One short of a dozen...

Prairie Schooler oval Santas, that is! I guess I'd better hurry up and stitch one more so I'll have an even dozen. Hello, everyone... hope your month of June is off to a great start. This is the month my family has been counting down to for over a year--the month of my youngest son's wedding! It's amazing all the thought, preparation, and planning (not to mention money!) that goes into a wedding and then it's over in a flash. But, I know that their big day will be so memorable for the young couple--we can't wait to celebrate them and toast to their future!

I was bound and determined to catch up with the #12in26ornamentstitchalong that I host over on Instagram and I've done it! Two easy to stitch, easy to finish PS Santas helped me accomplish my goal. They've now joined their nine brothers who warmly welcomed them into the clan. Aren't they delightful? The gold-robed Santa and the one to his right in the red are my newest ornaments for May and June. 

Eleven jolly gentlemen for my tree

Of course, right after taking the group photo, I noticed something was missing! Can you spot my error? Yes, that new red-robed Santa has no buttons on his coat. Poor guy--without being able to button up his robe, it might get a bit chilly out there as he makes his rounds delivering toys to all the good little boys and girls in December. I thought about taking the easy way out and just gluing on a couple of beads, but I took a deep breath, threaded my needle, and managed to stitch the buttons even after it was fully finished. Not easy to do and not my best looking stitches, but that's okay :)  May's ornament is from PS Book No. 62 called "Kris Kringle." I used the suggested DMC colors and added tiny stems to the pears. The chart said that is supposed to be a partridge resting with the pears in the basket, but to me, it looks more like a quail with that feathery thing coming out from its head. 

A new PS Santa carrying a basket of pears

For June, a new color joins the blues, greens, and reds... Yes, my first gold-robed Santa and I love him! This one is from PS Book No. 43 "Father Christmas" and is stitched on the same 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle that I used for the rest of them. I used the suggested DMC colors except I changed the ecru to white so it would show up better on his beard and also changed the green to DMC 520. Both Santa's eyes and the berries on the wreath are done with Smyrna stitches to make them look rounder. I usually top the ornament with a small gingham bow, but had no ribbon in a gold color that would coordinate so I tore some fabric and used that instead. 

My ornament for June brings my first gold-robed Santa

So, do you have a favorite? I think mine are the two green ones with the goose and the birds. But, honestly, you can't go wrong with any Prairie Schooler Santa, can you?

I try to have my patriotic pieces out and on display for Memorial Day through July, but this year, I'm running a bit behind. I did manage to at least get them out of their storage drawer, but that's about it. Oh well...

My patriotic smalls: out of the storage drawer now, but still not on display

A very un-springlike May... So many of you are sharing photos of your lovely spring flowers, but I can't do that here. You see, our May was dreadful--cool and rainy and everything is running behind. Our peonies are just beginning to bloom, but that's about it! It's finally warming up to the low 70s this week, but our furnace is still coming on in the mornings due to the nights dipping down into the low 50s--crazy for June! And all of my friends in Europe were roasting have been roasting from their unprecedented heat wave! 

Here a tick, there a tick... everywhere a tick tick! What does seem to be here in abundance this spring are the horrible ticks that spread Lyme Disease! My poor husband has found three embedded in his arms in just the past couple weeks. It's honestly getting so bad here in Pennsylvania that I'm afraid to even walk on the grass. This excellent article, written by a professor at Penn State, mentions that Pennsylvania reports the highest number of Lyme Disease cases in the entire country (30% of the reported cases!). My husband got one of his from simply leaning over to pick a bit of lettuce from our garden. I so hope they can come up with a solution soon because this is a serious problem here for both humans and pets. There are currently vaccines in clinical trials, so I'm hopeful that we won't be dealing with them forever. Are Lyme ticks bad in your area?  

One of the teeny ticks, not much bigger than a pin-head, that we pulled from my husband's arm.

Here is a helpful fact sheet from the Pennsylvania Medical Society for anyone concerned about ticks that cause Lyme Disease:  

 

If you have a tick that you would like to have sent in for testing, here is a helpful link for you at TickCheck. My husband has one of the evil little fellows that burrowed into his arm on the way to be tested right now! 

I'm sorry to be going on and on about ticks and Lyme Disease on a cross-stitch blog, but it is very concerning for many of us. My youngest son calls it "Pennsylvania's natural disaster" because we're pretty isolated from the normal disasters such as flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. But, those tiny little ticks have made us all fearful!  If Lyme Disease is not caught and treated early on, the results can be debilitating.

Zzzzz.... My sleep has been even more out of whack than usual as I lie awake night after night and make lists in my head of all that needs to be done for the wedding. I saw this cartoon online and it is so me! I usually fall asleep just fine, but wake around 2 or 3AM and can't get back to sleep no matter what I do. Does anyone have any solutions? How about any of you--are sleeping problems part of your nighttime routine, too?

Me at 3 AM--wide awake while my husband sleeps soundly right next to me!

And so, a new month begins. For me, it will be one of fun family times and new beginnings and adventures. I'll be taking a little blog break, but promise to come back. I'd miss all of you very much if I didn't. I so appreciate each and every comment and email more than you know. Until next time... happy stitching! Bye for now... 

May stitching and celebrations

Gosh... it's been three weeks since my last post! Where has the time gone? May, as always, is a busy month for us. I'm never happier than when I'm with my dear family and we were fortunate to all be together for both Baby N's first birthday and Mother's Day earlier this month. With two of my sons living in the DC area, it's not often that we are lucky enough to see everyone at once, so this month was extra special, indeed. Before I fill you in on our get-togethers, I'll share my tiny bit of stitching/finishing for this month. 

For my April ornament, I stitched this charming Tralala design called "Pluie d'étoiles." Although I had one year of college French, I had no idea what that translated to. It turns out that it means "shower of stars"--a perfect name for this cute design. It is stitched "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana with a mix of overdyed and DMC threads. I ended up choosing most of my own colors to work better with the black background. For Santa's coat and hat, I used Weeks Dye Works "Blue Jay." That sweet deer is stitched using Gentle Arts "Apple Cider."

My April ornament: Tralala's "Pluie d'étoiles"

To finish this one, I simply added some handmade cording and tied a bow and hanger at the top. The pretty blue wool flannel fabric shown on the left is what I used on the back of the piece. As you can see, I'm still behind on my monthly ornament stitching! Part of the problem lies in the fact that I tend to be drawn toward very "stitch dense" designs... If I ever want to catch up, my next few ornaments will have to be less complicated. I'm bound and determined to catch up by June--bring on the Prairie Schooler Santas!

I also managed to frame Baby N's birth sampler which I shared with you back in this post in 2025. I ordered a dark blue frame from Franken Frames online and am so pleased with how it looks with the finished stitching. I was determined to give it to my grandson for his first birthday and I'm proud to say I got it done! 

The finally framed birth sampler for Baby N! All of those little cars in front were ones I had saved from my sons' childhood years (along with an entire basket full of even more!). Mister B has had a grand time playing with them over the years and I hope Baby N will, too.

This is "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company and is stitched on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle using the suggested DMC colors. The font that I used to personalize the sampler with his name, birth date, weight, and length can be found right here. It's called "Child Memory Sampler Alphabet" and is one of my favorites which I use quite often to personalize baby gifts.

Framed "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company

It's not easy to frame pieces with such distinct straight borders, but I feel like this came out quite well. If you remember from when I first shared this finish with you (in this post), I didn't know what to do about the spaces between the train cars. They weren't connected and there was an engine on each end! After a lot of back and forth, I simply decided to insert a stitched x in the middle of each space between the train cars and I think it works well. We were so busy with Baby N's party and Mother's Day that we neglected to get a photo of him with his new sampler--we'll have to make a point of snapping a few pictures very soon!

Framed just in time for Baby N's first birthday

But, I do have some photos of the new one-year-old to share! Still can't believe how quickly the year has passed. He's a huge boy (almost 28 pounds!) and I can barely lift him. He'll stand up in the middle of the floor on his own, but has shown no interest in walking. That will come... He babbles and laughs constantly, loves music, and adores entertaining all of us. He's just such a happy little boy--and the interesting thing is, I could tell from the day of his birth that he would have that easy-going, laid-back personality.  He's been a joy!

"I'm one!!" Baby N celebrating with some of his stuffed animals!

My daughter-in-law cooked a wonderful Mexican feast for all 70 of the party-goers (yes, 70!). She loves to cook and my son has been just a bit spoiled with all of her delicious meals. For the party, she prepared carnitas, beans, rice, and marinated some chicken for tacos. (Well, my husband did grill the chicken so I need to give him some credit!). For the dessert, she ordered a plain white frosted sheet cake from Costco--what a great idea! It saved some money and I had fun decorating it with Mister B. 

Mister B helping me decorate his brother's birthday cake

Mister B told me where to place the round dollops of frosting on the top and this is the result... What do you think? The cake topper that my daughter-in-law ordered didn't arrive in time, so we just placed a large Number 1 candle in the middle. Simple, but cute!

In addition to this cake, Baby N had a little "smash cake" all of his own on his real birthday on May 6th. We were able to enjoy his glee (and mess) via FaceTime.

Of course, a Mexican themed party had to include a piñata, and all of the kids had such fun whacking away at it trying to get it to open up and shower them with candy. In the end, after the kids took two turns each, my oldest son had to hit it really, really hard to get it to open up. And then came the squeals of delight from the children as they rushed to scoop up the candy treats.

Mister B sure loves piñatas (and especially the candy that pours out of them)!

This photo of my two littlest loves is one of my favorites. My daughter-in-law bought this little ball pit at Aldi (yes, Aldi!) a few months ago and it has turned into Baby N's favorite plaything. He crawls in and out rolling around in the balls, leaning back and falling into them, and throwing them everywhere. Such fun!

My two sweethearts: Mister B who will be 6 in July and our new one-year-old, Baby N

The day after Baby N's first birthday, we celebrated Mother's Day. My sons and husband prepared a wonderful brunch for me and my daughter-in-law complete with scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit, mimosas, and orange juice. I received some beautiful flowers, a cross stitch design for Charleston's "Rainbow Row," gift cards for a local ice cream shop and bakery (which I will not be using until after the wedding so I can manage to still fit into my dress!), and a vintage crock to add to my growing collection (from my middle son).  

Mother's Day flowers from my youngest son

 

Mother's Day flower's from my oldest son and daughter-in-law

It was a very special weekend for all of us and I can't wait 'til we're all together again for my youngest son's wedding next month!

Giveaway winner... Thanks to all who entered the drawing for this cute Lizzie Kate patriotic chart! I enjoyed reading about your favorite patriotic pieces and was happy to hear from readers who are new to my blog. There were quite a few entries and the winner's name picked from the proverbial hat is...

CINDY B! 

 

Congratulations to Cindy B! Please send me your mailing address and I'll get this in the mail to you as soon as I can. I'll be having more giveaways in the future so keep an eye on this space!

Farewell to a wonderful designer and friend... Many of you know that our stitching community recently lost a very special designer. Sadly, Nurdan Kanber of Twin Peak Primitives recently passed away leaving her beloved twin sister, Nursun. Such kind and gentle souls--so very generous in every way. I first got to know Nurdan and Nursun many years ago as Nurdan used to have a blog where she would often share her beautiful work and designs. Not long after, the twins began their own designing business which is now based in The Netherlands. Have any of you stitched a Twin Peak Primitives design? I have to say, I think Nurdan was among the most prolific designers around--simply one beauty after another. Such creativity and talent. My heart goes out to Nursun--I can't imagine losing a sister, let alone a twin and business partner. 

Nurdan will be truly missed by this wonderful stitching community of ours... I thought I'd share some of my favorite Twin Peak Primitive designs that I've stitched over the years in honor of her. (If you would like more information on any of these, just click on the link below each photo). And if you'd like to help support Nursun in her time of grief, please consider making a purchase from her Etsy shop (here) or from many  stitching shops. May you rest in peace dear Nurdan...

Patriotic Olde Truck

 

"Stitcher's Soul Journey"

"Snowman's Joy"

2019 Twin Peak Primitive Santa

When my oldest grandson was born, Nurdan and Nursun sent me this darling knitted monkey to give to him. So very thoughtful and a gesture that meant so much. That's just the sort of person that Nurdan was and that Nursun is...

The sweetest little monkey sent to me by the generous sisters of Twin Peak Primitives, Nurdan and Nursun, to give to my oldest grandson when he was born. 

So, yes... another death. They seem to be coming more and more often as I get older. I know that's to be expected, but it's still difficult to accept.

Ten days left in May... hard to believe. I'm working my hardest to get my Christmas ornaments for May and June all finished up by the end of the month. I know I won't have any stitching time at all in June with my son's upcoming wedding! Yikes... so many little details to still track down: earrings, shawl, etc. It seems never-ending for an event that is over within hours, doesn't it? But, I know the day will be a joyful start to a wonderful life together as husband and wife... We can't wait! Take care now and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of May. Bye for now... 

Three small finishes and a giveaway

Hope all of you have had a good April!  To be honest with you, I'm extremely happy to bid this month farewell--it's been a tough one for some of our dear friends and extended family members. We're fine here--our hearts just hurt for their pain. We're simply taking things one day at a time and doing our best to be supportive. Stitching has helped a bit--I don't feel that I was very productive this month, but I do have three small finishes to share with you today.

My March ornament is this charming Soda Stitch Design piece that I purchased on Etsy for only a few dollars. (You can find it right here, if you're interested). I like my ornaments on the smaller side, so I stitched it "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana using most of the suggested DMC colors. The only changes I made were to substitute DMC 3345 for one of the shades of green and to use DMC 3799 on the roofs of the teeny houses. I just love the sleeping Santa as he cradles the little town in his long, flowing beard. This is called "Santa Village" and, for the finish, I surrounded it with red handmade cording and topped it with two different bows and a silver bell. The red and white snowflake fabric in the back is what I used on the other side of the ornament. I'm so pleased with the final look!

My finish of "Christmas Village"

And, I stitched two Christmas ornaments for two new babies! Both will look familiar, especially the first one as this is the fourth time I've stitched it! Sadly, the chart is no longer available since the death of designer Brooke Nolan of Brooke's Books fame. It is called "Remy Rabbit" and I'm so glad I printed it off way back when it was first offered. Just a reminder--print off those freebies while you can! So many are removed from websites after a few years and are then no longer available. I used 40 ct. water green Newcastle and some of the suggested DMC colors along with a few of my own choices. Quite a few snowflakes were added to shape it into an oval and I added the baby's name underneath. The new mom told me it brought tears to her eyes when she opened my gift...

"Remy Rabbit" for a sweet baby girl

My second baby ornament finish (arriving a bit late as this baby girl is turning one in June!), is this cute piece by Tiny Modernist  called "Snow Much Fun at the North Pole." I also used 40 ct. water green Newcastle for this one (my last tiny scrap of this wonderful fabric). I changed up the colors for this one using pink and gray along with the black and white that were suggested in the chart. I then stitched the baby's name at the bottom of the snow globe, glued a miniature white pom-pom onto the penguin's hat,  added  pink and white cording, and topped it with a perky, pink polka-dot ribbon at the top. The backing fabric is the pink gingham fabric on the left. You can find the chart for this cute design in the 2017 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine. 

I've always loved pink and gray together and thought they worked especially well for this little girl's ornament.

 

If the above ornament looks familiar, I also stitched it for my oldest grandson's second Christmas back in 2021 using different colors. As you can see, I used the more traditional Christmas red and green for his. This is such a sweet design and you could personalize it with many different color combinations. 

The same ornament stitched in different colors for Mister B for his second Christmas in 2021.

I'm nearly done fully finishing my ornament for April so I'll share that with you next time! What are you stitching these days? Or are you too busy with gardening this time of year? Our gardens are going to have to just limp along this year as my husband is still not able to do any heavy lifting or digging since he's still recovering from his shoulder replacement surgery in January. But, that's okay--I'd so much rather he fully recover before he does anything that might cause problems. 

Giveaway... As I mentioned in a previous post, my sweet friend April (in Virginia) gifted me with a wonderful assortment of small charts to share with you as giveaways.  I thought one of you might like to stitch these classic Lizzie Kate patriotic charts if you haven't already done so. I actually stitched the one with the tall, skinny house way back in 2009 and I'm thoroughly embarrassed to admit that I never fully finished it! Maybe this year? 

If you'd like to win this LK chart, please follow the guidelines below:

If you would like to throw your name into the hat to win the above Lizzie Kate chart (both designs are included in this one chart!): 1) Please specifically say so in your comment, 2) Be sure to leave your email address if I don't already have it, and 3) Tell me the name of your favorite patriotic design finish and why you like it so much. Mine is "Fourth of July Picnic" by Samplers Not Forgotten--just love the old-fashioned look of it, the button tree, and that cute pup!  I stitched it back in 2023--you can read about my finish right here. I'll pick a winner for the Lizzie Kate "Land That I Love" chart and post the name next month. Good luck to all!

My favorite patriotic finish: Fourth of July Picnic

 

Statin update... I want to thank all of you who weighed in on your experiences with statins for cholesterol control. I'm pleased to say that I "think" my body has finally adjusted to the increased dosage. My cardiologist doubled it from 5 mg. to 10 mg. back in January and I was truly thinking about going back to the 5 mg. dosage due to increased muscle and joint soreness. But, all of a sudden... things seem to be almost back to normal. I had my lipid panel blood test last week and all of the results were good so I'm happy! Hope they stay that way!

It hasn't been the best year for our gardens as I mentioned above. Many of the cherry blossom trees suffered from the black knot fungus this year and the crab apple trees barely bloomed, possibly from apple scab fungus. So, not the prettiest of springs. But we did manage to get a few colorful flowers...

Aren't these tulips beautiful? I'm so thankful that may husband planted the bulbs last fall for me to cut and bring inside this spring!

The little plant that could... My middle son brought me this hibiscus plant last year for Mother's Day. Because we were down in Maryland helping with our newborn grandson for two weeks, he set it out on our patio table not thinking about our neighborhood deer. When we got home, the poor plant was bitten down to nothing--the deer loved it! We never dreamed it would survive, but we brought it inside and nursed it along all winter. Lo and behold--it's blooming again! Aren't these orange blossoms stunning? I'm planning on keeping it indoors this summer and safe from the deer!

Love the combination of the orange with the beautiful potted hydrangea plant that my husband gave me before Easter! Blue and orange were the colors of my oldest son's October 2017 wedding--such a lovely combination! 

Random thoughts for the month...

*Believe it or not, my younger grandson, Baby N, turns one year old next week! How time flies as we've watched in awe all the changes a baby goes through during those first twelve months.

*I just finished listening to a book that I gave a rare 5-star rating to called "The Sunflower House"--the debut novel by Adriana Allegri. Have any of you read it? Set in Nazi Germany, it deals with the notorious Lebensborn program where young women of "pure" blood were placed in houses specifically to give birth to future Aryan children, thus perpetuating the "master race." Over 8000 babies were born in this program in Nazi Germany.

*Only another six weeks 'til my youngest son's wedding. I'm trying not to stress, but it's just in my nature. I did find a dress which looks fairly decent on my 71-year-old body. I think I'm going to be the oldest person attending the wedding--now that is really something to make you think!  

*My youngest son visited us last week for a few days and, boy, did we need his positivity and cheerful demeanor. You see, my husband lost his second biking friend in less than two months in mid-April. There was a core group of five guys and now only three remain. We always joked that the guys saw more of each other than they did of their wives as they biked at least three times a week for hours at a time. You just never know when your time is up, do you? Their biking community is still in shock after losing two such special friends so close together. That really makes you think about how to live your life, doesn't it? Surround yourself with positive people and treat yourself to beloved hobbies, travels, and new experiences while you can.
 

And, on that note, I'll say goodbye for this month. On to May! I want to thank each of you for popping in and saying "hello" whether in your comments or via email. I love hearing from you. Have a wonderful new month, my friends! Bye for now...  

If not for Mister B...

... I wouldn't have put out a single Easter decoration this year! True! But, my grandsons visited last weekend and five-year-old Mister B called me out with "Nonna, why do you still have this St. Patrick's Day stuff out! It's over!" And he was right... old Nonna was just being lazy this year and didn't want to bother even thinking about Easter decor since no one would be here but my husband and me. So, off to my guest-room dresser (which is crammed full of seasonal smalls) I went and pulled out this drawer.

My dresser drawer of bunnies and chicks and all things Spring

I have a drawer for each holiday and the Easter/Spring drawer is almost full. But, I can't seem to stop stitching bunnies for some reason. They're just too cute to resist. Most of you are familiar with my Pottery Barn cubby that I like to decorate for the holidays. Would you believe I had never decorated it for Easter and Spring, though? Time to change that!

Love all the pastel shades of spring stitching after the long, grey winter we had here in Pennsylvania

I have far more Easter and Spring stitched smalls than there are spaces in the cubby so this is just a portion of them. Would you like a closer look? If you're wondering about a certain finish, just leave a comment (with your email address) or email me directly and I'll be sure to get back to you with the name of the piece and the designer...

 

 

If you are new to my blog, you may not know that the center square (number 13) is always reserved for my dear mother. That is her silhouette you see along with one of the ceramic shoes from her childhood collection, and my maternal grandmother's gold thimble. Oh, how I miss her--especially on holidays!

Which one is your favorite?

So, do you have a favorite? I think mine just might be that charming bunny couple in cubby 18. That is actually a freebie from The Snowflower Diaries called "Spring Bunny Love" which you can find right here. I recently updated my Favorite Freebies list in the right sidebar getting rid of links that no longer worked and adding new freebies. Check it out... you might just find something that calls your name!

I've been working on a couple of baby gifts and my Christmas ornament for March (just a bit behind) lately. I'm almost done with all three and I'll share them in my next post. Honestly, I haven't felt my best lately. I'm not sleeping well at all (very worried about several health issues with extended family members along with stressing about my son's June wedding). But, I think part of the problem might be the increased dosage in the statin I take to control my high cholesterol. My cardiologist doubled it and I haven't felt quite right since. I think a call to her is in order. Do any of you  who are taking statins have side effects from them?

What are your plans for Easter? Since all of our kids and grandkids were home last weekend for my youngest son's bachelor party (no the grandkids/women did not attend the bachelor party festivities--ha ha!), they won't be here this weekend. We were nicely invited to dinner at my middle son's girlfriend's mom's home so all I have to do is take a salad. I'm making this yummy Apple-Pear Salad which I've made before and everyone seems to love. I think this may be the first year ever that I didn't buy myself some little chocolate Cadbury mini-eggs... Oh, how I adore those, but with the wedding coming up in just two months, I really need to watch my diet. 

Thank you all so much for stopping in! I'm behind on my blog reading, but will catch up next week. I hope all of you who celebrate Easter have a wonderful day tomorrow with family and friends. Eat some chocolate for me, okay?! Hope to be back soon! Bye for now... 

Spring stitching as the snow flies...

I'm writing this on yet another snowy afternoon... Yes, it is March 17th (Happy St. Patrick's Day!), but, outside my window, it looks more like a winter wonderland. I actually don't ever remember a snow storm this late in the season. Our weather has been like a rollercoaster lately... We went from a high of 68° on Sunday to a high of 28° today--absolutely crazy! I'm so glad I can just stay in my cozy home and watch as the snow drifts and blows outside. It really is beautiful, but I'm very envious of those of you who have been sharing photos of spring flowers and sunny skies.

At least I have some spring in my stitching to share with you today!  I seem to be on a With Thy Needle and Thread kick lately because both of my latest pieces are Brenda Gervais designs. Doesn't this first one just scream spring to you? I mean, take a look at the sweet details... a plump robin, wee buzzing bees, that pink polka-dotted butterfly, and the multitude of pastel blooms. What could be more spring-like?

"Tis Spring! (at least in my stitching!)

This one is called 'Tis Spring! and it's probably one of my favorites. I stitched it 'over one' on 25 ct. mushroom Lugana with some of the suggested threads and some of my own choices. The pretty pale blue of the house is done in WDW Robin's Egg (the lighter part of the thread) while the blue bow is done using the same thread, but using only the darker portion. My piece is simply a brightened up version of the original design. When you have so much going on in a design, I think it's important to keep the finish fairly simple. So I sewed a little pillow and surrounded it with handmade cording made with DMC 598--quick and easy!

I love the color of blue that I chose for the house.

Here is a better look at the sweet robin standing on his nest with those bright blue eggs sitting inside...

Can you spot the teeny bees? So cute!

 

My second spring finish is called "Spring Delivery" (also by With Thy Needle and Thread) and is stitched on  40 ct. platinum Newcastle linen. I actually changed most of the colors in this one except for the rabbit (which is stitched with the called-for GAST Apple Cider). I also left off the ABC, 1234 that were charted and filled in those spots with more of the little "doo-dads" and changed up his eye a bit. 

"Spring Delivery" by With Thy Needle and Thread

I knew I wanted to frame this piece so off I went to rummage through my four Rubbermaid bins filled with thrifted frames (which are stored in my basement). I was hoping to find a rustic looking frame, but when I held up this beauty to my stitching, I totally changed my mind! I love how elegant the final look is--just shows you how a frame can make a major difference in elevating a simple finish. I think I paid $2.99 for this frame at Goodwill a few years ago--quite a savings from a professional framing job, I'd say!

An elegant frame for a sweet spring finish.

 

 

Giveaway winner... Now, if you recall, I was offering this chart as a giveaway in February. I was happy to see how many folks threw their names in the hat for this one and sure wish I had more than one chart to give away! But, the winner's name, randomly drawn, is...

 CHRISTEL  (in France)

Christel, you are the winner! Please send me your mailing address.

Congratulations to Christel! Please email me with your mailing address (my email is in the sidebar underneath the "A Bit About Me" section) and I'll send this chart out to you. I'll be having more giveaways in future posts, everyone, so please visit often!

Over the weekend, we celebrated a birthday for my middle son's longtime girlfriend. It was a milestone birthday for her so I wanted to make her day special. These mini-bundt cakes were fun and festive and very easy to make--you can find the recipe right here.  I halved the recipe since there were only five of us (her mother joined us, too) and everyone seemed to enjoy them!

Some mini-bundt cakes and a newly blooming white orchid. My neighbor gave me the lovely orchid for my birthday in January 2025 and I was thrilled when it bloomed again this month!

I'll leave you with a few of our unexpected mid-March snow photos. As I mentioned before--beautiful, but...

The snow began falling at dusk on Monday as our deer herd visited for their nightly supper (in other words--our lawn!).

 

Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny (for about an hour) and then the snow picked up again.

Is there anything prettier than a fresh snowfall against a bright blue sky?

You can see just how much snow fell from the depth on our patio table.

Love this titmouse trying to crack a sunflower seed as he carefully balances on the edge of the bird feeder.

I think the birds are especially appreciative of our efforts to feed them each winter--especially this one!

I want to thank you all for your comments on my last post and apologize for not acknowledging them. I've been having some issues with my eyes which make it difficult for me to look at my computer screen for very long so I've been limiting my time. I have a lot of trouble looking out at this bright snow, as well. Thankfully, my stitching doesn't seem to be affected!

Do you have anything special planned for this last half of March? My two favorite little people will be coming for a visit in ten days and I can hardly wait! We miss Mister B and Baby N so much, but didn't dare be around them while my husband was recovering from his shoulder replacement surgery. He still can't lift anything over a few pounds so I'll have to do the heavy lifting with the baby (who is one BIG guy!), but I've been actively trying to bump up my exercise routine to include heavier weights so I should be fine. We'll also be celebrating my oldest son's 44th birthday--where have the years gone?! Take care now, everyone, and I hope that by my next post I'll at least have some photos of pretty spring flowers to share! Bye for now...