Need your Help!

If you have only one spare minute today, won't you please use it to vote for this little gal to win a handicapped accessable van?  She lives in a nearby community and votes determine the winner.  She is a beautiful girl and her family could really use our help.  I know there are so many deserving people out there but if we can help one, shouldn't we?  The video is a short 4 minutes long - watch it with a hanky handy and then, go vote!  You may go to  this link to vote for Breanna. 

Voting ends tomorrow so it's essential we vote today.

 

Video: 

Voting Link - you can opt out of getting emails, just uncheck that box.  You have to check the first one that says you agree to the terms of the contest.  Just in case you missed it above, here it is again.

http://www.voteforbre.com/


Thank you for your help for this little angel!
Peace,
Terri

I'm feeling blue....

in a good way.  

Have you seen these, yet?  

Ball Canning Jars, to celebrate their 100th anniversary, 

has released a new, blue jar!  Yippee!  

I don't know about you but I love those old, blue jars!  

These were too cute to pass up and were a must to add to my collection.  

If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this so, my apologies for boring you with them again!  But, I had to share!

Pics are clickable.

Even the packaging looks vintage.

I found mine at Lowe's but I'd imagine you can get them about anywhere that sells canning supplies.  The price... $9.99 for 6.  I only wish they made them in more sizes.

Speaking of collections, I normally house my jars in my craft room but I brought them outside to show you how I use mine and how these new jars compare to the old.

The new jars seem a bit brighter than the old ones but they blend perfectly!

Pretty, don't you think?  

As you can see, I've got all kinds of blue jars and they're all 

from the Ball Company.

After I took the pics of the canning jars nestled in my fabulous, pink bubble wrap, I had to have a pic wrapped up in it.  

What could be more fun than pink bubble wrap?

Nothing.  That's what.

I did not get to run in the 10K (6.2 miles) in Richmond.  VA.  :-(  My knee was not any better by the time of the race, so I had to bow out.  

My dad however, ran the race and I am so proud of him!  

He ran it in 1 hour and 18 minutes! 

He said that was not his best time and I think he was a little disappointed, 

but I think it's awesome!

I am so proud of him.  

He is 77 years young and getting younger every day.  

He is an inspiration to me and to so many others as well 

for his hard charging run at life!  

These pics were taken at various points along the race so they're not the best shots, but you get the idea.  

Way to go, Dad!  I'm super proud of you!

I hope I look nearly this good at 60, much less 77!

Well, I hope I don't look quite so masculine but you know what I mean, right?

I finished my Margaret Cottam Sampler by La D Da.

She is stitched on 36 count WDW with 2 over 2.

I added two colors of floss to this - a lighter pink by WDW - Red Pear and Caper, also by WDW for the grass and the trees.  

The colors originally charted for this just weren't working for me after I started stitching it, so I decided to add some pink, and I love how it turned out.  

I also put in a few eyelet stitches for interest.

That's it for today, my friends!  I hope you are all doing well and that Spring has finally sprung, where you are.  

I have been singing this song all day:

It has indeed been a long, cold, lonely winter.  

But finally... "Here Comes the Sun".

Have a listen.  It will make you happy.

We miss you, George!

Remember, if nothing else works for you:

Loving all things British, today!

Have a great weekend, my friends and thanks so much for stopping by.

Welcome to my new followers, I'm so glad you're here and I so appreciate you taking a moment to leave me a note.

Be well,

Peace!

Terri

Just another Day....

Dear friends!

    Finally a sunny and pretty day here in SE Michigan.  We actually had snow flurries again yesterday!  I have to keep reminding myself (or someone has to remind me) that I adore Michigan in the Spring, Summer and Fall.  Unfortunately, at least this year, winter has lasted far too long.  Things are starting to bud and it will likely go from cold to hot in one day so I'm waiting patiently!

    In the meantime, Rob got his 50th b-day present.  Yep, a colonoscopy.  I swear, I know this stuff isn't supposed to be funny, and it's not really butt...  As Rob was coming out of the anesthesia, the nurse told him that he'd need to, you know, pass gas.  But, she said, "don't worry, it's clean air".  Well.  That got Rob going and he couldn't stop.  No not laughing, farting.  Honestly, we were behind a curtain and were laughing like a couple of numb skulls.  I was mortified and he just kept enjoying the freedom to poot however much he wanted.  And he wanted to.  A Lot!    I had my colonoscopy a few years ago (4 in August) and wrote about it here. Colonoscopy Story~  This was one of my most popular posts and I got a lot of email about it. The procedure really is no big deal anymore and it's so important to get yours when you turn 50.  So much better than being afraid and then ending up with colon cancer.   If you haven't done so, go!  There is no need to lose someone to a very treatable cancer because they were afraid or embarrassed by this procedure.  BTW, Rob wouldn't let me put a message for the doctor on his behind.  I know, he's not quite as much fun as I am!  JK.

Okay, I'll get off the throne, I mean soapbox....

I was making good headway on my "With the Needle" sampler when Julie reminded me that we have to have Margaret Cottam stitched by June for our guild.  So... I set WTN aside to work on Margaret.  She's proving to be a quick stitch and I'm enjoying it.  I've changed some of the colors, not changed really, I'm using the threads that were recommended (except one, I did add one light pink to the mix), just not where they are charted.

Pics are clickable.

 By mistake, I stitched the gold thread in the middle of the carnations.  Since I liked it, I left it and am doing them all that way rather than leaving that area unstitched.

I also decided to add a few eyelet stitches here and there, just to make it a little more visually interesting.  Should finish this up in another week or two.

Here is where I left off on WTN:

The pattern did not call for all the grass on the farm block to be filled in, but I decided to do it anyway to mimic the house.  The fill-in wasn't bad because most of it is done in tent stitch.  There was also a very light pond behind the family that just didn't stand out enough (IMHO) so I made the whole thing grass.  

Here's the way the pattern directed the scene be stitched:

Which do you like better? 

I owe a couple of you emails on the threads I'm using but I still need to sort out a few.  I think I'm going to do something with the flowers on the left and then there's  another reason I haven't responded.  The problem is, I used a one for one swap for MOST of the symbols but sometimes, I used a different color and didn't mark all those down.  I just sort of used what I thought looked best.  I will try my best to get to it this week.

I was the lucky winner of Annette's BLOG giveaway but forgot to post about it last time.  Not because I didn't love it, but because I quickly ate the chocolates for breakfast the next morning (yes, I really did) and I put the lovely project and bag in my stitch room where I'd be able to find it when ready to start this sweet project.

The project bag, with the wool flower in front to park your needles, is so pretty!  I love the vintagey fabrics Annette used and this little bag is beautifully made.  If you've never visited Annette's blog, please hop on over and say hi!

I also love BOAF patterns and she included a pattern (sadly, they are no longer in business) with the fabric and threads to stitch it.  Isn't it grand!?  I was tickled to death.  Thank you so much, Annette!

Are you still with me?  

I want to show you one of my recent estate sale finds.

The whicker pull toy, thingy.   

It has old paint on it, doesn't look like it's ever been touched with another color of paint and it has metal spoke wheels.  

Here it is with another of my Annie Beez dolls sitting in it.  The doll was another gift from my mom!  I know... my mom's the best and no, you can't have her!

 Meet Euphemia!  Isn't she a beauty!?  If you ever want a beautifully made, folk art doll, Annie's are amazing with wonderful details like the hanky pantaloons and just look at that face!  Beautiful, isn't she?  This lovely doll she was made in 2004 and is as pretty today as she was then!

Look at her hands:

swoon.....

I love dolls.  Especially cloth dolls.  How do you like these?

They were made by Hallmark in the 1970's.  You can find them on ebay and at antique malls and stores, on occasion but you really have to have your eagle eyes working.  There are two different sets in here - one from the Hallmark Famous American Series and the other is the "We the People" series with our founding fathers.  I don't have complete sets of either but I'm always on the lookout for them.

Do you see Babe Ruth, Annie Oakley, Betsy Ross and Pocahontas?  There's Mark Twain, Davy Crockett and even P.T. Barnum, Chief Josef Oregon, Susan B. Anthony and Martha Washington (still looking for George).  The "We the People" dolls you see are Francis Scott Key, Cesare Rodney, Thomas Jefferson, Eli Whitney, Francis Marion, Betsy Ross and of course, George Washington. 

Aren't these fun!  They are not washable so you must find them in good condition.  I found most of mine at estate sales or antique stores.  I think they're a bit pricier on ebay but if you like an instant collection, that might be a way to go!

That's all I have for today, my friends!  I hope you are all well and remember as a man I greatly admire (who also happens to be my dad) once said, "If you're not having fun, it's nobody's fault but your own".   I have tons of fun reading all your comments and so appreciate you following and commenting!  Welcome to some new friends and now all of you, go out and make some fun!

Peace,

Terri 

Everything Old is New Again

Well, except for me..... I'm still old!  

But that's okay since I seem to like old things, anyway!  

This is not old however, this is new:

pics are clickable

"With the Needle"

by Lila's Studio

Stitched on 36 count LL, white (not sure of the actual color name)

I didn't think the DMC called for threads really

reflected the colors of the sampler so I made some changes.  I'll email them to you if you want it now, otherwise I'll post it when I'm done.  I am still tweaking a few of the colors.

 The big family home is starting to take shape!

The sea and the farm are beautiful and bountiful!

I'm really enjoying working on this beautiful sampler.  It's cheery, it's bright and it's a bit of a change from the reproduction samplers I've been stitching.

It looks kind of retro (are the 1980's retro?) to me and I love it!

Here is something old, do you see it?

There!  In the middle in the gold (so unlike me) frame!

It's the Priscilla Garner Sampler, dated 1838.

It was my Christmas gift from my mom and dad and I am so thrilled to have it.

Want to see it up close?

The colors look kind of dull here but take a closer look:

There is some fabric loss and I will have it reframed in museum glass and a more appropriate frame but she's in pretty good condition for an old girl.

I love the angels and the birds and the hearts and the flowers!

I love the eye of this deer and the long nosed dogs with the curly tails and white collars.

I love the satin stitched butterflies.

I love the bumble bees and the heart and of course her name and date!

I love the verse:

 Isn't she beautiful?!  

She hails from Richmond, Virginia but now lives in Michigan!

I am so excited to own a piece of stitching from a young girl so long ago.

It was the best gift EVER!  Thanks Mom and Dad!

(my dad would tell you, it was mostly Mom ;-)

Want to see some more old treasures I've found on my hunts?

This is a dry sink , for a doll I guess.  I found it at an auction house and thought it would be perfect to hold some of my favorite pin keeps.

It's on the chest just below the sampler wall.

You may have noticed the chair and doll to the right, below the sampler wall.

The chair is one of my favorite things because my mom caned it for me!  

I know, right?  

She's amazingly talented!  She did such a great job and the only person allowed to sit in it is Delilah.

Delilah is one of Annie's dolls.  

You know, from Annie Beez Folk Art blog!

She was also a gift from  my mom!  Yeah, I know.  My mom's the best and most of my best treasures were gifts from her.  I'm lucky enough to have two more of Annie's dolls (yep, gifts from my mom) I'll show you another time.

Isn't she beautiful?

I think Delilah looks very elegant sitting there!

Since I showed you one sampler wall, I might as well show you the other:

This is in my family room (the other is in the living room).

This is a pretty big wall so I have lots of room to add to it.

I also have samplers scattered throughout the house in all kinds of places!

Okay, one last old thing to show you:

I found this at the Michigan Antique Trail last year.

It's a small sewing box, in red velvet with a little anchor on the top left and a hinge that still works.

Want to peak inside? 

As you can see, it's tiny and pretty and red and old and love worn.  

In other words, it's perfect!

Okay, one more thing and then, I mean it, that's it!

This is the tomato bird I won at the KSSG auction last month.  Since it's called a tomato bird (see its hat?), I thought I'd pose her with a few of my tomato pin cushions.  Love her!  The little basket, dangling from her mouth is a thimble.  

Isn't it adorable!? 

So, that's it.  That's all I've got.

I hope it was enough.

I hope you'll come back and visit again.

Welcome to my new visitors and followers, I'm so glad you've come and stayed a while.

Have a wonderful week!  I'm supposed to run in the Monument Avenue, 10k in Richmond weekend after next but if my blown out knee doesn't get better, I won't even be walking it!  That's another story best saved for never!

Thank you for all your lovely comments, they are what makes blogging worthwhile!

Peace,

Terri

Howdy, Y'all

Well, dear friends, it has been a while!  After my last blog post I was aggravated with blogger that I decided I wouldn't pay to post my rambling thoughts on the web, but 

I miss it.  I miss you!  So... here we go.

It has been a frightfully busy few months and a lot of stuff has gone down.  Like in everyone's life, some of it has been good, and some of it, not so much.  Rather than try and catch you up on the things that have happened in my life, I'm just going to jump back in!  I will tell you though that because of the ups and downs that are this thing I call my life, I haven't stitched too much.  I work full time, try to maintain a reasonably clean house, keep up with the laundry, make an occasional meal and try to find time to exercise and by the time I sit down in the evening, I'm bushed!  Often too tired to even look at a needle, much less pick one up.  This has always been the case but lately, it's seemed worse.  Is getting older the reason?  Could it be the continual gray skies that are Michigan, in the winter?  Whatever the reason, I haven't stitched, blogged or done much of anything to get excited about, of late.   I haven't been very motivated.  I'm hoping that getting back into blogging, and getting your support and encouragement, will help.  If not, I may have to resort to something more extreme - like margaritas!  With that being said, let's get this picture show going, shall we?  

Although not a great deal has been accomplished these last few months, I did stitch the new Valentine's release from Brenda, owner and designer extraordinaire, of With Thy Needle and Thread.  I haven't stitched all the pieces but two are done and I'm pretty pleased with the way they turned out.  The boxes I used were slightly smaller than those Brenda used, but I like them.  The ecru colored lace is vintage (found at an estate sale) and the colored lace is new, from BBD, I think.  The color of the lace looks better in person than it does in this photo.

We had a La D Da and With Thy Needle and Thread designer day for our guild last month.  I wasn't able to attend but we were all challenged to take the Rose freebie by La D Da and stitch and finish it.  This is what I did:

Over one on 32 count blush fabric from R&R (I think). 

It turned out okay until I pressed it and forgot to turn off the steam.  Yep, the colors ran, but only on the back side.  If you squint, you can almost make believe it's the color of the linen and is supposed to look like that.  Squint hard, okay!?

Remember Susan Rambo?  I feel like a bit of a heel because I've all but abandoned her. It's not that she's not worthy of love.  She is.  But, she's been kind of rotten to me lately and I felt like she needed a long time-out, in the corner.  I think she's beginning to get the hint that I'm mad at her so hopefully, she'll straighten up soon and I can give her some love and attention.  To tell you the truth, I thought she'd be a fun, sweet girl but she's proven to be a bit of a tomboy.  She's CONSTANTLY bringing frogs in when she comes inside.  Can you believe it?  Bad Susan.  Bad, bad, BAD!

I have started Margaret Cottam from La D Da.  She is being stitched on 36 count R&R straw (I think).  She is being worked as a stitch-a-long with my guild but, as you can see, I haven't done too much on her. 

I got distracted by this:

 For someone that doesn't really like multiple projects, I started another one (I may never get anything completed at this rate).  This is called "With the Needle and Thread" by Lila's Studio.  I really loved the colors in it when I saw the pattern but was disappointed with the DMC colors it was charted for.  Consequently, I have changed many of the threads.  It has three blocks and sort of reminds me of the older "country" things we all know from the 80s.  

 What do you think?

  You can find her on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LilasStudio or at many other retailers.  This is what the whole thing looks like: 

I think it's so pretty!

If you are on Instagram, you may have noticed a lot of stitchers participating in Santa Sundays.  I have no idea who started this but a lot of the stitchers we all know and love have been stitching old Birds of a Feather (BOAF), Prairie Schooler and other Santa patterns to have ready to go for Christmas.  I particularly love the BOAF patterns - they're adorable.  I wanted to join in, but didn't want to be a total copy cat, so I started the BOAF angels.   There are four included with the pattern, Peace, Love, Hope and Charity.  

Once I finish these, I may have a go at the Santas.  We'll see.

If you're not on Instagram, you need to check it out.  Use hashtags (pound signs in front of the subject you're searching for) to find like minded users and pictures (#crossstitch or #santasundayxs).  You can find me on Instagram by searching for Terri Malinovich or choc4breakfast.

I recently got back from a quick trip to FLA. I was there to visit my sister and niece who was starring in her HS production of Grease.  What a great job she did and I was so tickled to get to see her.  I'd show you some pics of her but I swear, I can't get my pics from the iphone 5 to transfer to the computer.  Not sure what's up with that.

Anyway...

While I was there I found these sweet Miser Bags at an antique store.  I've never seen them before and thought they were so sweet.  Ladies would attach them to their waist belt and carry a coin or two in them.  You pull them apart and drop the coin in the bag between the strings the cinch it up, tight.    

Boy!  I think that's enough for my first post back in a long while.  Don't you!?

Thank you for sticking with me and for all the emails and notes!  You guys rock!

I've got all kinds of things to show you - two antique samplers I've received as gifts from my Mom and from Rob.  All kinds of other goodies I've gathered in my travels and estate sale excursions but those will wait.  After all....

tomorrow is another day.

Peace!

Terri