GIVEAWAY!!!

Well, the last one was such fun so let's do it again, shall we? I'll pick one winner randomly on Tuesday to win both my new patterns which come out next week. Are you ready? Ok! Add your name AND email address to this post BY 12AM EST on Monday. Good luck!

pincushion boxes

I was asked to donate a basket of something The Sampler Girl-related to a friend's school's silent auction. So I've been working on the basket's contents and added a pincushion box which got me making more because they were such fun little buggers to make!

I listed two boxes like the one below on my etsy shop . A little sampler chart, abc 123, is included in each box!

lunch conversation

Mama: Zack, are you covering your ears?

Zack: Covering ears...yeah

Mama: Why?

Zack: Why Not?

a post for Monday

I didn't get much stitching accomplished over the weekend but managed to at least charge the camera and snap a picture or two to share my With One Accord stitching from last week. It's a delightful sampler (from Beth Twist of Heartstring Primitives) to stitch and the colors are lovely and match the living room so well; I've already picked a place to hang it when framed.

We got Wii Fit on Saturday and wow ~ that is wicked fun! I am loving it. Yesterday Mom and I went to look at some kitties and she found a precious one to adopt that she picks up tomorrow evening. Then we celebrated at Starbucks. I began some work late yesterday and worked right through Oscars time, forgetting all about it. Back to work and here's hoping your week is off to a good start!

If only the camera was charged,

then I could show you. . .

*a picture of a Zack-the-two-year-old running after a very big red ball on a very windy day

*my samplermaking progress on With One Accord (I love this design, Beth!)

*a massive pile of unmatched socks (Barbara, when your kids are finished with yours, I'll airlift ours over!)

*the amount of dust I found today behind a forgotten bookcase

*kicky toddler legs

*the overflowing TSG packages in the TO MAIL container

*the clock that followed me this week

*the last Krispy Kreme donut from today's surprise treat box after school

*Zack's ketchup-face at lunch

*a redo of our keeping room and dining room

*the bags of stuff to donate from my pre-spring cleaning spree

*my face when receiving an order for 28 of my charts ~ wowza!

*the quaint old stool I found at the thrift store on a quick trip

*Ben's smile when he found out he was going to see a favorite friend

*American Idol excitment over Danny getting to the next level

*an empty birdfeeder calling for attention

*the brownies I'll make tomorrow

*new photos framed to display

*wind chimes swaying in the wind

*a sleeping cat

*my tired eyes after a very long & busy week

Hello week-end, I've missed you.

look~it

Sara in Italy emailed her Primitive Heart Cupboard Sampler finishes ~ aren't they lovely? Great job, Sara ~ and thanks again for sharing them with me.

Been a mad hatter this afternoon printing charts like crazy. Zack had his 2yr old checkup this morning and said 'open door' to the Dr so he could leave. Poor little lamb had only 1 shot, thankfully. So nice when they get older, the shots get fewer and end. It's chilly here ~ be cozy and stitch!

stitch & tell

Last night while watching (and sobbing!) through Nights of Rodanthe, I started stitching With One Accord. I love every stitch of it so far! As for the movie ~ well, it was ok. Kinda slow in parts and while I had read the book awhile back I had somehow forgotten the element that caused the tears so I was a mess. I had to watch some Food Network afterwards to get back on the happy track ~ food always make you smile, doesn't it?

Today we went to Mount Vernon and I finally got to see Martha Washington's Wedding 'Slippers'. How fun it must have been for her to wear those and goodness, she must have been a size 4.5 as they were so tiny. I doubt I could cram my size 7 foot in them! There were mobs of people there but of course ~ it's President's Day and the only day of the year that Mount Vernon Estate is free admission. I never get tired of visiting; history is such wealth for the mind.

Put more stitches in the sampler this afternoon while listening to Mozart and I must say, both made me most content. Enjoy your Monday!

Good Luck, Mary!

It's that time of year again. The Woodlawn Plantation Needlework Show runs the entire month of March and is always a grand event for stitchers in the region. This weekend was the drop-off time to enter needlework so this afternoon I entered Mrs. Lincoln Sampler, a design of mine in the First Lady Sampler series. I miss her already. The spot where she resides on the wall above the piano isn't the same. She won't be back until April but in the meanwhile I can visit her at Woodlawn. Good luck, Mary ~ here's hoping you enjoy your visit there and perchance you'll bring home a ribbon.

Train on sampler represents Mary Lincoln's travels to Washington and Illinois, Mary's many shopping trips to New York and Abraham's funeral train. The alphabet is French in origin as Mary excelled in the language. Drums echo the sound of civil war. A button border captures Mary's love of clothes and finery. Patriotic bunting symbolizes a decorated booth at Ford's Theater and the spirit of American nationalism. Dates at each side of the tree record Mary's birth and death. Mrs. Lincoln is adorned in a mournful dress with a popular bonnet of the era. LOVE IS ETERNAL was engraved on Mrs. Lincoln's wedding ring. Specialty stitches include: Herringbone and Rice stitch.

FABRIC: 32ct Vintage Light Examplar linen by Lakeside Linens
THREADS: DMC, Anchor, The Gentle Art, Weeks Dye Works, silks by Hand-Dyed Fibers
FINISHED SIZE: 11 1/2" by 12 3/4"
BUTTONS: 6 of #3321S Star Buttons by Just Another Button Company
FRAME: made by Cathy Campbell of Primitive Traditions

Enjoy President's Day tomorrow!

valentine

I adored this kitty design by primitivebettys from first sight and have been meaning to make myself a kitty for a few weeks now. Well, I showed the pattern to my Mom and she had to have it SO I ordered another one for me! I had a feeling she hadn't made hers yet so I changed the colors a wee bit for her and gave it to her today for Valentines. He came out just adorable and was such a quick project. Now I'm eager to make one for me and another and another!

Hope your day is love filled.

hearts at home

This morning I made a heart garland by ironing tissue paper heart shapes to wax paper ~ I found the idea here and it looks dainty and sweet on this mirror (a Christmas present made by my brother) near the front door.

Zack was making his Valentine for Ben this morning and got carried away with the stickers, as you can tell. It was hilarious ~ the child was covered with hearts from head to toe. Then he put them all back on the card.

Our heart decals on the window make lovely shapes on the loveseat in the living room. Thought it was picture-worthy!


More hearts in the home today ~ we had lunch with my Mom and stopped in the nearby bakery where she got these yummy cookies for the boys to enjoy tomorrow.

I was watching Martha Stewart's show this week when she had a gal on decorating the cutest love bug Valentine cookies!!! That got me on a wanna-make-Valentine-cookies mission but I don't have time now so instead I stocked up on supplies for Valentine cupcakes instead. I'll have the boys try their hand at decorating them with all the pink and red goodies for the tops. Now, off to bake them! Happy Valentines Day.

3 New Charts!

My February releases are now ready! I'm really excited about each pattern and hope you enjoy stitching them. For ALL details on these three new charts, as well as all my other designs, please CLICK HERE!

sang the bird

Verse by me reads: Blue flower, sang the bird, Bend this way, for the sun crowns you sweet on a summer day. Design is stitched on 32ct Cream Belfast with DMC. I aged the stitching when complete with coffee, tea and vanilla.

Sarah's Spring Sampler 1675

Verse by me reads: Dear Diary, Pleasant morning walk. Saw a rabbit on the hill, and hurried home before the rain. Sarah 1765. Design is stitched on 32ct Antique Ivory Belfast with DMC. I joined matching fabric to the stitching when complete to frame and used a herringbone stitch as accent. Diagram for this stitch is included in chart. Also, I made a fabric swag for the back of the frame for hanging. Be creative when a frame you have isn't the exact size you need ~ wing it! I was giddy at the outcome here. I named the stitcher 'Sarah' after my childhood best friend.

Oh Mother Dear Cupboard Sampler

Inspired by the familiar childhood rhyme, Three Little Kittens, and charmed into a cupboard pretty. This design came to me one night as my head hit the pillow so I quickly wrote the idea for it down before going to sleep. Good thing I keep a design notebook in the night table.

Happy Valentines Day!

and the winner is . . .

I must say it was lots of fun shaking a big brown bag of entries up and down and mixing them around and around and around ~ almost like the fun you get when popping bubble wrap ~ a little addictive. OK, so I reached in and picked an entry and it was Deborah's ~ congrads! I hope you will enjoy your win, my three new charts ~ enjoy! Thank you to everyone who entered ~ wow ~ that was fun!

Zack's magic, I mean, black beans...

Still spring weather here ~ middle 60s ~ so we spent the morning at the playground. Zack investigated the swing, long slide and twisty slide many, many times. It was time to leave and go for food so in the car I posed the question to my little man. I shouldn't have been surprised ~ the kid could eat black beans all the live long day.

Mama: What do you want to have for lunch, Zack?

Zack: chicken beans chips ummm cookie
Mama: Where should we go for those yummies?
Zack: Moes Moes beans Moes

Mama: Ok, we'll go to Moes for lunch!
Zack: yay, Moes

No, he didn't fall asleep ~ he was hugging the beans. And then he ate them all up!

February Giveaway

I'm nearing the finish line on the last of the February releases at The Sampler Girl and thought hey, why not do a Giveaway for all 3 on my Blog! The new charts will be released on Friday and if you leave your name and email address in the comments to this post, then I'll randomly pick a winner who will receive all three patterns which are: sang the bird, Sarah's Spring Sampler 1765, and Oh Mother Dear.

Good luck and see you on Friday!

Saturday finds

I enjoyed some mommy-time with me, myself, and I, this morning going around to 3 favorite thrift shops and found some treasure. The weather here is gorgeous ~ high 50s and sure topped the morning off perfectly, as did the coffee. Ok, so I found 4 primitive colored tea towels, a country style peg hanger with heart accent, two frames, a basket in a shape I didn't already have (hard to believe) and a lavender sachet still sealed in the wrapping from France which I ripped open in the car to have a glorious scent of its sweet fragrance. My favorite souvenir of the thrifty morning was a sterling silver toast rest which I need to polish ~ I've always wanted one of those. The keys are a set I ordered off etsy.com but had to share them here too ~ aren't they cool?

Here's another sneak peek at the design I'm working on. Enjoy your Saturday and hope you find something good in it too!

two pretties

Good thing I logged back on tonight because waiting in my mailbox were these two pretties. First up is Persuasion Sampler (currently in the Jan/Feb issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine!), stitched by Francoise on 40ct and finished into a floss tag! WOW ~ so dainty. Love it.

Then there's Jan's beautiful stitching of Inauguration Day Sampler exclusive finished up by Vonna. Another pretty!

winter napping

Miss Maddy is in her early teens, we'll leave it at that, and she's been the Queen of our house since she was 6 months old when we adopted her from the animal shelter. She was just a puff of fur then; my husband says you can see every shade of brown in her and it's so true. Here is Maddy inspecting the camera and then deciding to get back to what she does best ~ sleep.

Happy Week-end!

a little enabling

Beth Twist is releasing a new sampler chart titled, With One Accord. This is gorgeous ~ take a look HERE. I adore the verse!!! Don't you want one too?

My sampler design is coming along ~ extra dry hands today so I didn't get much done. Where is that groundhog? Now I'm ready for spring. This cold is getting old.

simple

When life is hurried and blocks of stitching time are few and far between, it's nice to have a simple project to pick up and work in a few stitches and drop back in the stitching basket before you have to move along to the next busy element of your day. I was in the mood for something simple so a new design is in the works. Here's a sneak peek.

It's windy today. No, really windy. The kind of wind that bites the cold and lets it go in time to make your hair fly all over the place and land in a pile on the side of your head when you go indoors. I caught up with my grandmother at Panera for lunch today and our booth by the window was drafty. I'm normally winter's biggest fan. But this is nuts. If it's going to be this cold, it should snow! Ok, so we had a brief, oh so brief!, snow shower this morning but I'm beginning to think Jack Frost is losing his touch with the whole snowflake thing ~ the wind, oh he's got that under control.

Taking my day slowly. Remember my story to Ben? Be good to yourself today and try to slow your pace. Take some time for the simple things in life. You'll be glad you did. Back to my stitching. . .

and now he is 2

Yesterday Zack turned two years old. His birthday celebration was such fun. He especially liked the spinning around to put the 'sticker' tail on the donkey. Zack's favorite bedtime book is Goodnight Moon 123 so I made a cake around that theme and I was really pleased at how it turned out.

The two year old view of the world. . . with his dinosaur.