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 ♥

  

Happy February everyone!

Time flies! Can't believe we are heading toward the middle of the month already!

I have been working a bit on the tavern and made some decent progress, for a change.  I was just thinking that I need to pull threads for another project I have been meaning to start as well.  The pattern is on loan so I need to get working!  Here is the tavern thus far-

This is an older pattern; I think the copyright is 1977! But the friend I am stitching it for wanted me to do it with overdyed threads.  I think it will add a little something. 

I have been playing with my oils again- yesterday I made face cream and today I made shower gel.  The face cream works wonderfully! I haven't tried the shower gel yet. I will in the morning.  The face cream was so easy and quick! I found a recipe on Pinterest and changed it slightly.  You need 1/2 cup coconut oil, 2 tsp almond oil, 1 tbsp raw shea butter, and essential oil.(your choice- I used lavender and frankincense because they are good for your skin. 5 drops each.)

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Blend until a light, fluffy texture.

Put in an airtight container! Done!

This cream really works well.  I put it on my face at night before bed, and in the morning before I put my makeup on.  It is 7:21 pm and my face still feels so soft! And there is something comforting knowing that all the ingredients in it are not harmful in any way.

I started reading a new book this week - a Netgalley advanced reader copy.  It's called No One Knows by J.T. Ellison.  I wanted to read it because the preview reminded me a bit of the movie "Double Jeopardy", which I loved. I am curious to see if this book is similar or different.  I am also reading Spirit Driven Success by Dani Johnson. I have recently just discovered Dani via a friend and she is amazing.  Very inspiring and has good insight for all aspects of life. I highly recommend reading her books! 

That's it for today- hope everyone has a great week!

Tracey ♥☺

Snow Day?

Well, the threat of inclement weather has caused the school district to call off school- wondering how the roads will be for going to work tomorrow?  We'll see what happens. 

I have made a little progress on Chowning's Tavern- not as much as I would like, but it's something.

Maybe if the roads are too bad tomorrow I can get stay home and get some more done. They did salt the roads so we'll see.

I was so excited to get the Dr. Bronner's Castile soap I ordered from Amazon today. (Thank you Bing Rewards for the gift card!) There are so many things you can make with it and there are no toxic chemicals.  The first thing I made was some foaming hand soap.  It was so easy! I had a foaming hand soap container I got from a friend.  I filled it 1/3 of the way with the Castile soap, added a few drops of Young Living Thieves oil(it has antibacterial properties and smells great), and filled the rest of the way with oil.  Easy peasy! 

Next I am going to make DIY dishwasher detergent, but I am waiting on the citric acid I ordered, also with a gift card. (Thanks, Swagbucks.) Also on the list: face wash, regular dish soap, and maybe shampoo. It's so fun!  And healthier!

I finished a really good e-book recently, called Under The Ice by Aaron Paul Lazar. I think maybe it was offered for free on Amazon at some point. It's the 9th book in a series about a man named Gus LeGarde. It was kind of like a cozy mystery, but also like a regular suspense book.  I am looking forward to reading the others in the series.  It was a good time of year to read this one as it took place in the winter. ☺  

Well, I better get to bed- in case I do have to work tomorrow.

Good night!

Tracey

Happy New Year!

Hello! I know you all thought I fell off the face of the planet.  I haven't, just been very, very busy.  A lot of changes lately, even before the new year started!  

A short time before Thanksgiving, my husband was put on third shift.  Since he was the dinner-cooker in our family, this made things a little crazier in the evenings, as the kids and I usually go to the YMCA, or my daughter to judo class, or my son to Confirmation class at church. So many evenings are just rush, rush, rush. As of right now we have no commitments on Thursdays.  I didn't have any on Fridays or the weekend either, but my son has joined a basketball team so sometimes we have games on Fridays and/or Saturdays.  

My husband and I also started the 21 Day Fix plan a couple of months ago.  I really like it and it has helped us lose some weight.  We are still following it because we aren't done yet. ☺  Until recently, I had been getting up in the morning and working out first thing.  I need to get back to doing it.  It is tough but I was surprised how it energized me for the day.  The meal plan is "clean eating"- fruits, veggies, meats, anything healthy really, just in controlled portions. We eat smaller meals and snacks but six times a day, so we are rarely hungry.  This too gives you plenty of energy!  Once you get used to it, you don't really want the "junk" anymore and find it makes you feel yucky (for lack of a better word) when you eat it.  

With the start of this plan, and an essential oil class I went to a few months ago, I have started a journey for an overall healthier life.  I was invited to a Young Living Essential oil class by a friend.  I had used essential oils before, here and there... for aromatic purposes, to keep mice away, to help with headache pain..and I was surprised to find out there is so much more you can do with them! I became a member and was welcomed into this awesome community of others trying to support their body systems naturally, as well as keep toxins out of their homes.   Not only does Young Living have 100% therapeutic grade pure oils (see www.seedtoseal.com) but have cleaners and body care products that have no harmful ingredients.  Did you know you have 2000 pores in your feet? So when you mop with Pine-Sol or some other cleaner and step on the wet floor, you are absorbing those chemicals into your body.  Or your kid's body, or your pet's body, as the case may be.  I have always been a little nervous about the cleaners we use but this really hit home for me.

I am still stitching, though not as much as I used to.  I need to make time for it again.  Here is where I'm at on Chowning's Tavern-  

I want to make some good progress on it and then maybe work on one of my other UFO's.

I am still reading too but haven't read for NetGalley lately.  I hope they don't disable my membership!  I did cancel my Scribd membership for now. It's a great app and has a ton of books, but I have so many e-books saved and so many paperbacks on my bookshelf, I need to read those first.  Though what did I do today? Went to my library to order a copy of Spirit Driven Success  by Dani Johnson.  It was available at another local library so they are going to get it for me.  I just recently found out about Dani through one of my support team at Young Living.  She is amazing! She came from an abusive family, ended up homeless on the street and is now a multi-millionaire. She gives lots of great business advice as well as spiritual and life advice too.  I am not into "motivational speakers" but she is different.  I recommend checking her out when you have a chance.  You can find her at danijohnson.com or on youtube.  She has an app as well where you can listen to her radio show.

Well, I think I have gone on long enough, huh?  Thanks for checking in with me. ☺ And if you would like to know more about Young Living's wonderful oils, or about using essential oils to promote your family's wellness, please leave a comment or email me through the "about me" section.  Of course you are welcome to leave a comment about anything else too! ♥

Peace, love, and Corgis-

Tracey

(My tree is down now, this was from Christmas.)

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. ♥

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!

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! :)