Happy Birthday to Me!

It's been snowing a ton here over the past few days so I thought snowman cupcakes would be an appropriate treat to "offer" everyone! No big plans today other than stitching by the fire and then a fancy birthday dinner out with my sweetheart tonight!

And true story... I spent the last year thinking I was 57 when I was actually 56. So I either get to go back and do 56 now or re-do 57. I haven't quite made up my mind yet!

She Did It Again!

My second FlossTube video is up!

I wasn't nearly as nervous this time around!

Hooray!

FlossTube #2

Trying Something New

I kept trying to talk myself out of it...

but then I did it anyway!

Flosstube #1

Ta Da!

Well, that was about as easy as it gets! It took me about an hour to assemble but that included taking a break to go downstairs to the kitchen for sustenance. (There was a blueberry bagel calling my name and I couldn't ignore it!)

I still haven't picked up a needle (in, like, for-evah!) so I'll share some other tidbits!

First, more Ikea purchases...

(You didn't think I made it out of there with only the cart, right?) The ole Stitchy Chair needed an update so I picked up a couple of pillows. They have feather inserts so they're super soft and squishy! If and when I do decide to stitch, I will be comfy cozy!

In between trips to Ikea, we got to see a few sights while we were in Boston...

Walden Pond was at the top of my list and it was a perfect fall day when we drove out to see it. Thoreau's cabin was located just across the water. I was wearing boots that were more fashionable then functional so we didn't hike over to the site. (Please try to ignore the fellow doing the breast stroke out in the middle of the pond!)

They had a replica of his cabin set up...

Can you imagine spending two years in a place like this? I'd have to pack a lot of stitching supplies! And bagels!

After Walden we scooted down the road to Concord to see the bridge where the "shot heard round the world" was fired...

You can see it there in the distance. Things were a little rushed this trip but we're hoping to make it back to the area some day so we can spend more time exploring and soaking up the history. And I promise to wear more sensible footwear!

Yesterday was Phil's birthday so I made him his favorite dinner...

I don't know the real name of the dish because we've called it Phil's Favorite Chicken for so long. I always make him a "thriple" batch because he loves it so much! Three guesses what we're having for dinner tonight!

It's going on 2:00 now and I'm all curled up with a fire going, hoping to see some snow today! Sounds like a perfect opportunity to do some stitching!

Thanks for visiting!

Monday Fun

Still no stitching to report but look...

Phil and I were in Boston all last week helping his daughter get moved in to her new apartment and during one of our trips to Ikea I grabbed a Raskog cart for the Chicken Ottoman Empire! It came in a lot more pieces than I was anticipating but we had plenty of practice assembling furniture in Boston so this should be a breeze!

Right?

Wish me luck!

A Little Fallifying

When last we spoke I was trying to get the house fancied up for fall, but all that really amounted to was me sitting around all day drinking Starbucks Fall Blend (one of my faves!) and reading magazines.

Not much has changed in two weeks...

 What can I say? I love a good magazine! And coffee! And, well, sitting around all day!

With as busy and lazy as I am (I know the two don't really go together but somehow I manage to pull it off!) I hopped online and filled up my cart at Target!

Isn't this the cutest pillow?

Apparently I'm all about the shiny this year!

I also got some glittery painted pumpkins to put in my lantern that sits on the fireplace hearth...

It turned out pretty cute for five minutes of effort! It would have taken me only two if I hadn't had to empty out the pine cones that were still in it from, like, five Christmases ago.

And lastly, we have my "candlescape" that sits on our coffee table...

These guys get swapped out as they burn down. The latest addition is the fancy copper one in the front. Oooooh! Shiny!

I also picked up some little plates for our B&B's wine and cheese nights but that'll be another post! (The paper ones we'd been using didn't quite have that "value added" vibe!)

Now then, there's a magazine and a cup of coffee calling so off I go!

Thanks for visiting!

Pick Four

I've been trying to do a little "Fallifying" around the house but so far all that's meant is I light a Yankee Candle and look at magazines. I seem to be perpetually in the planning stages of getting anything done!

That being said, I have picked four projects to work on over the next couple of weeks. Three are WIPs and the fourth is a new project with which I will reward myself once I've made some progress on the others! Great plan, right?

First up is Harvest Home Sampler from Heart in Hand...

I think I started this one last year thinking I'd have it done in no time. As you can see I didn't even come close. But there's always this year!

Next we have Halloween Button Pillow from Shepherd's Bush...

This is an oldie but goodie from back in the 90s. It's on a 7-ct. Heatherfield that I really love. It's big and chunky and so very Fall-ish!

Third on my list is Autumn Leaves by Prairie Schooler...

This one is obviously going to take me a little more time but I do love me some Prairie Schooler!

And last but not least is Pumpkin Fever from Lizzie Kate...

This is a limited edition kit (I think!) that I purchased on eBay way back in the day. It even came with pumpkin seeds! I might have to put them out for the critters! It's all going back in it's little envelope for now, until I make some progress on the other three pieces!

Laundry is done, kitchen is clean, Pepsi is poured... time to light that candle and get busy stitching!

LMNOP

I'm still working on Random Thoughts by Drawn Thread when I can, but I think it might be time to visit the Chicken Ottoman Empire and find some fall pieces to work on. I'm still staying busy with the B&B but the season is winding down and I should find myself with some extra time in the weeks to come.

Let's see what kind of trouble I can get myself into next!

Movin' On Up!

Try as I might I could not manage to take a decent photo of my Random Thoughts piece! We'll just have to make due with what we have!

I've been working on it almost every day since I last posted and it's now time to move the q-snaps! Woohoo! I really should have some sort of ceremony for this! Or maybe I should wait until I get past the fold in pattern? Or heck! I'll just do both!

Too bad it isn't Friday or I'd break out the boxed wine!

Chugging Along

I feel like the Little Engine Who Could every time I work on Random Thoughts! Yesterday I decided it was time to stop ignoring the more difficult parts of the sampler. There's this celtic knot looking design that's done entirely in Queen Stitches. I've never had much success with this particular stitch but seeing as how I'm not creative enough to figure out a substitute, I threaded up my needle and got to work!

I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!

Before I knew it, I was chugging along, one stitch after another, watching the design grow! I made a couple of mistakes and had to do a little ripping but once I got going I didn't want to stop! Before I knew it I had rounded the bend and was heading down hill! Chooooo choooooo!

I knew I could! I knew I could! I knew I could!

No news on the house in Florida. Neighbors have reported some damage to their own property and apparently there's a lot of debris everywhere. We'll be sitting tight until we hear something.

Cape Coral vs. Irma

This is the last view we had through one of our security cameras before we lost power at the house in Cape Coral. It might have been a blessing because I was a nervous wreck watching the trees bend in the wind and the power lines dance around. Yikes! We're still waiting to learn if we had any damage, but optimistic that everything will be okay. So many people have been impacted by Irma, and I know how fortunate we are to be warm and safe and dry here in Michigan.

Jam Session

Saturday was a perfect example of Pre-Fall here in Michigan. The sky was clear and we had just enough of a crisp breeze to keep you from getting hot, but not enough where you'd want to wear a sweater. Phil and I took advantage of the beautiful day and went to a local orchard to pick peaches. We came home with about half a bushel basket which gave us plenty for freezing, plus enough for me to try my hand at making freezer jam.

I've been making homemade biscuits and wanted something else homemade to serve with them. I'm really hoping I don't end up with twelve jars of peach soup!

Fingers crossed!

Stitchy Stitchy Stitchy

First up is Summer by Blackbird Designs...

Slow slow progress on this one. I remember when I was working on the Autumn section I thought it was going super slow. I will try to be patient so I can get it finished this year!

Next we have my Drawn Thread SAL project, Random Thoughts...

Progress is super slow on this one as well but the specialty stitches are a lot of fun so I will keep plugging along!

Lastly, I got some fun stitchy mail from the Silver Needle in Tulsa...

This kit and all the lovely accoutrements are part of their Circle of Friends Club. I can't wait to sink my teeth (or should I say needle?!) into this one!

We're heading into the weekend and busy making plans to get out and enjoy some of what our area has to offer. We call it "market research" for the B&B but it sure seems like fun to me!

Thanks for visiting!

Busy Busy Busy

Wow! Has it really been almost a month since my last post??? It really is true what they say... time flies when you're having fun!

Our B&B is in full swing and we're absolutely loving it! There was one OMG! moment when we accepted a reservation for an empty room but thanks to two day shipping and a lot of hustle and teamwork between me and Phil, we transformed it into the cutest and coziest little retreat evah!

We were off on our own vacation last week, visiting Fallingwater near Pittsburgh (which was number one on my Bucket List!), soaking up a ton of US history in Philadelphia, and then on to Charleston, SC, for Phil's daughter's graduation. We stayed in B&B's along the way (market research, you know!) and met a lot of neat people who are doing the same thing we are. Just a great trip all around despite my putting on a few pounds from scarfing down massive amounts of pimento cheese with pork rinds, pounds of really outstanding BBQ, and (be still my heart!) the biscuits with soooo much butter! Yum yum yum! I'll even confess to ordering banana pudding even though I was positively stuffed!

In between all of this I have managed to do some stitching. I worked on my BBD Summer and have the left side border done now. I also spent a couple of Friday's working on my Drawn Thread SAL piece but it's been slow going. I'm up to letter 'I' now but I made a mistake waaaaay back on the letter 'F'. It's hardly noticeable so I decided to work around it instead of ripping a bunch of stuff out. Other than that it's just been a lot of dreaming about projects I'd like to start. After visiting so many historic sites in Philadelphia, I really want to start LHNs Early American series.

I hate to have a post without a photo so I'll end with one of the bazillion eclipse pictures I took!

It was almost spooky how traffic on the lake came to a halt with everyone staring up at the sky! You could hear people shouting "There it is! There it is!" when the clouds broke! Just a really cool experience!

Hoping to be back tomorrow with some stitching pictures!

Thanks for visiting!

Goodbye Baby B

March ??, 2008 - July 24, 2017

You were the best bunny in the world.

Stitching & Reading, Reading & Stitching

Stitching...

Got a little more done on Flock Together yesterday. I love the blue and white buoy thingy. (Not really sure what they're called but I'm going with buoy!) (Life ring?) The colors are better in person... natch... but it's drizzly out so indoor lights will have to do.

And reading...

Karyn from My Stitching Nook was super duper sweet and sent me this stack of fabulous books to read! I can't wait to dive in!

Hoping for a little sun this afternoon but I don't know if I'll get it. The last few days have been spectacular and I admit to getting a little spoiled by it all! Luckily rainy days are perfect for stitching and reading and reading and stitching!

On Deck

It's too nice out to stay inside today! Luckily the deck swing makes a perfect stitchy spot!

Random Thoughts Progress

I thought it would be a great idea to take my stitching out on the deck swing for its photo shoot since it's super sunny out today but yikes! The shadows! I do like that you can see the bunny and the tree better. The thread color is so close to the fabric color that they don't show up particularly well. I do like the tone-on-tone look though, so I'm sticking with it. Over on the right you can see a row of Rapid Stitches. A new one for me and not too difficult once you get the first one done. I stitch backwards from most people so when I'm following a stitch diagram I switch everything around. I'm a very complicated lady!

Phil and I worked on getting the B&B set up over the weekend. We have three rooms and a kitchen to outfit so it looks like we have triplets going off to college when we hit the store check out! I'm doing up big baskets of all the essentials the guests will need while they're here and they turned out really cute if I do say so myself!

My order from 123Stitch came today so I am going to rip that envelope open here in a minute and work on Flock Together!

Off I go!

Woohoo!

ABCDEFG

I pulled this oldie but goodie out of my Big Basket of WIPs yesterday. I'd finished the center section (Autumn) way back in November 2015 so it's about time I get the last part done. I only have a few more years until I'm going to have to rip out that "1" and replace it with a "2"! The alphabet at the top is now done so I'm off to a pretty good start here!

Today is Friday and that means it's Stitchalong day! Woohoo! More Random Thoughts and more fancy stitches!

On a Wednesday

We're in the middle of quite an ugly storm right now. I went out on the deck to take a picture right before the sky opened up and it started pouring. You couldn't even see the other side of the lake!

I had to take this picture under the glare of the kitchen pendants which is unfortunate because I wanted to mention how I ripped out the old blue water and restitched it with the called for overdyed thread. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say it looks tons better. I went ahead and ordered a couple of the other threads I was missing so I will put this one on hold until they arrive in the post.

It's time for lunch so I think I'll curl up with my book in front of the fireplace and have a bite to eat while I wait for the laundry to finish up.

This is a great book, by the way. I've had to renew it twice because I read almost as slow as I stitch! It's all about the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago with a real life murder mystery on the side. (Did you know the alabaster city referred to in America the Beautiful is the Chicago World's Fair? I love learning little tidbits like that!)

Dryer just buzzed so off I go to swap loads!

My SAL Progress & Weekend Report

I'm really happy with my progress on Random Thoughts. I didn't get much done but I did get to do a few specialty stitches and that's always fun. I'm going to have to scoot my fabric over in the q-snaps so I can work on the left side a little better.

Phil surprised me on Friday with a Spiralizer attachment for our Kitchenaid mixer so I got adventurous and made Lemon-Garlic Broccoli Noodles with Parmesan...

There's supposed to be toasted pine nuts on top but I forgot to sprinkle some on before I took the picture. I was too hungry to re-do the "photo shoot" so you'll have to use your imagination! :-)

Saturday we went to the Krasl Art Fair in St. Joseph, MI. I had some Christmas money still left to spend so I picked up this pretty little chickadee etching...

I love, love, love little birdies!

I had to limit myself to only one but hopefully I'll be able to add to my collection next year!

Sunday was just as lovely a day as Saturday so we headed out for an early lunch and some shopping in South Haven. We ended up buying a swing for the deck so Phil assembled it when we got home and later that evening we were able to relax outside with our wine and watch the boats go by on the lake. We were even treated to a sunset serenade from a guy playing the bagpipes on his pontoon boat!

Which brings us to today!

I've got my lazy pants on and as soon as I have a bite to eat for lunch I'm going to head up to the Chicken Ottoman Empire, find something mindless to watch on TV, and hit the stitchy chair!

Come On Over!

It's a beautiful day for stitching on the deck!

Sounds Like a Plan

Later this month I will celebrate my 11th Blogoversary. Our tradition these last few years has been to walk down to the Gazebo at the golf course and have a Paw Paw Punch. This year I thought I'd try something a little different.

The first project I ever blogged about waaaaay back in 2006 was this one...

It's called Lighthouse Teapot and it was one of the Secret Needle Night kits from the Silver Needle in Tulsa, OK. I found it wadded up in the envelope it came in so I had to practically soak it with Best Press to get the wrinkles out. Looks like it's still a bit damp there!

Anyhoosie, I have the finishing kit that came with the design so my big plan is to get this all finished up into the standy-uppy thing it's supposed to be. I figure after eleven years it's about time!

Tomorrow is Friday so I will be working on my Random Thoughts for the SAL! Really looking forward to it!

But what to work on today???

Hmmmm....

It's a SAL!

Clare over at Craftlady in Kiwiland suggested we do a Stitchalong! Both of us had started Random Thoughts by Drawn Thread so we will be stitching it together now and sharing our progress. Here is where I am...

Not too much done so far.

We are both planning to stitch on Fridays and anyone is welcome to join in. If you want to stitch something smaller there are a bunch of feebies over on the Drawn Thread website.
The more the merrier!

Be Brave

Be Brave

by Shepherd's Bush

stitched on 10-ct. Pewter Tula

with Classic Colorworks, Sampler Threads, and DMC

Good golly, miss Molly, but this turned out cuter than I expected! I have the necessary fabrics for making it into a pillow, a la SB, so I'll try to do that next week. I didn't notice until I was doing my pre-picture ironing that the floral fabric has little flags stuck in among the flowers! I'm just in love with the whole darn thing!

(I must give a shout out to the Twisted Stitcher for introducing me to Best Press! It has made ironing a breeze! Thank you, Vonna!)

We're heading into the long 4th of July weekend here! No big plans but I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep us busy!

More Summer Stitching

I decided to take a break from Lizzie Kate-ing and grabbed this chart by Shepherd's Bush out of my Big Basket of WIPs. I hadn't actually started it but since it was all kitted up I thought that was close enough to earn it a spot in the WIP basket. This is on 10-ct. Tula and I must say it's a nice break from linen. Getting three strands of floss to lay nicely hasn't really given me any trouble so I should be able to get this one done before too long. I believe Shepherd's Bush had a whole series of Be This and Be That so I might have to look into getting a few more.

We had a great weekend here at the lake! We managed to cram so much into it that it felt like a three day weekend! The weather was fabulous so we spent a lot of time outside. I think we ate every single meal out on the deck!

You gotta love summer!

 

We've been flirting with the idea of renting out our bottom floor on Airbnb so we spent Sunday afternoon doing some cleaning and tidying up in case we decide to pull the trigger there. Family came over for an impromptu pizza party Sunday evening and helped us make sure all the pinball machines were in good working order. We'll have two bedrooms, one bath, full kitchen, large patio, just steps away from the lake. Plus pinball, foosball, ping pong, and free parking! Sounds like a great place for a vacation to me! In fact, this whole area used to be a resort back in the early 1900s. Next door to us was the old WigWam Hotel and where our house is was the annex where the hotel employees lived. Down the street was a dance pavilion where they played big band music. There is a lot of history in this area.

Time for lunch and then I'm heading out to the deck with my stitching!

Birds, Bees, and Berries

As promised, here is Birds from Lizzie Kate's Summer Smalls! I wasn't kidding when I said these were quick to stitch! Bees and Berries are soon to follow!

(Sorry about the blurry picture... I think I must have deleted the "good one" when I was going through my photos! Am I the only one who takes a half dozen shots of everything and then goes through them all later to pick the best one?)

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

I thought this would be an appropriate finish to share today! This is from Lizzie Kate's Summer Smalls and it's just too darn cute! I'm also working on Birds from the same collection and should have that one finished PDQ! If you're looking for a quick summer project, I couldn't recommend these more! I used the called for Weeks Dye Works threads and the colors are super summery! The pinks make me want to dive face first into a big slice of watermelon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Liberty Framed

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon painting and pinning and straightening and pinning some more. I ended up with red paint on my shirt which I totally deserved for even attempting to wield a brush while wearing white.

Durr durr durr! What was I thinking???

Anyhoosie, this is what I ended up with after all my effort. Not too bad but I'll only award myself the "I Did My Best" ribbon for this one. Next time I'm in town I'll swing by JoAnn's and pick up some ribbon for a hanger and maybe a few doo-dads to dress it up. Right now it's just... meh.

Every time I frame something I learn a little more. This time it was to trust my eyes and not the ruler. If it looks wonky, you need to make your adjustments before you have the whole thing in the frame.

And most important... wait for the paint to dry.

It's Finally Finished!

A Prairie Year

by Prairie Schooler

stitched on 28-ct. Lambswool linen

with DMC

I am tickled pink to have this one done! And it didn't take me eight years! This has to be some sort of record for me!

I love how it turned out! I just wish I knew what to do with it now. Have it framed? Or make it into a wall hanging?

I'm going to have to have a serious finishing day here soon!

Now For Something Completely Different

I've always, always, always wanted to stitch a Mirabilia or Lavender & Lace design. Or to be more accurate, I've always, always, always wanted to finish a Mirabilia or Lavender & Lace design. In my many years of stitching I have started one of each. I have most of the blue fairy complete on L&L's Firefly Fairies and around the beginning of this millennium I started Mirabilia's Ashley's Roses. I just love the summery look of her dress!

Every time I'm deciding what project to work on next I think to myself, I really should try to get a little more done on these. And every time I choose something muuuuuch smaller!

(Have you seen these charts??)

So Tuesday when I decided to reward myself with a new start, my Big Box of BAPs was sitting right there. Nostalgia took hold and I opened it to find Ashley in her beautiful summery dress, looking up at me.

Doggone it, Ashley! You win!

Here's where I am after two days of working on her big pink bow...

My goal today is to get the rest of it done. I have dinner already simmering in the crock pot, and as soon as the sugar soaks into my strawberries, I'm going to scarf them down and get busy stitching!

A Little Finish

A Little Liberty

by Lizzie Kate

stitched on 30-ct. natural linen

with DMC

I started this kit from Lizzie Kate last summer and got as far as stitching the sunflowers and the word Liberty before setting it aside. Per my usual MO, I never picked it up again and into the WIP box it went. It took me a few hours one afternoon last week to finish the stitching and I attached the beads yesterday so this is another one for the win column! Woohoo! I have a little frame I picked up at the thrift store that is the perfect size for it but I want to paint it first. Tomorrow just happens to be errand day so i will have to add a stop at the craft store to my list.

I've been working on the December block for my Prairie Year piece but that's going incredibly slow. I recently discovered Floss Tube and it's a major distraction! I set up my laptop so I can watch videos while I'm stitching and it's like having a friend right there with me! And yes, I will admit to sometimes talking back to these friends like they can actually hear my comments! I might have to launch my own Floss Tube channel but we'll have to see. I'm awfully shy.

I've been itching to start something new so I might look outside of my WIP basket today and see what I can come up with. I've been doing pretty good getting old projects finished so it might be time to reward myself!

Have a great day!

November in April

A Prairie Year - November

I got behind on my Prairie Year months at the end of last year so I thought I'd get them all finished since I only had two more to go. It felt a little strange stitching a turkey in April! He must think he's a spring chicken!

Here's what he whole thing looks like now...

I know I should continue on with December, especially since it's so cold and grey outside today. I have the fireplace going so I might just grab a cup of coffee, tuck myself under a blanket, and at least get started on it.

Thanks for visiting!