Turkeys and skunks and raccoons, oh my!

Thanksgiving greetings! It's hard to believe turkey day is almost here, isn't it? If you're wondering where I've been for the past three weeks, it's a good bet I've been doing something Thanksgiving related. Either prepping for the 21 folks that will be feasting here on Thursday or stitching some little pillows for my November bowl. What else could the theme be for November other than "thankfulness." And I am thankful...for so very many things that I've been blessed with throughout my life...

One of the things I've most enjoyed about stitching things for my monthly bowl is looking through my old freebies and books and stumbling upon a long-overlooked design that just fits the theme perfectly. For November, these five designs cried out the loudest and I'm so happy I finally stitched and finished them.

November 2012 Thanksgiving Finishes

I'm sure many of you recognize and have stitched this first one yourselves...This is Primitive Betty's "Thankful" freebie which you can find right here. This one stitched up very quickly with a bit of Crescent Colours "Roasted Chestnut" on 40 ct. flax Newcastle. To finish it off, I attached a trio of brown buttons in various shapes and sizes and used a couple of brown patterned fabrics to turn it into a little pillow.

Primitive Betty's Thankful freebie

Do you keep all of your old stitching books and magazines from years past? I do, and I'm so glad, because you never know what will appeal to you on down the road. Pieces I would never have stitched 20 years ago are now calling my name! This next finish is a perfect example... "Harvest Sampler" is from a very old (1998!) Leisure Arts hardcover book called Holiday Reverie. I left out the alphabet and a couple of the bands because I wanted this to be small enough to fit into my bowl. This was stitched on 28 ct. tea-dyed Monaco over one with a skein of Crescent Colours "Tennessee Red Clay" and finished into a simple pillow with some clay colored fabric and a bit of lace trim.

"Harvest Sampler" (from the book Holiday Reverie)

After stitching "Halloween Spots" last month and being so pleased with how it turned out, I decided to stitch "Thanksgiving Spots" for November. For this piece I used a variety of overdyed and DMC threads and stitched it over one on 28 ct. almond lugana. It is SO tiny--not even two inches square!! Even after I added the fabrics on the sides, it measures just 3 1/2 inches... Did I ever mention how much I love tiny things--I guess you've figured that out after all the smalls I've done this year :o)

"Thanksgiving Spots" by The Trilogy

And those long-legged birds make another appearance in my monthly bowl, too! I don't know what it is about them, but they always manage to make me smile. This "Thanksgiving Bird" dressed as a Pilgrim is particularly cute, isn't he? The chart, by Heart In Hand, called for a pumpkin button which I didn't have, so I improvised and stitched a cute pumpkin in its place. It is stitched on 40 ct. flax Newcastle with a variety of overdyeds and DMC fibers.  The fabric shown behind is what I backed it with and a handmade cording of DMC 729 finished it off quite simply. I actually made two of these this month--one flew off to the other side of Pennsylvania as a birthday gift for my sweet friend, Mary.

"Thanksgiving Bird" by Heart In Hand

Last, but not least (in fact, this is my husband's favorite finish for the month), is another freebie from Beth Twist at "My Heartstring" blog which you can download right here. Obviously, this one is stitched on black and I just love how the colors pop... I stitched it over one on 32 ct. black Belfast linen and, at times, I wondered why I was torturing myself! I love over one stitching, but NOT on linen, and NOT on anything higher than 28 ct. But, somehow I found myself using a 32 ct. linen--in black, no less!! Just call me crazy... But, isn't it sweet? If you would like a list of the threads I used (all overdyeds), please feel free to email me. The backing fabric is just a bit of fabric from a gold colored cloth napkin. I then accented it with some orange ribbon that matched the pumpkins...

"Give Thanks" freebie from My Heartstring blog

So, which one is your favorite this month? I love them all, but I'd say I have to agree with my husband and pick the "Give Thanks" freebie stitched on black...

2012 Thanksgiving Finishes

And here are all five in my wooden bowl along with one of my favorite older finishes, the framed Prairie Schooler turkey (which, in my opinion, is the most handsome cross stitched turkey out there!). I can't believe I'm down to one last month of filling my bowl. I so appreciate all of your supportive comments along the way this past eleven months--you've really kept me going!

November 2012 bowl of finishes

Here is a close-up shot for you...

And one more...

The poor dazed and confused raccoon

I'll bet you're wondering about the title of my post... What do skunks and raccoons have to do with Thanksgiving? Well, in truth, nothing, but we are hoping and praying that our resident skunk--yes, skunk, doesn't make an unwanted appearance on Thursday as our Thanksgiving guests arrive. My husband discovered, a few days ago, that a skunk has taken up residence under our front porch so he arranged for a "critter control" specialist to set up traps to remove it. Well, after a bill of $203.29 (oh, when I think about the stash I could have bought with that money!!), all we've managed to catch so far is a frightened red cardinal and an ancient gray raccoon. Both were set free and went on their way (although, it took the dazed raccoon a while to amble off). So, where is Mr. Pepe le Pew? I sure hope he isn't biding his time waiting to spray our guests on Thanksgiving as they walk up the front sidewalk.  I think we'll be kind and warn them to use the back door!

How will you be spending your Thanksgiving? My husband's family will be coming here and this year we have a small gathering of only 21--yes, that is small for us! I've hostessed Thanksgiving 11 out of the past 15 years, so by now, I've got it down to a science. I have shopping lists and spreadsheets with meal timing and such on my computer. I have amassed all the various dishes, glasses, silverware, tablecloths, and serving bowls. I've baked and frozen a tasty assortment of cookies and pies, breads and muffins ahead of time. I've assigned my guests a dish (or two!) to bring. But one thing eludes me--I CAN'T MAKE GRAVY!! In fact, I am a complete and total flop at making gravy. My mother-in-law has to rescue mine each and every year. Last time, it was so thin, she spent nearly an hour stirring and stirring... adding cornstarch, etc. to make it thicken. I can't ask this poor 84-year-old woman to do that again this year. So, you know what--I'm cheating! I'm buying my gravy at Whole Foods this year!! (But, if any of you have any hints at all about making a good, simple turkey gravy, I'd love to hear them...)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Well, I think that is more than enough of my blathering for today! I want to wish each of you who celebrate Thanksgiving a lovely day with your family and friends. I am so thankful for the presence of each of you in my life--your comments and emails, support and inspiration, really mean a lot to me. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and leave a comment--I know how busy you all are at this time of year, so it means all the more! Bye for now...

Thanksgiving Comes Again

Hello, my friends! I've been busily working on a surprise finish for you (although my buddies from the weekend stitching getaway already know about this piece). Just in time for turkey day, I'm so pleased to present my finish of Prairie Schooler's Book No. 141: "Thanksgiving Comes Again." I've been working on this one over the past month in between all my little ornaments and smalls. Even though stitching little things brings me the most pleasure, I do love a larger piece now and then...especially when the colors are as gorgeous as these!

This finish is stitched on my favorite 32 ct. flax Belfast linen with the suggested DMC threads. The tiny details in this piece really appealed to me: the steaming apple pie, the pumpkin-filled wheel barrow, the cornstalks left standing in the fields... I truly enjoyed stitching it all--even each of those words! So what are your Thanksgiving plans? Are you all busy gathering your food and supplies for next week's feast? I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with my parents for the first time in almost 20 years and I so look forward to it. Now that they've moved up north again from Florida, it is much easier to get together for the holidays...My contributions to our feast will include a pumpkin pie, some pumpkin-cranberry bread, and a platter of cookies--all the goodies I love to bake so it's not a chore for me at all!

While wandering through Marshall's the other day, I stumbled upon the perfect frame for this LHN "Season Of Plenty" design that I had stitched a couple of years ago. It had been stuffed into a dark drawer since 2009 so I was thrilled to finally display it this autumn. Since I stitched this one "over one" it needed a tiny frame to show it off and I thought this dark walnut frame was ideal. I recently won another copy of "Season of Plenty" as part of Jane's wonderful giveaway so if any of you would like my second copy, please let me know in your comments. If there is more than one person who would like it, I'll have a drawing to determine the winner of the chart...





I wanted to include one more prize in the giveaway package that Annie won in my last post, so I stitched a black and white pincushion for her and filled it with crushed walnut shells. I'm so glad Annie enjoyed her black, white, and pink goodies--I know she'll put them to good use! (Several of you asked about purchasing a stitching bag like the one I offered in my recent giveaway. So if you would like to purchase one of your own, please email me for details.)


Christmas came early to my house when I received this gorgeous ornament from the talented Daffycat (aka Sharon). I was lucky enough to win her giveaway in honor of her 4th Blogoversary. Just look at this little beauty!! Sharon stitched and finished it so perfectly, that I think she could easily have a second career as a professional finisher... Don't you love the dainty ribbon and bead edging treatment. Even my husband who rarely notices my stitching unless I hold it right in front of his face, saw her ornament sitting on the kitchen counter and said, "Wow--that's finished nicely!" So, you know it must be true. Thank you again, Sharon... It will have a place of honor on my tree this Christmas!

A Blogger Photo Diplay Tip: So, do you dislike the new way Blogger is displaying our photos as much as I do? I really don't like the way my photos look on the black background that the new photo display uses... Well, I did a bit of research (yep, that librarian part of me is always researching things!) and found out that it is simply a matter of a making one click on the settings page of your blog. Here is the "unofficial" Google instruction page:

How To Disable Bloggers Lightbox

It worked for me! Just go to the proper setting and click "yes" or "no" in the box that says "Showcase Images With Lightbox". Easy as can be! I really prefer the photos opening in their own windows with the nice white background...


I probably won't be posting again until after Thanksgiving so I want to wish all of my readers, followers, and friends a wonderful holiday. I know Thanksgiving isn't celebrated world-wide, but I hope we can all find many things in our lives to be thankful for. We all have our stitching and this wonderful blogging/stitching community, right? Why even this plump squirrel has found some juicy berries on the tree by my front porch for which I'm sure he's thankful! Isn't he huge? Obviously, he's been feasting on nuts and berries to hold him over for the coming winter! I shot this photo through the glass window from inside my house and am amazed at how well it turned out. The berries have all been picked clean now, so I know Mr. Squirrel is resting happily after his feast!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving with friends and family and I look forward to visiting all of your blogs very soon to see your holiday stitching, decorating, and food. Don't forget to leave a note in your comment if you would like to win the LHN "Season of Plenty" chart! Bye for now...

Farewell to autumn...

Hello everyone! Well, I got through Thanksgiving, but, oh, was I wiped out by the end of the day. Having 23 people at my table was more like feeding a small army than a family...All went well, except Mr. Tom Turkey decided to be "fashionably late" to our feast--actually an hour and a half late! That big old 22-pound bird would just not get done! I don't think anyone noticed the late dinner hour (around 7:45 PM) except my husband and me who kept frantically checking every 10 minutes to see whether or not we could safely serve the turkey without sending everyone to the hospital with food poisoning! When we finally sat down, I was able to seat 20 of us at two long tables pushed together that I had set up in my sunroom (as you can see in the photo) and my darling six-year old triplet great-nieces sat at the kitchen counter. All in all, it seemed to be a big success, but I'll be relieved to have a break next year...

One of the highlights of my Thanksgiving was when one of my triplet great-nieces sweetly asked, "Aunt Carol, did you make that?" as she pointed to a very old (2004) Sue Hillis autumn stitching. I told her that I did and she said, "Ohhhh"--quite admiringly so I asked her if she would like to see my other autumn pieces (it's never too early to get a future stitcher addicted, is it?!). I then gave her a little tour of my autumn pieces and thought I might as well show them to my blogging friends as well...



This Bent Creek piece called "Leaf" was one of the first times I used over-dyed threads when I stitched it back in 2005. You see, I had a period of about 10 years when I gave up stitching altogether and didn't take it up again until 2003. I was just too busy with remodeling our house, raising the kids, work, etc. So when I returned, the world of over-dyed threads, hand-dyed fabrics, and such amazingly intricate patterns was brand new to me. I was like a kid in a candy store! Stitching had come a long, long way from the teddy bears, country geese, and quilts that I remembered from the early 90s...



Next up on my autumn stitching "tour" is, of course, a Prairie Schooler seasonal sampler. This one was stitched in 2008 and is from Book No. 123: "Country Seasons." It is one of my all-time favorites--I just love the face on the moon, the turkey running through the pumpkin patch, and the strange looking little squirrel gnawing on an acorn in the tree branch. I think this color pallet (that is seen so frequently in PS designs) is one reason I love their creations so much.



Next, I have yet another Prairie Schooler piece from Book No. 50: "Prairie Seasons." I really never meant to keep it in this frame--I just stuck it in there when I finished it back in 2007 and there it's stayed. Still looking for the perfect frame... Don't you love the checkerboard tail on the squirrel? I'll have to say the pumpkin-head scarecrow doesn't seem to be doing a very good job of scaring away those crows, does he?










The final fall piece that I showed to my great-niece on her tour was the November turkey from Prairie Schooler Book No. 90: "Spring & Fall." I think she loved this turkey almost as much as I do. I finished him up in 2009 as one of my "Ornament a Week" pieces and have used him in my November blog header this month. It was such fun sharing all my autumn stitches with my little niece and I do hope she develops a love of stitching as she gets older...







Just look at what I got from my niece (the mother of the triplets) and her mom, my dear sister-in-law, as a hostess gift on Thanksgiving: a wonderfully monogrammed stitching tote! Don't you love it? I told them they couldn't have given me a more perfect gift and they can be assured that it will be put to very good use in the future... There are two little mesh pockets on both ends to hold floss, needles, and small charts and lots of room inside for my fabric, scissors, and larger charts--perfect!



A special thank you goes out to Veronica at Veronica's Stitching Vault for this lovely scissor fob which I won in her recent giveaway. The purple beads are so beautiful and the tiny seahorse charm at the end makes it even more special. I loved what Veronica wrote to me about this fob...She said that when she first started designing it, it began with one focal bead which she thought was rather ugly, and yet the finished fob ended up being one her favorites. She went on to say how this taught her to open her mind to possibilities. What a great attitude and one that I'm going to try to keep in mind... So thank you, Veronica--I truly love your gift. And it looks just great on this new pair of Gingher scissors that I recently treated myself to!

I'm going to leave you with the photo of my cookie tray from Thanksgiving dessert. This year, my oldest son, baked some of his scrumptious chocolate chip cookies as well... I do love to bake and always look forward to this time of year when I can bake to my heart's content! My family is always very appreciative of the cookies, the pecan, cherry, apple, and pumpkin pies, and the pumpkin-cranberry bread that I make each Thanksgiving. I think if, for some reason, they weren't on our menu each year, there would be a major revolt! It was wonderful to see so many family members, but my very favorite part of the holiday weekend was waking up each morning knowing my visiting sons were all safe and sound asleep in their childhood bedrooms. There was just something so comforting in that thought...

Well, that's about it for my autumn stroll down stitching memory lane. I've carefully packed them up and stored them away until next fall when I will delightedly "rediscover" them! I know that winter doesn't officially start until December 21st, but, for me, the first of the month always seems like the beginning of winter. I'm looking forward to decorating for Christmas and envy those of you who have already started (or finished!)... Hopefully, I can do a bit each week and now that Thanksgiving is over I will finally have some stitching time again. Oh, how I've missed it over the past week or so...

Wishing you a delightful start to December--thank you all for dropping in, saying "hi," and continuing to inspire me with your creativity and stitching. Bye now...

Thanks and Giving

Hello everyone! Hope you've had a nice November so far... For most of my fellow U.S. residents, November is all about Thanksgiving--getting together with family or friends, feasting, and giving thanks for our blessings. I know Canada has its Thanksgiving holiday in October, but do my other international friends celebrate a similar day during the year? Do you have any special foods or traditions for that day? I'd love to hear about them...

This Prairie Schooler Thanksgiving piece (from the "Harvest Time" chart: Book No. 93) was three years in the making mainly because I ran out of DMC 370 and couldn't find a shade to match anywhere. So, the poor turkey sat waiting and waiting for me to finish him. Luckily, my friend, Lee, rescued me (thanks again, Lee!!) and found enough of the old shade in her stash that blended perfectly. This piece was 2/3 of the way done when I took it to our stitching getaway last week and I worked on it the entire time I was there. I was just determined to finish it before Thanksgiving...



I am really thrilled with how this one turned out--love the richness of the colors and the symmetry of the whole design. Speaking of symmetry, for anyone planning on stitching this, beware that there are mistakes in the four half-leaves near the border--they are not charted the same at all. I had to rip out two of them and stitch them again. Oh, it probably wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone but me, but I just had to make them all the same or my eye would always have wandered to the differences... I think the fabric I used is 18 ct. cream colored Davos, but I'm not positive. All threads were the suggested DMC colors.


A very special friend, Mary, celebrated her birthday earlier this month and I sent her this tiny ornament along with some fabrics to help her celebrate. This one is called "Home For the Holidays" by LHN and can be found in the 2005 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue. I stitched it "over one" on 32 ct. Twilight Blue linen, but changed a few of the DMC colors and added a beaded edge. I love how the personalization on the back turned out and Mary seemed to, also!


As I mentioned in my last post, I spent a wonderful three days stitching and chatting and eating, eating, eating with five fellow cross stitch addicts at a wonderful bed and breakfast near Lake Erie in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania. The Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast (click on the collage of photos I snapped while I was there for a closer look) couldn't have worked out any better for the retreat. Since we had booked every room in the inn we were able to simply "take over" one of the parlors--ott lights, frames, piles of charts, and stitching accessories were spread out everywhere. Luckily, the innkeeper is a stitcher, too, so she couldn't have been more accommodating.

The first thing we noticed (well, I noticed anyway!)was the big bowl of chocolates sitting there to welcome us. The inn had three resident cats and I'll tell you, having the black and white one (shown in the photo above) cuddle with us while we stitched surely tested my resolve not to get another cat (husband is very allergic). The house was so beautifully decorated it made me want to rush home and work on my own autumn decorating. We laughed and chatted and ate such scrumptious breakfasts that between them and the never-ending chocolate bowl, I ended up gaining three pounds!! I need to double my treadmill workouts for a few weeks, that's for sure. It was a thoroughly enjoyable get-together for all...



For our getaway stitching weekend, we had decided ahead of time to have a bit of an exchange. Not only were we to stitch something small, but also bring a gift representative of the part of the country that we live in. This was the first time I had stitched something for an unknown recipient and I thought it was difficult to stitch a piece that would appeal to just about anyone (we just did a simple number drawing to divvy up the exchange gifts). Anyway, I ended up stitching The Trilogy turkey called "Happy Gobble Gobble Day" and Barb ended up going home with him. I also gave her a local cookbook and a pretty Christmas ornament from Wendell August Forge which is America’s oldest and largest forge and is located right here in western Pennsylvania. The happy gobbler is stitched on 32 ct. Country French latte linen using the suggested overdyeds. I backed it in the brown/orange fabric in the background and bordered it with pumpkin colored ric-rac. I think he's so cute, I just may have to stitch another for myself!



The gift I received from our stitching getaway came from Linda (no blog yet) and I just love it. It is a floss-keeper from Blackbird designs stitched in the prettiest shade of greens and violets. I especially like the way she highlighted the first initial of each of the six of us who got together for that special weekend. (And, yes, if you look closely, you'll notice that there are two "Ls" since there were two stitchers whose names began with the letter "L." Don't you love it?! I wonder how future generations will interpret that one?) She also gifted me with a lovely tray (again from Wendell August Forge) which is embellished with fall leaves and a skein of "Grape Arbor" overdyed floss. How perfect is that?! The name of the floss is the same as that of our Bed and Breakfast: The Grape Arbor! And since Wendell August Forge is located in the same town where I went to college, it is especially meaningful. Thank you so very much, Linda--I will treasure your gifts and think of our stitching retreat often...



I received this cute summery chart by Ewe & Eye & Friends as a giveaway win from Chris at Tot Hill Farm Stitches. What a sweet little piece! I think the watermelons growing underneath the house are so cute and it looks like a perfect thing to stitch next summer. For some reason I have fewer summery stitched pieces around my house than any other season. I have so much autumn and Christmas /winter stitching, but spring and summer things are few and far between. So, thank you very much, Chris! It will really brighten up my house next summer...

I've been extremely busy shopping, cooking, baking, cleaning, and setting up for the nearly 25 of us who will sit down to give thanks at my table next week. One dish which always makes its appearance at Thanksgiving is the Strawberry Pretzel Salad, which is more of a dessert than a salad, but, hey--it does have strawberries! What dish is a "must-have" at your holiday table--that food that makes your family dinner special to you?

I doubt I'll be posting again until after Thanksgiving, so I want to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and thank you again for your friendship, inspiration, and kind words. I hope you know I count you all among my many blessings! Bye now...

Week Forty-Eight: Santa Mitten

This chubby little Santa looks like I felt after our Thanksgiving feast--overstuffed! This weeks piece is from the Cricket Collection's "Woolen Mittens" chart and is the second mitten I've stitched this year. Of course, are either of them finished yet? Nope. This week was just too busy with all my baking, eating, traveling, eating, shopping, eating--oh, did I mention eating? Anyway, Santa is feeling quite at home on his 28 ct. black Monaco fabric. I used DMC threads, two tiny black buttons for his eyes, a silver jingle bell on the tip of his hat, and a cherry red button I found in my button jar for his bulging nose.

Last week I promised you some photos of my baking so here are the goodies all laid out on my kitchen table ready for their trip to Ohio on Thanksgiving Day. The pies from back to front are: Chocolate Pecan, Cherry, Pumpkin, and Pecan. What is your favorite? I tend to choose the cherry, just because I think it is "a lot" healthier than the others (wishful thinking, I'm sure). The pecan seems to be the first to disappear every year, though. Also pictured is my cookie tray filled with ten yummy varieties. Just click on the photo for a bigger picture...

In the back row are Chocolate Raspberry Brownies, Christmas Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter. The middle row has Molasses Krinkles, Snickerdoodles, and Frosted Buttermilk Cookies. And the bottom row features M&M Cookies, Date Balls, and Reese's Cup Cookies. Yes, I love to bake! I'm always amazed at how appreciative my relatives are for these simple contributions to our family get-togethers because, for me, baking is relaxing and a labor of love, not a chore at all. Anyway, by the time we left Ohio Friday night, there were only about 9 cookies and a few pieces of pie remaining--amazing!

Thanks so much for visiting my little corner of the world today. If any of you would like a recipe just email me and I'll gladly share it with you. For those of you who still have to make the return trip back to your hometown after a Thanksgiving away, I wish you "safe home"--a lovely Irish thought Siobhan wished for me in her comments on my blog last week...

Week Forty-Seven: Happy Gobble, Gobble Day

Only five days until Thanksgiving...have you all bought your turkeys yet? We'll be heading to Ohio for our feast this year so I escaped the pre-Thanksgiving grocery store madness. I "only" have to make three pies, 10 types of cookies for my cookie tray, and the strawberry-pretzel "salad" (well--if you know what I'm talking about, it is more of a dessert, but, hey, it does have strawberries in it so it is a wee bit healthy)! I'll try to post a photo of my desserts next week. Luckily I love to bake, so those are fun assignments for our Thanksgiving dinner. There should be close to 30 of us this year--whew!

The Trilogy's "Happy Gobble Gobble Day" is my finish for this week. I made a major mistake and stitched the top of the turkey using what should have been the color for his bottom half so I ended up ripping his entire upper body apart. That is why I don't ordinarily stitch in the evening--I just make too many silly errors... Anyway, the comical little gobbler looks quite cute now all stitched up on his 32 ct. Country French latte linen. I used WDW, Gentle Arts, and DMC threads and miniature brown buttons for accents. I think he would look nice as a flat-fold, if I can get my nerve up to try and make one!

My hands were literally shaking when I opened my giveaway GRAND PRIZE from Jolene at Dip Diddly Designs. Can you believe this wonderful gift?! Not only did Jolene send the beautiful "Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow" chart, but she included ALL of the DMC floss needed to stitch it. I love this chart so much and almost bought it for myself just last month. If you click on the photo you may be able to see each individual block more clearly. Do you see my name in the upper right block. (Yes, I was named Carol because I was supposed to have been born on Christmas, but much to my mother's dismay, her first-born arrived three weeks late!) I will definitely be passing along the chart in a giveaway of my own when I finish stitching this spectacular piece. Jolene--your generosity is so very inspiring in this holiday season and I thank you from the bottom of my heart...

I am thankful for so many, many things during this Thanksgiving season--my wonderful family, my health, my job that I love, my warm home, and plentiful food. This year, though, I have something new to add to my list...I am thankful for the many cross stitching friends I have made over the past 10 months since I started my blog. You are such a supportive, inspiring group of women and I truly mean that. It is wonderful to have found a community of stitchers who share my interests and my passion for stitching... So, thank you for being you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE...