasted!

  

After dinner, as we strolled around the city, we happened upon the ancient Columns of San Lorenzo. It's speculated that these were moved to this location sometime in the 4th century and are Roman ruins dating back to the 2nd or 3rd century.

 

The Biblioteca Ambrosiana (Ambrosian Library) is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. Begun in 1609, it is open to the public five hours a day. It contains a 12-volume collection of Leonardo da Vinci's writings and drawings in addition to many other rare and historic documents.  

It was the final night in Europe for me and my husband... Our journey had come to its end. In the morning we would fly home and I couldn't wait! Although I loved our travels and the many countries we'd visited and sights we had seen over the previous 2 1/2 weeks, there really is no place like home for me. My sister and her husband were traveling on to Sicily for another week, but for us, it was time to leave. While I was packing up for our flight home, my sister took one last walk around Milan and captured this lovely photo of the Duomo at night.

The stunning Duomo di Milan at night (photographed by my sister)

 

And there you have it--the final post of our Rhine River/Switzerland/Italy adventure from last fall. Did you have a favorite from the destinations that I wrote about? I can't say that I had a favorite place, but rather favorite moments... 

*The feeling of being within miles of the tiny village in Holland from where one of my father's ancestors came to America way back in the 17th century.

*The wonder of climbing the stairs at Anne Frank's hiding spot in Amsterdam--the very same stairs that she and her family descended one final time as they were rounded up by the Gestapo in 1944. 

*I'll never forget the stinging ice pellets of that epic hailstorm we experienced in Strasbourg.

*The awe of exploring one of the underground fortresses along the Maginot Line imagining what life must have been like for those French soldiers in WWII. 

*Memories of our frigid, snowy visit to the top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland and the sweet tinkling of the sheep bells as we rode the gondola back down the mountain will always make me smile. 

*I'll remember the honesty of the young woman who returned my brother-in-law's lost cell phone in Lugano.

*And the taste of those sweet jelly-like candies that my sister and I kept helping ourselves to each time we passed the reception desk in our Milan hotel. 

*The realization that we are all just tiny specks in this universe filled with so many spots of beauty and wonder.  

The scenery, the history, the experiences were all so special as was the extended time I got to spend with my youngest sister--probably the most  since we were teenagers living in our childhood home.

If any of you have questions regarding the river cruise itself, I'd be happy to answer them for you. Just leave a comment and include your email address so I can get back to you! 

Hope you all enjoy these last few days of June! Thank you, as always, for taking the time to stop in and say "hi!" I always love to hear from you--your comments mean so much! Take care now and I do hope to return to my normal twice a month blogging schedule in July. Bye for now... 

A spring finish and a new baby to love!

Hello, hello! It's been a while hasn't it? Gosh, I last posted almost a month ago. Spring is such a busy time of year around here as we attempt to banish all signs of winter and welcome more light and sunshine. This month has not been the most cooperative, however. We've had so much rain and so many cool, gray days here in the northeast. Memorial Day weekend came and went and it felt more like late-September weather rather than late-May. But, things are looking up for next week--that warm, sunny weather which I crave appears to be on the horizon. Hooray!

How do you select what pieces you want to stitch? Is it the theme, the size, the designer, the season? In the case of my latest finish, it was the colors that drew me in--oh, how I loved the hues in this charming design! "Flower Garden Sampler" is filled with blues and browns and I've always thought that combination to be so pretty. This is my very first finish by "Artful Offerings," but I loved it so much that I have already purchased a couple more of Karina's designs. This was stitched on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle using all of the suggested DMC threads. Just eight colors are used in this piece making is a joy to stitch--definite comfort stitching!

My finish of "Flower Garden Sampler"

In addition to the colors, I also fell in love with the whimsical bird couple proudly guarding their nest of blue eggs. I mean how cute are they... him with his little blue bow tie and her with her trailing dark blue scarf? Adorable!

Aren't they the cutest couple?

The long gray stripes in the middle of the design are meant to mimic a vintage grain sack towel and I'm debating about how to frame this one. I think I'll frame it so the stripe touches the edge of the frame on the two sides and then leave a border of fabric showing on the other two sides. What do you think? I'm still puzzling over this one! On 40 ct. fabric, this piece ended up being about 8 1/2 inches wide by 8 inches high so I'd classify it as a medium sized finish (for me, anyway!). Absolutely love it!

I would have had this piece finished about three weeks ago, but we had a bit of a surprise in our lives! For those of you who follow me on Instagram you already know what that surprise was... A certain little baby, our second grandchild, couldn't wait to see what this big wide world was all about and arrived 15 days early! Oh, my... we were all so surprised when my son texted us to say our daughter-in-law was in labor and they were heading for the hospital! That was about 11:30 at night (why do babies always seem to arrive at night?) so of course, I coudn't sleep! I spent most of the night packing my suitcase and cleaning the house so we could leave early the next morning as we planned to stay with them and help out with the baby and Mister B for at least two weeks. 

The baby couldn't wait until we got there and arrived around 5:30 AM the morning of May 6th. So by the time we got our first look, the little sweetheart was about 9 hours old.

Our first peek at our newest family member!

So, I'm sure you all want to know the answer to that burning question... boy or girl? Well...

      * my husband and I have three boys

      * my husband is one of four boys

      * my husband's father is one of two boys

      * we have one grandson already

So, of course...                                     

A darling cookie bouquet sent by my sister

Yes, Mister B has a little brother, Baby N, and we couldn't be happier! He is such a proud big brother and is already telling his mom and dad that he wants another baby brother or sister. Hmm...

 

We had the honor of moving right in with them for two weeks and, although exhausted, we enjoyed every single second. To hold a sleeping newborn is probably the best feeling in the world, isn't it? Especially when that helpless infant is your very own grandchild. All the cares in the world just vanished as I held the little fellow in the rocking chair and softly sang to him. All those sweet baby noises and funny sounds and facial expressions... I think, as a grandmother, I have the time to treasure those little things even more than when I had my own babies.  A lot of people on Instagram asked me if he has Mister B's dimples... no sign of them so far. He's a beautiful little boy who bears some resemblance to his big brother, but is his own sweet self. He seems to be very easy-going and relaxed in the three weeks he's spent in this big new world. We are all feeling very blessed!

Sweet dreams, Baby N!

Our new grandson received the most beautiful gift--this soft, pale yellow blanket (pictured below) knit so lovingly by one of my blog readers (and friends!), Barb R. in Michigan. I can't tell you how much I was touched by your thoughtfulness, Barb. Second babies are often not remembered with gifts or cards so this meant so much to me and to Baby N's parents! Thank you, thank you, my friend... it will be treasured!

I think Baby N loves his cuddly new blanket from my friend, Barb!

It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone when we left on May 21st (baby's original due date!). I have to admit I cried a bit. But, they're planning to come for a visit in just a couple weeks and we are so looking forward to that. 

New start...  I asked my daughter-in-law to pick out a birth sampler for Baby N and she chose this vintage looking design by Historical Sampler Company in England. It uses just nine DMC threads and I'll be stitching it on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle. I hope Baby N loves trucks and cars and trains as much as his big brother does!

The birth sampler I'll be stitching for my newest grandson--that checkerboard border is going to try my patience, but he's worth it!

Since we've been home, I've been catching up on spring cleaning, trying to restock our freezer (I had made seven meals ahead of time and frozen them to take down for the baby's arrival), and have spent time stitching a couple of gifts before I start the birth sampler. We've also been treated to a variety of unusual birds visiting lately--the Great Horned Owl below was a special treat!

All winter long we could hear the hoots of two Great Horned Owls in our nearby woods. This spring our neighbor nicely called us over to see the two baby owlets that had hatched in a tree on their property. The owlets fledged a few weeks ago and this one took the time to land on our patio table to say "hello" on Thursday. Such a magnificent looking bird!

 

We often have Great Blue Herons visiting our pond in search of fish, but this was the first I've seen one simply striding up our side lawn.

 

My first ever sighting of a "Rose-breasted Grosbeak"--such a beautiful bird with his rosy breast and splotches of white on his very black back.

So, that wraps up my one and only post for May! I hope it's been a good month for you and that you've had a couple happy surprises along the way, too. I'm really looking forward to June with its warmer weather and the chance to do some porch stitching. Thank you, each one of you, for visiting today and taking the time out of your busy schedules to read my little blog and leave a comment. I so appreciate hearing from you! Take care and happy stitching! Bye for now...

A trio of Santas and a visit to charming Brunate, Italy

And another month comes to an end... just like that! 2025 is now one third over. Unbelievable...  I've been concentrating on one big project for the past few weeks and I'm pleased to say he's finally done! Yes, that rotund golden-robed Santa is finished and I just love him. Oh, I'm addicted to these Teresa Kogut Santas--they remind me of Prairie Schooler stitching. No surprises in the colors--easy, stress-free stitching. Just what I need with all that's going on in the world these days!

"Right Jolly Ol' Elf" is stitched on 40 ct. Vintage Country Mocha Newcastle with most of the suggested threads. I did change the package in Santa's sack to a lighter green because the darker one was blending in too much with the gray of the sack. I also used that same light green (DMC 3053) with the darker green in the wreath. As I look at my photos now, I realize that I need to add a long straight stitch for a hanger for the wreath and red star (even though none was charted). Without a hanger, I feel like the wreath and star appear to be floating in mid-air! I will be sure to add one before I frame it.

"Right Jolly Ol' Elf"--I loved every stitch!

I so love all of the cute motifs in any Teresa Kogut design, but that adorable snowman stuffed into Santa's sack just takes the cake! How cute is he?! I used straight stitches for his arms rather than the cross stitches that were charted.

Such a cute little passenger hitchhiking in Santa's pack!

And his big snowman pal is pretty lovable, too! Some people don't like stitching with white, but it doesn't bother me. I find big patches of colorblock stitching to be quite meditative. 

Don't you love the sweet expression on this snowman's face?

I'll be framing both this Santa and the red one that I showed you in my February post (right here) with the same black frames. The charts can be found in the "Hello Santa" book--love them all and now I need to decide which one to do next. I may take a break from Santa for a bit as I have a pretty Spring chart on my mind and also a very special project that I need to devote my time to. You'll just have to wait to see what's next!

Another Teresa Kogut Santa is finished... on to the next!

I was also able to stitch and finish two very quick Christmas ornaments for April and May. You'll recognize them as Prairie Schooler Santas, I'm sure, although they are not from the same chart.  

A pair of Prairie Schooler ornaments for April and May

My ornament for April is from Book No. 23: "A Prairie Year II." I left off the square border and substituted various snowflakes around the perimeter to make this a round ornament (my favorite kind!). The other big change was to remove the teddy bear in his sack that was originally charted and replace it with a small tree.

My April ornament from "A Prairie Year II"

My May ornament is from PS Book No. 215: "A Merry Mini Surprise." Like the April ornament, this one is stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle which is sadly no longer available in the U.S. I have searched and searched :(  I changed the green to DMC 3362, the red to 221, used DMC 356 for the cheeks and mouth, and 610 for the tree stem. Again, to turn it into a round ornament, I added snowflakes. The greenery at the top is simply dried boxwood leaves and artificial berries that I glued onto the gingham bow along with a silver jingle bell. I'm so happy with these two new additions to my Christmas tree!

And my May ornament from "A Merry Mini Surprise"

For years, I've been finishing all of the PS Santa ornaments (both big and small) using the same burgundy gingham ribbon that was always available at Joann Fabrics. Now that that wonderful store has shut down, I can no longer find the same ribbon. If anyone has any extra that they would like to sell me, please let me know... I have searched high and low online and nothing seems to be available anywhere in this color and size (5/8 inch wide). 

HELP! I can no longer find this burgundy gingham ribbon (manufactured by Berwick Offray) that was once available from Joann Fabrics. If anyone has any sources, would you please let me know? I'm down to my last six inches!

I had planned on making this the final installment in my European adventure from way back in September, but I found there were too many photos for one post. So, this will be the next-to-the-last post on my trip. I'm not sure how many of you are reading this portion of my posts, but I really want to get everything recorded before I totally forget things and jotting everything down in my blog seems like the best way to do so. Anyway, today we'll still be at Lake Como, but in one very special area called...

Brunate, Italy

The village of Brunate, often called "The Balcony of the Alps," overlooks Como and Lake Como and has only 1800 residents. The only way to reach it is by a very steep winding road or by taking the funicular. We chose the latter. 

Although I was still ill, my fever had broken and I felt well enough to venture out for the day. The morning dawned bright and cool as we walked to the funicular for our journey up the mountainside.

My sister, brother-in-law, and husband entering the Funicolare Como-Brunate, which has been operating since 1894. The journey up the mountain took under 10 minutes.

When we reached the top... wow! Just look at these cliffside homes... so beautiful and what amazing views they must have.

Walking along the streets in Brunate was so peaceful and quiet. Elegant homes and gardens greeted us everywhere we looked.

I thought this mural was so very lovely. It was not painted on a church; it adorned the side of a building in Brunate.

  

View of Lake Como from Brunate

In addition to the many beautiful homes, there were some very special gardens.

Gorgeous vistas everywhere you looked!

 

This beautiful pink church, La Chiesa di Sant' Andrea Apostolo (The Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle) dates back to the 17th century although it has been rebuilt and added on to since.

Most of the elegant properties were gated, but you could peer through the iron bars and spot interesting sights such as this tiny grotto installed in the hillside by the homeowner.

Lots and lots of steps! We certainly got our exercise that day!

 

We trekked up a very steep road to reach the Volta Lighthouse. The 95 foot tall lighthouse was built in 1927, 100 years after the death of Alessandro Volta who is credited with the invention of the electric battery. The 143 steps up to the very top of the lighthouse were not open to the public the day we visited.

A final look from the lighthouse grounds. By this time, the skies had darkened and it was time to head back to the hotel for our final night at Lake Como. Our day in Brunate was one of my favorites of our entire 2 1/2 week trip... There was even more to explore and if we'd had more time, I think we would have gone back the next day. Such a beautiful, relaxing area!

So, did everyone enjoy a nice Easter weekend? We went to our oldest son's home in Maryland and had the best time watching our grandson loving all the festivities. We had wooden egg on the spoon relay races (I'm proud to say I didn't drop mine once!) and Mister B had an outdoor egg hunt. It was a beautiful sunny day and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. After so, so many years of hosting holidays, it was wonderful to be able to go elsewhere as a guest!

Mister B was so excited to discover that the Easter Bunny had hidden his eggs in one of his toy cubbies. In the upper right, my youngest son and Mister B race to the finish line in their "egg on the spoon" race.

 

Everything is greening up so nicely here in western Pennsylvania. And the spring flowers have been especially lovely--at least they were until a violent storm went through last night. So many trees were down and some folks are still without power. We were lucky here and only experienced some flickering lights, lots of flying debris, and strong winds and rain. I can't imagine being in a tornado--this was scary enough! Anyway, I had picked these flowers when I heard a storm was on its way and am so glad I did! 

My husband planted new daffodil and tulip bulbs last fall and this was the result! It always amazes me that the humble bulb can result in such beautiful blooms after a long winter.

Another long post... I do apologize! I just have one final river cruise post for next time and then things will get back to normal. No big trips are planned this year, but we do hope to get away for a week at our favorite Maryland lake with the whole family this summer. How about you? Do you have any trips planned for 2025 or are you sticking close to home. I always love hearing from you in the comments or by email--thank you for taking the time to write! I hope you each have a wonderful May--things are looking so green and lush here in my part of Pennsylvania. Take care now! Bye for now...