Overdue Update

I am long overdue to post again to my blog. I do not kid myself, however. I don't think more than a tiny handful still even read my blog. Nonetheless, I have been negligent, so I will post a few things today. I realize I, myself, do not read blogs much at all any longer. I do, however, follow many of my xs friends on Facebook. Much easier. At one time a couple of years back, I was reading blogs so often that I fell very far behind in my paperwork at my office. Thus, I had to stop and right the ship again... I have received a couple of HoE exchanges I can now share:

I received this cute little snowman ornament from Melissa from the recent Christmas Ornament Exchange round. She says it is a freebie she has wanted to stitch.  I might have it, but I don't think I do... not all sure who the designer is, but this really, really is cute.  And Melissa did a nice job with finishing it too.  Thank you so much, Melissa.

I also received this pretty biscornu from Jayne in the UK (so very sorry, I cannot find her blog link).  She chose some delicate colors and fabric for me. Thank you Jayne :-)

How could I have not yet shared this pretty little birthday gift from my dear friend, Margaret ?  This is so delicate and sweet. Sadly, my camera fogged up when I went outside to take the photo.  I had thought this final one had come out clear, but I was mistaken!  Thank you Margaret, for this delicate gift and the goodies you sent to me too!  I must catch up with stitching birthday gifts again...  right on my to do list that goes!

Despite getting little stitching in, in total, over the past three months, I am up to date on Frosted Pumpkin's Stitchery's Once Upon A Time Sampler...

In June, we had The Princess and the Pea. So cute!  Loved stitching those pretty quilts on all of those mattresses.

In July, we had Thumbelina.  I just love those colorful little fish and the little mouse. 

And in August,we had The Bremen Town Musicians (or at they called it, The Musicians of Bremen Town, but as a German child growing up, I learned of it as Bremen Town Musicians)...  the animals are a bit updated than in the original fairy tale. Super fun to stitch.

And here we are so far.  Um, my camera was foggy again in this shot.  This is the best of a few.  Next time I will do better (how often do I say that??)...

Well, that is what I have to share...  like I said, this is basically a dead, non-read blog. But I share anyhow.

A Special Gift From a Friend.... And I Need Help From My Stitching Friends...

 

 

 I have received a wonderful surprise from my dear stitching friend, Andrea over the past weekend. It is always such a treat to receive a giftie from Andrea. Her finishing puts mine to shame, I truly must say. I had actually had an ornament all set to go to surprise her as well.... and it is officially on its way as of yesterday. Andrea has posted that this design is by Soed Idee (a free chart, link available in Andrea's blog) and is called Christmas Wreath. Thank you again, dear Andrea.

I really, really am hoping to get some help from one of my blog readers/stitching friends on this one. I purchased the JCS 2012 Halloween Collectors Issue because the above photo on the cover grabbed me. The ornament, however, is only pictured on the cover, there is not a chart for it in the issue. It is very clearly by Plum Street Samplers. I learned from Googling that it was at one time posted for free on the JCS website. Of course, I missed that. I asked around in a FB group, and it was suggested I email Paulette. I did, but she did not reply. Can anyone help me? Does anyone have this stored in their computer and would be willing to share? I have asked Paulette if it is even a freebie that can be shared any longer. As I said, no reply. I am pretty saddened that I bought the magazine for this and cannot even access the chart. Any real would surely be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

It is bitingly cold in New England now... with a warm up (slight) due tomorrow, bringing with it very heavy rain.  Wish me luck. We will be going to MIL's to take her to lunch in that horriffic weather tomorrow.  Something about it is bugging me....  does not feel like a good idea.  Oh well.  Will have to wait and see.  

Happy New Year.... and a little reflection...

I am a little late in posting this as it has been "holiday hectic" here, but I received this gorgeous ornament from dear Katrina just after Christmas - it managed to be able to hang on my tree for a day or two before I took it down, and it looked great!

Thank you so much Katrina - I love this ornament, and it will be yet another treasure from you to hang every year! I have quite a few from you now. You're the best! I will email you, as I have one from you about my health which does deserve a reply. Will try to do that today ;-)

I also managed to stitched up a couple of ornaments during the last part of December... did not get a chance to take photos until today (it is very warm and sunny hear, very strange for January 2... you can see how sunny it is just by looking at the photos!)


Merry Xmas Ornament
The Little Stitcher - chart found here
30 ct Medium Exampler Speckled 739 Jache Linen
Crescent Colours Floss in Apple Fritter and Bamboo

Noel Stamp Ornament 2011
Jeannette Douglas Designs
Just Cross Stitch 2011 Christmas Ornament Issue
R&R Reproductions 28 ct Flax Fields Linen, DMC Floss, GAST Floss, Petite Mill Hill Beads

And... I also stitched one yesterday while watching the Patriots game...

Jolly Ornament
Miss Crescent's Crowne
Just Cross Stitch 2011 Christmas Ornament Issue
32 ct Dirty Belfast Linen, Crescent Colours Floss


Soooooo.... usually at this time of the year, I do a little photo show of all that I stitched this year. Well, I sure did not have enough to bother to do that this year. It is easy enough to scroll only a little to see what little I managed to stitch due to my migraines, tinnitus, vertigo and neck pain.... So anyhow, I have reflected on some other things I did accomplish this year...
1) I learned about all one can learn about tinnitus, and although it took me 9 months and many thousands of dollars to get to this conclusion, I have learned that a neuromuscular dentist is in order.... my appt is for January 18.... I pray for no snow and tons of relief... and I will be writing a CE course on Tinnitus for the American College of Wellness this year, hope to have that published and ready to go before long...
2) I read 271 books.... paperbacks and ebooks, maybe one or two were hardcover.... all were romance novels... hey, I know what I like, and somehow reading has been easier than stitching... less having to look at tiny holes and threads, and books/iPad/Kindle Fire all easier to hold on some days than stitching has been...
3) Professionally, I made huge strides, despite the pain... or perhaps because of my refusal to give in to the pain... I have been licensed as a mental health counselor in Massachusetts for eons, and this year, I managed to obtain a very hard to get New Hampshire license, as well as become nationally certified. I sublet office space in Londonderry, NH and 2-3 days a week, I now work considerably closer to home... and sincerely hope that in 2012 I will be working in my NH space a whole lot more as I was signed onto several NH insurance panels already. I also took coursework and became a Certified Obesity Management Specialist. I also took a huge amount of continuing education in 2011 in - Anxiety Disorders/Boundaries in Mental Health Treatment/Treating Co-Occurring Disorders/Multiple Sclerosis: Hope Through Research/Children's Behavioral Health Initiative Distance Learning Outpatient Activity/Grief Counseling: The Best Clinical, Practical and Integrative Skills & Interventions/Stop Anxiety and Panic in 5 Session Without Medication/Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act/Mental Health Treatment for Persons with HIV/NBCC Code of Ethics/Orthorexia Nervosa: When Healthy Living Goes Awry/Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for RDs/APSARD ADHD and Comorbidity Newsletter/Substance Abuse: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment/What is HIV?/Bullying: Techniques for Dealing with Taunting, Teasing, & Tormenting/An Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation/Intro to Goals, Clinical Concerns, and Opportunities in Behavioral Health Managed Care/Blending DBT and the 12 Steps to Treat Eating Disorders and Addiction/Medical Issues with Eating Disorders....

So, while I have been away from this wonderful world of stitching and blogging, I did want to take stock and review that it was not at all a lost year for me... a loud and dizzy year, but not a lost year...

Happy New Year to you all!!! Miss you so very much.

All Kinds of Christmas Ornaments

I have a little gathering of Christmas Ornaments to share today. I have been feeling a bit better the past couple of weeks, and have been on a little mission to stitch ornaments... including a few that have been on my "to do" list for quite a while now..

First though, I wanted to share this lovely ornament that arrived in the mail today from Katrina.

I am not at all familiar with this design, but I do love it. And as always, I just adore Katrina's finishing techniques! Thank you so much Katrina - you are such a dear friend! I will cherish this one always.

Next... a few I recently finished. I apologize straight out for some of the photos. It is a warm but overcast/rainy late afternoon here, and my tree pics are not so great...

Christmas 2010 Ornament
Glory Bee
Just Cross Stitch 2010 Christmas Ornament Issue
32 ct Antique Ivory Belfast Linen, GAST Floss

Noel Ornament
Log Cabin Needleworks
36 Summer Khaki Edinburgh Linen, GAST Floss

Joy Ornament
Lizzie Kate
Just Cross Stitch 2007 Christmas Ornament Issue
40 ct R&R Reproductions Antique Cotton Linen, WDW Floss

Peace Ornament
Country Cottage Needleworks
Just Cross Stitch 2007 Christmas Ornament Issue
28 ct Confederate Grey Cashel Linen, DMC Floss

And... some snaps of our tree - from two different angles. I cannot get a photo of the back of the tree, nor one of the side facing the stairwell... but you get the idea! Please pardon Beau's favorite bed in the corner - I likes to sleep "under the tree" :-)

Currently Stitching: HoHRH, Christmas Ornaments

RAK and another ornament

I came home from work this afternoon to two things - our first snow flurries of the year (OK, at least the first I have seen, plus they were also around a little during my morning commute as well...) and this adorable RAK from dear Andrea!

I love this ornament! Soooo cute, and of course, so expertly and perfectly stitched and finished. What a total surprise, and I am over the moon! I know my health issues have made me so very scarce this year, and to receive a stitching RAK from an old stitching pal brightened my day and brings me such hope for 2011! Thank you soooo much for such a thoughtful gift, Andrea. I will cherish this forever, and actually hope to decorate the tree tonight - just waiting for the branches to relax and open (we bought our live tree yesterday) so that DH can string the lights and then I can have at it with the ornaments! (PS - I had planned to stitch this ornament at some point in the next few weeks - now I do not have to, unless I choose to stitch it for someone else!!)

Also, I finished another little ornament this weekend... so here it is...

Joy Ornament
Amy Bruecken Designs
Just Cross Stitch 2009 Christmas Ornament Issue
Weeks Dye Works 30 ct Guacamole Linen, Crescent Colours Floss




Currently Stitching: Christmas Ornaments!!

Wonderful Mail!

Yesterday, the mailmain delivered a birthday gift from my dear stitching friend, Marie! What a surprise - I used to stitch a lot of bday gifts for stitching friends, but life circumstances changed dramatically and now I rarely ever have a chance to do that anymore. I absolutely never expect to receive gifts, and yet... look at this stunning surprise from Marie. I adore it - the colors are amazing and the stitching and finishing are perfect! Thank you, Marie, for the treat! I will email you today - I got in so late last night from a dinner with my mom, her husband and his family that I was not at all focused until this morning :-)
And then, the mailman brought another treat today! I received this adorable HoE For the Birds Exchange from Erin today. Isn't this sooooo cheerful! I love this little SamSarah design and the finish so much that it now sits in my hutch in my dining area and is so perky! I am so lucky! She also could not resist making me one of those fun fobs she has been making with her husband's grandmother's beads - she said Happy BDay in my card, so must be for that! I was admiring the one she had in her blog recently, and now I own one! See, I am soooo lucky! Thank you Erin.... gulp, now I better kick it into high gear to get my exchange out in time.... :-)




Currently Stitching: HoE For the Birds Exchange, and Family Reunion Sampler

Thank you Debby!

Birthday goodness continues a little while longer with this adorable LHN ornament from dear Debby. I think it is the cutest thing, and I just love it! Thank you so much, Debby, for your kindness!





Stitching on: Stitching on Edgar's Halloween RR, and started HoE By the Sea Exchange

Surprise Birthday Gift

I just received a surprise birthday gift from Margaret today. I was stunned. I did not even begin to imagine I would receive any birthday gifts from stitching friends this year as I have not been able to do much by way of sending any out myself... but Margaret blindsided me with her sweetness and friendship. I stitched this sweet envelope/pouch that looks like a postal letter with a nice verse on it... and stuffed it with cosmetics! Thank you so much Margaret - what a treat!!




Stitching on: Houses of Hawk Run Hollow, Edgar's Halloween RR and Winter Exchange for Cathy K.

Gifts from Tannia!

I received this lovely parcel of gifts from Tannia today :-) These are belated birthday gifts. Oh, Tannia, you didn't have to do this! She stitched me a sweet heart shaped ornament/fob... and all these pretty charts were with it. Thank you Tannia!!
I am pretty determined not to let this block on HOHRH take me too long, so I worked on the night sky again tonight! It is going very smoothly, and is not as intimidating (yet) as I thought it might be!
And, I thought I would share with you what I have chosen to be the project that I will start at the beginning of 2008. I started And A Forest Grew on New Year's Eve last year. This year I hope to start this beauty, A Quaker Christmas by ByGone Stitches. I just got my chart, and I am so excited to start!!! I might do it differently than I usually do... maybe more than one night a week, likely not in any structured way, maybe sometimes at work... trying out a few new ideas for fitting it in with my other WIPS and plans. I don't think I will be doing it as a structured SAL or any such thing this time around.

I am again so far behind in blogs... and am forever apologizing for it. I think I need to quit my full-time job if I am ever going to keep up! I know many of you feel the same way, so I guess I should not feel badly about it :-) Reading blogs/commenting in blogs does not pay the mortgage, but my job does... so guess I better stick with the job!

Stitched on today: Finished a PIF gift, and Houses of Hawk Run Hollow

Beautiful Gifts!

I received such a lovely surprise in the mail today! Anne sent me a belated birthday gift! She sent me this beautiful needleroll that I had recently been drooling over on her blog! She also sent me some overdyed fibers and a cute cat card, both of which I forgot to photograph - sorry! Oh Anne, this was so unexpected and so sweet of you! Thank you - I just love it! Earlier this week, I also received a surprise package from Lelia :-) She sent me a couple of fobs out of friendship. Awww, thanks Lelia! The heart fob is from a kit from when she volunteered at the Midwest Stash Exchange. The kit was for charity. How sweet! And the beaded fob was made by her friend Amanda. Thank you Lelia. I have already emailed you, and you know I really love them :-)
Ta Da - I finished Cathy's Neighborhood Round Robin tonight. Sorry the photo of my block is a bit blurry. I didn't realize it until now, and the project is already packed up and ready to go to An.
And, for the curious amongst you, this is how Cathy's RR looks now. She wanted our houses to reflect the area in which we live... next stop, The Netherlands! I hope you like it Cathy!

Stitched on today: Started F&S squares (yes, I am late, I can barely stand it!) and finished Cathy's Neighborhood Round Robin

A Trip to the Sea, and Thank You Sonya!!

I received the most beautiful package of goodies in the mail today! There was no card or note in the package, but the Scotland return address suggests that this is the PIF package from Sonya! If this is indeed from Sonya, my gosh, she went above and beyond! Not only did she send this gorgeous paperweight - isn't it amazing?? - she also sent goodies! A cute chart, some Weeks Dye Works floss, stork scissors and a lavender sachet! Oh my! I feel so spoiled! Thank you Sonya! Your stitching is immaculate!

It felt really strange not to be stitching on Paradigm Lost tonight, but I did work on Rachael's Neighborhood Round Robin again instead. I finished up the fences and the anchor gate. I added sand to the beach (Liz Turner Diehl had grass amongst the sand, but I went my own way with this, partially because Rachael has asked for no overdyed or non-washable fibers in her RR, and Liz used Colorwash silk in this area). OK, I have some good ideas of what to add below the lighthouse in the open area - most especially, at least one beeskep as Rachael has requested. However... I admit I am a bit perplexed as to what to add in the rather obvious blank area to the right between the lighthouse and the next block. I want to have these two blend together somehow. The sailboat in the next block is a bit large, so there will be no perfect blending - any boat that would fit in my ocean would be quite smaller. So, I need something to break the area up yet appeal to some perspective. This will be the tricky part. Any suggestions? I am limited to what I have in my stash - which is huge. I know a tree would help, but it won't fill the whole area well... hmmm....

Stitched on today: Finished a gift, and Rachael's Neighborhood Round Robin