To Peacock or not⁉️

Have you seen the Linen and Threads Mystery Sampler SAL 2019?

 The peacock was January and the border just came out for February.

Silly me, I thought at first it was just going to be just the peacock and the feathers were going to get bigger every month... and I wanted to stitch it!
But now I see it's more and I need to decide if I still want to stitch it or not.


This is the fabric I have, it's sort of a tan colour, but hard to tell in the photo. These are some of the threads I thought about using for the peacock.
I have no thoughts as to the border.

So now I'm not quite sure if I'm going to start, or maybe wait to see what March shows. OR, I could just stitch the peacock and be done!

Is anyone else doing this one?

The People's Choice SAL Oct 2018 🎃

Go Jo! She's got a new SAL starting this month and it's changing every month according to what WE choose! It's The People's Choice SAL.
Per Jo, "Regular followers will be aware that for over 3 years now I have run a themed SAL on the first Saturday of each month.  First we spent 26 months doing The Alphabet Club and then 12 months of the Zodiac.  Now I have decided to listen to the People and post about your choice of theme.  In September I asked for suggestions on the blog and then made a poll in the IHSW Facebook Group from those suggestions.

The top three choices were:
Hallowe'en

Birthstones

Dragons

So I will do one for the next three months.  At the end of this post I will ask again for your suggestions and one of those will become the theme for January.  In November, we choose February's theme and so on.  I will post the results in my sidebar so you have plenty of time to decide what to show."

Did you see that... DRAGONS!

So here's my spin on Halloween for October.

No where near as many as Jo, but I like what I've done so far.

I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to finish this one yet.

My favourite stitched piece, love her!

Still working on this one.

And this one just needs a little bit more.

I doubt I'll get this done in time for Halloween, but at least for next year!

And all these goodies to be stitched.

So are you in? I wonder what we'll choose in the New Year?!

More March fun!

DJ and I had another stitching date last Friday, this time at her house.  We stitched and she also got her exercise!  Up the stairs, down the stairs, up the stairs again - all in the name of stitching.  Go take a look and see the redecorating we did.  Did you go to her blog yet?  Did you see the dragon and castle she made her son?!  LOVE IT!  And to think it's been hiding out in a closet all this time, but not any longer.

She tried out a new recipe for lunch and who knew I liked my pizza balls a little burnt!  JK, they were still good and we talked about how to improve them.

 

 And what did Mr. Tom do almost the whole time I was there?  Slept in his special place.  Such a cutie!

 

 I've been working on My Garden Journal, with a little help from Max!  I already made a little mistake so I'm working around it and I decided to make the flowers pink to add some colour to it. 

 

On the packing front, I have all my Halloween decorations ready to be stored at my friend's house.  This doesn't include my blow up pumpkin/ghosts and spider that go outside.  Can you tell I love Halloween? 

My Garden Journal SAL - come join the fun!

Leave it to Parsley to find something fun to do!  She's started My Garden Journal SAL from Cottage Garden Samplings.

"My Garden Journal" is a 12 parts series.

You can order just the pattern monthly, or as a package here.  If you choose auto-ship, it's free shipping in the States.  I've signed up and am ordering just the pattern. 

I figure I have all the floss so I won't have to buy any, or if I want to change any of the colours, I can.  It will cost me about the equivalent of a lunch out or a couple fancy coffees, so I'm willing to do it! 

So take a look at My Garden Journal SAL to find out all the details - stitch as little or as much as you'd like.  I'm planning on stitching it as a journal, something a little different for me.

New Moon TUSAL for November! Ornie SAL too!

Just a little bit late, but here's my TUSAL glass, filled up a little more since last month!  Nathan wanted all MY Fisher Price Christmas toys put out for him to play with, so I added it to the scene.  He doesn't like that fact that all these goodies are mine, but he's happy that I'm willing to share.  You should see my Christmas list - I want more!  I also have the Manger and Wise Men, but they'll go upstairs later.  What can I say, I'm still a kid at heart.

 

 
Ornie SAL so far - The ladybug bear is for Nathan's teacher since they are in the ladybug room.  Nathan seems to have claimed the reindeer and I'm not sure about Mr. Snowman, I just thought he was cute.  I still have many more in mind and then will have to make them all into ornaments!




  
2011 New Moon Dates: January 4th, February 3rd, March 4th, April 3rd, May 3rd, June 1st, July 1st, July 30th, August 29th, September 27th, October 26, November 25th, December 24th

Secret Pal Goodie & Ornie SAL

 Lookie what I received on Saturday from my Secret Pen Pal!  Thank you, thank you!  It's always nice to receive a card in the mail, especially when it has a goodie inside.

 

 My buppa tea in my Father Christmas mug was lovely and warm thanks to my coffee cozy!  She made it for me and it's perfect, I love it!

In case you're wondering, when I was little I couldn't say "cuppa" tea, I said "buppa" tea and it stuck.  My Dad said there was also a song to go with it that we/he made up, "♪ a buppa tea for you and me ♫".  There was more, but he couldn't remember it.

 

  I had to include my Quality Street in the pic, they actually sell it here!  I haven't seen any Cadbury Roses, but that was always a treat too.  Growing up, we always had two huge tins of both for Christmas and they didn't last very long in our house!  

 

 

 

I'm going out tomorrow to a shop that might sell some, so we'll see.  I'll also look for some Pfeffernüsse for my Mom, but I think I should be able to make some if I can't find any.

 

 

I haven't gotten as far along as I would like with this ornament.  I'm making it for Nathan's pre-k teacher.  Their class is the "Ladybugs", so it's perfect for her.  Well, I now see I need to frog a little bit, so off I go!

A Birthday and Ornies!

Wow, my baby is five!  His birthday was on Thursday and to celebrate first thing in the morning, we went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.  He got two donuts and ate both of them - then said his stomach hurt and it was my fault for letting him!  Cheeky boy!


I love this time of year, I got my pumpkin muffin and my pumpkin coffee - double yum!

It's also my "other" baby's birthday, Maximus.  He was quite happy with Nathan's leftover wrappings!  






 


 He does a good job of making sure everything is out of the bag too.

For dinner, Nathan's choice of fine dining was  

 The gmen barely fit in the little hut and it was interesting to watch them get out!

Here's the birthday boy getting ready to blow out his candles.  His brothers are at the ready to help out!  His birthday party with friends is tomorrow and he'll get a Finn McMissile (Cars 2) cake that I decorated today.  Eh, I wasn't that happy with it, but he was and that's all the matters. 




Now for the ornament SAL that I joined with Julie - This is a collection of what I'd like to accomplish.  Not all of them, just bits and pieces.  I've started on one, but not really enough to show yet.  
This is what I like to make for friends or teachers as a little Christmas gift, something that is specific to what they like or collect.



Anyone else working on the A Challenge for You?

Stash Shopping!

 Wow, I had a great day today!  It started out by meeting DJ at Barnes and Noble to do some stitching, but I twisted her arm ever so gently as she was almost running to the car and we went to the Stitching Post to do some shopping.  

I wanted to get my fabric and colours for my TOS, "Tree of Stitches", a SAL @ The Stitch Specialists.  You have to join to get the patterns and the TOS is closing at the end of the month.  There is another one starting, "The Great Escape", and I'd like to try that one after I tackle the TOS.  They are both designed by Abi Gurden and they are fantastic!  DJ finished hers and it looks amazing, she did a great job!  
The leaves on the bottom of the picture are ones I bought at a bead show and I might add them to the bottom of the design when I'm finished or to the frame, it depends on how it looks.

 

So I saw this Halloween fairy while searching on the internet for who knows what.  But, it's no longer for sale so I looked it up on ebay.  I found it alright, but ended up to be a ridiculous price - it sold for $43.95!  That was just the magazine, nothing else... that's just crazy.  I searched some more and found the magazine at Herrschners for $4.95!  With shipping, it came to $8.90 - what a deal!  Now even though I know I'm not stitching this for this Halloween, I couldn't resist buying the fabric and getting some of the seed beads.

 I also found these pieces, a beautiful purple and a fun candy corn!  Do I know what I'm going to use them for?  No, not yet, but I couldn't resist.

Another nice surprise while we were there was running into Danielle!  I wasn't quite sure, but stalked looked at her a litle bit before I decided it had to be her!  I guess it had been a while since the last time. ; )

Then to totally top off the afternoon, DJ and I went to celebrate her birthday at Pizzeria Uno.  Great lunch and we even treated ourselves to a mini version of dessert.  We could really get into trouble together if we keep this up!  
Hugs to you, DJ, Happy Birthday!

Visiting Mom in the Hospital and Forever Love

 Well darn it, my Mom ended up in the hospital on Thursday.  She had a cough that got worse, so my Dad took her to the doctor and she ended up getting admitted.  They thought it was pneumonia, but luckily it wasn't.  She did have a high heart rate, so they moved her to the cardiac unit to monitor her.  I had already made plans to come to their house with Nathan on Thursday evening so we could watch the Royal Wedding together on Friday morning.  We would still be able to see her, just not at their house.  Dad & I got up at 4:30am to watch it - so beautiful!  When Charles and Diana were married all those years ago, I was actually in Britain visiting with my godparents at the time.  I would have loved to have been there for this one too!
  

For those of you not on facebook, this was the buzz going on -  

 Use your royal wedding guest name. Start with either Lord or Lady. First name: one of your grandparents' names. Surname: the name of your first pet. Then "of" and the name of the street you grew up on. 

Please refer to me as... Lady Gwynneth Tigerlilly of Wembrough

We went to visit Mom in the afternoon, where we were entertained by Nathan showing us his Tae Kwon Do, high block!


 

 

Saying goodbye to Oma, praying she sleeps better tonight - it's been a rough week for her.



 
   


On the way home from the hosptial, we stopped at the Fruit Bowl so I could get a few goodies for Nathan.  We had followed a train through Cumberland and here's Nathan watching it go by while waiting for me.

Here's my latest finished Oakhaven SAL.  Perfect for my next comment - While in the hospital, the elderly woman in the other bed was sleeping when we got there.  Her family came in later, but we had closed the curtains so didn't see them with her.  A priest came to pray with them and we heard that they have been married for 65 years!  About that time, Nathan was tired of watching his movies and decided it was time to roam the halls.  So from going in and out of the door, I saw them together - her in bed and him sitting by her side holding her hand.  It was so precious and touching to see the love that they still have after all these years.  What a picture that would have made and had even thought about asking if my Dad could take one, but didn't want to seem crazy intrude on them.  I figured Nathan was enough, but she did seem to enjoy watching him run about.

SAL and an 88th Birthday!

I finally started the monthly Oakhaven SAL, just a little late.  I kept seeing it on other blogs and decided to join in since they were so cute!  I've finished January and have started working on February.  It shouldn't take me long to catch up, although I am behind on my Margaret Sherry Culinary Cats. 

Nana's birthday was on Sunday, she is an amazing 88 years young!  She came to the boys arena football game on Saturday (they won) and then joined us Sunday to listen to the boys play in their school band festival.  Here's what the band teacher had to say on the performance, 
 "The Symphonic Band sounded very polished on their pieces…especially the slow sections.  The slow sections are the hardest to make sound pretty and musical and they did very well.
Both bands received a rating of Superior which is the highest rating a band can receive.  This is our 14th consecutive year of receiving this top rating at the Baltimore festival."  Great job, guys!

We wanted to take Nana out to dinner for her birthday, but she insisted on making it instead - chicken and dumplings.

As soon as Nathan saw her starting to make something, he was right there.  Although he thought she was making cookies since she had the mat and rolling pin out!  

So here she is, teaching Nathan how to make dumplings.  He was having fun, until he saw Gammy decorating Nana's cake!

But sadly, the dumplings didn't turn out the way she had hoped - she thinks it was the chicken broth in a can that she added.  Good think I had noodles on hand.  But she did end up making cinnamon/sugar roll with the leftover dough!

And here she is with her helpers to blow out the candles.

I had already made her a birthday card and the boys each made one, but I thought this one might put a smile on her face!  I can only wonder what she'll be dreaming about tonight!
Happy Birthday Nana, you are an amazing woman and we love you dearly.