Thankful at year's end

Hello, my friends! I can't believe there are only two days left in 2022, can you? I can honestly say this past year has not been the best for our family, and yet, I continue to count my blessings. The sad times will fade to distant memories, but I have faith that the good times will continue to shine brightly in my mind. I am so thankful for my family and friends, my hobbies, my home, my health. I truly have been blessed in this life...

The view from my kitchen into my sunroom

 

I've also been blessed to be part of the stitching community here on my blog and on Instagram--what a wonderful bunch you are! I received some lovely Christmas presents from many of you and I'd like to publicly thank each gift-giver today. In no particular order, I received these lovelies in December...

From June: a  charming nativity stitched card, Madame La Fée chart, bookmark, and fabric. Thank you my friend!

From Vickie: a beautiful handmade scissor sheath in the prettiest floral fabric. Thank you, my friend!

From Stasi: a lovely ornament and a small kit with lots of pretty blue threads. Thank you, my friend!

From Cindy (cindyderosa on Instagram): a lovely Noel ornament and a yummy gingerbread dark chocolate bar. Thank you, my friend!

From Robin (robin_in_virginia on Instagram): a beautiful bird-themed ornament and a cut of one of my favorite linens. Thank you, my friend!

From Claire B. (blackberryhill1 on Instagram): one of her beautifully sewn wool strawberries in navy blue, and an adorable blue and white thread ring. Thank you, my friend!

From April (in Virginia): a sweet framed stitching of holly, a Christmas notepad, and some delicious chocolate-covered pecans. Thank you, my friend!

From Cindy C. (cindycstitches on Instagram): a lovely Christmas Joy ornament and the sweetest quilled card. Thank you, my friend!

Three darling stitched cards from my German friends.  Right to left from: Martina, Manuela, and Gabi

I sent out quite a few gifts, too, but I'll save them to share with you in my next post. Thank you also to those of you who sent cards in the mail--I do love to receive a good old-fashioned Christmas card. Many thanks to Sandy, Marilyn, Georgia, Barb R., Karen Y., Lee, Tricia, and Charlene... I truly enjoyed reading each one!

And, I would be remiss if I didn't offer two more thank yous--to those generous stitchers, Janet in Texas, and Linda in North Carolina, who so nicely passed on charts that I could use as giveaways on my blog from time to time. I truly appreciate your giving spirits, Janet and Linda--thank you again! And I know all of you folks who have won a chart this year through the giveaways, thank you, too.

Giveaway time... We haven't had a giveaway in a while, have we? Well, how about today? This cute chart (from Janet in Texas) will be a perfect winter stitch for one of you, don't you think? It is called "Winter Things" and is a design from Waxing Moon Designs. Who would like to win it? I'll pick the winner at random and announce the name in my first post for 2023...

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).

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

Getting To Know You...  My question for today is: "Do you have a New Year's resolution or something you would really like to work on or change about yourself in the coming year?" My answer... I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I do have something I really want to change about myself...  I want to get up earlier! I've developed this very bad habit of laying in bed for a couple of hours each morning checking emails, scrolling through social media, reading the news, etc. when I could be up and doing something useful like reading a book, stitching (or even cleaning!) instead of wasting time. That is definitely something I want to work on to change in 2023. Time is so fleeting--I can't afford to be wasting it! How about you--is there anything you want to change about yourself?

Our Christmas was quiet and cold--the poor woodland creatures came in droves to our bird feeders during the zero degree temperatures. Thankfully, it has now warmed up to unseasonably warm days for a while and the snow has all melted. It sure was nice having a white Christmas, though. My middle son and his girlfriend were able to join us for Christmas Eve dinner (traditional manicotti and homemade multi-grain bread) and then also for a late brunch where we baked our once-a-year cinnamon buns (you can find a link to the recipe and a photo right here). After brunch we all sat in front of the toasty fire and worked on puzzles or stitched--a most relaxing day.

A trio of hungry deer visit on Christmas Eve

 

Even the Mourning Doves, who normally feed from the ground, couldn't stand the cold snow. It was so unusual to see them perched up high!

 

We do plan on having a late Christmas (in Maryland) with my grandson, Mister B, in just a week and I can't wait. I love seeing his joy as he opens gifts. I mailed a little Christmas card to him with some simple stickers in it and you would have thought I sent him the best toy ever! "Stickers!" he excitedly exclaimed as he pulled them out of the card. And then, prompted by his mom, he sweetly said, "Thank you, Nonna and Pompaw" and blew us a kiss through the camera. Sigh... he melts our hearts!

I began this post with a photo of our Christmas tree as seen from my kitchen into our sunroom. I'll leave you with a photo of our family room as reflected in the mirror over our sofa. I happened to glance at the mirror and thought it looked so pretty reflecting all the Christmas lights that I just had to take a photo.

Christmas Day 2022 (that's my blue stitching chair looking unusually tidy for a change :)

So another year is over... oh, how I wish they would slow down! At my age, I feel like things are rushing by way too quickly. Do any of the rest of you feel that way? We will usher in the new year in our usual quiet way--watch a movie on television, and maybe (just maybe!) stay up until midnight. More likely not... I wish you each a new year filled with good health and happy days. Thank you for all the love and support you've given me and my blog in 2022--each comment and email really does warm my heart. See you all in 2023! Bye for now... 

Wishing you every happiness in 2023!

Simple gratitude...

The end of the year always brings a mixture of the bitter and the sweet, doesn't it?  I think that holds true more this year than any other year that I've lived. It's been a tough one! And yet, I am still grateful for so many things--especially my family and my stitching friends who have really made living through a pandemic just a bit easier. One of my favorite quotes from Ralph H. Blum states: "There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy." I've chosen to find that gratitude this year in spite of some pretty sad happenings... You can choose to dwell on the sad or you can decide to find things in life to be grateful for--because there is always something, no matter how small, to give thanks for!

Well enough of my end-of-the-year philosophizing! How was your Christmas? I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it felt to have my youngest son home for five days after not having seen him since last Christmas. My middle son was able to join us for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning brunch, too. It felt so good to just sit and laugh together (I actually laughed so hard during a game of Balderdash that my ribs hurt the following morning)! How I missed the simple normal things this year like spending days with my family. We ate too much, watched "It's a Wonderful Life" (which, although it is one of my husband's favorite movies, I had never seen!) and episodes of The Mandolorian. As I looked around the table one evening, I smiled to myself: "How wonderful it feels to just laugh and chat and feel normal for a change!" I'm sure most of you can relate, can't you?

One of the normal things in life that I didn't have to miss out on this year was my stitching! I'm sure you all feel that it's been a lifeline at times, just like I do. This beautiful piece is called "Merry Christmas Sampler" by Crown & Thistle. The chart was given to me by my dear friend on Instagram, Claire, from Canada. Although I'm not really a sampler stitcher (I usually need the reward of instant gratification given by smaller pieces!), I truly enjoyed stitching with one color and I think the end result is gorgeous.

 

It is stitched with a stunning red thread--Gloriana Silk in the very Christmasy sounding name of "Poinsettia." I used, for the first time, a higher count of linen: 46 ct. white Bergen linen. Now, what I didn't realize as I was stitching along, is that this is not an evenly woven linen. I panicked as I saw that right margin growing smaller and smaller as I stitched across the top row of the sampler. You can see it here in the photo below--the right margin is about half the size of the left. I think I can make it work, but I won't have much fabric showing when I frame it.

I hope to frame it in a pretty, tarnished silver frame of some sort. Can't wait to display it for many Christmases yet to come. Thank you again, Claire--your gift was so sweet and I look forward to seeing your finish in the coming year!

 

But, there's more! I must have been a good girl this year as I got some lovely gifts from stitching friends around the world. I truly appreciate each of them taking the time to make a little something for me!

Cindy D. made me this gorgeous Hands On Design ornament for my tree. She changed the colors to darker blues and I absolutely love it! Thank you so much, Cindy!

From Vickie came this very sweet little bird that she sewed out of an antique quilt. Of course, she chose to make him blue for me! Thank you, Vickie--he is adorable!

Two beautifully stitched cards arrived from two of my German stitching friends. Manuela made the pretty snowflake on the left and Gabi stitched the sleigh laden with Santa's goodies on the right. Thank you both so much--they are lovely!

From Stasi came this darling ornament mounted on a piece of tin. Such a beautifully stitched and finished piece, Stasi (and that little "Spread Love, Not Germs: Go Wash Your Hands" needleminder is a perfect way to remember 2020!) Thank you so much!

Another German blogging friend, Martina, sent a lovingly stitched card and two cuts of cardinal themed fabric. She knows how much cardinals mean to me! Thank you so much, Martina!

Instagram friend, Claire (who also gifted me with the "Merry Christmas Sampler" chart shown above) sent a lovely gift which arrived just in the nick of time all the way from Canada. The beautifully stitched wool strawberry is so special with the added beads, silver holly charm, and cording. I love it, Claire--thank you so much!

From my long-time friend, Robin in Virginia, came the cutest little blue stocking ornament, a cut of one of my favorite fabrics (40 ct. Woodland Newcastle), and a charm pack of pretty flannel squares to use in my finishing. Thank you so much, Robin--you always pick the perfect gifts!

From another Instagram friend, Cindy C. came this pretty jeweled card and a skein of the prettiest Gloriana Silk thread. Wouldn't that deep red be perfect for a Christmas design? Thank you so much, Cindy!

And last, but certainly not least, from my dear friend June in England, came this darling cardinal card, a sweet Merry Christmas bookmark and a cute "I Believe In Christmas" chart. Thank you so much, June--everything is delightful, as always!

What a lovely variety of gifts I received this year! I am truly grateful for your friendships and for these sweet remembrances. I displayed them on my mantle this year and smiled each time I glanced over at it. Over the past 12 years, I've received so many lovely ornaments from stitchers around the world. I display them on my staircase garland (after I move my 12 newly stitched ornaments to my Christmas tree when it goes up) and it looks so pretty and bright.  Here are a few photos of the wonderful ornaments I've received over the years--I treasure each and every one. Some people are no longer active in the blogging world and we've lost touch, but I still think of you when I see your ornament. I hope you know that... I truly am grateful for all the stitching friendships I've had--both old and new!

The ornaments from stitching friends certainly brighten up my stairway!

So much thought and love went into each and every gift!

I think I need a longer bannister, but I love how bright and cheery my friends' ornaments look as I walk up the steps!

Do you have any favorites from the pieces you've stitched this year? On Instagram, my "Top Nine for 2020" (generated from the photos that received the most "likes") were the following. All of them were Christmas related except the lone Valentine's Day photo in the lower right. The numbers are a bit skewed, of course, because as the year goes by, the number of followers grows, so, naturally, the posts at the end of the year will garner more interest.

My "Top Nine" 2020 on Instagram

My number one pick would be none of the above, however; it would be the post that I made in July when my little grandson came into the world in La Jolla, California. Do you remember this one? Yes, far and away, my favorite post of this year!

My personal favorite post from July: my precious grandson, "Baby B"

 

Where did that helpless baby go? Well, he's almost six months old now and is sitting up, attempting to crawl, and just fascinated by what's going on around him.  My husband and I just shake our heads in awe as we watch the changes in him practically unfold before our eyes when we FaceTime with him each day. Here is my favorite photo from Christmas of the little fellow in his Santa cap. I wonder what is going through his mind? So precious...

 

I'll share a couple of photos from our Christmas day, too--we didn't take many this year. Although I missed my oldest son, daughter-in-law and Baby B so very much, it was wonderful to have my two younger sons join us for the holiday.

Here are the four of us in front of the tree (blocking the tree, I should say!). In the lower left is my youngest son all ready to tackle our traditional breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, juice, and homemade cinnamon buns. And in the lower right, my middle son surprised me by taking over the traditional manicotti preparation. What a huge help that was--he did an amazing job!

And here I am with my tree! I'm just a wee bit proud of all those ornaments!

Favorite memory of the year... At this time of year, I tend to get quite reflective like a lot of you. I try to think positively and think about the nice memories. To be honest, that was a bit difficult this year with so many losses. But, without a doubt, becoming a grandmother in July was, hands down, my favorite memory. To hold the first born son of my first born son was a feeling I'll never forget. Such pride mixed with lots of love and wonder and a fierce desire to protect (along with a tiny bit of fear). What will this world hold for these children born during the pandemic? Will they be more resilient and adaptable? I choose to think they will be brave and strong, curious, and intelligent. So how about you--do you have a favorite memory from 2020? I'd love to hear some of your happy memories!

Well, this ends yet another year of Stitching Dreams. Next month, will mark my 13th anniversary of blogging! Where have the years gone?  I've so enjoyed getting to see some new names among my commenters this year--thank you for taking the time to say "hello!" It's been a tough year for the entire world... one none of us ever dreamed about, that's for sure. And it's not over... we still have a long way to go until the majority of us are vaccinated and things become safer again. So, on that note, I'll leave you with my word for this coming new year. In 2021, I wish you HOPE! Happy New Year, everyone! Bye for now...

Wishing you hope in this new year!

A brand new year begins...

Happy 2020, everyone! I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start... I have a feeling this year is going to be a good one (even if I am turning into an official "senior citizen" when I turn 65 on my birthday on Thursday)!  As usual, my husband and I turned in early on New Year's Eve--we have rarely made it 'til midnight in recent years. But, for some reason, I couldn't get to sleep that night and was still lying awake at midnight when the fireworks began exploding outside and cheers from revelers burst into the previously quiet night. Suddenly, somewhere in our neighborhood, a tuba began playing the familiar refrain of "Auld Lang Syne." Yes--a tuba! It wasn't played well or loudly, but it brought me comfort and I truly felt like my dad was there wishing me a "Happy New Year." You see, that was his instrument--he played it not only in the high school band, but also in the army band in Fort Lewis, Washington in 1946-47. I smiled contentedly as I finally drifted off to sleep in the wee hours of January 1, 2020... it is going to be a good year!

Dad playing his tuba (sousaphone) in the army band at Fort Lewis, Washington circa 1946 or 1947.

Before I share the stitching gifts I sent to friends around the world, I want to thank you for your wonderful comments and emails you sent in reply to my last post. I truly felt the love and feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful online stitching community (a fact that I've stated many times over!). I was so touched by your "thank yous" and your kind words... If you get a chance, read through the comments from this last post--I think you'll feel uplifted, too!

So, let's get things started--I sent a lot of gifts for Christmas 2019 (and, as always, wish I could have sent even more!) and they were all well received.  I'll share the photographs and the designer and any other pertinent information in a little parade of finishes...

This Prairie Schooler Santa is now living in Virginia at Stasi's house! He is from Book No. 62, "Kris Kringle" and is stitched on 32 ct. sage Jobelan with the suggested DMC colors. I love the snowmen on his robe, don't you?

This smiling snowman has now made his home across the pond in jolly old England with June. This is a freebie available on the "Stitching, Tea, and Me" blog post from July 15, 2016 (or I have a link to it in the "Favorite Freebies" list in my sidebar under "Snowman's Quaker Christmas"). This cutie was stitched on 32 ct. flax Belfast linen with Gentle Arts thread in the color "Crystal Lake."

One of my favorites, as evidenced by the fact that I've stitched this multiple times, is making his home in Texas with a new friend, Susan. Susan was a godsend to some family members earlier this year and I wanted to send her a small thank you! This is from Prairie Schooler's Book No. 51, "Christmas Past" and is stitched 'over one' on 28 ct. black Monaco with DMC threads.

You saw this last year when I stitched three of these Homespun Excellence ornaments called "Jingle, Jingle!" One stayed with me, one went to Robin, in Virginia, and another went to Cindy, in Virginia. This was stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle linen with DMC threads which were changed to a Prairie Schooler color palette.

I stitched this little partridge from one of the Prairie Schooler mini-cards three times! This ornament went to Instagram friend, Tricia, in Indiana, and it is stitched on a new favorite linen: 40 ct. woodland Newcastle with the suggested DMC threads.

And the other two partridges were made into greeting cards and sent to Instagram friend, Claire in Canada, and stitching friend, Gabi, in Germany. I added a little bow to the front of the each card and thought it finished them off perfectly. Due to the high cost of international shipping, I sent cards rather than packages to most of my international friends.

Two more cards were made from the Hands On Design "Cranberry Christmas" chart. These were also stitched on 40 ct. woodland Newcastle using DMC threads and are now living with two German blogging friends: Manuela and Martina.

This 2018 Prairie Schooler annual Santa is now making his home with Meg in the lovely state of Idaho. I changed a few things on the chart--leaving off the words "Let It Snow" and adding more snowflakes instead. Isn't that little bunny adorable?

  

Last, but not least, this unique ornament is now residing with my oldest son and daughter-in-law in, where else, but San Diego! This is one of the city charts by Tiny Modernist and certainly reflects the bright, sunny, fun feeling of southern California!
 It is stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle with the suggested DMC colors.

Whew! That's it--well, almost. I did stitch an ornament for my middle son, but didn't quite get it finished in time for Christmas. Oops! Well, I'll share that with you (and him!) when I finally get it done... I truly enjoy making ornaments for gifts and I'm sure you'll be seeing more in the future!

I received a lovely gift of my own from my blogging friend, Jennifer at Quilting Mom's blog. Just look at this beautiful Christmas project bag she made for me! She wanted to thank me for the inspiration I've given her and made me a little bag for my monthly ornament stitching. As you can see, Jennifer, I'm going to fill it with future Prairie Schooler projects shown on the right. That was so sweet of you--thank you so very much! If you aren't familiar with Jennifer's blog, please go visit her--she does just about everything in terms of beautiful needlework and I find her work to be very inspiring, too!

Thanks so very much, Jennifer! Your beautiful project bag will come in so handy for helping me to organize my ornament stitching!

I've been doing a bit of winter decorating for the months of January and February. I love the soft simple blues and grays and whites of winter, don't you? After the hustle-bustle of the holidays, I relish the tranquil, sparse decor that I use in January. It seems to clear my head and be just the thing I need to start the new year with a clean slate...

I made this vignette in a galvanized tray to place in the center of my kitchen island--a bit of greenery, some miniature silver ball ornaments, a pair of glittery buildings, and a black metal snowflake lantern. It looks so pretty at night when the fairy lights are lit.

This corner of my kitchen cupboard always make me smile with the With Thy Needle and Thread January Wordplay finish and sweet Marjolein Bastin sled.

My son and his girlfriend invited us over for an early birthday dinner on Sunday and I got to visit with my "grandcat," Spike. Can you see why he is named Spike? He has a large "spike" of white fur running up in between his eyes. I do miss having a cat around the house, but with our travels at this stage in our lives, it is easier to not have a pet. But, at least I can see him now and then!

My grandcat--Spike! Such a love...

 

Speaking of cats, we finished the 1000 piece "Holiday Cats" puzzle that we began on Christmas Day. It was such fun and I think an annual Christmas puzzle is in our future.

And what could be better than a sweet baby photo! My youngest sister sent me this picture of my great-nephew, Oliver, reaching for the ornament that I stitched for his first Christmas... How adorable is he?!

Little Oliver looks like he wants to take a bite out of that gingerbread man!

Do you like biscotti? I've always wanted to try making my own, so I found a recipe for Double Chocolate Biscotti on the "Once Upon a Chef" site that had great reviews. Oh, my--it was very easy and tasted amazing--so crunchy and chocolatey. Just perfect with a cup of tea or coffee (only I don't drink either so I just eat mine with cocoa or water :)  For the recipe, just click here: Double Chocolate Biscotti. I think I may add some almonds next time and experiment with different flavors this year.

Double Chocolate Biscotti satisfies any chocolate craving!

Giveaway... I thought it would be fun to start off the new year with a small giveaway... Since we are getting NO snow here in western Pennsylvania this year, perhaps a snow chart giveaway will bring some our way (be careful what you wish for, Carol!). Honestly--I don't ever remember a winter like this--it was 70° here on Saturday. Unbelievable... Anyway, if you would like to win this cute chart (just two pages pulled from a magazine--not the whole magazine), please: 1) specifically say so in your comments, 2) make sure to include your email address if I don't already have it and 3) tell me what you are most looking forward to stitching this year. For me, I'm looking forward to adding to my little ornaments stitched on black in the LHN "Hometown Holiday" series. I plan on starting one this week and hope to add a couple more this year. The drawing will be open until January 29, 2020 and I'll announce the winner on my next post.

If you would like to be included in the drawing for this chart:  1) specifically say so, 2) make sure to include your email address in your comments if I don't already have it, and 3) tell me what you are most looking forward to stitching this year.

And, that's a wrap--my first post of 2020 done and dusted! I thank you for stopping in today, for  your kind comments, your inspiration, and your friendship. Let's make this a wonderful stitching year, my friends! Bye for now...