January musings

Well, this has certainly been one frigid month, hasn't it? I'm hoping that when February arrives the tide will turn and things will begin to warm up... It does make for good stitching weather, but I've found it hard to settle lately. The world seems to be spinning out of control lately and even my stitching doesn't  seem to be helping relieve the stress. So few stitches have been added lately...

The finishes I'm going to share with you today were all stitched and given away as Christmas gifts in December. Thankfully, all arrived safely and in good time. After much thought, I've come to the decision that I won't be exchanging stitched gifts any longer. To be honest--I'm simply getting older and my eyes are as well. I just don't stitch as quickly as I used to and what extras I do stitch, I'd like to be for my family. I truly hope everyone understands--and may even be a bit relieved! I've received so many wonderful gifts over the past 17 years since I began blogging--from all over the world: the U.S. and Canada, of course, but also England, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Germany, The Czech Republic, Austria, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa! Amazing, how a simple hobby like cross stitch can draw us together. We may not speak the same languages, but we speak the language of needle, thread, and fabric--one tiny thread  on a blank canvas that starts out as a single stitch and grows into a beautiful design. I'm so thankful for each of the gifts my fellow stitchers have sent me since I began my blog on January 24, 2009 (17 years ago tomorrow!). But, I'm even more thankful for the friendships!

Many of these designs are ones I've stitched for myself in the past, including this first one. I'll post the details on each finish in the caption underneath the photos...

"Joys of Christmas" by The Drawn Thread stitched on 28 ct. dirty linen. Love the two-colored cording and teeny buttons on the snowman!

 

"Good Tidings to You" by The Sampler Girl (found in the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine). I stitched this one "over one" on 28 ct. tea dyed Monaco with DMC threads (I changed the red to DMC 221).

 

Prairie Schooler's "A Christmas Visit" (Book No. 48). I stitched this sunflower Santa on 40 ct. vintage country mocha with the suggested DMC threads. 

 

This cutie gingerbread boy card is by Crocette a Gogò from the chart called "Christmas Green Chic." I also stitched this one in 2024 and made it into an ornament which you can read about here. 

 

Peace and Noel from Hands on Design's "Oh, Christmas Three" chart made into greeting cards. They're both done "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana.

 

A trio of charming cardinals, stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha are from "Christmas Advent Calendar" by Crocette a Gogò. She also has some wonderful free charts on her website right here.

 

For my 5-year-old grandson, Mister B, I made this cute dinosaur sporting a Santa cap. He is stitched "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana with the suggested DMC threads. The chart is one I found on Etsy (right here) by MaxStitchesArt and is called "Christmas Velociraptor."

 

And I know you'll recognize this gingerbread boy ornament--I think I must have stitched it at least 10 times now! It is from the JBW Design's chart called "Baby's First Christmas." I changed up the colors a bit and stitched it on 32 ct. black Belfast linen. This was for my youngest grandson and is always my go-to gift for new baby boys.

  

 

Shoulder replacement surgery update... Thank you to all who wished my husband well on his right shoulder replacement surgery which took place on January 5th. The surgery itself was supposed to last 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the 3rd hour wrapped up, I was beginning to worry that I hadn't heard from the doctor yet! About 15 minutes later, the doctor finally appeared in the waiting room to say everything was fine. She explained that it took longer than normal because "the component was larger than expected." WHAT?! I can just picture them scrambling around to find the "right size component" for my husband's shoulder! Anyway, he's been home recovering for over two weeks now--and, like most men, he is a very "impatient patient." At times I feel like I'm having to tell a toddler "no!" "No, you can't go shovel the driveway," "No, you can't do a spin on the exercise bike," "No, you can't lift that heavy pan!" You get the idea... 

He received some much appreciated and extremely thoughtful gifts during his recovery. For those of you who are looking to do something special for someone who is recovering from surgery, any of these would make fine gifts. It looks like a lot of food, but my youngest son had driven up from D.C. to assist us that first week and he certainly helped gobble everything up very quickly! 

The dried fruit tray on a bamboo cutting board was a gift from his old office and came from 1-800-baskets.com. The wonderful fruit and chocolate tray came from a former coworker from Edible Arrangements. And the containers of chicken noodle soup and yummy rolls and cookies came from my youngest sister and her husband from Spoonful of Comfort. All were just wonderful! 

Another trip around the sun... Yes, I'm a year older! After all that worrying when I turned 70, I'm happy to say I survived my first year in my '70s just fine. My 71st (how can that be?!) birthday on the 16th was very quiet this year since my husband was recovering from his surgery. My middle son came over that evening and picked up pizza on the way so I wouldn't have to cook. I received some wonderful cross stitch charts and linen, gift cards to a restaurant, Etsy, and 123 Stitch, and a box filled with a dozen tasty chocolate-covered strawberries. But, the very best gift of all (in my eyes) was the fact that my dear husband, one-handedly, made cupcakes so I would have a sweet treat. Now, in our nearly 49 years of marriage, I don't think he's ever baked a cupcake--and for him to do so while recovering from shoulder surgery truly touched my heart. They were so good--chocolate (made from scratch!) with peanut butter frosting (I did make the frosting and decorate them for him as he couldn't use the mixer or pipe the frosting with one hand). For me, it's always been the simple gestures like this that have meant the most in our marriage. How about you? 

My 71st birthday and still smiling :) 

The best thing about growing older has been experiencing being a grandmother. The joy that Mister B and Baby N have brought me is almost indescribable. They just love me for me! Even if I appear on FaceTime with rumpled bedhead hair still in my pj's--they still smile and seem excited to see me and my heart just melts. 

Grandma stage--the best stage in life!

Time does pass by way too quickly in our older years, doesn't it? As kids, we were always anxious to get to our next birthday or next milestone, but when you're older, you only wish for time to slow down. I'm still in awe of the many changes a baby goes through in that twelve month period before the first birthday. From helpless blobs to rolling over to sitting to crawling to standing to those first hesitant steps. It's quite a miracle, really. I'm so blessed to still be here to witness these sweet boys growing up!

Baby N turned 8 months old this month

 

Mister B instructing Baby N in the fine art of car racing!

So, what's on my agenda for the last week of January? Would you believe I still have my Christmas tree and outdoor lights up?! That is a new record for me, for sure. I've so enjoyed the light from them this month, but it's time... I'm not going to turn into one of "those" neighbors :) So, after the last bit of Christmas is tucked away, I plan to do some cleaning out of closets and drawers. Who am I kidding that I'll ever wear those clothes from fifteen years ago that no longer fit? I hope you enjoy this final week of what always seems to be a long, dull month. Take care now--especially those of you who are in the path of the ice and snow storm that is forecast here in the U.S. A foot of snow is expected in our region--we'll see how accurate the weather service is this time! Thank you all for stopping by to say "hello!" Bye for now...

In Everything, Give Thanks

It's almost Thanksgiving! Are you ready? I've been cleaning and baking like a fiend--my house never looked (or smelled!) so good. Seriously, though... it's so nice to have the windows sparkling, floors cleaned and vacuumed, and freshly made beds just waiting for a house full of guests! My little grandson (Mister B) arrives tonight and will be here for an entire week--I can't wait! This will be his first Thanksgiving with us and I can't wait to introduce him to our family favorites. Of course, his mom and dad will be coming, too :) My youngest son and his girlfriend arrive from Washington, DC on Thursday morning and later that day 20 of us will gather around our table and give thanks for our blessings. It's been a very difficult year for my husband's side of the family and this will be the first holiday without my mother-in-law. She loved Thanksgiving so very much and I'm happy that she inspired that same love in all of us. How will you be spending Thanksgiving? Are you hosting like me or traveling to be with a loved one?

My Pottery Barn cubby was looking a bit anemic in terms of Thanksgiving decor so I quickly whipped up three new finishes for it. The first one is a freebie from Heartstring Samplers called simply, "Give Thanks." It can be stitched on a lighter fabric or on black, but you know me--I chose the black, in this case 25 ct. black Lugana. I used the suggested DMC threads and stitched it "over one" to make it small enough to fit into my cubby (whose squares are just 4 ½ inches by 4 ½ inches). You can find this lovely chart right here.

"Give Thanks" freebie--love it on the black and I thought the little acorn charm in the upper corner was so sweet!

 

Another freebie, compliments of Heartstring Samplery is this sweet design called "Grateful Thankful Blessed." It is available by clicking this link along with many other delightful designs from Beth Twist. I certainly appreciate the generosity of so many of the cross stitch designers at this time of year! This was stitched "over one" on 25 ct. vintage country mocha Lugana using Crescent Colors 'Pine Needles' and 'Autumn Spice' and Weeks Dye Works 'Chestnut.' I love the simplicity of this design and finished it using a mustard yellow round metal disc that I had in my stash. I think the metal disc was supposed to be used to hold candles, but it makes a great background for round finishes, too. 

"Grateful Thankful Blessed" freebie finish

 

My final Thanksgiving finish is a chart I've had in my stash for years--I'm so glad I finally stitched it! I just love those white pumpkins in this charming piece by Hands on Design. It is called "Give Thanks" and is stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle using all of the suggested threads (except I substituted Gentle Arts 'Tin Bucket' for the dark grey color). Do you like the final finish with the two brown fabrics separated by some ecru ric-rak? I think it's my favorite of the trio. Which one is yours?

"Give Thanks" by Hands On Design--love those white pumpkins

A Thanksgiving trio of new finishes for my cubby

 

So would you like to see the Thanksgiving version of my Pottery Barn cubby? I still have a few more spaces for future little pillows, but I rather like the way objects such as the squirrels or the Pilgrim couple add interest to the whole look.

Pottery Barn cubby all decked out for Thanksgiving

I'm often asked questions about individual finishes so I'll give you some close-ups with links to my finishes (where available--some were stitched before I began blogging!). Just click on the name of the piece and it will take you to my original post where you can learn more about that particular finish.

Top row: Prairie Schooler turkey from "Spring & Fall" (Book No. 90), "Be Ye Thankful" by The Cricket Collection  Middle Row: "Harvest Sampler" from a Leisure Arts book called "Holiday Reverie," "Pumpkin Patch" from Just Cross Stitch Magazine Sept/Oct 1988 Bottom Row: "Thanksgiving Spots" by The Trilogy

Top Row: Prairie Schooler Turkey from "A Prairie Year" (Book No. 13) stitched before I began blogging, Pilgrim couple stitched so long ago I have no idea what book it came from  Middle row: "Autumn Tree" by The Trilogy (I recently updated this finish as I never liked my initial one which you can see here),  "Let Us Be Truly Thankful" by Heartstring Samplery Bottom Row: "French Country Squirrel" by JBW Designs

Top row: Turkey pouch from Prairie Schooler Book No. 52 "Prairie Year Rounds," "Thankful" freebie by Primitive Betty Middle Row: Prairie Schooler "Autumn" from an issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine (unfortunately, I did not record the issue), Block from "Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow" by Carriage House Samplings (I substituted the sheep that was charted with squirrels) Bottom Row: "Grateful Thankful Blessed" by Heartstring Samplery (in this post), "Joyful Autumn" by Homespun Elegance

 

 

 

 

 

Top row: The Pilgrim couple are actually salt and pepper shakers that I got years ago when I was first married, "Give Thanks" freebie by Heartstring Samplery (in this post), my dear mother's silhouette and ceramic baby shoes that are always showcased in the center cubby Middle Row: "Give Thanks" by Plum Street Samplings (in this post), PS Autumn (see caption from previous photo) Bottom Row: "Give Thanks" by Hands On Design (in this post), "Thanksgiving Bird" by Heart in Hand Designs

Here are a couple more photos of the entire cubby... Do you have a favorite? I think my favorite is the little Prairie Schooler turkey pouch filled with shafts of wheat in cubby 13. I just love it!

It's been frigid here--a shock after the unseasonably warm weather that we enjoyed in early November! In fact, we even had our first snow of the season last week. It was so beautiful, but only lasted one day. I was really hoping we would have snow for Thanksgiving, but it's getting up into the '50s that day. Oh well, the warmer weather definitely makes it easier for travelers. I'm just thankful that we didn't get that crazy 6+ feet of snow that they had in the Buffalo, NY area. That is my hometown (I lived there until I was five) and I still remember the huge snowstorms that crippled the area even back in the 1950s. I just can't imagine digging out after that much snow!

First snow of the season: Tuesday, November 15th

This acrobatic squirrel wasn't letting the snow keep him from stealing the bird seed!

 

That's about it for today--it's time to get back to my baking! There are pies to be made and muffins to be baked, as well as a pumpkin roll to create, and the cookie tray to put together. Thankfully, baking is one of my favorite things to do... 

I can't leave without thanking each of you for your heartfelt comments on my previous post about the flooded Florida house and the death of my mother-in-law. I cried even more as I read through them, but they were happy tears knowing I have so many caring friends out there. I've said this many, many times, but I am truly thankful to be a part of the best community online--the cross stitching community. I think we chose the right hobby, didn't we? Anyway, we are just taking things day by day and have made no firm decisions on the family home in Florida as of now. We know better days are ahead of us and one of them will be on Thursday  as we gather together and count  our  many blessings. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! Bye for now...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my blogging friends!

Two new ornaments and a magical snowfall

And, all of a sudden, it's December! I'm sure we're all anxious to put 2020 behind us, aren't we? Such a strange, almost unbelievable year the entire world has had... Sometimes it just feels like a bad dream! Anyway...

How was your Thanksgiving? I didn't even bake a turkey this year since it was just me and my husband. But you know what--it felt rather liberating! We had a simple chicken casserole dinner with stuffing on top, a few easy side dishes (I mean how much easier can things get than sliced apples!), and a homemade pumpkin pie. My husband pronounced it the best pumpkin pie ever, but I think it's because neither of us were "stuffed to the gills" like we usually are after Thanksgiving dinner. It was such a nice feeling to enjoy our simple meal, savor the dessert (with extra whipped cream!), and then wake up the next day not feeling like I'd eaten a whale! And the extra time not spent preparing our usual feast for 20-25 people allowed me to get a jump start on my Christmas decorating and truly enjoy it... I didn't feel rushed--just took my time and relished the process. So, there really is a silver lining to almost everything...

With my extra time, I've been stitching gifts for friends and finishing up my final three ornaments for the year. I'll share two of them with you today as the third is not quite complete. For my October and November ornaments, I stitched Hands On Design's "Merry" from the Cranberry Christmas chart and Just Nan's "Blitzen Glistens."

My two latest ornament finishes

"Merry" was stitched on 32 ct. Tumbleweed linen by Wichelt. I love the color, but wasn't crazy about the linen. The linen seemed very "holey" to me. I usually use Zweigart fabric, but I wanted this particular color... The color is wonderful for showcasing white threads, but I'm not sure I would order it again due to the fabric itself. This was the first time I used Sulky Threads and, they too, brought mixed feelings. The coverage with one thread was great, but they lacked the sheen that DMC threads seem to have. I ended up substituting DMC thread for one of the reds and for the brown branches.

Hands On Design's "Merry" from the Cranberry Christmas Chart

For the finish, I added a couple of complementary fabrics in red and green with a mini white ric-rak to separate them. I was so excited to find the red fabric in my stash as I thought it mimicked the berries in the finish. Homemade cording, a jute bow and a fabric covered button (the first time I've made one!) finished it off. I think it's so bright and cheery!

A merry finish of "Merry!"

November's ornament was a much different one for me as it included metallic threads and beads--neither of which I enjoy working with. I am just not a sparkle-type. But, I thought I'd give this a try for something different. Blitzen is certainly glistening, isn't he? There are gold metallic threads in the stars and beads of gold, red, and translucent white (not to mention those "over one" cardinals on 32 ct. lambswool Jobelan). You were supposed to stitch the year hanging from the deer's antlers, but I've always preferred to leave my ornaments undated, so I didn't include them.

My November ornament: Just Nan's "Blitzen Glistens"

A ruched ribbon and an iridescent burgundy bow finish him off. I added three little leaves and some additional beads in the middle of the bow. These are simply glued on using some Aleene's Tacky Glue, a toothpick, and tweezers. Very fussy and time consuming, but I do like the overall look.

Blitzen is certainly glistening, isn't he?

Here's one more look at the latest duo. The lighting has been quite on and off this week, so it's been hard to get a decent photo! One more ornament to go for December and I'll share that with you in my annual "Parade Of Ornaments" post next time!

Can't wait to add these pretties to my tree!

A couple of non-cross stitch projects have also been occupying my time--Taggie Crinkle Toys! What, you've never heard of them? Well, I hadn't either until I became a grandmother. Apparently, babies love tags and love crinkle sounds so these little things keep them occupied for hours (well, not really, but, they capture their interest for quite a while).  I made two for my grandson and one (which I forgot to photograph) for a newborn baby girl. There are a ton of tutorials on how to make these, but the one I used can be found right here. What is the secret to creating the crinkle sound that babies love? A simple cereal or cracker bag (well-washed and dried, of course)! It is sandwiched in between two layers of flannel with colorful ribbons at spaced intervals. I added teething rings to mine as well as my little fellow is truly struggling with those first teeth wanting to poke through his little gums.

Taggie-Crinkle Toys created for my grandson

 

For the larger of the two, which measures about 10" square, I found the cutest Star Wars flannel fabric. It features all of the Star Wars main characters as babies. Can you spot the latest sensation, Baby Yoda? My oldest son loved anything Star Wars when he was growing up and I'm sure he'll make certain his own son does as well.

Can you spot Baby Yoda?

The second Taggie-Crinkle Toy is a smaller version (about 7" square) and features a soft white flannel with safari animals coming and going. This has more of a babyish look to it than the one above, doesn't it? I forgot to photograph the back of this one, but it has little black, white, and grey animal footprints scattered about. Honestly, the combinations are endless--if you need a quick and easy baby gift, give these a try!

These little safari animals have the sweetest faces!

 

Two sweet cross stitching friends were so kind and sent me two charts they knew I would enjoy. Stasi sent this pair of "Courting Cardinals" by Charley Harper as she knows how important cardinals are to me. And Barb R., my stitching friend from Michigan, sent me this lovely Drawn Thread chart called "The Little Birds Sampler" because she discovered she had two in her stash. I was the lucky beneficiary and I love it! Thank you both so very much--I can't tell you how much your thoughtfulness means to me...

Two wonderful charts from two wonderful stitching friends--thank you so much, Stasi and Barb! You both know I love birds!

Tuesday brought a lovely snowy day--perfect for getting out my cross-stitched Christmas ornaments! This large white box is an acid-free box that is usually sold to store quilts. I just keep it under a bed and in 12 years, I've never had any issues with the ornaments discoloring or getting damaged.

My box of treasures all ready to get to work decorating my tree!

In this box are all the ornaments I've stitched over the past 12 years. (I keep the ornaments my friends have given me in a different box). Even though it is large (at 30" x 18" by 6" deep), it is close to over-flowing so I may need to add a new acid free box to my Christmas list!

I wonder how many hours of stitching have gone into creating these?

Many, many hours of stitching and lots of love have gone into making these through the years--lots of little x's. I love the memories that each ornament brings back to me and I hope they are treasured by my children some day!

Ah... my lovelies! It's so nice to see you again!

The snow that fell on Tuesday was the prettiest kind--the type that clings to every branch and twig and gives the world a fresh, pristine appearance. I know some of you don't get snow in your part of the world, so try to imagine looking at an outdoor scene that has been frosted with the fluffiest, most delicate icing... a fairyland! 

The view from our upstairs window out to our pond and back yard after the snowfall.

View from the front porch

Since the ground was snow covered, the bird feeders saw a lot of action and I had a visit from Mama Cardinal. She is not the bright red of a male cardinal, but more of an amber color as you can see below. After I took this photo, I was shocked to see I had caught a wee chickadee in mid-flight as he flew to perch on the hook!

A female cardinal getting her breakfast as a tiny chickadee awaits his turn

I loved the picture even more when I enlarged it to get a better look at him! I think the quality is quite good considering it was taken (through my kitchen window) with my ancient iPhone 6-S that I've had since 2015! I've noticed my photographs just aren't as sharp as they used to be so I think it's definitely time for a phone upgrade. Have any of you purchased the new phones that just came out--any recommendations?

Chickadee in flight on a snowy December morning

And Papa Cardinal was quite a sight in our snow covered Winged Burning Bush tree right outside my husband's den. If you look closely, you can see one lone berry to the left of the cardinal--bet he gulped it down quickly!

Can you spot the male cardinal?

So, my Christmas decorating is almost done except my tree is not completely finished. How is yours coming along? Are you doing a bit less this year? Or are you going all out and really doing it up right? I'm doing just a bit less, but definitely enjoying the process more! I want to share one of my favorite shelves in my kitchen corner cupboard. I mean who doesn't love caroling mice and Prairie Schooler Christmas stitches? This shelf makes me smile each time I glance over at it! I had wanted a corner cupboard in my kitchen for years and years and I'm so glad I finally splurged and bought this a few years ago...

A shelf full of happiness!

Thank you so very much for visiting me and a special thank you to those who take the time to comment--especially during this busy month! Welcome to all my new followers, too. I'm having issues with my email subscribers not getting notified when I have a new post for some reason so I suggest that you follow my blog through  Bloglovin' if you want to see my latest posts. And, of course, you can always see some of my photos on Instagram right here--I do tend to post more photos and more details here at "Stitching Dreams," though! I definitely have a special place in my heart for my blog readers--thank you for all your support over the past 12 years! I'll be back soon with the "Parade of Ornaments" for 2020. Bye for now...

A brand new year begins...

Happy 2020, everyone! I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start... I have a feeling this year is going to be a good one (even if I am turning into an official "senior citizen" when I turn 65 on my birthday on Thursday)!  As usual, my husband and I turned in early on New Year's Eve--we have rarely made it 'til midnight in recent years. But, for some reason, I couldn't get to sleep that night and was still lying awake at midnight when the fireworks began exploding outside and cheers from revelers burst into the previously quiet night. Suddenly, somewhere in our neighborhood, a tuba began playing the familiar refrain of "Auld Lang Syne." Yes--a tuba! It wasn't played well or loudly, but it brought me comfort and I truly felt like my dad was there wishing me a "Happy New Year." You see, that was his instrument--he played it not only in the high school band, but also in the army band in Fort Lewis, Washington in 1946-47. I smiled contentedly as I finally drifted off to sleep in the wee hours of January 1, 2020... it is going to be a good year!

Dad playing his tuba (sousaphone) in the army band at Fort Lewis, Washington circa 1946 or 1947.

Before I share the stitching gifts I sent to friends around the world, I want to thank you for your wonderful comments and emails you sent in reply to my last post. I truly felt the love and feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful online stitching community (a fact that I've stated many times over!). I was so touched by your "thank yous" and your kind words... If you get a chance, read through the comments from this last post--I think you'll feel uplifted, too!

So, let's get things started--I sent a lot of gifts for Christmas 2019 (and, as always, wish I could have sent even more!) and they were all well received.  I'll share the photographs and the designer and any other pertinent information in a little parade of finishes...

This Prairie Schooler Santa is now living in Virginia at Stasi's house! He is from Book No. 62, "Kris Kringle" and is stitched on 32 ct. sage Jobelan with the suggested DMC colors. I love the snowmen on his robe, don't you?

This smiling snowman has now made his home across the pond in jolly old England with June. This is a freebie available on the "Stitching, Tea, and Me" blog post from July 15, 2016 (or I have a link to it in the "Favorite Freebies" list in my sidebar under "Snowman's Quaker Christmas"). This cutie was stitched on 32 ct. flax Belfast linen with Gentle Arts thread in the color "Crystal Lake."

One of my favorites, as evidenced by the fact that I've stitched this multiple times, is making his home in Texas with a new friend, Susan. Susan was a godsend to some family members earlier this year and I wanted to send her a small thank you! This is from Prairie Schooler's Book No. 51, "Christmas Past" and is stitched 'over one' on 28 ct. black Monaco with DMC threads.

You saw this last year when I stitched three of these Homespun Excellence ornaments called "Jingle, Jingle!" One stayed with me, one went to Robin, in Virginia, and another went to Cindy, in Virginia. This was stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle linen with DMC threads which were changed to a Prairie Schooler color palette.

I stitched this little partridge from one of the Prairie Schooler mini-cards three times! This ornament went to Instagram friend, Tricia, in Indiana, and it is stitched on a new favorite linen: 40 ct. woodland Newcastle with the suggested DMC threads.

And the other two partridges were made into greeting cards and sent to Instagram friend, Claire in Canada, and stitching friend, Gabi, in Germany. I added a little bow to the front of the each card and thought it finished them off perfectly. Due to the high cost of international shipping, I sent cards rather than packages to most of my international friends.

Two more cards were made from the Hands On Design "Cranberry Christmas" chart. These were also stitched on 40 ct. woodland Newcastle using DMC threads and are now living with two German blogging friends: Manuela and Martina.

This 2018 Prairie Schooler annual Santa is now making his home with Meg in the lovely state of Idaho. I changed a few things on the chart--leaving off the words "Let It Snow" and adding more snowflakes instead. Isn't that little bunny adorable?

  

Last, but not least, this unique ornament is now residing with my oldest son and daughter-in-law in, where else, but San Diego! This is one of the city charts by Tiny Modernist and certainly reflects the bright, sunny, fun feeling of southern California!
 It is stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle with the suggested DMC colors.

Whew! That's it--well, almost. I did stitch an ornament for my middle son, but didn't quite get it finished in time for Christmas. Oops! Well, I'll share that with you (and him!) when I finally get it done... I truly enjoy making ornaments for gifts and I'm sure you'll be seeing more in the future!

I received a lovely gift of my own from my blogging friend, Jennifer at Quilting Mom's blog. Just look at this beautiful Christmas project bag she made for me! She wanted to thank me for the inspiration I've given her and made me a little bag for my monthly ornament stitching. As you can see, Jennifer, I'm going to fill it with future Prairie Schooler projects shown on the right. That was so sweet of you--thank you so very much! If you aren't familiar with Jennifer's blog, please go visit her--she does just about everything in terms of beautiful needlework and I find her work to be very inspiring, too!

Thanks so very much, Jennifer! Your beautiful project bag will come in so handy for helping me to organize my ornament stitching!

I've been doing a bit of winter decorating for the months of January and February. I love the soft simple blues and grays and whites of winter, don't you? After the hustle-bustle of the holidays, I relish the tranquil, sparse decor that I use in January. It seems to clear my head and be just the thing I need to start the new year with a clean slate...

I made this vignette in a galvanized tray to place in the center of my kitchen island--a bit of greenery, some miniature silver ball ornaments, a pair of glittery buildings, and a black metal snowflake lantern. It looks so pretty at night when the fairy lights are lit.

This corner of my kitchen cupboard always make me smile with the With Thy Needle and Thread January Wordplay finish and sweet Marjolein Bastin sled.

My son and his girlfriend invited us over for an early birthday dinner on Sunday and I got to visit with my "grandcat," Spike. Can you see why he is named Spike? He has a large "spike" of white fur running up in between his eyes. I do miss having a cat around the house, but with our travels at this stage in our lives, it is easier to not have a pet. But, at least I can see him now and then!

My grandcat--Spike! Such a love...

 

Speaking of cats, we finished the 1000 piece "Holiday Cats" puzzle that we began on Christmas Day. It was such fun and I think an annual Christmas puzzle is in our future.

And what could be better than a sweet baby photo! My youngest sister sent me this picture of my great-nephew, Oliver, reaching for the ornament that I stitched for his first Christmas... How adorable is he?!

Little Oliver looks like he wants to take a bite out of that gingerbread man!

Do you like biscotti? I've always wanted to try making my own, so I found a recipe for Double Chocolate Biscotti on the "Once Upon a Chef" site that had great reviews. Oh, my--it was very easy and tasted amazing--so crunchy and chocolatey. Just perfect with a cup of tea or coffee (only I don't drink either so I just eat mine with cocoa or water :)  For the recipe, just click here: Double Chocolate Biscotti. I think I may add some almonds next time and experiment with different flavors this year.

Double Chocolate Biscotti satisfies any chocolate craving!

Giveaway... I thought it would be fun to start off the new year with a small giveaway... Since we are getting NO snow here in western Pennsylvania this year, perhaps a snow chart giveaway will bring some our way (be careful what you wish for, Carol!). Honestly--I don't ever remember a winter like this--it was 70° here on Saturday. Unbelievable... Anyway, if you would like to win this cute chart (just two pages pulled from a magazine--not the whole magazine), please: 1) specifically say so in your comments, 2) make sure to include your email address if I don't already have it and 3) tell me what you are most looking forward to stitching this year. For me, I'm looking forward to adding to my little ornaments stitched on black in the LHN "Hometown Holiday" series. I plan on starting one this week and hope to add a couple more this year. The drawing will be open until January 29, 2020 and I'll announce the winner on my next post.

If you would like to be included in the drawing for this chart:  1) specifically say so, 2) make sure to include your email address in your comments if I don't already have it, and 3) tell me what you are most looking forward to stitching this year.

And, that's a wrap--my first post of 2020 done and dusted! I thank you for stopping in today, for  your kind comments, your inspiration, and your friendship. Let's make this a wonderful stitching year, my friends! Bye for now...