Merry Christmas!

Christmastime is here!  Happiness and cheer!

Another busy month has passed, and yes, I have some bits of stitching to show this time.  It has been ornaments for a few weeks now, gifts for friends and family...

These are the Peace Pin Buttons I changed into ornaments featured in a JCS Ornament issue...

And a sweet bunny with a holiday wish....

And a peppermint holiday treat too!

I still have one more to go!!  Will show you next time!

As you can see, I stitch my ornaments on perforated paper partly because I love working on the paper and partly because I am very challenged when it comes to finishing!  lol!  

One of my New Year's resolutions is going to be to trying to finish an ornament the way I see all you in the blog world do so lovely with linen and trim and stuffing :)

Everyplace I go holiday is in the air.  I had a day out with my Long Island friend and we visited some of our favorite places here in Connecticut.  

Shakespeare's Garden was done up in wreaths and Christmas trees, it felt like a winter wonderland!

I could not resist snapping this pic with the scissors and twine....

After some shopping, we headed to Pawling NY to Daryl's House for an early dinner... and were lucky to hear some of the sound check for the performer slated that evening, Kasim Sultan. 

A toast to the holidays.....a Peekskill Brewery Eastern Standard IPA.  Grapefruit-y!

After the sound check the lights were dimmed and it was so beautiful with all the holiday decorations. 

I did get a bit of new stash :)  

A couple for the New Year SAL... Jenny Bean and Mary Gail plus a few extras, of course!

Even Gigi has gotten dressed up for the holidays!  

I have been watching many of the holiday classic movies the last few weeks... White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Elf!, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and more... Do you have a favorite?  

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas filled with happiness, joy, and love!  xxxx

Fast Forward to Thanksgiving!

Hi Everyone!  Lately my posts seem to be further and further apart.  I think that is how it goes this time of year as we are busier and busier with the upcoming holidays.

Seems like yesterday Autumn was in full swing!

At the end of October I turned another year older... and received these pretty posies!

On Halloween, I went to the grand opening of Daryl's House, a new club in Pawling NY for a Hall & Oates concert.  What a blast!  Here is a peek into the place.  So rustic, I love it!!  And amazingly enough there were no Halloween costumes except for one couple dressed appropriately as Hall & Oates!  Can't wait to go back to the restaurant too!  If you are in the area it is a great venue to see a show.... Daryl's House.

A week later I went to NYC for the day.  I just love NYC!!  I was lucky to have a beautiful sunny 65 degree day!  In November!  So I spent some time in Union Square Park....

But the main reason for my trip was for a book signing at Barnes & Noble.   What a FAB building!!  Love it!  

The main event was the Jimmy Page book stamping!  What a treat to meet him and shake his hand!  One of the best nights ever!  

A week later I was back in NYC again!  This time to BB Kings Club to see blues man Buddy Guy!  Here he is with young guitar phenom Quinn Sullivan.  It was a super jammin' show!  

And, yes, there is some stitch-y stuff too!  I recently saw Aztec Gold by Queenstown Sampler Designs on a facebook posting so I picked that up with Harriot Redfearn as well.  Can it really be time to start thinking about New Year projects?!

There is also a Scarlet Letter SAL in the works for 2015 too!  We have voting going on right now thru Sunday November 30th.  We will be making a selection from the following samplers... most all of these are primarily cross stitch with some having a sprinkling of specialty stitches.  If you want to join in the vote you can do so at the Our Scarlet Letter Years facebook group, or on the Our Scarlet Letter Years blog.  The more the merrier!  So hard to choose just one!  

And, that brings us to today.... and our first snow of the season!  So beautiful!!

So while it seems I have been coming and going, and coming and going, lol...   I have not had much time for stitching in the last few weeks but I have been working on Christmas ornaments.... still have more to go!  So I will have more to show you next time!

Wishing you a Peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving with friends and family!  xxxx

Fall Fun!

Some progress has been made on His Eye is on the Sparrow.  Love each little critter, as each one is done it feels like a small finish :)  

I am amazed at how fast the colors are changing this year.    Some trees are in gorgeous color and some are already bare!  Here is a beautiful spot outside the local coffee shop in Sandy Hook CT...

My friend visited for the day and we went on fall foliage drive through Northwestern Connecticut.  First stop was Kent......

It was such a relaxing drive along the country roads, singing to some tunes, with all the leaves a-fluttering!  Here we are looking out at the hills of Litchfield county..... please try to NOT see all those wires! lol  

We stopped off for a delicious dinner at the White Horse Country Pub in New Preston CT...

...... and I splurged on the decadent Shepherd's Pie!  YUMMMMM!   Such a fun day!

  

I received a wonderful package in the mail this week.  I was fortunate to win one of the charts in last month's Scarlet Letter blog draw.... Winds on the Wold (which means Meadow).  Elizabeth also sent a sweet Sajou key chain too.  What a sweet pattern and verse!  Thanks so much, Elizabeth!!  This could be my next Scarlet Letter stitch... I have been trying to decide!  

And here is a sweet woodland friend.... a sweet deer that was having a rest after eating a zillion acorns in my yard!  She had a full belly and needed a nap!  lol

Enjoy the beautiful change of season and colors!  Wishing you a wonderful new week!  

Happy stitching!!  xxxx

A Summer's End Finish

A sweet finish to summer.

While a month ago I was frustrated with my eyelet stitches on my Blackbird SAL her sampler, the more I did them the more I started loving them!!  Go figure! 

All while stitching this pretty sampler I had a special personalization running around in my head.  As this was titled 'her sampler' I wanted to add the initials of all the ladies in my family from me to my great-great grandmother, Krista - Carol - Gertrude - Gesine - Meta....

What a super fun SAL.  A BIG thanks to Blackbird Designs for this fab freebie!!  

Wishing you all a wonderful week!  Happy Fall and Happy Stitching!!  xxxx

Summer Smiles...

Summer finish!

American Quaker Band Sampler

Summer stitching WIP....  still working on those eyelets!

Blackbird Designs her sampler SAL

Summer's beauty...

Summer naps......zzzzzzz.....

Summer lunch with a friend.... cranzinger chicken salad with pecans and cranberries, SO yum! 

Summer project planning...

Heartstring Samplery ~ His Eye is on the Sparrow

Summer book fair finds!

Summer black raspberry sweetness!  

It is so hard to believe that the end of summer is near.

Wishing you a week filled with miles of smiles and happy stitches!  xxxx

Wednesday WIP

Happy Hump Day!  I already have my eyes on the weekend ahead :)  

I got a bit further on my American Quaker Band Sampler.  Next up is some over-one!!...

I am very excited about some of the new designs coming out of the St. Charles Market, especially the BIG sampler from Heartstring Samplery!  It will be a fun one!!

I have been stocking up on some linens...  Not always easy finding exactly what I am hoping for on the internet.  All of you with LNSs are so very lucky!  On the far left is some Graziano that was supposed to be Antique White, but next to the Zweigart antique white it sure doesn't seem so.  Then I ordered some flax since I LOVED stitching my SDW Sampler on what I had originally ordered as flax.  Hmmm, that doesn't seem the case either! lol  Now I am waiting for some Ivory/Cream to arrive and hoping it will be just right!  

This week the Scarlet Letter Years group posted a new interview with an amazing stitcher, Karen.  I know many of you are in the group but for those who are not I thought you might really enjoy reading her story and seeing her beautiful samplers!   Karen's interview can be found here.  It is the 17th!! interview in the series, Beyond the Little X.  All of the interviews can be found at this page here.  Many who you may know from blogland such as Edgar from Blacksheep's Bit of the Web and Robert from a Gentleman's Samplings.  I enjoy going back to all of them for inspiration. Two of my favorites, an interview with Marsha Parker of the Scarlet Letter and Sampler Annie.  I hope you take a look-see.  You will be amazed and inspired I am sure!  

It seems to have been a very long week!  The passing of Robin Williams hit me harder than I could ever have imagined.  His talent was genius and like none other.  He could make me laugh so hard I would cry.  

And then to hear Lauren Bacall also passed on, more heartbreaking news.  Bogie and Bacall were quite the pair.  They made some fantastic movies in their years together.  

Here is my super moon shot from Sunday!  Enjoy the rest of the week!  Happy Stitching!  xxxx

 

Road trip to Long Island

TGIF!  The summer weeks are flying by!  I have made some progress on American Quaker Band Sampler.  I love the crispness of the black letters.  More than half way now!

Last weekend I took a trip to Long Island to catch up with friends and see my Mom for her birthday.  

On Saturday evening I went to a minor league baseball game with friends to see the Long Island Ducks!  It was a special military appreciation night.  There was a presentation to the forces attending the game and the home team guys wore camouflage uniforms.  Such a beautiful stadium!  

Lots of great fun with audience participation games between each inning, with the help of the team mascot - Quackerjack!  

A grand finish to the evening with a win for the home team and a fireworks extravaganza! 

On Sunday I took my mother out for a birthday lunch at her favorite chinese buffet.  We had a nice time celebrating and catching up.  Then I was on the road again back home.  

Hope you have a stitch-y weekend!  I hope to do the same!  Enjoy!  xxxx