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