Snowy Finishes and Lucky Winners

Good morning everyone! How are you all coping with this brutal winter weather? We haven't been hit nearly as badly as you poor people in the eastern corridor of the U.S., and yet, I'm still more than ready for some warmer weather. I don't ever remember a winter this cold, day after day, do you? Well, in spite of not stitching much this month, I do have a couple of things to share with you. First up is my ornament for January. I'm doing an "Ornament-a-Month" stitch-along with Lois, Valerie, and Staci. It's so nice to have company :)

I couldn't resist this quartet of Santas freebie that I found here at the Floss Box. It was designed by the very talented Emily Wilmarth to be a biscornu, but I made a couple of changes to turn it into a diamond-shaped ornament. I changed the colors to what I call the "Prairie Schooler palette": DMC 221, 520, 729, 3363, and 407 along with white and black and used 32 ct. gray Barnwood linen. I also stitched red and white stripes up each diagonal corner and added snowflakes on either side of the Santas. Using invisible thread, I stitched through the center of the ornament a few times to give it a "tufted" look. Add on some tiny black beads for eyes, a bit of white cording, and some white and sage green ribbon and I have another ornament for my tree!


My second finish is "January" from the Prairie Schooler "Summer & Winter" booklet. This was the piece I had planned on working on in Florida, but I left the chart at home so it took me much longer to finish it than it should have. But, it was worth the wait. I really love how it turned out and with all the deer we have in our yard, it holds special meaning. You can even catch a glimpse of a small pond behind the Canadian Goose off to the right just like we have in our back yard. (The photo in my header is our pond as seen from an upstairs window.)



No, we don't live in a log cabin, but there is one I pass on the way to the grocery store that I have my eye on! I've always thought a cozy cabin in the mountains of North Carolina sounded like a perfect place to live...Anybody else? This is stitched on 32 ct. Flax Belfast linen (which seems to be my fabric of choice these days) using the recommended DMC threads. I am using the same pop-out frame that I've used for the December, November, October, and September pieces that I've already stitched in this series. What a money saver!

The other day we looked out our kitchen window and spotted these two deer standing on top of our frozen pond. They appeared to be drinking from a small hole near the back of the pond that hadn't frozen over yet. I was just hoping and praying that they didn't fall through the ice and get stuck. Yes, it has happened before and the results were not pretty...I'll never forget that poor little deer.






Do any of the rest of you think you spend way too much time online? Well, I discovered just how much I could get done on Monday when our internet was down for the entire day. I accomplished more than I would normally get done in a whole week including making these cookies for my birthday treat at work (when it is our birthday month, we supply the goodies for our monthly meeting.) Can you smell the butter and sugar oozing through your computer screens? Pictured here are pecan pie bars, chocolate raspberry brownie bites, oatmeal raisin cookies and spritz butter cookies. Needless to say, these were gobbled up very quickly by my fellow librarians. I do love to bake and I think my dream job would be to own a combination stitching / bookstore / bakery. "Stitches, Stories, and Sweets"--how does that sound?



Well, if you've stayed with me this long, thank you. I do tend to run on and on in some of my posts. I'm sure you're anxious to hear who won my birthday giveaways... I called in a little helper to pick the winners. My little snowman reached in with his long twig-like arms and picked the winner of the "Winter Into Spring" giveaway package.



And what name did my assistant pull out? Why the very lucky Michele B..!! Congratulations, Michele B., you are the winner of the "Winter into Spring" giveaway. Please send me your full name and address and the goodies will be on their way to you next week.






For Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow my snowman decided to ask his little bald-headed buddy to help him choose the lucky name. There were far fewer entries for this one so you each had a better chance of winning.






But, in the end, there could be only one winner and my winter friends picked: Meadows08! Congratulations, Meadows08, you have won the chart for "Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow" and the DMC threads needed to stitch it! Please send me your full name and address and the package will be on its way to you very soon.

"WINTER INTO SPRING" GIVEAWAY WINNER:

Michele B. at "X Marks My Spot"

"CHRISTMAS AT HAWK RUN HOLLOW" GIVEAWAY WINNER:

Meadows08 at "For the Love of Cross Stitch"

Congratulations to both winners and thank you all for participating in my giveaways and for the kind birthday wishes. I really loved hearing the stories behind all of your avatars. Very interesting to read them and I felt that I got to know a bit more about each of you. If you have the time--look back through the comments on my last posting; I think you'll enjoy reading them as much as I did. Well, I hope the coming week is good to you and brings you plenty to smile about. Bye for now...

Come Celebrate With Me!

Good morning, everyone! Yes, it's my birthday and I'm celebrating with two giveaways for my friends and followers. Don't I look positively delighted in this mid-1950s photo which was taken sometime around my first birthday? Even then I loved a great birthday party--especially the cake. I was a pudgy little thing, wasn't I? And thank goodness my hair grew in... This was taken at my parents' first apartment in Buffalo, NY. I was the only child back then; little did I know that my younger brother would be making an appearance later that year. Spoiled? Oh, yes-- especially by my dear father who, my mother says, was so delighted with me that he would wake me up to play when he came home in the middle of the night after completing his shift at the hospital where he was an intern. (Much to my poor mother's dismay who had spent the entire evening trying to get me settled down and asleep!).

Anyway, to celebrate my 56th birthday and my 2nd blogoversary, I have a pair of giveaways to offer my blogging friends.

First up, and I think most of you guessed it from my "hint" a few posts ago) is Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow and all 59 skeins of DMC that you will need to stitch it. (Please note: 1 or 2 skeins (depending on what count fabric you choose) of Needle Necessities Mint Frost are also needed but are not included in my giveaway.) My only stipulation is that you must really want to stitch this. Please don't enter this giveaway just to win the chart or just to win the threads. I want this to go to someone who will actually stitch it and then pass it along in a giveaway of her / his own when you are finished. I was lucky enough to win this from the generous Jolene and I would love to keep the kindness going. You don't have to pass along the DMC, just the chart... So please consider this when entering.


My other giveaway, shown above, is one I'm calling my "Winter into Spring" giveaway since it has items dealing with January, February, and March. For January, I'm including the Waxing Moon "January Sampler" chart which I stitched last year. You can see my finish right here and in my sidebar. It really is one of my very favorite finishes ever. The month of February is represented by a pretty pair of red scissors for Valentine's Day, and March is symbolized by Prairie Schooler's "Daffodils" chart along with all 18 skeins of DMC needed to stitch it. I'm also including five ornament sized (6 inches square) cuts of some of my favorite fabrics including: 28 ct. black Monaco, 32 ct. barnwood linen, 32 ct. sage Jobelan, 28 ct. wood violet Jobelan, and 32 ct. putty Belfast linen.

So, how do you enter? It's very simple. I want these giveaways to be for my followers--the people who visit my blog and take the time to read my posts, look at my photos, and sometimes even comment. Please do not post it on your blog--I would like the giveaways to go to someone who normally visits me here, not someone who just stops in to win a prize. To make it a bit more interesting for all of us, I'd love to hear the story behind your avatar or little icon. If you use a photo of yourself, tell me about it--was it taken at a favorite spot, does it bring back a wonderful memory; why did you choose it? If you use a flower or animal or piece of stitchery or some other representation--how did you happen to pick that? And if you don't have an icon, well, I'd love to hear what you would pick to "represent you" if you had to...Incidentally, Sharon (aka Daffycat) had a very interesting post about why you should have a photo or icon attached to your account. You might want to read about it here.

Here's the story behind mine--the little girl holding the mistletoe over the black cat hoping for a Christmas kiss. I picked this in early 2009 when I first began blogging mainly because of the black cat. Most of you know I adore black cats, having owned and loved my own dear Shadow for over 14 years. Although I am no longer a girl like the one pictured here, I am quite petite--only a little over 5' 1" tall--so I suppose in my mind that girl on my icon is me when I was much, much younger (however, having grown up in the '60s, and '70s my hair was never curly, but always long and straight and parted in the middle--wasn't everybody's?)! I also chose this because it was originally a portion of a vintage postcard which is another of my interests.

So, tell me your story...that's all it takes to be entered into my giveaway. Please make sure to tell me which giveaway you are entering and make sure you include your email address if it isn't connected with your profile. You may enter both giveaways, but can only win one... I'll close the contest on Friday, January 28th at midnight and will announce the winners sometime that weekend. Good luck to all!

I want to thank two special friends for their birthday gifts. First of all, sweet Myra made this darling little covered box for me. It looks like she hand-dyed her own fabric, covered the top of the box with a crocheted doily and topped it with her perfectly stitched "springy" design (she thought we could both use a touch of spring and, oh, is she right!). She also include a piece of the wonderful alphabet /lettering fabric that she had made my pouch out of for my Christmas gift and a little notebook to use as a stitching journal. Thank you, my friend; your gifts made me feel very special!

And special thanks to dear Cindy who sent me a much-appreciated gift certificate to 123 Stitch --can't wait to pick out something new. My oldest son also gave me a gift certificate for the same site for Christmas so I'll really enjoy my spending spree. Thank you so much, Cindy--your thoughtful gift certainly made my day! I'll be sure to let you know what I select...

Thank you for all of your kind comments on my last post--I try to answer each of you who have questions, but sometimes your account isn't attached to an email. Please feel free to email me personally with any questions and I'll be glad to answer... And thanks for the "get well" wishes--I ended up getting the flu and having to call in sick at work for the first time in 15 years! Yes, I was that sick, but I'm almost back to normal now so my new year is off to a good start after all. I hope you all have a wonderful week with lots of time for whatever makes you happiest. Bye now...

Finishes and Florida

Hello everyone! Gosh, it is already January 9th and this is only my first post of the new year... I am just in awe watching many of you work on your 15-day challenge projects--you're not making it any easier to achieve my goal of "stitching from stash" this year, that's for sure. I wanted to share with you some of my final Christmas ornaments from 2010 that I sent to friends across the country...

This Prairie Schooler from the "Santas & Snowmen" chart made it's way to Myra in North Carolina. Myra liked it so much she decided to purchase the chart and stitch the other designs for herself:

This quartet of snowmen found a new home with Cindy in New York. This is a freebie which you can find right here. I'm sorry, but I don't know the designer--if anyone can help me out, I'd appreciate it (Edited on 1/10/11: thanks to Gabi from Germany who shared the designer's name with me! This design can be found on Les Chroniques de Frimousse.)


My sister in New York is now the proud owner of this little Brittercup kitty ornament. I stitched it in memory of her dear black cat, Cinders. She has always been very appreciative of my hand-stitched ornaments and I love making them for her:


I actually stitched two of these Prairie Schooler snowflakes (from PS Book No. 23: "A Prairie Year II.") One traveled across the state of Pennsylvania to my dear friend Mary and the other made its way all the way to California to a new blogging friend Julianne. I like this one so much, I'm planning on stitching it a third time just for myself:

And Shari in Indiana was such a good girl this Christmas, that she received this Told In A Garden angel ornament. With her son serving in the military, I thought it would hold special meaning for her. This is a free design which I've added to my "Favorite Freebies" list in my sidebar along with the snowmen design pictured above:
I really loved stitching and surprising a few of my friends with these and hope to send out even more surprise ornaments next Christmas for additional blogging buddies...I think I'm going to secretly stitch ornaments all year and hide them away until December rolls around!

Are any of you familiar with this book? Well, last Tuesday, when I flew down to Florida to visit my parents, my day could easily have rivaled Alexander's "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." I am not a great flyer--flying only once a year doesn't make it any more comfortable for me. But to calm my nerves, I took along a small project to stitch while waiting for the plane. I pulled out the fabric and the threads and the scissors (airplane approved) and my needle and--oh no, my pattern was not there! Ugh--I had left it at home beside my stitching chair. The stitching withdrawal symptoms began immediately...


Once on the plane I was delighted to find myself seated across the aisle from a girl who sneezed non-stop for the 2½ hour plane ride. I kid you not--the entire trip. I've never seen anything like it! Her mother, seated next to me, filled up an entire large white plastic bag with her used tissues. Can you say "ewww?!!"

After we landed, my son and I immediately went to the car rental counter to pay for our reserved car. I gave them my license and credit card, signed the paperwork, and away we walked to pick up the car. Well, when we got to the car pickup location, they had no record of me ever having rented the car! What? I just signed the papers five minutes earlier! For 30 minutes, we stood waiting and waiting while several employees walked back and forth trying to solve the problem. "Are you sure it wasn't rented under a different name?" "Are you positive it was this car rental company you used?" Sigh...finally, they figured out the problem and offered to upgrade the car. We told them it wasn't necessary, but they insisted. Now, an upgrade to some people would have been exciting; to the two of us who know nothing about cars...well, it was meaningless. They told us to pick a car and my son simply pointed to the first car he saw.

Well, let's just say this car, classified as a "sports" sedan had a lot more power than this middle-aged mini-van driver is used to! You know what's coming, right? Flashing lights appeared in my rear-view mirror--the Florida State Police had decided to set up a speed trap for all of us unsuspecting tourists. $134 later I pulled back onto the highway and continued my drive to my parents' condo with tear-streaked cheeks. It wasn't just the ticket, I was just so tired, and the entire day had been less than ideal. (Well, to be honest, I also thought about how much stash I could have bought with that ticket money!).

After we arrived in Daytona Beach, unpacked the car, and rode the elevator to the 14th floor, I spied my parents waiting outside their front door. Mom immediately sensed that it had been a long, hard day and when she wrapped her loving arms around me suddenly everything was right with the world. There is nothing like a hug from mom to erase all your worries is there?

The weather wasn't sunny and warm like I had hoped for, but we did get one nice day. Oh, and I brought home a "lovely" souvenir from my trip; Saturday morning I woke up with a cold--yes, I had caught Miss Sneezy's cold from the plane trip down--my first cold in three years. Sigh...



Thank you all for visiting me today--I really loved reading your comments about my Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow finish last time. Isn't it wonderful how we all support each other in this little stitching world? I appreciate each and every one of you more than you know... And remember to stop by next week for my annual birthday / blogoverary giveaway post! Bye now...

Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow Is...

FINISHED!! Could you hear my cries of joy all over the eastern U.S.? With one day to spare, I finally put the last stitch into this mammoth piece earlier today. I can't believe that after spending much of my 2010 stitching time on this piece, it is finally complete... Ahhh--I feel like I can breathe again!



The 11th block really stretched my patience to its limits and there were days that I honestly didn't think I would finish before year's end. (As you can see, I put the date "2011" on the ship rather than stitching the charted date of 1802.) In spite of the stress that this block caused, it is actually one of my favorites. Overall, though, I would have to say that the block with the Christmas tree farm is the one I like the best. How about you?






The 12th block stitched up very quickly and, after much debate, I decided to add my own name and the current year. The general consensus among my stitching friends seemed to be that, since this isn't a true reproduction sampler, but one from the wonderfully creative imagination of Kathy Barrick, it is fine to substitute the actual stitcher's name. I changed the body color of the little spirit/angel/cherub to a peachier shade (DMC 950) since the charted color just didn't show up on my flax-colored Belfast linen.

I really want to thank you all for following along on this project with me throughout 2010--your support and encouragement helped more than you know. Now, I need some advice...I've never taken a piece to be framed and wonder how you handle a large piece like this. Do you press it at home and roll it up to take it in to the framer? Are there any questions, requests, etc. I should ask about? Glass or no glass? I'm not using a mat... Honestly, any advice you can offer would help me so much. I am a total novice at professional framing having always done smaller pieces myself...

Well, I guess you would like to see the entire piece? May I present my finished Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow...


Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow
Fabric: 32 ct. Flax Belfast Linen
DMC threads
Started January 1, 2010 ~ Finished December 30, 2010
Now, I have a conundrum--what do I stitch next? I'm actually going to have to "think" about that in 2011, aren't I? I've been going through my stash and have narrowed my first start for the new year down to a few pieces that have really been calling my name, but I still have to make a final decision. I've decided that 2011 will be a "Stitching From Stash" year. I have so many beautiful charts that just keep getting set aside in order to stitch newly purchased charts, don't you? So, I decided to work on bringing some of "my old friends" to life in 2011.

The other thing I know for sure is that I will continue my "ornament a month" stitching in the coming year and I'm so excited that a few of my online stitching friends will be joining in on the fun. I am truly appreciative of everyone's comments on my last post about the ornaments and my Christmas tree--thank you, thank you! I'll have to admit, I spent a fair amount of time standing in front of my tree this past week just admiring the little beauties. They really make me smile and I almost hate to put them away for another year... Here is a photo collage of our Christmas morning:

Christmas Morning 2010



I want to thank my friend, Cathey (aka Pumpkin) for sending me a cute addition to my collection of ornament charts. She surprised me with this chart from Milady's Needle called "Up On the House Top" along with a beautiful Christmas card (featuring her own amazing photography) last week. I love it, my friend, and you know that ornament charts are a perfect gift for me. Thank you so much, Cathey. My oldest son has been working up in Canada lately and he always says how nice and thoughtful the Canadian residents are--I told him I already knew that from my Canadian blogging friends like Cathey!







And from Gracie, I won a very special giveaway. She was generously giving away three of the DMC "Stitch Pink" Needlework Accessory Kits and I was lucky enough to win one. Not only did she include the kit (which contains the prettiest pink scissors, pink bobbins, and a pink needle threader), she also gifted me with some pretty pink ribbon fabric, pink variegated floss, pink "love" mints, and a tiny silver charm for breast cancer awareness. Thank you so much, Gracie. These gifts will all come in very handy when I make another ornament for The Pumpkin Patch & Co. Breast Fund next year. Cathey organized a group of 17 of us to stitch ornaments that were auctioned off in November to raise funds for breast cancer research. Our little group ended up raising $875! Just think how much money we could raise if more of us donated an ornament. Cathey/Pumpkin will be continuing the group next year so keep checking her blog if you would like to contribute an ornament for this wonderful cause in 2011...

I'm going to be taking a bit of a blogging break for a while. My youngest son and I are headed down to sunny and warm (please let it be sunny and warm, please let it be sunny and warm!) Florida to visit my parents next week. I should be back around mid-January with my annual birthday/2nd blogoversary giveaway for my followers. What will be included in the giveaway? Well, something you've seen featured in this post for one--hint, hint!



I truly love vintage postcards and the sentiment on this one is perfect for the approaching new year. 2011 is like a blank slate for us. As Edith Lovejoy Pierce said: "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." I hope your new year is blessed with good health, much happiness, and everything that brings you smiles...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Final 2010 Ornaments

Hello everyone! First of all I want to thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments on my "Winter Circle" of snowpeople in my last post. There are clearly a lot of snowmen lovers out there! I loved reading which one each of you chose as your favorite, too. Well, I finally finished up my last two ornaments for my 2010 "Ornament a Month" challenge. November's ornament is from the Prairie Schooler "Santa Moon" (Book No. 53) booklet. I began stitching this over two, but it was turning out much too large for an ornament which caused me to start over and switch to my favorite "over one" stitching on 28 ct. black Monaco.



I just love how tiny the golden yellow Santa is--only two inches high. I changed the color of his robes to my favorite DMC 676 and his boots to 844, but the other colors are as charted. Now let me tell you, I lay awake at night worrying about sewing the crescent shape. It wasn't nearly as hard as I had imagined, but thank goodness for the power of trims and ribbons to help hide imperfections! Overall, I'm very pleased with November's ornament finish.


My December ornament is, what else--also a Prairie Schooler. I stitched only the very bottom motif of "The Night Before Christmas Sampler" from the chart Christmas Samplers (Book No. 63). Don't you love this tiny Santa? He is so skinny and "crazed" looking--almost looks as if he wants to throw the Christmas tree he is holding in his hand right at you!

Now I'm sure you're all familiar with the famous "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" poem, aren't you. You know the line where it says, "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse?" Well, apparently the little creatures who have taken up residence in our attic haven't read the poem or are at least choosing to ignore it. It has sounded like party central up there night after night. We've caught four of the little mice so far and things have quieted down so perhaps by Christmas Eve we really can say "not a creature was stirring!"


Anyway, this ornament is also stitched over one on 28 ct. Summer Khaki cashel linen using DMC threads. I changed the color of the house to DMC 676, Santa's robe to 221 and added some swirly, white snowflakes in the air. Then I simply enclosed the whole scene in a zig-zag border. To complete the ornament I turned it into a little pillow with the green checked fabric, rope-like braid, buttons, and a pair of shiny red jingle bells hanging from some thin sage-colored ribbon. I think this may be one of my favorite finishes of the year.




2010 Monthly Ornaments
I thought you might want to see all twelve ornaments displayed together on the garland going up my front stairway. I just hung them there for the photo--they eventually made their way to the Christmas tree in our sunroom. So which is your favorite? I really love all of them, but still think the tiny stocking that was my March ornament finish is the one I like the best. I just love that tiny black lamb on it. I'm so proud that I achieved one of my goals for 2010: to stitch and finish an ornament each month!



2010 Monthly Ornaments: January ~ June


2010 Monthly Ornaments: July ~ December

The mailman recently delivered two wonderful Christmas gifts from some dear blogging friends. First came this perfectly stitched Prairie Schooler Santa from fellow PS addict, Julianne. Perhaps this Santa was tired of life in sunny California and begged to be sent to snowy Pennsylvania to live? I just love him, Julianne, and he will have a place of honor on my tree. Right now he is sitting in the center of my kitchen island where I can admire him! Thank you so much for your lovely gift and for your friendship--I treasure both...


When I opened this gift from sweet Myra I could barely contain my excitement. Myra knows how much I love her project pouches and had gifted me with a beautiful one for my birthday last January. This pouch is a smaller version, perfect for storing my beloved ornament projects. I love the fabric, don't you? And just look at the tiny scissors charm she added to the zipper! Myra's sewing is gorgeous and I'm just thrilled to be the proud owner of this little gem. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, my friend!



I'll leave you with a photo (all photos are clickable for a larger view) of my Christmas tree all decked out with my stitched ornaments. Our tree doesn't have a theme--on it you'll find ornaments made by my sons when they were in elementary and pre-school, the yearly Hallmark ornaments I have bought them since they were young, some golden Danbury Mint ornaments from my mother-in-law, and a few pieces from early in our marriage over 33 years ago when we didn't have a dime to our name. I love seeing the history of our family displayed on the Christmas tree each year.

My middle son thinks the tree looks too crowded, but I love it! It makes me so proud to think that I created many of these ornaments with my own two hands and that they'll someday be handed down through the generations. It is wonderful to have a hobby and passion for something that will leave a bit of you for others to remember, don't you think? I don't know if the guys can appreciate them now, but I think (hope!) that someday, they will treasure these tiny creations...

I want to wish each of you who celebrate Christmas a day filled with love and laughter...Thank you for being such wonderful friends who take the time to leave a comment, send an email, or just pop in to take a look at my blog. I truly have been blessed to "meet" so many wonderful stitching friends. Merry Christmas to all!

Winter Circle

Hello everyone! We've had some snow here in western Pennsylvania this week and it is so fresh and peaceful looking. Not sure if it was the snow or what, but yesterday I had this odd feeling that something was calling my name. I instinctively was drawn to the large wooden armoire in my family room. Slowly, I opened the second drawer on the left where I keep my finishes and "almost finishes" and there, on the very top, lay an angry mob of eyeless snowpeople. "Give us some eyes, Carol," they seemed to shout! "Hey, how about some buttons!" "Come on, lady, let us out of our dark prison--we've been shut up in here since 2007!" I sighed and reached for the little snowmen and women, gathered some black and white beads, my needle, thread, and scissors and within 90 minutes, I had a new finish. I even added some white beads in the center snowflake that weren't actually called for on the chart!

So what took me so long? It's simple: I really don't enjoy beading. Oh, I admire all of your beautifully beaded pieces, don't get me wrong. But, for some reason, I just don't like sewing on beads. Stitching beaded edges on ornaments doesn't bother me at all, it is just sewing beads onto fabric itself. How you stitchers stitch those intricately detailed beaded beauties just amazes me! What patience you must have...After three years, I'm thrilled to have "Winter Circle" (stitched on 28ct. summer khaki Lugana with DMC threads) by The Cricket Collection finally finished. They really are a winsome bunch, aren't they?

So which one is your favorite?

Do you like the grand couple off to the
opera? Don't you love his top hat and little vest.
And how about her turban with her golden yellow shawl?


Or maybe, you're partial to this little cutie.
Doesn't she remind you of Little Red Riding Hood?


Or perhaps, you like the simple casual look on this guy.
I think he might be the jeans and t-shirt type.


Or how about Mr. Prep with his argyle vest?
I think he just might be my personal favorite!

Or do you like one of the other three the best? I can't wait to get this framed and up on my wall for the rest of the winter. Finally finishing up this circle of snowmen gave me a much-needed break from slowly plugging along on "Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow."


Now, doesn't this look like fun? This is my progress so far on the infamous Block 11 of Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow. UGH! Black, black, and more black. It is really questionable whether or not I can finish this block and the final one by December 31st. I'm trying my hardest, but you all know how many other things there are to do this month! I haven't even begun my Christmas shopping or cards, but at least we got the tree up today! It is sitting in my sunroom as I write this, just waiting for its decorations.

Although I haven't begun my shopping yet, I've already received my very first Christmas present from my friend, Cindy, who thoroughly spoiled me with these goodies. She not only stitched this darling bird ornament from the 2010 JCS Ornament Issue, but also sent some delightful fabrics, red heart buttons, and the tiniest Hallmark Goldfinch ornament. I told her I had been thinking about starting a collection of those miniature Hallmark ornaments and so now it is official. I just love everything, Cindy, and your generous and giving spirit certainly exemplifies the Christmas season.








I'm feeling very old today because my middle son turned 25 yesterday! A quarter of a century ...unbelievable. He and my oldest son came over for their weekly Sunday dinner and to help decorate the tree today and this is what he is being rewarded with--his favorite dessert. Giant Chocolate Eclair Dessert--YUMMMMM... It really does taste like a Chocolate Eclair, but it's much easier to make. (If anyone would like the recipe, just email me.) So, "Happy, Happy 25th Birthday" to my dear middle son; I wish you a year filled with unexpected joys, love, and laughter... (and, hopefully, a job that you enjoy more than your current one!).

Well, I've rambled on long enough for now. I need to get the troops organized and get this Christmas tree decorated. I can't wait to pull out all of my treasured ornaments--they always bring smiles and laughs along with a few nostalgic and teary memories. Thank you all for visiting and for your wonderful comments and emails--they really mean so much to me! Bye now...