Drama & Sadness on This Last Day of December and 2011

For the past 5 weeks that my youngest DD has been home from college, it's been relatively calm.  However, today the Drama Queen was back.  I don't know what happened to bring the Drama Queen back, but it sure wasn't pretty.

My youngest returns to school tomorrow and my oldest returns to school on Monday to start student teaching on Jan. 3.  I'm going to be a lonely momma and have to adjust to being an empty nester all over again.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Our friend's daughter, Nyckie, peacefully went to be with the Lord earlier this evening.  Tomorrow would be Nyckie's birthday.

It's been a difficult day for all of us and I'm glad to be at home tonight.

Whether you are out and about or at home tonight, I wish you happiness and good times as you celebrate the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012!


As Nyckie's mom says,

HOPE ALWAYS

New Year's Eve Eve

I think everyone was out and about today.  I worked 14 hours yesterday so that I could have today off.  My youngest DD's violin needed new strings so Hubby and I got to take the violin to the shop.  I'm devious in my plans because there is a LNS in the next town from where DD bought the violin.  It's over 100 miles to the violin store and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit the LNS since it was only a few miles from the violin store.

We also went to another "big" city to a second LNS today before we headed home.  Don't tell my mom that I spent the money she gave me for new work clothes on STASH!

3 Things I Learned Today:

1. NEVER, and I mean, NEVER EVER go to a LNS without any idea of what you want to purchase!
2. Hubby is only good for about 10 minutes in the LNS before he becomes a mischievous little boy.
3. When he says "take your time, I'll wait in the car" he doesn't mean take your time.

I had to promise Hubby we could go to Red Robin for lunch in exchange for going to 2 LNS' in one day, but it was worth it.

I purchased several Mill Hill kits, a large piece of 32 count Jobelan, a couple of magazines, 2 Lizzie Kate designs, Frosty Feast by Crossed Wing Collection, Spring Feeder, Summer Feeder, Autumn Feeder and Winter Feeder by Crossed Wing Collection, and Two Cabins (needlepoint) by Nancy's Needle.

Today has also brought sad news. 

We found out a dear friend has breast cancer and will be beginning chemo and radiation soon.

We also heard from another friend whose daughter was rushed to the hospital last night.  Nyckie is 33, has a young son and caring husband.  She has recently been diagnosed with a new brain tumor (her first diagnosis was in 2007).  Tonight she is in a coma with a brain bleed and has been put on a breathing tube.  Things are looking pretty grim.  Nyckie's mom has a saying:

God is Good!  Hope Always!

29 Days = 29 Blog Posts

Can you believe it?  I've managed 29 blog posts in December!  I think I'm running out of things to blog about and then an idea pops into my head, lol.

I've been working on creating my list of ornies I want to stitch in 2012.  I'm still adding to my list, but it's already too long.  I have listed 105 ornaments and I'm not done.

How do I prioritize this list?  By theme?  By designer? By color? By magazine?  The options are about as plentiful as the number of ornies on my list.

Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Hubby and I took another trip north to our camper.  He thinks it's camping weather, but I think not.  True, it's been a very mild December so far, but it's still not warm enough for me.  I did tell Hubby he was more than welcome to camp by himself.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

28 Days into December ~ ~

Went searching through my craft room the other day. 

Do you have a box or container that holds items from when you first started stitching, projects that you started and for whatever reason, never finished?

I found several items in my box from the earlier days.  All of these items were started years after I had begun stitching, but I never finished them.

Another large piece - about 10 x 18

This was not stored in the hoop and the hoop outline is just wrinkles in the fabric, not stains.

This one is actually going to be 11 x 20

What should happen to these pieces?  It never felt right to toss these unfinished projects, but what's the likelihood that they will ever be finished?  I have lots more in a box marked "To Finish".

My nephew had a sheet set with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and he wanted a pillow to match.  I used the sheets to design the turtles.  I don't know why this never got finished - either my nephew quit liking the turtles or I was stitching too slow.  Since he's now 30 years old, I'm pretty sure he doesn't want me to finish this now!

What have you done with the unfinished projects hidden in your box or container?

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

12/27/11

Antique, Vintage or Old?

Not sure if it's antique, vintage or old, but the gift I received from my MIL qualifies for such a title.  She called it antique.  When she handed the gift to me, it was like I had a spotlight on me and the whole family stopped whatever they were doing to watch me.  She was so excited to give me this gift and it was the last gift handed out. 

My MIL makes every gift she wraps very difficult to open because she ties about 10 ribbons every which way around the package and there are many knots to ensure the ribbon doesn't slide off.  Instead of watching me wrestle with the knotted ribbons, she handed me the little scissors so I could just snip the ribbons.

Finally, I got the tissue paper off and found an Oreo Cookie tin.  My DD said I should look in the tin because it looked old.  Within the tin, I found threads!  Lots and lots of threads.  My MIL said that she thought some of the threads had to be at least 50 years old.

As I was opening each small tissue paper wrapped bunch of threads, my MIL excitedly informed Hubby that one can never have too much STASH!  I loved it!  Hubby looked at his mom with disbelief and said he couldn't believe she had just given me permission to acquire more stash.

What stitchy gift did you get this year?

Since I'm declaring 2012 the year of the ornament, I do need to make sure I have enough stash to complete all the ornaments, right?  My mom gave me some cash and instructed me to get myself some new clothes for work, but I'm thinking dreaming of more stash instead.

I have so many ornaments I want to stitch, I think I'm going to have to stitch at least one per week for the whole year.  Maybe I should consider prioritizing my list...

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

26 Days!

Not much left of December.  Hard to believe that in only a few days we'll be in a new month and a new year.

I'm declaring 2012 the year of the ornament!  I now have the JCS Ornament issues from 2003 through 2011 and I'm going to pick out all the ones I want to stitch and my goal is to stitch them throughout this year.  Of course, I have tons of other ornament charts I want to stitch too, not to mention all the new ones that will come out in 2012.

I think I will have to compile a list of the ornaments, post it on my blog and then you all can help me stay on track!  Wonder how long it'll take me to compile that list, lol.

11 New Babies!

Only 9 wanted to pose for the camera!

DD added a couple new fish to our aquarium last week.  Today, we discovered new babies and had to set up a second aquarium for the fry.  Now we notice there is a big difference in the size of the two new fish, so we're thinking they are both female and both going to have babies.  The fish we have are Mollies and they are live bearers capable of having over 20 babies at one time.  That's alot of babies and I don't know what we'd do with so many fish.

Hubby is on vacation this week and has a long list of things he wants "us" to do.  I'm just trying to recover from the past two days of traveling to spend Christmas Eve with one side of the family and Christmas Day with the other side.  It's back to work tomorrow for me, but I'm not required to work a full day -- just however long it takes to get my work done.  That means I'll probably be working 10 or 12 hours! 

Stay tuned for more stitching news!

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin' 

Merry CHRISTmas!

Wishing you and your family a

Very Merry Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve 

I Got It Done!

I finally got the ornament for my MIL done late last night. 

Enjoy your time with family and friends!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Eve

My Ambitious Second Project

I was quite ambitious and one day I found a HUGE design that I fell in love with.  I mean it really was HUGE; it required tons of fabric and so much floss that it filled a shopping basket (it doesn't seem so big now that I'm more experienced).  Some colors required 4 skeins, while others required 2 or 3 skeins.  I chose this particular design because it reminded me of when I would visit Grandma & Grandpa and we would walk to the store.  The whole side of the building was a painted Coca-Cola ad. 

After I had purchased all of the floss, the fabric and the chart, it all sat in a shopping bag and to this day, I haven't started it!  That was so many years ago.  The store I purchased all the materials for that project was a department store that is still around today, but you won't find any craft or hobby items there.

I don't know why I never started that piece and when I came across the booklet recently, I was still drawn to the design.  Maybe I'll consider starting it this year... or maybe not.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

22 Days

My First Time...

I was a naive, young girl and we had just moved to a new city.  I met the girl who lived next door.  She told me it was ok, lots of people do it and I could do it too.  Mom always told me I wouldn't be able to and couldn't do it, but Grandma was less critical and instructed me to be careful.

My new friend let me in on all her knowledge for her young age and even shared some of her tips.  After lying to my mom, my new friend and I walked downtown to find what we needed.  Once we completed our mission, we headed back home.  From that moment on, I just couldn't stop!

I was addicted and just couldn't get enough.  Back in those days, it was easy to find just about everywhere and I would spend hours looking.  I did have some misconceptions, however and found that I was much slower at finishing than starting, which did create some problems.  That really didn't bother me so much at first, but even today it still kind of haunts me.

Stitched on 11 count Ivory Aida

My stitches look neat and even, but I used all six strands of floss.  I didn't know I should separate the strands.

The back isn't too bad, but I would never carry a thread that far today!

I guess you could say I still haven't finished this one since it's been in a box all these years.

Come back tomorrow for the continuation of this story!

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Is it really December 21?

(I'm totally not in a working mood and taking it easy at work today, but don't tell my boss!)

It's finally the middle of the week!  WooHoo!  The kids and teachers go home today and the mood is festive.  All the little grade schoolers will be having their parties, the middle schoolers are dramatic, but cheerful and the high schoolers just can't wait to get outta here! 

I work in a unique school district.  We are a very small K-12 district, with the administrative offices in the school building and the school building houses all grade levels.  One of the things I love the most about my job is the interaction with the students.  I fill in for the school secretary and help her with the morning rush which means I interact directly with the students.  My office has windows that face two hallways and I get to see the littlest students as well as the biggest students as they pass by.   

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

My dog is just a kid!

 
This morning, while I was getting ready for work, Dottie was playing with her toys in the living room.  She likes to play with 3 or 4 all at the same time.  She has squeeky toys, balls, stuffed toys and rag toys.  She likes to throw the toys in the air, hold them in her mouth and shake her head, toss them and run to catch them and run around the living room like a crazy animal with her toys. 

Not an unusual activity for Dottie in the morning, but this morning it got suddenly quiet.  Then I heard her crying.  I peeked around the corner to see what was going on.  Dottie saw me, continued crying and came running to me. 

I admit it, I talk to my dogs! 

I asked her what was wrong and she cried some more and ran to the window.  She stood there crying some more and then ran back to me. 

I walked over to the window, and this is what I saw:

Dottie's favorite toy, the "mailman" landed where it shouldn't have!

Seems someone was throwing her toys around again and one went where it shouldn't have!


Today, I hope you experience joy!

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Attitude Tuesday - December 20

Everyone has an attitude today and I must admit, so do I.  Students don't want to be in school, teachers want to be shopping, or home, or just anywhere that's not a school and those of us in the administrative office are bearing the brunt of the everyone's bad attitudes. 

I had a break from training in the middle of the day because I chose to work in my office instead of going out to lunch.  I'm glad the training is completed and now I can try to catch up.

I'm tired, crabby and emotional. 

I arrived home to find that my DD rolled out, cut out and baked the sugar cookies.  While I love her for helping me out, she didn't bake them long enough to make them crispy.  So now I have 8 dozen sugar cut-out cookies that are, as my mom would say, under baked.  I don't dare say anything because I don't want to hurt her feelings, but what do I do about the cookies?

Hubby and I took an early morning drive last Saturday.  Mostly just to get out of the house on a beautiful morning, but also to check on our camper at the campgrounds about 45 minutes north of where we live.  It still amazes us how much difference in the weather there is between our home and where our camper is.  They had quite a bit more snow at the campgrounds than we had at home.

The wildlife is so spectacular and I could sit and watch it all day long.  The deer are especially active at the campgrounds this time of year simply because there aren't as many campers around.  The campgrounds is open all year, so if we wanted to, we could be camping during a snowstorm.  Personally, that's not my idea of fun, but there are alot of people who like to hike the trails during the winter, snowmobile, sled, skate and ice fish.

Hoping your attitude is better than mine and that you are able to find some quiet moments during this busy season.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Manic Monday ~~ December 19

Like the song says, it's a Manic Monday.  Work is crazy right now and I'll be in all day training today and tomorrow.  I'm expected to sit through 8 hours of training 2 days in a row and still get may daily duties done afterwards.   Ugg!

Add to the frustration of having so much to do the fact that the trainer was an hour late this morning!  He said he "forgot" we were starting at 8 a.m.  I wonder if I can tell my boss that I forgot we start at 7:30 a.m.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I've worked a little more on the ornament for my MIL and am posting pics.  I'm hoping that by posting pics, it will be a good motivator to work to get this ornie done in time for Christmas.

Two parts that will be sewn together with other parts to form a house.

Two more parts of the house.

I'm off to get a little stitching in before my head hits the pillow tonight.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Sunday, Dec. 18

Only 7 more days til Christmas!  When I was a kid, I'd be so excited and anxious for Christmas morning.  Christmas Eve was busy and the day ended with the candlelight service at church.  Us kids would delay going to bed, but there would be a tapping on the window.  Mom always said it was Santa's elves making sure all the kids were in bed before Santa arrived.  I wouldn't sleep much that night and I would be so anxious that I made myself sick.  We'd be up and running around the house no later than 5 am.  Mom would tell us to go back to bed, but we just couldn't.  Of course, it was agony waiting for mom to get up and then she had to drive across town to get Grandma & Grandpa.  The day started with gifts and ended with a wonderful meal together.  Even then, family time was so important to me.  I especially liked having Grandma & Grandpa share the day with us.

Today, I find myself really missing my dad.  A sadness has filled my whole being today and I feel as if I'm on the verge of tears at any moment.  I've pushed myself to get through the day, but I sure have a heaviness I'm carrying around (and it's not from eating too many treats, lol).

Hubby helped me make 5 pounds of toffee today.  I'm so thankful to have him in my life and really glad that he knows his way around the kitchen! 

I also worked a little on the ornament for my MIL.  I didn't make much progress, but here's a pic of part of it.

I hope your days are filled with happiness as you prepare for this holiday season.

Until next time,
Happy Stitchin'

Dec. 17 Already...and the Technical Difficulties Continue

I hate technical difficulties!  Still can't figure out the printer/scanner errors and it's so frustrating that I just want to throw the thing out the door.  The printer is only about 4 years old, but it didn't have a driver for Windows 7 when we upgraded the computer a couple of years ago.  I'm thinking that's probably the biggest part of the problem, even though there is a Windows 7 driver now.  I've uninstalled and reinstalled the printer so many times over the past couple of years due to this problem and I'm so tired of messing around with it. 


What a surprise to wake up to whiteness today.  When we went to bed last night, the forecast was "a few scattered flurries" so I really didn't think much about it.  The snow on everything this morning was definitely more than a few scattered flurries.  It didn't last very long though.  In fact, my youngest DD slept in this morning and didn't see it at all and she didn't believe us when we told her we'd had snow.

Caramels

I was able to enlist Hubby's help in making some caramels, pecan tarts and cookie dough today.  I really like to have him help with the caramels because it's constant stirring for about 30 minutes.  It makes alot and Hubby and I wrapped each piece after dinner tonight.  I didn't count how many pieces, but I'm guessing it's about 500 pieces.

Dottie likes to lay in front of the wood stove and usually has some part of her body on the bricks.

We use the wood stove as our main source of heat and it sits on a base of bricks.  Dottie really likes to lay by the wood stove and she lets us know when she thinks it's time to add more wood.  This dog doesn't care how hot she gets laying right next to the wood stove.  She'll be panting and yet she won't move.  We tell her to go lay on her pillow and she gets up, walks really slow with her head hanging down like she's being punished.  After only a couple of minutes, she begins to move off her pillow, but only a few inches at a time.  With her eyes on us the whole time, she'll scoot off the pillow a little more, then creep on her belly about a foot at a time across the living room floor.  I never thought a dog could tip-toe, but Dottie does.  She'll stand up and tip-toe around the perimeter of the room until she's back in front of the wood stove.  Once she's in front of the stove again, she just lets her whole body drop to the floor and we hear "ahhhhhhh"!

I hope you are able to find your comfort zone like Dottie does and you can relax with an "ahhhhhhh"!

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

16 Days...

Sixteen days into December.  That means only 9 days til Christmas.  Oh, oh.  I haven't even addressed the Christmas cards yet.  I haven't even begun to look in my notebook to get my list ready for the grocery store.  I still need to plan my baking strategy.  I'm running out of time -- and I don't even have gifts to buy and wrap this year.  I am still trying to work on the ornament for my MIL.  If I can't make some good progress soon, I won't have it finished.

Technical Difficulties

My DD will start student teaching when school resumes in January and she has started submitting applications to area schools.  One application was due today.  She worked diligently to get all the forms completed and was going to scan them so she could submit the whole package electronically.  Thanks to an HP update this morning, the printer/scanner no longer works.

This particular position is DD's dream job, the one she's worked so hard for and it just happens to be at the high school my girls attended.  Getting flustered, she decided to call the superintendent's secretary and ask if she could mail the application.  DD was so cute, but professional as she chatted with the secretary about the application.  I'm continually impressed by my daughter's maturity and competency.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I've put the last little bit of detail on the needlepoint stocking a friend asked me to help her with.  She is a brand new stitcher and her daughter asked her to make this stocking for her.  My friend did all of the needlepoint and I only put the backstitch detail in Santa's face because my friend had ripped it out so many times.

She started this all on her own and she was afraid to show it to me because she thinks it looks so bad.  I think the front looks ok for her first project.  The back is another story, though.

I'm off to see if I can get my printer working again.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Thunder and Lightening and Lots of Rain - December 15

December weather in Illinois is usually wintery.  This year, however, it's been mild, and I'm not complaining!  It started raining Tuesday night and it rained all day and most of the night on Wednesday also.  I had taken my rain gauge in for the winter, but since the weather was so mild, I stuck it back outside Tuesday afternoon. 

This morning when I got up there was 2.5 inches in that rain gauge.  The weatherman said if this were snow, we would have had over 20 inches!  I'm glad it wasn't the white stuff.  I'll take a couple of inches of snow for Christmas, but then come January, it can disappear.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The last exchange has been received!  Something happened to my memory card because I only have a pic of the ornie and not the other items I sent.  I know I took photos of everything, but they aren't to be found.  I sent the ornament, some Christmas ribbons and cording, needles in 3 sizes and some handmade Christmas cards.

This was sent to Julie M. in Canada.  It sure takes things a long time to get from Illinois to Canada.  I think this took at least 4 weeks to find it's way to Julie.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I've found a few minutes to put some stitches in the ornament I'm making for my MIL, but I think I'm going to run out of time to actually complete it.  I'm at a point where I have to decide whether I should stop working on this one and start one that I know I can get finished in time. 

Oh, I just don't know what to do...  Anyone have any suggestions?

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

I've Made it 14 Days! 

My friend, Laurie, has been on my mind so much! 

This past summer, she was diagnosed with cancer.  She had her tonsils removed in late June.  The doctors say that her cancer is caused from the HPV virus and the number of cancer cases continues to increase.  The doctors also say Laurie's prognosis is excellent!  A couple of weeks after her surgery, the chemo started.  She had 4 very intense chemo treatments and then 36 radiation treatments.  Laurie had her last radiation treatment on the day before Thanksgiving. 

While Laurie was going through the chemo, we took turns sitting with her because each chemo treatment was 5 days long and she would get so tired and sick that she needed someone with her 24 hours a day.  When the radiation started, a different friend went with her each day because she was unable to eat solid food and was very weak.  Laurie still isn't feeling well and continues to have an extremely sore throat.

When Laurie started the radiation treatments, I started a small piece that I worked on each day.  This was my daily prayer time, so while I stitched, I prayed for Laurie.  I finished the piece and gave it to Laurie not as a reminder of what she's been through, but as a reminder that many prayers have been said for her and that she is loved.  The words on the piece represent qualities that Laurie has always shown to her family and friends.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Tired Tuesday ~~ December 13

I survived the board meeting, but I never really sleep after a board meeting and since it didn't get over with until 12:30 a.m., I'm really tired today.  I knew it was going to be a long meeting, but there was an incident yesterday that added considerable emotion and discussion to the meeting.  Unfortunately, the extra emotion and discussion was about me, or rather what happened to me.  I can only say that I am ok, but threats are always taken very seriously.  I didn't do anything wrong other than being the first person this individual came in contact with.

Thanks to Meari for blogging about a giveaway on Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe blog. 

I received word that one of my partners finally received their ornament from me.  On my December 6th post, I showed you the ornament Jodie sent to me.

Here is the ornament I sent to her:

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Day 12 is Manic Monday

No stitching for me today and that makes me sad.  I really NEED to at least put a few stitches in a project everyday and since I didn't get any stitching in yesterday,  I'm feeling lost. 

Do you NEED to stitch everyday in order to keep your sanity?  I find that stitching everyday gives me time to calm down, relax and put the stresses of the day behind me.  Stitching also nourishes my soul, much like a musician needs to write or play music.  I just can't imagine my life without stitching -- and I hope I never have to live without stitching!

Oh, why can't I stitch today?  Well, there is a huge board meeting tonight and I'm required to prepare for the meeting and take the minutes at the meeting tonight.  I always say my job would be perfect if I just didn't have to deal with the board meetings.  I don't know why, but there is just something about the board meetings that causes my stomach to turn inside out.

 Here's hoping you'll find the time today to do what nourishes your soul!

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin' 

Sinus Sunday ~~ December 11

I had such a long To-Do List today, but a weather pressure change has caused me alot of pain.  After suffering head trauma from a serious car accident when I was 20, I get horrible, debilitating headaches.  Even the slightest barometric pressure change can trigger a sinus reaction that starts the pain.  Not only do I get the headache, but my face swells, my teeth hurt, my eyes tear up, and I dizzy and lightheaded.  Today is one of those days, which means nothing on my list got done.

On a more festive note, I received word that my partner in the Yulemas Exchange received the package I sent to her.  It always makes me feel happy to know my partner likes what I've chosen and stitched for them.

My partner included a picture of the ornament I stitched hanging on her little tree.  I really like all the snowman items she has!

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin' 

Day 10 and a Full Moon

What is it about a full moon?  I always look at the moon at it's different levels in the sky and I really like the brightness in the middle of the night.  This time of year, a full moon's glow on sparkling snow always reminds me of holidays when I was a kid.  Because we didn't have school, we'd be allowed to go outside and play in the snow in the dark.  We'd be all bundled up and rolling around in the snow or just lay on the hillside and gaze into the bright, night sky.  Why didn't we ever notice how cold it was when we were kids?  I remember always being outside during the winter, but I never remember feeling cold.

These days, I seem to notice the cold more and more, but it doesn't stop me from spending a little time outside gazing at the bright, night sky.

As you go about preparing for the holidays, heading to a festive holiday gathering or relaxing at home, I hope you'll be able to take a few minutes to gaze up at the moon and stars.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

BRRRR, Day 9 is Cold!

We had our first snow during the night.  The weatherman said 30% chance of snow, but that it wouldn't amount to much.  As you can see from the pictures, some areas aren't even covered.  Of course, I still had to clean off the porch, sidewalk and cars.  I am very picky about having a clean sidewalk, driveway and car!

Listening to the 5 day forecast, the cold weather is going to stay throughout the weekend, but during the upcoming week, our temps are going to go back up into the 40's!  I'll take the warmer weather in December -- as long as it's not a trade off for the warmer days in the spring.

Just a short post tonight so I can go put a few more stitches in an ornament I'm working on.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'

Hmmm... Day 8

This morning, I had to move the vehicle my youngest daughter usually drives.  Turned the key and blew out my eardrums because the music was so loud.  Once I recovered and found the volume knob, I noticed...

Deep, long inhale...oh that smells so good...deep, long inhale...ahhhh...

Since I had to leave for work and she was still in bed sleeping, I sent her a text message when I got to work.  It said, "whomever the last guy you had in your vehicle was, he sure smelled good!  I really like his aftershave."

Her reply to me was:  "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA it's an air freshener lol" and then a second later, another text saying "I really like it cuz it smells like a guy".

All I can say is I want to find that scent for Hubby!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I was asked what outfit, accessory or beauty item lifts my spirit and why. 

My answer to the that question is simply, my favorite color ~~ PINK ~~ whether it's a light pink sweater, bright pink scarf and gloves, a pretty pink lipstick or a pink bra and panties, an item in my favorite color instantly comforts me and that lifts my spirit!

Not that I'm intentionally carrying on with the pink theme, although that's not a bad idea...

As I was contemplating my answer to the above question, I was preparing a cup of hot cocoa.  I pulled my mug out of the cabinet and looked at the design.  Pink and red tulips.  Ok, well some things we intentionally acquire because they have our favorite color, but what about the unintentional things?  I pulled the milk out of the fridge...the skim milk from my store has a pink label!  I don't buy the milk because it has a pink label, it's just a coincidence.

That got me to thinking about when Hubby shops with me and he "helps" pick up the items we need.  Hubby walks to the dairy cooler to get the cottage cheese, he walks back to me and asks, "Which one do we usually get?"  Well, I honestly can't remember if it's the large curd or small curd, but I do know what the carton looks like so I tell Hubby, "It's the pink and white one".

I walked around my house just looking at things and I find pink everywhere -- some intentionally chosen, but it was amazing to see how many items were quite coincidental.  Items like a power strip that was passed on to us from a friend, a plastic basket of dog toys that came with Dottie when we adopted her, a Happy Birthday postcard from the dentist, a hand written thank you on an invoice for an eBay order, the pink grapefruit dish soap on the counter (ok, that one can go either way, but I really only buy it for the grapefruit scent).  Oh, I could go on and on, but I won't bore you, lol.

What is your favorite color?  How many items in your favorite color can you find in your home, office or car?  How many of those are coincidental?

Thank you God for putting color into our lives!

Until next time,
Happy Stitchin' 

Seeing Pink on Day 7

Have you heard that pink is my favorite color?  And let me guess, you probably heard me say I love snowmen, right? 

Well, Mr. Postmaster left a bright yellow card in my box yesterday and in exchange for the bright yellow card, he handed me a package from Canada!  Yippee!  I skipped all the way home with my package under my arm.  Little Man, my neighbor's 18 month old grandson, was laughing at me and waving and hollering.  Yep, I must have looked quite graceful!

I carefully opened my package and read the card: 

"A little birdie (well, ok, a search of the archives) told me that pink was your favorite color and as snowmen were first on your list...May I present your ornament, Frosty Flakes by Little House Needleworks with a slight color change."

She goes on to say that she included some extra goodies to make up for her messing up my address (it must have caused some problems with my package being delivered to me).  Actually, I don't know what happened because this was the first I'd heard anything about it.

All I can say is WOW!  She sure got it right!  The package includes the ornament, a fat eighth of 28 ct Jobelan in Plum Blossom, pink and sparkly Swarovski crystal bicones, shiny Kreinik, beads and Rosebud Angel Mill Hill kit.  It was all wrapped up in bright pink tissue paper with yellow, pink and orange ribbons with silver wire balls embellishments.

See those silver wire balls?  Anyone ever seen them before?  I'd sure like to find some more of them so if you know where I can find them, please let me know.

Until next time...
Happy Stitchin'