Lots of Thank Yous!

Well, I won another giveaway... As many of you have suggested, I really should start playing the lottery! Believe it or not, I have never won anything in my life except these cross stitch prizes. (Well, if you check my list of "interesting" things in the blog award below, you'll see that I did win something else, but it wasn't luck related). Anyway, Barbara's beautiful prize arrived yesterday after spending 8 days in transit in the U.S. mail system. I was beginning to worry about it and I'm so happy it finally arrived safely. Barbara stitched this little "wabbit" from Sheepish Designs on the prettiest shade of peachy-pink linen using overdyed threads and trimmed it off with handmade cording and silky bows. I hope she doesn't mind if I use her photo--it is much better than the ones I tried to take in the early morning light. I love him, Barbara, and he will have a place of honor in my Easter display each spring. Thank you so much for your special gift...

I am finally getting around to thanking all of you wonderful friends who honored me with the Beautiful Blogger Award! Thank you to Cindy, Theresa, Vinniey, Meari, Gillie, and Nicole. I enjoy all of your blogs so much, too, and I really appreciate the fact that out of all the beautiful blogs in the world, you chose to honor mine. That means so much to me.

Well, by now all of you know the drill--the rules are:

1. Accept the award
2. Thank the person who gave you the award
3. Add a link to the person who gave you the award
4. Put the award on your blog
5. Write 10 things about yourself others may not know about you
6. Pass the award on to 10 others

Some of the awards said to write 7 things about myself, others said 10. Let's see how many I can come up with:

1. I was the unusual person who knew what I wanted to be very early in life. Growing up with a cozy library right around the corner from my house instilled a love of reading in me at a young age. I decided to become a librarian when I was about 12.

2. When I was 11, I decided a good summer project might be to read the biographies in the teen section from A to Z! Unfortunately, I only got through the letter "C" because the summer ended and I was too busy during the school year. So I know a lot about Abigail Adams, Clara Barton, and Grover Cleveland, but little about people whose names start with D to Z.

3. In my senior year of high school I was voted "Most All-American." Not because I was super patriotic or anything...It was just because I was that girl who was involved in everything--played alto clarinet in the band, sang in the chorus, was Homecoming Queen, involved in Drama Club, member of National Honor Society, etc. I was just a nice, well-rounded girl!

4. I was quite a "tomboy" when I was younger due to the fact that most of the kids in my neighborhood were boys. I played baseball, climbed trees, was outside with the gang every summer evening until night fell. I wouldn't carry a purse for the longest time and my dear mother had to convince me to wear a veil for my wedding! I guess it is a good thing that I had all boys, isn't it?!

5. I am very shy in groups. One on one, I can talk to just about anyone, but put me in a group and I clam up. I was always the one who sat in the back of the class, never raised my hand, and just trembled through presentations. If I was asked to give a group presentation at work, I would probably have to quit...

6. I refuse to pump my own gas. My sons all make fun of me for it, but it is just something I don't want to do! I'll take out the trash, mow the lawn, etc., but I will not put gas in my car.

7. My home won a Better Homes and Gardens remodeling contest in the late '90s. We remodeled our entire home--living in it throughout the 9 months that it took. Looking back on it, it was a great "family building" task--but, oh, it was tough. My kitchen sink was in the laundry room, refrigerator in the dining room, and stove was down in the basement! Not easy to get meals for three hungry little boys... So, winning the contest and seeing it in the magazine was really a testament to our hard work.

8. I am as blind as a bat without my glasses or contacts. I should have worn glasses from about age 9, but I cheated and memorized the eye chart so I didn't get them until a few years later!

9. I began cross stitching back in the early '80s, but quit for about 10 years when my kids weren't napping anymore (that was my stitching time). Started again in 2003 and was shocked and delighted at all of the "new to me" overdyed threads, abundance of fabrics, and amazingly detailed charts. Cross stitch had moved on and I still feel like I'm playing "catch up!"

10. Meeting all of you through my blog has been a joy. I truly value the friendships I've made and the fun I've had over the past year. You are all so inspirational and I look forward to visiting you each week to say hello.


I also received another lovely award from Vinniey , Michelle, and Cath. I am so pleased that the three of you enjoy my blog and thought it worthy of the Sunshine Award. Thank you all so very much!

The rules for this award are very simple and are as follows:

1) Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
2) Pass the award to 12 bloggers.
3) Link the nominees within your post.
4) Let them know they received this award by
commenting on their blog.
5) Share the love and link to the person from
whom you received the award.

Well, for both blog awards I am taking the easy way out--I just have so many more than 10 or 12 stitching blogs that brighten my day whenever I visit them, so if I have commented on your blog lately--you are my sunshine and you all deserve these awards.

Thank you to all who shared my happiness in my DMC win last week--it is so nice to know my stitching friends are almost as excited as I was. Still trying to figure out how to organize it--any and all suggestions are welcome...