A cold, snowy start to the new year...

Happy 2025, everyone! Can you believe we're already into the second week of January? Are you in the midst of the snowy, cold spell that has hit much of the U.S.? Brrr.... At this time of the year, I like to look back at my first posts from previous years to see what I wrote, how I was feeling, etc. I had to laugh at what I posted in 2020. I wrote about hearing a neighbor playing "Auld Lang Syne" on his tuba at the stroke of midnight as 2019 rolled over into 2020 and how it reminded me of my father who played the tuba in the Army band. The last sentence of that first paragraph of my January 2020 post read: "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!" Ha! Boy, did I call that wrong--we all know what 2020 brought our way, don't we?

You just never know what to expect from year to year, do you? Last year was difficult for me and my husband as a number of unexpected health problems reared their ugly heads. I don't think I even mentioned that my husband ended up getting Lyme Disease not once, but twice, did I? And the second time his symptoms were much worse. Thankfully, the antibiotics seem to have taken care of it. My heart tests are ongoing and the echocardiogram that I had in late December did find some issues to "keep an eye on." Nothing horrible, thank goodness, just some things to be aware of. Sigh... I guess that's just part of growing older (but not a part I like!). 

Thank goodness, my stitching continues to be one of the constants in my life. When people talk about "losing their mojo" when it comes to cross stitching, I just can't relate. As I get older, I think I feel the need to stitch every day even more acutely as I know there will come a time when I can't stitch at all. So, I'm trying my best to "stitch all the things" right now! Today, I'd like to share the Christmas gifts that I stitched in 2024 as well as the gifts I received. 

This lovely Nativity scene by Crocette a Gogò from "Christmas Vintage Series #12" was stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle using a mix of the called for colors and my own selections. I added more snowflakes in place of the wording and finished it as a simple pillow ornament. I loved seeing it displayed with the wooden Nativity scene that was a gift from my mom and may just have to stitch another for myself!

My finish of "Christmas Vintage Series #12: Nativity"from Crocette a Gogò

I actually stitched the next design twice and sent both away for gifts this year (it's also one I've stitched for gifts before). The Prairie Schooler Two-by-Two Deer (from the 1998 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Magazine) is one of my favorites to give. Once again, 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle was used along with the suggested threads. The only color change I made was to use DMC 498 for the red color. I finished this one into a pillow ornament using a green checked fabric at the bottom with just a hint of ecru ric-rak above. Doesn't it look nice hanging from my handsome reindeer model?

Prairie Schooler Two-by-Two Deer finish (chart is in the 1998 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine)

I know you'll recognize this Prairie Schooler Santa stitched on black as I've made it many, many times before for stitching friends. It's so tiny and cute stitched "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana. This is from PS Book No. 51, "Christmas Past." Round finishes are my favorites and I surrounded it with DMC cording in 221 and topped it with a gingham bow and silver bell. I have one just like it on my tree and my friend loved receiving her own!

Yet another finish of this tiny PS Santa from the "Christmas is Past" Book No. 51

My final stitched and gifted ornament for 2024 was this charming two-sided freebie called "Merry Christmas, Mr. Grinch" by Brooke's Books that I made for my 4-year-old grandson. You can find it right here if you want to stitch it yourself. Sadly, the very talented designer, Brooke Nolan, who was so generous with her many free designs, passed away in early December after a battle with cancer at the age of 61. Her obituary and the many heart-felt tributes sent from cross stitchers around the world can be read here. 

I will always think of Brooke when I see Mr. Grinch hanging from my grandson's Christmas tree. Mister B absolutely loves the classic Dr. Seuss book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" as well as the original Grinch television show so I knew this was a must-stitch for him this year. I still have to stitch the Grinch's poor pup--Max. I used the suggested colors on 14 ct. perforated paper. This was my first time cutting out anything like this, but it worked quite well. The two sides--the "bad" Grinch (on the left) and the "good" Grinch (on the right) are joined together with a thin layer of Aileene's Tacky Glue (thanks for the tip, Stasi!). Notice how his teeny black heart has grown to a lovely plump pink heart once he realizes the true meaning of Christmas in the photo below. Just love it! This will always be a very special ornament for me--thank you for sharing your wonderful designs with us, Brooke. ♥

My grandson loved this clever two-sided Grinch ornament this year.

I also stitched and mailed five greeting cards. I really love stitching cards as the recipient gets a gift of your stitching without the expense of mailing a package. I may be doing more of these in the future! 

A trio of Quaker Snowmen--another freebie from Midnight Stitching which you can find right here--was sent across the pond to three German friends. I changed the colors from red and green to a pretty blue. In this case, I used Gentle Arts "Crystal Lake," DMC 311 and 976, and Anchor 0001 for the threads. All three are stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle. I thought they looked so cute in the blue aperture cards with a tiny bow glued on below. 

Three cards made using the free "Snowman's Quaker Christmas" chart

And finally, a set of Birds of a Feather "Peace Angels" flew to loving new homes. They were stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle using a mixture of overdyed and DMC threads. I think most of you know that this "Christmas Angel Ornaments" chart (which contains four angels--you can see my finishes from 2022 here and here) has been recently remastered and released to the public. It can be purchased through Colorado Cross Stitcher's site right here. I'm thrilled to see these sweet designs available again after so many years of being out-of-print. 

A pretty pair of Birds of a Feather "Peace Angel" cards

So, there was a lot of frenzied gift stitching and finishing in December. I tell myself, every year, that I'll stitch gifts throughout the year and not put things off until the end. This year, I did "okay"--I at least stitched four of the above before things got so busy for the holidays. Next year, I aim to do better!

I was blessed with some wonderful gifts in return! Would you like to see? 

From Stasi at Bee-Mused and Bee-Stitching blog, I received this beautifully stitched wall-hanging. I actually hung it on the doorknob in our kitchen and it looked perfect. Love the simple message, too. Thank you, my friend!

From Cindy (@cindyderosa on Instagram) came this adorable beaded Santa ornament. Love the colors and beautiful beaded detail in this one. Thank you, my friend!

Robin in Virginia sent this charming Christmas sweater ornament (design by Lila's Studio) in my favorite blue colors. Such gorgeous stitching and finishing and I love that cute cardinal perched on the chubby snowman. Thank you, my friend!

June, over at Butterfly Wings blog sent a sweet card with a tiny angel pin, some finishing supplies, a cute Santa chart, a navy blue owl towel, and some yummy chocolates. Such a lovely box of goodies! Thank you, my friend!

 Vickie over at A Stitcher's Story blog, gifted me this tiny ornament with the word "Believe" stitched 'over one' along with a little tag explaining the true meaning of Christmas. She was able to make it flat enough to fit into a regular sized envelope to cut down on mailing costs--so clever! Thank you, my friend!

From Cindy C. (@cindycstitches on Instagram), came this cheery vintage looking piece mounted on a little paddle. She had it wrapped inside the hollow book box on the left--so cute! Love both and they will have a prominent place in my Christmas decorating each year. Thank you, my friend!

 

And a trio of lovely cards from three friends in Germany. Left to right: Manuela at Manuela's Flowergarden blog sent the sweet bird feeder card. Gabi made a beautiful red cardinal for me knowing my love of those wonderful red birds. And on the right, Martina from Mein-allerlei-hobby blog sent a lovely blue ornament . I may make these into tiny ornaments for my tree. Thank you, my friends!

I feel very honored to have these special pieces so lovingly stitched by friends from around the world! Thank you all so very much--and thank you to those of you who sent Christmas cards my way as well... I just love receiving an old-fashioned Christmas card. When I moved my twelve 2024 ornaments from my stairway garland to my tree, I replaced them with the wonderful creations my friends have stitched for me over many, many years.

So many memories of friendships--both old and new.

Thank you to stitching friends, both past and present for gifting me your little works of love over the years--they all mean so much to me! As do each of you!

Over on Instagram, I am hosting the fifth annual ornament-a- month stitch along. If you are interested in joining in--just post your ornament using #12in25ornamentstitchalong on Instagram so that everyone will be sure to see it. It's a great group of stitchers that has really caught on internationally. Lots of stitchers from Spain, France, and England began posting last year. Hope to see you there, too! 

Christmas was very quiet here as I knew it would be. We did FaceTime with my grandson who delighted in showing us all the Spiderman themed gifts he received. When I commented that he must have been a very good boy for Santa to have brought all those gifts, he grew very quiet. He looked away, placed a finger on his chin, and thoughtfully replied "I think Santa just didn't see me when I was being bad." Too cute! Oh, how I missed him... Thankfully, we were invited to lunch on Christmas Day by my middle son's girlfriend's mother. She prepared a wonderful turkey dinner and I brought the desserts: a pumpkin roll (that I made using this recipe on YouTube by Preppy Kitchen) and this tasty flourless chocolate cake with chocolate glaze. It's so easy, yet looks quite elegant with the confectioner's sugar sprinkled over a doily. When I served it, I added an arrangement of raspberries in the middle. I've made this many times before and it is always a hit!

A decadent chocolate cake made for Christmas lunch.

To cheer myself up while missing my family before Christmas, I bought myself a little Christmas gift. These tiny felted mice certainly brought a big smile when I opened the package... Aren't they sweet? I have a red and white decor in my kitchen at Christmas time and they fit right in. For me, it's the simple things in life which bring the most happiness. 

I love little felted animals and couldn't resist buying this quintet as a gift for myself. I just noticed that that poor little mouse girl on the right looks more like a hippo, doesn't she :)

Because Christmas wasn't the best this year, I actually took all of my decorations--tree and all--down on December 26th. I have never done that in my life. But, it felt good to have everything tucked up into the attic and the house all cleaned up, ready for a new year. I truly can't wait for next Christmas when everyone is here--it will be extra special! 

Well, that's it--the first post of 2025 done and dusted! The next time I check in, I'll be entering another decade. Yes, my 70th birthday will be here in just nine days. On what is almost always the coldest month of the year (and is surely that this year as we aren't getting out of the 20s any time soon), I'll be saying farewell to my sixties and hello to my 70s. I hope and pray that it will be a happy, healthy decade for me! Take care now, my friends. 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...

Christmas Creations and Curious Creatures

A very chilly good morning to you, my stitching friends! Yes, we got a bad frost here last night--in mid-May! It was only one degree away from the record all-time record low temperature for May 14th--can you imagine? So, how is everyone? Have you wondered if I would ever post again? I know, I know--it's been three weeks since my last post--at this rate I'll be down to only posting once a month. I wish I could say I've been spending all my free time stitching, but that just isn't the case. In fact, I just can't seem to sit and stitch for more than 45 minutes at a time without getting distracted by something else and then completely abandoning my needle and thread. I used to be able to sit for a couple hours at a time and happily stitch away, but not lately. I hope I get back to being able to do so, but for now, all I have to share with you are two little Christmas ornaments and a new start.

I just loved this little snowman when I saw him on Melanie's blog and she kindly offered to lend me her chart. Isn't he the cutest with that miniature snowman perched on his nose? This design is by Midnight Stitching and is called "Heartstruck Friends." I used the suggested DMC and overdyed threads and stitched it on 40 ct. flax Newcastle linen. To finish it off, I simply combined two coordinating fabrics, a bit of lace, some white cording, and topped it off with a tiny white snowflake charm. Thank you so very much, Melanie, for sharing your chart with me--I really enjoyed stitching him!

"Heartstruck Friends" by Midnight Stitching

The snowman was my monthly ornament for March (yes, I'm way behind!) and for April I chose this cute freebie by Madame la Fée called "Candy Cane." If you're not familiar with her free designs, you're in for a treat! You can find this one and many others by clicking right here. I thought the candy cane would really pop on black so I used the suggested DMC threads on 32 ct. black Belfast linen. I finished it off as an oval with white ruched ribbon and pearly red pins... So, now I just need to stitch my ornament for May and I'll be all caught up!

"Candy Cane" by Madame la Fée

I also began a new piece of what I call "my comfort stitching."  Yes, a new Prairie Schooler design called "Summer" from Book No. 50: Prairie Seasons. I've already stitched Spring and Autumn which you can see here and here. I'd forgotten how "stitch intense" these pieces are! At first glance, it looked like I'd be able to finish this up fairly quickly, but there is so much solid stitching that it will probably take me another two weeks. I find myself completely relaxing with PS designs--there are no surprises; no specialty stitches, no odd colors to deal with, just beautiful designs in pretty hues. What is your "comfort stitching?"

 A new start: Prairie Schooler's 

Summer from "Prairie Seasons"

CURIOUS CREATURES... Now on to the second part of my post title. We've certainly had some unusual animal sightings around our yard over the past few weeks. In addition to the typical deer, bunnies, great blue heron, and groundhogs that we normally see, we've been entertained by a host of other visitors.  When we returned from our Florida trip last month, we reached our front door to find a real mess. There was mud and straw and grass scattered all over the "Welcome" mat and even the door itself! Well, just look who had been visiting our home while we were in the sunny south...When the humans are away, the birds will play!

Don't see anything unusual? Just a pretty spring wreath? Well, let's take a closer look...

Do you see the nest? A mama robin had painstakingly built a nest right on my front door wreath! When we first saw it, there were no eggs and we planned to remove it after I had taken a photo for my blog. But, lo and behold, when I went out a few days later to photograph it--there were three eggs in that glorious shade of blue! So, of course, I couldn't remove the nest, could I?

 

 A trio of robin eggs

Unfortunately, something must have happened to the mother because the eggs remained unattended and then they began disappearing (probably stolen by a blue jay or some other mean bird!) and now there is only one remaining. I've been checking on it periodically and imagine my surprise when I went out last week and found this: 

 Now there are two nests on my wreath!

Look carefully...Another tiny nest was being built right next to the first! Crazy birds!! It is perched so precariously I know it won't last long, but the bird gave it a good try. Anyway, I guess we'll leave the nest up until we take the wreath down in the fall. I'm not sure I'll be able to salvage my poor wreath--it is quite mud-spattered at the moment!

We also spotted this huge hawk sitting on top of our Martin house. Was he possibly surveying our pond for his next meal? We have koi, catfish, bluegill, and minnows in our pond which I'm sure he would enjoy getting a taste of! Or maybe he was just visiting the birdie condo trying to make friends with the many new birds that have recently moved in... I think he's just a bit too large to fit in those holes, don't you?

Hawk on the Martin house!

Here is a close-up--isn't he huge? Does anyone know what kind of hawk he is? I think he may be a Broad-Winged Hawk, but I'm not positive.

And just look at this creature! Smack-dab in the middle of our yard we discovered a snapping turtle. How he got there is a mystery; there was no trail through the long grass or anything!  But, look how muddy he is--he must have just crawled out of a hole in the ground or something...

Snapping turtle

In our attempt to be good samaritans, we decided to move the poor lost thing to our pond, but how to pick him up was another matter! Oh, was that turtle mean... My husband tried picking him up on the sides of his shell, way back by his tail, but the turtle's head immediately stretched way out, swiveled around, and snapped viciously at his bare hands.

 All ready to snap!

After several attempts, my husband finally got a shovel, turned the snapping turtle over onto his belly, and carefully lifted him across the yard to the safety of our pond. 

Ahhh...back to the water where you belong...

Well, after seeing that rather unattractive reptile, I thought you might like to see some prettier things... How about these lovely tulips that I cut from our garden in the prettiest shades of pink? We have to grow them within the confines of my husband's fenced in vegetable garden because, otherwise, the deer would be feasting on them. I just love tulips, don't you? Sure wish they would last through the summer...

Tulips from our garden

And then there are the stunning flowers that my sons gave me on Mother's Day. Aren't they lovely? Thank you, guys, for the flowers, chocolates, and iPad keyboard... But, most of all, thanks for being such kind, young men--I'm so proud and lucky to be your mom!

Mother's Day flowers from my sons

A MOST SPECIAL DAY! I also want to wish my dear mother a very ♫♪♫ Happy Birthday ♫♪♫! Yes, 86 years ago today, this sweet baby entered the world. Just look at her in that darling antique wicker baby carriage being adored by her older brother and sister. Mom, you are my hero and my best friend... You've been through so much over the past few years and I'm in awe of how well you've dealt with some very dark and difficult days. I've been truly blessed having you for my mother and I love you dearly.

My mom in 1927...

a beautiful new addition to her family!

Well, I think that's about it for today's post. I'll try not to wait so long until I post next time...In the mean time, I sincerely want to thank all of you for the wonderful comments on my last post. It means so much to me that you take the time to leave a comment because I'm sure your lives are just as busy as mine! Until next time, I hope your days are filled with things that make you smile. Bye for now...