The next national holiday is almost here!

On Feb. 2 the nation will celebrate a holiday. Yes, it is Groundhog's Day but that is not it.
It is my birthday! And just ask my husband, my daughter or any of my closest friends, I do truly believe it is a national holiday. I love birthdays. Everyone's birthday! But esp. my birthday. (My daughter feels the same about hers. Her husband thinks it is genetic).
And I don't celebrate my birthday, quietly, alone. NOPE! I invite friends, family and everyone to celebrate with me. I am a recruiter in a not for profit blood bank. Year before last I called all my donors. I told them that on my birthday, since I was turning 46, I wanted 46 blood donors to save 46 lives (actually more than that since 1 unit of blood can potentially help save 3 lives). And they turned out. We had 37 donors that day. Not too bad considering I dreamed up the idea 2 days before.
Last year, I held a party at a spa. Invited 5 friends and family to come join me for pedicures and manicures, on my dime. Then we let the "boys" (husbands, sons, grandsons) join us for lunch at my fav Italian place, Luiggi's. The picture is of my daughter and I at the spa on my birthday. Notice my "crown".
My husband treats me like royalty on my birthday. And I love it!
Ok, now on to this birthday. This year I want to celebrate it WITH YOU!
So here is the deal: Since I must share my birthday with Groundhog's Day, then we will have fun with it. Leave me a msg. on this post and tell me whether you think the groundhog will see his shadow and run back into his hole, projecting another 6 weeks of winter or will he not see his shadow and stay and play, projecting spring is around the corner.
I will randomly draw a name on my birthday, Feb. 2 at 10:00 am CST from all who participate. The winner will receive 10 skeins of Sampler Threads, their choice of colors.

I have no filter...

Everyone who knows me knows I have no filter between my brain and my mouth. Whatever I think falls out of my mouth, generally within seconds of me having the thought.
So it would be no surprise to anyone who has known me anytime at all to hear I have volunteered to teach a biscornu project even though I have never done one.
Here is how the whole thing went down. We are having an EGA board meeting two weeks ago. Discussing what projects to do. I said I would teach my heart diamond floss tag ring project in Feb. & March and show them how to use a Crop-A-Dile in your needlework projects. No big deal, even though I myself have only used the thing twice. But at least I have used it.
Then onto the next project. We provide all the supplies for one project a year for our members. I said we needed to do a biscornu. Everyone was in agreement. Then I said, I will teach the biscornu. At this point, my brain asked my mouth "what did you just do? You have never even done a biscornu!". But it was too late.
So in May I will pass out the pattern and supplies for the project so they can stitch it. Then in June I will show them how to put the little jewel together.
Meanwhile, my Yahoo group, Cross Stitch Addiction, will have a FAL with me to show me how to do one so I can teach it. I have chosen the pattern for what I want to do. It is a pretty pattern that is 3" square when done. I am going to do it on 28 ct. dirty cashel linen over two. I am not worried about stitching the square. It is putting the pieces together that concerns me.
Here is the link to the pattern:
http://twdesignworks.com/Free/ecsorn.html
Instead of the large white smyrna cross in the center, we are going to put a pearl button. And I am getting some pretty crystals to put on each corner of the biscornu.
Wish me luck in my endeavor. And if anyone has a spare brain filter laying around, could you send it to me???

An anniversary of sorts

We celebrate all kinds of things. When the years pass, we often call them anniversaries. I have such an anniversary to celebrate.
Three years ago I was legally blind. Couldn't see to drive, much less to stitch. I had cataracts on both eyes. Simple enough, you say, just fix them. Well due to some medical problems, including a clotting disorder, I couldn't find a doctor to do surgery.
My husband of just less than a year took away my car keys. Something about me driving at night into a field thinking it was a road and not being able to find my way out. Just a little problem.
I gave away most of my stitching stash. No need for it. I couldn't see to stitch even with magnifying glasses.
Then I found this wonderful doctor. Actually, I had known him for years. He had done the cataract surgery on my grandmother several years before that (a really funny story about my grandmother in another post!).
He said he could do the surgery. We would do this, do that, change this, fix this and then I would be able to see.
January, 2006 he did my right eye, followed by my left eye in March, 2006. I now have perfect vision at a distance. Need no glasses to drive, work on the computer, etc. I just need "cheaters" when I stitch and read up close.
When I started to see again, I started stitching again. My DH had seen examples of my work, but didn't know that I "stitched!". So when I first started stitching non-stop, he thought something was wrong. I didn't just sit and watch TV with him and talk. I was busy stitching. I had to explain to him that I still loved him and wasn't ignoring him, I was just working on something that gave me joy.
So, while others are going on a stash diet, I am just beginning. I had every color of DMC once upon a time and lots of other threads and such. Now I am building it back up.
When I was young, I never imagined that at 44 I would be facing the possibility of never driving again, never doing some of the things that brought me pure joy.
Never, ever, take your health, even the health of your eyes for granted. We never know what is around the corner.
Now what did I do with that needle?...

The Floss Tag

After much ado, I have finished my first Floss Tag/Pin Keep. This will be my year of firsts: I finished my first Altoid tin and now my first Floss Tag all since the beginning of the year.
I finished stitching this piece on New Year's Eve. It is called Heart Diamond. It is in honor of February, which is Women's Heart Health Month. It is a gift for a friend.
I also got to use my new Crop-A-Dile I received from my DD for Christmas. I used a heart shaped eyelet on it.
I backed it with some really pretty red fabric I caught on sale at JoAnn's. I put some purple trim on it with some pretty pearl pins.
This was a joy to do!

The Altoid TIn

As some of you might recall I was given a million (ok, not a million, but a bunch) of Altoid tins from my boss. I had never done an Altoid tin so this was a wonderful opportunity for me to do one.
I did this one for my boss, who was a Navy Pilot during the Vietnam war. I did another one for one of my other directors who is ex-Military also. They make nice business card holders for their desks.
In my Yahoo group, Cross Stitch Addiction, this is the January FAL challenge. I actually stitched and finished them the very end of December for a late Christmas gift for both. They turned out nice, but I definitely need to work on this finishing technique.
I used a heavy weight card stock to wrap the stitching around. I think I needed to use something with a little more weight to it. And getting the trim just right around it was a little challenge.
But all in all I am pleased and both men were thrilled with their gifts!

Ok, now some stitching pictures!

Well, besides playing with my grandsons, I have managed to get a little stitching in.
The little diamond pattern is called Heart Diamond. I am going to make it into a floss tag ring & pin keep to give away at my EGA meeting later this month in honor of Women's Heart Health Month in February. My DD made the floss holders and I used my new Crop-A-Dile to put in the heart eyelets to hold the ring with. This was my last finish of 2008. I started and finished it on New Year's Eve while ringing in the New Year with my grandson. I used some Wildflower thread to do it up in.
The other photo is what I have been stitching on my "Big Girl Panties" by LK. You might have remembered I had a contest when I stitched the first line on it. I had put it away in order to do some Christmas stitching, but now I am back on it. The trim I photographed the stitching with is some cute eyelash trim that I am going to put around the flat fold finish I am going to do with it. It will be a hanging flat fold. I think it will be very cha-cha!
Now that the boys have left, I have to go back to work, but I plan on getting lots more stitching in. I want to continue doing small projects, but want to add some specialty stitches to my work such as blackwork, pulled thread, etc. My goal this year is to also learn to do more finishing techniques such as Altoid tin covers, cubes, biscornus, etc.

My day

My day, what can I say? This was the last full day the boys are going to be here and the weather has been great all week. Today it was 84 degrees and we went to the park. These pictures of my grandsons say it all as to how much fun we had.
While at the park, a deer ran through the playground. Out of no where. Ran around the fence and into a back yard. Out of that and down a street. Gave the boys (and most of the adults there) quite a thrill.
My sister in law gave us a gift certificate for Christmas to our favorite Italian restaurant and my husband, DD, 2 grandsons and I went there. It is about 20 minutes outside of our town in another small town and the food is fabulous. So, so good. Homemade bread and pasta. Owned by a father and 2 sons who are from Italy.
All in all, it was a simply wonderful day!

Happy, happy dance

Oh I am doing a happy, happy dance! Why you may ask?
Because my dear, sweet daughter gave me a Crop-a-dile for a late Christmas present. And some really cute eyelets. I played with it last night and I can't wait to make something with it. I have a stitched piece ready to make into a floss tag, but I have to get some mat board cut to mount it.
Thank you my dear daughter! Thank you very much!

Happy New Year

I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year. May this year bring you all your stitching needs and wants. May your stash runneth over. May you have all the time that you need to finish that big PIA or WIP (whichever one applies). May the frogs stay far, far away from you. May all your stitching dreams come true!
And esp. this: May you and your family have all the happiness and health this next year can bring. May you continue to bring the blessings all your friendships bring to me! And may I, in some small way, bring blessings to you!
Happy, Happy, Happy New Year! Bring on 2009. I am ready for it!
Donna
P.S. I will be spending this New Year's Eve with my 3 favorite boys in the world, my husband James and my two grandsons, Trent and Craig, along with my mom. We will watch the big ball drop together (unless we poop out before then!).

Christmas Card Exchange

These are not the best pictures, but this is the stitched card I received from Debbie Jo. It is so cute and I just love it. I am adding it to my Christmas collection now. Thanks Debbie Jo

The Best Christmas Present

I have received many great presents this year, including my favorite Bare Minerals make-up from my husband. But the best present I will get this year will be my grandson's visit.
I have two wonderful grandsons, Trent & Craig. Trent is 6 and Craig is 4. My daughter and SIL will be bringing them to me on Friday night and then leaving them with me on Saturday. They will stay all week until the next Friday with my husband, my Mom and I (and as Craig says, "don't forget, also Alex the puppy dog").
I have included their picture. Trent is the top one and Craig is the bottom one.
This is going to be so much fun. They are great kids and this is the first time since Trent was a baby that I have kept the boys for any length of time by myself.
Trent is esp. excited because to quote him "mom can't say no when grandma says yes".
I have plans to go to a movie with them, watch them ride the bikes I have had at my house for over a year now and just enjoy them. We will do some cooking and baking together.
I want you all to know how much I appreciate your friendship. The comments you leave me mean so much to me.
I pray each and everyone of you have a very blessed Christmas!

The annual Christmas argument

I don't know why, but each year my husband and I have an argument around Christmas time. It is started by me. I either pick on him about something until we fight or like this year I just jump right in.
I don't know if it is just everything overwhelms me or what. Or if it is because I never think we will have enough money for everything or that everything won't be "perfect".
This is how this year's argument started. My paycheck arrives in my account at 9:30pm the night before my payday. This year, I decided I must go to Target at 9:30pm to buy my grandson's presents. I asked my husband to go with me and he said he would rather sleep. (Truth of the matter is he works really crazy hours and he had been out at 4:45am that morning and could have been called out at any time). That didn't matter to me.
So since my job is 2 blocks from Target and our house is several miles away, I chose to stay at work when I got off at 5:00pm until my check arrived and then go to Target.
I thought my husband would "come to his senses" and either tell me he would go with me and then I would come home and we could go together that night or he would come to my work. But he didn't. So I sat at work, stewing, getting more angry by the minute. I was going to show him by gosh. He would be so sorry.
But when I came home he was sleeping.
So all night, I got ready for "the fight". I got up at 5:30am that morning, still angry. I woke him up when I left for work at 7:30 (even though I don't have to be there until 8:30). I told him I didn't want a Christmas present from him and further more, if he bought me one, I would take it back. It was on. He had no idea why I was being so irrational and truth of the matter, neither did I. But I kept it up. Left for work by slamming the door.
On my way to work, I called him to fight some more. Then I noticed steam coming from my car. The temp gauge wasn't up, but there was steam (could have been reacting to me LOL). So I told him about the car and he said he was coming. When he got there, we talked and I told him what was going on with me. We both apologized and then went on with the weekend.
He has bought me a gift and I have bought him one and we are both back to being very happy.
I am hoping this next Christmas we can avoid the whole argument. But then again, making up is kind of fun!
Merry Christmas to all of you!

New contest-we have a winner!

Well, my friend Angie has had her twins, Jacob and Isabella. She had them on Monday, December 15th at 12:50pm and 12:51pm.
Kaghos guessed she would have them on Tuesday, December 16th at 2:15pm. She guessed the closest and so she is the winner!
What in the world did she win? This really neat stitching kit. It folds into a wallet shape and has a pocket you can keep money in on the outside when it is folded. Once opened, there are two clear plastic holders that will hold credit cards or hotel room keys. The center has a cushion for your needles and there is a little pocket to hold scissors. All this will fit over the arm of your stitching chair to keep everything right where you need it.
It is cool to take with you when you travel, esp. if you do any stitching retreats since you can carry everything you need, room key, money, etc. with you in the little pocket.
Congratulations to Angie and family and congratulations to Kaghos!

My EGA Party

Here are pictures of my Embroiderer's Guild Christmas party. This is an annual party we have in our group of which I have been a member for about 17 or 18 years. They are some of the finest and kindest stitchers I have ever known. They have been through the good times and the bad with me.
Many of you admired my tree that I posted earlier. Many of the ornaments on this tree were made by some of these stitchers.
We have an annual Christmas party. Each member that attends stitches an ornament. We draw numbers and then we exchange ornaments. But not without a fight. It starts out rather calm. The first person goes and picks a wrapped ornament from the table. The next one can either take that ornament or open a new one. That is when the brawling begins. These fine, upstanding stitchers will lie, cheat, hide the evidence and connive to keep their ornaments. Truth of the matter is there is not a bad ornament amongst them all. Everyone does such beautiful work.
These pictures were taken before the brawling began, as is evidenced by the lack of blood, cuts and bruises! Just kidding!

The Red Tree

This is a non-stitching Christmas story. But fun anyway.
My grandson Trent loves the color red. Always has.
Two years ago my DD and my SIL were having some problems and my DD, then 4 year old grandson Trent and then 2 year old grandson Craig moved in with my DH, Mom and myself for a year. It was a wild ride, esp. since my DH did not have children of his own. But my daughter and her husband worked everything out. They are a happy family now, back living together.
That Christmas Trent was having a difficult time with everything. He missed his dad and his other grandparents.
We had been talking about getting a new tree, one that was smaller than my usual 7 1/2 foot tree. The grandsons and I discussed the tree and making decorations for it. All Trent would say was that he wanted the tree to be red.
So the day after Thanksgiving I go to Michael's and there, low and behold, was a 4 foot RED Christmas tree. With RED lights.
I bought it and took it home. Trent was beside himself with glee. We put this garland of gold, disco ball shaped balls all around the tree. During the day, it looked like it belonged in a brothel.
BUT AT NIGHT!!! Oh my. It looked haunted. When you turned off the overhead lights and turned on the red lights on the tree it was spooky. It gave off a weird, devilish glow.
We put ornaments on it that the kids had made (everyday they moved to a different place on the tree) and the kids loved it. Especially Trent.
That tree is now in my grandson's room at their own house. They still love that tree. And it still looks haunted!
I like to think that red tree helped Trent have a better Christmas that year. And I am so thankful, he has it at HIS HOUSE now!

On the 12th day of Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas my Secret Santa gave me this cool stitched drawstring bag with this little snowman stitched on it. It is so pretty and there was a yummy bag of dark chocolate mint candy by Starbucks in it. Thank you RENE RUSK for being my Secret Santa. This was SO MUCH FUN!

My Dad and the light switch cover

This light switch cover may not look Christmasy, but read on and you will see it's Christmas meaning.
1995 was not a good mental health year for me. Shortly before Thanksgiving that year, I went into a severe depression. It started around the first of October and by the week before Thanksgiving I was not doing well. Without going into great detail, I felt that the whole world, including my precious 12 year old daughter, would be better off without me. Some good friends found me in a hotel that I have yet to remember driving to and took me to the hospital. My dad signed my commitment papers into a local psychiatric unit where I was diagnosed with major depression. Not a fun time.
I got out of the hospital 2 days before Thanksgiving and it took awhile before the medication fully started to work. I got up each day, went to work and came home and sat in my favorite blue chair. I didn't feel much like doing anything but stitching. No TV, no holiday fun, nothing. I wasn't sleeping much then either.
I started working on this light switch cover for my dad and mom for Christmas. They had bought a new home and I thought it would be pretty. I finished it Christmas Eve.
Now my daddy loved Christmas. He loved decorating (not too much, just the right amount). He loved buying stuff he knew we would like (again, not too overboard, just the perfect little something). That year we went to his house for Christmas Eve.
My medication was working well. I felt like my old self, but not quite as energetic.
Daddy had snacks laid out and was happier than I had seen him. He kept things quiet, but fun. We told Christmas stories about past Christmases and about funny things that had happened. All very low key, but really memorable.
We opened presents and Daddy opened my light switch present. I showed him how to put it on the wall. He had tears in his eyes and said it was beautiful. It made my heart sing. Then he said the MOST AWFUL THING TO ME.
He said, I want one for the living room, one for all three bedrooms and another in the dining room. Oh my, that is a lot of stitching.
But the day after Christmas I rushed out to JoAnn's for their after Christmas sale. I stocked up on light switch covers and patterns. I planned to do one for his birthday in April, then Mother's day, Mom's birthday, their anniversary and then Father's Day. I was so excited at how much joy it would give my dad.
Daddy died that following March, suddenly. I never got to do another light switch cover for him. But I have the first one with me in my house (my Mom is disabled and lives with me). I still smile when I think of how happy that little piece of cross stitch made my Daddy.

New Contest

Ok, my friend Angie from my Yahoo group, Cross Stitch Addiction is pregnant with twins. Her doctor has said she could have the babies at any time, but they hope to wait until the 36th week which would be Jan. 7th.
Here is the contest: Guess when the babies will be born with a day and time. The person closest to the correct date and time will win a stitchy prize. Leave a post with a guess on this post.
Now, while this is all done in fun, we all pray that Angie will have the babies in God's time and that all will be well with Mom and babies. We can't wait to see the little bundles of joy!

Christmas with a grandson

I am obsessed with my collection of stitched and handmade ornaments. Have been for many, many years. All my family knows this. My daughter taught her friends over the years not to touch them on the tree.
I have several Chrismon ornaments that I made of glass gold and white beads and wire. One is a Star of David. Or rather it was a Star of David.
I had this ornament on my tree for several years. My daughter had a beautiful son, my first grandson named Trent. Trent was the first boy in our family for generations (I now have 2 grandsons, Trent and Craig. More on Craig later).
Trent loved to look at the lights on the tree when he was a baby. The second Christmas he was 1 1/2 years old and was walking. He toddled over to the Christmas tree and took that gold Star of David. The center of the star was of course, square. He promptly put it on his arm and wore it like a bracelet. My daughter gasped with fear when he did this. She tried to snatch it back from him, but much to her amazement, I said "oh how cute. Don't you dare take that from him". I thought she would faint. She said, mom, this is your handmade ornament and he is bending it. I just laughed and said, oh well!
We would put that ornament back on the tree each night and each day he would get it again and wear it like a bracelet. He didn't touch another ornament on the whole tree.
Next year, he did the same thing. Over and over he would go and get that one ornament. And wear it like a bracelet.
Now I don't have a picture of the ornament before Trent. But here is my perfectly pointed star, perfect square centered star of David after Trent. Amazing what a grandchild can do to your sense of what is important.

On the first day of Christmas

I received these goodies from my secret Santa today. Oh boy! I just love Christmas!