Waving Hello

Good morning dear friends, new and old.

Just checking in to say I am still alive, trying to realign my life at the moment, which has meant little stitching has been accomplished.  We, my husband and I are trying to decide what to do with each other, we are working on adapting.  We are a military family and are used to spending months, typically 6- 7 months at a time, apart from each other.  When the ship was in port, there were duty days and one week operations here and there, well, now that he is retired (2010), I think we are having a hard time spending so much time together, lol.  I've been doing soul searching and concluded that I spoiled him, made sure when he was home we were always doing something.  Well, he isn't a fan of me stitching in the evening while he is home and lack of wanting to go out.  I let my worries about money, the kids, the dogs etc. get in the way and basically have become a homebody.  So, now that there is a threat that our marriage won't last, I've agreed to no stitching while he is at home and try to worry less about things and start enjoying life outside the house.  I suppose we all go through these life changes, kids getting older, needing us less, etc.  So with all that said, this past month has been a slap in the face, a wake up call to me and a realignment of my soul.  Thanking everyone who sent emails to me to check in and offer support, love and hugs, you truly have helped me, more that a simple thank you can say.  I want to say things are better, I'll say it cautiously because only time will tell but we've had more laughter than tears recently.

Let's play some catch up.  I am stitching, just not everyday, I'm still working on LHN  mystery sampler, I should be further along, two Halloween exchange pieces and as if I needed yet another WIP I started Pumpkin Hill from LHN to.  I just feel the need to work on fall pieces, kids went back to high school and it just feels like fall to me, despite the heat.

Andrew passed his driving exam on August 13th so he is driving himself to school, I still worry when he drives off, always saying please be careful....I get "I know mom"
He is in the Med Tech program at school.
Miss Ashley who has her temps and will be 16 next week, bought herself a car, we are helping her fix it up, that child, ughh...last night she declares she wants straight A's this year and since 11th grade is the hardest she wants to quit her job at DQ.  So this brought on the whole conversation about the car, insurance, taking her required driving class, etc.   One word  "kids"  








We took in our first Reds game since moving to Cincinnati, we had nose bleed seats, 6 rows down from the top, but it was fun and we were strait up from first base.  We hope to attend a Bengals game this fall. 

 

Am I still buying charts?? Oh, my yes, I do have a pattern addiction, I just ordered a bunch from the St. Charles market, and this is on top of what I received this week in the mail.
Up Up and Away by CCN, Flag Lady by WTNT, Summer Sampler CCN, Pumpkin Brew CCN, Halloween by Allessandra Adelaide , June Honeysuckle by Cottage Stitcher

I've also ordered
Red- Mirabelia
Count Your Blessings CCN
Beggars Night Threadwork Primitives
Noel Sampler WTNT
Paper Snowflakes WTNT
Crowing About Fall
Moon and Spider
Hibernation Day
(Sooo, do you see why DH may be a lil upset with me ?)
I have enough charts to open a library after 30 years of stashing.

We did make some Apple Pie Moonshine a few days ago, Oh my gosh, it was sooo good, I can't wait to have some warm with a cool night by a fire outside.  yummm.

OH gosh, we took a drive to VA Beach 2 weeks ago to visit my step daughters and friends.  I needed that so much.  I haven't laughed that hard since we moved here to Ohio.  It was 2 quick days but it was some awesome therapy to visit with them and some friends we consider family.  MIL went to, she is a hoot.  The girls are 24 and almost 22,  we don't get to see them much with school and work and the distance in between but it is so fun when we do spend time together.

Well, I'm sure there is more to tell but, as always, my thought leave my mind...
hoping everyone has a wonderful day!

Love and Stitches
Dawn

Exchanged Recieved

Happy Thursday dear friends,

I had a wonderful surprise in todays mail....I received my summer exchange piece from my Season Exchange group.  It's the sweetest little Shepherds Bush Ornament.  She made it into a wonderful ornament and added tiny buttons, just too cute!  I love Shepherds bush so this is perfect for me. 

Scatter Sunshine

Thank you for stopping buy...I don't have any progress to share.  My stitching has come to a near halt while my life has become chaotic, soccer, soccer, soccer....life has a way of becoming complicated when we don't even realize it, so family first for now, I'll still be around just taking a quiet back seat so I can focus my attention to my family.  Thanks for your support.

Hugs and stitches
dawn

Catching Up

Happy Saturday to you, time for me to catch up...I may have to work backwords and attempt to remember everything going on for the past 2 weeks. 

We just got back from a preseason high school soccer tournament, we played 3 games in a row, with no breaks....in pouring rain...lost 2, won 1, and 2 more games tomorrow, but Ashley works tomorrow so she will miss it.  Tryouts are end of next week so this is good practice.

I  picked up 2 pieces yesterday, first one is the doily Cucki made me for my  birthday, I had it framed as I don't think I could bring myself to use it so I will hang in up and enjoy its beauty.

The second is LHN, Two Yellow Houses, I love everything LHN and always buying more and more then I will ever complete in my lifetime, but I will give it my best shot.






LHN- Two Yellow Houses
32 ct Belfast Linen- Amber

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered a Bee's Gathering from Threadwork Primitives on Etsy and that arrived on Thursday, so while I picked up my pieces, I purchased the linen for this 3rd part.  I haven't finished A Bee's Bounty, more than halfway completed, just haven't sat down long enough to work on it or anything else.

JJ's Collectables is having a Christmas in July sale, everything is 20% off, and yes (hanging head in shame) I ordered more stash....we all understand this addiction. 
As well as A Bee's Study from Kathy Barrick on Etsy. 

I also got a new phone, I gave up my Iphone, which has given me years of faithful yet frustrating service, I switched to the Samsung 4s and have to admit, it's pretty awesome.  I have so much to learn. 

Ashley and I went to the Cincinnati zoo on Thursday and had a wonderful time, only took us 3 years to get there.  For it being in a large downtown area, they did a wonderful job making you forget about the city and enjoy the outdoors with the animals. 

Well, I am going to take advantage of some quiet time and go stitch.  Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.
Hugs and stitches
Dawn

what a week!

Hello friends,
thank you for stopping by, I can't believe this summer is flying by.  School clothes and supplies are out, as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas, I walked into Hobby Lobby before July 4th and they were putting up Christmas Trees and boxes of decorations were everywhere, it made me very sad.  I asked why and they said for Christmas Crafters, ok, so just leave that stuff up year round but please don't put up the trees just yet!

Thank you for all the concern showed for my baby girl Chloe, she is back to 100% puppy.She is now off the steroids and her face is back to normal size.  Two days after the bee sting, she was out chasing bees in the Clover!  She also had a stomach bacteria that antibiotics took care of.  I treated her to a little pampering (mind you, she doesn't enjoy the nail cutting, the teeth cleaning the bows etc, but I do :)

I made it to LNS yesterday and bought some linen to go with the mail order stash.  I used to think it was safe staying at home, but online stores are just as enabling!  As soon as I'm done with this post, I plan on doing some "window browsing shopping"

ummm, my lilly's are still blooming, the pink is so fragrant!  It's so lovely to go outside and smell them.

I was able to finish Courage, this is one the frog got me and I put it away, but I pulled it out this week and finished it.  I also finished an exchange piece but I can't share that yet.

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the beautiful weather after days and days of rain!
Hugs to all
dawn

trying to figure out Bloglovin :)

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Pitiful puppy

Hello and good afternoon my friends.

Not much stitching here for the past few days.  My puppy got bit or stung by something on July 4th so I've been attending to her, so pitiful.  I spoke to the vet Thursday afternoon and was told to give her benadryl and bring her in, in the morning if she gets worse or take to emergency vet if she has breathing issues.

Well, at first she looked like she had a broken nose (they think this is where the bite occurred though we couldn't find anything)  I started to call her Manu, as that is one of my favorite basketball players who has had his nose broken on several occasions

Then by 11:30 pm her face had swollen pretty good but airway was good, more benadryl.

By morning, she could barely see so I took her to the vet at 7:30.  (oh yeah, she had gotten the run in 3 different rooms, one room has white carpet- it all came out with elbow grease)

How is she doing today?  back to normal self!  she had steroids and benadryl injections, but her tummy is still bothering her.  She spent the day at the doggy hospital and they said she was her happy self, wagging her tail, she couldn't see, but she was happy.
When I picked her up last night, the vet tech that was checking us out started to show me pictures of her Golden retriever,  we get to talk and saying how much they look alike and how big they are.  Come to find out, they are brother and sister from same parents, different litter.  Small world!

I do have a finish to show you, I finished this before all hell broke loose her :)
It is  A Bee's Blessing by Threadwork Primitives.  I just love it.  I saw this on Faye's  blog , Carolina Stitcher, and had to do it.  It's so beautiful.  Not sure how I'll finish it, I liked the box she mad and the pattern includes the instructions on making one.  I'll probably give it a try.

Well, we are on day 3 of rain.  I'm rather tired of bad hair days to the nth power!  lol.  Off to a birthday party for a little lady , family friends granddaughter.  Hope everyone stays dry!

Hugs to all

Dawn

Part 1 done

Good afternoon dear friends

I was able to complete part 1 of the LHN mystery sampler a few days ago, I have really fallen in love with her color choices.   I look forward to Part 2 being released in a few weeks.  Here is what it looks like to date...

I went to the LNS to have the doily that Cucki made for me framed.  I just love it so much, I would hate to see my clumsy self spill something on it!  So of course while I was there I bought Weeds Make Haste  from Shakespears Peadler and Bees Blessing from Threadwork Primitive, then I got an email I remembered from JJs Collectibles in KY that they were having a 20% off everything sale through today, so I also ordered, A Bee's Bounty- Threadwork Primitive, Hive and Home by Shepherds Bush and Home is Where you Hang your Needlework by Abby Rose.  I couldn't help myself.  I also bought miscellaneous linen pieces at my LHN.  I think I need to go under hypnosis because I obviously don't have the strength to not buy any more stash on my own!

Friday my boy turned 17, where has the time gone?  Our AC went out last Thursday night so I couldn't bake him a cake while the house and the humidity were ridiculous.  We are having a new one installed tomorrow.  Thankfully, my husband is an awesome mr. fix it and we were able to locate a place that would sell him the $6.00 piece that would have been over $100. if we put in a service call.  The unit is 17 years old so we decided before it dies in the heat of the summer to just go ahead and replace it.  It's one of those nice quiet ones to :)

OK< so back to my son, I took him to work (on his birthday) ran up to wal mart, grabbed a cake and took it to his job, it was cute, he seemed embarrassed.  Yesterday I made him a Chocolate Chip Cookie dough cake, we have yet to try it because he got home from work last night at 11pm.

I had hoped to spend all day yesterday stitching....DH went to the Kentucky speedway for the Sprint Cup race yesterday with some fellas from work, it got rained out and they decided to do it today at noon, but none of them wanted to go back, it's less than 1.5 hours drive from here.  I wanted to go so much but I'm still the taxi driver for 2 teenagers to and from their jobs.  soooo I managed to get some of A Bee's blessing done, but not as much as I had hoped.  It's all good, I'm happy just to be able to have my stitching :)  I do hope my new stash arrives before his 5 days off starting Thursday.  I need time to hide it.   Is it only me or there other stitchers that hide stuff and then say, Oh that, I got that a few months ago, hehe, I kinda do the same dumb look when I buy new clothes too.

OK, well, I am going to take this opportunity and go stitch...Have a wonderful Sunday, stay blessed.

Dawn