I'm Back!

If I have any readers out there still, thank you for sticking with me. My decision that I needed to make, but then decided to see what happened really messed with my mind, I think. It was definately a good thing to wait to see if things would improve, but it was an employment issue and no one feels good about giving up a job in this economy. Especially in Michigan! However, without going into too many details, sometimes you just KNOW it is the right decision. So, Feb. 3 was my last day at work. Never been happier. OK, that's all I'm going to say about that. This week I will be back to regular blogging - there is so much to discuss!! Like Pinterest!! OMG! I need a pintervention, seriously! So many great ideas, recipies, crafts, outfits ...... Oh, my! I have some finishes to show and I am starting a house project to redo many of our rooms. I started with the master bathroom and have some before and in progress pics to share. I am definately a beginner at this stuff, but I am having a great time trying! So, will see you this week with some updated bloggie things and I might even have a giveaway. I need to clean the craft room and that means passing on some great stuff! Stay tuned!

Thank You!

I loved all the responses I got and really liked the one about best two out of three. I think that's where I was in the decision making process. So, the decision was to see what happens next without making a decision. And, so far, it's been ok. It's good to hear what other people do in these times. Thanks!
It is a momentous day here and I must apologize to the people in my area. My youngest, number 5, took his road test and PASSED. He and Big Daddy are at the Secretary of State's office as I type getting the coveted LICENSE. How did this happen? It was only yesterday that he was a baby! Now he's a junior, football and hockey player and now a driver. Oh My.
I have pics of some projects and our mini-vacation that I will post soon. Also, went to the Casino in Canada last night for the first time (we are in a border town) and had a fabulous time. Came home with more money and that is always good. Only $12.00 more, but hey - that's fun!

Big Decisions, How do you make them?

Any help from out there is blogland on making big decisions? I have one to make regarding.......well, I can't say. I need to make a change but not sure if it's the right thing to do. Of course, I have already consulted Big Daddy, but he has basically left it up to me. It does not impact us financially (thank you Big Daddy) or anything like that, so he just says, "do what makes you happy". Problem is, I don't know that it will. I THINK it will, but do you see my problem? I wonder if any readers out there have a good way of looking at a situation and seeing what should be done. Hmmmm. I am open to suggestions. Also, I think I am going to put together a little giveaway. If I get to 50 readers, I will have a neat, stitchy gifty for one of my lucky readers. Help me out here people! Tell all your friends to sign up, even if it's only for the giveaway! LOL!

Nothing Since May?? Really??

OK, once again I am a bad blogger, but I think I am now in my new groove. For those of you who have read that before, just have pity on me. LOL! Seriously, nothing bad has been going on, just life. I love to blog and I just need to put some effort into it. I seem to have gotten lazy in several aspects of my life. That has to change.
Football season is upon us for #5, #4 is living with his sister, #3 is still working full-time and has gotten me addicted to auctions, #2 has moved home for a little while, and #1 is going to graduate from massage therapy school in Dec. Big Daddy has been working alot and I am still at the job I can't blog about.
As I mentioned, I am now addicted to auctions and we (#3 and I) go every Wednesday. I don't think I have spent over $20.00, but really had a great time. And, it's something special that we get to do together.

Isn't this a great quote? It just sort of sums up some people. It made me smile. I hope no one takes offense.

I am starting to stitch more and hope to have some pictures of finishes soon. I have 2 scarves and several cross stitches and a few pillows on the go. Very excited about these new projects. I love the internet and all the wonderful ideas out there!! If you are into crafting and love graphics, check out www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com. There are terrific graphics on that site and I am going to use one off of her blog to make a french country pillow! I just have to find the time! Well, thanks for hanging in there with me. Take care and happy crafting!!

cross stitch patterns for sale

I have the following patterns for sale -

Little House Needleworks "Bringing Home the Tree" the ornament series for 2011. This is pattern #2. Like new pattern, $4.00 + 1.50 shipping and handling

Ackworth Friendship Book pattern, also like new. This chart retails for $18.00, I will sell it for $12.00 + 2.50 shipping and handling. First comments gets the patterns and you must pay with Paypal promptly. I will have more patterns in the future - I am cleaning out a few things and I need to make room for more patterns!! LOL!

A Royal Table Setting!

I bought some napkins rings a long time ago that were very unique. They are shaped like crowns or tiaras! There were 5 but when I set my breakfast table, I only need 4. I thought maybe to use them for my granddaughter's birthday or Mother's Day or something. However, with the Royal Wedding, I set the table and used them. I love them! I totally laid out of work to watch the wedding and I even teared up a little bit! Loved everything about the day!! Here is a picture of the table and a closeup of the napkin ring.

Busy at work and stitching has been light these days. I am knitting washcloths for both of our bathrooms and that is what I am working on when I get a minute. Easy to pick up and put down. Will post some pics of the bathroom redo soon. Still have alot of work to do in there - one thing leads to another, right?

Well, will post again soon. I am starting to do couponing again and I look forward to posting the bargains I hope to get. I also have some stitching I need to start and I really am looking forward to getting some house projects done. I have to remember the before pictures - sometimes I forget!
Take care!!

Having a Wonderful Vacation!

It's Easter evening and I am having such a great time! Church this morning with the family, killer lunch afterward, successful egg hunt for the little ones and our hometown hockey team, Nashville Predators, won their game and are moving on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs! One more day here and then home Tuesday morning. I will be ready to go home. I miss #1 and pretty princess and her brother. I am really a homebody and I like routine!
Tomorrow, there will be some shopping and eating at our favorite restaurant and then the last evening with the family. I will miss them and we need to come down here more than once a year. I had a wonderful trip to the Stitching Post and got some stash. Will post pictures of the goodies when I get home.
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and a blessed weekend! Take care!!

On Vacation!

Yesterday, we loaded up the mini and headed  to TN for the Easter Holidays. Had a very smooth trip down and boy, is it nice to ride with a 16 yr old, 18 yr old, 20 yr old and a 22 yr old. They all hooked up their ipods and slept most of the way. Dropped one off in Bowling Green, KY to be with the girlfriend but we will see him later in the trip.
Woke up to a thunderstorm but just now the sun popped out! Will update with some pictures later! Off to stitch in the sunshine!

OK, That's It.....

So you ever just get fed up with stuff? Not big stuff, but all the little stuff that just pecks away at you? Arghhh, that's the kind of mood that I am in. I am going to clean house, both literally and figuratively and get myself back in order. Alot of it has to do with my job. It was supposed to be a few hours a day, but has turned into a more-than-full-time sort of thing. And I am in charge, which is more stressful than you would think. Even for me and I like to be in charge. So, I am getting it together. We are going to start on some house redo's and I hope that it will be a good experience. I will blog about them and I am trying to remember to take before and after pictures. I have way to much clutter and I feel a purge coming on. Things have to change. Does this sound like a pep talk? Well, I guess it is.
Had a fun weekend - spent time with the little man and pretty princess on Saturday and Sunday drove to Southfield, MI where #5 had a hockey game for their league championships AND THEY WON! 7-2! Yeah! Big banner and trophy and Tigers tickets, oh my! Next weekend is the State Championships in Jackson, MI. Thanks for the tips on the cross stitch shop there! I look forward to going and getting some stash, for sure.
OK, off to start the first house project. Our master bathroom is (wait for it) .....carpeted. Yuck. I know. So, the carpet is coming out and new tile is going in. We will do everything else from this tile and we are very excited about the new floor. The same tile is going in the rest of the house to replace the nasty carpet, as well. Only the kitchen floor, second bath and laundry room floors are staying. They are still in good shape and they look good with the new tiles. Well, off to move stuff out of the bathroom and wait for Big Daddy to tear up the carpet! I am so excited!! Wish us luck!
Oh, the ornament tree arrived, but I haven't had a chance to put it up yet. Maybe tomorrow~!

A Great Giveaway!

Go here - http://carolyn-justonemorestitch.blogspot.com/2011/03/this-makes-me-happy-and-giveaway.html for a great giveaway and a great blog!I love giveaways and I think I should have one soon. Maybe for Easter? Hmmmm......

Still Stitching!

On my plan of stitching an ornament a month. I have a new reason - I just bought an black metal ornament tree - which is about 3 feet tall. I am thinking about getting the larger one if the price goes down any further. I can fill this baby up for sure! I ordered the black and I can't wait to get it! Maybe on payday i will get the bigger one, too. Even the smaller one is really cute! I can't wait to see it all filled up with the ornaments I am stitching. I am going tonight to buy a new memory card for my camera and then I can post some pics. My old one is filling up fast!

Not The Best Pickup Line In The World

This was overheard last night in a local gas station - "Aye, how yo babies?" He then proceeded to ask the girl to a party. She said, "Nah, been working all day. You know how it is. No, you don't but I'm tired." Too funny.
Our trip up north was successful and fun. We came in 5th place, not bad considering we played up a division and there were some kids that looked like they had a wife and children in the stands. BIG boys. Found a great little teacher's shop and got some great stuff for Easter for my work and had a fun time at the ski lodge. Last night, the boys won their semi-final game and we play next Sunday for our league championship and we are going to the state championship in Jackson! This is a busy time for hockey families, with the season winding up.
I hope to post some pictures soon of the projects I have finished and the Blackbird book I got - Divine! Take care, friends.

We're Off up North!

We're off to Gaylord Michigan for a hockey tournament. There was more snow last night here that just makes me wish for sunshine and warmer days. Packed my stitching and I am knitting a super-cute hat that I would love to finish before summer! LOL! Well, I hope to get some pictures and we are going to have a fun time. And maybe win some games. Maybe. Take care friends and thanks for the info on the stitching shops. I am saving my money for Jackson - sounds like good stash potential. I have the new Blackbird Designs book coming in the mail. I pre-ordered it before the Nashville Needlework show and it should come in the mail this weekend. Really looking forward to it. Ok, everybody wish us luck!!

A pic of some finished

Here is a picture of the ornaments that I have been finishing. Some are not completely finished, but I tend to stuff and finish several ornies at once. I am having a great time doing these. Will post more later!!

Back Again!

Now I have more reliable access to a computer and so, here's a post! My ornament a month is going great and I will post some pics hopefully tomorrow. I have more than one done for the months of Jan and Feb! I am stitching up the LHN ornaments from last year and started collecting the ones for this year. I am also starting a redwork project. I started a cute, simple hat that I am knitting. That is a good rink project! We are in the midst of playoffs in hockey and we will be doing some traveling. We are going to Gaylord Michigan in a few weeks to a resort (they have a spa and I am going to try to work extra hours to maybe plan a little pampering) and also to Jackson, MI. If anyone knows of a cross stitch shop in those two places, please let me know. I usually don't get to buy new stash until I go home to Nashville, so I'd like to see if there is somewhere I can visit in our travels.
It has been so cold and snowy here in Michigan. I am really ready for spring. I am starting the Lizzie Kate freebie "Welcome Spring" and maybe it will help spring come a little sooner.
We lost a good friend last night and she was so young. My age. She has 2 boys that are the same age as #3 and #4. She was the godmother to most of my kids. I still can't believe it. At my father-in-law's funeral last summer, I said, " We have to get together some time soon." She said, "Yes, but not at a funeral." We laughed. Ironic. The weight of sadness is so heavy. I hope that her husband and boys can cope without her. She did everything for them. I think they knew ahead of time, so I hope that they we at least somewhat prepared. Uggg. OK, enough of that.
Well, pictures tomorrow after our hockey road trip. It's a must win game for our team to move on in the playoffs. Wish us luck! See you soon, my friends, and make sure to hug the ones you love.

Sorry I Have Been Missing In Action

Argghhh - despite my good intentions, I haven't posted in a sweet forever. I may not have any followers, but if you are still reading this, thanks for sticking with me. For various and sundry reasons, Christmas is not my favorite holiday. Still,  I try to be in the spirit and I feel that we had a good Christmas. I am just over it. Today, I got all of the ornaments organized and repacked and threw out all of the junk that ended up in the storage boxes. When I can post pictures, I found a whole bunch of stitched pieces that I just needed to finish. So, I got busy and I will have enough stitched ornaments to have my own little tree!! I am so excited! My goal is to stitch one christmas ornament a month this year. I am excited for the challenge. And post more. Really.

Getting in the spirit

Made these cute red and white polka dot pillowcases for a little festive touch in the boudior. Love them!! Cheap and easy - LOL! Will post more later - I have a cute wreath to show you. Take care!!

Still here!

I am still here, but computer problems have me up in arms!! I hate computers when they don't work and love them when they do. I miss blogging! I will post more this weekend and will have pictures of the final finishes of Halloween and some new things. I have a few Thanksgiving patterns I may stitch, but I have started on my first Christmas (gasp!) project. Christmas is not my favorite holiday, so I don't know what is going on, but I felt drawn to start this little ornament. I think maybe it is just some stitching therapy. I love to stitch when I have things going on and I think this will be a very, very productive holiday season. I think that this is my favorite time to stitch when the weather has turned cold. It is supposed to SNOW today, but it is November and I do live in Michigan. I knew it was going to happen at some point in time. Now I will just be wishing for snow days!! For those of you who have asked, the job is still going great. I love it and I love being with the children again. Football season has ended and now we just have hockey season. My favorite. Number 5 is not playing high school hockey but will play at the local rink instead. There is a game tomorrow and we are really looking forward to it. Well, have to go. Time for work. Talk to you all very soon or at least when I can get on someone's computer!!

A few stitchy finishes

I hoped to have finished pieces to show you but my family kinda likes clean clothes and food (they are so silly) so I may or may not get to post the final results. But, here are the ones I can show. I have 2 more, but they are for exchanges and I can't reveal them until they are mailed and they show up at their new home. These designs are Prairie Schooler and the other is a freebie from LaChantelain. Work is going very well and I am increasing my hours a little bit, which makes me at work from 7:45 some mornings until 1:00pm. Yes, I like it that much! I actually was a little sad to go home the other day. That has never happened to me! I love teaching and feel that I am just about back in my groove. This is my favorite time of the year to teach, with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!! Needless to say, we will do alot of crafts! LOL! Take care, friends and if I have the time I will get some finished pieces posted!!

A Fun Craft

I may have some more finishes to post soon, but I wanted to get this up! This is such a cute craft. If you google "Posh Squash" you will get the site I got it from and there are others that had the same idea. So cute! I went through my stash of fabric and made these 3 as examples. Two are dark brown taffeta (not sure why I had this fabric, but ok) and the other is an off white that has some sequins in it. Hard to get a pic of, but so cute in person. I have some leopard print that I might make one out of just for fun.