Good Bye 2015

I love this quote!!!!  I really can't believe it is New Years Eve.  My hubby and I spent it at home, him watching football and me watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix.  The animals were relaxed around us.  We did go for Chinese food and Sonic drinks.

As I look back on this year, it has been amazing.  I was able to go to Disney with my hubby, Charleston SC and to Ashville NC.  I have lots of laughs with friends and some tears.  All in all, it was a great year.

Stitching wise I did not finish one project!  I spent my time devoted to Faery Tales from HAED and I made it to the halfway point.  I am 93% completed with my Santa Design.

Goals for next year:
I plan on finishing 3 projects by March!!!  I am finishing:
1) Santa of the Forest
2)Victorian Winter
3) Preening Pixie

I have a fitness goal which is a 12 month challenge but I will go into that later


Happy New Years everyone!!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!!!!   I had a wonderful one!  It was strange since it was 70 degrees with no chance of snow anywhere!    So those of you who had snow for Christmas...I am jealous.   Right before we went to bed on Christmas Eve I was able to snap this cute photo of Bert waiting for Santa!!

If you are wondering how I am spending my Christmas break...I am working on Santa!!!!  My goal is to have him finished by the time I go back to school in January!!!!!  Below you will find a couple more charts that I am planning to stitch....but before that..you get to see my family!!!!!

The only time I can get my hubby to take a picture is a major holiday....I just love this one of us!!!!   We feel so tall because my mom has a small tree!

This is me with my Grandpa.  He celebrated his 89th birthday this year!!!  

This is my lovely mom!!!

Here is my family on my dad's side.  My brother is standing behind me, my sister is beside me...my dad is wearing the red hat, my uncle is standing behind my grandpa...the others are my niece and nephew!

In case you haven't heard, Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) has had designer Aimee Stewart design this amazing chart.  It is titled "A Stitch in Time"  It should be ready for purchase by the first of the year.   I have this on my I gotta have it now list!!!  The detail is amazing!!!!  The designer said she divided it by seasons.  There is a Facebook group devoted to this design as a SAL.   

My hubby bought me this amazing purse for Christmas!!  Does he know me or what???  I had no idea!   it was a shock!

Finally,  I woke up on Christmas Eve to find this chart had been gifted to me!!!    I plan on stitching it for my niece.  She loves teddy bears!  

I will do a final post for 2015 on Thursday.  Thank you for all the comments!!!!  

BTW....What stitching challenges are out there this year?????

Huge Happy Dance for my HAED!!!!

I posted one time the whole month of November!!!  What happened to me???   I have so much to show and tell on this post..  This will just be a stitchy post.....

I did it!!!  I am officially at the half-way point of Faery Tales!!!!!   I was so excited!!  I dance a little jig an my husband thought I was a little crazy.   I am happy that my mermaid is a modest mermaid!   

Here is my Santa of the Forest...it too is at the halfway point!  I am spending the month of December working on him.  He is so close to being finished....Hopefully I can get him finished by the end of the year.

Preening Pixie is almost to the halfway point.....Isn't she pretty???  

New Stash!!!!!    This is called Winter is Coming by Mary Weaver.   I found this on a Facebook Group where this lady went to a Russian Needlework show and she had a picture of it!  I fell in love with it.   I asked the lady if she would purchase me one and ship it to the states  to me.  She agreed!   The instructions are in Russian but I am sure I can use google translate to figure it out.  If you are looking for it...you can find it on E-Bay.  

This is a Christmas Gift from my sister.  I sent her my Heaven and Earth wishlist and this is the chart she picked....I know...just what I need another HAED.  Isn't it pretty????  I just love it.   I can't wait to start it.    

I have a couple more stitchy things to show but I haven't taken a picture of them yet!    I will post them later!!!!

November already??? New stitching journal!!!

It is very hard to believe that is is already November.   I had 3 trick or treaters last night which is the most I have ever had!!!!  I took this weekend off!  Last weekend, I spent 10 hours in my classroom playing catch up.  I decided this weekend was all for me!   I spent time working on Faery Tales.  I am happy to say that once I reach the bottom of this column, I will have reached the halfway point!!!!   I never thought I could say that but by the end of the year, I will be halfway finished!!!!!

The detail on this design is just amazing!

I am so excited!!!  I scored a major deal this weekend!!!!   I was reading a post on one of my facebook groups about a girl whose Staples had their Erin Condren life planners on clearance for $15.00.  These planners are usually around $50.00 so I thought I would check ours.   Of course they didn't have any but the manager asked me if I had a picture of her receipt and I did...so he matched the price!!!!    My sister is actually buying me one of these for Christmas for my personal planner for my appointments, Thirty-one parties..etc.  

This is my new stitching and reading journal since it is for 2015-2016.   They are spiral bound and you can replace the cover with a new design if you get bored with the one you have.

Each month has a page for notes and a great quote....

you have the monthly layout for your appointments.  I will be using this for birthdays etc...

I chose the vertical layout which has 3 boxes for each day. The top row will be for my daily stitching - what I stitched, how much progress I made. The middle row will be what book I am reading or listening too.  The final row will be how I am feeling.  I suffer from depression and anxiety so it is good to keep track of the amazing things that happen to you in life.  

There is also 6 pages of notes which I will use for books I want to read, or charts that catch my eye.  

there are a few pages of graph paper.  I haven't decided what I am going to do with these.

The last thing is stickers!!!!  There are pre-printed ones and blank ones!!!  So excited!!!!

I am so excited!!!!   I love my stitching journal!!!!!!

HO-HO-HO ReadaThon

I love reading holiday and winter themed books so I am going to join this reading challenge!!! I would love for others to join in!!!  

You can find out all about it on the Caffeinated Book Reviewers Blog.

I will come back later and let you know which books I plan to read.

Preening Pixie Update along with some life events

Tink is looking amazing!!!!   I spent this week working on her when I wasn't falling asleep in my chair!!!  Dear Lord, I am turning into my Granny Liz.   I sit down in my chair and next thing I know I am sound asleep.  The sad thing is my husband will just go to bed and leave me in my chair.  I wake up and realize he left everything on and is sound asleep in bed.  He tells me he doesn't want to bother me so he just goes to bed....

This was posted on facebook this week and I have to say that I would LOVE a personal chef!!!!   I would love to come home to a nice dinner that someone else has to cook for me.  Which would you choose???

This box of cereal just jumped into my buggy at Walmart.  I have no idea how this happened but it did.   I have to say it was really yummy when I had a bowl earlier tonight.   

Love my new cutting board!!!  It was craft fair weekend in Northwest Arkansas so I just had to check out a few on Saturday.  

I also found this amazing seam ripper for when that pesky frog comes for a visit!!!!!   I actually had to use it last night and it feels great when using it!  My hands didn't cramp at all.  The woodworker designed it for his granny who loved to sew but had arthritis in her hands.  It was $8.00....well worth the price.

Tusk and Bert have been pretty close these past few weeks since Jag has been gone.  Usually, it was jag who cuddled with Tusk but now Bert has taken over this job.

I collect Disney popcorn buckets and this is the new one that just came out.  I had to order it through my disney personal shopper.  Tracey has a part time job of going to the parks and picking up items for people for a small fee and then mail them to you.  

I found the following two paintings in a Victorian Magazine.  I just think the are beautiful and would make gorgeous cross stitch designs!!!!   What do you think????

 

Faery Tales update- Book recommendations

I have to say that I miss my voice!  I lost my voice around the 2nd week of September due to allergies...and it has yet to make an appearance!  My bad case of allergies developed into a very severe case of Bronchitis that the doctor said I sounded like the squeaky toy from Toy Story!  My students think it is funny that I have no voice.  I actually had to borrow a microphone from the library so I could teach my classes!

Finally!!   I have a small finish to show off!  I finished page 17 of Faery tales.  It is slowly coming along.  I only have 23 pages to go!!

Book Recommendations needed.....

I set a goal to read a certain amount/types of books by the end of the year.   I am having some trouble coming up with a good book I want to read in these categories.  Does anyone have  recommendation?   

. A book written by someone under 30

7. A book with nonhuman Characters

8. A funny Book

16.  A book a friend recommended

17. A Pulitzer Prize wining book

18. A book based on a true story

47. A book based on or turned into a TV show  

September Stitch From Stash

Month: September

Spent: $12.75

Earned:  $0.00

Budget:  $25.00 + $39  - 12.75 = $51.25

This has not been my month!  I got sick around Labor day and I have been struggling with allergies all month.  I finally went to the doctor today and found out that I have Acute Bronchitis and Sinus issues!  I actually have to have an inhaler!  Not to mention one of my fur babies went over the rainbow bridge this month.  So I haven't really felt like stitching, I just felt like sitting in my chair relaxing.  I finished 1/2 of a page on my Faery Tale HAED project.   

I did purchase something this month.  While HAED was having their Labor Day sale, I couldn't resist this design!!!!   Not sure when I will ever get to it but really....this just screamed my name!!!!!

I bought both these magazines in July and they finally arrived this month!  So excited to get stitchy mail that doesn't count against me!!!!   I have found so many projects I want to stitch!!!

That's all for this month!  Here's hoping that October will be a better month!

RIP Jag Kitty

You know from the title this is going to be a sad post because I am crying as I type it.   My Jag kitty passed away Monday morning.  He had been sick for a while with his heart.  He took a turn for the worse on Saturday and we knew that he didn't have much time left.  We decided that we would take him to the vet Monday morning to end his suffering.  

Mark said his goodbyes to him.  We placed him in his crate, then in the passengers seat so he could see me and I could pet him.  While driving him to the vets office, I always had to keep my fingers in the crate to let him know I was there.  I have had to do that since he was a kitten.  Halfway to the vets office, Jag gave my fingers a final head butt and  then he  passed away silently in his crate.   I am so thankful he passed on his own.  Even though I was headed to the vets office to end suffering, I think that this would be harder.  

I just thought I would share a few of my favorite pictures of him with you.  At the end you can read a funny Jag story....

 Jabba the Hut Jag kitty

Please take me Disney mom!!!!  I fit in the suitcase

Just thinking

These two loved to take over the dogs bed and make them sleep on the floor.

Wrestling with Bert

just so cute!

Thought he was Jack Sparrow and got into the rum!!!

Loved to lay in my fabric!!!!

Checking out the Disney train box

How many more papers do you have to grade mom????

He was a skittish kitty...my housekeeper cleaned my house for 5 years when she asked me when did you get the yellow kitty?   I had to laugh because I said "Before the dogs...you have never seen him in 5 years????"  He was a good hider!!!