A simple September check-in

Good September morning to you, my friends! I hope the first few days of this new month have been treating you well. I'm sad that summer days are winding down, but hoping for at least a few more weeks of warm, sunny weather ahead. Oh, these nights, though--so very chilly. I think it's time to bring out the flannel sheets for our beds--how about you? 

This will be a very quick post (for me, anyway!), as I only have one ornament finish to share with you today. It's been a quiet couple of weeks since my last post so I have little to report. I did finish my ornament for August, though, and it turned out so cute! To make this sweet piece called "Gathering Holly" (by Annie Beez Folk Art) a suitable size to fit on my tree,  I had to stitch it "over one." (I really prefer to keep my ornaments on the small side and this one ended up being just about 4 inches square). I ended up choosing 25 ct. vintage country mocha Lugana and I love how well the white threads show up on it. 

I used most of the suggested colors, but did make a few changes. I thought the little maiden looked a bit chilly in the sleeveless dress that was charted so I added some sleeves (bonus: the sleeve color shows up much better on this fabric than the flesh-toned DMC 950 would have!). I also added additional snowflakes to the bottom of the design, added eyes (just using tiny straight stitches) to the woman, and used straight stitches for the bird's legs rather than the called for cross stitches. 

After adding the cording made of DMC 3777, I attached a black and white polka-dot bow and some "holly" that I crafted by snipping off leaves from a garland and gluing on some red berries. Everything, including the cording, was attached using Aleene's Tacky Glue (original). I've had several folks on Instagram ask about my cording so I'm linking to my 2019 post that outlines the way I do it (I am certainly not a professional finisher!) right here (you need to scroll down a ways in that post). Here is a close-up which might help you see the details a bit better.

Lyme Disease update: I had several of you ask about the Lyme Disease updates for my husband and myself. I'm happy to report that he is doing fine (so far) after his positive diagnosis and taking the antibiotic for two weeks. If you recall, my doctor didn't test me right away and just put me on the antibiotic. Because I've had some unsettling symptoms for the past six weeks or so, I finally was tested for it and it came back negative. Whether I had had it and the antibiotics took care of it or what, I don't know. But, I'm still having symptoms so more tests are ongoing... Nothing is showing up so I'm hoping it is just residual effects of the virus I had back in July or possibly, anxiety. Hopefully, I'll receive some answers soon--it always shocks me how long it takes to receive certain test results!

And that's it--a drive-by posting today! I am going to be taking a blog break for most of September so, if you don't hear from me on your blogs or through email, please don't worry. I will be working on my September ornament and a charming design by Scarlett House in the meantime. Thank you for all of your kind comments on my previous post--so glad you enjoyed my travel photos from New York and Maryland. I never know whether you'll be interested in them or not, but since this blog serves as a sort of journal of my simple life, I just include them anyway. Wishing each of you a beautiful month ahead! Bye for now...

A fun Christmas finish and water, water everywhere!

Brrr... we are going through a cold spell here in southwestern Pennsylvania and I woke up to a chilly 49° (9.4° C)  morning. It was so cold that, when I woke up, I put on my cozy winter bathrobe and promptly went down and baked a batch of my favorite chocolate chip-peanut butter-oatmeal cookies in an effort to warm up the house! I know I've complained about the heat this summer, but I'm not quite ready for fall. How about you? Are things cooling down in your area? The children in this area resumed school today which, to me, always marks the end of summer. (At least it did when my sons were of school age). It's been a very busy three weeks since my last post--lots of trips involving lots of water! Before I share my vacation photos with you, though, I wanted to show you my new finish. Yes, I  finished one of my favorite Christmas pieces ever--"Santa Stops Here" by With Thy Needle and Thread. 

"Santa Stops Here" by With Thy Needle and Thread

Oh, how I loved stitching this one--even that endless brick house! I love that the colors of the brick aren't the traditional reds and pinks. These remind me more of a stone house. It is stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle with most of the suggested threads. I did end up using only WDW "Red Rocks" for all of the reds rather than using the two different reds that were charted. But, other than that, the colors are exactly what were called for. Below is a better view of that pretty house... According to the designer, it was inspired by the German houses in the Amana Colonies in Iowa where the businesses are often brick buildings with a simple black and white sign advertising what they sell. She mentioned that this "Candy Haus" is where Santa just might shop for the sugary treats to fill the stockings for all the good little boys and girls at Christmas time. Who has visited the Amana Colonies? I've never been to Iowa at all, but it looks like such an interesting area. If you'd like to read more about it, just click here.

Love the satin stitches on the door and the little beaded wreath. It gives this finish a nice bit of texture. I also added a trio of beads to the center of the red bow.

 

In this final photo is the jolly, old fellow himself with his little snowman buddy. Love all the sweet details from the candy cane laden tree to the tiny red cardinals to the wee trees sprinkled about the design. I will be framing this one--or possibly sending it out to be professionally framed. I think it's such a charming little piece!

So, let's get to all that water that I mentioned earlier! Lots of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls were enjoyed this month. In early August my whole family gathered for a few days at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. We've enjoyed trips there before, but always in the winter for my January birthday. This was the first time we vacationed there in the summer. The weather could have been warmer, but the sun peeked out between the clouds enough for us to enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and fishing. That water was a bit too cold for me, though, so I was the official picture taker :)

Lots of kayaking, paddle boarding, puzzle making, and fishing at Deep Creek Lake in early August.

My little grandson, Mister B, caught the one and only fish of the trip--his very first one and he couldn't have been prouder. As he pulled it out of the water, he excitedly shouted, "I caught a fish for mommy!". He thought she could cook it up for his dinner, but, sadly it was too small to keep so back into the lake it went. 

Mister B with his first fish! Just look at that excited little grin.

This mama duck and her seven babies were frequent visitors

We all enjoyed ourselves and agreed that we'd like to return for a longer vacation next summer! Have any of you been to Deep Creek Lake? It's such a beautiful area nestled in the mountains of western Maryland. Just sitting on the dock gazing at the water and the mountains beyond was so relaxing. For more information on the lake and adjoining state park, you can click here. 

Our next trip was to upstate New York to visit one of my sisters. On the way to her home on Lake Ontario, we stopped in my tiny hometown (on the border of New York and Pennsylvania) to visit my parents' gravesite. It was the first time I've been back since my mom's funeral in 2020. A very bittersweet moment with a few tears--I'm sure many of you can relate. After lunch at a favorite local restaurant we were on the road again.

Our next stop was Letchworth State Park, a place I had visited in the past, but my husband hadn't. Again, the weather wasn't the best, but it was nice enough that we could get out for a short walk to see one of the parks three waterfalls from Inspiration Point. Letchworth is such a beautiful park comprising 14,350 acres. It is sometimes called the "Grand Canyon of the East" and is certainly worth a stop. We definitely want to go back and do some hiking in the future. To hear the roar of the waterfalls and feel its misty spray is really something!

The view of Middle Falls from Inspiration Point in Letchworth State Park

 

The Genesee River running through the gorge in the park

Me! A bit wind-blown, but still smiling!

After we left the park, we began the drive to my sister's home on Lake Ontario. On the way we spotted several rainbows due to the constantly changing weather. One minute it would be lightly raining, and the next the sunshine would break through--perfect rainbow weather! This one was so vibrant even though it was just a partial rainbow. 

It was a perfect day for rainbows.

My sister's home is set right on the shores of Lake Ontario, the smallest of the five U.S. Great Lakes, but the 14th largest (by surface area) in the world. Often, when you gaze out her window, it looks like the ocean with whitecaps topping the water and seabirds soaring by. She gets the most beautiful sunsets (and yes, I'm quite envious, as we never get them here being in a valley) almost nightly. 

The view from my sister's front door! Beautiful skies over Lake Ontario.

The day after we arrived, we took a hike to Chimney Bluffs State Park--a fascinating area filled with spire-like drumlins created by the erosion of glacial deposits from the last ice age. It was a chilly, bit muddy hike up to see them, but well worth the view!

Chimney Bluffs State Park

 

That water was so blue and the landscape so interesting.

There is also a beach below that is open to the public.

An old 1907 postcard of the view of Chimney Bluffs from the water. Over the years, the bluffs have eroded quite a bit due to the weather.

There are so many wonderful things to do in western New York--we'll definitely return for future visits! When I was growing up in that area, I don't think I fully appreciated all of its beauty. Now that I'm an adult and look at things through older eyes, I truly do.

So, that explains why not much stitching was done in August. I do have a couple smaller things which I hope to share with you soon, though. What is everyone stitching on these days? Have you moved on to fall stitching or is it too early? I've been so bad about pulling out my summer bees and sunflowers--in fact, I'm ashamed to say I still  have my 4th of July/patriotic stitching and decor out! I've just not been home enough to be motivated to change it.

Anyway, that's about it for this post. I'll leave you with our sunflowers as viewed from our kitchen door. My husband sprinkled the seeds throughout his fenced in vegetable garden and I just love how cheery and bright this corner of our yard is--in any kind of weather. Wishing you a sunny day with lots of stitching time. Bye for now...

Our cheerful sunflowers (can you spot one of our ever-present deer lurking in the background?)

Whew! A busy, but fun month!

I really didn't mean to be gone for four weeks! July has been one of the busiest months ever and I'm so ready for a quieter August... Before I show you my stitching or give family updates, I really, really want to thank all of you who commented on my last post. I simply haven't had time to get back to most of you. But, I truly appreciate each and every comment--thank you!

I did manage two simple finishes this month, both of which I've already shared on Instagram. First up is the charming Plum Street Samplers design called "Summer in Nantucket." Who has visited Nantucket? Not me, but it's definitely on my list! I just love the photos I've seen of the most beautiful hydrangeas blooming against the weather-beaten gray background of the seaside houses (although in this scene, the house just happens to be red!). I love the whimsical details--the whale weathervane, the seagull as big as the roof, and who doesn't love a flag-bearing, whale riding mermaid? I did make a few changes to the colors in this piece--mainly to the red and green. For the red, I used Gentle Arts "Weathered Barn" and for the green, I substituted Gentle Arts "Baby Spinach." The fabric is one of my favorites: 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle. It's such a great fabric for summery piece, snowy designs, or even spooky stitching!

"Summer in Nantucket"

Luckily, I had a perfectly sized frame in my stash of thrifted frames (this one was $3.00!). It started out as a gold frame, but I knew that wouldn't do at all. So I gave it three coats of a creamy white paint (FolkArt matte finish acrylic paint in 515E "Vintage White"), distressed it a bit, and had an instant finish!

The shells are ones I've collected on my travels

Another change I made to the design was to add a few little bubbles for the fish--it seemed to give the piece some movement. I'm thrilled to have another true summer-themed piece all ready for display as I have so few. Most of my summer finishes are either patriotic or sunflower/bee themed.

I do love that mermaid sailing through the sea on the white whale!

Having very little time to stitch my monthly Christmas ornament, I had to choose a simple and quick design. As I was looking through my notebook of possible ornament charts, this little cutie popped out at me. With only four DMC colors and a simple to follow snowflake, I had this one stitched and finished in just a couple days. This is called "Bird and Snowflakes: Chickadee" and can be found in the February 2020 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine. There are two other alternative bird designs included: a red cardinal and a little robin. I love the way the beads were added to the lattic design in the back. Once again, I used 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle for the fabric.

A sweet chickadee for my July ornament

I turned it into a simple round ornament, bordered it with a gray and white cording, and added a double layer of gauzy white ribbon to the top. It's so delicate and sweet, isn't it? Seven ornaments down, five to go for 2024!

Sometimes a simple finish is best!

I've turned to stitching a cute bee-themed piece for August along with my latest Christmas ornament so I hope to have those to share with you soon. 

Giveaway winner... There were quite a few entries for the "Americana Sampler" that I offered in my previous post. I really enjoyed reading about where you purchase your cross stitch supplies and have to say I'm envious of those of you who still have local needlework shops. Sadly, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them! The lucky winner's name drawn from the hat is...

GAIL L.

Gail L.--you are the winner of this patriotic chart!

Congratulations, Gail L.! Please send me your mailing address (my email is in the right sidebar--just click on my profile) and I'll get this in the mail to you next week. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did and will pass it on when you're done. And for those of you who didn't win... keep an eye on this space. I'll be offering more giveaways in the near future!

So... which do you want first? The good news or the bad? Let's get the bad out of the way. My dear husband now has Lyme disease. He began having some muscle pain and asked his doctor for a Lyme test and, sure enough, he tested positive. So, he's on doxycycline for two weeks (the same antibiotic I was on a few weeks ago). He's had no other symptoms, so we are hopeful that the medicine will clear it up with no lingering effects. I'm considering getting tested myself as I've been having some unusual symptoms lately. Although my tick report came back positive for Lyme, I was not tested for it and was simply put on the antibiotic. So, I may just have it, too... For those of you living in Pennsylvania, you can send the ticks to the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab for free testing. I would imagine other states have similar programs, but I don't know for sure. Anyway... Lyme disease and ticks are terrible problems in this part of the country and they will certainly spread to more and more states and countries. We are now paying to have our yard sprayed for ticks (many neighbors already do so because they have pets)  and I'm hoping that helps. Stay safe out there and always, always check yourself for ticks after being outside in grassy areas!

Much of my time this month was spent with my grandson which was wonderful! In early July, we drove the four hours to Maryland for his very first overnight stay alone with us. The first night was a bit difficult for him and he cried and cried for his parents at bedtime, but the remaining three days and nights went well and we had such fun! Since we were there over the 4th of July, a parade was, of course, in the mix. The neighborhood Mister B lives in has such wonderful community activities at holiday times. This time they held an event in the park where the kids could decorate their bikes and scooters, get temporary tattoos, and even have their photo taken with Uncle Sam before they participated in a short parade. And, what would the 4th of July be without an ice cream truck?!

Mister B and Uncle Sam on the 4th of July

Our patriotic tattoos (somehow, I put mine on upside down!)

Mister B turns 4! We drove home on Monday, July 8th and then back down on Saturday the 13th for Mister B's 4th birthday party. Like most little boys of that age, he is totally into superheroes so his mom and dad went all out and had a Spider-Man themed party for him. Since they are relatively new to the neighborhood, they also invited many nearby neighbors so there were close to 50 people there.

Spider-Man ruled the day at Mister B's 4th birthday. There was a bouncy house, Spider-Man piñata filled with candy, Spider-Man cake and cupcakes. The birthday boy is posing with his new Spider-Man sunglasses as his dad (my oldest son) looks on.

 

It was such a fun party! Until... about two days later. One by one, we each began to get sick. Yep--the birthday party was a "super-spreader" event! Not Covid, thankfully... "just" colds, sinus issues, headaches, coughs, etc. Almost everyone in our family got sick with it! My worst symptoms were fever, cough, and neck pain. And, unfortunately, the surgery that was scheduled for my oldest son a few days after the party had to be postponed because he was one of the sickest. Sigh... You'd think a summer party would be safer. But, I guess there is some nasty virus going around as I've heard of many folks having similar problems. 

We came home to recuperate and then my oldest son and grandson were here for a four day visit last week (my daughter-in-law was on a girl's trip with a friend). What fun we had--visiting local parks and a community garden, going to a bike event where he was thrilled to go up and down some small ramps on his balance bike, feeding the koi in our pond, exploring his grandpa's garden and relishing all those juicy red tomatoes, and playing with all of the wonderful old toys that I'd saved from the 1980s when my sons were small. He cried when he had to go home on Sunday... It warms my heart to know we're creating such fun memories for him of visits to Nonna and Pompa's house!

I can't believe Mister B is now four years old... Where have the years gone?

We've finally gotten a bit of rain this week--thank goodness! Our lawn is brown and crispy and some of the leaves have already dried up and fallen. It's been one hot, dry summer here and I actually found myself dreaming of cooler, snowy days last week. (WHAT?!? Snap out of it, Carol!). The pictures of the flowers taken here were from early July when everything wasn't as dried out. My husband grows all of these flowers (except for the hydrangeas which we treat with an anti-deer spray) for me within the confines of his fenced in vegetable garden. 

Snapdragons, sunflowers, zinnias, and hydrangeas from our garden--my husband deserves all the credit for growing them!

This is the best year for hydrangeas we've ever had. I read it was due to our mild winter and all the rain we had in the spring.

So, that's a wrap on July... I am truly hoping August will be a bit cooler and a lot less busy. I think all of you know what a homebody I am and I've missed just puttering around the house and sitting quietly with my stitching or a book. Then again, I would never give up those memories spent with my family during our busy July! Hope each of you has a wonderful new month. Bye for now...

Mister B spies a young male deer right outside our basement door. One of my favorite things is watching the awe in his expression as he  enjoys the wonders of nature.

The highs and lows of June

The second day of the second half of 2024... How did that happen? It seems as if just yesterday I was putting away my Christmas decorations. July, here in the United States, is filled with flags, fireworks, family, fabulous foods, and fun all celebrating the most important thing: freedom! I know my July is going to be very busy with three trips down to the Washington, DC area to help care for my grandson for a few days (first time he'll be away from mommy and daddy overnight--wish me luck!), celebrating three family birthdays, and helping out with my grandson as my oldest son recovers from surgery at the end of the month. Busy, busy, busy... I doubt there will be much stitching done this month, but that's okay. The family memories we'll make together are much more important. 

I did manage to get two new things finished up in June. I have a brand new patriotic piece called "Americana Sampler" (by Plum Pudding NeedleArt). This pretty chart was given to me by my Instagram friend, Trinka, last year. It is stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle using the suggested colors except for the green and red which I changed to  GAST "Schoolhouse Red" and Classic Colorworks "Pine Needle."

"Americana Sampler" by Plum Pudding NeedleArt

I went back and forth on how to finish this piece, but eventually decided on simply framing it. I did add a trio of red, white, and blue star buttons to the very top. The frame was one I had purchased from Goodwill years ago and I thought the vintage look of it meshed well with the old-timey look of the woman's garb.

A wonderful new addition to my patriotic decor

Below is a closer look at the pretty detailing on the frame...

I especially love the red, white, and blue bunting!

Of course, my other finish is my latest Christmas ornament for the month of June for the #12in24ornamentstitchalong that I host over on Instagram. Isn't it a cutie? This is "Santa, Please Bring Me" by Homespun Elegance. I purchased the chart way back in 2008 when it was first released, but, for some reason, hadn't yet stitched it. I struggled stitching this on 28 ct. country mocha Cashel linen with two threads. I just hate stitching with more than one thread, but in this case, the scissors charm would have been too large if I had stitched him on my normal 40 ct. linen. Santa's beard and the trim on his coat were supposed to be done with Rainbow Gallery Wisper  thread for a fluffy appearance. But I just didn't want to struggle with it (stitching is supposed to be relaxing after all!) or purchase it. I substituted good old ecru DMC for the beard and DMC 3862 for the trim on the coat and think it looks just fine. I also changed the color of his bag to DMC 844 and added little red berries to the tree. The bottom border was changed to a simple green (WDW Blue Spruce) and ecru.

"Santa, Please Bring Me" by Homespun Elegance

 

I finished this Santa into a simple pillow with handmade cording and two tiny spools of DMC 221 attached on the ends. The scissor's charm came with the chart and I added a wee gold star to the top of the tree. I also omitted the date as I don't like to date my ornaments. What do you think? I think that the very last item on Santa's list is something we could all use more of, don't you? Even though I'm retired now, there still don't seem to be enough hours in the day to stitch as much (and as many!) things as I'd like. How about you?

I'll take everything on this Christmas list, please!

Giveaway time... I always like to pass on charts that have been given to me, so how about a little giveaway? Would you like to stitch the Americana Sampler by Plum Pudding NeedleArt? This is a pdf chart (already printed off) that I will send to one lucky winner who follows the guidelines below: 

If you would like to win the giveaway for this chart, please follow the guidelines below:

To be included in the drawing for the Plum Pudding NeedleArt chart shown above, please...

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win it in your comment 

2) Be a follower of Stitching Dreams (in my blog's sidebar on the right)

3) Make sure to leave your email address in your comment if I don't already have it

4) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below.

Getting to know you...  For this month's "Getting to Know You" question, I'd love to know where you purchase your cross stitch materials. Are you one of those lucky ones who has a convenient local needlework shop? Or are you like me--you live in a barren desert when it comes to cross stitch shops. Sadly, I have to order everything from charts to threads to fabric online. It's especially hard to determine exact fabric and floss colors by viewing them on a computer screen, isn't it? I usually purchase my things through 123 Stitch or from various Etsy shops. In the good old days, there used to be at least three cross stitch shops nearby, but now the nearest one is almost 1 1/2 hours driving distance. I hope all of you who have access to a local shop know just how lucky you are! Let me know what your cross stitch buying options are... I'll post the winner of the "Americana Sampler" chart next time I blog, so stay tuned. However, if you're really in a hurry to stitch this sweet sampler, there is a sale on it on Etsy right here!

One of the best parts of summer for me is the wonderful fresh fruits that are in season. We ended up with a huge amount of peaches from The Peach Truck this year. The fruit in the first delivery (three weeks ago) wasn't up to their standards, so they promised to give everyone who ordered a free second box of peaches--in other words, 25 pounds for the price of 12! Here they are ripening in my sunroom and just waiting to be made into some delectable breads, desserts, and of course, just eaten plain. I've already made one batch of my favorite peach cobbler recipe and I know more are in my future. I posted this link before, but for any new readers, here is where to find Iva's Peach Cobbler recipe. YUM!

Our entire sunroom smelled like fresh peaches!

And then there are the blueberries. Our bushes have been producing a bumper crop this year. Unfortunately, the berries that weren't fully under netting were quickly devoured by the birds. We went to my son's community garden two weeks ago and picked even more! They're so easy to freeze and use all winter long. I quickly whipped up a new-to-me recipe for Blueberry Pie Bars from Sally's Baking Addiction. Will definitely be making them again (although I may use less lemon as my husband thought it was a bit much). 

Blueberry Pie Bars with freshly picked blueberries

An unwanted visitor... Unfortunately, when I went blueberry picking at my son's community garden, I picked up a very unwelcome hitchhiker! A few days later, I felt a little bump on my left ankle and looked down thinking it was some sort of growth. When my husband looked at it closer... sure enough, it was a teeny, tiny, tick--and it was attached to my skin, sucking my blood. UGH! Ticks have become a huge problem in the northeast and upper midwest here in the U.S.--especially the blacklegged (Ixodes) deer tick--the carriers of Lyme disease. Pennsylvania has been deemed one of 16 "high incidence states" by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) here in the U.S.  For those of you not familiar with Lyme, it can be truly debilitating if not treated in one of the earlier stages. 

The deer tick embedded in my ankle and after being removed. It was only the size of a poppyseed, but can carry Lyme Disease which brings terrible effects if not treated early.

My husband (who also just found a tick on his own leg this morning!) was able to remove it fully with sharp tweezers and we sent it away to a lab for analysis. The results came back positive--the tick was carrying the bacteria that transmits Lyme disease. Even though my tick was just a nymph, I learned that nymphs and female ticks have the highest likelihood of transmitting the disease. After contacting my doctor, I was put on doxycycline for ten days as a preventative measure and it seems to be working... I've been on it for five days and have had no signs of Lyme disease so far--phew! Just a reminder to all who live in deer tick infested areas--check yourselves (and your pets) very, very carefully after being on the grass, in the garden, or hiking through forests. To read about removing ticks, click here. To read more about Lyme disease itself, click here. Sadly, this has made me a bit afraid to even venture out into our yard or garden. Not an experience I want to repeat...  Do you have deer ticks in your area? 

I'll leave you with something just "a little bit" cuter than that horrible tick... This sweet bunny was  sitting by the sidewalk peeking out at us through the tall grass when we visited my middle son's apartment on Father's Day. Such a sweet little face!

Peek-a-boo!

Hope July is good to each of you! Do you have any fun plans with friends or family? A special trip or vacation, perhaps? Wishing all of my U.S. friends who are on the road or in the air for the 4th of July, safe travels! Thank you, as always, for visiting me today. I do appreciate each one of you (and your sweet comments and emails) so very much! Bye for now...

Happy 4th of July!

Stitching gifts as summer begins

Has it really been a month since my last post? I never planned on being away so long, but, you know... life! Thanks to those of you who have checked on me. As I mentioned in previous posts, my month of May was filled with doctors' appointments (mostly good results, although there may be a follow-up appointment or two in my future). Right now I'm dealing with a random attack of hives on my arms and I have no idea of the cause! They're fading and most of the itching is gone, but it was not a fun two weeks...  I did manage to get some small gifts stitched, but that's about all since my last post. Our weather is finally warming up and I'm sure that next week (when it gets into the 90s), I'll be kicking myself for complaining about the cold. But honestly--it was down in the 40s a couple nights  this week and our heat even came on. In June! I just love 80° weather with no humidity and today has been exactly that sort of day. 

Two blogging friends, June and Vickie, both have June birthdays so I managed to stitch a couple of sweet designs to make into cards. 

A pair of stitched birthday cards

 

For June, in England, I stitched a pair of bunnies by Brittercup Designs from "Bunnies Galore." Aren't they sweet? I forgot to note the fabric that I used, but I think it was a 32 ct. white linen or evenweave of some sort.

♥ Bunny love ♥

 

And for Vickie, I stitched the little "Hello Spring" design by Primrose Cottage Stitches. This one was stitched "over one" on 28 ct. white Lugana with a variety of pastel colors. I thought it might make a nice addition to Vickie's cubby that she changes out monthly.

Such a cute design for Spring

A new baby boy was born into my middle son's girlfriend's family so guess what I stitched? Yep! The cute JBW Designs gingerbread boy from the "Baby's First Christmas" chart.  This marks the tenth time I've stitched this little cutie; in fact, I stitched it for this little guy's big brother just two years ago. The parents are always so happy to receive a personalized and unique ornament! I used 32 ct. black Belfast linen with DMC threads and added a white pom-pom and red beads along with the candy cane colored cording. I wonder if I'll be stitching any more of these for baby boys in the future? I certainly hope so!

A Christmas ornament for a new baby boy (the name is whited out for privacy)

And this next one came as such a surprise to me! My best friend sent a photo of the little "Welcome" piece that I had stitched and given her years and years ago. It is so old, I don't even recall stitching it! She took a photo of it to show me that it is now hanging in her daughter's home and I was so touched. My friend downsized her belongings when she moved away and gave each of her five children a piece that I had stitched. I'm honored to think that my work lives on in their homes. Unfortunately, I have no idea where the chart came from, but it may have been in an early Just Cross Stitch magazine from the 1980s or 90s. If anyone knows, could you let me know?

This piece is so old, I can't even remember the source or when I stitched it!

So, I've turned my attention to patriotic stitching and am almost finished with a cute piece that I'll share with you next time. I'm very behind on getting my patriotic stitching out and on display this year. I usually like to have it out by Memorial Day, but I just wasn't motivated to take the Spring stitching down. Finally, I pulled out my patriotic finishes today and hope to get them on display tomorrow which is Flag Day here in the U.S. A perfect time to get these out--there sure are a lot of flags in these pieces, aren't there? I think you all know that Christmas stitching is my favorite, but after that comes patriotic themes. I just can't resist a good red, white, and blue design!

Can you tell I love patriotic stitching?

Here are a few close-ups for you...

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An unexpected visitor arrived in our yard a couple weeks ago. We saw some sort of blob out in the middle of the grass and it turned out to be... a large snapping turtle!

Our pond's newest resident

We believe he was heading to our pond from the creek across the street. That is quite a distance, but "slow and steady" wins the race as they say. This fellow looked like he was in pretty rough shape. He had a small notch out of his shell toward the back and was so muddy. We tried to give the turtle something to eat, but he wasn't interested so we left him alone and watched as he ever-so-slowly made his way back to our pond. I did see him sunning himself on the pond's bank a couple of times since,  so I'm hoping he's found himself a welcoming new home!

Can you spot his very dark eye?

New flowers are blooming, adding their pretty colors to all the green, green grass in our yard. 

Love the wispy catmint!

These elegant white calla lilies with their dappled leaves are some of my favorites this time of year.

Our purchased flowers waiting to be planted. The yellow dipladenia on the left was a Mother's Day gift from my middle son and his girlfriend

Okay--this is a strange one! I was given an amaryllis bulb as a gift back in December and it never bloomed. The stalks  grew about 4 inches tall and then just stopped. So last month, I asked my husband to take it outside and plant it--never dreaming it would actually bloom. Surprisingly, two weeks later we had these bright red flowers!

 

In early June we visited my grandson in the D.C. suburbs and had a grand time! The main purpose of this particular trip was to take my middle son's old bunk beds down for him. Oh, my! He'd been so excited about moving from his toddler bed into bunk beds and talked about it for weeks. On the day we put them up in his bedroom, he was almost jumping out of his skin. He wants, so badly, to sleep in the top bunk, but, for now, his mom and dad are limiting him to the bottom. In addition to that big event, he helped me make some very tasty banana bread and helped plant the very first garden in his new house. I just love this photo of my husband holding the carrot seeds as Mister B carefully places them in the ground. He proudly announced just this week that the carrots were already sprouting! I've never seen a kid love vegetables the way he does, so I'm sure all the tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and cucumbers that were planted won't last long once they ripen!

My sweet grandson patiently planting some tiny carrot seeds

This coming Sunday is Father's Day here in the U.S. Do any of you have special plans? We are going to my middle son's place for dinner (which is also a gift for me since I don't have to cook for a change!). It's kind of a bittersweet day for all of us whose fathers have passed, though, isn't it? I do hope to be back for a visit again in a couple weeks and return to my twice a month blogging schedule. Thank you, one and all, for visiting today--hope your summer is off to a great start (yes, I know summer doesn't officially start until June 20th, but I've always considered it to start on Memorial Day!). I really appreciate each of your comments and emails--you stitching friends are the best! Take care now and enjoy your weekend. Bye for now...