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...

A new year begins...

The morning dawned bright and sunny on January 1st, 2026--a beautiful start to this new year. We received a fresh coating of snow on New Year's Eve and the shimmering brilliance outside was almost overwhelming (but very welcome) after a week of gray, dreary rainy days. It was a nice way to start the month and the sunshine encouraged me to begin packing away Christmas for another year. My tree will remain for another week or two--after working so hard on all those ornaments, it's hard for me to take it down. I've been concentrating on one room each day, carefully wrapping and packing away all the decorations in their boxes and bags to rest in the attic for the next eleven months. 

Yesterday, I took a little break from "undecorating" and spent some time creating a new display for my kitchen counter. This one will stay up through January and is perfect for what is, typically, a frigid, snowy month here in western Pennsylvania.  I love this corner so much and don't understand why I had left it fairly bare (other than a stack of blue plates) for the past 30 years. Yes, 30 years ago this year, we remodeled and added on to our home--hard to believe! My sons were just 13, 10, and 7 at the time and we lived in our house (along with our huge 20-pound black cat, Shadow) for the entire nine months it took to remodel. It was a crazy year, but we were rewarded with a larger, more livable home. After 30 years, it definitely needs some updating again, but that will come slowly.

This is the snowy display I came up with for January filled with smiling snowmen, icy looking stitching, and even a miniature tree... If you click on the names of each piece (underneath the photos) you'll be taken to my post on that particular finish.

My kitchen corner display for January

 

The stitched pieces on the top shelf are: JBW Designs "French Country Snowflake" and "Inverno" by Renato Parolin.

On the lower portion of the tiered tray are "Snow Sampler" by Country Cottage Needleworks (on black in the back left), "Heartstruck Friends" by Midnight Stitching (in the back middle), and "Snowmen" by Country Cottage Needleworks (on the right). Sitting in front of the tiered tray are: JBW's "French Country Snowman" and "A Year in Chalk: January" by Hands On Design 

 

To the left of the tiered tray, I added a miniature tree (just 12 inches high) with some white lights and tiny glass snowman head ornaments. The little snowmen ornaments mean so much to me... You see, I bought a set years ago and as time passed, they shattered one by one. I was left with only a couple when, unbeknownst to me, my middle son found an (almost) complete set of them on eBay and gave them to me for Christmas a few years ago. They will always remind me of him and his very thoughtful gift! They have the cutest little faces, don't they? 

To the right of the tray is the framed finish of  "A Country Winter" by Plum Street Samplers. I just love this peaceful stitched scene with the lovely white barn, and that snowman proudly showing off his pretty red and white quilt.

 

Lots of blue and white brighten up a normally dreary, long January in my kitchen.

 

Over on Instagram the yearly #12in26ornamentstitchalong has begun! This is the sixth annual stitch-along that I've hosted and I love seeing just how many people join in each year. People from all over the world are now stitching an ornament a month and sharing them with each other online. If you'd like to join the fun, all you have to do is post a photo of your finished ornament on Instagram each month using the above hashtag so everyone can see it. Hope to see you there! 

So, how was your Christmas? As you read in my last post, that nasty flu bug interrupted our family get together and my youngest son and his fiancée didn't make it. To say I was disappointed was an understatement--we have not all been together since July 2025. We hope to see them later this month for a late mini-Christmas (which is one reason I'm keeping my tree up a bit longer). Thankfully, Baby N (7 1/2 months) and Mister B (almost 5 1/2 years) were both here with their mom and dad for nearly a week. The baby came down with a bad cold  a few days after Christmas, but neither my husband or I have caught it. It was such a delight having them here along with my middle son and his girlfriend. There's just something about having little children around which makes Christmas morning extra special, isn't there? 

We still enjoyed ourselves, eating way too much (of course!), building a gingerbread house, having a birthday party for Mister B's stuffed panda (who turned 7 according to B), watching movies, and playing games. There was just an empty space in our hearts without our missing son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Luckily, the little ones kept us very busy and took our minds off our youngest and his fiancée. Baby N is almost crawling--kind of pivoting and rolling to wherever he wants to go. He's such a smiley, happy little soul! As is his big brother--what a blessing they are in our lives...

The stockings were hung (and no, I didn't make them--they were all purchased from Land's End or LL Bean and I've blurred the names for privacy). Mister B and Baby N smiling for the camera right before going up to bed on Christmas Eve. They had just placed a plate of cookies (just visible in the lower left) along with a carrot or two for the reindeer, on the fireplace hearth for Santa. And, finally, Mister B working on decorating a gingerbread house a few days after Christmas (I think more of the frosting ended up in his tummy than on the house and he got a bit sick to his stomach later that day). 

 

Nonna Carol showing Santa Baby N some of her favorite ornaments on Christmas night.

  

I made eight kinds of cookies this year and gave some of the goodies to friends  (along with some Pumpkin-Cranberry bread). Everyone seemed to enjoy them!

Gift giving update... I was very pleased with how easy it was to give gifts this year for my adult children. If you remember from a previous post, I had asked each couple to suggest 1) something they would like for their homes, 2) the name of a favorite restaurant, and 3) an experience or membership that they'd like to do together. I used to buy five or so gifts for each of the six adults (amounting to 30 gifts!) which took a lot of time to buy and wrap. This way, I only had to purchase 9 gifts in total and most of them could be done online and popped in simple gift bags. The requested items ranged from bath sheets to car mats to a co-op gift card to a couple's massage to pizza/ice cream night to an evening (or two) at the movies complete with snacks. I definitely will be taking this approach in the future! 

I received some lovely stitched gifts from four blogging/Instagram friends this year which I truly appreciate! I sent a few gifts out, as well, but I'll share those with you in my next post...

From Cindy C. in Virginia (an Instagram friend) came this joyful ornament. I love the simple beauty and message of it... Thank you so much, Cindy--it is lovely!  

 

From my friend, Robin (in Virginia), came this jolly snowman tag ornament. I love it, Robin, and really need to make those cute tag ornaments soon! Thank you so very much! 

All the way from jolly old England came this adorable stitched snowman card, Prairie Schooler Santa chart, and pretty Christmas ribbon. Thank you so much, dear June--you are so sweet!

From my friend, Vickie in Wisconsin, came this darling Advent Calendar ornament. Stitched over one, it is so tiny and delicate. Thank you, Vickie--I will treasure it this beauty!

  

And from my friend, Stasi in Virginia, came this exquisite needlebook. Such tiny, precise needlework--and she chose to stitch it because she knew how special cardinals are to me. I'm using it every day, Stasi--it is truly special! Thank you!

And thank you to those of you who sent me cards this year, too--I do love receiving a nice old-fashioned Christmas card! Thanks so much to Marilyn F, Tricia B, Cindy D, Theresa B, Barb R, and Rita H... I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!

I guess I'd better sign off now... My husband is having his right shoulder replaced in the morning and we both need to get some sleep. He's a bit anxious about it, but we are both hopeful that it will go as smoothly as his left shoulder replacement went three years ago. Thank you all for your kind comments on my tree and your Christmas wishes--such a wonderful community we have here and on Instagram. We are so lucky to have chosen this wonderful hobby of ours, aren't we? Wishing you each a new year filled with peace and happiness, love and laughter! Bye for now!  

Stitching the summer away

Hello all! How is your July going so far? Ten days in and it's been a hot month here so far... But, I'm not complaining--after the horrible flooding rains in Texas, New Mexico, and North Carolina and the wildfires burning up parts of California,  I feel very lucky to live in a part of the country that rarely has to deal with natural disasters. It's been heartbreaking reading about the girls' camp and loss of so many lives in Texas hill country, hasn't it? Almost beyond belief that this could happen in the age of modern communications, cell phones, and such. That river rose so very fast (26 feet in 45 minutes), that many stood no chance at all. 

I turn to thoughts of my sweet grandsons to bring me peace during these sad, sad times. Mister B just celebrated his fifth birthday this week and Baby N, now two months old, is growing by leaps and bounds. I so look forward to the daily photos and videos that my son and daughter-in-law send--I'm just itching to see those darling boys again. And it won't be long! We'll soon be gathering for our annual triple birthday celebration for my husband, my youngest son, and my oldest grandson--we all look forward to it every year!

I've been busy finishing up Baby N's birth sampler. My plan was to finish it by Christmas, but I should have it framed and gifted by the end of August. I'm actually ahead of schedule for a change! My daughter-in-law chose this vintage-looking sampler pattern for her youngest son, and although that checkerboard border tried my patience, I really loved stitching the little trucks and train. May I present "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company in England. Luckily, I was able to purchase and download the chart from The Fat Quarter Shop which made it quick and easy to obtain. There was a cross stitch alphabet included for personalization, but Baby N's name is too long to fit, so I chose to do a simpler straight stitched and back-stitched alphabet which is one of my favorites. I did make a couple of minor changes, but if you like the look of this font, you can find it right here. 

Baby N's birth sampler: "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company

It is stitched on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle with all of the suggested colors. Here is a close-up of the border and two of the trucks. I'm thinking about getting a dark blue frame for this one. What do you think?

Such cute little motifs--I hope Baby N likes cars and trucks as much as his big brother does!

I do have a question for you, though... Look at the train--each car is sitting separately. Should I join them with straight stitches or leave as is? As my husband pointed out, there are two engines going in two different directions so which one is pulling it? I keep going back and forth as to what to do! I'd love to know your thoughts! 

I'm planning on framing this in a simple dark blue frame.

I also stitched a couple of cute designs and made them into birthday cards. The one on the left, "Hello Spring," (by Cherry Hill Stitchery) can be found in the Spring 2023 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine. I used 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle with my choice of threads. For interest, I added little gold beads to the centers of some of the flowers. And the blue bird on the right is from a JBW Designs kit called "Sweet Springtime Songbird. I used most of the suggested colors for this one and stitched it on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle (I seem to be using that fabric a lot lately!). Adding some simple bows and pink gingham ribbon to the card fronts helps make them a bit more special, don't you think?

A couple of sweet stitched birthday cards

And! I have another framed finish to share with you today. I had stitched "Fourth of July Picnic" back in 2023, and, for me, a two year wait is not bad at all. I think this is one of my all-time favorite pieces--it's just so charming with that sweet girl, the little brown pup, and the button flowers. If you'd like to read about my finish from two years ago, you can find it right here. 

My framed finish of "Fourth of July Picnic" by Samplers Not Forgotten

 

I ordered the ridged gray and white frame from one of my favorite online stores, Franken Frames, which I've linked to many times before. This isn't a huge piece so the framing was quite easy and I love how it turned out! I always use the framing tutorial that Brenda Gervais offered on her old blog which you can still find by clicking here. It's really not difficult at all--and what a huge money saver it is to frame things yourself! Give it a try! 

The newly framed piece fit in perfectly with one of my patriotic displays in my kitchen corner cupboard.

Due to our over-abundance of rain earlier in the summer and now our very hot temperatures, our garden is not looking all that great. Some of the plants and flowers that my husband planted didn't even come up  and he's had just one lone ripe tomato so far (with very few on the way). Oh, well, some years are like that... There are some pretty flowers blooming in the fenced in vegetable/flower garden, though, which have made for nice cutting flowers to brighten my kitchen. I'm so appreciative that my husband puts in all the effort for us when it comes to flowers. I am just not a gardener :) 

Some of the pretty daisies, hydrangeas, and bachelor's buttons that we cut and bring inside for our table.

We have milkweed growing in the garden in an attempt to lure  monarch butterflies. I was so excited to see one perched briefly on the milkweed (even if I was too slow to get a photo of it).

And, I'd like to introduce you to our two newest residents... 

We so enjoy seeing the spotted fawn twins romping around our yard. They have the best time leaping and prancing as they chase each other around the pond.

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend ahead and can stay cool inside and just s-t-i-t-c-h! Can't imagine my life without this wonderful hobby, can you? Thanks so much for dropping by and taking the time to say "hello!" And thank you for all of the kind comments on my Milan, Italy post last time. I owe several of you emails--hope to get to those soon! I'll be back at the end of the month with my Christmas ornaments for June and July--fingers crossed! Bye for now...

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...