Monday, October 31, 2011

Remember the Old Sears Catalog?

Bear with me - back in the '70s there was nothing better than Grandma getting the new Sears catalog! I would spend hours looking through the toys - ignore the clothes - and turning down page corners. JC Penney's catalog just wouldn't do.

Would you like to see the newest version of that catalog?


Those papers on the table - the kid's wish lists from Amazon. Since I just printed the whole list they are going through marking their number one thing and highlighting the major wants. Same principle different medium!

Keri came over to go through the Halloween costumes for the kids. Garin is a pumpkin again this year and Alivia got the skunk!


The kids were over the other day and I had to take a few pictures. Garin took his nap and I found if you point the camera at Alivia she curls her nose. So, I try taking a picture - after the camera goes off - she wrinkles the nose. Got a partial curl -


She's this close to walking. By Christmas she'll be into everything. Not that she's not now - but look out tree! Mom better brace the bottom with cement blocks!

Started my shopping recently. How is everyone else doing? Do you shop Black Friday? Start in December. Oh, this is going to be a poll!

It's Halloween - enjoy those tricker treaters!
Denise

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Oops - I Can't Count

I had a blond moment. Went to add a picture to my Flickr account and it said I had 50 pictures in my 2011 set. Now how can that be? I have 50 finishes and one picture has two in it. Time to count. And... flickr was correct. I never wrote The Raven by La-d-da on my completion list.

This is number 51 ~ (ignore the wonky eyes)

Peace on Earth
LHN
Recommended floss
scrap of linen
Had surgery on my right hand yesterday morning. It's amazing how much easier this is to do the second time around. And not having the thumb involved is a blessing. Already able to do many things it took me a week to do last time! Woohoo - I'm done with this.

Until the iodine comes off I'm not stitching. Just not going to take the chance of staining anything. But, I have plans! ;0)

Wonderfully beautiful day in Ohio. The sun was out and the temps were near perfect. Does anyone have a way to duplicate today for several more weeks?

Alright kids - time for dinner!
Denise

Friday, October 21, 2011

This, That, and the Other

Many of you have heard by now about the exotic animals released in Zanesville, Ohio. Well, that's about an hour from my house. I found these pics at abc.com and they made me cry. WARNING - before you go see these pictures they are graphic.

And I find myself in a quandary. I have never been an advocate for more government. And believe people should use common sense. But, after seeing the destruction to these amazing animals I wonder if there shouldn't be more laws in Ohio to prevent this from ever happening again. It's a shame they had to be killed and I trust Jack Hanna when he says nothing else could have been done. But, there are just no words when you look at the pictures.  

Many of you commented to DD's dental issues. After her visit with the periodontist and hearing her choices - Courtney has decided to not have anything done at the moment. The tooth isn't bothering her and the doctor really doesn't have high hopes to fix it. Lots of money changing hands but no real solution.

Changing subjects here so fast someone might get whiplash!

I love my mailman. She brought me a package from Canada! What goodies I received.

Duct Tape - I promise to never use it again at Christmas!

Pretty Packages!

Beautiful stitching and stash!

And she had no crow patterns? Wowsers!

My murder of crows grows!
Thank you Jayne! I now have 6 more crows making friends. They fit in perfectly! Aren't surprise packages the bomb?

And I would love to say thank you to those of you who told me how to fix my comment problem. Of course, I published your comments before fixing the issue and couldn't tell you thank you in an email. Figures! ;0) But, I have had comments since and your solution works wonderfully! Thanks again!

Winter Sheep is coming along nicely. I might have it complete yet tonight. Cross your fingers for me! lol Then on to the Cardinals.

We are rushing headlong into the weekend. Here's to splendid fall activities commencing!
Denise

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Number 49!

If someone had told me I'd be approaching 50 finishes this year -
 I would have laughed. 
Never before have I finished this many pieces. 
I can't believe it! 

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So here it is ~

Joy and Peace
Little House Needleworks
Recommended floss
Scrap of evenweave
Down to the sheepie -- starting it hopefully yet this morning. And then this afternoon I am taking DD to the periodontist.

((( The following description may make some weak at the knees. If you have a queasy stomach - you may want to pass reading the following paragraph))

Poor kid. She's had an odyssey with her left canine. First she got stuck with me and my genetic issue with that tooth not descending properly. Hers was stuck just beneath her left nostril and they had to cut into her gums on both the front and roof of her mouth to attach wires and pull it down. The orthodontist pulled and thought it would relapse back into the gum at the proper height. She was one of three in his whole practice that it didn't do as it should. It's been loose from the day it erupted from her gum. As of today we are about 5 years into this. Hopefully, the periodontist will be able to tell us a plan of action to stop her tooth from falling out. Otherwise, she's looking at a root canal, bridge, or implant. None of which sound like a good time. 

You can start reading again .... Did anyone else get 2.5" of rain yesterday?? Thank goodness it wasn't cold enough for that four letter word. We would have ended up with over 20" of it. Eek! This fall has been so wet. The color has been sucked from the trees. 

Times a wasting - need to have breakfast and shower. DD will be here before I know it and I won't be ready. Opps! 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by - please feel free to comment - I do love comments. 

Oh, speaking of which - I'm at a loss. I get replies to my comments on other blogs all the time and they show what I said and the the blogger is able to write me an email above the comment. When ever I want to do that I go through this small **ll to do so. I have to click their icon, go to their email, copy it, open a new email, paste their address in, then go back and copy their comment, paste it into the email, and then write. There has to be an easier way! Could someone tell me what I'm doing wrong!! Please! 

Maybe if I learnt how to reply to comments like a big girl I would do it! Yeah, don't get your hopes up, but I might! 

I'm off - hope your day it terrific and you accomplish all you want today! 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

These Crappy Pics Are Not My Fault!

My camera has gotten a mind of its own lately! Sometimes it won't show anything on the screen, constantly tells me the card needs re-formatted (it doesn't), won't turn on auto-focus, shuts off when it wants, and occasionally doesn't store the picture to the card! Good Grief. Maybe it's heard me talking that I would love that Nikon D3100 Ashton Kutcher was advertising a while back.

Here is my latest fantastic photo !

He's A Flake
LHN
Recommended floss
scrap of 28ct fabric
Sure, it makes a liar of me. On the camera and the laptop this was blurry. Here -- for some unknown reason -- looks good. I swear to Pete!

This is finish 48 for the year! I have two more ornies to go. One has a FAT sheep and the other has a LARGE tree. That would be why they are last -- big full stitched areas. Maybe the picture is deceiving and they aren't that full o'stitches.

Hope today found you happy and stitching!
Denise

Monday, October 17, 2011

Northwind SAL Week 9 and Other Things!

I haven't gotten Angela's picture yet and not sure if Rose has had time to stitch. So, it will be only Shari and I for this post and our pictures look pretty much the same (except for that extra curlicue I did).  When I get the other girl's pictures I'll edit like I did last week!

So here they are ~ 

Shari's
Mine
 Yippee! We have finished! Angela shouldn't be too far behind us. Can't wait to see what she got done this week.

Now there happened to be a finish this morning too (finished Northwind last Sunday).

Joy
Little House Needleworks
scrap of linen
recommended floss
And somewhere in my travels through bloggerville I happened to see a TUSAL jar and they had taken it a step further by having one for all the DMC sleeves. At the time I didn't get it. Then like a sledge hammer the other night - BAM! What an idea - knowing which floss I need at my fingertips without searching.

Here's my - I'm waiting for a sale jar


And finally - the winner of the Valor vs Mocha question was ~

Mocha!
Threw a few stitches in Saturday night to see how they looked. (can't you tell that's a berry?) Anyway, not sure if I am going to work on this some more today or pull out another ornie for the tree. Leaning more towards the ornies - then I can finish them and be working on Cardinals through the holiday season.

It's a beautiful day outside and I should be doing something useful. But, instead look for me in the chair!
Denise

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Apple Butter Stirring!

Yes, that is what I did today! I went to Roscoe Village in Coshocton, Ohio. A very nice street fair - with old fashioned dress.


I was one of the lucky ones to get some fresh apple butter straight from the copper pot. I'd never had this before today and it tastes like applesauce on bread.




These are funky fedoras. That's them on the table beside Mom. You can open either end and make them into a hat or leave them in their natural shape and use them as vases. The fedoras are made from recycled wood fiber and then glued in to a cone shape. When used as a hat - they are light and vented. This is Mom at the beginning of our little day trip - and she ended up getting one on the way out! Go Mom!

Some other sights ~

Carving out a wooden spoon - the gentleman had just stepped out of the shot.


One of the things Coshocton and Roscoe are known for is the Ohio-Erie Canal. Roscoe was a canal town way back when. Here's a snap of the canal.



Mom got some fresh honey, the fedora, and 2 pints of Caramel Apple Jam.  The jam is OUT OF THIS WORLD! And I got...


Two pints of apple butter, 3 beer bread mixes ( I buy the mix and Mom buys the beer or vise verse), a black walnut bowl, and 4 candy cane tree ornaments.

In my mind - no stitching but still a wonderful day.

Watching the second half of the Ohio State vs Illinois game and waiting for the bread to come out of the oven. The bread is almost done -- I can smell it. This is one time to wish for smell-o-vision!

Have a wonderful fall weekend!
Denise

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A quick post...

So far country mocha is winning by a mile!

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Thought you might like to see my version of Cardinal Winter. I didn't do the musical notes and changed the word tweet from white to red.

Cardinal Winter
Little House Needleworks
28ct Clay Cashel
Recommended floss
Hope this finds you all well - Have a good night!
Denise

I Need Your Opinions!

The mailman delivered today. And I am at a loss - which linen should I use???

Let me show you the picture and then I'll explain!


You remember me falling in love last week. I went and got the floss and hurried home to order the linen. I got a Country Mocha Cashel. But, between these shopping trips I emailed Mary Jane and asked her opinion. She thought about it and mentioned a light green. I had PTP Valor sitting here at home. So, we have been anxiously awaiting the mailman. And the floss toss was today. I just sent her an email showing the possibilities and thought you guys might like to join in the on the discussion. So, which would you use??? Mom and DD said Valor - DH likes the Mocha.

Also, in my package of goodies - the linen for the four Santas and a pattern.

Large piece of Raw Cashel

LHN's newest ornie!
Had hoped to show you my newest finish - haha - I got down to the tan and black on it and have less than 30 stitches - but have not had time to get to it yet today!

Can't wait to read your comments to see where your opinions fall!
Denise

Monday, October 10, 2011

Northwind SAL Week 8

Going to jump right in this week - 

Shari's

Mine
Angela's

As you can see there are just the two of us so far. Angela was away for the weekend and Rose has been super busy again this week. When I get their updates I'll edit the post and add them in.

Shari made great strides and has plans to finish hers this week. Mine is close to being done too - just a few snowflakes to go. (Honestly - it's done now) I just couldn't show more than 2 days worth of stitching without cheating. This SAL took a bit longer than expected but has been great fun. I got to meet another wonderful stitching sister and got to know two others much better. I am thankful to have been stitching with such great women!

**Edited** - Angela came out of her coma (her words not mine) and sent off her weekly picture. She's had a long weekend away and needed some recovery time. Visiting with friends and family will do that to a person! lol She doesn't believe that she'll finish in week 9 but has high hopes to get it done by week 10!

To fill my time and not cheat - I worked on this!

Peppermint Twist
Little House Needleworks
Scrap of 28ct linen
Recommended flosses
This makes number 45 in the completion column! I have another ornament about half done. It should be finished tonight if I stay busy and not get too distracted by Dancing with the Stars, 3 comedies on CBS, and the Kardashian wedding. I'm such a sucker for that show. 

btw - To all my Canadian friends - Happy Thanksgiving! 

I'm off to wake DH for work. Shift work makes strange sleeping times! Take Care and have a great day! 
Denise

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Had to buy Stash!

What is a person supposed to do when the medical staff says, "Ok, go have lunch and come back in 3 hours." Go home? Nah, shopping - of course!

Let's back up - I got the newest JCS magazine yesterday. Normally, I like a couple of pattern. Rarely do they scream I must be stitched NOW! This month - not 1 or 2 but 5 demanded attention. I'm weak and let them talk dirty to me.

Knowing I had the bone scan today and that I would have time to kill. I picked up the floss required for those patterns and some fabric.

Here's my haul ~




Now, to find the right linen. Time to shop again - oh the life I lead. lol

Hope this finds you well!
Denise

Monday, October 3, 2011

Northwind SAL Week 7...

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my brain around that 7 week part. Time to move on I guess! 

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Got my stitches out last Friday. Now the rehab. Today I started squeezing a ball. Kinda a ball...no it's a cat toy. Let's back up - I needed one of those sand filled balloon things. I thought, eh, maybe a rolled up sock. DH finds a cat toy on our buffet (not sure why it was in the buffet but I removed it) and he hands it to me. Perfect size, right thickness, soft, and squeezable. Cat toy squeezing commenced. At least there is no squeaker in it! 

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Moving on to Northwind. 

Here's Angela's progress - as she nears the end of lettering - she has set her sights on finishing those snowflakes before hitting the barn! 



Shari got her barn done! She's heading to the fields. 


And I got to treat stitching as therapy and I cooked this week. But, I did not get all my goals of last week completed - didn't finish the barn doors and those snowflakes. 


This week's goals - finish the fence, grass, and either the bird or snowflakes. Saving the snow on the fence and barn door til last.

***Edited to add - Rose didn't get to stitch at all this week and has a bunch of family related things coming up in the next month. So, she's taking some time off to deal with life beyond stitching. ***

Well, I'm off to make dinner and then DWTS! Looking forward to tonight's episode. And speaking of the tv - has anyone else gotten hooked on Property Brothers? HGTV has been doing a marathon of this show and I like it! lol

I'm off - Denise