A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Good January morning to you all! And thank you again for all of your wonderful comments on my last post. I had so, so many questions about the title of the wintry design in my blog header, that I thought I'd answer those first. The chart is "Monthly Sampler: January" by Waxing Moon Designs which I stitched back in January 2010. If you're interested in seeing the whole design and reading about my finish, please click here. I remember it as being the perfect piece to stitch during that cold, cold January two years ago. Luckily, this January has proven to be very mild with little snow so far, but snow is forecast for tomorrow, so our luck could be changing.

NO-REPLY BLOGGER ISSUE: I tried to respond to each of you who asked about the January design individually, but some of you still don't have your email attached to your comments or blogs. When that happens, I get the dreaded "noreply-comment@blogger.com" when I hit reply. There have been a lot of posts about this lately, but I'm jumping on the bandwagon, too. It is very frustrating to not be able to answer your questions directly. Luckily, two stitching friends addressed this exact problem in recent posts. Stitchin' Sweet Sue, tells you exactly how to correct this problem in her post right here. And Shirlee, at her newly renamed blog, "The Easily Influenced Stitcher," has another helpful post right here. Please, please check your status--there are so many times I would love to say "thank you" for one of your kind comments or answer your questions, but there is no way to get in touch with you if you are a "no-reply" commenter. Check out either link and follow the simple instructions--we'll all be glad when we can communicate with each other more easily, right?

FINAL 2011 ORNAMENTS: I'm happy to say that my last four ornaments of 2011 were finally delivered to their new owners. That made a total of nine ornaments I created in December for friends!! It took a while, but this Prairie Schooler kitty is now residing with my blogging friend, Edit all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Edit, who is Hungarian, but lives in Spain, and I became friends when she won one of my giveaways a while back. She is just as much of a Prairie Schooler lover as I am so I also included an old Just Cross Stitch magazine with a PS rooster chart in her Christmas package. I'm so glad she liked my gifts!

If this ornament looks familiar, it's because this is the third time I've stitched it! I only stitch things again that I really like, so you know I must really love this one to have stitched it three times. This snowflake went to a dear co-worker at the library who recently retired. I've given her an ornament each year for the past six or seven years, but she said this one is her favorite and she plans on leaving it out all winter. This Prairie Schooler piece is from No. 23: "A Prairie Year II.

This gingerbread boy took so long to arrive in England, I feared the poor thing was drifting aimlessly somewhere in the Atlantic. But, thankfully he found his way to his new home with my lovely friend, June. Again, this is the third time I've stitched this little guy--this one is stitched over one on 28 ct. evenweave. I ruched some gauzy burgundy colored ribbon to add for the trim and hanger. This one went to June because she is so full of J-O-Y; her blog is always a treat!

This next snowman probably looks familiar, as well! You all loved him so much when I stitched him last year, that I decided my youngest son's girlfriend might like one of her very own for a little remembrance at Christmas time. She really seemed to like him and sent me the sweetest thank-you note. I finished him exactly like the one that hangs on my own tree using 28 ct. sage jobelan and DMC threads. He is stitched over one as well, and, of course, a little plaid bow completes his look!

ABOUT THOSE TINY BOWS:
One of the most common questions I'm asked is how I make those tiny bows that you see on so many of my ornaments... Well, if it weren't for the helpful tutorial of that amazing finisher, Barbara from "To Stitch or Not To Stitch", I wouldn't know how to make them either. She did a wonderful step-by-step tutorial back in 2010 which you can find right here. My bows differ only in that they are much smaller. I start out with only about a seven inch piece of ribbon (usually 9 mm or 3/8 inch, but sometimes I use wider ribbon as you can see in the black and white gingham). And rather than tying another piece of ribbon around the center, I just wrap the thread (that I've used to gather up the center) around and around and tie it in the back to create a nice look. Trim the ends as long or short as you like and voilà--you have a sweet, (almost) perfect bow! Give it a try--it only took about half an hour to make the six in my photo.

I was totally caught by surprise when I received the most amazing RAK (random act of kindness) from Annie! I mean, sometimes, you suspect something is up, but, Annie truly, truly surprised me... And what a surprise it was. I first started following Annie's blog because of the darling little tin finishes that she does. I'm so proud to now have an original "Annie-made" tin of my own. Just look at this little perfectly-stitched beauty... She chose my favorite color, blue, included my initials, and inside, tucked the cutest pair of scissors.

But, wait--that's not all! In addition to some yummy chocolates, Annie also crocheted a charming gift-card holder in the most soothing shades of blue and green. And snuggled inside was a very generous Amazon gift card to buy myself a book or two for my Kindle. I think it took me an entire day to stop shaking my head in disbelief at Annie's generosity. You really spoiled my, my friend, and I will treasure your gifts! Thank you, thank you, thank you...I'm so glad our paths crossed through this amazing cross stitch blogging community.

So, do you have any special plans for the weekend? Since my ♫♫♫ birthday ♫♫♫ is coming up on the 16th, my sons thoughtfully asked what I wanted. I told them what I really wanted was to be invited to their apartment for dinner for a birthday dinner. They couldn't believe I would want to come to their "junky apartment" (their words!). But, I haven't been there in almost 3 years, so I can't wait! In a way, it will almost be like "going home again" since most of their furniture is the stuff we bought when we were first married. I can't wait to see what they plan to feed me; they're teasing me saying they'll be making a dish with lots of vegetables. For you long time readers, you know I don't eat green vegetables (remember this post from back in 2010), so I really hope they're just having a bit of fun with old mom.

Well, the next time I post, I'll be a year older. Funny how these birthdays keep coming around faster each year, isn't it? I'll leave you with the image of this beautiful bouquet of roses my three sons surprised me with on Christmas... Enjoy your weekends everyone and thank you again for your thoughtful comments and emails--I'm blessed to have each one of you in my life. Bye for now...

Welcoming in 2012!

Happy New Year!! As another year begins, I want to thank all of you special cross stitching friends who have visited my blog over the past twelve months. Your kind comments and emails have been so encouraging and down-right complimentary that I feel blessed to have "met" each one of you. You've brought me more smiles than I can count and turned what sometimes began as a "horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day," into one filled with sunshine and warmth. You are such a special group and I simply want to let you know how much your friendship has come to mean to me, how inspired I have been by your stitching, and how happy I am to have started blogging almost three years ago...

December found me stitching a few small ornaments to send to blogging friends around the world. I wish I could have done more--simply ran out of time. Perhaps this year, I'll be able to plan ahead a bit more and add a few more people to my gift list. These are the gifts that have made their way to their new homes so far...

This trio of snowmen is now making their home with Shari in Indiana. Shari has triplet grandsons so I knew this would be a perfect choice for her. "Let It Snow" can be found in the Winter 1994 issue of Cross Stitch Sampler magazine.

"Christmas Robin" flew across the miles to the other side of Pennsylvania and is now making his nest at the home of Mary. This chart, by The Victoria Sampler, can be found in the 2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue and it was stitched on 35 ct. natural Northern Cross linen (loved that stuff--thanks for the recommendation Theresa).

This was the second time this year, I stitched this L'R de rien freebie. My first one was done on pale pink; this one, for Cindy in New York, is stitched on 28ct. Wood Violet Jobelan, a lovely shade of lavender. I thought it would be a nice reminder of her daughter's trip to Europe this past year which included a visit to Paris.

Of course, you'll recognize my next finish as a Prairie Schooler Santa. I stitched him "over one" on 28 ct. tea dyed Monaco for my dear blogging friend, Lois, in Ireland. Lois was my fellow "Ornament a Month" stitcher this year and her 2011 collection is stunning--stop by her blog and check it out. This was the only one of my gifts which arrived in Europe in time for Christmas! There are still packages sent to friends in Spain and England which seem to be missing in action... I sure hope they make their way to their new homes eventually.

And to one of my very first blogging friends, the cardinal loving Myra in North Carolina, went this sweet ornament by Plum Pudding Needleart called "Winter's Song." I hope you're not getting tired of cardinals, Myra--you're certainly getting quite a collection!! I stitched this one "over one" on 28 ct. Bay Leaf Jobelan--a fabric I know I'll be using again. I loved the simple message on it...

I received a few goodies in the mail last week myself! I am always overwhelmed by the kindness of my fellow stitchers. All the way from The Netherlands came this sweet felt ornament created by the bubbly, very creative, Annette. I was especially touched that Annette stitched mine with blue threads knowing how much I love all shades of blue. Thank you so much, my sweet friend--your joyful blog always makes me smile!

From the very generous Mary came this bounty of Christmas gifts... a darling snowman chart, four pretty fabrics, peppermint chocolate truffles (oh, the pure decadence!), and not one, but two Christmas ornaments. One is a fun polka-dot ball monogrammed with a "C" and the other has three little snowmen bursting out of a Christmas present. On the bottom of it, Mary wrote: "3 Boys...Many Joys!" Yes, my three boys have brought me many joys and so have you, my friend! Thank you so very much for your wonderful gifts...











My final package came as a giveaway win from Shirlee at The Easily Influenced Stitcher. I received not only the LHN "Two White Houses" chart, but the fabric and floss needed to stitch it. I just love my prize, Shirlee, and I'm thrilled to have found a new blogging friend as well. In our correspondence regarding where to send my prize, we discovered that Shirlee grew up not more than half an hour from where I currently live. What a small world!! Thank you so much for the delightful gift, Shirlee--it will make a perfect piece to stitch in the fall...

As you can see, my first post of the new year seems to be sticking to my overly long format. I so appreciate you staying with me this far! Where will 2012 take me in terms of stitching? Well, I'm not really one to make goals other than my "Ornament a Month" continuing. I like to just stitch whatever calls my name at the moment... And there is a long-overlooked chart in my stash which seems to be screaming to me more loudly than the others at the moment. What is it? Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and be surprised!

Wishing each of you very a most wonderful new year. May 2012 be filled with love, laughter, and, of course, more time to stitch! Bye for now...

Wishing and Thanking

Good morning, my friends! And how are you all faring with only a few days left until Christmas? I hope your shopping is done, presents are wrapped, and you're sitting there gazing at your lovely decorations... Wishful thinking, right? Well, my shopping is done this year thanks to that wonderful invention: the Amazon wishlist. Oh, it's made my shopping for my three sons and husband a breeze--click, click, click and I'm done! When they asked me for my Christmas wishlist, of course, it contained nothing but cross stitch items. "No way, mom," they cried, "you have more than enough cross stitch stuff." Oh, the horror of that statement: "Enough cross stitch stuff?!" Never!! They sure don't understand stitchers at all do they?

So, what made it on to your wishlists this year? For me, it was the charming With Thy Needle and Thread Wordplay series, Bent Creek's Thankful Quaker, a variety of linens, and some wee noses. Wee noses, you ask--yes these wee noses for a series of snowmen that I plan on stitching "some day!" I sure hope some of these appear under my tree this year... If not, I have a birthday coming up in mid-January when I might just be seeing a few stitching goodies appear from my guys, too. Hey, they should be thankful, right? Just think of the money they're saving by me not asking for expensive things like jewelry or designer clothing!

My other Christmas wish would be to meet each of you in person and thank you for all those wonderful compliments you left on my 2011 ornament post last week... I was truly touched by your sweet comments. Many of you emailed me asking for a picture of my large tree so, of course, I just have to oblige! I moved all my stitched ornaments on to it for this photo and now realize that I'm running out of room. It's looking a bit crowded, don't you think? But, at this stage in my life I won't be getting a bigger tree...We're all about down-sizing at the moment. I'll have to begin to display some of the ornaments in other places--my mantle, bowls, baskets, etc. Because, one thing is for sure--I'm not going to stop stitching my ornaments!!

Yes, all of these ornaments, except for nine, were stitched by me. It makes me so proud to see them all hanging there together knowing how much hard work went into each one. And I truly hope that some day my sons and their families will treasure them as much as I do...

Here is a closer view...

And another...

And yet another...

And below are the wonderful ornaments given to me by
some of my blogging friends from around the world...

As I mentioned, I've been very blessed to make such wonderful friends who share my passion for stitching. Five of them sent me very special packages for Christmas which I'd like to share with you...
I'll have to admit I let out a little squeal when I opened my dear friend Myra's sweet gifts. For one thing--they're blue, my favorite color. But, the main reason I was so thrilled about the little bird ornament, the thread catcher, and her crocheting, is that her work is so perfect--what a seamstress! I can only imagine being able to sew like she does some day... Thank you so much, Myra--you couldn't have chosen more perfect fabrics to make your creations from. I just love them!!


You may have noticed a few of these darling little creations on other blogs. My sweet friend Nia from Portugal is on a one woman mission to spread a "little love" through the world with her cute felt mistletoes. Isn't that a great idea for sending a thoughtful gift to a lot of friends without incurring huge postage costs? Nia made her very own Christmas postcard, as well. If you haven't visited her blog--check it out. It is one of the most positive, upbeat blogs around which makes me love to read it. Thank you, my friend--you always make me smile :)


From another long-time blogging friend, Cindy came this gorgeous Christmas package. Just look at this sweet bird on his pale blue background. I wish you could see this fabric in person--it is just like a lovely spring sky, wispy clouds included! Perfect choice, Cindy--she knows I love blue, too, along with birds. She also included four generous cuts of fabric in blue, pink, and two pretty prints. Cindy, you always spoil me, and I thank you so very much for your gifts and your friendship... I love your pretty bird pillow and I know I'll find the perfect use for the fabric.


And just look at this little cutie that arrived from Jennifer. She read about my snowman tree in my last post and decided she had a perfect addition to it. And she was right! This little button snowman (crafted from some of Jennifer's husband's grandmother's vintage buttons) has made himself totally at home with his snowmen buddies here on the other side of the state. Jenn has been creating some really fun holiday decorations out of her inherited button collection so drop in and visit her at Sweet Pea Stitches. Thank you so much, Jenn--I'll think of you each year when I place him on my snowman tree...



And last, but certainly not least, this lovely group of presents arrived from my blogging friend Edit all the way from Spain. Edit sent me something last Christmas that took almost two months to arrive so we're thrilled that the post offices of Spain and The U.S. worked so efficiently this year! Just look at this lovely stitching themed ornament that Edit made--don't you love it? Her work is flawless and I can't wait to add it to my tree. She also included a tiny ornament, a bellpull hanger, and some beads in Christmas red. Thank you so very much, my friend--I love your gifts so much!

I woke up to the most beautiful sight Sunday morning--the first snow of the season. There is just something so delightful about raising the window shade and seeing the landscape all freshly painted with sparkly, pure white snow. Here is the view of my backyard from my upstairs window. The snow has all melted now and it looks like we definitely won't be having a white Christmas, but it certainly added to the "Christmasy" feeling for a short while.

My wish for you, my dear friends, during this holiday season is...

May your holiday season be filled with love and laughter! Bye for now...

2011 Christmas Ornaments and Crazy for Cranberries

Good morning my friends! And how is the countdown to Christmas progressing for you? I'm slowly making some headway, however it seems to be taking me longer than ever this year. If I can just get my cards done and a few more cookies baked, I think I'll be in fairly good shape, though! I do have some good news--my final monthly ornament has been stitched and finished and I couldn't be more pleased seeing them all displayed together. My December ornament is from a very old Leisure Arts Magazine from way back in February 1993. It is actually just the bottom motif of a very pretty monochromatic sampler called "Woodland Peace". I enjoyed stitching it so much, that you may just be seeing other motifs from this sampler stitched up as ornaments in the future.












DMC 3750 was used for my December ornament--and it has to be one of my favorite DMC colors. It's blue after all and I love any and all shades of that color as I'm sure you know if you are a regular reader of my blog. This skating scene is stitched over one on 28 ct. white evenweave and then accented with a pretty coordinating blue snowflake fabric, some tiny lace trim, a silver button, and a couple of silver bells. This whole ornament has such a nice old-fashioned appeal, don't you think?

So do you want to see my 2011 monthly ornaments displayed all together? Do you? Do you really? I've had emails and comments saying just how much some of you enjoyed last year's 2010 ornament post and I'm truly touched. So, I decided to recreate it for you with this year's ornaments (all pictures are clickable for a bigger view)...

Monthly Ornaments: 2011

2011 Monthly Ornaments: January ~ March

2011 Monthly Ornaments: April ~ June

2011 Monthly Ornaments: July ~ September

2011 Monthly Ornaments: October ~ December

Do you have a favorite? I think mine is my October ornament "Good Tidings To You," but close seconds are November's "Oh, Joy" and January's "Santa Quartet." I tried to make each one a bit special with added buttons, bows, and bells. Some are frilly, some cute, some a bit country, and some are more traditional--but, overall, I'm very proud of my "2011 Collection"!

On to the second part of my blog post title: Crazy For Cranberries... Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Lee and Linda for lunch and a bit of shopping and stitching. I wanted to take them a little gift for Christmas so I whipped up two of these tiny treasures. What does this have to do with cranberries?







Well, the name of this design is Cranberry Deer Pinkeep by Beehive Needleworks. It was the first time I had ever stitched one of Judy's designs and I really enjoyed it. These are stitched over one on some mystery 28 ct. linen with DMC 221 (which I call the Prairie Schooler Christmas red!). I couldn't decide whether to turn them into hanging ornaments or just leave them as pinkeeps so I included a little hanger made out of the same cording for Lee and Linda. That way they can decide how they want to display their pieces and it took the pressure off me. Too many decisions this month anyway, don't you think?


I also gave each of them a loaf of my Cranberry Pumpkin Bread. Here is a photo of all that I was able to hide away from my husband who is just crazy about this stuff. It has a really unique flavor with the tang of the cranberries and the sweetness of the pumpkin and spices. A perfect bread for this time of year and it's always a big hit when I serve it at Thanksgiving, too. If anyone wants the recipe, just let me know...

So what started my cranberry craze? Well, my two older sons came over for their usual Sunday night dinner last week and I mentioned that I really wanted to string popcorn and cranberries to use as the garland on my tree in the kitchen. Honestly, the looks they gave me--it was like I had just grown another head or something. They thought that was one of the silliest ideas ever: "Why on earth would you want to do that, mom?!!" Because, it's something I always wanted to do...Because, to me, stringing popcorn represents a time when Christmas wasn't so crazy busy and handmade gifts and simple, good cheer were more abundant...Because, simply put, it would make me happy...

So, I set out to do it all by myself (which seems to happen a lot at Christmas time when you are the lone female in a family with older sons!)... Did you know that you can pop regular old popcorn right in the microwave?? Who knew?? All you do is take about 1/4 cup of plain popcorn, place it in a small, brown paper lunch bag, fold down the top edges several times, lay it on its side, and microwave it on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (remove when the popping slows down so it doesn't burn). I then took some invisible thread, a long, strong needle, and my cranberries and set to work. You can use any pattern you want, but I chose a three popcorns to one cranberry ratio. One hint to make the stringing easier is to use day old popcorn so it doesn't crumble as easily.



The result of my efforts were these cranberry and puffy white garlands that now adorn my little "snowman" tree in my kitchen. What do you think? For years we had had this 4-foot tree downstairs in the basement where the boys and their friends used to gather to play video games or watch television. But, with my sons all grown and gone now, I decided to bring it up into the kitchen. I wish I had done this years ago as I just love seeing the soft white lights as we eat dinner or do the dishes each evening. Yes, every single ornament on it is a snowman with the exception of a few red and green jingle bells... We have snowmen (and a few snowwomen) of every size and shape. There are sledding snowmen, skating snowmen, even a snowman fishing. (None of my stitched snowmen are on this little three foot tree--I save them for my big tree). With all those tiny faces grinning at me each morning, it certainly gets my day off to a great start!

Snowman Tree: December 2011

I recently lent one of my charts to my friend, Lynn, in Canada and as a thank you she surprised me with this lovely tree of gifts. A smiling snowman notepad, a snowman magnet, and the prettiest snowflake fabric in the most wonderful blue color. Thank you so much, Lynn--it was not necessary at all; I was happy to share my chart with you. But, I truly appreciate your kind gifts...


My first Christmas gift arrived all the way from England... Just look at what my friend, June, made for me! The prettiest pink and brown heart-shaped sampler I've ever seen. And look, there is a little cat at the girl's feet...Just adorable, June--you couldn't have made a better choice for me. Your work is so special and perfect and I will treasure it always. Thank you for thinking of me and for the pretty blue thread as well! I can't wait to find the perfect project for it...

I'm so sorry these posts of mine are so exhaustingly long--thank you to any one who has reached this final paragraph! Perhaps in 2012 I'll start learning to write shorter posts and post more often. We'll see... Enjoy your week and, as always, thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. I so appreciate each and every one! Bye for now...

The Gift of Cross Stitch

Happy December, everyone! How on earth did it get to be the final month of 2011 already? It seems like just yesterday that it was January and I was complaining about the cold weather and planning my stitching goals for a new year. I'm beginning to think the older I get, the more quickly time passes--do any of you notice that?

Unfortunately, I have no "new" stitching to share with you today, but I do have some "new to you" pieces that I want to show you. Most are things I stitched before I began my blog in 2009. While visiting my parents and my sister over Thanksgiving, I was delighted to notice just how many of my cross stitched gifts they had displayed in their homes. You don't think they just put them out because they knew I would be visiting, do you? No--they truly appreciate the time and effort a stitched piece takes and I think they genuinely enjoy the stitched gifts I've given them through the years. Anyway, while I was up in New York for Thanksgiving, I snapped these photos to give you a little tour of pieces I've given them for special occasions.

First up, is "Outside My Window" by Lynn's Prints (from the 2005 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue). I stitched this for my mom a few years ago because it reminded me of the cardinals that used to visit the bird feeder outside the kitchen window each winter in my little hometown in western New York. Aren't the little "icicle" beads cute?

My mom loves birds just as much as I do, but she's especially fond of hummingbirds. I'm not sure what magazine the chart for this little hummer appeared in, but I placed him in a flowery frame and he now sits on my mom's nightstand next to her bed.

This Just Nan design, called "Robin's Wreath" was my mom's Mother's Day gift a few years ago. It's normally displayed on her bedroom wall (I took it down to photograph it).

Here is a closer view of Robin's Wreath. Don't you love the tiny robin's eggs in the nest in the lower right corner? I think the colors and details in this one make it one of my favorite finishes ever. The color of the fabric is more accurate in this photo--if I remember correctly, I used 28 ct. glass blue Monaco.

Another Just Nan finish called "High Hopes" is displayed in my sister's breakfast room. I gave this to her back in 2008 when she moved to a new home in a new city in a new state. It was a fresh start for her and I thought the saying on it "High Hopes Grow Here" was perfect for that time in her life. I changed the cat to an all black one to represent her old cat, Cinders. In the very center of the stitched garden is a silver birdbath charm. I'm sure the kitty is eyeing the birdbath with high hopes of capturing one of the feathery bathers!

I've stitched this Prairie Schooler "Good Morning" piece a couple of times and this one now hangs in my sister's rooster-themed kitchen at her lake house. I recently gave it to her in September for her 50th birthday and she just loves it. This chart appeared in the January/February 2002 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine.

I wanted to show you the little labels that I make for each of my framed cross stitch gifts and below is a good example. I take some theme or element of the design and create a "little something" on the computer to note the occasion and date... In this case I found a vintage-looking rooster and added a note to my sister along with my birthday wishes. Then I simply printed it, cut it out with fancy scissors, and apply it to the back of the gift with double-stick tape. It just gives the framed piece a bit of an extra personal touch!

The final stop on my cross stitch "tour" is this stitched bouquet of wildflowers that was placed in a frame with a mirror below. My mom has it hanging right by her front door in the her new home, but for years it was in the dining room of my childhood home. I checked the date on it and it was stitched in 1985!! It's held up quite well don't you think? This one was from the "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" cross stitch booklet.

Do any of you remember the actual book, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, that the designs were based on? It was so popular back in the late '70s (I know, I know...some of you weren't even born yet!!). The book was actually a reproduction of an authentic 1906 diary filled with the most lovely drawings and paintings of wildlife along with the author's observations and thoughts on nature. I think it is still one of the most charming books I own. In the upper middle of the collage below, is the drawing that the cross stitch was based on.

The year that I stitched the above piece for my mom has a very special meaning to me as well. 1985--that means I was stitching it while pregnant with my middle son. Yes, he will celebrate his 26th birthday on December 4th. He'll be coming for dinner and, of course, that very special dessert that he requests each and every year, "Giant Chocolate Eclair." It's been a good year for him with a very positive job change and I have faith that 2012 will bring him even more happiness. So... ♫♫♫ Happy Birthday ♫♫♫ to you, my dear middle son!

The winner of the LHN "Season of Plenty" chart is ... Hazel! Congratulations, Hazel--please email me with your postal address and I'll get this off to you right away. Of course, who knows how long it will take to travel all the way to The United Kingdom at this time of year. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did, Hazel, and that you'll pass it along to another stitcher when you're finished...

Before I forget, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments on my "Thanksgiving Comes Again" finish in my last post! You really made me smile with all of your compliments... And, I'm glad I was able to suggest a way to help many of you change the picture display on Blogger. I honestly prefer the old display rather than the black "lightbox" effect and I'm glad Blogger is giving us an option.

I'll be back soon with a more "seasonal" post--I promise!! Until then, try to find some time for yourself in this very busy month! Bye for now...