A quiet day...

After all the crazy times around Christmas, the kids and I are home alone, enjoying some quiet time and time with the new toys! Christmas Eve was lovely, my inlaws were over and my MIL and I took the boys to the kids advent at church for 4pm and arrived home to a wonderful salmon supper prepared by FIL and DH. Then on to our tradition on new jammies and a new movie for the evening. Boys in jammies and we watched Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaur (well, they watched, I stitched). Then inlaws headed for home and the boys vibrated their way to their beds. Christmas morning started around 6:30am (not bad for a 7 and 3 year old in the house) with excitement that "SANTA CAME!!!!" and the gift opening that followed. Brunch on Christmas Day at the inlaws was lovely, gutbusting filling but very tasty and the rest of the day was spent just chatting and enjoying everyones company. The kids all received new movies so the DVD player was setup in the bedroom and the four kids (aged 13/9/7/3) took turns watching their movies and napping. For the first time since DH and I have been together we were able to come home on Christmas night, normally my Aunt or Mom have dinner on Christmas day but they changed the plans this year which we were fine with. So home to sleep and then up on Boxing Day and headed to my parents. Late lunch with my family and a sleepover. The morning of the 27th was just like Christmas all over again for my kids, with my parents and brother and sister-in-law in the morning. We opted to go out last night for Greek - which was FABULOUS and then home again. Today DH is playing in a couple of games of hockey with his workmates and then they are going out celebrating - he plans to stay in town at his friends so it is just the boys and I today. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we are looking forward to ringing in the New Year with Dani and Todd again. All the best to your house from ours for 2010!

First finish of 2008!

This was supposed to be done for my MIL for Christmas but I didn't get it complete until this past weekend and the photo uploaded until today so here it is! Sorry for the hoop mark, my MIL was at my home on Sunday so I finished it quick and sent it home with her, she can press it and frame it!

Christmas in the Adirondacks Kit

Dimensions Gold Collection Petite

Stitched on kit fabric, 18 count white aida

Started August 2007

Completed 20 January 2008

Hello 2008!

Well....we survived! Christmas crazies are done, the tree is down, we have rung in the New Year (with Dani & Todd). I'm back at work with lots to get done with year end as well new things to get ready to go for 2008. So, I'll let you "see" how the holidays were!

My boys on Christmas Eve in their new PJ's, slippers and glued

to the TV watching The Polar Express.

The tree, after Santa, before boys...

Caleb with his new puppy (Pound Puppy)

The aftermath...

The boys having a good time at Nanna and Poppa's on Christmas day...

Cameron "enjoying" a lemon...

Caleb and the newest member of the family on Boxing Day...

And last but not least, I have been stitching! This is my MIL's christmas present that didn't get finished in time but is getting closer and closer. Just more tree's above the stone wall and a little more back stitching and it will be ready for her to replace the photo of the project in the frame which is what she unwrapped on Christmas!

All the best to everyone in 2008!

May your needles stay sharp, threads untangled and fingers warm! Happy stitching....

WIP update

Well, it has been awhile since everyone has seen my actual stitching so I took the time the other day to scan all the pieces I'm working on (because my camera seems to be on the fritz) and here they are for you to look over....you will see a couple that I haven't put online very often and don't really work on much but I will get to them, at some point.

Happily Ever After

Waiting for direction from my brother and sister-in-law as to what else they would like and then stitching that and adding the beads.

Fall Y'All Which I am stitching for myself and hope to get done in the next couple of weeks so I can get it ready to hang for the end of September.

Quilted Quips I've just started this piece which will be a present for my MIL or my grandmother, depending on how fast it stitches up. Here is the actual pattern front as well as the little bit I have done.

Cross Stitch Crazy Which will also be something for myself to hang over my chair where I sit and stitch. Again, the actual pattern front as well as what I have done.

Spirit of Christmas I don't think I will have this one done before Christmas this year, but maybe next year!

And last but not least....

WOLVES ON BLACK This has been my focus piece and I did get a fair amount stitched on the tree trunk at the weekend getaway at Ann's last weekend.

Shopping spree in Paris

While we were away this past weekend my MIL wanted to go to Paris ON to the Mary Maxin store. We did this on the way home Monday. I wasn't overly excited until I saw "the WALL" of stitched projects hanging. I found one that I had never seen before and this morning when I was looking for it on their site, I became ugly....I paid full-price for this in the store and online I could have gotten it for more than 1/2 off. My DH better appreciate it once I get it done!

Largemouth Bass bucilla kit

I also bought a couple of other things but I have yet to take a photo! I'll do that....soon.

My 100th post!

Hard to believe that in 9 months I’ve created 100 entries here. Thank you to everyone the reads and enjoys the entries even if you don’t post comments (*wink to Anna). I was debating all day as to what I was going to post about for this special entry and decided to post about what I always post about, my boys, stitching and cooking/baking. Oh if you were interested, here is "The First Post" I did.

Cameron is off for his spring break and already; three days in I’m ready to ship him off…to anywhere. Actually, I got smart and stock piled some cheap toys from the dollar store to keep him happy and at the moment he is playing with his Play-Doh for the first time in about 6 months. I took it away from him because he refused to pick it up when he was done, so this time he has promised me he will at least help clean up or it will disappear again.

Caleb is the ever-happy boy (or cheeky monkey as we call him). Growing by leaps and bounds each and every day. Currently he is trying to master how to drink from a bottle as well as how to stand holding anything so he will soon be walking/running and wrecking havoc on our lives…look out big brother, your toys are no longer safe!

Stitching, I have been doing some of that! I finished the three Lizzie Kate freebies and created a border around them as suggested by Kali, got them done and given to my MIL…without a picture taken! Oh well, my FIL has agreed to create a frame for the piece so I will be sure to take a picture once it is hanging on the wall of their home. And as of 3pm Saturday, March 10th I have completed ALL OF THE BACKSTITCH on the Apache Wedding Blessing!

HAPPY DANCE! Now I have to add the verse, wash and press it and then figure out how to ship it out to my friends in British Columbia. I’m also sending along the $$$ for them to have it framed out there to match the décor of their new home. Then it is on to the Happily Ever After piece for my brother and his wife-to-be who are tying the knot in less than 4 months! I received the fabric (Spring Garden, Silkweaver) and the threads are on order from Stitching Bits and Bobs. I’m still working on my Housework Whenever project and I think I have to get the wolves some light of day as well before my DH asks me again when that (not so) little project should be done. And of course there are countless others that I would like to sink my needle into. Cooking/baking…well we have been eating but I have been freelancing our meals without using a recipe. This has been a staple for the last few nights as I got broccoli for the basement bargain price of $0.66 a bunch! Broccoli Cauliflower Salad 1 head broccoli, cup up in bite sized pieces ½ head of cauliflower, cup up in bite sized pieces ½ red onion, diced ½ cup grated sharp cheddar ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon (I cheat and use the pre-cooked from the supermarket) Mix together in a large bowl. Then mix together well or shake in shaker the following: ¾ cup salad dressing (ie Miracle Whip) ¼ cup cream 3 tablespoons sugar salt & pepper to taste Mix everything together and serve immediately…the leftovers go mushy.

Anyway, hope everyone is well at your home and I look forward to the next 100 posts!

I need help. Ideas, options, opinions?

I have completed the stitching on a piece for my MIL's 60th Birthday. I think it needs something else/more but I'm not sure what. Here it is:

It is three freebies from Lizzie*Kate. I stitched them on a hand-dyed piece from Silkweaver that came as one of my FOMC pieces. I still have to add the beads to "Hello Spring", the heart charm to "Count Your Blessings" and the butterfly charm to "Bloom".

Any ideas what I could put as wording at the top? Or should I just leave this be and frame it. She still has a piece I stitched for her for Christmas 2005 up in her kitchen so I'm hoping this will replace it for at least a little while! Here is the joy piece:

The Christmas present

I thought I would share with everyone the beautiful quilt that Curt and I were given this past Christmas for our bed. My Mother & Father-in-law created this for us and we think it is absolutely beautiful. It is a king sized quilt but fits our queen sized bed perfectly. I have no need for a bed skirt or anything as this drapes nicely to the floor. I’m hoping to find a couple of decent sized “country” themed patterns to stitch for the head of our bed as the wall looks pretty bare.

My one and only ornament for this year!

I was so focused on my Wedding Blessing this year that I only managed to get one ornament complete in time for Christmas! Oh well, next year for the others! Here is the ornament that I completed for my MIL. She loves cardinals so I try to have something in her gift each year with one. Last year was a table runner with them so this one is for her tree, or she could stretch the wire a little and make a door knob hanger. She loved it. P.S. The grandchildren call her NANNA so that is what we went with. DH and I debated what to put on the top, Mom, Beverly or Nanna....Nanna won.

Caleb's Christening

On Sunday, December 10th, we had Caleb christened. It was a beautiful day and very quiet and intimate. Caleb was christened by Rev. A. Rose at Lansdowne United Church which is the same Rev. and church that christened Cameron, and DH and I were married there as well (by a different Rev.). This is my favourite picture, taken afterwards at my parents and I probably like it best because I changed the colouring...

And here are a few other pictures taken that Sunday.

The gown is one that my MIL made for Cameron and we couldn't not use it again. She has 144 rows of smocking on the chest portion and I don't know how much lace. It took her six months to complete and is beautiful. Thank you Nanna! I plan on getting it professionally cleaned and then framing it in a shadow box with both boys birth and christening information (which I hope to stitch).

A recipe - A multipurpose shake/rub

Bone Dust BBQ Spice
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons salt (which I usually leave out)
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons hot mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Mix together ingredients. Store in airtight container in a cool, dry place away from heat and light. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

*****

So, this is a mix I found in a newpaper, ages ago. I'm talking probably while I was in my teens! I use it for everything. We put it on meat that we grill, I add it to rice and we pretty much use it as most households would use a seasoning salt. My MIL now uses it all the time and we seem to make a batch and share it so I only make it half as often as I used to. This lasts us about three months and then we are looking to mix up more. I buy the ingredients at the bulk food place, mix it in a large plastic jar and then transfer it to a large shaker top jar that sits on the first shelf, right out front in my spice cupboard.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Two happy dances...almost three!

First, I have to apologize, there are no photos yet. I purchased what I need to do the framing on what I have done so I want to wait and take the photos once they totally finished.
So, here is what is done ....drum roll please.... both the baby birth announcement and the happiness is being married to your best friend! I'M SO EXCITED! And my other, almost finish is a cardinal ornament for my MIL for Christmas, two more evenings and that one should be complete as well. So - happy dances all around!