Marching On.....

...into SPRING, I say Spring!! Tomorrow is the first day of spring. Yes, we've had some glorious, sun-filled days lately, and I can tell you it's a welcome event. I've managed a little stitching, and will be stitching the last heart for the Friendship Sampler after this one. I've truly enjoyed becoming acquainted with stitchers I'd never known before. The stitching friendship circle is indeed wide and growing wider - an awesome thing.

Here's Deborah's RR, using the original charted colors...

And up close...
I am so ready for spring weather and sunny days. Seeing the blooms around always raises my spirits and hopes. My mother's been in the ER three times and admitted to the hospital once since the end of February. Keeping her fluid levels between too much and too little for her CHF (congestive heart failure) has been quite a challenge. Here's hoping we've found the right balance with some new meds. We're hopeful, anyway. :)

I was recently given this award and it is so appreciated. Thank yous to Sarah, Shelleen, Cindy, and Meari.


According to the rules, I'm to tell some facts about myself and pass the award on to others.
So let me see what I can come up with...

1. I was born in a rural town with a very small population.
2. I am the youngest child with three older brothers....and wasn't spoiled, according to my mom. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
3. My DH and I went to high school together, but started really dating in college.
4. The house where I grew up was an old hotel before Civil War times.
5. Music moves and delights my soul.
6. One favorite pastime as a child - climb to the top of a huge tree and sway in the wind right before thunderstorms. I can still feel the wind sometimes. :)
7. I love to laugh, appreciate good wit, and adore Jane Austen.
8. I became a Christian at age 23, a few months after I got married.

I'd like to give this award to Gabi, Rene, Kelly, Cindy, Wendy, and my GGSF buddies. :)

Last summer, I went with a stitching group to England. While there, we were lucky enough to meet with Polly Nassim, a wonderful doll maker of forty years. She'd retired and was selling her entire inventory of dolls. Recently found that a lovely friend of hers has the last set of dolls and is selling them here in America. If you're interested, the website is www.rarebitsnpieces.com. Her friend Patty also has some other wonderful items to offer, too.

And to end my saga, here are my two babies relaxing at home....

Actually, it's DH trying to coax Montana to give the new CHEW-RESISTANT pad a try. Now do you believe it's really chew resistant? I must confess I remain somewhat sceptical of its endurance factor, at least not with the master destruction artist around. In case you've forgotten, this was the fate of the last pad...

But Montana's older and wiser, or so we hope. If it survives, I'll put an egg crate pad, etc., in the cover. Montana has confirmed hip dysplasia on the right side and we're trying to find ways to ease it. It's mild at the moment and will probably crop up more severely in a few years. We'd suspected it, but were hoping we were just paranoid. But you never know how things progress. So for now, we'll make sure his weight stays right, give him glucosamine chondroitin for his joints, and give buffered aspirin if we see signs of any discomfort (all advice from the vet). And let him sleep on that sofa he seems to love so much as long as he wants to! He is thoroughly enjoying all the attention he's getting, I can promise you.

On the other hand, I'm not sure Zoe (demon cat) and I are on speaking terms at the moment. She went for her rabies shot today. I don't know who was more traumatized - her or me trying to get her in the carrier. Maybe if the carrier hadn't fallen over as I was trying to place her in it, or maybe if she didn't frantically jump while I was barely holding on and trying to upright the blooming thing...well, you get the picture. Pretty darn funny, actually.

What would we do without our families and pets to keep us straight??? Take care, everyone.
And I hope you see signs of spring in your direction, too. :)

This is Adorable!

This is a short little animated film of Maggie and Mildred in XS. It is truly one of the cutest and sweetest things - you have to see it! - click on Chiloe's blog.

March Madness

Nope, I don't mean basketball, even though I do live in ACC territory. I mean After Nashville's market. You know - the mad dash to see how much we can acquire and grab and stitch as fast as our hot little hands will allow us! I did partake...ahem, greatly...in this particular dash and it was sooo fun. Stitchingwise....
This is Lyne's RR before I started...

And A Forest Grew
Rosewood Manor

and after...

This was a really fun stitch - moved pretty quickly, too. Looks like I'm going to have to pull my own AAFG out and start on it again.

A little closer look at my part...

I've also been stitching on SB's Quaker's Heart. Pulled this out when I flew to my brother's in OK to visit. Really was able to stitch quite a bit on the planes; need to finish this up.

Went to a stitch-in last night with our Monday night stitching group - lots of fun. Decided to just take a NEW, quick, easy stitch, which didn't require much thought. You know how it is when you chat with friends. After three times stitching and frogging (the border -seriously, how hard can it be??!!), I called it a night. Sometimes you gotta know when it's a done deal...
But it was a blast, as always. Thanks, Kim, for lending your gorgeous house to us all. :)

Exchanges, Chocolate, and Stitching...

....Who could ask for anything more?..
My Secret Cupid partner has received her gift, so here's my stitched contribution. This turned out to be a lot of fun using my Cropadile, ribbons, button hearts, and Kelmscott thread rings.


I also received a darling LHN chart "Chocolate Box" and Maxine card from Anne for mine. Can't wait to stitch this up.

And while I received Chocolate in charts, I also WON a certificate for a box of See's Candy from Parsley's giveaway. How awesome! Hmmm - better start dieting now!
I'm off to OK to see my brother's family. Played it safe with the weather by making sure my flight went through Dallas, instead of up north where they normally get all the snow. So WHERE does it decide to snow??? LOL
Have a great weekend!

Stitching and Snow Cream

Not too much stitching to show, though I've been working on several items. Two of them secret, so they can't be posted yet. I added three more hearts to my Friendship Sampler; will be sending it off again soon.

Started Two Birds by Alessandra Adelaide...

Years ago, my DD gave me this for Mother's Day when she was twelve, so I proudly hang it in my kitchen. So maybe there's hope that one day she'll become a stitcher?

She has always loved Celtic designs. Who knew she'd end up marrying a guy of Scottish descent...

And two of my favorites - the queen and her subject...

Montana, a picture of my true baby (besides DH, of course....)

He's such a sweetie.

I've had numerous requests for Snow Cream, so here is a general recipe.

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 t. vanilla
Snow (which seems to be in abundance in quite a few places!!!)

Mix all well together and add snow to your desired consistency.
Pretty easy and is delicious by itself or with chocolate syrup, etc.
And yes, I know it has raw eggs - I've had snow cream this way since I was a child and never had a problem, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

So if any of you intrepid souls try it, I'll be interested to hear your opinions. :)

As Dorothy Said.....There's No Place Like Home!

My Friendship RR is home again after starting its journey in Mar. 2009, and I love it, love it! It made it through various bumps in the road and a few delays, but it's home. Already working on finishing up some of these other hearts before it goes back out for some new adventures. The title at the top is what Cindy wrote on my envelope, so I "borrowed" it. :)
The past week or so has been a great mail week - new stash and surprises.

Look what the RAK Fairy sent me! Aren't they beautiful? I love these limited editions from Carrie's Creations.

After seeing these Medieval Ladies from Joan Elliot at Kathy's house, I had to have them. Saw one being stitched on someone's blog last year, but they were only in the magazine then. So I'm wondering exactly how many there are altogether...

Also picked up some older Carriage House charts that were on Etsy....and my PTP FOTM came this week, too.

Queen Mya has come for a visit - see her perched on her throne? But she's so excited...because this is her first SNOW!!!! For those of you that are sick of snow, disregard this bubbling over description of the event. We don't get snow too often here in central NC, so it's a big thing for us. So far, about 5 in. and sleeting most of today. And yes, the city is pretty shut down, but at least it's Saturday.
Montana is loving the visit and snow, as he doesn't remember his first one last year. He goes pure nuts in it outside!



And here's the happy couple after taking the dogs out last night. This time they left early enough to escape driving in the bad weather. The last exciting event is that we ordered DD's wedding dress yesterday and it's soooo beautiful!

And as every good Southern woman knows to do, I've collected the snow (before sleet) to keep for snow cream later today - Yum, yum!

Zentangle!

Zentangle
design by Kirsten Schmitt and Elke Reiss for the Marquoir Yahoo Group
Zentangle was stitched with permission by the designers in the
Marquoir-Gruppe.
Rainbow Gallery's Bravo A56 and Weeks Confetti on 32 ct. white lugana

Yay! I finished Zentangle last night - I do love this design. I'd planned to start the second Zentangle, but I'm debating how. Do I stitch this one in the same color thread and fabric, or change it up? Originally, I'd hoped to stitch them identically and frame them in a double mat. However, the size of the second one is too large. Decisions, decisions. :)


It's actually a beautiful day here. We did have thunder several times yesterday; hmmm, wonder if it will bring snow? Too bad the forecast shows 50 degree weather for the next ten days!

Back in the Stitching Chair

The holiday activity has drawn to a close, leaving me with more stitching time, I hope. I have several projects that I'd really like to stitch, so the goal is to get to it.
The Christmas and New Year season was very good to us, for which I'm thankful, but it's also nice to get back to a normal routine.
Mom's Travel Sampler is my main priority; it's really an easy stitch, just large, and I'm showing some progress....


I'm participating in another RR this year with some friends, so Alphabet Zoo by Blue Ribbon Designs is my choice. I decided this time to use Weeks linen with GA Cherry Wine threads.



Also stitching on several other small items; almost done with Reading by LHN - my Mon. night group stitch...


Hope you all get lots of stitching time is this cold weather. :)

It's a New Year!

One thing I love about the New Year - whether I'm full of resolutions or not, it always feels like it's a chance to start anew. Who knows where the paths of life will lead us? Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed 2010. Looking forward to seeing what new stitchery is afoot...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Carolyn NC

Merry Christmas!

Whether you celebrate Christmas with your loved ones or mourn the absence of someone dear, these words are for us all.

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will on his shoulders,
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Is. 9:6

"As you celebrate the wonder of My birth in Bethlehem, celebrate also your rebirth into eternal life. This everlasting gift was the sole purpose of My entering your sin-stained world. Receive My gift with awe and humility. Take time to explore the vast dimensions of My Love. Allow thankfulness to flow freely from your heart in response to My glorious gift. Let My Peace rule in your heart, and be thankful."

-Sarah Young from Jesus Calling.

It's my devout hope that your Christmas season this year will be blessed beyond measure; any hurt or pain comforted, and that you have His peace.
God bless you all. Merry Christmas!!