Happy New Year!

Can you believe it's already the end of the year. How fast time goes by. But I'm already to get started on my 2010 plans. A new year always gets me in the mood to clean, reorganize and get things accomplished that needs to be done. This week I have been working in my sewing room, reorganizing, throwing away, moving furniture around and last night I shampoo the carpet. I didn't like my old rug shampooer so yesterday we went to WalMart and bought a new Bissell. The old one was good in it's day, but it was time for a new one. I think I'm really going to like this one.
This morning I starting rounding up Christmas and herding it to the dining room table to put away. The tree will come down on Saturday or Sunday. I used my new shampooer to shampoo the love seat in the living room this morning. It's amazing how something doesn't look all that bad but when I dump the dirty water, it almost makes me croak.
Since I can't sit on the love seat to stitch today, I did set down in my rocker at the deck door for a few minutes and stitched a label for some future ornament projects. I like to stitch my name, and year on a small piece of linen, finish the edge with a nuns stitch and trim around to add to the back of my ornaments, easels, bottom of boxes, etc.
Then I got board, so I decided to take some pictures of my sewing room for posting.
I took a picture of the ornament Sherry stitched for our ornament exchange while it's still hanging on the tree.
I will post pictures after I get some other taken.
Tonight I will have Austin while Sabrina and Brian go out for New Years Eve. Steve works tonight so Austin and I will probably ring in the New Year watching Sponge Bob and stitching. (Austin will watch Sponge Bob and I will stitch) thought maybe I needed to make that clear.
OK, Time for me to move onto something else for a while. My attention span is very short today.
Have a Happy New Year.
Deana

Merry Christmas To All!

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Today may be Christmas but with Steve having to work last night and tonight it seems like just another day. He had to sleep today and I spent the day just putzing around the house. We are having our family Christmas Sunday. So today, I stitched on Quaker Christmas, wrapped a couple packages, stitched on Quaker Christmas, took a nap, stitched on Quaker Christmas, warmed up left overs for dinner,got Steve off to work, posted this on my blog and will stitch on Quaker Christmas. WOW! I must be tired after all I did today.
Wed. was my last day at work this week and I have to go into work for a short time Monday, then I'm off until the 4th. I love Dec. shutdown. A good time to get things put away and cleaned up. It seems like this year has been so busy. I hope I can slow down a little after the 1st of the year.
With the end of this year and a fresh start to a new one, I can't stop thinking of things I want to get accomplished this next year. I don't make a new years resalution, I just like to work on improving myself and my life from the previous year. I usually start the year out trying to go thru closets, drawers, etc. and organize, and get rid of things that we don't need or use anymore. The one thing I have to do this next year is have a major garage sale.
It's been snowing off and on all day but we still don't have more than an inch of snow. With the big blizzard moving across the country, I had hoped for a big snow just so I could stay home for a few days. It's just frigid outside today. The wind cuts righ thru you. And right now it's 18 degrees, the dogs don't even want to go out.
Tomorrow, I'm meeting Steve at his work when he gets off and we are going to do some after Christmas shopping and see what bargains are out there.

Have a nice weekend and Merry Christmas
Deana

More Pictures From our Party

Here's some pics from my stitching groups Christmas party.
I have to get one of myself with the ornament I received from one of the other stitchers.
Here's the one I stitched. Denise received it.

Teresa with her ornament Sarah stitched.

Sue with hers from Jackie

Sarah with side 1 of hers from Judy. Judy always stitches both sides.

Sarah showing side 2

Judy with hers from Denise

Jackie with hers from Sue.

Denise with hers from me.

Sherry with hers from Teresa.

And here's the Trail Creek Farm pillows Teresa was so kind to give each of us.

Christmas Party

Last night the stitching group I belong to got together for our annual Christmas Party. Teresa was our hostess this year. She has a beautiful home and she had it decorated for the Christmas season. We have an ornament exchange each year and this is our 5th year of the exchange. Actually, our group came together back in 2001. Our very 1st stitching night was the Thurs after 9-11. A date no one will ever forget. As we entered Teresa's home, she placed a label on each of our backs with something written on it. We could move around asking each person 3, yes or no questions trying to figure out who or what we were. I guessed what I was on the second question. I was a Christmas tree. Teresa had Christmas gift bags under her tree, that as each person guessed what we were could go over and choose a gift bag. I received a great big plaid candy cane pillow from Trail Creek Farm. Which was nice for me because I love Christmas. After everyone guessed who or what they were, we all ended up with pillows from Trail Creek Farms.
We had a carry in dinner with everyone bringing a wonderful dish.
So while we were mingling,enjoying appetizers and punch,spiked and non-spiked. (I went for the spiked since I wasn't driving) Teresa had a slide show of photos going on her tv of our group taken over the years.
Then we sat down to eat. Boy, everything was sooo good. The table setting was so pretty and Teresa had a small gift bag at each of our places. Inside was a beaded Chatelaine she had made for each of us.
After dinner we moved to the living room for our ornament exchange. Since I was the 1st one to guess what I was back at the start of the evening, I got to be the 1st to choose my ornament. Each one of us had put our ornament in a brown paper bag to disguise them and they all looked the same. My choice after opening it, was a beautiful gift box stitched by Sherry. I will be posting pics over the next couple of days. Since I don't have a picture of myself I will have to depend on one of the others to email me one so I can post it.
After I picked Sherry's gift, it was her turn to pick her bag. Then who evers ornament she received was next to choose. And it just kept going around the room until we were done.
Then Teresa announced that she was going to introduce us to the newest member of our stitching group. She goes and pulls this cute little wagon into the middle of the room with a pretty package in it. She said she hear Jackie should be the one to open it. When she did, it was a cute green frog(yes, stitchers go green too)
He will be our traveling companion for whoever is frogging the most stitches each time we meet. I believe I heard 1 or 2 ladies say they NEVER frog stitches. Are they telling a fib??? Santa is watching!
As we came to the end of a wonderful night, we all gathered up our goodies to head home. Teresa was such a wonderful hostess. And was so generous to each of us.
Hope you enjoy looking at my pictures of the evening.

Here's Sherry asking Sue questions about who or what she is. Notice the label on her back?


Denise and Judy enjoying coffee and conversation.

Alane and Sarah



Sue and Sherry again


Alane, Sarah, Denise and Jackie


Here we are looking at some of our onaments from the past years.

And our wonderful hostess, Teresa


Tomorrow, I will try to get the ornament pictures posted.
Have a good evening.
Deana

Last night my stitching group met in Columbia at the coffee shop we stitch at. It's the 1st time I have met with them since mom had her stroke. We all had a good time. Not everyone was able to make it but this time of year we have to squeeze a little stitching in when we can. Next week we will be meeting at Teresa's home for our Stitcher's Christmas party. We always have such a good time. We do a carry in with some great food. After dinner we have an ornament exchange. We all stitch an ornament, stick it in a brown bag so it can't be seen and then we have drawn numbers for them in the past, or just toss them around. It's really up to the hostest to decide how we will receive them. Teresa has already thrown hints that there will be surprises.

Here's a picture of the halloween piece I got stitched but did not get put together. I am holding off for a bat button to add to it.


And I have started back on the Quaker Christmas, once it dried from the tea spill.


This is the project I've been stitching on stitch night. It says "I spent most of my money on cross stitch and chocolate, the rest I wasted."
Just a fun little piece that pretty much tells the truth about me. I'm stitching it over 1 with overdyed floss and hand dyed fabric.


Now here's a fun pic of the girls.


Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Deana

2010 Stitch-A-Long

Here something I'm excited to be doing this next year. I received the news letter from Kathy at Needles Delight in Pensacola, FL and she is having a stitch-a-long starting January 1st. I can't wait. One more reason to start a new project. And a prize for you each month that you finish your piece on time along with an extra goodie at the end of the year if you finished each month on time thru the year.
If you aren't familiar with Needle Delights, it is this great shop in Pensacola that I only get to visit in person each year we go on vacation to Gulf Shores, AL.
Everyone is sooo nice and they will order and ship just about anything.
Just click here to go to their website with the Stitch-A-Long
Now I just have to decided what I want to stitch. Lizzie Kate's Monthly Stamps,
The Prairie Schooler santas 12 Days of Christmas, Teresa Wentzler's 12 Days of Christmas ornaments, just to name some that come to mind. I haven't even looked in my stash to see what else would work.
Time to go for now.
Thanks for stopping by.
Deana

Tonight I did a little sprucing up on my blog and updated my 2009 finishes. I started working on it upstairs while Steve was in the hot tub. When he came in I was going to move downstairs and work on my posting while he watched TV. In the process of the move, I managed to spill a FULL glass of tea on my stitching table,on my lap stand with my Quaker Christmas in progress and then all over the floor. I'm yelling for the rug shampooer, grabbing towels and trying to decide what should be mopped up first. The off white carpet, the cross stitch or the table with the tea pouring off it. Since the carpet cost more, and the cross stitch had been intentionally tea stained prior to the start of Quaker Christmas, the carpet won out. While I'm shampooing the rug Steve is washing tea from all the stuff from my table. So now I'm downstairs working again.
The update on my mom is that we now have moved her to the nursing home here in town. It makes it easier to see her and she is happier to be back in town and out of the hospital. Her progress is slow and we don't know what the future brings but she has improved from when she left the hospital a week ago. From wht we hear, they have very good physical theraphy at the nursing home and she is able to move her right hand and leg just a bit.Her speech is improving faster tha I thought it would. But still, it's hard to get in the Christmas mood this year and I'm having to push myself to get things done. I put the Christmas tree up Saturday morning and Angie and Darrell, Sabrina and Austin came in Saturday evening to attend the fire dept. Christmas dinner with Steve and me.

I have been working this weekend finishing up the ornaments I have stitched this year.
Here's a look.





And here's Austin's 2009 ornament.



I will end with a funny picture.

Living with a puppy.
If you don't know where she is, you know you had better find her.

I wanted to post a quick note about why I haven't posted for a while. My mom had a sever stroke the evening of Nov 7th. Luckily, my sister and I were both at mom's house when it happened. She lives alone.
Life has taken a terrible turn for the worst.
My time is used for work, going to see her, and trying to keep things done around the house. I did do some stitching last Sunday as we decided to stay at home and let others visit her that day.
I'm not sure when I will post again. I would like to get my blog updated with new background and pictures for Thanksgiving.

Until next time.
Deana

What Fun We Had!

Austin spent Sat. and part of today with us. We had a really good time. He helped me around the house so much yesterday. He helped me sort all of my empty frames and organize them according to their size. Then we lined them up in containers so it will be easier for me to see and find the one I want to use. He helped me fold laundry, and vaccuum. How come they have fun doing that kind of stuff and we don't?? I was amazed at how much he stayed with me helping. Last night he and I set down in the floor and cut up old clothes to make a throw for our sofa in the basement. I cut them up and he would fold the pieces and put in a plastic container. A while back, I took a bunch of old navy blue uniforms from work and cut them into 4" squares, then sewed them together to make a cover for the back seat of the truck to protect the seat from all the dog hair when we are traveling with the dogs. You'd be amazed at how much they shed when we are on vacation. Since our sofa is navy burgandy and gold, Sage,(the dalmation) hair shows up like a sore thumb on it. I have always covered it with a sheet when we are home and then take it off if we have company. I decided the navy cover would look better than a sheet so I brought the cover for the truck seat in to cover the couch. It's too short so I am just going to make another on for the sofa, then I won't have to shuttle one from the couch to the truck.
Steve took Austin outside with his John Deere bike and Austin wanted to take his training wheels off. He picked up on riding pretty quick. Here's some pics of him and PaPa. Only 2 small crashes, but what was so funny, after the first crash, I wiped his hands off and looked at them and he was fine, but he ran in the house and got his winter gloves. He just hasn't got the hang of taking off. You have to hold the bike until he starts peddling.



Yesterday afternoon we make Halloween spiders out of sweet gum pods, pipe cleaners and wiggle eyes. Here's some pics of the spider maker.



They turned out so cute. I had to keep one for myself.

Steve was going to go on a toy ride today with some friends from work. And before he left, we had to take some pics of the biker dudes.


Almost time for the race to start so I need to get my stitching and go set down.
Until next time.
Deana

WHAT IS IT WITH THIS WEATHER??????????

It's the middle of Oct and it's felt like winter for the last month. I'm already sick of the gloomy, soggy, cold days. I think it was summer one day and we woke up the next to winter. Thank God, we haven't had any snow. I certainly hope this isn't what we have to put up with for the next 4 or 5 months. I may be buying sun lamps and placing them all around the house.
Here's why I miss the nice weather. This is my Happy Place.

And another shot of the Happy Place.

I miss setting outside stitching and being in my own little world.
I finaly finished stitching the pieces for the designer that I was doing models for. I enjoyed it but haven't even looked at anything I had started. I think I will get back to Quaker Christmas tonight.
I have been doing quite a bit of framing for friends too. It has been nice to be able to add some cash to my stash.
Well, This is going to be a quick post because it's my lunch hour and I have to get back to work.

Did I mention I HATE THIS WEATHER!!!
I NEED MY HAPPY PLACE!

Deana

Who said You Need a Plan?

Night before last I had a plan. After stitching like a maniac for the last 2 weeks and working everyday, I decided Saturday would have to be catch-up day. I was going to get up early,clean the house, do laundry, clean the kitchen really good, work on framing some pieces for friends and maybe stitch in the evening.
I went into my sewing room to work on framing, but I couldn't work on it while looking at the stuff that I needed to put away, or the dust. I thought I'll just put stuff where it goes and run a quick duster on the funiture. And as we all know how one thing leads to another, I TOTALLY cleaned my sewing room. Moved furniture, vaccuumed baseboards,carpet,took down blinds and washed them in the bathtub. Sorted and put things away. I think I'm a compulsive organizer, but I never get it quite the way I want, so I'm always trying new ways. I bought a large 3 drawer rubbermaid organizer at my neighbors garage sale a couple of weeks ago and it was setting in the middle of the floor waiting for me to figure out where I wanted to set it. My other rubbermaid drawers are exploding with fabric so I was going to move it around and put some of it in this one.
Sage and Emmie love playing with stuffed toys but they also love ripping them up. I had a pile of 10 toys that needed rips sewn up and I got that done.

I had a cross stitch Christmas pillow that I made years and years ago that at the time I didn't know I needed to stuff it really good so it had became flat over the years. For probably at least 4 or 5 years, that pillow has been in my "TO DO" box to take apart and restuff. And yes, I finally did it!! It probably took a whole 30 min. to redo, so why did I keep it laying around for that long???
Now, I started this whole thing about 8:00 Sat. morning and finished in there at 2:00. I know what your thinking, "That must have been really bad to take 6 hrs) and yes it was. It's looking pretty good now.
The afternoon consist doing a quick vaccuuming and dusting to the rest of the house and putting country ribs in the oven for dinner. I also brushed and trimmed Molly, our pom. She looks so pretty now. But she hates being brushed, it takes me about an hour every time.

And since I posted a pic of Emmie and Molly, here's what Sage did most of the day.

This weekend is the St Charles needlework show, and I can't wait to see what's new. If you like Halloween, take a look at The Primitive Needle. She has a great new design, Witches Hollow. A must have for me along with Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow from Carriage House Samplings.
Steve's home from work so I need to stop for now and fix breakfast.
Have a good day.
Deana

What's be keeping me away from the computer

I don't know if you noticed or not, but I did get a chance to change the background of my blog. It's from The Cutest Blog on the Block. They have sooo many to choose from. I could change more often if I just had more time to spend playing around with my blog.
As I said in last post, I've been doing some marathon stitching for a designer that needed her new models for market this weekend. I did 4 projects in 10 days. Needless to say my projects went on the wayside, but that's ok. I enjoy stitching so much,that I don't mind and I get a little more stash money. I did take a couple of pics of the progress of Quaker Christmas. Here it is...

I have stitch just a little on stitching night on Spooky Treats. I need to get this stitched so I can do the finishing before Halloween.

I did get my dining room table all dressed up for Halloween. I bought the Pumpkin guy at the Santa Caligon days in Kansas City a few weekends back.
I really want to get the rest of my Halloween stuff out. I have alot of it.For the last several years we have gone to Tallageda for the race and then on down to the Gulf for a couple of weeks in Oct, so I quit putting out much Halloween because we weren't here to enjoy it. But this year we changed our vacation so now I want to do it up really good. Just get it all out.

I have to go work on the laundry now but before ending, I just wanted to show you my little stitching helper. Emmie holds down my lapstand while I stitch. I told her I can stitch pretty good all by myself, but she's afraid my stand might fall off my lap if she doesn't help.

Have a good night, and if I get enough time, I'll try to post again before the weekend is over.
Deana

Why I Haven't Posted Lately

Just a quick note to let you know I have been very busy and doing some marathon stitching.... working and a deadline. I have to have finished by this Wed. I will tell you later. Every spare minute is spent stitching. Planned on stitching all day today and tomorrow but we have a wedding this afternoon and Steve's company picnic tomorrow. I will be stitching as much as possible in between. I have pics to post and want to update the look.Please check back when you can.
In the meantime, have a nice weekend, and keep stitching.
Deana

Another stitching night

Steve is back working the fire dept. at the state fair so I came home from work, mowed the yard. And now I'm going to spend the evening stitching. Tomorrow Sabrina and I are going to the state fair to see Brooks and Dunn so there won't be any stitching going on until Sunday.
The nascar race is at Bristol this weekend, actually tomorrow night. I will have to record it, then Steve and I can watch it Sunday after he get home.
I've been stitching at least a little while almost every evening this week on Quaker Christmas. The one motif I was working on was kind of a pain. I couldn't get into a rythum with it and ripped out about as often as I was stitching. I found several mistakes in that one motif. I would either put in the wrong stitch or the pattern was off and I'd have to redo it. I think I'll look over each one now before I start stitching on it to see if I can spot any mistakes before I make them.

I opened the windows tonight because the tempature has dropped and it's really cool out. The dogs are going nuts barking at noises outside they don't usually hear with the house closed up. Of course with 3 of them, all it takes is for one to bark and they all are barking. And they haven't a clue as to what their barking at. I opened the deck door for them to go out on the deck (we have gates up at the deck steps so they can't get off it. They fly out the door, run around on the deck barking, come back in until someone barks and they all go running out again.
Maybe by the time I'm done posting I can shut the door and they will be tired enough to lay down for a nap and I can stitch without interuption.

I've update the look of my blog today. Not a big change, but for me it was some accomplishment. I seem to struggle at times with new things. I found The Cutest Blog on the Net and they have so many backgrounds to choose from. And it was easy.
Well, I think it's time for some stitching, so until next time, everyone have a fun weekend.
Deana

Quaker Christmas Progress

I got to thinking how quickly the year has been moving, that Christmas will be here before we know it and what I've been stitching on. I had put Quaker Christmas in my sewing room and hadn't stitched on it since shortly after I started it. After unrolling my Houses of Hawk Run Hollow and seeing the date I had stitched in as 2006, I thought I needed to consontrate on it for a while. Then I thought about Quaker Christmas, and if I wanted to have it done for this year to display, I'd better get back to stitching on it. So, Houses moved to the sewing room and Quaker came back in the living room. I've stitched on it just this week and have made pretty good progress. Still, I'm not sure I can finish it for this Christmas.
I had halloween designs I wanted to do for this year and haven't got those done either.
Here's the progress on Quaker Christmas.

I did do a quick little freebie one camping weekend a while back. It's from The Primitive Needle called By The Light Of The Moon. I tea dyed the fabric and it's stitched with Weeks Dye Works. I found this cute halloween fabric I want to use with it.


Here's Spooky Treats by Knotted Tree. I have been going to the park for lunch,parking by the lake and stitching. It's my quiet time. It's hard to tell what it is so far but I'm stitching on a ghost but you use a JABCO button for the head. I saw this stitched at The Silver Needle and it was the cutest idea.



And last for my WIPS, Austin's toothfairy pillow. I stitched it on 10ct.Heatherfield. It's been so long since I've stitched on large count that it seemed weird at first, but I needed to have it come out larger than the pattern called for because I have a little treasure chest to put the tooth in that goes in the pocket which I haven't sewn on yet. I still have to look thru my fabrics and see if I have anything to finish it or if I'm going to have to buy some.



Steve left Wed morning to work the MO. State Fair fire dept. He will be gone until Tues. and will come home to work his regular job Wed and Thrus. and then he is going back to work the fire dept until Sun. when the fair is over. He has done this for years and enjoys it so much. There are firefighters from all over the state of MO. that volunteer to work the fire dept at the fair each year.
Next Sat. night, Sabrina and I have tickets to see Brooks and Dunn at the fair.
I heard this week Brooks and Dunn are calling it quits after 2010. I'm glad we're going to get to see them now.
With Steve gone this week, I've been coming home from work, eating what ever I can grab and trying to spend a 2 or 3 hrs.doing some extra work around the house that has been getting pushed to the back burner. I've also been getting some stitching in too.
Last Sat. Sabrina and Brian had a birthday party for Austin. He was 5 on Monday. I can't beleive he's that old already. He wanted a camping theme so they had a weinie roast. Sabrina was going to set dome tents up with things the kids could do in each tent. But since the heat index was going to be around 100 degrees she opted for a slip N slide and water sprinker. They had sent up canopies for the adults to set under and it was pretty nice in the shade of the tents. Our daughter Angie made his cake which she has done every year since he was born. Here's some pics of it.
Sabrina has to get credit for the trees. Angie showed her how to make them and she did a really nice job. They are sugar cones turned upside down.



And here's one of the birthday boy. Yes, it's a mohawk!!! Not my thing, but he thinks it's so "cool". Grammy likes the regular hair cuts.

I have to get busy now, the day will be gone before I know it.
Until next time.
Deana