New Year, New Start

Happy new year everyone! Hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy new year.  We did here- after a long month it was nice to have a day to share together as a family and relax.  It was a crazy month, and not just because of the Christmas preparations. 

Early in the month my husband had hernia surgery- it was something we had put off for too long and our old doctor had ignored for too long.  I had switched doctors and got my husband switched over too.  The new doctor's office took one look and set him up with a surgeon.  His surgery was around the first of the month.  They kept him a couple of days after then let him come home.  He was home a few days and started experiencing a lot of pain, more than normal for the procedure.  So we went to the local ER- scans and x-rays had shown that the mesh did not hold- so he was taken to the hospital he had the original surgery at and was kept for about a week after the almost -immediate surgery.  The hospital was about an hour away so it was a lot of driving back and forth, leaving the kids with friends, etc. But he is home now and recuperating, and was in time for Christmas, thankfully.

I have been doing a little stitching here and there; I am hoping with the start of the new year I can get back into my old stitching habits and get some things done.  The Alamo is still a WIP, and I have also started a gift for some friends- it was supposed to be a Christmas gift, but that didn't happen. To inspire me I can do a little stash shopping- I was fortunate enough to win a giveaway on Laurel's Stitchery's facebook page and won a $20 gift certificate for her shop! Was browsing tonight- such decisions to be made. I know that fabric is a must, as I am always running short of good fabric.

The kids are doing very well in their new schools, and Ginger is well also.  We had a little scare with her a month or two ago- she must have gotten into something she shouldn't have, and was a bit sick, but thankfully with some medicine and some special canned food, she is fine now.  (and always expects canned food with her dry food now, unfortunately. ) She has gained a little weight but is not unhealthy, as you can see in this photo taken at Christmas.

 

As some of you who have been reading my blog for a while know, I had some links to the right for my webshots albums- wish list and items for sale/trade.  Well evidently webshots was bought out in 2012 and I was sent an email that I needed to save all my photos because they would no longer be available after such and such a time.  WELL- I did not see that email- I have a tendency to let my emails pile up and probably purged it in some mass email purge at some point.  This is a bit upsetting because I'm not sure I had some of those photos saved anywhere else. Grrrrr. Oh well.. there is nothing to be done about it now. New year's resolution: Keep a better handle on my email accounts.

 

I was really so excited- since we have a new house I wanted a new Christmas tree- we had one of those fiberoptic ones from the 90's and I hated it - the lights just do not have that glow.  Well my dh knew I wanted a new tree and fortunately a friend of his from work was getting rid of one or two- they have a large house. And he got us a new tree for a steal.  So this was our tree this year-

I ♥ it. I don't want to take it down!

 

Well that is life in a nutshell here- thanks for sticking with me! Will post some stitching pics next time(I know, I probably said that last time.)

 

OK, have you all given up on me? I hope not. I do have a good reason.. as you know we were house hunting- well, we bought a house! We moved in late June- but it really took a month or so- our lease at our old place wasn't up until the end of this month- so we took our time- bring a car load or two over just about every day and unpacking it.. did a little painting but the house was pretty much move in ready. We are really blessed- the house is about 32 years old but has been completely redone- new siding, new roof, new windows, new heat/AC, new dishwasher, and it was just in our price range.  Sometimes I still can't believe it is really ours.

Things are finally getting back to 'normal'.. I didn't do much stitching at all while we were looking for a house or while we were moving, so I am really excited to have some time for that again, and I do plan to keep my blog up better.

There will be something stitch-related at the end(a little giveaway!) but before I go here are some photos from the new house- more or less.   We live out in the country now and the drive home from work is so beautiful- I drive past lots of farms and open land- it's so peaceful!

 

The sunset can be seen from my back yard, as well as the open sky and lots of cool clouds-

 

Ginger likes the backyard too- it's fenced and has lots of room for her to run. This was taken on a day when she had run about for a while and was ready to go in! Please excuse the poop scooper. :-O

 

We also had a baby bird drop in- Ginger was very kind to him- only sniffed him and didn't try to eat him or run him off.. we cared for him a bit and then he evidently was able to jump or fly away because we couldn't find him later that evening.

 

I have also started planting- these are my hydrangea on their better days- bugs or disease or both have started getting to them.. any tips? I am a bit new at this..

 

And here is a snap of Gin, pooped out with her Gumby-

 

I almost forgot! One of our last days at the old place I was walking Ginger and happened to see this little guy- thankfully he was still there after I got my phone.

 

Last but not least- the giveaway.  It is just a little one- I realized after winning this pattern in a giveaway myself that I already had it.  I thought I had given it away previously but I guess I never did.  So here it is-LK's Cross Stitcher in Residence.

 

I admit I am trying to get my blog back "out there" again- so if you share the giveaway on your blog you will get an extra entry! Please leave a comment on this post only if you want an entry, and let me know if you are posting on your blog. Thanks so much, and I really appreciate all of you who keep checking back with me after these lonnnnng breaks. ♥

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been awhile...

So, so sorry...I have let myself get swept up in other things lately and my blogging, stitching, and even reading have suffered.. I know I keep saying it but I really need to set a timer when I get online. I think there is a timer on my cell phone; I need to start using it!  I'm hoping to do some stitching when I get done with this post- just have to do a bit more cleaning in the living room and I'll be ready. 

I have been stitching on "The Alamo" at least a bit each week.  I will post a pic at the end of this post, as it is on my phone.

The fall leaves are nearly gone now, but here are a few photos of them while they were here-

 

The week before Thanksgiving was kind of crazy. One night Rob and I were getting ready to go to bed and Rob's heart started beating very fast, and he started having chest and arm pain.  We took him to the ER and they tried to get his heart rate slowed down and stabilized.. it slowed down a little but was still beating fast, so they admitted him to run some more tests.  He was in for 3 days and they found out he has atrial fibrillation.. so he will have to stay on medicine now to regulate his heartbeat as well as medicine for cholesterol and high blood pressure.  He is doing well since. He is back to work and feeling better, thank the Lord.

 

Every year our town has a little celebration downtown to officially turn on all the Christmas lights on the downtown streets.  I took David(Hanna had judo) and we went for a little while. It's always so neat to see all the lights turn on at the same time. I have videotaped it before but I forgot to this year.  Here are a few pics though. Ok, well, more than a few.

The quilt shoppe in their new location- see all the fabric inside?

The magnolia tree in the traffic circle/roundabout

This gives you an idea of how big the tree is!

City Hall

 

a downtown view

 

As you can tell by my son's hat, Krispy Kreme was there. We were a little disappointed because they usually give out a doughnut to each person who wants one but this year they only gave a donut hole to each person. Sign of the economy I guess. But they did hand out coupons for $2 off a dozen doughnuts.  Which reminds me, I have to use that before it expires.

 

I had been wanting to get Ginger a "Mr. Bill" toy for quite some time.. I hit the jackpot when I found one on clearance at Target for $2.  She loved him, but as always he didn't last long.. he was made pretty sturdy overall but she still managed to get the stuffing out of a foot. And the foot was not sewn off from the rest of his body so I couldn't just take the stuffing out of the foot and let her keep playing with him.  :( But here she is with him while she had him.

 

 

We got our Christmas tree up, not as early as usual but up nonetheless.. the kids helped me decorate it. In fact they ended up doing most of it cause Rob and I ended up going grocery shopping. :/

 

 

There is an angel on top of it now, her wings were broken and I had to glue them back on.

 

I have some other big news (no I am not pregnant. lol) .We are trying to get pre-qualified to buy a house.  I had a couple of errors on my credit report that we are trying to get fixed.. I am really so impatient to get moving (no pun intended). Now that I have house fever I just can't stand waiting to get out there and find one.  We have rented our current place for probably about 15 or 16 years. It is entirely too small for our family  now and I am so anxious for some more space, and to do some of the things with our living space I have not been able to do here due to lack of room.  So please say prayers for us, that we will get approved for enough to get our family a nice home and find the perfect one for us.  It has been a long time coming.  Thank you. ♥  And that is one of the more recent reasons I have not blogged.. lunch breaks are spent making phone calls trying to get this credit issue worked out, and when I am online I am scouring realty websites looking for that perfect place. 

 

And last but not least, here is the Alamo - I think I have done a bit more since I took this, I can't remember.

 

I really appreciate you all sticking with me even though I am so sporadic in posting sometimes!! I will try (again) to post more often!

 

 

 

 

I fell off the "stash diet" wagon...

But only slightly and for a minute!  I saw this pattern by The Primitive Hare and I had to have it .  I doubt I will have stitched for this Christmas but maybe next.  Now it's back on the diet. :)

I had hoped to finish my ornament last weekend, but didn't quite make it.  I think I am going to finish it sometime this week.  I thought about working on it tonight but I need to get working on the LK sampler. Not that I can finish it by Halloween or anything...sigh... It's my own fault.

I have been moving along on The Alamo bit by bit. I didn't have a chance to work on it this morning but hopefully tomorrow.  Here is my progress as of yesterday.

Ginger turned one year old on the 18th! I can hardly believe it.  We didn't do much for her birthday but we tried to make her feel extra special all day. :) The day before an order from Petco came in with  antlers and a new Kong for her, so at least she got presents. :)

Getting old is hard!( hee hee..)

An un-stitchy week

I'm afraid I don't have much stitching to show this week- only got a few stitches in on The Alamo but I do have a picture of my progress- have maybe made a little more since this was taken-

I don't think I ever did post one last week.

 

I started a new project over the weekend, since I finished my snowman. It's a little Sheepish Designs ornaments from an old Just Cross Stitch- I guess it might be considered an early ornament issue- from 1988! I was hoping to finish it this weekend as well but didn't have as much time to stitch as I had hoped.

 

It's called "A Primitive Christmas Heart." Who would've thought they liked primitive back in the 80's? That's when I first learned to cross stitch, in the 80's.. but I was young and stitching cutesy things. :)  It's actually a little aggravating- in the cover photo on this issue there is an old sampler on the wall in the background behind the Christmas tree.  I really like it but it's not featured in the magazine.  It looks like it was originally stitched by Susanna Neat in 1820.

 

I went to the library book sale this week; one of my favorite things twice a year. I usually only buy paperbacks because I don't have much room for hardcovers and the paperbacks are cheaper. :) The prices have gone up a bit- they were 5 for 1.00 and are now 50cents per book but still a great deal! I got a few books, and some for the kids.. the ones I got are Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor, The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri, Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham, and Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. A couple of them were actually already on my Goodreads to-read list so that was nice!

 

 

Ginger will be one this Wednesday- I can hardly believe it!

                                                                   Crazy girl!

 

Everyone have a great week! Thanks for stopping by. :)

 

Tracey

 

 

 

A completion, a splurge, and Ginger of course!

First off, I am feeling so accomplished as I pulled out an old finished piece(I think I finished it last year..)and framed it.  I had started to once before a long while back, but stupid me sewed the button on before I ironed it, wasn't even thinking, ironed it and broke the button. I had a hard time finding another blackbird button small enough. I think I even emailed Bent Creek about which button they used in the kit but got no answer.. so without further adieu- Blackbird House by Bent Creek!

I love this piece. Though I admit really it is not completely complete- was having some trouble with my craft glue so the back is bare and there is no hanger on it yet.  I may have to run to Michael's this week and get some new glue.  I always lose the little plug for my craft glue and it gets all rubbery.

 

We took the kids to Raleigh this weekend and went to one of the malls there- Hanna and I went to Forever 21 - I love this store because they have so many different styles and I really feel there is somehting there for so many age groups. I saw a lot of the 80's styles had returned, some of the cooler ones thank goodness.  I splurged and bought myself at hat, even though it is not cold enough here yet to wear it. I couldn't resist- I am pretty sure it was the last one and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it, especially when Hanna said "It looks like Breakfast at Tiffany's!" And she did mean that as a compliment, as she likes the movie too. It wasn't really super expensive, but I am ever the bargain shopper so it was a little splurge for me.

I can't wait til it gets cold enough to wear it!

 

Even Ginger got something new this weekend. I had to get her some food and when we went to Pet Supplies Plus they had a bunch of toys on clearance. I know she is always trying to get the kids' stuffed animals so I got her one. I knew she would tear it up so I figured I might as well get one on clearance. Here she is with her new buddy.

Yes, it is a tomato- and it makes a sound that sounds something like pig snorts.  This was taken on Friday. She has already torn off an arm and I had to amputate one of the tomato's legs today as she was working on it and I didn't want her to eat the stuffing. He also has a small hole in his body that I am going to attempt to patch.  My 7-year-old son David is very concerned about her and things she gets into that she shouldn't- so when the hole in the body was torn he tried to throw it away. Ginger looked so forlorn and tried to get in the trash closet- luckily it was just on some paper trash so I took it out and will try to mend it. We'll see.. I wish they made sturdier stuffed animals for dogs.

 

I started a new book this weekend- Shadow Valley by Gwen Hunter. This is the first book I've ever read by her and so far it is really good. I can tell it's going to be one of those I don't want to put down.

 

Well that's about it for this evening.. will post again soon. (I really will!)

 

 

I haven't forgotten..

Sorry it's been a long time! I'm not even going to give you my excuses.. you don't want to hear them anyway! :) Stitching-wise, I have mostly been plugging away on the project for my friend.. I did finally take a picture of my progress, now that I hopefully won't have to do anymore frogging. :) I'm currently working on the right side of the window frame.

In the wooded area behind my house, we have been having all kinds of flowers growing.. some come for a few weeks, then different ones come out- first we had these- I'm not sure what they are-

 

Now we have lots and lots of honeysuckle, and it smells so nice!

 

Not sure what these are but they are pretty!

                                                    And some wild berries growing too!

My garden has been growing a little bit- not as much as I'd like- I do need to go buy some more plants- but here's a few-

Baby's breath, sorry the pic is not so good-

 

Some sage.

And mums, believe it or not!
Touched this picture up with Instagram- I love that app!

I also came across a really fun site for unique items at great prices- I think this site will come in handy with gift giving! It's called Sneak Peeq and when you sign up(it's free!) you get a $10 credit! I got one of these bracelets(don't know which one yet) free!! You can too if you hurry and sign up, and click the "Style" link, then "bohemian fantasy." Click above to sign up or here. UPDATE:  I believe you must share site (on facebook? can't remember for sure) with at least three friends to unlock additional discounts that will make the bracelet free. :)

 Ginger is growing like a weed- and is silly as ever!

Well, I think that's sufficiently caught you up! I will try not to take so long in the future! :)