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Alright, the title is lame.

Here is my first ornament finish of the year - not the first ornament start, no that has already been laid aside.

I confess, I chose a design I knew I could easily finish in an afternoon. As I stitched, I was constantly aware of what an excellent designer Paulette of Plum Street Samplers is. The design is small, yet filled with detail. I stitched this on 32 count antique ivory with the given DMC conversion.

Here is Hector guarding my progress on Sheepish Design's Anonymous Women. I really like this more and more. This was designed by Cindy Bradford, now of Little by Little Designs. As I stitch the bottom portion, I seem to recognize the hand that designed Ann Pennsylvania Peacock. Maybe that is just fanciful! I would love to hurry and finish this up, but I have dutifully laid it aside to work on another piece or two. My definition of rotation is getting looser by the day! ;)

What a busy time of year!

Today was a snow day for the public school, and we took the day off here as well. There was the slightest dusting of snow on the ground, and powerful, bitter winds whistled around the house all day. Between loads of laundry, I finished stitching this ornament by Plum Street Samplers.

Yesterday, I kept my nieces for a few hours. This little sweetie likes to feed a bite to the doggies and then take a bite herself. I would have stopped her, but I was busy taking pictures!

Saturday morning, Nutmeg had a recital; she played the Nutcracker March.

After the recital, we raced home to get things ready for Nutmeg's 10th birthday party. The theme was Star Wars.

Last week there were 4 ballet recitals. This coming weekend looks a bit lighter with only a double birthday party and a neighborhood White Elephant Christmas Party...

Getting Ready...

Notice how I put the Halloween-y cross stitch BEFORE the Christmas one? Attention, business I saw on Green Street! Take down your Christmas wreath! It just looks plain silly in October!!! But this Raven design by Plum Street Samplers might stay up year 'round!

I just put the last stitches in Shepherd's Bush's "Far Away," that was published in the JCS December 2001. I might do a BBD Halloween next- if I can stay awake! Last night, Nutmeg had a friend spend the night - I can't imagine how little sleep they got! The little sisters did not get a slumber party, but they got bowling and vampire teeth and seemed pretty happy with the deal!

I am now in ornament mode - I think

I finished up this little freebie from Paulette at Plum Street Samplers. If you have not downloaded him, hurry on over to her blog! Yours will not look quite like mine because you can probably read a chart without confusing the color symbols and making the letters different sizes. Ahem. I cannot tell his beak from his wattle; I stitched it both ways, and I am still not sure I got it right.

I altered "Visions of Sugar Plums" by Country Cottage Needleworks to reflect my own little girls. It turned out to be quite the PINK confection! This pattern is in the 2009 JCS ornament edition.

The girls had their fall piano recital last week. Here is a picture of the girls and Jerry.

Speaking of Jerry, I smell pipe smoke coming up from his office in the basement. That is not going to work. I don't want my big $$$$$ cross stitch linen smelling like smoke!!!! EEEKKKKK!!!!!

Fishy Finish

I finally finished Paulette's "Fishes and Bait." I hadn't picked up a needle in a couple of weeks until this weekend. I need one more thread color, and I can finish up "Earth Sampler" too!

I have been cooking quite a bit lately. Here are two samples: a sugar cookie Egypt, and fresh pesto!

Hello there!

I have had sick girls for THREE WEEKS! It was pretty bad. Everyone seems to be doing well at the moment; DH and I actually went away alone for Memorial Weekend. I have not gotten much schooling or stitching done lately. I re-started school on Tuesday, and things are going well. Things will be even better when the reorganization of the school room is complete. It started this morning when a stack of books slid into my coffee cup which spilled everywhere. If you cannot find a safe spot for your coffee cup, it is time to tidy up!
Stitching has taken a back seat to gardening. Now that the plants are for the most part in the ground and happy, I have been getting the stitching back out.

You would think the above design was a finish, wouldn't you? Well, I need to stitch a B after Michele and also stitch the antlers on that deer. This is who I am. I get right up to the end, and well......

My mom gave me Earth Sampler for my birthday. I am not sure why the rabbit is supposed to be Pomegranate. My pomegranate is distinctly pink.

I will probably wish that I had done all four squares of Jeanne d' Arc. I just don't know that I can stitch that much brown. I could always do the other squares and have them framed separately, I guess.

The Week in Stitches

I am blogging to take my mind off the watery abyss that is my basement. It's not quite a flood, but it is wet. I expect the plumber any moment, but I won't be holding my breath!

I have wanted to stitch the Cross-Eyed Cricket design above for years. I finally started and finished it this week. My husband does not approve. When we were dating and he discovered I was an avid cross stitcher, he was not pleased. It was not that he was worried I would be stitching and never clean the house (that IS what he should have worried about), he was apparently scarred in the 80's by visions of cross stitched geese with blue ribbons around their necks advertising mottos such as "Backdoor guests are best." I had to solemnly promise to love, cherish and never cross stitch geese. Well, lucky for him my tastes are not 1980s. They are more like 1680s, 1780s and 1880s! He divides designs into two categories: "nice" and "goofy crap." The above design he deems "goofy crap." Too bad for him! I like it!

I also started the above Brighneedle design. I think it is called Windy Hill. We live on Windy Hill! I call our hill Wuthering Heights. Our house faces the mountains, and the wind roars down the mountains at break-neck speed for our house! I cannot have windchimes on my front porch, I soon discovered.

I also started this week ;) "Fishes and Bait by Plum Street Samplers. I love Paulette's designs and her sense of humour. There is a pair of mer-people in the traditional "Adam and Eve" sampler pose. The verse reads, "Fishes and Bait, Fishes and Bait, When a Woman marries then trouble's her fate."