Anyone still out there?

Dear friends,

After a long, much needed break; I am back. Maybe not at full tilt but back, none-the-less.

It was a long summer and a pretty excruciating fall, and while I won't bore you with the details, suffice it to say that I have never felt more personally challenged, overwhelmed or exhausted. Yes, it's finally getting better, so here I am. I got so many notes from friends wondering about me that I am a bit overwhelmed by it all. Yet, I am so grateful. If I didn't respond to you individually, please forgive me. Like I said, I've been very overwhelmed. But... enough of that.

On to more fun things!

I seriously had not stitched in months - nothing appealed to me, so I decided to get a couple of things framed instead. I mean, what's more fun than that? Although I do miss my old framer and all her vast selection of frames, I do think I got a couple of pretty ones picked out.

In fact, I'm happy to say that Jo-Ann's now carries a few Larshon Juhl mouldings, which are my all time favorite!

Ta-da!

BTW, pics used to be clickable to enlarge but no longer appear to be - I've been away too long to know how to fix that.... sorry!

On the left is the Sally Spencer Sampler from Birds of a Feather and here she is a little more up close and personal!

and

Be Kind and Be True Sampler (googly eyes and all), from With Thy Needle and Thread, which is on the right and here is her close up!

I love how both of them turned out and can't wait to get them hung.

You may notice that all the Christmas packages are wrapped in white paper. In my meager attempt at frugality, I vowed that I would wrap all presents in the paper I got to go in my large paper cutter which you can see below and read about here:

http://chocolates4breakfast.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-it-strawberry-season-where-you-are.html

I found some ribbon I thought was really pretty and have just gone to town. I think the black & white and red & black ribbons are pretty, festive and elegant. I've been doing very well with wrapping as I buy so I won't have a bazillion presents to wrap the night or two before Christmas. My other attempt at going green this holiday season is the way in which I'm wrapping all the "stocking stuffers" (in quotes 'cause most don't fit into the stockings)! These are the grocery bags from our local produce store, Nino Salvaggio's. I just love the graphics on the paper. Whenever Rob goes to the market for me, I remind him to get my wrapping paper - plastic just won't do! I did have to use a couple of the strawberry bags from their summer bags but that's okay, they're red and I like that pattern as well.

What do you think?

About a week or so ago, I did finally decide to start stitching and what I eventually picked up to work on is the BBD Maude Eloise 1891 sampler. The KSSG is stitching any one of the BBD Remember Me series patterns as the focus project this year. I had been working on a GH Adam and Eve Sampler but the colors were just blech! I love the muted colors of those type samplers when they're done but they are not the most uplifting to work on. So - in the UFO pile that went and I've started on Maude.

Now these are the colors I love! Bright, cheerful and just what a girl needs to help pull her out of a funk. I am going to stitch this with Rob's mother's name in it as I've yet to do one for his side of the family - it has pretty much been me-me-me and my family! Time to do one for his family. I will do this in honor of his mother who passed away too soon and is greatly missed.

As you can see, if you click on the picture, I had started stitching her maiden name into the roof but got it off center so had to re-do it. Man! Take a few months break from stitching and look what happens - I forgot how to count and/or center something.

We got our first "big" snow of the season yesterday. Unfortunately, it was also the day of our big KSSG brunch and Christmas party. I got there a tad bit late because the drive was nasty going but it was even worse coming home. Anyway, the idea this year was to bring a vintage sewing item for which you would only spend about $15 and then we'd do a round robin swap. Those who participated were thrilled, I think. I took one of those pin cushion dolls that Deb ended up getting - she'll have to show you a picture - I never took one.

But.... look what I got from Nadine!

I LOVE it!

Don't be jealous.....

A victorian Owl Pincushion and Scissor holder! How CUTE is he??? I could not be more thrilled and I don't know how Nadine could stand to give it up but trust me, it has a very good home! Unfortunately, the weather was getting bad so the party broke up kind of early. Here are a few shots I took out of the car window while I was driving home - it was foggy, icy and yuck. Don't worry, there was nobody around me when I took these pictures, really! Okay, a few cars in front of me, maybe but not too many..... honest!

I want to show you a few other treasures I found this summer/fall when I was out and about. The first is a pair of mother of pearl opera glasses. Aren't they pretty? A good friend of my mother's, Judy, gave me the bird book a couple of years ago and I thought the opera glasses were just the thing to set on top of the book.

This now sits on a table by my back door so I can check out our feathered friends a little more closely and look them up if I need to.

The other two things I got this summer will go with my vintage sewing collection I seem to be amassing. The first is the red velvet, victorian sewing box - It is missing a few of the items that should be in it, but I love it! The other item is a wood, round, pyramid pin box I found when I was in VA this fall for a class and was out shopping with my mom.

Pretty!!!

One last thing to show you... I have been doing a bit of running lately and would like to eventually be able to run a 10k. I think I can do a 5k no problem but am still working on the 10k which I hope to be able to run with my dad (who will kick my butt) eventually ~ maybe this summer or next spring. Anyway, I have decided to grow my hair out a bit so I can pull it back when I'm running. Here's the progress so far....

I know, it's by no means long yet, but is longer hair too much for a 50+ year old? What say you?

Okay.... that's all for now. I will begin making the blog rounds shortly and am anxious to catch up with all of you. Thank you for your patience and for all of you that didn't drop me during my hiatus, I am most grateful. For those that actually began following me during my personal drought, I thank you as well and welcome you with a joyful heart! I will get around to visiting your blogs soon!

May God bestow many blessings on you and your families this holiday season and may you find

JOY

&

Peace!

Terri