gobble gobble ... gone

It was a sick week at our house (the longest week ever. ever) but with medicines, cough drops, & tissues in check we still managed to enjoy turkey. Little Mr. Pink Eye went away and Mr. Big Boy Ear Infection got better. We went over the river & through the wood to my parents' house for a dinner most delicious. Sneaking in 3 pies (from The Pioneer Woman's recipe blog - YUM) I was able to disguise our plague and everyone had a lovely time. When I got home did I realize I took nary a picture! Mom used a recipe from Ina Garten for the turkey and I know it was the best turkey of all time. Everything was fantastic and my brother brought his iPad so Ben had a fine time while Zack escaped to the big TV because watching TV at Mimi's house is apparently the best.

Z's preschool class had a Thanksgiving party and made crafts to wear for the occasion. Here's my little Indian.

On Saturday I took down all the Autumn decorations and began decorating for Christmas. I so love this time of year! Here are a few Christmasy scenes around the house so far.

Thank you to everyone who ordered during the Black Friday 4-day sale on my website. It was my biggest sale to date and I thank you for your sweet patronage. The notes you add to the comments section of ordering are very dear ~ thank you for taking the time to add a note. I'm delighted my designs bring joy. Epattern orders have all been emailed and those which were for mailed patterns and other items will be tended to beginning Wednesday. I had planned to tackle them today but now have an ear infection & sinus infection myself so you can imagine how perky I feel.

There's an old photograph app that I was playing with on my iPhone and had fun turning pictures into different ones. Like this one of Miss Maddy.

freebie finishes!

Stitched by Francoise

Stitched by Michele

Stitched by Devon

This free chart, Christmas Eve Flight, is available on the blog here ... scroll down the sidebar for Free Charts. Lovely finishes!!

..........

What do you want for Christmas?

On the ride home from school today ...

Me: What do you want for Christmas, Ben?
Ben: I don't know. Maybe some fish.
Zack: You can't have fish, Ben. They're too watery.
Me: What do you want, Zack?
Zack: I want a cow.
Ben and I (trying not to laugh too hard): A cow???
Zack: I want a cow. We could feed him our grass. The ducklings could live there too.

Looks like Santa has a tall order this year :)

football frenzy, a freebie

I used to not be interested in watching sports. Then I married a New Englander and soon became a fan of the Bruins, the Red Sox and the Patriots and have learned (or been told) that they are the Sox and the Pats ... that's what you call them. With baseball I do pretty well with the rules, the terms, the rosters, the plays ... but with football it just looks like boys (big, big! boys) running from one end of the field to the other throwing and catching a ball and trampling each other in the process. But it's exciting!! It's my new want-to-learn-what's-going-on sport and I'm enjoying it very much.

So it's coming up on game time soon here and I've made a big pot of chili simmering away in the crockpot waiting for kickoff. I posted the recipe on my foodie blog. The cornbread is in the oven and I thought up a cute little ornament to make for my guys so will share it as a freebie here. Use colors of your favorite team and fancy into an ornament for your football loving man or yourself and touchdown!

Football Frenzy
Free Chart by Tanya Marie Anderson
Copyright 2010 The Sampler Girl
www.thesamplergirl.com

Click the chart to enlarge. Enjoy!

Potter

Harry Potter. We saw Part 1 of the last book-to-film today and wow. It was good. Really good. Now I'm eager for Part 2 next summer! As a fan of the HP books, I have really enjoyed the movies, of course there's nothing like seeing that first one unfold before me on screen. I remember the Diagon Alley scene being the most vivid and sharp in visual, coming right from the pages for me. Not every book-to-film works but the Potter movies seem to do the books justice even though they can't possibly interject all the humor, the wit, the character of J.K. Rowling's written pages but they do a fine job trying, in my opinion. In this recent film, we see the beginning of the end of this HP saga and while it is sad to let these characters go and the story end, it has been a fun ride into children's literature. The books are fantastic and if you haven't read them or gifted them, then I highly recommend them.

There's always room for a story that can transport a person to another place.
-J.K. Rowling

::New Patterns::

They're ready! New Patterns ~ check The Sampler Girl website for all details. The first is inspired by Lydia Maria Childs' poem of 1844 (yes, it is wood, not woods ... that's the title of poem) and the latter draws inspiration from Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic, Little Women.

Over the River & Through the Wood

Marmee's Little Women, a Sampler

Enjoy your week-end!

Free Pattern ... Christmas Eve Flight!

There are 37 days till Christmas. Yes, you read it right. 37 days!! A whole year seems like gobs of forever to wait until St. Nick comes to push down the chimney once again and fill your house with special joy and laughter only this season can bring. 36 days until Christmas Eve and church candlelight services the world over ... how beautiful to think about the world coming together as if in a candle's glow to celebrate the reason for the season.

As for the North Pole scene, I'm sure the reindeer are getting ready for their big trek across the globe that magical night. Here's a free pattern to make up for a special little someone or big love bug ... bring merry close and never lose the magic of Christmas.

Christmas Eve Flight
Design by Tanya Marie Anderson / The Sampler Girl
c 2010 www.thesamplergirl.com

Two NEW patterns release tomorrow ... see you then!

new again ...

Tokens of Visiting with the Jane Austen Girls is not available as a mailed pattern anymore however, due to numerous requests I'm offering it as an EPattern only. For details, click HERE.

if you need anything

Chances are, Miss Maddy won't be available to help you. She's on her fifth nap.

However, I'm working away at orders that have begun to pile up calling, begging, shouting at me to print, package, and ship ... back to it! Hope your day is a productive one.

wooly

It was a fantabulous week-end! One of the exciting highlights was Saturday morning when my Mom and I went to a favorite country shop that was having a 50-75% off sale. I purchased many wonderful primitive things for the holidays and Mom got be this darling sheep lamp for me. I love it! The menfolk in the house don't understand my adoration for my new little lamp, especially when it doesn't shine blasts of light like a ceiling light (hate those) but isn't it too cute? Oh and the big wooden acorn is new too ... I had to have that one. I'm sure it makes me a bigger nut to the menfolk but they really had a good time poking fun with my new primitive snowman.

Just a little background here - - I have a primitive rabbit (DH says the eyes follow him around the room) and a primitive pumpkin box (DH says the eyes follow him and are even freakier than the rabbit) and a primitive cat (DH is petrified of that one) but NOW I have a primitive snowman. Ben said it looks like a homeless person but I love him and he'll sit near my snowman tree ... when that gets up and decorated, maybe sooner that later. I couldn't leave him. Isn't he terrific?


I best get some work accomplished and stop snapping pictures! I've some banana bread to make for Zack's class tomorrow and think I should double the batch because I want a loaf too! Hope your week is off to a good start. May you find treasure that makes you happy!

**My Mom is working on her new website ... have a look HERE and bookmark it!

Edited at 1pm to add ... my grandmother gave me 2 turkey vases from a thrift shop and this morning I put some dried flowers in them and sat them on the dining room table separated by the napkin basket. Too fun!

gobble gobble

Two NEW patterns!

When I first received Kelmscott's mother of pearl purse handles, I knew they had to fancy a Jane Austen-inspired reticule! The linen banding makes for a wonderful foundation and well, it's a sweet token to stitch and use. Verse by Miss Austen speaks to anyone who loves to entertain or attend a party this season. Complete finishing instructions included in pattern. (Purse handles are available for purchase too on my website.)

Jane Austen Party Reticule
c 2010 The Sampler Girl

Then we have the third design of mine inspired by a favorite holiday film, It's A Wonderful Life. This one's simplicity and charm bring a warmth of feeling; fabric was wrapped around frame with jingle bells hot glued to the corners for embellishment. Fun!

Every Time a Bell Rings

c 2010 The Sampler Girl

Both patterns are listed on the website. Click HERE for the New page.
Oh and I updated my Food Blog ... hungry?

veterans day

. . . . . . . . . .

Lord, bid war's trumpet cease;
Fold the whole earth in peace.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes

foggy

Not outside, just inside this head of mine. It only hurts when I sneeze. You get the idea. I'm improving ~ everyone deserves their own pity party while sick so go ahead, be festive ... pass me a kleenex or just give me the box, will ya? It all began at some point over the week-end during daylight savings time with that extra hour bringing cough and congestion for not just me but Zack and Ben too. We are the lucky trio, DH says, very lovingly while we both laugh, I'm pathetic. Yesterday I was really pathetic. I was in a medicated stupor by the time he got home; I was in and out of it while Zack was running around, pretending to not be sick and coughing all the while, and Ben was home early from school, begging to play video games amid loud sneezes. I escaped to the bed and took a late day nap ~ not a good idea because I was up most the night like it was morning. Nothing much on but I caught up on all my British Monarchy news via their new Facebook page. That Camilla isn't aging well.

So morning has now come and both kids are home from school. It looks pretty outside with the sun shining, leaves falling and blue skies above. Zack is humming a tune whilst lining up his millions of cars on the dining room table. This normally isn't allowed but hey, I'm sick and don't have the energy to tell him no. I know Ben is sick because he went back to bed after breakfast. Zack just asked me what planet we live on ... I think it's earth.

Tune in tomorrow ~ I'm sure I'll be better. Planning on it.

::Coming Soon . . .

This is a glimpse at Jane Austen Party Reticule ... pattern available this week. I'm really excited how this one came out. It uses Kelmscott's gorgeous mother of pearl purse handles. Pretty, pretty!

Also, to be released this week is Every Time a Bell Rings ~ another fun design for Wonderful Life movie fans. It is a little framed piece.

Till then ... be well. I've 2 sick munckins in the house and I have a sinus thing going on not to be left out of the fun. See you soon ...

sunday

The Sunday Peacock Sampler

Of all the days that's in the week
I dearly love but one day
And that's the day that comes betwixt
A Saturday and Monday.
~Henry Carey

a new view

Friday! Any morning that begins with Dunkin Donuts has to be a good one. Z was very excited that we were going there this morning and was in a big hurry to help his big brother get ready for school to drop him off. The ark has been put away for another time and the blue skies are filled with soft, puffy clouds as if they were dotted there by a painter's brush. Very pretty. Very good start to the week-end even though there are 2 piles of laundry awaiting my folding expertise. Let's see how fast I can get that task done. Another batch of orders went out this morning and the printer is taking a break ~ stitching is the goal of this day. I've 4 new designs to crank out ... off to it. See you when I see you!

the view from here

Rain, and more of it. This morning, after convincing my oldest to get out of bed and dressing my youngest whilst he was still in bed (the clock stops for no one), I followed slow, stupid (forgive me but puleez, you've encountered the same lot) drivers en route to school and preschool drop offs, inching my way along the neighborhood streets trying to get free of these morning regulars. Eventually I made it to the post office to send orders and what do you know, the rain was there too! Before leaving for my next wet destination, I lingered extra long at the stop sign to listen to the rain drops and watch them drizzle down the window before swishing on the wiper blades once again and being honked at by another frazzled mom in the car behind.


When I was dry and cozy in my house, the morning flew by. The 3 hours twice @ week that are my own without any child begging me for food seem to escape me no matter how much I try the next week to work faster. I wasn't the only one who thought that because when I picked up Zack at noon, I heard him say to the teacher, 'school is over?' I did get a goodly amount of work accomplished today and even added 3 designs (Bedford Falls Ornament, Inauguration Day Pillow Pattern, & On the banks of the Potomac 1783) to the EPattern listing on website. While Zack naps (I have high hopes) then I'll tackle some designing that is calling to me.

Should you find some (any) time to call your own today, enjoy it and be sure to linger longer at a Stop sign and breathe it all in.

TGOS ornament issue with my design, NEW YEAR, NEW EWE!

Look for my Christmas ornament design: NEW YEAR, NEW EWE, in the November 2010 issue of The Gift of Stitching Magazine. Enjoy!

out with the spooky, in with the thankful

This morning I put all the Halloween decorations away for another October. because now it's November! Through the years I've tried to simplify, simplify, simplify. After all, I don't want my living room to look like seasonal aisle #4 so I find I that I buy less holiday decorations as the years go by. I do buy, don't get me wrong. I just don't buy as much. Less is more, right? Besides I had to have this owl clip-on thingie for November's door wreath. Isn't he cute? Don't know when owls started to look cute, because I've seen the real thing baby and they are far from cute. Scary is more like it but this tiny faux one is just darling and sits so still on the grapevine, no swooping down from a big tree and frightening small critters. Nope. This one is a cute, harmless owl. Just look at those lashes!

The green, gold, brown, orange, and red pom poms made for a quick garland. Just string them on floss with a tapestry needle and you're good to go. I love the look of them. A few more thankful displays around the house where spooky resided, now meet blessings. DH likes to make fun of my primitive/country things ... now I can't pass this pilgrim couple without hearing him say,"she's choking the turkey!"

I have no idea where the day went. Oh yes, I cleaned this morning ~ the full clean treatment with vacuum and bathroom cleansers. Visited the post office to send a batch of orders and then we lunched out on this pretty Fall day. Nearing time to fetch my oldest from school and then it's choir night for the youngest. Hope your Wednesday is a productive one and owl-less, unless it's a small pretend one like mine.

V O T E

If there's an election in your area, be sure to cast your vote today!
I did ~ did you?