A busy two weeks and two new finishes

Whew! It's been a busy first two weeks of March for me... I think I've left my house more over the past two weeks than I did over the entire past year! (Well, not really, as there were trips to visit my mom and my grandson last year, but you get the idea). This was my "self-care" time of the year when I schedule all the doctors'  appointments that I can manage into two weeks. I went for my annual physical, my eye appointment, my dental check-up, my mammogram, my bone density scan, and had my blood and urine tested at the lab. Throw in a much-needed haircut and color and it was a productive, if tiring, couple of weeks. Thankfully, all my appointments went well. (Although when you suffer from osteoporosis like I do, the results of my bone density scans are never what you want to see... In spite of all my exercise, my bones continue to grow weaker. For me, it's genetic, both mom and grandma had severe osteoporosis, too). 

I have had a bit of time to stitch--though not as much as I would have liked. As you can see below, my St. Patrick's Day display has been brightening up the kitchen. Although I have no Irish blood, I really love the cheery green of these pieces--they just say spring to me and they're a perfect transition from frosty snowmen to frolicking bunnies. I purchased the little pitcher and two matching cups adorned with shamrocks at Goodwill over a year ago (BC--before Covid). I thought they would be a perfect addition to my Irish-themed basket. And do you see the green checked "placemat" that everything is resting on? It is an extra-large men's shirt that I also purchased at Goodwill to cut up and use in finishing and in my displays. Since all the shirts are the same price, why not look for the "extra-large" size, right!?

Lots of green goodies in my St. Patrick's Day display

For those of you who are new to my blog, I thought perhaps you might enjoy reading about each of the cute green finishes in my tiered basket... You can click on the highlighted name of each piece and be taken to my blog post with details about each finish. The piece peeking out in the back right corner is from Prairie Schooler's Book No. 13 "A Prairie Year." In front of that is "Wee Lassies" from Pineberry Lane's "Little Shamrocks" chart. Over on the right is a freebie from Erica Michaels called "The Lion and the Lamb." And in the very front is another freebie from Remy at Embroiderbee's Primary Hive. Love that black kitty as he reminds me of our old cat, Shadow.

Love that black cat finish!

Moving on down to the lower basket, you can find "Basket O' Luck" from Pineberry Lane's "Little Shamrock's chart in the back left, "Erin Go Bragh" from the same chart in the middle, and the Lizzie Kate March Stamp from the Flip-It Series on the right. In the very front is "Leprechaun Lodge" by Blue Ribbon Designs. The freebie for this design can be found right here.

My newest St. Patrick's Day finish is in the frame on the far right

 

One of my favorite St. Patrick's Day finishes is this little cutie called "Sweet Clover Girl" by Pineberry Lanes. It, too, can be found in the "Little Shamrocks" chart. She is resting on an old hankie from my maternal grandmother--look at the delicate clover lace edging on it. I treasure this so much! 

Love this embroidered handkerchief that belonged to my grandmother!

 

But, wait--I missed telling you about one finish... On the far right of the display is my latest in the Holiday Hoopla series--"St. Patrick's Day" by With Thy Needle and Thread. I used 40 ct. Woodland Newcastle linen and the suggested colors. I did add a few extra ecru "doodads" to round it out a bit more and surrounded the circle (which is glued onto a square of fabric covered sticky board) with ecru covered cording. I am using the same frame for all of my Holiday Hoopla finishes. You can see the Valentine's Day finish right here and the Easter finish in this post. I really love how this one turned out! I want to thank my sweet friend, Vickie, for passing this wonderful chart on to me! And to keep the kindness going, I'll be giving it away today... Just follow the directions below if you are interested.

How cute is this sheep wearing his Irish hat?

Stitchers really are the kindest people and I have three wonderful friends to thank today. First of all, my friend, Ginger S., on Instagram who sent me a very special chart a while back. You see, Ginger lost her mother last year, too, and her friend, Joy, sent her the wonderful Plum Street Samplers chart called "Remember Me" so she could stitch it in memory of her mom. As soon as Ginger was done, she kindly passed it on to me and now that I have finished, I have passed it on to another stitching friend who also lost her mother in 2020. We are hoping to keep this kindness going for as long as possible. 

"Remember Me" stitched in memory of mom

 

My finish of "Remember Me" was stitched on 36 ct. Sand Edinburgh linen by Picture This Plus. I did change several of the colors, the font for my mom's initials, and if you look closely in the photo below, you'll notice a tiny addition to my version. I added a wee hummingbird--can you see him stitched "over one" in the upper right? I am no artist so I'm thrilled that he resembles a hummingbird even a little bit!

I added a teeny hummingbird to the design

Why did I choose to add a hummingbird? You see, hummingbirds were "mom's bird"--she loved them. She had them on her china, on coasters, drinking glasses, stationery, and ornaments. There is even a hummingbird etched above her name on her gravestone. When I see one in real life, or even a drawing of one, I always think of my sweet mother. In the photo below you'll see my parents after my dad's graduation from medical school (just a few months after I greeted the world in 1955)! I've been taking a lot of comfort in looking through these old black and white photos of my parents looking so young and whole and in love. That is how I like to imagine them together again...

Mom and Dad in 1955--oh, how I miss them!

Another lovely gift came all the way from England from my friend, Linda G. She recently got in touch with me after many years and said she was still enjoying reading my blog. She asked if she could send me some gold plated needles to thank me for "all the joy" that my blog posts bring her. Isn't that thoughtful of her? Well, just look at this fancy box of needles that arrived from The Cross Stitch Guild in Great Britain! Oh, my--I feel like royalty! The needles are wonderful and they truly do glide through the fabric. I will treasure your gift, Linda, and I truly thank you!

A lovely set of the best needles from my friend, Linda G., in England

 

A third gift arrived as a complete surprise from my young friend in Germany, Amara, whom I first "met" on Instagram (her name on IG is "xstitchingmakesmyheartlight" if you would like to follow her). Amara wanted to thank me for always being so "kind and supportive." I was truly touched when I opened her package to see a beautifully stitched bunny ornament and a lovely Easter card. Isn't this darling? I love the bunny girl bearing a bouquet of spring blooms. And the blue cording and ribbon finish it off perfectly, Amara! Thank you, my friend!

A sweet Easter gift from my Instagram friend, Amara

 

Giveaway winner... So, to keep the stitchy kindness going, I want to first announce the winner of my giveaway from my previous post. Many of you entered the drawing, but there can only be one winner of the pretty "Love Grows" chart and that is...

Darlene J.

Darlene J.--you have won the "Love Grows" chart!

Darlene, please contact me via email or Instagram and send me your mailing address. I'll post the chart as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy stitching it!

Giveaway time... And, guess what?! I'd like to send one of you the "Holiday Hoopla St. Patrick's Day" chart. Who is interested? If you are, please 1) Specifically say so in your comment, 2) Make sure to leave your email address if I don't already have it and 3) Answer today's "Getting To Know You" question below.

If you would like to enter the giveaway for this St. Patrick's Day chart, please follow the instructions above.

Getting To Know You... I so enjoyed reading about your place in the family from my last post. As I predicted, many of you are firstborn children like I am. For today's question, I'm wondering if you collect anything? Some people are big collectors and some aren't. I've gone through various phases in the 43 years that I've been married. At first I collected gnomes, then I moved on to Lizzie High dolls, then to David Winter Cottages, and then to Dedham Pottery (the reproductions--not the pricey genuine pieces). It's been about fifteen years now since I've collected anything, though. I think I'm beginning to slow down as I get older and simply enjoy the things I already have. Now, it's your turn--do you collect something special (or have you in your younger days)?

I'll be taking a bit of a blogging break for a few weeks as a certain eight-month-old bundle of  baby boy will be occupying my time. I'll still try to read your blogs, but it's very hard for me to comment from my phone so I'll just have to catch up with you all in April at some point. If you follow me on Instagram (which you can do by clicking right here), I'll still try to post a few photos during my blogging break so look for me there. In the meantime, I'm so glad you stopped to visit today! Welcome to my new followers and a big thank you to all of you who take the time to comment or email me. I always enjoy hearing from you. Wishing you a blessed Easter and hoping that more and more of you are able to once again hug your families. Bye for now...

♣ Wishing each of you something to smile about on St. Patrick's Day! ♣

 

Farewell to February!

Good morning, good morning! How is everyone doing on this final day of February? I always feel like we're turning a corner when February is over and it certainly seems like it with our weather this weekend. With temperatures reaching the 50's here in western Pennsylvania, our snow is finally melting and I've even seen a few green shoots appearing here and there. It will be another month or two until we begin to see flowers, but just knowing that they're on their way brings so much hope, doesn't it? 

My stitching has taken a back seat this month as I seem to be spending more time doing some serious spring cleaning and refreshing things around my house--puttering is one of my favorite activities in the world! I just put on some music and begin rearranging shelves, displays, plants, etc. for fun. Nothing big like rearranging the furniture, though... Oh, my mom was a great one for that--I swear us kids would come home from school to a newly rearranged living room at least every other month! I remember exclaiming, "Mom, can't you just leave things the same way for once?!" I think that's why the furniture arrangement in my rooms stays the same--how about you? 

Well, enough of my rambling... You're here to see what little stitching I've done, right? I stitched my second Christmas ornament for 2021 and I love it! I mean, who can resist a miniature snowman being lifted up by a skating Santa to place his shiny, gold star at the top of the Christmas tree? Too cute! This is "Merry Friends" by Plum Street Samplers stitched "over one" on 28 ct. black Monaco. I changed virtually every color except for the red in Santa's robe and hat. The biggest change was using an icy blue for the snowflake centers and the tiny snowman's hat instead of the suggested gold color.

"Merry Friends" by Plum Street Samplers

For my finish, I attached the tiniest star and a mini pom-pom (using glue on both--just a little bit of Aleene's Tacky Glue applied with the tip of a toothpick does the trick). I also changed the location of a couple of the trees to create a more rounded look at the top of the design. Finally, I finished it as a circular ornament with green cording and a green gingham bow. I really love how stitching charts "over one" can make them small enough for ornaments for your tree!

My February 2021 Ornament Finish

This next piece is one I began stitching for Valentine's Day, but it ended up taking much longer than I thought it would! Those solid blocks of stitching will surprise you every time, won't they? This is from an old Leisure Arts magazine (sorry, I had ripped it out of the magazine years ago and I don't have the issue information). I'm not even sure of the designer, although it certainly resembles Lizzie Kate's style. It is stitched on 40 ct. white Newcastle linen with a mixture of the suggested colors and some of my own selections. What drew me to this piece was the mixture of soft colors--I just love them!

"Love Grows" from an old Leisure Arts

The biggest change that I made was changing the words from "Love grows from the heart" to "Love grows here." (I admit, part of that was sheer laziness as I just couldn't stitch another section of yellow!). Anyway, below is what it originally looked like next to my changed version. I'm not sure how I'll finish this one, but it will probably hang out in my box of unfinished finishes until next February. 

I'm having a giveaway for this chart (my stitching isn't included)

GIVEAWAY... So, now that I'm done with the 'Love Grows" chart pictured above, is there anyone who would like to stitch it?   If you would like to enter the giveaway: 1) Please specifically mention in your comment that you want to enter; 2) Make sure to include your name and last initial along with your email address if I don't already have it and; 3) Answer the question in my "Getting To Know You" section below. I will draw a name and announce the winner on my next blog post in March. Good luck to all!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU... For those of you who  are new visitors, my "Getting To Know You" section is simply a way for me to learn more about you. As I've mentioned many times, blogging often feels like a one-street: you know a lot about me, but I know very little about most of you. So, I like to pose questions from time to time to help remedy that... My question today is: "Where do you fit in your family: oldest child, middle, youngest, only?" I am betting that a lot of cross stitchers are, like me, oldest children. I do have many of the traits of the oldest (to read an article that lists the various traits, just click here)...  I'm definitely cautious, reliable, conscientious, and somewhat of a perfectionist. I don't fit the "leader" label as I've always hated being the center of attention, though. And controlling? Well, that would depend on who you ask on any given day--ha ha! Now, it's your turn--where do you fall in your family? I'd love to get to know you better!

Baking corner... Now that my husband is permitted to visit his parents (from a distance) in their nursing home in Ohio, I am getting more chances to bake so that he can take them some homemade goodies. I saw a photo of peanut butter brownies topped with peanut butter icing on Pinterest and knew I had to make them. They brought back so many memories of Friday lunches in the school cafeteria... Now, I was not one to buy my lunch--except on days that these special brownies were offered! 

The recipe I used can be found on an older blog called "Relished" in this post. Now, I did use a different recipe for the icing as it also contained butter in addition to melted peanut butter and confectioner's sugar. I mean can you ever have too much butter? The icing recipe can be found right here and you pour it on the slightly cooled brownies while the frosting is till a bit warm.  They were very tasty (although, next time, I won't bake them as long as the recipe says--my edges were a bit crispy). I cut them fairly small as, oh my, they are very rich--almost like fudge! Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

That about does it for my final February 2021 post... I'll leave you with two photos of our backyard visitors during this snowy month. The deer have been so hungry this winter (due to all of the snow that covers their normal foodsource), that they started devouring the birdseed in the two smaller bird feeders! My husband decided to outwit them and devised a system to bring the feeders inside each night. Since both of the small feeders are right outside our kitchen, he simply attached a hook onto an old broom handle so he can extend it out the window and then lift the bird feeders right off the hooks and into our kitchen where they sit until the next morning when they're placed outside again. This has cut way down on our bird seed costs! And now that grass is reappearing the deer won't be raiding the feeders any longer (hopefully!). 

The deer have been coming closer and closer to the house to get to the food in our bird feeders. They're so pretty, but so hungry!

Mr. Cardinal enjoying a sunny, snowy day!

I'm so glad you stopped in today! I hope you're all staying safe and making progress in getting your vaccines... We got our second shots of the Moderna vaccine last week with no side effects (other than a bit of tiredness and sore arms). I feel very blessed to have received both doses of the vaccine so quickly--I truly do. It's almost as if the dark veil that has covered the entire world for the past year is slowly lifting. It will take time, but we're getting there... Take extra good care now and I'll be back in March with some St. Patrick's Day stitching to share. Bye for now...

♥ Sending a lot of love on Valentine's Day! ♥

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you are spending the day doing something you love or spending it with someone you love! I intended to get this blog post written and posted much earlier in the day, but as luck would have it, the new rug for our family room was delivered and we spent the entire morning moving furniture, removing the old rug, cleaning the hardwood floors, and then putting everything back in place.  If I can get some decent photos (in other words, if the sun ever shines again!), I'll post a couple of photos for you if you'd like to see them...

I've made it my practice to stitch a couple new Valentine's piece each year and 2021 was no exception. Isn't this love letter carrying bird a sweet piece? I used DMC 115 on 40 ct. white Newcastle linen and bordered it with the same color ruched ribbon. To add a bit more interest, I hung a little heart-shaped charm from the bird's beak topped with a bow of the same DMC floss.

Love the variegation of DMC 115!

This chart comes from a French book called "Coeurs a Broder" (which I believe translates to "Hearts to Embroider"), by Agnes Delage-Calvet and Anne Sohier-Fournel. It was a gift from a blogging friend in England many years ago and is filled with so many charming designs for both cross stitch and embroidery. I'm sure I will be stitching more designs from it in the future. The red fabric you see in the right corner is what I used on the back of my finish.

Sending some love to all of my blog readers today!

This little cupid has been calling my name for a few years and I finally got around to stitching her. Most of you will recognize this as part of the "Holiday Hooopla" series by With Thy Needle and Thread. I used the suggested colors except I changed the word "Love," her shoes, and her eyes to DMC 3799--a dark grey. I also gave her a bit of a smile and used smyrna stitches to round out her eyes.

With Thy Needle and Thread "Holiday Hoopla Valentine's Day"

I decided to finish this one the same way that I did my Easter Holiday Hoopla from last year. You can see that finish right here. I'm using the same frame for all of the holiday hooplas (St. Patrick's Day is coming up next month!) to make things easy. The backing is just a piece of sticky board covered with red fabric. Then, after finishing the stitching into a round shape, I simply glued it onto the red fabric, added a fun polka-dot bow, and attached a silver heart charm--a very easy finish!

I did add more hearts to the design to round it out a bit so it would better fit the finish I had planned. Isn't she sweet? I love her tiny shoes!

 

And the next "finish" of sorts has been a long time coming. It has been almost a decade since I purchased this beautiful wooden cubby that Pottery Barn sells. So, where has it been all this time? Oh, just sitting on the floor in one of my son's old bedrooms collecting dust. I just kept procrastinating because to hang something this large seems like such a commitment! Do any of you put things off this way? I think something changed in me after my mom passed away almost 7 months ago, though... I've been consciously trying to complete long planned tasks and goals--I think I realize that life is never guaranteed to any of us so we might as well enjoy what we have while we can! I'm thrilled to finally have this out and on display where I can have fun with it each month.

My Pottery Barn cubby is finally hanging on the wall!

For February, I filled the cubbies with lots of red and white stitches, old greeting cards, and assorted small treasures and am so enjoying seeing it hang on my family room wall. It will be such fun to change it up for the seasons, don't you think? All of the Valentine's finishes are ones you can find in my February blog posts from years past.

February contents: lots of pink and red

Here is a view of it on the wall. I love the location I chose because it is the first thing you see when you walk into the house from the garage and is even visible from my desk here in the kitchen when I'm on the computer. It certainly makes me smile!

 

No matter what I put in my cubby each month, I've decided to dedicate the very middle space to my very first love--my dear mother. There is a sweet silhouette of her as a young girl, a pair of ceramic white shoes that were part of the collection she had as a child, and a gold thimble belonging to her first love--my maternal grandmother. (There is a whole story behind that thimble which I'll have to share with you some day!). This particular cubby hole is right at my eye level and is very, very special to me...

The center cubbyhole dedicated to my dear mother.

I was so touched to receive this wonderful package of goodies below from a fellow blogging friend... I had done a simple favor for her and expected nothing in return, but she sent me an amazing group of fabrics and charts. Thank you so much, my friend--you know who you are! With all you've been dealing with, your thoughtful and kind gifts mean all the more to me...

Thank you, thank you to my sweet friend!

 

I finally got a wonderful looking (and tasting!) loaf of bread from my Zojirushi bread machine. I've really struggled with my machine and have had very uneven results. I've been reading tips online (such as make sure not to let the salt touch the yeast when you put in the ingredients, double check the temperature of your liquids, and make sure to always use fresh yeast and flour). Anyway, this multigrain bread is a favorite of ours and I "try" to limit myself to one piece a day! If you'd like to give the recipe a try in your bread machine, you can find it right here. I only use two teaspoons of yeast, 1 cup of the multi-grain oats, and substitute 1/4 cup honey for the brown sugar when I make it.

Finally a bread that looks as great as it tastes!

Snow, snow, snow... although we have yet to receive a giant snowfall, the ground has been snow-covered for most of the winter. The funny thing is, now that I've retired, I really don't mind snow or ice! I can just sit at home all cozy and comfy and not worry about driving or falling on icy parking lots. We are supposed to get more snow off and on all week! I don't care as long as the roads are clear on the 23rd as that is the day we're getting our second dose of the Covid vaccine. I'm a bit worried as I have heard there are more side effects with this second one, but I don't care--I just want it done! We are already making plans to fly to California in mid-March to spend some long overdue time with this little cutie. We last saw him when he was just 3 months old and here he is all dressed up for Valentine's Day in his little heart suspenders and red bow tie. Seven months old already and he is definitely looking more like a little boy than a baby!

♥ This tiny 7-month old cupid has captured my heart! ♥

 

Well, my friends, stay warm and safe... I hope these last two weeks of February fly by for you. Next comes March and the promise of springtime--I can't wait! Thanks so very much for stopping by today and for all of your sweet comments. If any of you have questions, make sure to leave your email address so I can try to answer you. Happy stitching everyone! Bye for now...

A couple of firsts!

As the snow falls quietly on this last day of January, I'm wondering how on earth this first month of 2021 has passed so quickly? January usually drags for me, but, thankfully, that wasn't the case this month. I am so appreciative of all of the birthday wishes I received via comments and emails--thank you very much! I also received some lovely cards from a few of you, too--thank you for brightening my day!  I have to admit that my birthday felt like one of the few "normal" days that I've had over the past year. My middle son and his girlfriend made a tasty dinner (calzones, kale salad, and carrot souffle) for me at their apartment. (They have been socially isolating, just as we have, so we felt safe celebrating with them). Their always delightful cat, Spike, provided the evening's entertainment! Such a good feeling to forget about the problems of the outside world for an evening and just relax and enjoy ourselves...

Although my youngest son, oldest son, daughter-in-law, and baby grandson could not be there, I received some lovely gifts from them. My oldest son and his family sent me a very generous gift certificate for Etsy. Oh, you know that will be well-used, don't you? I already purchased some lovely ric-rak and satin ribbon with a portion of it! My middle son and his girlfriend gave me a darling gazebo bird feeder and their cat gave me some tasty chocolates. And my youngest son sent me some gorgeous blue and white flowers and a massage device to target the muscle that's been causing the sometimes excruciating sciatic pain down my left leg for the past three months (thankfully, it doesn't happen often, but when it does, it makes me yelp right out loud!). 

Beautiful blue and white flowers from my youngest son!

 

I think the wee chickadee likes my new bird feeder from my middle son and his girlfriend just as much as I do!

After dinner, I received a decadent chocolate cake with a single candle! Can you guess what I wished for? I'm sure the very same thing every person in the world is wishing for right now... My husband picked up this beautiful cake and gave me some chocolates that evening. But, my big (and very unexpected!) gift, will be arriving in mid-February--a Peloton exercise bike! To be honest, I think this gift is just as much for him as it is for me, but I'm excited to be expanding my exercise routine a bit. Since Covid began, I've been pretty much doing my daily treadmill miles and not much else--time to mix it up a bit, I'd say! These bikes are expensive, but I don't belong to a gym so, in the end, I'd say it's a very good deal--and so much more convenient than hopping in a car and driving to a gym filled with sweaty strangers :) 

I bet you know what I wished for...

I also received some very kind gifts from fellow stitchers...

A sweet bird chart and pretty charms from June!

An adorable snowman chart from Vickie!

A darling needleminder from Instagram friend, Tricia!

This next gift was not a birthday gift, but a sweet act of kindness from my friend, Ginger, on Instagram. She also lost her mother in 2020 and a friend sent her this chart to stitch in her mom's memory. After she finished it up, she passed it on to me, and when I'm done, I'll pass it on to another stitcher who recently lost her mom. We hope to keep this going for a long time... a little string of love between stitchers who truly  understand how it feels to lose a mom.

A very meaningful chart passed on from Instagram friend, Ginger!

 

And--look! I won a box, jam-packed with stitching goodies, from Shelly, Arizona Stitcher  to celebrate the milestone 10th anniversary of her blog! Wow! Look at all the delights that came my way... A beautiful project pouch in a fun candy-cane fabric, Bohin needles (love those!), rolls of ribbon and pom-poms, a "Let's Stitch" needleminder and floss ring, a cute With Thy Needle Chart and a piece of linen, a new journal to keep track of my finishes, and an array of beautifully colored threads--both DMC and overdyed.

What delightful gifts from the generous Shelly!

But, that's not all! Shelly also made me the prettiest ornament. I'm not sure of the designer, but isn't it darling? She did a beautiful job on both the stitching and the finishing. This is the very best part of your wonderful giveaway, Shelly--thank you so much! I'll think of you each December when I display it. Thank you for every single item you included--I truly love it all and feel honored to have won your very special giveaway!

Such a lovely ornament from Shelly!

So... that was my fun January--filled with lots of gifts and love and well-wishes. Thank you all! 

I do have one more "gift" to mention, though--and it's a big one! I got my first Covid shot on Monday!  They opened up our state to ages 65+ and, although we could find no appointments in our county, my oldest son (all the way over in California!) found appointments online for us (and quite a few of our friends and family members) in adjacent counties. We were so thrilled and my son has enjoyed helping all of us old folks out. Other than a mild sore area at the injection site, I had no side effects. Hopefully, the next shot later in February goes as well. I truly feel blessed to have gotten the first dose! I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

I think this pharmacist needs to go back to school for remedial lessons in handwriting--yikes!

Another first--my first ornament of the year is complete! I chose another Prairie Schooler Santa (from Book No. 80 called "Old World Santas)." As usual, I stitched it on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle, but I did change some of the threads. I changed the red to DMC 221, the green to DMC 501, the color of his sack to DMC 844, and the staff and a portion of the bird to DMC 839. The rest of the colors remained as charted.

A new Prairie Schooler Santa from Book No. 80

You'll notice in the photo above that I added some Smyrna-stitched snowflakes in an oval shape, too--love how the final finish looks! Isn't this Santa cute with the birdhouse tucked into his backpack and the sweet holly-carrying bird perched on his outstretched hand?

My January ornament finish

Here is a photo of the "Old World Santas" chart alongside my finish. You'll notice that I'm leaving off the rectangular base that each Santa is standing on in order to finish them as ovals. I'm sure I'll be stitching more from this chart during the coming year. I hope I never run out of Prairie Schooler Santas!

In other stitching news, I started a stitch-along on Instagram! Yes, me, that shy "sit in the back row of the class" girl, who hates being the leader of anything... But, I've had a great number of people joining in and we'd love to have you join us, too. The idea is to stitch an ornament each month and finish them all by year's end. I've done this for 12 years now and am (honestly) getting a bit weary of it... I'm hoping that by having others posting their ornaments, we can cheer each other on and have a dozen brand new stitched decorations by Christmas time. If you'd like to participate on Instagram, you can use the hashtag #12in21ornamentstitchalong. Hope to see some of you posting this year... even if you don't get all twelve done, a few new ones to add to your tree is always a delight! 

I was planning on taking my snowman stitching down today, but with this fresh snowfall, I'm re-thinking that idea! Here are a few photos of my tiered basket tray that I've had on my kitchen sideboard this month. Those cheery little snowman smiles certainly brighten up that corner of the kitchen. All of these were stitched by me through the years and hang on my Christmas tree. I just pin the hangers behind them when I use them in displays like this one.

Snowman smiles brightened my kitchen in January

Here are a couple of close-ups for you. I took these photos earlier in the month when there was just a dusting of snow--the background would look quite different today!

 

So, on to February! Do you have any plans for Valentine's stitching? I have a couple little things that I'm trying to get finished up before February 14th rolls around--wish me luck. I can only work on finishing when the desire strikes--and that doesn't happen often...  Thank you, each and every one, for your visit today. And a special thank you to those who leave comments. I know it takes time, but I truly appreciate each kind word. As always, I'm happy to answer your questions, but make sure to leave your email so I can respond to you, okay? Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends... and Happy February! Bye for now...