And a new year begins!

First of all--Happy New Year! I hope 2024 is treating you well so far? I tend to have a love-hate relationship with the month of January--how about you? I love the fact that it brings such a sense of peace after the hustle-bustle of the holiday; I love having extra stitching time by cozy fires; I love it when it snows (which seems to be rarer and rarer these days!); and I (kind of) love turning a year older with my mid-month birthday on the 16th. But, January seems to drag on forever, it is gray and dull most of the time (I think I've only seen the sun twice since Christmas!), and the month just doesn't provide much inspiration, does it? My mother used to say that "If you can just make it through long, cold January, you're good to go for the year." I tend to agree! 

I have lots of finishes to share with you today! These were all gifts that I stitched for friends and family for Christmas. In addition to my monthly ornaments in 2023, I also stitched 14 pieces for either ornaments or cards last year. The clue to stitching little gifts to send out during the busy month of December is to work ahead--I start my gift stitching in January and continue it all year. The other thing I do to make it easier, is to stitch pieces that I've done before--that way I don't have to think about the colors or finishes and everything comes together more quickly. I'm sure you'll recognize many of the following gifts as ones I've stitched before in one form or another. I would love to be able to send something to each one of you, but, of course, that is impossible. So, just know how much I appreciate you reading my blog, leaving such kind comments, and sending those wonderful emails. I truly appreciate each of you!

This Madame Chantilly design is just a small portion of the "Celebrate Winter" chart. I stitched it on 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle with DMC threads.  I made an oval ornament by adding additional snowflakes, topping it with a gauzy white bow and handmade cording, and sewing on a tiny silver bell. Isn't it sweet?

A small motif from "Celebrate Winter" by Madame Chantilly

I also stitched the next ornament, "Red Bird Globe" by Bent Creek, for myself back in 2020 (in this post). I used 32 ct. Wichelt Twilight Blue fabric and finished it exactly like the one I made for myself, except I changed the type of white hanger and added a scrap of flannel tied to the side. The "snowflakes" are simply white beads scattered about.

Bent Creek's "Red Bird Globe"

This sweet snowflake was stitched from a chart in the book  "A Rainbow of Stitches" by Agnès Delage-Calvet. I used 40 ct. white Newcastle linen along with Aurifloss 4140 floss. Love the patterned ribbon and the tiny snowflake charm dangling from the bottom middle! The blue in the snowflake print on the ribbon just happened to match the shade of blue in the floss perfectly.

A single snowflake from "A Rainbow of Stitches" by Agnès Delage-Calvet

 

I'm sure you will all recognize this round Prairie Schooler ornament--it's one of my favorites and one I've often given as a gift! This is from PS Book No. 51, "Christmas Past." It is stitched "over one" on 28 ct. black Monaco using the suggested DMC threads. I'm sure I'll be stitching this one again and again! It's always well received.

One of my favorite Santas from Prairie Schooler's "Christmas Past" Book No. 51

This freebie design is an oldie, but goodie. You can find the chart right here if you would like to stitch it for yourself. This was stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle using DMC 115. I added a tiny brass reindeer charm along with a little red bell on the checkered bow for interest. Love the classic beauty of this one!

"Noel" freebie in DMC 115

Once again, I turned to Madame Chantilly's "Celebrate Winter" chart to stitch this sweet bird perched on a white house. This one is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle with DMC threads. I added a few snowflakes to shape it into a round ornament. Love the little pop the polka dot bow adds to the final finish!

A small motif from "Celebrate Winter" by Madame Chantilly

For a couple of sweet babies born in 2023, I stitched this ornament from Brooke's Books called "Remy Rabbit" (twice). This is a free design which you can find right here. I forgot to take a photo of one of them before I mailed it, but it's exactly like the ornament shown below except with a different name. This one is for my niece's brand new daughter who was named after my dear mother. Yes, I cried a bit as I stitched her name... I hope little Elinor treasures it as she grows older. For this one, I used 40 ct. water green Newcastle linen with my own selection of DMC threads. Again, I added snowflakes to shape it into an oval ornament. 

A baby ornament for my dear mother's namesake by Brooke's Books called "Remy Rabbit"

The following cards were also stitched and sent around the world...

A sweet motif from "Good Tidings to You" by The Sampler Girl (found in the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Magazine)

The Birds of a Feather "Love" angel stitched on 40 ct. white  Newcastle. I changed her hair color from blonde to brunette.

A trio of Prairie Schooler skating Santa cards from the booklet "A Merry Mini Surprise" (Book No. 215) stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle

And last, but certainly not least, I stitched a cute snowman ornament for my grandson, Mister B. I just had to stitch this in honor of the snowman that he and my husband created when we were visiting him in early December. Overnight, enough snow fell to build a small snowman and for him to go sledding down the little hill in their side lawn in Maryland. Oh, what fun he had! Here is the snowman the two of them made...

Mister B carefully explaining exactly where the snowman's "buttons" should be placed

And here is the snowman ornament I stitched for Mister B. It is by Stitching With the Housewives and is called "Let It Snow." I thought I was stitching it on 40 ct. black, but it turned out to be 32 ct. and for that reason, the coverage isn't the best (since I only used one thread). I stitched my grandson's name instead of the words "Let It Snow" on the mug (have blurred it out for privacy in the photo). Mister B got such a big grin on his face when he unwrapped it on Christmas morning! He now has  yet another "Stitched With Love by Nonna" ornament for his tree.

Whew! That is a lot of stitching for one post... Hope you enjoyed it and, perhaps, gained some inspiration for stitching your very own gifts for next Christmas!

Would you believe I still have my Christmas tree up? Am I the only one? I've never left it up this long, but I have to admit I'm truly enjoying the warm glow each evening when I turn it on. I had fully planned to take it down last weekend, but then this happened... 

The view of our back yard and pond: January 7, 2024

Can you spot the red cardinal snuggled in the rhododendron bush?

The snow gently falls as this sweet deer wanders into the woods

YES! We finally got snow--and I just had to leave the tree up a while longer :) I make no apologies--it just seemed right! But, the snow has now melted and I'm sure (well, pretty sure!) that I'll take it down this weekend. All the other Christmas things are boxed and put away in the attic so the tree shouldn't take long. I do hate saying goodbye to the ornaments for another 11 months, but, at the same time I know I'll love having my home back in order. 

I did take the Prairie Schooler ornaments off the tree and out of the Pottery Barn cubby for their very own photo-shoot last week. Just wanted to document what I've stitched through the years because at my "advanced age," I have to admit, I have trouble remembering which ones I've previously stitched. I'll be 69 years old on Tuesday... How can that be?!?!  I hope this final year in my 60s is a memorable one--and memorable for the right reasons!

A plethora of Prairie Schooler Santas!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you all have a relaxing weekend ahead with lots of stitching time. I'll be back later in the month with some new stitching--fingers crossed! Bye for now...

Stitching of the green

Top 'o the morning to you, my sweet stitching friends! How are you doing on this fine St. Patrick's Day? Are you wearing your green? Are you preparing any special Irish foods for dinner?  Are you feeling especially lucky today? I always thought I had no Irish blood, but after my middle sister dug a bit more into our family history, she discovered that indeed we do have a tiny bit on my maternal grandmother's side. That might explain why I love stitching with so many green threads this time of year. Or, perhaps, I just enjoy the many shades of green that represent the rebirth and blossoming of nature after our long winter here in the northern hemisphere. Whatever the reason, I have some cute new St. Patrick's Day finishes to share with you today!

I've stitched three new pieces for my Pottery Barn cubby and my favorite of the trio is this wee leprechaun. Isn't he darling carrying his giant clover--he looks like he's going to topple right over from the sheer size of it! This is called "Clover of Clovers" and can be found only in kit form from Bent Creek. I was lucky to be able to borrow just the chart from a stitching friend. Using all DMC threads (which I did change up a bit from what was suggested on the chart), it is stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle linen. I also gave the little fellow a pair of green socks rather than the charted black. The three golden yellow buttons represent some of the gold he's just found at the end of the rainbow. I thought the polka dot yellow ribbon was a perfect accent at the top.

Bent Creek finish: "Clover of Clovers"

 

Next up, is this very sweet design by Luminous Fiber Arts called "Gathering Clover." I just love Misty's series of birds which you can see right here. I think I'll be stitching "Gathering Honey" next for my summer bee display. Anyway, this piece marked a first for me! It was the very first time I stitched on 56 ct. linen! I just love how teeny tiny the stitches look and how small the piece came out. I used white 56 ct. Kingston linen with Gentle Arts "Green With Envy" thread. If you look at the button you'll see that I repeated the clover motif found in the birds' mouths. Yes, I made a little covered button and glued it onto the satin ribbon in the left corner. I really love how this one turned out and I'll definitely be trying other designs on the 56 ct. linen.

"Gathering Clover"--such a sweet design!

 

Finally, a finish from a new-to-me designer, Mamaida Pattern, on Etsy. This design caught my eye because it was so unusual--I don't think I've seen any St. Patrick's Day patterns similar to this one. It was only a couple of dollars and if you'd like to buy a downloadable copy for yourself, you can find it right here. This was also stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle using DMC 311 and 905. I finished it off very simply with some handmade cording in the same shade of green and added a couple of stacked buttons tied into the middle. A very fun and different finish for the holiday!

"Clover" cross stitch design by Mamaida Pattern

 

As you can see, I'm quite an eclectic stitcher! Are you, too? Or do you tend to stick with one theme or type of stitching? Below you have the cute Bent Creek, the sweet Luminous Fiber Arts, and the more modern looking Mamaida Pattern...

Such varied shades of green in this month's finishes! Which one do you like best?

I don't have that many St. Patrick's Day finishes for my Pottery Barn cupboard, but I still managed to create the fun display shown below for March. What do you think?

My March 2023 Pottery Barn cubby

I'll give you some close-ups and link to my finishes just in case you have any questions about what's what... Just click on the title of the stitched piece and it will take you to my post with all the information on that particular finish.

At the top is a lovely card from Robin in Virginia and two merry Irishmen from the book "Un Air de Fête" by Perrette Samouiloff. Below is:  "Basket O' Luck" by Pineberry Lane (in #1) and "Erin Go Braugh" by Pineberry Lane (in #3), "March--the Lion and the Lamb" by Rainbow Gallery (in #6) and Prairie Schooler's March finish from "A Prairie Year" (in #7). The sweet hand painted dish and pitcher (in #2) were from my maternal grandmother and I found the little green stein (in #8) in a thrift shop in Ohio last fall.

 

On top is With Thy Needle and Thread's "Holiday Hoopla St. Patrick's Day. Below is Mamaida Pattern's "Clover" (in this post above), Lizzie Kate's "March Stamp Flip-It," and Bent Creek's "Clover of Clovers" (in this post above)

Blue Ribbon Designs "Leprechaun Lodge" (in #14). The little clover cups in #19 were also a thrift store find.

The green bunny pitcher was a Goodwill find! My dear mother's silhouette in cubby #13 is adorned with a little shamrock bow for the occasion. "Two Wee Lassies" (in #17) and "Little Shamrock Girl" (in #18) are both by Pineberry Lane. "St. Patrick's Day kitty" from Embroiderbee's Primary Hive (in #22) and "Gathering Clover" by Luminous Fiber Arts (in #23) in this post above. The darling embroidered hankie (in #22) was one of my maternal grandmother's, too!

I know I'll be stitching more green-themed designs to add to my cubby next year. So, there you have it... another year of St. Patrick's Day stitching in the books! Do any of you have anything fun planned for the day ahead?

The impatient patient!

Surgery update... First of all, I want to thank all of you who sent positive thoughts and prayers for my husband's shoulder replacement surgery. It appears to have gone well, but we'll have a better idea after we visit the doctor today and get his evaluation of things at the first post-operative check-up. My husband is normally an extremely active man (biking, going to the gym, gardening, house repairs, etc.) so this having to rest and take it easy makes him a very impatient patient. I've actually had to get upset with him a few times and tell him to take it easier. You just can't rush the healing process after such a complicated surgery! It's been a long two weeks--let's just put it that way :) Thank goodness, my stitching is always waiting to help calm me down... I've been able to stitch a lot in between helping him shower, cutting his food, helping him get dressed, icing his shoulder, etc. With one arm in a sling, he is  limited, but he is hoping to be rid of the sling in another couple weeks. We aren't sure yet when he'll be allowed to drive again.

My husband received a number of sweet get-well cards and phone calls, but the nicest gift came from my youngest sister and her husband. If you ever want a gift that offers pure comfort, check out this nice box of goodies that came from Spoonful of Comfort. It's a wonderful gift for a far-away friend or family member who could use some tender loving care after an illness, a death in the family, or for someone who needs some cheering up.  It's rather pricey, but oh, my--the soup, rolls, and cookies were all so very tasty and they provided two meals for us at a time when we truly needed them. The cute silver soup ladle was also included and I loved how recyclable the packing materials were. This will definitely be on my list to give future loved ones who need a lift!

This gift of comfort food from my youngest sister and brother-in-law couldn't have come at a better time!

So, now it's just physical therapy and hard work to get back to normal for my husband. He's still having some pain and numbness now and then which is concerning, but hopefully it is normal after such a major operation. We'll find out more today...

As the weather forescasters predicted, March has been a colder month than February. So many ups and downs! Just last Saturday, I spotted this beautiful bluebird (which we rarely see here in my yard so I was super excited!) dining at the suet feeder.

♪ Bluebird, bluebird at my window ♪

 

And then just three days later, this was the scene out the back window of our house! Yes, snow--but not much and it melted the following day. It was just beautiful and made me wish we had had just a bit more snow this year. According to the National Weather Service we haven't had a winter with this little snow (only about 14 inches all winter!) since 1931!

We often get one last snowfall in mid-March and this year was no exception.

 

I hope you enjoy this last half of March and that your spring flowers are soon popping up all over your yards. Our daffodils are about to burst open--perhaps next week which is about the earliest I remember seeing them. Thank you all for your kind comments and emails. I know I have a few emails to respond to--I just haven't been on my computer much since my husband's surgery. I'll try my best to catch up with all of you over the coming week! Take care, everyone. Bye for now...

♣ Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!♣

Sending a little love on Valentine's Day

Good morning, my stitching friends! How are you doing on this "lovely" Valentine's Day? (That is actually wishful thinking--it is a mere 22° here this morning, the coldest weather we've had in a long time). The good news is that they are calling for partly sunny skies! Hmm... I'll believe it when I see it--it has just been one grey, cloudy, rainy, depressing day after another here in western Pennsylvania. But, we did get a nice snowfall a week ago (which promptly melted, although it sure was lovely while it lasted!). I'll share some photos with you later on in the post. 

I've finished my ornament for February and it is a cutie, if I do say so myself! This is Bent Creek's "Red Bird Globe" stitched on a piece of mystery color/mystery count fabric. I think it may be 36 ct. linen as I used only one thread, but I did end up using two strands on the white "snow" part to provide better coverage.  The fabric is a very pretty blue/grey color--sure wish I knew what it was as I'd love to buy more of it for winter stitching. The white shows up so well, doesn't it? Isn't this cardinal sweet--I just think his little striped scarf blowing in the wind is adorable. I used Smyrna stitches on the scarf and the lighter brown bands on the globe's base to provide texture. The bird is stitched all in Week's Dye Works "Indian Summer" using the darker portion of the thread for the wing.

My February Ornament finish

I kept the finish very simple on this one--just added beads for the snow (as was charted) and applied a simple white cording and hanger. I seem to be in a "less is more" mood lately as I think too many extras detract from the stitching in many cases. The fabric shown behind the ornament is what I used to back it (another of my husband's old shirts!).  Anyway--so far, I'm happy to say I'm keeping up with my monthly ornament challenge for 2020.

Bent Creek's "Red Bird Globe" finish

For the first time in many years I did no new stitching for my Valentine's Day collection. I did post a few photos on Instagram of a new display which were well received. I got the chippy white basket at HomeGoods last year, but hadn't used it until now. Because the bottom is quite open in each basket, I had to put some shredded raffia in the bottom to get the pieces to stand up. 

Baskets of red and white for Valentine's Day!

These are the more red-themed Valentine's pieces--the pinker pieces are in my corner cupboard. 

Some of my Valentine's finishes from years past

The sweet girl and boy finish on the right is still one of my favorites from my finish last February!

But... I did do some Valentine's stitching for others. Over on Instagram, my dear friend, Claire (Blackberryhill1), wrote on her January 10, 2020 post these words, which ring so true: "As stitchers we carry a long history of creating comfort. A small, handmade item and a few kind words can be a great comfort to someone in need." In an effort to provide some comfort and to let them know we are thinking of them, Claire designed a sweet heart pattern to stitch and make into a pincushion to send to our Australian stitching sisters who have been affected by the horrific wildfires. You can get a copy of the pattern at Wool Penny Rug Supplies by clicking here and then clicking on the button that says Wendy Williams. 

After you've stitched your pincushion, simply sew it up on three sides and leave about 1 1/2 inches open on the fourth side for stuffing.  Turn, press, and you're all set to mail it off--the actual stuffing of each one will be done in Australia. The owners of the Virginia Beach shop, Dyeing To Stitch, offered to act as a collection point in the United States and mail everyone's contributions at once thus saving a lot of money on postage. So, I'll be mailing mine to them next week at Dyeing To Stitch, 5312 Kemp's River Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464. ***Important: the deadline for getting it sent to the Dyeing To Stitch shop is February 28th, 2020!*** (If you are not in the U.S. and would like to contribute a stitched heart, you can mail them directly to Australia to: Wendy Williams, PO Box 638,  Drummoyne 2047, Sydney, Australia).

♥♥♥ They ask that you include a short note, as well... I hope you'll each consider sending some love to Australia this Valentine's Day--these only take a few hours to stitch up! ♥♥♥

A pretty red heart with its flannel backing fabric

I used Sulky threads for this one and loved stitching with just one thread on 30 ct. fabric. I didn't leave enough room for the outlined straight stitch border, but think it looks just fine without.

Two heart pincushions will soon be finding new homes with two Australian stitchers!

I received some love of my own this week in the form of another birthday package from a friend in Arizona. Oh, my--I was so spoiled! Just look at all of these charts, floss, and other goodies from her! The silks are such lovely pastel colors--makes me want to drop everything I'm working on and delve into a spring project. ♥ Thank you so much, my friend--you are one of the most thoughtful people I know. ♥

My birthday gifts continue! Thank you so much to a stitching friend in Arizona!

I had a number of folks wanting to win the cute snowman chart from the last giveaway with the unforgettable name: "Mr. Shivers." I've drawn a name from the proverbial hat and the winner is...

BARBARA in Florida!

Congratulations, Barbara! You're the winner!

Congratulations, Barbara--please send me your mailing address and I'll get the chart out to you next week. I hope he doesn't melt on his way to sunny, warm Florida! Thank you to all who entered!

New Giveaway... Since the snow has finally fallen here in western Pennsylvania (even though it has now all melted away), how about another snowman chart to give away to one of my readers? I found this adorable snowman and rabbit chart in an old issue of Leisure Arts. How cute is the little bunny in this one? Do you think he's taking the snowman's carrot nose or offering him it? Anyway, if you'd like to be entered into the giveaway for this chart (pulled from an old magazine--I will be folding it to fit in a legal sized envelope when I mail it): 1) Please say so specifically in your comment below, 2) Make sure to include your email address if I don't already have it, and 3) Tell me how you feel about snow! Me? I love seeing it as long as I don't have to go outside. **** I'm sorry, but if you don't include your email address, you won't be included in the drawing. I've had too many past winners who never claimed their prizes and I don't think it's fair to those who regularly read my blog who enter and want to win.****

If you would like to win this cute snowman and bunny chart: 1) Specifically say so in your comment below, 2) Include your email address if I don't already have it and 3) Tell me how you feel about snow!

 

In my last bit of stitching talk, I was asked on Instagram last week how much time I spend stitching each day. The stitcher who inquired seemed to think I was a fast stitcher (oh, I definitely disagree!) and was curious as to how much time I spent. Of course, it varies from day to day and season to season. I certainly spend more time in the winter than in other seasons. Spring brings more outdoor chores and summer and fall bring more vacations and trips. But, on average, I would say 3-4 hours a day. I try to sit down each morning for a couple of hours and then do the same in the evening. On a really good day, I may sneak in an afternoon session as well. My problem is--I'm very easily distracted. I think I need to just start putting my phone in another room while I stitch so I won't be tempted to look at Instagram, check my email, scroll through Pinterest, etc. I've noticed a big improvement in the amount I stitch when my phone isn't within grabbing distance! How about you? How long do you manage to stitch on average? Do you stitch in peace and quiet, listen to a recorded book or music, watch television? I'm usually watching TV or listening to a book--it all depends on how engrossed I am in a particular book. Anyway, I'd love to hear your "normals" when it comes to stitching times...

Snow... at last!  With what is fast becoming a record "lowest-snowfall ever" winter here, I never thought I would say this, but... I truly miss seeing the snow. We haven't even had to shovel our sidewalks or driveway all winter! So, I was thrilled to see a few inches covering the landscape when I woke up last Friday. And even more thrilled to see it was the "cover everything" type of snow that looks so magical. For those of you who have no snow in your part of the world (or who don't like snow and just enjoy pictures of it!), I thought you might enjoy these photos.

Looking out onto our back yard: February 7, 2020

Picnic in the snow, anyone? Brrr...

The snow looked like icing as it covered every branch and twig in sight!

It even stuck to the sides of the picket fence.

A sweet male cardinal spent a long time gobbling up the sunflower seeds.

Thank you so much for visiting me today--a big welcome to my new followers. I hope the rest of February is good to you--I should be back with a completed larger finish by the end of the month. Thank you, as always,  for your sweet comments and emails--they really make my day! Stay warm now--and happy stitching. Bye for now... 

♥♥♥ Sending each of you a little Valentine's Day love  ♥♥♥

Sunny Days and An Amazing Coincidence!

Well, hello there! Have you missed me? It's only been three weeks since my last post, but it seems like much longer! That's what happens when you are traveling (and boy, have I been traveling!). You seem to lose all track of time and current events when you are on the road (or in the air!). We flew to San Diego to visit our oldest son for five days, flew home, then three days later, we drove to Washington, DC to visit our youngest son last weekend. And then this weekend I'll be driving to New York to visit my mom for Mother's Day and her 92nd (!!!) birthday which is next Tuesday. That will make three weekends in a row that I've been away from home! To say I've had limited stitching time is an understatement, but I would gladly give that up for a chance to visit with our sons and my dear mother. 

Stitching update... I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of stitching to share with you today... I do want to show you this cute bunny who flew out to California with me and liked the climate so much that he is now making his home with my son and daughter-in-law. I mean, can you blame him? The weather out there is so much sunnier! This is "The Little Bunny" by Bent Creek and is stitched on 32 ct. flax Belfast linen with overdyed threads. The frame is part of a set of about fifteen 5" X 5" frames that I bought used on eBay years ago. (I remember the seller advertising that they had been used to display his insect collection. Hmmm...) Anyway, I painted the once-brown frame off-white and distressed it and think it showcases Mr. Bunny very nicely! The bunny is mounted on sticky-board covered with batting and then glued onto the fabric covered green and white polka-dot backing. A very simple finish that will make a nice addition to my son and daughter-in-law's Easter decorations.

The Little Bunny by Bent Creek finished for an Easter gift

Here is a close-up of his face--I think he has the cutest expression! He looks a little bit lost and just a tiny bit wistful, don't you think?

That face--who could resist it?!

Before we left for California, I framed two older finishes by Country Cottage Needleworks. "The Bakery" (finished in 2015) and "The Flower Shop" (finished in 2016) have been languishing in a dresser drawer just waiting for me to stop procrastinating and frame them. I bought the frames from Franken Frames online and think the black was a great choice! As always, I used the framing tutorial that you can find right here. It seems that I'm becoming more confident in my framing abilities--guess the more you do it, the easier it gets!

Country Cottage Needleworks "The Flower Shop" and "The Bakery" are finally framed after 3+ years!

You can read about my finish of  "The Bakery" right here...

I'd love to have a taste of everything in that pretty bakery!

My changes to "The Flower Shop" finish are detailed in this post...  I totally changed the sign at the top as I wanted it to match the one on "The Bakery." It originally was charted to look like this. I so enjoyed stitching both of these and think they will be a wonderful addition to my kitchen right next to my back door!

Country Cottage Needleworks "The Flower Shop"

Those lovely flowers in the photo above are columbine from my garden and a branch of the gorgeous (and fragrant) crab apple tree near our patio that blooms so beautifully each spring. And below are some of the gorgeous tulips that my husband planted for me last fall--such a welcome treat after a cold winter!

Amazing that such pretty flowers grow from ugly brown bulbs!

I won a giveaway on Instagram recently from a very kind stitcher in England. She sent me three sweet JBW Designs charts which I know I will enjoy stitching! Thank you so much, Linda--I really love them... The Instagram community is so supportive and encouraging. If you would like to follow me on IG, just click here. There is an amazing amount of beautiful stitching from around the world to tempt any stitcher--I love it!

Three lovely charts from Linda in England

So, what did we do in sunny San Diego? Well, I have another hiking story to tell you--but, a good one this time (unlike the "hike from hell" that we went on in Panama!!). Garnet Peak Trail is located in  Cleveland National Forest and we decided that it would be a moderately difficult hike for a hot, sunny day. The hikes in southern California are mainly in desert areas--very little greenery like we have in the East. The pictures below give  you a good idea of the topography as we hiked and I've included a photo of the four of us relaxing at the top of the peak enjoying the views...

Scenes from Garnet Peak hike

Anyway, we had reached the top of Garnet Peak and were resting there chatting when another couple appeared. I asked them if they were from the San Diego area and the man said they lived in a nearby county and asked where we were from. When I told him we lived in the Pittsburgh, PA area, he replied that he had relatives in Bradford, PA which is on the very northern border of Pennsylvania and New York. I was shocked and told him that I had grown up just over the border from Bradford and he said, "Well, actually, I spent the first twelve years of my life in a tiny town called *******." (for privacy reasons, I've choosing not to give the exact name) I almost fell off the peak right then and there when he named it--that was my home town!! I spent my entire  childhood there from age five until I left home to get married at age 22 after college! Honestly, what are the chances that I would meet someone on a mountain top in California who grew up in my teeny village on the other side of the United States?! I mean this was one tiny, tiny town--a single traffic light and a few side streets--really just a blip on the map. Blink and you miss it--that sort of town. Unbelievable, really...  We reminisced about what a lovely place it was to grow up and just marveled at the coincidence... his street was just two streets away from mine! As far as I can tell, he must have left our town right about the time my family moved there in 1960. Anyway--what a fun discovery!

We also spent an afternoon on the USS Midway--an aircraft carrier commissioned right after WWII and decommissioned in 1992 after having seen action in both the Vietnam War and the Operation Desert Storm. What was once the longest serving U.S. Navy aircraft carrier of the 20th century that housed 4100+ soldiers, is now a highly rated museum. Today, there are 30 restored jets and helicopters on the flight deck that provide visitors with an audio history of each aircraft--often narrated by one of the former pilots. We got to tour not only the flight deck and captain's bridge, but the below deck areas that included a chapel, barber shop, laundry, sick bay, and the kitchen / food galley (which served an amazing ten tons of food each day). It was really an impressive and educational experience and I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area.

This isn't my photo, but I'm including it to show the huge size of the ship (in the middle) with the city of San Diego in the background

Here are a few photos I took onboard--I can't imagine landing a jet on an aircraft carrier out in the middle of an ocean, can you? Well, let's face it--I can't imagine landing a jet anywhere!

Scenes on the USS Midway aircraft carrier

My favorite experience of our latest San Diego trip was to see The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. Oh--such beauty everywhere! The Flower Fields are most known for the beautiful ranunculus flowers that cover much of the 50+ acre farm. I think I may just have a new favorite flower and I'm planning to plant some bulbs soon! The farm is only open for two months each year and will close for this year after Mother's Day. I'm so glad we were visiting San Diego at the right time of the year!

The entrance to The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch

A rainbow of radiant ranunculus!

Wouldn't you love to have the view that the people living in those apartments have?

There were small gardens of other spring flowers, too--these delphiniums were my favorites (of course!) with all the blues!

Sitting in this giant Adirondack chair makes everyone look like a kid again! And notice the little birdie perched at the very top, photo-bombing our picture.

Memories of The Flower Farm ~ April 2019

San Diego truly is one of the prettiest areas of the United States--cool and sunny most of the year, its climate is nearly ideal (although a bit too cool for me this visit being in the low to mid 60s!). Just walking in my son and daughter-in-law's neighborhood was a feast for the eyes with all of these beautiful flowers blooming that I've shown in my collage below. I think I would enjoy walking for miles and miles if I lived there! Everything was green and lush as they've had more than the usual amount of rain this year...

Southern California beauties

If you've never visited the area, I highly recommend it. Living there is another thing altogether with the very high cost of houses--oh, my, I was shocked at how much they cost! Anyway, we loved our visit with our oldest son and daughter-in-law--just wish they lived closer as it takes almost a full day to get there since we have no direct flights available.

More goodies! Here is yet another fattening, but delicious recipe that I made for Easter. Since it was just the four of us, I made cupcakes rather than a large dessert. These are carrot cake cupcakes and you can find the recipe right here--very, very tasty and easy to make... I only made half of the frosting recipe and it was plenty! I am slowly learning to decorate cupcakes with the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set that I purchased on Amazon last month. I think they turned out quite well for my first try!  

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

GIVEAWAY TIME!  In honor of Mother's Day, I found a pretty chart to give away to one of my stitching friends. Since my mother's favorite bird is the hummingbird, I thought this lovely chart would be perfect to give to one of you. This is a chart removed from an old "Cross Stitch & Country Crafts" magazine from March/April 1990. If more than one person wants this, I will pick a name out of the proverbial hat... The deadline for entering will be May 24th, 2019. To enter, please: 

 a) Be a follower of Stitching Dreams

 b) Leave a comment below telling me you want to enter and make sure to include your email address (if I don't already have it)

 c) Answer one of the following questions: What is one of your fondest memories of motherhood? or What is one of your fondest memories you have of your own mother? 

I think it's only fair that I answer the question, too--don't you? For me, my fondest memories were lying in bed and reading to my three sons each and every night--I absolutely loved those times. All of my sons (now in their 30s) are avid readers now and I like to think that those early days of reading to them before bedtime had something to do with that. (Rocking them in my old creaky rocking chair and singing them to sleep when they were babies comes in a close second in my list of favorite memories!).

I'm giving away this beautiful hummingbird chart

I hope all of you who are mothers have a wonderful Mother's Day this coming weekend. This will be the first Mother's Day in 37 years that I haven't been with one of my sons... But, I'll be with my own dear mother and I so look forward to our time together. I hope to be back with my Christmas ornaments for March, April, and May by the end of the month--yes, I have never been this far behind in my monthly ornament stitching. Wish me luck! Thank you all for your wonderful comments and emails--I truly appreciate each one.  Bye for now...