Unexpected Joy-filled Day!

It's been a wild weekend!  Our son unexpectedly asked if we could watch the girls for a couple of hours on Saturday.  It turned into an all day event!!  We've been striving to get stuff done well in advance of the holiday so we could relax as the days get closer, and a good thing we were too!  Having them over yesterday was good for the heart!  It was loud, it was busy, it was messy, but it was so much fun!  And because we weren't under any pressure, it was an amazing day!  

I finally got to make some ornaments that Robin in Virginia suggested I make with Little Miss Sassy Pants.  

I'll admit, I'm a perfectionist and have a wee bit of OCD, but I decided it's no fun being a Gigi if you can't let loose with a 4 yr old and just be spontaneous.  Now I wish we had dough ready to make cookies too.  Poor little Miss thought these were going to be cookies...haha. 

But she forgave me when I brought out some Oreos we had stashed in the pantry.  (Good thing Pappy has a sweet tooth!!).  

Miss Q was a happy camper, and the two of them played so well together.  Miss Q napped the entire time we were making the ornaments so that went well.  It doesn't show in the picture, but we set up a race car track for Miss Sassy Pants and she played with that for a good long while.  The kids brought pizza and salads for dinner and stayed to chat for a while.  I think we'll all sleep well tonight!  

It was an exhausting day, but it wasn't complete until I put a few stitches in something.  I make it a point to stitch at least 30 minutes a day.  It turns off my brain and relaxes me before bed...and with only less than 300 stitches to go, I was able to finish Cardinal Couple by My Lovely Embroidery.  This is stitched on 32 count light blue over one.  I have stitched this pattern before but on 30 count over one.  I love how tiny this turned out.  

Hopefully I will have a finishing day today and get a few more things fully finished.  Sadly our printer, which has been having connecting issues and other things, went belly up yesterday and stopped printing in the middle of a print job. Guess we'll have to shop for something in the new year.  We'll see.  Well I'm off to the craft room to decide on my next stitching project, maybe line up some goals for next year, and do a wee bit of finishing.  I'll have to see what sparks my interest.  If all goes well I'll have another "finishing" post to share next time.  In the meanwhile, make space in your life for the little unexpected joys in your life.  While it was exhausting, it was a day full of memory making and fun!  Happy Stitching!

Running in Circles

Hi Fellow Stitchers!  Tis the season to be running in circles, am I right?  I can't seem to get my act together.  

I'm sitting here watching the weather is it continues to get darker with rain clouds rolling in.  The temperatures are dropping...it's getting colder in the house.  The winds are picking up, I really should go rescue the garbage cans before they begin a tour of the neighborhood.  Instead I'm sitting here in my pjs sipping chamomile tea...haha.  This weather is making what is already sore ache more.  Life...eh?  

Well I had a great day yesterday as I picked up my friend and started the last minute stocking stuffer shopping.  I hope I'm done.  While my friend and I were pretty jovial (Ms M always makes me laugh...we have the same sense of humor) most other folks were not having a good day.  I really do feel for the sales reps out there...it's a busy time of year and I'm sure they are tired.  

Even with all the hustle and bustle, I really believe I'm a bit ahead of the game, or at least I hope so.  Today I spent the morning wrapping DH's gifts and fully finishing a couple of things.  I still have one more I really want to finish, but I'm still contemplating how I'm going to go about that.  I have a Christmas ornament I really want to finish today but I really needed a little lunch and some chamomile tea.  I'll see what happens after lunch.  

So let me show you what I've finished in the past few days.  First up is the letter T from the Owl Forest Embroidery Merry Christmas letters.  I still have 3 more to finish, but they will have to wait until next year I guess.  That's ok, they will be fresh for the new year!  Stitched on 32 Summer Khaki over two.  I love these letters!  

Next is Nordic Yuletide by Quaternion Creations from the 2024 JCS Ornament issue, stitched on 36 count Twilight over two.  I didn't stitch the whole pattern, I really didn't care for the rest, plus it fit perfectly in this little frame I found at Hobby Lobby...win, win!  

Next is Cozy Into Winter stitched on 32 count Mad Hatter's Tea Party over two.  I love Jeannette Douglas designs and I've had this sitting in my to do pile for a while.  I love that it's framed and ready for display for this Christmas!  

Last is Christmas Manor by Shannon Christine Designs.  It's stitched on 30 count Vintage Country Mocha over one.  I'll be honest and say I wish it were on a little darker fabric but it's not too bad.  The last two frames were found at Hobby Lobby...they have a lot of lovely frames out there this year.  

Ok so that's all that I have for my show and tell.  I hope all of you out there have a wonderful Christmas and many blessings in the coming New Year!  I'm not sure if I'll have another post before the holidays, but if I get a chance I will.  I'll have the grandkids here tomorrow....I need to get some meatballs made for the Christmas Eve party and I need to seriously think about what I'll serve for Christmas dinner.  I'm not sure what's happening on that day, but hopefully the kids will stop in.  It will be pure chaos I'm sure.  Take care, and Happy Stitching!

Moving slowly...

Goodness it's been a little crazy around here lately!  Between Physical Therapy twice a week, watching Miss Q once a week, snow days with hubby home, and trying to get gifts sorted and ordered, there isn't much time left for stitching.  I did finally get another page finish of Let Freedom Ring.  Only the top row and the 5 pages that includes to go!  Unless the time space continuum opens up and gives me more time, I'm setting it aside until 2026.  Goodness, it's getting close.  I usually say things will slow down then, but I know better haha.  Here is an updated picture.  

When I decided to put it aside for a bit, I picked up the final ornament for the challenge I participate in.  I still need to fully finish the ornament from last month, but until my head clears I'm just going to stitch the next suggestion.  This one is Nordic Yuletide by Quaternion Creations from the 2024 JCS Ornament Issue.  I'm stitching this one on 36 count Twilight two over two and love how it looks so far.  I've decided I'm not going to stitch the whole thing, and will stop after I stitch the red bow.  Not too much farther!  Then I think I'll finish it as an oval.  I will work those details out later.  Hopefully by the next update I'll have fully finished this one and the one from November.  Fingers crossed I get the time.  

I have to say I had a frustrated long weekend.  Hubby decided to stay home from work and we would go Christmas shopping.  Well we got some significant snow for Maryland, so instead we set up our tree, decorated the mantel, wrote our Christmas newsletter, printed it out, addressed the Christmas cards  AND THEN I was allowed to stitch...lol.  Saturday led to more decorating and the start of the new ornament.  Sunday was ordering pictures for a Christmas gift and then arranging and assembling the gift.  That literally took most of the day and two trips to Walgreens to pick up the prints....haha.  Today I'm off to the Physical Therapist.  We will see how much stitching I get done today.  Tomorrow hubby is home again so hopefully we can get our shopping done then...Wednesday I get my hair done, and Thursday is Physical Therapy, and Miss Q is here Friday.  No rest for the wicked, they say....I must have been really bad somewhere along the way!  LOL  

Ok I'm off to get my ankle twisted into knots then massaged.  Sounds heavenly doesn't it?  haha  NOT!  I will say I'm getting pretty good a toe yoga!  But picking up marbles with my toes isn't going too well.  I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  Happy Stitching!

December has arrived!

I won't deny that December is my second favorite month.  (October is my favorite but only because I love fall...not because I was born in October).  What's not to like?  Ok, it does get cold, the days are short and not as bright....but all the excitment that leads up to Christmas and the promise of a New Year are exciting right?  I love hanging my advent ornaments each year!  I love looking at them!  So here they are for today.  

So I've been incredibly busy the past week or so.  I have started physical therapy for my foot (ouch!!) along with watching Miss Q and all the other stuff that comes with getting ready for the season.  I still have to take my fall decorations down and start sorting through the winter decorations, but that will have to wait for a bit until I can walk a little better.  UGH what a crazy time of year for an injury.  

Miss Q was here yesterday.  She was so much fun yesterday.  I remember Miss Sassy Pants at this age, and how much fun it was to play peek a boo, and with the toys that made music and flashed lights.  She is so inquisitive and fun!  A week seems a long time between visits.  We had Miss Sassy Pants overnight on the weekend.  She is a whirlwind of activity, but also so much fun.  And she has quite a sense of humor.  I can't remember life being so much fun without them in it!    

Because of all the busyness I haven't had much time for stitching/finishing.  I have things lined up that I want to do, I just haven't found the time to get things done.  I did finish stitching the November ornament...and I love it.  My head is spinning with ideas how to fully finish it, but I think I've come up with a plan.  I hope I can get started on that this afternoon...we'll see.  

I did get to fully finish a Mill Hill kit that I stitched for a friend's Nephew.  This is Fishing Penguin stitched on 32 count Cornflower fabric over two instead of the perforated paper included in the kit.  

It has been sent off to my friend in NY along with this one I stitched for her.  I hope she likes them.  

I also had fully finished this ornament that I had finished stitching back in 2022.  It's called O Little Town of Bethlehem by Saving Graces Fine Needlearts from the 2021 JCS Ornament Issue.  It has been given to my DIL's Mother.  

I've fallen behind in plans for Let Freedom Ring.  I was hoping to get two pages stitched a month but was only able to get one page stitched in November.  I think I'll still be able to reach my goal to have it framed by July 4th 2026 in time for the 250th celebration.  I have a feeling it won't see much love this month either, but I'm about halfway finished with one page for this month.  If I can do that I'll be happy.  Here it is so far... 

I guess that's all the news for this post.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are able to enjoy all the excitement leading up to Christmas and the New Year.  Soon I'll be posting my goals for next year.  I rarely get everything done I hope to do, but I have an idea to change things up this year.  Hopefully I'll get that all down on paper soon...so watch this space!  Happy Stitching!