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