Grow Your Blog 2015

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~ Douglas Pagels

It's that time again, thanks to Vicki @ 2 Bags Full!

My name is Astrid and this is my fifth year blogging.  It started out as cross stitching and then went on from there - family, friends, testing Pinterest recipes, blog hops, and even Scenes from a ...car/train/boat/plane/whatever.
Here's a little bit about me ~

Here's a sample of some cross stitch, appropriate at the moment with the snow we are supposed to be getting!

Scenes from a ... ferry

Family

And now for the fun part, the give-a-way!  This is not a requirement of Grow Your Blog, just a suggestion.  So please leave me a comment telling me your favourite drink, and if it's a mixed drink please share the recipe!  On Feb 15th, I'll pick a winner.  A winner of what?  I'm not sure, but I'll find something you'll like.  It might be a stitchy piece or a gift card?
BTW, right now my favourite drink is my morning mocha peppermint coffee or even my white chocolate raspberry coffee, yum!

I don't know how long it's going to take me to look at over 400 blogs, but I'll do my best!  I hope YOU meet some new friends along the way, that's my plan!


And just in case you're really bored interested, here are my two prior Grow Your Blog posts from 2013 and 2014.

Gasp, another finish!

I finally finished Mary's Sampler by Plum Street Samplers!  I really should have finished it Christmas 2013, but I got lazy with the stars.  I decided not to add the flowers around the border, it was too much for me.  Now I just need to frame it and then it will be ready to give to my Mom THIS Christmas!

How cool is this bedspread?!

My MIL had it made for us by an Amish woman in Pennsylvania.  She picked out the colours and chose the design.  I think it looks 3D in the picture, but not while actually looking at it.  It really is beautiful and such a wonderful surprise.

 Unfortunately, it's in the guest room at the moment until we get our bedroom furniture - it's too big for our bed without a bed frame.

My craft room is somewhat organized, this is one corner of it.  Once we get a new kitchen table, I'll be able to put our old one in here.  I'm hoping the old couch will fit in here too once we get a new one, but that might be pushing it.

My stand is just waiting for my HAED piece to be placed in it, hopefully soon.  I still have to put away the Christmas decorations!

Summer in January

It's only been two years since I started this, but hey, I finished June!!!

It might have been the kitties helping me, or maybe because I was sick with vertigo and couldn't do anything else but sit!

This only took me ten days - I've never done that before!  I changed some of the colours with what I had and I think it worked out fine.

 

So here they are so far, just waiting to be finished and put in a journal of some sort.

And here starts July...

Starting the year off right!

To bring in the New Year, we heading to Deep Creek Lake to meet up with DH's extended family.  There was an addition to the family - Harley!

Ming wasn't too impressed with him, she was just a little puffy tailed and Max stayed upstairs under our bed most of the time!

Harley and Toby got along fine.

After Ming put him in his place, she ignored him.

Then he ignored her!

And then she just teased him!

Game time, Apples to Apples, I had Harley helping me.

He was so funny, he loved chasing shadows!

We went snow tubing on New Year's Day.  Luckily the sun was shining and it wasn't too cold. 

Nathan did go down on his own, but he liked having company too.

In stitching news, I had a finish in Dec '14 AND a finish in Jan '15!  The gmen were supposed to get these for Christmas, but I didn't quite make it.  Besides, I think they'll keep it in their rooms year round anyway!
They'll get the same numbers next year, so I won't have to make another set.

The team actually has at least four different jerseys to wear for games, but I like the dark blue ones the best.  

These "pink" ones were for breast cancer awareness - socks too!

In the beginning of the season, they started a small prayer group before each game.

By the end of the season, it had grown.
I LOVE THIS! 
 

Forgot about this one... while in NY, I looked to see if I could find a cross stitch shop and found "Stitch".  I thought the hours were a little late and then found out why!

The last of December and Scenes from a... bus, ferry, walking

For Christmas this year, the boys really didn't ask for much.  So since we've told them for a couple of years that we would take them to New York, we finally did.  We decided to take the bus, about a three hour ride, not so bad and no driving for us!  We woke up way early and got the bus in Baltimore at 6:30am.  Once we arrived, we were able to drop our things off at the condo we rented before we became tourists!

We had tickets to see the Statue of Liberty, so we headed in that direction via the subway.  We went to the 9/11 Memorial first - Wow, you just can't even imagine what was once there and what was lost.  So many names, such a terrible loss. 

From there we walked over to catch the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.  We had tickets to access the pedestal, unfortunately the crown was sold out.  We could have gone to Ellis Island, but the boys weren't too interested and we wouldn't have had much time.  Besides, I know we flew over in 1969!

 

Then there was the night life - the characters in Times Square!

We tried to get up close to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, but it seemed like everyone else in NY had the same idea!  Oh well, at least we got a picture. 

We had a great time but Nathan was disappointed we didn't get to Chinatown, so I think another trip is in our future.  Let's see if we can top our walking over 13 miles that Saturday!
And while we were waiting for the bus to go home, I had a hot flash!

Our next adventure was on Boxing Day.  We headed to my parents to celebrate Christmas with them.  Here's my Mom's chapel, decorated for Christmas. 

 I didn't know this, but my Oma made this years ago.  I guess that's where I got my stitichiness!

Dad decked out the table for us for our Christmas dinner, even if we were a little late.

Then came the Christmas pudding.  More for my parents and I - none of the boys like it!

Of course we had to have our family pictures taken - twice.

It wasn't too cold, so we had our last fire of the year outside.

And yum, I got my fix of Quality Street!

I bought this pattern on one of the fb stash groups, I thought it was perfect for my Mom's chapel.  Not sure if I should keep it as is or change it to look like hers.  But I think there will be too much white if I do.
Thoughts, suggestions?

Memories of December

Just a little behind from December, here's part of it...
 

 My Rudolph and misfit collection.

Still too many bare walls, next year should be different.

Nana gave this to us years ago and we finally had the room to display it.

My goodies from DJ - awesome!  She found out I love polar bears and made me this.

 

Of course she couldn't forget my love of mermaids, she even stitched the backside of them!

Nathan went with the cub scouts and sang at a nursing home - they sang "Must be Santa", love that one!

Can't forget decorating Christmas cookies on Christmas eve.

Santa left the boys new PJ's Christmas eve.

Christmas morning excitement!

I've been waiting for this since summer, my stained glass mermaid!  She will hopefully be hung in my craft room THIS weekend.

This is John Pacheco, who made my beautiful mermaid.  I found this piece on Pinterest and stalked tracked him down!  He was in our area during the summer and delivered her to me.  Come back and visit, John!

 My gmen know me too well, they added to my Doctor Who collection!  The paper will be a poster, just waiting to receive it in the post.

Next up, our adventures in December...