Hello friends! Got a new computer so going to try blogging again! The MacBook makes it a whole lot easier to bring the photos I take on my phone into my blog. :) It will make life easier. I am still stitching- mainly trying to finish UFOs/WIPs.  Been working on a Dimensions kit I got from a friend when she got rid of her stash. 

It's going to be for my daughter when it's finished.  I haven't worked on it in the last week or two- I need to carve out more time for stitching.  It's hard when you have so many things you love to do in your spare time! 

I am loving this cooler weather! It's always a long time coming in NC.  Trying not to have to turn the heat on too much so we got the space heater out and Ginger liked it.

Our girl was 8 years old last month! Time flies. She is still as sweet as ever.

Back in September we took a trip to visit family in Frederick, MD.  It is such a lovely town! We were able to stay right downtown so we walked everywhere.  We had great weather and had so much fun visiting with family and visiting all the quaint shops, one of which my brother-in-law and his wife own!

I took so many more photos than this- such a fun, beautiful town. I will have to post more another time. Will write again soon!

Happy new year!

Hello hello!! I can not believe it has been almost a year since I posted.. my apologies. Last year was a crazy year. If I had continued blogging I think you may have been disappointed in the amount of stitching I was doing. I don't really do new year's resolutions anymore but I do want to try to carve out more time for stitching this year.  I do still enjoy it so much.  I will post a picture of the tavern soon.  It is semi-finished.  The directions on the pattern were a little confusing, especially since I didn't have a photo of the finished product.  It must have gotten lost at some point and was extremely hard to find online, at least one that was close up and clear.  I never did find one.  I don't know if you remember, but a friend had asked me to stitch that for her, and sadly, she passed away before I finished. She had some heart problems but was staying in an assisted living facility, and seemed to be doing pretty well. Her death was sudden and unexpected to many of her friends, including me.  I plan on keeping the tavern in memory of her.   Here is a photo of my latest WIP- Blackbird Designs' "Strawberry Fields Forever." 

Yes, I have a long way to go!! I also have several UFOs I should start working on. 

Something else I am trying to do this year is make my house a toxin-free household as much as possible.  Did you know when an item has "fragrance" in the ingredients it can include 300 different chemicals, etc? Including formaldehyde? When I found that out I threw my plug-ins in the trash! I was told of a website- ewg.org- where you can look up everyday household products and see what toxins, skin irritants, carcinogens, etc are in them.  It is pretty eye-opening and pretty scary! I wish I would have found this site a lot sooner!  The great thing about essential oils is that instead of being harmful when diffused into the air, is that they are actually helpful! For instance, oils like rosemary can promote mental clarity! Lavender and cedarwood can promote restful sleep! Citrus oils such as lemon, orange, and grapefruit can help you feel uplifted and happy! The list goes on...  Cat owners do need to be careful as some oils are irritating to cats when diffused. 

Speaking of animals..what would a post be without Ginger and/or Kona? Here is a pic of Kona on our one snow day we have had so far this year-

Till next time-

Tracey ♥

Semi-lazy Sunday..

This picture of Kona was actually taken yesterday- this is where he lays most of the time, on the back of the chaise lounge chair, usually when I am sitting there too.  That blanket came from my grandma's house. ♥ I got it when she moved to assisted living.  I love that blanket, and I love that it came from her, and a place where I have so many fond memories.  Usually it is over my lap. ☺ 

Today has been an alright day- went to church this morning then had to pick up some groceries.  It was a rainy morning so I was glad to get home.  Since then, I have just been doing things around the house off and on.  I started to make dinner and my daughter came in and promptly stopped me because she already had something in mind she wanted to make for dinner. So I let her do it! ☺ I folded laundry instead.  I was feeling a little blah off and on today- had an acidic stomach and heartburn.  I had made a roll-on of Peppermint essential oil and an oil blend called Di-Gize, as well as some almond oil to dilute it.  I rolled it on my stomach and my heart and am feeling much better!

I haven't done any stitching yet today- going to get to that as soon as I finish this post!  Watching "The Longest Ride" too- so far it's a great movie. I haven't read the book yet, which is good. I almost always watch a movie before I read the book it's based on, because the book is always better. ☺

Well- off to stitch!

Tracey

Busy busy..

Well, it's been a crazy month and a half.. my daughter's friend came to stay with us for three weeks in August, followed by my mother-in-law who left today.  Both very nice visits- it's going to seem strange without and extra person around!  While my mother-in-law was here we visited Emerald Isle, NC and stayed over night. Our house was right on the beach.  It was the first time we had ever done something like that and it was just lovely!  One of the most relaxing times I had ever had, and I'm sure my pictures will show you why. ♥

Couldn't keep my son out of the water!

Can you spot the crab in this picture?

I didn't get any stitching done, even though I did bring it.  Did a lot of walking on the beach,  got in the water a bit, even talked to a couple who had their sweet Corgi there! The house we stayed in didn't allow pets, so we couldn't bring Ginger and Kona.  Their Corgi was sweet, she even brought her ball to me to play fetch. ♥  I hope to go back soon! 

I have been working a little on the tavern, hoping to get more done now that things have settled down a bit.  I have kind of put my other stitching by the wayside but may work on my Maryse freebie once in a while since I only have to finish the border.  It's kind of funny- the copyright date on this tavern pattern is 1977- I was only 5 the year it was printed!

I

Ginger and Kona have been their usual silly selves.  They always love when we have company.  Here is a photo of them pouting when they were shut out of the kitchen.  My mother-in-law and the kids were making cookies and deviled eggs.

I 

So pitiful! 

I recently downloaded an app to my iPad called "Retype" -it's usually a paid app but I happened to find out about on a day that they were offering it for free.  It's fun to play with.  I took a picture of Ginger when she was sleeping on her back one day and made this-

I thought it was kind of funny. ☺

Well, that's about the latest here- hope to be on a little more now.  Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!  Thanks for sticking with me. ♥

Updates

Hello..

Hope everyone's summer is going well! Here, well, it's hot! Today wasn't as bad as some days but it was still right toasty.  I did get out and play with the pups a little bit; I took my phone out to take some pictures but of course I forgot. Kona loves playing fetch and is very quick in getting the ball back to me! He keeps me busy out there! I did get this picture of him when I was *supposed* to be cleaning our spare bedroom. Ahem.

 But in my defense I did clean it up some yesterday! It has become quite a catch-all room.  Books, craft stuff, files, magazines, etc. I was trying to sort through some of the clutter. I did yesterday but today just felt a little over-whelmed(and maybe a little lazy.)  

I did accomplish a couple of things today stitching-wise.  One of my Facebook stitching groups has a Quick Stitch Weekend once a month, where we find a small design and try to stitch it in a weekend.   This month I found an old Pine Mountain pillow kit I got years ago.  I think my daughter originally wanted me to buy it so she could stitch it.  Well she hasn't stitched in a long time and doesn't really seem to have an interest in in anymore, so I stitched it for her as a surprise while she was with friends this weekend. In fact I am still waiting for her to get home and see it. ☺ 

I hope she won't be upset that I stitched it instead.

I also pulled out some frames my dad had made for me- I wish I would have written down which designs I had him make them for- and framed an old finish. It was the only one I was pretty certain belonged to one of the frames.

It's "Snow Tired" (duh) by Homespun Elegance.  Now I have to figure out what the other frames go to.  

I am currently working on a couple of different things- a Grilles by Maryse freebie- "It's Winter Time"( a little wrinkled, sorry)-

And a piece for a friend- "Chowning's Tavern" (an actual place in Williamsburg, VA). I don't have much done on that one yet; hoping to put a few stitches in it tonight.

I recently discovered netgalley.com.  It's a site where you can request to read certain books before they are available for sale.  The authors rely on you for an honest review of their book and you post that review on their site as well as blogs, facebook, twitter, etc.  I am giving it a shot and reading my first book The Water of Life by Daniel Marchildon.  I will let you know how it is!

Well, since I started writing this, my daughter has returned home. Once she saw the pillow she remembered the kit. She did not seem upset at all that I had stitched it. ☺ 

If I am going to stitch I better get to it. Here is a little picture of Ginger as a sign-off.

She's like "Mom, you are taking a picture of me again?"

God bless!

Tracey

P.S. Finally finished Brooke's Books Summer House a little while back! Here it is-

Busy busy..

Well first things first- the Alamo is complete and delivered to it's owner. She loved it!

I have been working more on my other projects- I did a weekend project-

 Made some progress on my LK sampler-

 And been plugging away at my (mostly) "lunchtime project." 

Kona and Ginger did both get fixed- they healed well. :) Kona messes with his stitches quite a bit so he had to wear the Cone of Shame. This is actually the first one- he managed to get around this one so we had to get a taller one. 

 Ginger was a good sister though and still helped by washing his face and ears. 

Kona experienced his first snow the other day- he enjoyed it, even though he doesn't look like it in this picture.

We are supposed to get some more tonight-several inches- we'll see what happens.

On Tuesday I had a snow day home with the kids-I decided to try my hand at making some liquid soap using bar soap. It was super easy and made a ton. It was a little slimy 'cause I used a Dial glycerin bar. Next time I think I will use Yardley lavender soap. I love that stuff! We had some Ball jars so I got pumps  and made them into soap dispensers. 

 There are some other recipes on Pinterest for lotion and stretch mark cream. I may try those at some point too!  I recently bought some homemade sugar scrub at a local store and I just love it. It kind of inspired me!

Oh, I almost forgot- I have finally started putting beads on thi project too! I have had it stitched forever.

Sorry the photo isn't that good.

Well that's about it here.. Will post again soon!

Hellloooo!

Yes, it's me! I'm still here.  I have been working more on the Alamo and I am happy to say I am very close to finishing! Only have the backstitching left to do- and a couple of stitches I have found that I missed.

I have also been working on a winter freebie that I started some time ago- I thought I took a picture of it but I can't find it!  

A facebook stitching group I'm in has WIP Wednesdays- so on Wednesday I put a (very) few stitches in this-

 

I don't remember what I was doing/watching while working on it but got distracted, so I didn't get very far.

I have been doing lots of reading lately- came across this great app called Scribd! There are a ton of books on there and I got a three month free trial. After the trial is up, it is only 8.99 a month I believe.  It is very worth it because there are so many books available on it, and I am the type of person that has so many books that I want to read, I try to buy books used or cheap and get rid of them once I've read them. (With the exception of classics and a few books that I really really love.) So this app is going to save me a ton of money.   I said I was always going to be a paperback girl but now I have finally ventured into the world of e-books. It's not so bad after all.  DH got me an iPad mini for Christmas, so now I can have books with me wherever I go, and it's a bit more compact!

I am still getting the ipsy bags- I love them! It's like giving myself a present every month. And if there is something in it I don't like, usually my daughter does. ☺ This was my bag this month-

 

This month was a full size eyeliner, a full size lip balm, a full size eyeshadow, a tube of pink shimmer cream(I use it as a light blush), and a sample with multiple uses of daily moisturizer.  Not bad for $10+ tax.  If you're interested please click here to sign up. ☺ You also can get points on your account for sharing your bag on facebook or going to the site and leaving feedback on the products in your bag. The points can be cashed in for extra products. ☺☺

I did something new this year- I started a happiness jar.  Has anyone heard of it? I saw it via a facebook post.  You get a jar and every day on a little slip of paper write something that made you happy that day, even if it's just a little thing.  Then at the end of the year go back and read all the things that made you happy. ♥  I confess I have been slacking a little bit the last week or so. I keep forgetting about it. I put it on my night stand now so at the end of the day I will remember to do it.

Please pray for my furbabies next Friday- they are both getting fixed.  They have been having a little aggression toward each other and we are hoping it will help.  Overall they still get along really well, but have occasionally been having fights- real ones where they actually draw blood!   I have gotten some advice from friends with multiple dogs and other Corgi owners as well and several said to fix them.  We did not plan on breeding them anyway so it needed to be done and done soon.  Much as I would love a bunch of little Corgi babies running around, I do not have any dog breeding experience.  And I would probably want to keep them all. ♥ I can't afford that!

I have been loving my drives home lately- this is the time of year that the sun is setting as I drive home so I see many beautiful skies!  Here are a couple-

DH went to a fishing expo a few weekends ago- while he was there he saw a man selling hedgehogs and send me this picture-

Look at that cutie! I have wanted a hedgehog for a long time.  I thought maybe he was going to buy me one- but alas- when he went to find out how much they were the man was gone. :( Oh well, maybe next year? hee hee..

Well... that's the latest!   I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and new year! We had a very nice one- my mother-in-law was visiting and we had a great time.

I will sign off with my sweeties- they were wanting my Life cereal when I took this. 

 

Not the best photo because of course they both moved!

Stitching progress and our Christmas tree..

I think I forgot to mention last time that we got our Christmas tree up.  :) This was a bit interesting as Ro has gotten a recliner since last Christmas and we have a small living room- it required a bit of rearranging and putting our rocking chair in another room for now.  Anyway, here it is!

And here is my progress on Beach Cottage and Autumn Side- hoping to finish Autumn Side this weekend. :)

Sorry the snaps aren't that good- for some reason my flash wouldn't go off when I took the one of Beach Cottage!

Only two more weeks til we get Ginger--- it is so hard waiting! I am so excited. We have pretty much gotten everything we need- just need to get a baby gate to keep her in the kitchen while we're at work(just until she is fully house-trained), and her harness and leash- but we want to wait til we get her to do that so we can get the right size.  I know she will be a bit bigger than when we saw her last! :)

Meet Ginger!

I am one happy lady today!! We are getting a Corgi puppy! Her name will be Ginger and here she is-

I am soooooo excited!!! We will get her in mid-December, when she is eight weeks old. We met her in person today and it was hard to let go!   She is my early Christmas present. :) I have to share with you the neat story of how we got her.  I have been interested in getting a Pembroke Welsh Corgi for a while now, but couldn't afford one.  One day I struck up a conversation with a lady who worked at the local pet store, and mentioned at some point how bad I wanted one, but couldn't afford what most breeders charge.   She then told me she had a Corgi, and would probably breed it eventually, and wouldn't charge an exorbitant amount for one.  So I gave her my business card and she put it in the pocket of her apron.  This was probably at least a year or so ago give or take a month or two.  Well at the pet store they have three different aprons they rotate for different times of year or something like that.  Her puppies were born in October a week or two ago it was back to the apron she was wearing when we met.. and there in the pocket was my card! So she called and left a message for me at work- I called her back and everything just seemed to fit into place from there- her price was very reasonable, my hubby said we could get one. :) , we really wanted a female and there was only one in the litter! :) She knew how long I wanted one so she said she would tell everyone the female was spoken for.   I am so thankful and feel so blessed.

On the stitching front, I've made a little progress here and there, I will post it soon..