I ♥ My Mail Lady!

Hello to all my bloggy buddies! 

I have the best mail carrier.  OK, she drives a little fast down our road but when she brings me goodies like she did today I can overlook that.  

Natasha from A Stitcher's Ramblings had a stash sale on her blog.  You can click HERE to see that post.  I don't know if she has anything left of it but you might want to check it out!   

I purchased this chart from her and look what else she sent to me!

The chart is Heart Band Sampler by Debbie Draper Designs.  As a part of her "creative PIF",  Natasha also sent me thread and a recipe box!  The thread is called Organic Strawberry.  My mouth waters just when I say it.  It's a beautiful color.  Natasha said she thought this recipe box would fit perfectly in my home and she was right!  I love it!  She slipped a couple recipes in the box too.  They are ones that were passed on from her mom.  Awww...so sweet of her!

Thank you so much Natasha.  

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The other mail goody was from Sandra at In My Prime Time. It's her new blog she started up not too long ago.  Check it out!  Sandra doesn't cross stitch much anymore and so kindly offered some of her linen for sale.  I just sent her some money and asked for a grab bag of sorts and she didn't disappoint!  

I have so many linens that have been dyed to look of the primitive style and found myself without much white/off-white/cream colored linens.  She also threw in a couple charts for...yes, you guessed it, SAMPLERS!!  

Thank you so much Sandra.  I will put these things to good use soon!

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I have been going through this entire day thinking it was Friday.  I don't know why.  It feels like Friday.  I was very excited to come to my senses when I realized it is IHSW this weekend!  If today were actually Friday I would have missed out on a little bit of stitchy time to log for the cause.  

So after this weekend is over I will post pictures of my progress.  I'm not going to tell you what I'm stitching on, only that you have seen it before here and it's been resting in my WIP crate for quite some time.  

*Stay tuned*

Have a great weekend...

~hugs

~~Peggy Lee

Another Finish and TUSAL

WOO-HOO!!!  

I'm on a roll here!

I worked yesterday to get this one finished.  I love this one as it reminds me of an old hymn we sang a lot in the church I grew up in. 

Great Is Thy Faithfulness by: My Big Toe Designs

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I didn't realize this month's ORT report was due yesterday so here I am a day late...

Not too many threads this time.  They are all from Crimson Vine and GITF.  I will add them to my box for 2013. 

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That's all for a quick post today.  As you know, it is HIGHLY unusual for me to post two days in a row!  

Many thanks to my friends who have commented on my last post with ideas and suggestions on how to log my projects better.  I will use all this advice to find a way that suits me best. Wish me luck!

Have a great day!

~hugs

~~Peggy Lee

A Finish and More Progress

It's Friday again!  

You know how I can tell?

It's garbage day here at the Lake.

One day seems to run in to the other when you don't have kids to send off to school and when you don't have an alarm clock screaming at you Monday through Friday.  

Yes...it's nice!!

~~~

I have some stitchy news for this week.  I've been trying to spend more time in my big girl chair with needle in hand.  It's not so good for the ever growing girth of my backside but it is nice to show some progress at the end of the week.

 

:o)

I finished Crimson Vine by Primitive Things

I changed the thread colors a bit.  The red heart shaped things were designed to look like leaves, I think.  I thought they looked more like hearts so I chose a shade of red for them.  

I never get through a charted design without a few mistakes.  I gave in to that fight a long time ago.  I used to insist that every crossing thread be in exactly the charted spot but I was only driving myself crazy.  I think there is an extra space between the two rows of letters.  I'm OK with that.  In fact, I think I like it better that way.  That might be the only "mistake" I made.  Not sure, but I'm not going hunting for more.  I'm very happy with the way I turned out and the colors I chose.  In fact, my version looks a little on the patriotic side and ya'll know that blows my skirt up!  

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I picked up Great Is The Faithfulness by My Big Toe Designs again.  I am using one thread over two.  This linen is most likely 40 count.  I haven't checked it but is sure is tiny! 

Again...I chose my own colors for this one.  The linen is a pretty green and I'm not usually a fan of any shade of purple but I like it here.  The smaller words in the verse are WDW Stepping Stone.  The flowers in the border are stitched with WDW Williamsburg Blue.  

I only need to finish up the border and she's done!  

This brings up a question I have for all you stitchers out there.

When I have a pile of WIP's in my basket I lose track of the details of what I'm using for each project.  I have them all in individual zippered bags but I don't write down the specifics of what type of linen it is or the count of it.  Back when I used to only work on one thing at a time it wasn't as difficult to remember those things.  Do you write these details down and keep it with each project?  Do you have a book that you write that in?  What other details do you journal about your stitching?  I am always looking for better ways to keep these things organized.  I would like to keep track of start and finish dates but I always forget to write that stuff down!  The only way I can try to figure it out is to hunt for the pictures I may have taken on the computer and look for the dates.  

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That's it for this week.  I hope to have another finish to show off very soon.  I also need to get busy on framing a few things.  That will be an all day project here.  I am waiting for more self confidence to build up before I tackle that one.  

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today. 

~Hugs

~~Peggy Lee

Anxiously Awaiting.....

Here it is the last day of May and I can't wait for the middle of June!

Happy Friday Friends!

I know, for me it seems like it was just a very short time ago that it was April 1st and it was my first day of work in New Jersey and now I'm saying I can't wait for June.  You see, I totally missed IHSW  and TUSAL for March, April and May!  Now that I am home again I hope to settle in to a somewhat "normal" schedule of sitting in my big girl chair, stitching away to my little hearts delight. 

I managed to stitch a little bit in March while Masterchief worked a small job in  Northern Jersey before we both started work at the Nuke plant.  

Here is proof of that....

I snapped this one quick at the hotel before we packed up for South Jersey.  I think these ORTs were from the Saxon Sampler. I have only to add our name to that and it's all done.  I even picked up a frame for it while I was in close proximity to The Strawberry Sampler.  Once again, the girls there helped me choose the perfect frame...

I can't wait to get it finished and framed!

Here is what I've been trying to finish in the last couple days...

Crimson Vine
Primitive Things

I chose different colors than what was suggested...probably because I didn't have what I needed at the time.  That is usually why I use different threads.  

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Masterchief has been working on our deck since we arrived home. 

Our original deck was VERY small, just big enough for a couple chairs.  Soon it will stretch down the back of the house and around the corner!  Do you see where the spouting is on the house?  That's where the addition begins.  We added on to the end.  

My Knockout Roses have really gotten big even though I cut them way back before we left in March.  

We planted them at the same time but one is bigger.

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I see I have gained a couple new followers.  SO glad to see you here!!  

I think I am finished with unpacking and organizing for now.  That took longer than I thought it would.

Now to relax........

and STITCH!!  

=)

That's it for today.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  

Thanks so much for your sweet comments.  Each one brings a smile!  I appreciate them so much. 

~Hugs

~~Peggy Lee

Cookie Puddles....

Well here it is Friday already.  Where had the time gone?  I've been home for a little over a week and I'm still unpacking, sorting and donating things.  I've hit every under-the-bed container and every closet in the house so far.  I hope to get it all done over the weekend so I can finally sit and relax.  Oh...and STITCH!!!  I really miss my needle and floss.  I am so close to finishing a few things.  Sorry, no pics right now.  Nothing has changed with them since the last time I took pictures.  

I received a couple surprises in the mail when I returned home.  Denise sent me a little "thank you" for sending her one of those books I had offered to my followers.  I am such a dunderhead though!  I took pictures of it and now I can't find them anywhere.  It's some lovely caramel/gold trim I can't wait to use and the cutest little measuring tape charm with a few adorable buttons.  Thank you Denise!  Sorry I can't find those pics.  When I do I will be sure to post them.  

I must have taken those pictures at the same time I took the ones of my giveaway winnings from Barbara.  DRAT!!  It was several "Fine Lines" magazines, a couple charts and a few other things I am so thankful to Barbara for offering on her blog.  I will add these things to my stash until I can finally sit my fanny down in the big girl chair and stitch till my little heart's content!

Since I have nothing stitch worth to report I will leave you with this....

I am always trying new recipes that I find online.  Some are winners and some are "what were they thinking?"  I was careful to copy the recipe down correctly and measure everything as instructed, and this is what I ended up with.........

Flat puddles of gooey "cookies".  UGH!!  

So I added over a cup of flour to the left over dough and tried it again............

Much better this time.  Obviously there was a mistake with the recipe as it was presented online.  I haven't decided if the mistake was too much butter or not enough flour.  It doesn't matter though.  Masterchief has said they are too sweet for his liking so I probably won't make them again.  They are made with dark brown sugar, choc. chips, crushed chex cereal and marshmallows.  If I made them again I would probably use light brown sugar and skip the marshmallows.  

That's all for tonight dear friends.  I wish I had something stitchy to report.  Soon.  Very soon.  

In case you haven't noticed, I still have April's IHSW and TUSAL dates on my sidebar. I guess I need to change that, huh?  

When I can sneak away from a closet or roll out from under the bed I sit and peek in at as many of your blogs as I can cram in to a few moments.  I'm slowly catching up.  Big hugs to all of you who have welcomed me home.  ♥ Big smiles ♥

Masterchief and I wish you all a very happy Memorial Day weekend.  

~Hugs

~~Peggy Lee

Home...I Remember This Place!

***WARNING***

You are about to experience a moment or two of CUTENESS OVERLOAD!  

Do not adjust your monitor.

Regular blogging will resume with a few scrolls of your mouse-finger. 

Abby enjoying a little ice cream

Josh, Laymie, Liam and Abby

Liam gets a ride on his Daddy's shoulders

 

"Running" away with Liam

Getting enough squeezes to last until I see them again.
I can never get enough!

Liam test drives my brother's '59 Chevy

Abby and my 7 wk. old Great Niece Lydia

You just don't know how difficult it was to only upload this number of pictures!  Thanks for hanging in there with me.  I only get to see them a couple times a year which is never long enough.  

Before coming home we went to Maine to visit with Masterchief's mother.  We took her out for an early Mother's Day dinner at one of her favorite places to eat fresh seafood.  It's ALL fresh when you live in Maine!  Wish we had that here in Kentucky. 

64 years old and always Momma's boy

 

Mother's Day dinner at Newicks in Dover, NH

Yes, Masterchief did ask for a doggie bag!

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No stitching to report.  I am wanting to stitch so badly this weekend (IHSW) but I am still trying to unpack and get settled.  We came home to closets and drawers full of Winter clothes and I can't unpack until I make the switch.  This could take a while.  

The crate full of mail held a couple surprises for me when I returned home!  I love it when that happens.  I'll share them with you in my next post.  I am hoping that won't be too long from now. 

I have been trying to find a moment or two each day to comment on a few blogs.  It will take a while for me to get back in to the regular routine so please bear with me.  I enjoy reading what you all have been stitching and doing and I miss it so much when I have to be away from it. 

Thanks to everyone for your lovely comments and thoughts while I have been away.  I appreciate them so much. 

~Hugs

~~Peggy Lee

Blue Is Nice.......

...........but I've seen enough of it to last me for a while.

We think Tuesday will be our last day here.  After a quick trip to Maine and then a stop in Pennsylvania, we will return to our old Kentucky home.  Well maybe not so old but we are so anxious to start a much needed summer of fun in the sun.  We will go out on the lake with friends and we have lots of plans for home improvements and finishing the addition.

I miss my stitching time so much and I also really miss reading your blogs!

Until sometime in late May,
cross an X for me.

Hugs,
~~Peggy Lee