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!  

So... much... rain!

Hello, everybody! We've reached the end of January and I couldn't be happier. Rain and gloomy skies have shrouded the month in darkness far too often over the past 31 days. On the rare occasion the sun does peek through the clouds, boy, does my energy level skyrocket and my mood improve. For all of you who live in climates with abundant sunshine--I hope you appreciate each and every day. Will February be any different? Probably not, but at least it's a bit shorter than January... Thank goodness we have this wonderful hobby of making thousands of tiny x's in fabric to help us through the long winters in these northern climates!

Those of you on Instagram  may know that I began a monthly ornament stitch along (SAL) back in 2021. It's proven to be very popular and I've met some great new stitching friends through it. If you'd care to join in on the fun, just use the #12in24ornamentstitchalong when you post a new ornament on Instagram and I'll be sure to see it. And if you'd like to follow my account on IG, you can click here and hit the follow button. 

So, would you like to see my very first ornament of 2024? As soon as I saw this design, I instantly knew I wanted to stitch it on black! This is called "Christmas Card" and is by Crocette a Gogò. I also knew I wanted it to be on the small side so I stitched it "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana. Most of the suggested threads were used, although I did change the lettering to black.

Christmas Card by Crocette a Gogò

It's just such a happy ornament with that pair of cardinals, the red and white poinsettias, and the tiny Christmas trees and berries. I love it! I wanted to show you a close-up of the topper I added to the gingham bow. I simply cut little leaves (from the back) of one of my dried boxwood wreaths, glued them on to the ribbon individually (using Aleene's Original Tacky Glue), and then glued on the red and white beads. I am not a hot glue gun lover--I find it dries too quickly and leaves a mess. The Aleene's glue allows me more time to adjust the placement of tiny things like the beads and simply leaves a cleaner look, in my opinion.

It's the little details that make ornament finishing really special!

My next finish was a long time coming! Honestly, I have no idea when I actually stitched this, but I'm guessing it was at least 20 years ago because it is stitched on Aida and I haven't used Aida in many, many years. This is one of a series of cute cat designs by Calico Crossroads and is called "Meooow.com." I found it buried in a drawer of old "unfinished finishes" and decided it would be a perfect birthday gift for my middle son who has a black cat (well, his cat, Spike, does have some white on his tummy and paws) and whose job involves a great deal of computer work. My son loved the old-fashioned computer  and that mischievous cat trying to capture the mouse. And look at the calendar in the upper right--there's even a lounging black cat pictured on it! Such a charming little piece... I framed it in a Dollar Store frame--not a perfect fit, but definitely fine for a fun little piece like this! (There is a shadow on the upper part of the frame making it look a little off-center, but in real life, it looks much better).

A long overdue finish of "Meooow.com" by Calico Crossroads

I've also been working on a couple of larger Christmas pieces as I decided I wanted some bigger things to display at Christmas time in addition to all of my ornaments. Hope to have those ready to show you next month! A small Valentine's day piece will be in the mix, too--I try to stitch at least one new one each year.

I know I've mentioned many times how much I appreciate the kind emails and comments that I receive each time I post. Every now and then I also receive gifts from sweet friends who surprise me totally out of the blue. One of these gifts arrived earlier this month from my Instagram friend Theresa B. (tbornsewterry on Instagram) who wanted to thank me for my blog and the inspiration she's received from it. Oh, my! I was speechless as I opened her package which contained two lovely ornament charts, two packs of needles, and eight beautiful overdyed threads--all in Christmas colors. I am still shaking my head in wonder at this gift--it truly touched my heart. Thank you so very much, Theresa!

Surprise gifts from Theresa B.

And from another Instagram friend, Claire, came a very special package filled with the most lovely wool felt in all shades of the rainbow! Claire (blackberryhill1 on Instagram) makes  gorgeous wool strawberries each month and I knew she would be the person to ask about felt for a new endeavor I'm taking on. She not only gave me great advice, but offered to send me some of her wool felt scraps to use! So very generous and kind... Another gift that truly touched my heart. Thank you so very much, Claire!

A beautiful lot of wool felt from Claire B.

A new endeavor... So, why was I inquiring about felt? Well, last December, I became thoroughly enchanted by the darling felt Advent calendar creations on Instagram by "What a Curly Life." You can see them right here on her website, too--and they're free to download (just click on PDF patterns and tutorials)! On Instagram, she also offered video tutorials for each one, too, which will be so helpful. I plan to make this little penguin first. So far, I've only cut out the pieces. I hope to make all of the animals to give to my grandson next Christmas to hang on his tree. He adores animals so I think they'll be a big hit, if I can manage the sewing of them :) Wish me luck!

A little penguin ready to be sewn together!

With any luck, my penguin will look as cute as this little guy created by Anabella at "What a Curly Life"! Thank you, so very much for your darling patterns, Anabella!

I also won a giveaway! Shelly over at "An Arizona Stitcher" was having a giveaway for the chart below called "A Christmas Sampler." It was one I had never seen so I threw my name into the hat and was the lucky winner! I do plan on having a giveaway for this chart after I've stitched it, so please keep an eye out for it. Thank you so very much, Shelly!

I was the lucky winner of this cute sampler last month!

Birthdays--for me and my blog! Well, I'm proud to say that this little blog of mine, "Stitching Dreams," celebrated its 15th birthday on January 24th. Can you believe it? I sure can't... What started out as a simple way to document my stitching has turned into a true feeling of belonging in the most wonderful online community! I had no idea, when I began blogging that cold January day back in 2009 that it would lead to the amazing friendships, exchanges, inspiration, and fun that I've experienced over the past fifteen years. Thank you all for visiting me all these years. You've touched my heart in countless ways and I truly appreciate each and every one of you!

And my own birthday on the 16th, although extremely quiet this year, was quite nice. It was so very cold that day that I didn't even want to leave the house, so my husband picked up a wonderful dinner from a local restaurant along with some tasty cupcakes and we had a simple birthday celebration--just the two of us. After dinner, my husband surprised me with a little "Zoom" party with all of the kids in attendance. That was fun and a good way to have all of us together across the miles. 

I want to thank some sweet blogging friends for their kind birthday gifts and cards...

Such a cute stitched snowman card from Gabi in Germany! Thank you so much, Gabi!

Vickie at "A Stitcher's Story" made the prettiest set of beaded pins for me. I know they'll look great on summery finishes! Thank you so much, Vickie!

Robin in Virginia included a sweet set of cross-stitch themed stickers in her card. Thank you so much, Robin!

And from June over at "Butterfly Wings" came a lovely stitched card in my favorite color, some flower buttons and summery beach charts, a notebook adorned with birds, and a little pouch from her home in Devon, England. Thank you so much, June!

So, January comes to an end... And with that, I'll be changing out the corner cupboard in my kitchen to February's red and pink and white. Another year is flying by already, isn't it? Hope each of you has a wonderful month ahead. As always, thank you for visiting and taking the time to say "hello!" I owe a few of you emails and I'll do my best to get back to you this week. As always, if you have a question for me, please be sure to leave your email in your comment so I can respond! Bye for now...

My January corner cupboard all ready for its February makeover!

A new year begins...

January is half over and I haven't even popped in to wish you all a Happy New Year yet! I hope your 2023 is off to a great start... All is fine here and tomorrow I'll be celebrating yet another birthday. How can that be? It feels as though I just wrote about my 67th birthday and here I am 365 days later... Yes, I'm turning 68 tomorrow--just two years left until the big one! I've received some lovely birthday gifts and cards which I'll share with you in my next post. Today, I want to concentrate on the last of my stitching for 2022--the gifts I sent to friends around the world. As I've said, many times, I so wish I could send out more gifts, but I am only human. Perhaps if I could exist on two hours of sleep each night? Anyway... I hope you enjoy these and, perhaps, get some inspiration for stitching gifts of your own.

This JBW Designs star is from a chart called "French Country Ornaments." I left off the word "star" that was on the original chart and finished it as a simple round ornament. This one is stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle linen with one strand of Sulky thread 1169 (which is similar in color to DMC 221). I made some cording using DMC 221 and added a gingham bow and gold star charm to the bottom of the ornament.

JBW Designs "French Country Ornaments"

 

The Prairie Schooler deer design is one I've stitched before--a couple of times in fact! It is from the 1998 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine and is called "Two by Two: Deer." It was stitched on a piece of 40 ct. mystery linen with the suggested DMC colors. Again, I made some cording and added a gingham bow (have you noticed how much I love little gingham bows?!).

Prairie Schooler "Two by Two: Deer"

This pair of Prairie Schooler Santas will also look familiar as they among my favorites to stitch for gifts. I've stitched this one at least six times, I think! One of these was a Christmas gift, one was a thank you gift and, I'm happy to say, both were very well received. This Santa is from the Prairie Schooler "Kris Kringle" (book no. 62) and was finished into an oval. I believe these were stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen--not quite sure as I forgot to write it down.

Prairie Schooler "Kris Kringle" (book no. 62)

Another design that I've stitched several times before is the JBW Designs "Christmas Motif Sampler II." These are such fun pieces to stitch with all the miniature motifs charted to form a Christmas tree. I stitched it "over one" on 25 ct. Victorian green Lugana using DMC 3865. I did make one change and substituted another bunny for the deer that was charted underneath the tree. I liked the symmetry of the two rabbits facing each other (of course!). The two-toned cording and satin bow finished it off quite nicely, don't you think?

JBW Designs "Christmas Motif Sampler II"

This sweet cardinal stitched on black is one of my favorites! He is from the Plum Pudding Needleart "Winter's Song" chart. For this one, I used 28 ct. black Monaco and the suggested DMC colors. Such a cheerful little ornament!

Plum Pudding Needleart "Winter's Song"

My final stitched gifts were made into cards for various friends. The three on the right you'll recognize because I stitched that design for my November 2022 ornament, too. It is by Heart In Hand and is called "Pocket Round: December 25." It's stitched on 40 ct Vintage Country Mocha Newcastle using a mixture of DMC and overdyed threads. The pink design (using DMC 3326) is a freebie from L'R de rien which you can find right here. I used 40 ct. white Newcastle to make it small enough to fit into the card opening. Finally, the card on the bottom left may look familiar because it is a smaller version of my ornament from December (which you can find more information about here). It is a sweet motif from Madame Chantilly's "Celebrate Winter" chart  and is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen using most of the suggested DMC colors.

 Stitched cards sent to friends around the world

 

Last, but certainly not least--I stitched an ornament for my 2 1/2 year old grandson's third Christmas. I thought this Annie Beez Folk Art design was so adorable with that cute snowman trying to sell his wagon full of snowballs for 5 cents each! It is part 4 of her "Snowy 9 Patch" designs. The original had a square red zig-zag border, but I wanted a round ornament so I gave the poor one-armed snowman another arm and left off the border. This was the first time I had stitched on the 32 ct. petit point raw/white Belfast linen and, to my surprise, I rather enjoyed it! The coverage of the white printed dots was quite good using two strands of thread. I stitched Mister B's name "over one" using black DMC thread and it looks so cute. For privacy, though, I've covered up most of the name.

Annie Beez Folk Art "Snowy 9 Patch" (block 4)

And here is a photo of the little elf himself "fixing" the tree at our belated Christmas celebration last Sunday in Maryland. He rearranged the ornaments many, many times as you can imagine! I just can't get over how tall he has grown--very "long and lean" as they say. What a change from the little baby shown in this photo on his very first Christmas back in 2020!

Santa's little helper--Mister B!

Thank goodness I snapped a photo of him in his Santa suit early on as that hat didn't last long! Here he is again with Nonna and Pompaw before opening presents. We had such a fun morning watching him open his gifts! He was so excited over each and every little thing (well, except for the clothes--ha ha!). My youngest son and his girlfriend were also able to join us as they live just 40 minutes away from my grandson and his family in the heart of Washington, DC. We all enjoyed  a tasty brunch of blueberry pancakes, French toast casserole, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and orange juice before opening gifts. I'm already looking forward to next Christmas when everyone will be here!

Belated Christmas in Maryland

I meant to share the following photos with you in my last post, but it slipped my mind. After I take the "Parade of Ornaments" pictures each year, I move my dozen new ornaments to my Christmas tree. But, I certainly don't want to leave the stairway garland bare so I've begun filling it with ornaments I have been given over the years. Some are from long ago friends who no longer blog, some are from current stitchers and Instagram friends. Chances are, if you've ever sent me an ornament--it is on this garland. I love seeing these beautiful reminders of stitching friendships that started from the time I began blogging in 2009. Thank you one and all--these mean so much to me!

Ornaments from stitching friends around the world!

 

Giveaway winner... Thank you for joining in on the fun and answering the last "Getting to Know You" question! I enjoyed reading about your goals and resolutions for this new year. So far, I'm not doing very well on my goal of getting out of bed earlier--it's just too cold! I want to snuggle under the covers and read the morning away! I hope you are all achieving your own goals a bit better...  I had several entries for the Waxing Moon winter chart and the winner is...

Kathy H. from New Hampshire

Kathy H.--you are the winner of the "Winter Things" chart. Please email me with your address and I'll get the chart off to you this week!

If you are a Christmas ornament stitcher, you may wish to join me in my #12in23ornament stitch along over on Instagram. The goal is to stitch and finish one ornament each month in order to have a dozen new ornaments for your tree (or to give as gifts) by year's end. It's so much fun to see the cute finishes from stitchers around the world each month and it's a wonderful way to "meet" new stitching friends. No need to sign up--just add the hashtag #12in23ornamentstitchalong to your ornament posts on Instagram. This is our third year creating ornaments for the stitch along and we'd love to have you join us!

A new year--a new ornament stitch along begins!

 

My views on January have definitely changed over the past few years... I used to hate the month and dread the way its gray days and cold nights seemed to drag on forever. But now I relish the peace and quiet of the month after the hustle-bustle of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I enjoy the soft blues and whites in my more limited decorations and I truly enjoy the extra time I have to stitch, read, and just putter around the house. Who else loves to putter (or potter as they say in England!)? There is nothing better than a day with no outside commitments where you can just stay inside and do whatever makes you smile! So, January--forgive me... for so long I viewed you as my least favorite month. Now you've jumped near the top of the list! 

My grandma's dough bowl is filled with lots of pale blue and white ornaments and is sitting on a vintage quilt from my husband's family. The whole vignette makes for a cozy winter scene on our kitchen table this month!

And that wraps up the first post of the new year! Did you know that January 24th will mark the 14th anniversary of my blog? The world of blogging has seen many changes since I began "Stitching Dreams" in 2009, hasn't it? Reading blogs has definitely become less popular, but I still view it as my primary connection to cross stitchers. The relationships formed are stronger and much less superficial than those made on other social media platforms. So, thank you--each one of you, who has left a comment or sent an email my way because of "Stitching Dreams." You've touched my life in such wonderful ways. Here's to another year of successful blogging and stitching--I hope you'll join me! Bye for now...

One month down, eleven to go!

The final day of January--can you believe it? And my third post of the month--even more surprising! How is everyone doing? Surviving the winter okay? I hope that those of you who were caught in that massive snowstorm on the East Coast fared well and that February will be a bit easier for all. In our area of Pennsylvania they are saying this is the coldest weather we've had in four years--subzero temperatures in the mornings and barely getting into the 20's during the day. Today we are getting up to 34°F--heat wave! But, you all know what the best thing is about our cold winter, don't you? It makes for wonderful stitching weather. Honestly, is there anything better than snuggling under a  cozy, fleece blanket and stitching, stitching, stitching? I have to admit that since I've been retired and don't have to leave the house for work, the cold and snow really don't bother me (very much, anyway)!

I've finished my January ornament--can you tell which is the new building added to my little town? Why, it's the local diner on the far right of the photo--something every small town has (sometimes even more than one!). The six buildings that I've stitched so far include, the train station, the tree lot, the firehouse, the needlework shop, and Grandma's house. In my mind, I planned on stitching one each year, but with 22 in the series, and only 6 finished, I think I need to stitch more than one a year if I ever plan on finishing. You see, I'm 67 now and with 16 left to stitch, I'd be 83 years old by the time I finished the series! Um... no! Not going to happen... I can guarantee you I won't be stitching "over one" on 28 ct. black Monaco at that age!

My Little House Needleworks "Hometown Holidays" finishes so far

Most of you will recognize the diner as part of the Little House Needleworks "Hometown Holiday" series. I made some color changes; the main change was to the roof as I wanted it to coordinate with the gold "Woolies Flannel" fabric that I had chosen for the finish. Other changes included leaving out the front portion of snow, adding two candles in the center of the two windows, and topping the tree with a gold star. I truly love how this one turned out!

The Hometown Diner--freshest pies around!

Here is a close-up for you...

Can you see the little candles I added to the windows?

As I was stitching the diner, memories of my first real summer job came flooding back. You see, I actually worked at my small hometown diner as a waitress in the summer of 1974. I well remember the night I came home from my very first shift: I was exhausted, my feet hurt, and I smelled like grease from the kitchen odors (where I also had to wash dishes when I wasn't waiting on tables!). I remember telling my mom that I just couldn't go back... But, then the tips started pouring in and I learned to enjoy my three month summer job. The two other waitresses were fun to work with and I even developed a soft spot for the crusty, old cook who constantly had a cigarette hanging from her mouth (yes, people were allowed to smoke at work in those days!). 

 

This is the actual diner I worked at in my small western New York hometown in the summer of 1974

Giveaway time...  I found this very pretty small sampler (it measures  just 98 X 70) and thought it would make a sweet giveaway for this time of year. I love the large thistle in the center--such pretty colors, too! This chart does have some specialty stitches in it so I would not call it a beginner design. If you would like to win this design (simply a chart torn from the March/April 1992 issue of Cross Stitch & Country Crafts  magazine. I will fold and mail it to the winner in a legal-sized envelope to save on postage), please: 1) Specifically mention that you'd like to win the "Thistles and Flowers" chart in your comment below, 2) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below, and 3) Make sure to include your email address if I don't already have it.

I'm giving away this sweet chart called "Thistles and Flowers"

Getting to know you... It's been a while since I've had a giveaway and asked a "Getting to Know You" question! For today's question, I'm wondering what one of your first jobs was and what you learned from it or found interesting about it? Here is my answer: Working as a waitress in my hometown diner over 40 years ago began a lifetime of jobs working with the public. And it taught me so much... I still remember the well-dressed older couple who I assumed would be big tippers. Nope--they left me a quarter. And then there were the shaggy looking younger guys who tipped big (but that may have had more to do with my waist-length straight hair and short white uniform than my performance as a waitress--ha ha! I mean it was the early '70s after all!). My waitressing job taught me to be patient and kind with those in public service as exemplified by the four businessmen whose laps became the recipients of the four large sodas  that spilled all over them when I set down my tray too quickly! They were so kind to me as I teared up and apologized profusely--a lesson I always remembered and carried throughout life. I think you can tell a lot about a person's character by how they treat shopkeepers, waitresses, grocery store workers, etc.--anyone you come in contact with on a daily basis. Please remember to always be kind... Now, it's your turn--I'd love to hear about one of your early jobs and what you took away from it!

On Instagram, I posted my Pottery Barn cubby filled with snowmen and winter stitching for January and it was a huge hit! Unfortunately, Pottery Barn seems to have discontinued making the cubbies and I've had a lot of disappointed stitching friends who are unable to find one of their own. I suggest keeping your eye out for other cubbies like printer's trays at antique shops. Some folks told me Hobby Lobby also offers a similar smaller cubby, too. Anyway, I thought you'd like to see the snowmen display as I know all of you are not on Instagram... Do you have a favorite? I think mine are in cubbies #6, #10, and #12, but they all make me smile.

Snowmen have taken over my Pottery Barn cubby for the month!

 

Lots of blue--my favorite color!

Wordle... Okay, who else has become obsessed with Wordle, the online word game? My middle son told me about it earlier this year and I can't wait to play it each morning. My family often compares scores and strategies and dumb mistakes that we make in trying to guess the five letter word that is offered each day. (You have to go to the website to play--it is not an app). The idea of it, for those of you who haven't heard, is to try to guess the five-letter word within six tries. I usually manage to get the correct answer in four, but not all the time! I think what I like most about it, is it is only offered once a day and so you don't spend hours and hours playing it like some other online games. Also, there are no ads or annoying pop-ups (kind of like my blog!). Give it a try and let me know what you think. You can find the website, right here: Wordle website.

My Wordle game from Sunday

This funny deer made his way into our yard last week and we've seen him wandering around a few times since then. When I spotted him, I asked my husband what was on his antlers and he said it looked like moss, but as the deer got closer, I saw shredded ribbons and greenery. I think it was someone's old Christmas wreath that he had found blown off a door or been discarded for trash pick-up. Poor guy! It doesn't seem to bother him, but I hope it eventually falls off! I wonder if he is attracting any female deer with his fancy headdress?!

What a fancy deer!

We've been snow-covered most of January and although pretty, I am starting to tire of it! I'd say we have close to a foot on the ground right now because it's been so cold, the snow is simply not melting! Our pond at the rear of our yard has actually frozen over for the first time in years.

My backyard and pond after a fresh January snowfall

But no matter how cold the weather, kids seem to love playing in the snow, don't they? I found this cute photo of my oldest son recently and combined it alongside a photo of his own son (my grandson) as they enjoyed their snowy days. The little shovel my grandson is using actually belonged to my sons when they were little boys. I'm guessing the photo of my son was from 1985 or so when he was about 3 years old.

Snowy smiles for my oldest son and his own son, Mister B

I want to thank each of you for taking the time to visit and read my post today--and a special thank you to those of you who comment. I always love to hear from you! Hope February brings many relaxing stitching hours and much time spent with those you love most in the world. I hope to be back with a couple of Valentine finishes before too long--we'll see! Take care now, my friends. Bye for now...