Two of my favorite things: stitching ornaments and relaxing in nature!

Happy August, everyone! I had high hopes of doing one more post in July, but, what can I say? Life just got in the way... I hope you are all doing well and surviving the heat. I will truly miss summer when it ends, but I know, for many of you, it's just been much too hot and humid. The past couple of weeks have been worrisome on my end as my little grandson was diagnosed with Covid... Unfortunately, his fever spiked so high that he had a seizure and his parents rushed him to the Emergency Room. According to the doctor, these febrile seizures aren't that uncommon in young children with high fevers, but it was still extremely scary for my oldest son and daughter-in-law to watch him experience one! Thankfully, the fever was brought down and they released him later that night (why do the scary things always seem to happen at night?). Of course, he shared the virus with his mom and dad and all three were stuck in Texas (where they were visiting my daughter-in-law's family) for two weeks. All are recovering now and have flown back home to Maryland. I think it's so much worse being sick away from home, don't you? We are thrilled that all are doing better and we're planning a trip to visit them in Maryland very soon. And we are hoping and praying that Mister B's seizure was just a one time thing...

Stitching has helped calm my nerves as usual and I have a few finishes to share with you today. The first is my Christmas ornament for July for the #12in22ornamentstitchalong which I am hosting on Instagram. I love how this crescent-shaped Santa turned out! Not the easiest finish as he is very small being stitched "over one" on black 28 ct. Monaco, but I just sewed very slowly and the moon shape came together very nicely. 

My ornament finish for July

I used all of the suggested colors for this one except for the green which I changed to DMC 3362.

It's hard to get a good photo of the entire ornament, but the cording is done with the same shade of blue as Santa's robe.

 

Love how tiny and delicate he looks!

This is actually the second crescent-shaped Santa that I've stitched from that booklet. His yellow-robed companion was done way back in 2010. Aren't they a handsome pair? 

Although the yellow finish looks larger, they are both stitched over one on 28 ct. black Monaco. I think I left more of a border on the yellow one and I wasn't making my own cording back in 2010 so the thicker store-bought yellow cording makes the ornament appear much larger.

And, baby boys have been popping up right and left in my circle of family and friends! Three new little ones greeted the world in June and July so I made each of them his first Christmas ornament. You longtime readers will recognize this design as it's one I've stitched before--many times, in fact! I've now given nine of these ornaments to newborn baby boys over the years. At this point, I think I could stitch the design in my sleep! What is the most you've ever stitched the same design?

A trio of JBW Designs gingerbread cuties

The chart is from JBW Designs and is called "Baby's First Christmas." I stitched these on 32 ct. black Belfast linen with most of the DMC colors that were suggested. I did use DMC 167 for the gingerbread boy's body and filled in his entire body instead of just outlining it as was charted. I also added a mini white pom-pom to the tip of the cap and three red beads were sewn to the holly branch to serve as berries. In place of the words "Baby's First Christmas," I stitched the name of each boy. I just love how these turned out and the parents seemed pretty happy, too! 

All ready for three little boys' first Christmases!

I'm still slowly working on a larger summer piece, but, at the rate I'm going, I won't have it finished by summer's end! What are you stitching this month?

Giveaway time... I want to offer another giveaway to my readers! Isn't this "Summer Time" chart (by New York Dreamer) adorable? It captures summer time life so perfectly with the words "sunny," "ice cream," "beach," "fun," and "sand castle" scattered about the beach scene. I want to thank Janet in Texas once again for providing this chart to pass on to my readers--I so appreciate your generosity, Janet!

If you would like to win this chart, please follow the guidelines below...

To be included in the drawing for the chart, please...

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win the chart in your comment 

2) Be a follower in my blog's sidebar (to the right)

3) Make sure to leave your email address in your comment if I don't already have it--(this is very important as I have no way of getting in touch with the winner if you don't)

4) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below.

 

Getting to Know You... Today's question is a fun one (it's too hot to think about anything serious, right?!). The question for today is: "If you could eat only one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?" My answer came to me immediately--a hot fudge sundae! I can just picture it: a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, covered in thick, chocolatey sauce,  piled high with whipped cream, and sprinkled with peanuts or toasted pecans. Oh--and don't forget the juicy, red cherry on top! Am I making you hungry? YUM!! I've enjoyed hot fudge sundaes since I was a small child and never tire of them. Of course, I can't eat too many any longer, but I still sneak one in from time to time. What would be your dessert of choice? 

Anniversary trip... In my last post, I mentioned that my husband and I were heading off on a short trip to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary. Where did we go? Well, not wanting to fly or be around too many people with the heightened Covid warnings currently in place, we drove just over 3 1/2 hours to a beautiful spot I never knew existed until a co-worker told me about it nearly six years ago. We drove to southeast Ohio to Hocking Hills State Park and, oh my, if you ever get the chance--GO!! The spectacular rock formations, waterfalls, and miles of hiking paths can all be accessed for no charge. I'll let the photos do the talking--we truly loved visiting in the summer and hope to go back in the fall one of these years. (If anyone would like more information, you can click on the names in the photos below).

The very modern Airbnb that we stayed in. There were five cabins of various sizes located on a 19 acre lot. All were very private and so well appointed!

The interior (beautiful, but a bit too dark for those of us with "old eyes!" We actually had to use the flashlight on our phone to find the outlets to plug things in!).

Beginning our hike to Old Man's Cave

Dwarfed by the rock formations--the whole area had a very primeval feeling.

Three beautiful swallowtail butterflies relax in the sun along the creek.

A balancing rock! We quickly moved on by!

This area is known as "Devil's Bathtub." Legend has it that it goes straight down to hell, but, in truth it is only several feet deep.

A closer look at Devil's Bathtub. Swimming and wading are prohibited as it is extremely slippery and dangerous.

The massive horseshoe shaped structure known as "Ash Cave" was one of my favorite spots.

Behind the waterfall at Ash Cave

The beautiful view from "Rock House," the only true cave in Hocking Hills State Park.

The interior of Rock House worn smooth by water. It was inhabited by early Native Americans as evidenced by the "hominy holes"--small recesses in the walls which served as baking ovens. It was so dark inside that we used our iPhone flashlights to guide us! And no, I saw no bats--thank goodness!

A selfie from the inside of Rock House.

Walking back down to the comfort of our Airbnb after a long, hot day of hiking! I can't tell you how much I love using hiking poles!

We also took a little sidetrip on the way home which was very meaningful to me--I'll tell you about that next time!

The beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me. Enjoying time in nature and relaxing with my needle and thread are two things I simply can't do without. I thought you'd enjoy these final photos of some of the magical sights that I've enjoyed right outside my own back door this past week...

Now that's what I call a rainbow! My husband took this photo right across the street after a brief rain shower.

We were thrilled to see a monarch butterfly caterpillar munching on the milkweed that my husband planted earlier this year in an effort to attract them.

What on earth??? I have never, ever seen this sight in all my 67 years--bald cardinals! Apparently, after nesting season, cardinals shed some feathers and, although rare, some may shed all the feathers on their heads at the same time. This poor couple looks like they have vulture heads on cardinal bodies, doesn't it? But, they should regrow their feathers and look "normal" very soon!

Whew... another long one! I hope at least some of you are still with me. I'd like to welcome all of my new followers and say a special "thank you" to you lovely folks who take the time to leave a comment or send an email. They mean so much to me and I truly love reading each and every one! I'll plan to be back later in the month with my August ornament finish--and, if all goes as planned, my finish for September's ornament, as well. If you would like to enter the giveaway for the Summer Time chart, please follow the guidelines above and I'll name the winner in my next post. Take care now, everyone! Bye for now...

Bits of blue and big celebrations!

Hello, everyone! Another one-post month, I'm afraid, unless I can get another one up within the next week and that isn't looking very likely at this point. But, I do have a good excuse... July is our busiest family month for celebrations! Every family seems to have one--you know, the month that is filled with birthdays, anniversaries, etc. What is yours?

I do have a couple of stitching finishes to share with you and another non-stitchy project that I finally finished. This is "Summer" from Little House Needleworks stitched over one on 28 ct. white evenweave. As you can see, I finished this one the same way as I did the "Spring" LHN monochrome piece (which you can see right here). I hope to do Fall and Winter in the same series this year, too.

Little House Needleworks "Summer"

Aren't the blues in this lovely? I used the prettiest silk thread from Hand Dyed Fibers (no longer selling silks, unfortunately) called "Rubbed Navy." I found a coordinating checked fabric (another old shirt from one of my sons) which worked perfectly for the background. A simple jute ribbon and pair of buttons completes the piece. For this type of finish, I simply apply a piece of felt to the back--very quick and easy!

I never get tired of blue!

And I finished another ornament--this one is for April (yes, April, she said as she hung her head in shame).  I actually have all of my Christmas ornaments stitched through July, just haven't had any desire to finish them for some reason. I had to force myself to get this one done yesterday! This Prairie Schooler Santa is from Book No. 58 called "Old St. Nick." I used the called for DMC colors on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle, but did change his beard to DMC 3865.

A new blue-robed Santa for my tree

I have really come to love finishing this series in an oval shape so that is what I went with once again.  Matching blue handmade cording and a snippet of fabric (the same fabric that I used for the backing) finish him off quite nicely, don't you think?

Prairie Schooler Santa from "Old St. Nick (Book No.58)

I met up with my friend, Lee, for lunch last week and she surprised me with this project pouch! Isn't it gorgeous? She's been experimenting and trying to use up stash and thought this blue and yellow print would be perfect for me. I just love it, Lee--thank you so, so much. And I'm already using it to hold my latest Prairie Schooler project!

Lee made me this gorgeous project pouch!

My non-stitchy project was started way back in November of last year when I picked up these pretty tiles on my very first visit to San Diego. My son and his fiancee took us to a Mexican market and I selected these four blue and white designs with the intention of turning them into coasters. At only $2.00 a piece, they were quite the bargain!

Pretty Mexican tiles

For this project, I simply painted the edges a dark blue (as I didn't want to leave the raw edges showing) and then glued on some cork backing that I found at a local craft store.  And there you have it--some cute new coasters that fit in perfectly with my blue and white kitchen... When my oldest son saw them he jokingly (I hope!) asked if I could make 250 more for his wedding in October!

New coasters all finished up!

Along with some stitching, crafting, and just getting on with my normal every day life--there were some family birthdays to celebrate. And birthdays = cake = baking!! Yay! You know that I love baking almost as much as I love stitching, don't you? I don't get to bake much these days because my sons no longer live at home--and I really miss it (and them!). But, my youngest son did come home for his 29th birthday and he requested a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. So, that's what he got.  I had never made a yellow cake from scratch before, but I found this recipe and it looked so good that I had to try it. And when topped with this frosting--oh, my rich and decadent--a little piece went a long way! I did make 1 1/2 times the amount of frosting to cover the cake completely.

Lots of July birthday baking

My husband celebrated his birthday (he caught up with me as he is 6 months younger!) five days later. So, out came the baking pans once again and I whipped up this carrot cake which my friend Myra posted on her blog several years ago. It is a winner and I've made it many, many times. I cut the recipe in half to make a smaller cake, though. Oh, it is heavenly! Pictured above with the two cakes are some blueberry banana mini-muffins. I used this recipe, but halved it and made muffins instead of bread--they turned out so moist and tasty. That's it for the family birthdays now until December.

But, I do have one more celebration to share with you and it's a big one! Yesterday, July 23, 2017, was our 40th wedding anniversary. It seems like I just blinked and that young 22-year-old couple on the left, newly graduated from college,  morphed into the 62-year-old couple on the right--a bit wrinkly, but still smiling! I'm happy to say that most, if not all of our dreams have come true. Oh, there have been bumps in the road--no marriage is free of those, but I can't imagine sharing this journey with any other man by my side. Our three sons are our greatest blessing and, hopefully (fingers crossed!) we'll be blessed with grandchildren in the not-too-distant future. I am truly thankful...

Then and now! 40 years have flown by!

For our anniversary celebration, we had a quiet dinner overlooking the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline. For those of you who haven't visited this area, the view of Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington is one of the prettiest of any city around. I mean just look at it... those rivers, those bridges, the wonderful hills!

The beauty of Pittsburgh as seen from Mt. Washington

After our seafood dinner, we ordered a very chocolatey dessert and they brought it out on a plate specially decorated for us. We shared this one, but should have ordered one for each of us! Anyway... that was just our little 40th anniversary celebration. The big one is coming this fall when we head to Hawaii--a first for me. I'm counting the days!

A bit of chocolate to top off our anniversary dinner

Insta-versary! July also marked my first anniversary of being on Instagram. I was so reluctant to join, but I can't tell you how glad I've been to be there. It really has been a joy to catch up with former blogging friends and meet so many new stitchers from around the world. It is quick and easy and if some of you are on the fence about it, I strongly encourage you to give it a chance.  My account (if you wish to follow me) is under caroling55 or you can click here!

And, that's my July! Busy and not quite over--we plan to visit our youngest son in DC later this month as we haven't been down in over a year. He is only 4 hours away, too! Just a shame that we don't get there more often. 

I know many of my blogging friends are going through some tough times and my heart goes out to each of you--serious illnesses, deaths of loved one and pets... You know who you are and please know you are in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you all for taking the time to visit me--and an extra thanks to those of you who take the time to say "hello!" Bye for now...

Stitching Snowmen In This Horrid Heat

Hello, hello! I've been away much too long and I've missed all of you! July is one of our two busiest family months (May being the other) and in between traveling to New York to visit my mom and preparing for our annual week at the beach, I've had little stitching time. But, to be honest with you, I think this heat is just zapping any energy that I normally have for stitching. The humidity has been horrid and it seems to take me so much longer to do even the simplest things around the house when it's like this. We do have air-conditioning, thank goodness, but this heat and humidity still just make me want to sit and read rather than stitch. 

I've been keeping up with my monthly snowman challenge and have two cuties to share with you today. My July ornament is from Grandma Kringles and is called "Winter's Frost." I used 40 ct. Country Mocha Newcastle linen for this one along with a mixture of overdyed threads. I think the white shows up quite well on this particular fabric which is one reason I chose it.

"Winter's Frost"

To finish him off, I added a rusty bell on his collar and used some fabric from the Woolies Flannel Charm Pack which I added to my stash a couple months ago. I just love it--reminds me of a cozy man's shirt or cuddly blanket material. The gold cording is made using DMC 420. I didn't have enough of the flannel for the backing, but, luckily, I had a heavy cotton napkin in the perfect shade to use. I stock up on cloth napkins for backing material whenever they are on sale at Kohl's.

July snowman ornament all finished up!

And for my June ornament, I finally finished this quartet of smiling snowmen from Country Cottage Needleworks (the design is called "Snowmen"). This was a large design so to make it ornament sized I had to stitch it over one on a 32 ct. mystery dusty blue evenweave. I also left off the bottom border that was charted (the same pine boughs that are in the top border).  This gave me a tiny 2" x 4" ornament--perfect!

Country Cottage Needleworks "Snowmen"

Now, seriously, who can resist their little grins? Rather than cross stitching the mouths, I just used straight stitches since I was working on such a tiny scale. And here is the finished ornament--a little pillow with ruched ribbon trim, a gauzy hanger, and three miniature jingle bells. What do you think?

June snowman ornament finish

I'm currently working on a gift for a friend so I can't show you that, but I hope to begin a larger piece soon. I just need a nice design with simple DMC threads--no thoughts about converting fibers and such. Time to go stash-diving and see what I come up with!

Sonnenberg Gardens... When my husband and I visited my mom in mid-July, we took advantage of an almost perfect weather day (mid-70s, low humidity) to visit historic Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion in Canandaigua, New York. The home is over 125 years old and sits on 50 acres of land.  This was the summer home (Sonnenberg means "Sunny Hill" in German) for the Thompson family. Frederick Ferris Thompson was the founder of what is now Citibank and Mary, his wife, was from Canandaigua, so they chose that location to escape the city heat each summer. The acreage includes gardens in many different styles including a Japanese garden, rock garden, Italian garden, pansy garden, and moonlight garden. I took a lot of photos that day! Here are some of my favorites...

Sonnenberg Mansion: 40 rooms of Queen Anne style beauty

The library, my favorite room in the mansion (of course!!)

Another view of the library

The sewing room was off a main bedroom

A cozy bedroom featuring a crazy quilt

Close-up of the lovely embroidery on the crazy quilt

Loved the title of this vintage book resting on a nightstand!

I couldn't help but notice how teeny-tiny all of the dresses were! I'm quite petite, but there is no way I could fit into any of the dresses that were on display throughout the house...

A view of the Italian Garden from the second floor porch. Unfortunately, due to lack of rain in the area, all of the grassy areas were very brown and burned out.

The rose garden in July; past its prime, but still lovely!

This Buddha was featured in the Japanese Garden.

Stairs in the rock garden that led up to a rocky perch to relax, enjoy nature, and simply watch the world go by.

Of course, the Blue and White Garden was my favorite!

Lovely statues were scattered throughout the grounds.

Such a wonderful glimpse into a bygone era!

Instagram--Well, I took the plunge and joined Instagram! I honestly did it just to be able to see my son's travel photos from China, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia (where he is now--he'll fly home on Friday). But, once I got there, I discovered so, so many old blogging friends were now using Instagram sharing their beautiful stitching that I couldn't resist following them, too! It was like a reunion--I was so happy to reconnect with them and see what they've been up to... I've even posted a couple of my own photos so if you would like to follow me, my user name is caroling55. And if you are on Instagram--let me know and I'll look for you, too! I can see why folks enjoy it as it is so much easier and quicker than pulling a blog post together. But, I do like the blogging format, too, so I don't plan on giving my blog up any time soon. 

Birthday boys... My husband and youngest son have July birthdays within 5 days of each other so when my son decided to pay us a surprise visit on his birthday, I quickly whipped up this small carrot cake. I made a tiny banner from one I printed off the internet, added a couple of signs denoting their ages, and a few candles. It was so, so tasty!

A birthday cake for two very special guys...

And on the 23rd, my husband and I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary! Well, I use the term "celebrated" very loosely because he was on a charity bike ride for multiple sclerosis for the entire weekend. But, he promised me that our 40th anniversary next July will be marked by a special trip... Hmm... where should we go? Where would you go for an anniversary milestone? Our two older sons and their girlfriends gave us this wonderful summery bouquet to commemorate our special day...

Anniversary flowers for 39 years of marriage

So, that about wraps up my busy month--oh, except for the new babies that have arrived at our house! No, not human babies--little bitty robins! If you are long time readers of Stitching Dreams, you may recall that robins built a nest on our front door wreath before (you can read about it in this post). They try each and every year to build there, so we usually bring the wreath inside during the spring and early summer to foil their attempts. Well, this year, they outwitted us and built their nest in the mid-summer July heat! The eggs were already there so we couldn't remove the wreath this time. I'm happy to announce that the birds have all hatched since these photos were taken... To avoid upsetting them, the front door is off limits and we just enter our house through the garage. 

Four new baby robins have arrived!

I am way, way behind on blog reading after this busy month, but plan on catching up today and tomorrow, so if I haven't been around to visit you in a while, I'll be popping in soon! I want to thank you all, as usual, for your very kind comments and your friendships. The stitching community is honestly one of the most supportive groups out there--aren't we the lucky ones?  Bye for now...