it's beginning to look a lot like . . .

By this point in the year, I'm usually running around like a chicken with my head cut off ... with no relief in sight!  But if there's been *any* silver lining from covid, then I would have to say it's the relief of a lot of the hustle and bustle that usually hits this time of year. Our social commitments, which typically fill our December calendar (and wear me out), have been cut to a fraction of what they normally are. I'm thankful. Am I alone in my thinking on this?

We did enjoy a healthy, happy Thanksgiving.  We ate dinner al fresco at the pavilion and there was quite a spread!

 

 

Two turkeys, tons of sides and a dessert table.  I was impressed!  I was also incredibly thankful for our weather that week.  Mostly sunny and in the upper 50s/lower 60s.  Just glorious!  It's hit or miss in North Alabama for Thanksgiving, so we really lucked out!  Seriously ... just four days later it turned very cold and we had our first snow of the season!

Like I said ... hit or miss! It was only a dusting, but it was pretty and made everything sparkle.

Mostly my stitching came to a grinding halt through Thanksgiving week. I still need to get to work on the Piglet ornament! Then it was brought to my attention that Edith noticed that both her older sisters have Neesey-crocheted scarves, but she does not.  

Uh oh!  She determined she wants a rainbow scarf.  So that is now a priority! I did pick up the yarn . . .

After getting Edith's approval, of course (I gave her choices). This will be my weekend, most likely, and my slow Sunday stitching, to boot!  It's so very cold here now ... baby girl needs a warm scarf around her neck! And there may be enough for me to do a headband ear warmer for me! *wink*

For Christmas for us, Todd and I decided to go ahead and put some nice patio furniture in our newly screened in room . . .

I'm so pleased! We even got to enjoy it for a while before it turned too cold.  

Now we're looking at heater options.  LOL!

Right now I'm in the Christmas-movie-a-day/savor the season of Advent/match Christmas outfits to Christmas earrings & jewelry/online Christmas shopping-tracking-wrapping mode.  'Tis the season . . . fa la la la la!

*Edited to add the link to Kathy's Quilts and her slow Sunday stitching post.  Check it out!! 

:)

time out . . .

Hey, hey!  What a glorious, long weekend for me!  Our big meeting was Tuesday, and then the office was closed through Monday!  The weather's been just glorious for a five-day weekend!

Tuesday evening, Evey came home with me and had a sleepover.  We had lots of fun exploring, watching movies, and making cookies!!

She was very serious about her sprinkling duties!

While Evey and I were checking out the turtle sanctuary, I noticed a couple of water lily buds.  Sure enough, when I came out on Thursday to look, we had one in full bloom . . . 

Isn't it beautiful?  Very late in the season for us, and pretty timely!  We had our first freeze warning this morning, and I noticed that both buds were under water.

Todd and I took a trip down the back end of the Nature Trail, where I happen to know the acorns have huge caps!  (Side note:  I've noticed--at least in our woods--that the biggest acorns have smaller caps, but the acorns with the huge caps are itty-bitty!)

Score!  It's still relatively early in the season, so there weren't a ton, but more than enough for what I wanted them for:

Who knew?! They make such cute caps for crocheted pumpkins! Those pumpkins are rather addictive, and I even found a way to cut the stitches to make tiny little crocheted pumpkins!!  :)

I worked on several *secret* projects, too.  Getting ready for the Halloween Hoppin Blog Hop! It starts on Monday ... this coming Monday!!  Be sure to tune in; here's the lineup:

Monday, October 19

Samelia's Mum

Just Because Quilts

MooseStashQuilting

Musing From the Grove

Ms P Designs USA

Morning Glory Designs

Tuesday, October 20

Songbird Designs

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Slice of Pi Quilts

Just Let Me Quilt

Appliqués Quilts and More

Scrapdash

Wednesday, October 21

Words & Stitches

Kathy's kwilts and more

me! >>>   Count it *all* JOY   <<< me!

Quilted Diary

Flying Parrot Quilts

Seams To Be Sew

My date is Wednesday . . . and who knows?  There might be a giveaway!!

As for slow stitching Sunday? I've got plenty to choose from.  Though I made some progress on my "Give Thanks" (by Kathy Schmitz) stitchery, there's still a ways to go.

I am also midway through (another) crocheted pumpkin. I did mention that they were addictive, right??!

And I ordered this cute little wool pear ornament!  I've got it cut out and ready to stitch on at my leisure, so who knows?!

What will you be stitching on Sunday afternoon?  I'll be linking up to Kathy's Quilts and her slow stitching post.  And savoring the last day of my long weekend!! Enjoy!

:)

birthday weekend . . .

It was a pretty crazy week at work, getting ready for our big annual meeting next week.  But that didn't stop me from getting some evening stitch time in . . .

Work progresses on this sweet little "Give Thanks" stitchery. It's nice to have something relaxing to look forward to at the end of the day!

I came home to some sweet snail mail happies this week, too.  This was a win from Life in Pieces as she celebrated her 13th blogiversary!

Isn't that fun?!? I love the stiletto! ♥

And this was an Instagram win from Kathy Schmitz!

I won one of her sample snow cones!  Total sweetness! I got several Etsy gift cards for my birthday; the pattern for these will be one of my first purchases!

Then I *ordered* these darling little wool candy corns . . .

Because candy corns are second only to pumpkins (and maybe tied with acorns) for happy fall decorating! ;)

Yesterday I celebrated the big fifty-eight.  Whoa.  The local grandgirls (and their parents) came out to celebrate with me . . .

Always a good time when they're around! Edith loves her Paw-paw! 

Last week I stumbled across Faye's post (from Slow Sunday Stitching) on her darling little crocheted pumpkins. SO cute!  Who am I if I didn't give that a try?!?!

So I am trying ... "try" being the operative word.  I'm not a crocheter by any stretch, but these were pumpkins! I'm finished crocheting the first body . . . we'll see how it goes from here!

So I've got my pick of projects for some slow Sunday stitching . . . and since we're still grey and rainy from Delta, stitching away the afternoon sounds just about perfect.  Along with a nap!!  Linking up with Kathy's Quilts and her slow stitching post round-up!!

I'll leave you with this . . . 

Seventy-five days!!!  Aye-yi-yi!!  

:) 

another week . . .

With the exception of Tuesday, it looks like *most* of my minutes this week went towards my StitchMAP assignment . . .

And it really doesn't look like I've made a whole lot of progress with it, does it?

I finished the monogram and am now working on the outside border.  This is also a new stitch to me, called "palestrina". 

It's a lovely little knot and there's more work on top of the cloth than there is on the back side.  But it's a little time consuming to make sure that your needle always ends up in the right place and you don't pluck fabric or your previously lain floss in the passing.  Of course, I suppose by the time I'm finished with this (I have to finish the outside border and then stitch it again in the opposite direction in the inner border), maybe I'll be better at it and it will go more quickly.  It probably goes without saying that this will be my Slow Sunday Stitching project!

My stash took a lovely little hit in the wrong direction this week:

I gained those two yards at my Sassy Sewers meeting on Thursday.  One of the gals has recently retired and has had the opportunity to go to Hawaii with her husband (who goes on business) several times.  She brought back with her some of the most gorgeous fabrics . . .

Aren't they beautiful?  Just rich with color and they feel so lovely, too!  I'll take those two yards willingly!  I'll also be linking up the good ol' stash report to Patchwork Times.

I also got some time in "on the needle" this week -- Ellie mentioned that she needed a scarf like Sawyer's.

Well, not just like Sawyer's ... I made hers a little skinnier and a tad longer and fringed it.  We'll see if she'll actually wear it!

And finally, in the midst of all this grey and cold, cold, cold, there are the first indications that Spring really IS on its way!

If that doesn't bring a smile to your winter-weary face, I don't know what will!

Don't forget to check out my book review of Shades of Mercy and the book giveaway, HERE. Happy Sunday!

:)

mid-week musings . . .

What *CRAZY* weather we've been having!!  It was six degrees here this morning.  Saturday it's supposed to hit sixty.  Who can function with swings like that?!?

We got a bit of snow here yesterday.  I had an Ellie day, and here's what we saw at that end of the county:

Really, nothing to speak of.  It was dry and powdery snow and the wind just blew it hither and yon. Todd and I live in the northern end of the county, and we got a little bit more ... enough that it's still around this morning:

And then there's Sawyer, who got to enjoy the snow day thoroughly . . .

A true snow angel!

I finished up my second crochet project just in time for the bitter cold . . .

It's a cowled scarf.  It double-wraps around my neck very nicely and I got several compliments when I wore it out and about yesterday!  It's not perfect, but I love, love the colors -- it's blue with hints of purple, turquoise and green.  My favorites!

Ellie was willing to model it for me, but she really didn't care to wear it beyond the picture. Isn't she cute? Like a little Babushka doll!

June, on the other hand, fell in love with it before it was even finished!  (If you look to the top, you'll see me, holding the ball of yarn it's still attached to!) Sweet little girl -- she thought she was the stuff and was a little put out with me when it was time to take it back!

Sawyer informed me that *he* needed a scarf made by Neesey, so I readily agreed.  I asked him what color he'd like and he said . . .

Yellow!  I'll probably have this finished just in time for our summer-like Saturday. LOL!

I also finished up my CQ Heart . . .

I'm really pleased with how this turned out!  I probably didn't do as much embroidery seam treatment as I should have, but I think with the beading and other embellishments, it's good enough.  

Since it was a standalone piece, I did include the traditional spider and web, down at the bottom, but I tried to work them so they blended and weren't "obvious".

I think my favorite addition is the sparkly cross with John 3:16 embroidered underneath it. 

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

That's the ultimate love, right there--the very best! When I'd finished I told Todd that Crazy Heart was my Valentine to him. He laughed and corrected me, "No, that's your Valentine to YOU!"  Haha!  He's right.  ;)

Today the snowflake project calls -- I need to finish piecing it so I can decide what to do with it next!!

Stay warm - stay safe - be content!

:)

a fulfilled wall and traveling stash . . .

There is no secret what's on my design wall (actually the kitchen slide out) this Monday morning . . .

Booo-yaaaah!!

I got all my rows assembled and I'm so tickled with the result.  All my cross lines match up so well!

I'll spend this week working on the hand-stitching part.  It'll be a little tougher than it was with the blocks -- it's hard to maneuver that bulk of fabric, stitch, and not catch the fabric on the other side.  But I will persevere!  And who knows, by the next Monday, this may be a finish!!  Linking up today with Patchwork Times and Design Wall Monday!

I also finished my new crochet homework . . .

Another baby doll blankie!  Yay!  I think this one looks much better than the first one.  Practice, practice, practice.  I wonder if I'm ready for a scarf?  Haha!

Lastly . . . I finally got to get into that box of traveling stash (Box #5)! There are loads of fun prints!

There's a darling Moda panel by Sandy Gervais and stripes and gingham and lots of pretties. And a healthy portion of notions and patterns, too!!

I pulled a handful of fun prints from the box to keep, along with a really cute cross stitch pattern/kit . . . 

And wouldn't you like to see what I put *in* the box ?!?!?!

You'll have to win the box to do that! But before you jump in, you must be an active blogger, you must be in the U.S. (it's got to be shipped priority), and you must be willing to abide by the rest of the rules and guidelines found HERE.

So, are you interested?  You wanna see what I've put into the box??  Something in there appeal to you??! Okay then, leave me a comment and tell me what *new* skill you've started working on, or are planning to work on in the coming weeks?  That's it!  I'll keep this open until Wednesday, January 22, at 10:00 p.m. central time and post the winner Thursday morning!

:)