Post Christmas

 

Hey, Friends!

I hope you’ve all had a Very Merry Christmas and are planning for a Happy New Year!  We had a nice Christmas and I’m enjoying the time after even more.  Since our traditional schedule was off a little this year, my parents had our usual Christmas morning breakfast of Country Grits Casserole with sliced tomatoes and crescent rolls with us.  We all enjoyed it a lot!  Edited for clarification, and to include the recipe. 

After breakfast, DS and I went shopping for a new car.  He is buying my old lease Nissan Murano.  Having done some preliminary leg work on Monday and since he was off yesterday, we got to go together.  I drove and liked the Prius, but going from a mid-size SUV to a tiny sub was a bit too much change, so I got the Honda Accord.  It was a very hard decision, but think it’s the right one.       

While procrastinating preparations before Christmas, I finished a few ornaments.  This LaDDa Merry Christmas started out on off white, but it needed a bit of staining, so into the coffee spa it went.  The little pillow with lace trim and stripes are so much warmer.  The back is deep maroon taffeta.  If you look closely, you can see that 'Rudolph's Nose' ran slightly in the spa! 

 This Little snowman was a Freebie from Stitch and Frame.  It's my first ornament on felt.  The cutter I have isn't enough of a wave, but it was better than pinking shears.  The cheap scissors I had picked up at Michael's wouldn't cut the felt - must be for paper only.

This is Peppermint Twist from the Little House Needleworks All Dolled Up ornaments.  By the way, I read that they're continuing with this series for 2011 if you love 'em as much as I do - even though I haven't completed 2010.  I decided on a little stocking button instead of jingle bells.  Even the tiny ones were too big on this 28 ct over 1.  It also has a bit of lace around the outside, to match the white stitching around the border, with a gingham ribbon hanger.  And here's  Peace on Earth from the same series.  The fabric in the background is the backing.

I also started a new Blackbird Design project, Winter Wonderland.    

Shopping for presents is always fun – one for you, two for me!  It's hard to see the dark green shell shaped dish, holding these two delicate porcelain ornaments. 

It must have been a real hunting expo since all these birds were found!   The blue is solid - paper weight?  The white is a votive holder, but cute none the less.  The colorful one is a pottery type material, and the little "cage" seemed so perfect to contain him...

 

This bowl and plate set was found earlier, but don't recall sharing them with you before.

Thanks for coming by today, and I look forward to sharing with you in the New Year!

This New Year and always, may you be surrounded by the gift of friendship, the joys of family, and the spirit of love.

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
Charlene♥SC

Country GritsMorning of breakfast:  Preheat oven to 350`

Day before serving:

2 lb sausage
½ cup grits
16 oz sharp cheese

½ tsp thyme (I use 1 tsp)

1/8 tsp garlic (I use about ½ tsp)

1/8 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 cup milk

Crumble and brown sausage, drain if needed, set aside to cool. 

Cook grits in 2 cups water per package directions, then add grated cheese while grits are hot.  Add spices, milk, lightly beaten eggs, and sausage.  Stir all together until well blended.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, take out of ‘frig for at least 15 minutes before cooking.  Cook for about 45-50 minutes.  I have split this recipe and it works out very well.

'Tis February

Last week there was snow and ice, this week there were threats of flooding.  Thankfully they did not come through!  For several years we were under severe drought, and now every time it rains more than two inches we are threatened with flooding.  I am so thankful that my house is up on a hill.  There is a creek to the left of my property, then across the road from that is a huge pasture that has water standing in it that must be two feet deep.   I’m assuming that is run off from the over filled creek.  Today is quite chilly (mid 30s) and foggy…

Kim over at Threadheads, Unite! tempted me with chocolate fudge pie, so I HAD to give it a try.  The crusts in the freezer were deep dish, but they worked as well… Just let me say, Paula Deen.  Need any further explanation?

You know how we’re always ooohhing and ahhhing over someone’s beautiful stitching and patterns?  Well, this happened with one of the yahoo groups I’m on… where did you find that, how can we get that, etc.  One of the members of the group (Ally) recognized the pattern and remembered that she had seen them in magazines that she owns!  With her generous spirit, she has set up a cross stitch round robin with these magazines and a yahoo group so that six of us can stitch these lovelies!  I just received the March edition, so I’ll be getting ready to start those – March and April – very soon!

Superbowl Sunday is bringing not only The Game, but also a sale at The Stitch and Frame Shop – my LNS.  They do online ordering, too!  Don’t forget to check out Camp StitchAway scheduled in March!  The project is being taught by Meg Shinall – doing the Beginners’ Hardanger class discussed in the February issue of TGOS. 

Semi-rant:  I’m always happy to ‘promote’ the groups I’m enjoying by posting links to them.  I’m sorry to say that is not the case for this group any longer (and they may be happy about that).  I guess you’d say I got my feelings hurt by a member  moderator of the group this week.  These feelings ranged from wanting to FLAME her (which is actually what she did – not directly at me, but I am in the ‘category’ she was flaming), to wondering why she’s a moderator, to considering leaving the group since I can’t really keep up with all the activities going on anyway (many of the members are on other lists with me, but the owner and a few others are not), down to just consider the source and forget about it.  I’ll just say this here, and let it go.  We are all entitled to our opinions and our likes and dislikes, but this person has lost my respect.  Just because you do not agree with an activity or opinion does NOT make it “stupid,” nor do those who do participate or are entertained by it need to “Get A Life.”  We have a life of which …stitching (and its remnants) is a BIG part...  Semi-rant: END.

This week I started the All Dolled Up Ornament, Pear Tree, by Little House Needleworks. It, as the others will be, is stitched on 28 ct Tea Monaco 1x1 using the recommended fibers.

 Finished stitching:

 Lovely You, a freebie from Paulette at Plum Street Samplers on 28 ct cream linen using DMC 115. 

Valentine, a freebie from Primitive Betty, on 28ct cream linen using Sulky 4007, Red Brick.

Hugs by Khris Hurber of Dragonfly Stitches from the November 2006 issue of The Gift of Stitching on 28ct cream linen using DMC 48 variegated pink.

Thank you for stopping by.  I do appreciate all the kind words you’ve left for me, and please do come back again soon!

Peace~Love~Joy
and Happy Stitching!
Charlene

October – Breast Cancer Awareness

October – Breast Cancer Awareness

There’s a Pink link in the left column that allows you to sign up to receive a daily email reminder to click to provide (free) mammograms for women.  Just a click from your busy day…

 Did you know September was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?  I didn’t …  Click to go learn more about the symptoms of the ‘hard-to-diagnose’ disease. 

Quite some time ago, I finished stitching the Crazy Quilt piece, and the plan was to make it into a pillow for my aunt who has been fighting ovarian cancer for almost five years!  Her daughter is converting one of her bedrooms into a room for Mom after she has chemo and needs to be with someone.  DC asked if I’d make some window toppers for her, and of course I said yes.  She had the fabric, but didn’t know how to sew it up.  She had bought some of similar fabric that are hanging in the other BR.  When I held up the fabric, it looked short… She had measured the ready-made ones, top to bottom, and cut the fabric to that exact length!  I went home and dug into the muslin drawer, lined them, and they came out ‘just about’ the right length.  Of course I forgot to take a picture, but maybe I’ll get one of them hanging some time.  ANYway…  While the sewing machine was accessible (*path cleared to get to it), I decided to put the pillow together.  We had dinner together the other night, and DA was thanking me for the pillow, and said DC made her leave it at her house, in her room there.  J 

We had talked about the fall stitching getaway, so I took the stitched pieces from TWTQ to show them what we had done there, and how much I had stitched.  They were very complimentary of the piece, but they are amazed that I can ‘sit and stitch all that tedious work’ for hours on end.  They don’t know what they’re missing, do they?  DC is one of those obsessed housekeepers (she vacuums her entire house EVERY day) and works full time, so I told her that’s why her house looks like it does, and *mine looks like it does!! 

I’ve finished the stitching of the Tea with the Queen project (plus a scissor fob and will probably add a bit of design to the back of the scissor pouch), but we’ll see how long it takes to get it completely sewn up! 

Front of needleroll and closeup

Bag label and front of scissor pouch

This is an ornament by Sue Hillis from the JCS Christmas Ornament edition.  Again, I’ve improvised a bit to include a little silver strand in the snowflakes, and am considering using tiny star shaped pearl beads in place of the pearl buttons.  I’ll have to look at my pearl buttons to see if there are any tiny enough – what with the scissors and spools…

I’m writing this on Friday, to be posted on Saturday (complete with pictures).  I’m SO glad it’s Friday – and it’s Ladies Night!  A group of friends get together once every couple of months or so to have a cocktail, usually with a theme of some sort - these aren’t stitching ladies - like manicures or coupon swapping or tales by the outdoor fire pit (any theme will do), and dinner.  Tonight is cold cut sandwiches.  They usually request that I bring dessert,
We don’t have ANY dessert yet????? Marquirita pie – I would never drop hints!!!!

So tonight is Margarita pie encore – recipe from Pampered Chef.  I’ll TRY to remember to take a picture before we dig in.  It’s easy and GOOD if you like lime.  I tried Key Lime last time, but for me it wasn’t tart enough with the other ingredients, so this time it’s regular lime.  We’ll see if THEY like it as well.  They didn't notice any difference...nor did I.

Margarita Pie

Crust

1 ¼ cups finely crushed pretzels (I leave a few chunky pieces for texture)
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
¼ cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate

Filling

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) [Note to self – new can opener]
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup orange juice
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Combine milk, lime peel, and juices in medium bowl; fold in whipped topping.  Spoon mixture into crust.  Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.                  Yield:  8 servings

Thanks for stopping by today, and please come back again!