Shores Update!

Good Afternoon All,
Wow 52 followers! Welcome to all my new followers. I will make every attempt to post regularly and not disappoint!  I was thinking of having my first ever give-a-way when I hit 50 so I guess I will spend this week figuring it out. Thank you all for you kind comments, my furry friends and I enjoy reading every one of them.  

Our gazebo was a total loss :(  However DH found a sturdy one on Craig's List and it is now sitting in the back yard waiting to be put up.  He wants to bury cinder blocks at the corners and bolt it to them to keep it in place. I can only hope this works and it stays put LOL.  It is so hot here today 94. UGH. I am so done with summer and ready for jeans and sweatshirt weather.  I am hoping to go up to the camper for the weekend. It would be nice to get away.

Well now for the Shores update. I made lots of progress during our week long SAL!. I was really motivated. I finished block 1 and started block 2:

The sun took forever!! I am moving right along on block 2. 

I will get back to you asap with details about the give-a-way and more progress pictures. Until then enjoy your week - stay cool - and happy stitching!

Back From Vacation

Hello all. We are back from out vacation and time to post :)

We went to our camper in the Pocono Mountains for 10 days. It was great! We didn't even have to turn the air conditioners on until mid week.  

Our camper the first morning there.

We went to Bushkill Falls and hiked to the falls. Very pretty but I understand it is much better after some rain.  We really haven't had much rain except for an occasional fast moving thunderstorm.

Bushkill Falls

It was hot so we went swimming in the campground pool.

Sunset over the pool.

My daughters each came up to visit Devin and the dogs for a couple of days and Siobhan for an overnight.  Always good to spend time together.  The last night there was a terrible thunderstorm. Lots of lightening and wind and we lost power (lucky I brought a battery powered stitching lamp lol).

When we got home the next day we found this:

So much for Andy's Father's Day gift :(

And this . . .

I think they missed us!

Now for the stitching update (drum roll please)

Shores block 1

I hope to finish this block this week and then move on the block 2. About.com's stitching forum is having a SWAT (Stitch-week-a-thon) beginning Saturday.  I hope to get a lot done. If you'd like to join in the fun here is a link to the forum http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-crossstitch&lgnF=y

It's a lot of fun and you can work on whatever you want. The forum members and very nice and always helpful. I hope you can join us for our SWAT. We post pictures at the beginning and of our progress. It is inspiring to see what we all get done in such a short amount of time. 

I hope you are all staying cool and enjoying your summer - 

Happy Stitching,

Rose

Getting my mojo back and a finish :)

Hi All!!
I don't know how many of you remember but last year (maybe the year before) I thought I would try my first BAP and stitch The Shores of Hawk Run Hollow. Well I got a little overwhelmed and did not get far.  

Pretty bad huh?!? I think the size of the fabric overwhelmed me. I started again today and WILL keep going.  I love to read Becky's Bees blog.  Becky SC is amazing and she finished Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow by commiting to 1 block a month.  I  just started a small wedding gift but I have til the end of September so I am going to do at least 1 block a month until Shores is done.  I plan on posting my progress. I have a weeks vacation next week so I plan on getting a lot of stitching done.  My favorite forum over at About.com is having a SWAT (a stitch week along) in July so I should get some done then too!  There is a really great group of stitchers on that forum (stop by and check it out)!

I did complete a gift for my boss in time for her last day of work (she retired Monday).

I changed some of the colors to match her tastes.  She fell in love with sheep when she visited Ireland so sheep it had to be.  Sorry for the fuzzy picture but I am learning to use my smart phone as my daughter took my camera to Guyana and I didn't get it back yet.

I hope you all are having a great summer so far and I will post progress pictures soon.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
Hugs,

Qick Update and a give-a-way

Good Morning All,

I just wanted to drop and to let you all know that Denise over at Riverside Stitching is having a great give-a-way. Stop over and visit her and enter!!!

Memorial Day weekend we gutted out only bathroom so have been crazy trying to get it done.  Also my daughter took off for a service trip to Guyana in South America Saturday night and took my camera with her so will try to figure out how to post from my phone (or pictures will wait til after June 20th!)!

Just know I am spending my whole day stitching!!! I am working on Sheep In The Meadow by Country Cottage Needleworks. It is a retirement gift for my boss who visited Ireland and fell in love with all things sheep.  It is a really nice stitch (although I changed the lavenders to a more plum shade of purple).  I will post a picture ASAP!!


Until then have a great day and I hope you have some time to put in a few stitches yourself :)


Hugs
Rose

Graduation and finishes :)

Hello All!

I know I have been away again but so much has been happening!  Work has been crazy getting ready to end one school year and starting another.  The bus companies are already looking for their paperwork and I am getting a new principal July 1st.  I have high hopes that she will be good for the school and that we will work well together.

Well first of all please allow me a few minute to tell you about my amazing younger daughter.  She graduated Saturday from Misericordia University in Dallas, PA.  She received her BS in Health Sciences with a minor in Psychology (Magna cumlaude), her Masters in Occupational Therapy, was in both the OT and Psych Honor Societies and on Friday she received the OT Leadership Award.  I am so very proud of my Devin!!!

Devin and her proud parents after the Award Ceremony,

 The Graduate

The Graduate and her very proud parents!

I also have had several time sensitive projects.  The first few I have to get done by the end of the school year - 

A pillow for a lovely nun at school who always brightens my day.

 

 

A pillow for another sweet nun at school who had been in the hospital.  She loves snowmen and yes there is some beading (first time I ever tried that).

I have one more that I will show later as it is a RAK for a dear friend that I still have some finishing to do. Hope to mail it off next week and then you all can see. I also have one that I am doing for my boss as a retirement gift and I promised a cross stitched wedding gift to a friend in Sept.  

This coming weekend my daughter and hubby are gutting the bathroom and putting in a new one.  I will try to post some pictures of that project too LOL!!

Hope you all are stitching away!!

Hugs,

Rose

A Surprise!!!!!

I couldn't have been more shocked  today to find a comment left by DKathy awarded Denise over at Riverside Stitching. Denise awarded my  blog a Liebster Blog Award! Thank you so very much Denise you are truly amazing! 



In case you didn' know (I didn't lol) Liebster, which means 'favorite' in German, it is a way for bloggers to help each other out by spreading the word about their blogs.

As part of the Liebster tradition it is passed along to 5 bloggers that have motivated and inspired you. To accept the award you must -


1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.
2. Post the award to your blog. 
3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value. 
4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.
5. Share 5 random facts about yourself that people don't know about you. 


It is my honor to offer the Liebster blog award to these 5 blogs -


1.  Kirstin over at Stitching Addiction. Kirstin is one talented lady that I met on the About.com forum.  She is from Australia and does some beautiful work.  Be sure to stop by and say "hello".


2.  Measi's Musings is an wonderful little blog. She has some unique work and a great SAL!


3.  A shout out to Toni over at Toni's Favorite Things. Toni hasn't been around much lately and a little encouragement may be in order.  She has some beautiful work and just seeing the LNS pictures from her country (The Phillipines) is just amazing!!


4. Jeanne at Byrd's Nest has some of the most amazing blackwork designs! I first found her on the DMC forum and although I haven't been there in a long, long time I love to see what's new and different on her blog.  If you like blackwork you will love Byrd's Nest!


5.  Lynn over at Kearnel's Korner is right up my alley!! She is a fellow empty-nester who loves her stash and her cat (the difference is as you all know I am a dog person).  Her blog is a joy to follow.


Well there is my list and now for the 5 things you don't know about me (this will be hard):
1. I love small houses (which is good because I live in a small cape cod).
2. I met my hubby when we were 16 but didn't date til 24!
3. I love to listen to all different kinds of music but my favorite is anything Celtic (especially Celtic Woman or Enya).
5. I am addicted to Harry Potter in book or movie form.
6. Vanilla is my favorite smell :)


Thank you so much for the award Denise and I will catch you around the blog world!!!


Thank you to to all my followers and I hope you enjoy checking out some new blogs!

First Finish of 2012 and Other Odds & Ends

Good Morning All and Happy Monday!

 It is a beautiful Spring morning here in PA which is strange. It is February after all and we should be covered in snow! I let the gang out this morning and the birds were singing! I can't wait to open the windows and let their song into the house (although it does come with plenty of pollen ugh).

Well let's get down to business and post my finish!  I participated in "Hermit and Stitch last weekend with the gang from: 

Random Ramblings 

http://joysze.blogspot.com/ 

 I should have posted last Monday but better late than never right?? I started just needing to finish the snow flakes on "Christmas Tea" by Plum Street Samplers (I just love her patterns and knew this was the perfect pattern to get my stitching mojo back again. It is done on 14 count blue fiddler's cloth with DMC floss.

Then I moved on to start "Dream Wish Believe" by Midnight Stitching. I have a dear friend who is in rehab after an illness and she loves snowmen! This will be for her birthday in March (so I'd better get moving)!  It is on some 14 count blue I found in my stash. With gas prices going up it is time to use some stash up!

My big surprise this week came from my dear friend Minnie over at:

 All XX's

http://minnie-allxxs.blogspot.com/

She had a surprise give-a-way when she hit 50 followers! Congrats Minnie and thank so so much.

If you have time stop over and visit her!

Finally I will leave you with the latest picture of my gang taking a nap on the couch.  

Have a wonderful day and I will post my next finish soon (I hope cause I have my next 3 projects all planned!). I guess my mojo came back :)

Hugs

Rose