Decorating!

Hi everyone.  First off, in answer to a few no-reply emails, Postman Santa is from an old Leisure Arts book "Christmas Portraits" usually found on Amazon.  The little stag pillow is a freebie found here from Helga Mandl.

I'm finally getting around to decorating and am avoiding the light strings.  They have a habit of turning trees into rockets exiting through windows.

So I started with the fireplace and wanted to do something different this year.  My Prairie Schoolers will be hanging from my little tree with large safety pins but I didn't get around to that yet.  Thought I would see if ideas come to me when posting just like the stitching decisions.  So here's my new cupboard that is the same depth as the mantel. 

I'm liking it for now but things change continuously around here.  I'm anxious to stitch a few things so maybe this year I will leave well enough alone and move on.

I received quite a few emails about the shelter.  The program we have here is wonderful.  There are undisclosed locations of furnished apartments that women are taken to.  They are allowed to stay there rent free for a year while they look for a job or make plans for living arrangements.  At that time, if donations come in for additional furniture, they can take those pieces or the ones from their apartment that the donations replace.  Someone comes to pick up your household items and clothing in order to keep locations secret.  Every item is appreciated right down to a crock pot and flatware.
 

I have to tell you this purse story. I went to JCP and found a nice pair of foot treads (winter shoes) for my nephew's son, but forgot they had emailed a 20% coupon to me that morning.  While browsing I spotted a purse that was just to my liking, and knowing how I always procrastinate, made sure they had several.  Mark and I went to the store after his work day, got the 20% back, and could not find the purse I saw earlier.  I stood there, stared at the shelves, and couldn't believe they were gone since the displays were completely filled.  I wandered in circles around the purses about a dozen times, browsing....staring....intensely searching, and hunching over more with each pass to get a closer look.  It was like someone moved my food dish.  Man, I hope there were no security people watching me on video.  "Hey!  There's that messy haired woman again!  Look at her - bent over and sneaking around like she's looking for a bug or a mouse.  Twenty bucks says she'll go another round!"  Never did find it.

I also wanted to mention that a giveaway is coming up. 

Thank you for visiting!

Wishing no one moves your food dish.

Stay tuned!

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Finishing dilemma

Hiya.  You know I'm not one to make decisions.  And also that those long awaiting decisions are never final.  So what do I do with the Beale wreath?   I love this wreath but a beautiful formal looking finish isn't me.  This design is not something I want to age but I also don't want fussy.  Fabrics are limited to JoAnn's selection of which there are none to my liking.  I have several upholstery samples that may work, but I'm not happy with them. 

  One is a beautiful iridescent shade that matches the DMC 356, but not enough to make a bias piping and it's also too elegant.  The tone on tone stripe is my favorite, but I don't want striped piping.  The heavy nubbed fabric has several colors from the piece but it's really too rough looking.  So let's change from piping to braid.  Ick.  I don't like braid.  So shiny and formal.  I know you can make it from DMC but I never have and don't feel it would be heavy enough.  But it's still an option.  Hey.  Let's do something reckless.  My Krylon Matte spray that I use on my printed labels is also used on silk flowers and artwork so.......let's see if we can take the shine off the braid.  Yep.  Left is natural light and right is lamp light.

The only color I found is this odd greenish gold.  Gold is too yellow, red is too bright, green was emerald, and on and on.  These 355 and 356 colors are not red and nothing looked good, plus the greens are all different so this was my choice.  The plus is, a piped edge can't be removed but the braid sewn by hand can be.  Now I'm not so concerned about the edge because I have that option.  But what an odd color - so what about the backing?  This afternoon I will be digging and tossing linen trying to find a matching piece.  I think it's the only solution.   If I make a braid from the 356 or any of the bottom's thread colors, it would look the best but I don't want to mess with that now.  Or maybe I will.  Or not.  Depends on the mood.  You know what?  I will look it up, learn it, and do it.  Damn.  With which color?  I knew hoped this would happen.  Many times when I'm typing a post, things become more clear and everything I've done to that point ends up a waste of time.  So just ignore everything written above.  Linen backing, DMC braid.  Or piping.  Hey - if I don't have to worry about it matching the backing I can pick a fabric for piping.  Here we go.

  Another decision.  My Christmas fun has always been to drop a $10 bill behind a youngster that looks unhappy in a store throughout the weeks in December.  Then I would quietly tell them that they dropped their money, or found some.  The look on their faces was a gift!  Well, the last year or two is much different and you can certainly tell the changes in our society.  I've decided to stop.

I plan on giving a solid maple dining table and chairs to a family at the battered women's shelter, and someone else will get the complete set of these old Poppytrail dishes. These women leave the abuse with nothing and must start over.  My mom's beautiful wool coats and jackets are still in her closet and I can't seem to let them go.  But I must.  So someone at the shelter will also receive new coats.  And mom's new shoes that she never got to wear and I've kept, will go to the nursing home for someone that needs comfort shoes they can't afford.  But as I type this, the tears are telling me I may not be able to do this!  But I must.

I plan on doing some inside decorating today, maybe hanging garland to hide the wires and studs. 

Enjoy your weekend, stay safe, bake something!

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New goodies

Hi everyone.  Just a quick non-stitch post to show you a few new items. 

On the way to my injections (yes, there are a total of 10 rounds which I feel are unnecessary), I stopped at the newest primitive shop called The Honey Pot.  Loved it.  Set in an old house with wonderful atmosphere and great items.  I purchased this and couldn't wait to load it.  If you're in that area, she is located a short distance off Route 82 on 193 going toward the airport. Driveway leads to back door parking.  Will certainly be visiting again.

And look at what was in my mailbox! 

Lauren of Rugs and Pugs gifted me one of her works! It is so me. I love love it and wore it today. It's stamped with Samplers and Santas and has a little santa charm. Thank you so much Lauren. Perfectly suits my taste.   Another one of those hard to take photos with the camera in your face while you look at the viewfinder in the mirror with arms in the air.  I should stand that way more often because I look pretty thin here!

Almost finished with box orders but I threw some greens around for exterior decorating and my neighbors are wondering where the bows are.  Last year I used burlap ties and if I get around to it, may put them on the boughs. 

 

I also bought a bundle of red twigs.  Haven't done anything inside yet and with the mess I have, it won't be easy.  The kitchen has not been worked on and the adjoining room still has wires and outlets hanging, drywall missing, and studs showing.  The other room has duct tape along the edge of the carpet that is laid in place to protect our feet before the wood is installed.  I'm sure the guys will be coming after the holidays and we'll have the winter to work on completion.

A few pics of the kits -

This is Bud in his condo taking a snooze, and Missy and Nitzy following me around the yard.

  

The appliance repairman is on his way to fix our fridge that died three days ago, and resurrected itself last night.  Gotta get moving!

Thank you for visiting and stay safe!

Be back soon.

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Worth waiting for??

Hello!  My goodness.  I've been so busy painting that I haven't checked blogs for several days.  I can't wait to catch up!  I know I'm a few days late with the pear design, and it certainly isn't the super nice one I lost in the crash of 2012, so I hope you'll like this one.  Best I could do in such a rush.  It's a quick one!  

One of the  reasons is the half stitch tree. You can really do a lot of different things with this, too. My choice is this one.

You can also stitch the star, use a star button, bead the tree, use little charms, add little do-dads to a piece of hemp and make a garland....I don't need to tell you! 

 You're all great stitchers and can come up with your own version and embellishments.  The chart is under the Pear page with the others.  I still need to get the last of the boxes completed so I will be back in a few days.  Just wanted to get this out to you and if it doesn't print correctly or there is an error, please let me know.  I did this so fast!  Karen, if you've changed your mind about the boxes (#1 #7) that's not a problem!  Just let me know soon - I can't email you. 

Is anyone else having underlined blue text appearing when trying to post?  I can't figure this out, am taking way too much time positioning photos and haven't found any solutions online. 

Anyway, thank you again for your response to my boxes and I hope everyone will be pleased.  It's warm but raining and after today, very cold.  Crap.

Thank you for visiting!!  Stay safe. 

Oh my

Hello to everyone on a sunny Friday.  Holy crap.  Thank you thank you!  I certainly did not expect the response I've received and I'm so loaded with emails in addition to comment sales that my head is spinning.  Please give me a day or two to sort it all out for sales and requests.  I will email all buyers with their box #'s and ask for payment choice, either check or Paypal and your zip code.  Paypal users will be sent an invoice to make it easier.  I hope to have everything completed and packed for weighing so I can give you combined shipping this weekend.  I'm not sure if the repaired computer was the problem or Blogger had a hiccup, but I had one heck of a time staying logged in, comments weren't allowed even though the settings were correct, the deleted old comments from the March sale showed up again which made it look like boxes were already sold at 7, and several other issues.  Guess what?  Etsy.  I may raise the price a buck or less to pay their fees, but it would be so much easier.  And Karen (#1 and #7), please send me your email address.  You are "no-reply" so I can't reach you.  And Penny - you asked for #21 - I can't reach you either.

I need to get busy and make a few more boxes before packing so I won't be getting much stitching done.  I did do a quick design for the Christmas pear, not as involved as the design I lost, and hope to have it stitched for you Sunday.  

Thank you again.  I'm a little stunned, which is not one of the menomotions (menopausal emotion) I encounter often.  I can't tell you how much you all mean to me, by reading and following my blog, helping me with stitching issues, listening to my menorants, and encouraging me with your support.  Just know that you've made a world of difference in many ways and I am grateful and thankful for all of you.

Talk to you soon.

Box sale is on

Hi everyone.  Major issue with Blogger.  I deleted all the old comments from prior sales on that page, and they showed up again.  I had to delete each one again and now it's working fine.  Sorry for the problems.