What are you doing New Year's Eve?

I am all nestled in for a quiet evening.

I will be watching a movie, most appropriate, 'New Year's Eve'.  

Then it will be time to watch the ball in NYC Times Square drop along with the thousands that will be there.  I hope they are wearing long johns, it will be a frosty one!!  I prefer to be all cuddled up, watching it on TV.

While I still had some projects that were not yet complete, I went thru my posts from the past year and was happy to see that I did get a few things accomplished!  :D

2012 finishes

 2012 was my first year of blogging and I want to thank all of you who read my ramblings and take the time to leave comments.  It has been wonderful to get to know all of you and for us all to share our passion for stitching. 

So out with the old year and in with the new year!

2013 is already shaping up to be a fun, stitch-y year.  

I have a few projects lined up and will share those with you in...

I wish you the HAPPIEST of NEW YEARS, 

full of good HEALTH and HAPPINESS, PEACE and JOY!!

Cheers and Happy Stitching!!  xxxxx

A Christmas full of Memories

I hope you all got everything you wished for under the tree :D

We had a nice celebration with the entire family, 25 of us in all.
It was quite a full house!

In recent years I have started making special photo books for gifts from all of the thousands(!) of family photos I have scanned.  I have photos dating back to the late 1800s and it is a treasure to have them, but even better to have them printed out for everyone to enjoy.  

One of my blogging friends had asked to see some of my photos from the book so I thought I would share a few of the pages with you.  This year I decided to do a book of all Christmas and Winter photos and for fun also use some holiday songs and lyrics to present them.  Above is a photo from about 1954 of my Mom (left) with her sisters.  Pictures in front of the Christmas tree is a family tradition, every year many are taken...each family, all the cousins, all the siblings, all the cousins with the grandparents... I think you get the idea!   I just love how everyone got so dressed up back in the day!

This photo above is one of my favorites, from the '30s of my great grandmother throwing a snowball :D 

It looks like she has quite a few at her feet, she is ready for action!  

Aren't these Santa photos so CUTE?!

These are my Aunts, on either side hmmm... about 1950? and then they are young teens in the middle pic.  

Reminds me so much of Miracle on 34th Street.  

Here is another of my favorites~ oh how to choose, really, I love them ALL!

This one is of my grandparents from about 1957.

Here is some old-time, snowman-making FUN!  

And here are a few of me when I was about 5 years old.  

These were taken on Candlewood Lake in New Fairfield CT.  

We all loved to ice skate... even the dog!

In the bottom right is me and my Mom and upper right is me and my Dad. 

I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite holiday and winter family photos!

Oh, and I have been stitching too!  Here is my progress on SDW...

The more I stitch on this one, the more I love it.  I especially love the Lamb of God with the red banner.  I am still lagging a bit behind in the group but now that Christmas is over I have more time to devote to stitching again.  

Enjoy your weekend!!  

Happy Stitching!!

xxxxx

Wishing you a Very...

I wish you Joy and Peace in your corner of the world!  

Merry Christmas!!

A Simple Sentiment

that says so much...

Joy and Peace Ornament, LHN
dmc on perforated paper

I am glad I could finally show you this cute ornament.  It was for my co-worker and we did our exchange on Thursday.  I love this sweet design, anything with a cardinal is hard for me to resist!

Unfortunately, I do not have much more to show right now.  It has been a busy time readying for the holidays, but now that things are pretty much set, I can finally sit and stitch a bit! Yay!

I hope you are enjoying this holiday season and also ready to relax and enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy stitchings!! xxxxx

It's Only Rock and Roll...

And I LOVE it!  

Ok, so no stitching in this post, only guitars, dancing, music, rock legends, and sheer JOY!

Thursday evening I got to see my favorite band, the ROLLING STONES, once more.  

It was a rockin' good time and I got to spend some time with all my Stones friends and catch up, it has been a long five years since the last time!  

And they certainly did not disappoint this time around....they may be old, but they can still rock like years ago!  Here are a few snaps from the night...

A view of the stage, however not from my seat... had to keep climbing! lol!

Lots of great hits!  

Get off of my Cloud

Paint it Black

It's Only Rock and Roll but I like it

Wild Horses

Mick still has boundless energy.... always on the move and always dancing

Classic Gimme Shelter done here with Lisa Fischer...

Special guest John Mayer was there to jam on Respectable, awesome guitar work!

Satisfaction...Jumping Jack Flash...

I got some video of Around and Around...A classic not played in years... 

This was a real fun one, Mick dancing like he did in the '60s :D

Keith had a fun time.....

...jamming out with Ronnie Wood...

...and even Mick Taylor from long ago joined them for a song...

Mick is a frontman like no other, 

keeps the crowd on their feet and dancing for hours!

And hearing You Can't Always Get What You Want with full choir was the icing on the cake!

Sometimes, you do get what you need :D

This evening is the Stones pay-per-view special and if you love their music I promise you it is well worth it!  I know where I will be at 9pm, breaking out my Moves like Jagger while following the original!  Won't you dance with me? :D  cause you never know when it will be the Last Time.

Have a rockin' weekend everyone!

Another Senseless Tragedy

How and why can something so horrific happen? and all around our country.  You never think it will happen where you are, and then it does.  No place is immune to this kind of evil.  I live only 10 minutes from Newtown.  I know people who live there and I pray that all of their loved ones are okay.  

My thoughts and prayers and tears are for all of the victims and their families of this horrible and senseless tragedy.  

Peace

Hi Everyone!  I can't believe it has been a few weeks already since my last post, time is really flying!  I have felt like a hamster on a wheel trying to get ready for the holidays and finish last minute gifts.  And while I have not stitched a bit on my current samplers (so bad!) I have finished some ornaments finally!  Here is one that I can show you for now....

Peace Pin Button by Jeanette Douglas Designs, JCS 2012 Ornaments
on perforated paper w dmc 3856 and NPI 605, dmc 902, dmc 924

When I saw this ornament in this year's JCS Ornament issue I really loved it.... However, the tricky part was dealing with the over one parts on the perforated paper... so I did the over one as the regular cross stitch and then the white snowflake part I did over two as all smyrna crosses.  I love final effect.  In effect, it doubled the size of the pattern to about 4-1/2 inches, perfect for an ornament.   All of it is in dmc except for the purple 'Peace' which I pulled out some NPI silk I had.  Love working with the silk.  I will have to plan to do more in it.  

I love this time of year, with everything all decorated, and all of the holiday tunes and shows playing... it is all so cheery!  In the next week, I will share pics from my neighborhood, there has been quite a lot of decking the halls here.  Here is one for now, this is our living Christmas Tree on the Town Green where I work.........

Tonight I am settling in, stitching, and watching the special 12.12.12 concert, what an amazing group of talent for such an important cause.  And tomorrow I am off and headed to New Jersey to see the ROLLING STONES, woohoo!!  It's only Rock 'n' Roll but I love it!!  It has been a long 5 years since I have seen them last so I am SO excited!!   I hope to get a pic or two to share with you all  :D  

Enjoy your evening! and Happy Stitching!!  xxxx