Some Christmas Photos And A New Start

Happy New Year my Dear Friends: I have a new start, this is a it is Perforated Paper Heirloom Santas this is Sinterklaas, this was a freebie from the Needlework Guild of Minnesota stash reduction pile.
I like working on perforated paper, I hope to have him done by tomorrow evening.

Then I plan on starting Brenda Gervais Paper Snowflakes, I love this design, I can leave this up all winter, I do not need to take it down because it is not directly related to Christmas, I did buy the required threads, ouch is all I can say when paying for the threads needed.
I bought his a while back and am finally getting to it. ( bought way back in March) sorry about the blurry photo.

Now how about a few Christmas decorating photos, I did not do a lot of decorating this year.
Our tree in the living room, small but sweet. Not a really good photo, so sorry, I was in a hurry.

This is the tree in my office, I spend a few hours a day selling on Ebay and wanted a tree to look at.

This is a snowglobe I bought at Walgreens a few years ago, I have a green  Christmas Tree also that is a snowglobe with light and floating flakes.

 

This is the setting on my coffee table, I should have turned on the electric candle before taking the photo.

 

 

This is my Husband sister and brother in law, they host Christmas Eve every year, she is such a hoot, we make each other laugh all the time, I can look at her and not say a word and we start to crack up.

She hires a Santa every year we all have to take out turns sitting on Santas lap just to get a present and listen to what we need to change in the new year, Santa said I need to stop nagging Mike about his driving before we get out of the driveway, it is all for laughs.

 

So after the last snow fall I was shoveling off the back deck, Mike came out with this outfit on so I told him he was going to have to have a photo taken so I can post it, he said no but what he does not know will not hurt him, giggles, it was a whopping 05 degrees above zero that day.

Mike was is very generous to me  when buying gifts, we were only to buy one gift each he does not know how to listen to what he says.
There is a company here in Minnesota called Thymes, they have the best lotions and other great items, he bought me way to much. This first photo is a sampling bag, there are a few new fragrances.

I love the smell of Frasier Fir candles, they are yummy.

This is my favorite lotion and soap from Thymes, it is so soft and smell so good the Ladies at the Fragrance counter at some of the big stores like the smell.
This is Olive Leaf, it is so yummy.

 

I want to Wish You All A Happy New Year

Cheers

 

Catherine

Oh Boy The Holidays were Fun

I had so much baking and cooking done before leaving for Mikes sisters place, whew now to relax.
I will post a few photos tomorrow, I just need to keep winding down a bit.
It was a little warmer here today about 19 degrees, still cold for me, you know I like it hot.
Thank-you to all the lovely people that commented on my last post, I still need to email you thank-you's so sorry I am behind, I have been stitching and hope to keep up the stitching pace  into next year.
My tummy is full and now to plan on my new exercise routine, I hate to exercise but I have to do it, I packed on eight pounds over Christmas and I feel it now ouch is all I can say.
I had a bone scan today and hope all is well, I will find out in the next week hopefully.
I am trying to get so much  done health wise  before the end of the year, I have a bigger copay next year with my supplement.
Mike is feeling better each day, hopefully he will be back to a better health soon, I whispered oh crap and he heard it from the other room, I was folding laundry and dropped a few things all I said was oh crap and he heard it with his new hearing aides


Just a few fun photos, I will post again tomorrow, all photos found on Pinterest

I want to make these cupcakes they are so cute and look so yummy, I like marshmallows.

Some feathered friends having fun with a snowman, this is so sweet, I love the nose on this snowman.

 

 

Blessings

Catherine

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
It has been a little hectic around here and finally things are calming down a bit.
I did get my baking done yesterday and cleaning today.
Mike has had more doctors visits and will get his hearing aides tomorrow yahoo he is so happy, I am saddened he has lost his hearing completely in his right ear, the fact that he came into contact with agent orange when he was in the Navy back in the late 60s early 70s has done so much damage, his triple bypass the huge mass on his lung and the hearing loss has taken a toll on him.
The V.A. has been wonderful and very accommodating  to us, they say that this is a pattern of illness from agent orange, two times he was on land from the ship on  the days they had dropped agent orange so sad.
Anyways that is why I have not been around much this year, I plan on posting more next year and yes I am doing New Year resolutions, number 1 is to lose some weight and two is to stitch more and three post more here in Blog land.

 

Soon The King Will Be Here

 

 

 

What a beautiful Family

 

                                                Photo Found On Pinterest

 

Me getting ready for Christmas

Photo found on Pinterest

 

Merry Christmas.

Catherine

Michael

 Blondie the Cat

And Krissy

It has been a while

First I want to thank-everyone that emailed me asking if everything is okay, I would like to name you all but would take way to much time so sorry, from my heart to yours thank-you for your concern.
Michael has had some very bad and very good days, he was again in the hospital in October, his blood pressure spiked again to 245/180. he was so lucky he did not have a stroke or heart attack, however he spent three and on half days in the hospital, he lost the hearing in his right ear 100% lost so sad, there is no medical reason for this  accept that he was exposed to agent orange in Viet Nam, he is still doctoring and will continue for some time in the future, he had three shot od steroid in his ear, ouch, he was so brave, I want to pass out just thinking of it, of course this is causing his dizziness.
He also has a mass on his lung, they are telling him it is not cancer it is just something from the agent orange they will continue to monitor it, he was up at the VA in St. Cloud all day today and has to go back in December,  please I beg you to pray for him.

I want to thank Cathie who has the blog site http://cathiescraftworks.blogspot.com, I sent her my used Scattered Seed  Sampler pattern she sent me the loveliest pin pillow which has a spot in my family room so I can see it everyday, this is what she made I love it.
Cathie: Thank-you so much you are an Angel, just when I needed a lift your pillow showed up, thank-you Dear Friend.

 

 I have been busy I have done my Scattered Seed Samplers that are mailed out periodically, I am finally getting caught up with stitching yahoo.

This is the Pins & Needles Pinpoke

I forgot to take a photo of the coordinating fabric so sorry.

This is the Mend My Soul Tailors Roll, I just love this design and the fabric color makes me so happy, the coordinating fabric is beautiful, Tammy has an eye for selecting fabric to go with her designs.

This is Come Dance With Me Pinkeep, I adore this design, I love the birds and the flower so much, I plan on using a dye to add a little flair to the designs I have stitched so far, I bought he bottle way back in January and still have not used it so now is the time.
I have never used this stuff before Instant Antique Aging Solution wish me luck, I will post photos when all is done.

This is the one I am working on now, I love this it is a scissor mat Tammy Black is so creative, I will use  this often. It is called Rest In The Lord Scissor Mat, look at the beautiful floral in brown coordinating fabric it is so pretty in person. I hope to have this one finished by Thursday.

 

I have been beading a little ,  last month I went to a retreat put on by Keli my friend, we stayed from Friday to Monday you can check in on Friday at 10:30 and check out at 4:00 on Monday I love the early check-in and late check-out, I took a few photos and then my battery died.

I taught a lady how to make beaded crystal balls, she loved hers and was an easy learner.

This is the one she made

  

 

Then I made one for Keli for putting together the retreat.

 

So sorry it is blurry, they really are much prettier in person, I will be making more for my tree this year.

Here are a couple of bracelets I have made, they were so easy to make I even surprised myself.

 

I do like to bead, I have been making jewelry for years  usually from broken jewelry, beading is very comforting for me.

Now I have to tell you about something that really amazed me, my wonderful Husband decided he wanted to change the wood floor to a lighter color, I was not sure about this, you see it is real wood not the laminate kind, so I said go ahead however he is doing slowly only because I am keeping him from over doing it and making him self sicker, he just wants to be productive and busy, so here is the difference.

We are giving all the old flooring to a friend who has cancer she has always wanted wood floors, so instead of throwing the flooring in the garbage she will get anew floor for free, my Mike is such a wonderful man, her whole main floor will be wood.

I want to show you a photo of Krissy's costume, she was so good and showed herself off so sweetly, she like to get dressed up.
This week she had surgery on her other kneecap poor baby, I hope that she does not need anymore surgery's.

It is time to stitch and watch The First 48,  Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate Turkey day.

Blessings
Catherine

 

Thank-you Veterans

Thank-you Veterans for the dedication and love, for serving your Country, for sacrificing for all our Freedoms.

Thank-you to the Veterans that have gone before us, You will not be forgotten.

I am a very lucky person to be able to thank-you  from the bottom of my heart to yours.

Blessings
Catherine

My Progress on ISHW

Hello All: I am at retreat this week-end, I am having a ball.
I did finish all the stitching of my Kindred Spirits Class Project from 2015, this was a class hosted by Stitchville USA here in Minnesota.

I plan on starting to put together the items to put into the Shaker Tray.

I present:

 

ISHW is hosted by Joyce over at http://joysze.blogspot.com  Please stop over and see what Joyce is into.

Time to get back to stitching.

Blessings
Catherine

ISHW and A Retreat Week-end

Fall Greetings to you all: This week-end is ISHW by the very lovely Joyce over at http://joysze.blogspot.com, please stop over and leave a comment and maybe join the ISHW week-end and maybe get a load of stitching done.
I have a retreat this week-end, Friday to Monday, I am looking forward to this, I am excited because I do not go to the Feb or Oct. retreat any longer they moved and its just to far to drive, I will miss going to Cindy's retreats but I need to move on, they are a great bunch of ladies.
I will be only about 20 miles from home with this retreat, the other retreat Keli puts on is at a camp only 65 miles from my home and if I go the back roads it is only 55 miles.
The other retreat is about 70 miles, just to far for Mike to drive me and come to pick me up, at Keli's I can ride with a lady that lives not far from me to Keli's retreat.
Anyhoo, I have photos but the computer is not cooperating well so they will have to wait.
Stay warm and enjoy the fall colors for they will be gone soon.

Blessings
Catherine

Tried A New Blogspot Design

Hello to all my followers, first of all if I do not send you a thank-you for your comment by email I am so sorry  am very busy.
I hope you like my new color scheme for my BlogSpot, I tried something different then what I would normally do.
I have done some stitching and will post a new photo on Thursday.
I am almost done stitching all the pieces to my Kindred Spirits, yahoo, soon I will be able to put all the pieces together and put into the tray and display in my cabinet.
I have been commissioned by my cousin to make bracelets for her upscale dress shop, I am making 25 as of now and more to be made in the near very near future, some of the photos I show you do not show how lovely they really are.
I hope this fall finds you all well and stitching your hearts out.

Just a little photo of our baby girl sitting in my chair, she thinks she owns this chair.

This is a goose strolling down the street in our neighborhood, she or he was not even bothered by cars that drove by.

Blessings
Catherine

A Drive By Post

First of all thank-you for all your comments on my last post, I really feel the love in my heart.
Welcome to my new followers, I hope you will not be disappointed in my post's.

I am a very lucky lady, I was looking at an email sent to me by Common Thread a DMC Corporation,  they wanted me to see the  Celebrating Our Heritage For 270 Years, wow I did not know Mike was in the office with me as I was looking at the email.
I said outloud wow that is beautiful, he asked me what and I said the Collection they have for sale to honor the 270 years of DMC.
He went onto the web site and ordered this beauty of a gift to surprise me for taking care of him when he was recovering from his surgery.

This is what I received in the mail yesterday, a beautiful box trimmed in gold, so pretty.

A pair of Eiffel Tower scissors, a skein of gold thread, a book with lovely vintage designs, a card with a serial number which is on the gold thread wrapper to match the serial number on the box.

This is a page from the little book, I love it, it is written in French so I will need to have Mikes sister read it for me, but I can still read the stitching design patterns, I do not need a translation for that.

Here are a few photos of a storm coming our way that past week-end, along with some lovely fall colors.

After the storm, some thunder and some rain, it is chilly today around 68 degrees too chilly for me. Brrrr.

I hope this fall finds you stitching hall and Christmas designs.

Blessings to you All

Catherine

My ISHW Progress

First of all: Thank-you to all my followers, I know you cannot comment everytime I post due to obligation's at home and work  but thank-you all the same, I love you all.
It has been a trying summer with Michaels illness, being a nursemaid is not all that bad, I love taking care of him, he is doing so well now and I thank-you all for your personal emails and comments on this blog asking about him, it warms my heart.
This Blog World is like having a Family that is so special.
Thank-you from our home to yours.

Last week-end was ISHW sponsored by the beautiful Joyce over at http://joysze.blogspot.com
Joyce has been sponsoring this every month for a very long time, I do get loads of stitching and  beading done on this week-end Joyce  has a sign-up once a month, if you do not follow her please do so she is a hoot.

I am trying to get the stitching done on my Class Project from 2015 Ellen Chester's Kindred Spirits, I am finishing up the third band and will stitch the needle roll next then the scissor holder,  then I can start to put the piece's  together for the wood carrier tray yahoo.
this is my progress so far on the third band.

 

I am so lucky I was able to get a

Book Of Days 2017 A Needlework Enthusiast's Book

It is beautiful, I bought this from Tammy Black over at http://scatteredseedsamplers.blogspot.com 

really you should take a look at her Samplers they are very sweet, I love stitching them. I love this book, now I can keep track of my stitching and finish's in a book instead of a piece of paper.

I also bought from Barbara over at http://tostitchornottostitch.blogspot.com please stop over to her lovely BlogSpot, she does have a few things for sale, maybe she has something you are looking for plus she has a beautiful BlogSpot.
I have been looking for this issue of Inspirations for a long time Etsy and Ebay have not had it when I look, I want to stitch the Tiny Treasures on the front of the magazine they were designed by Betsy Morgan who I love, I was able to take a class of hers this year.

I also have the new Just Cross Stitch Halloween and Christmas Issues, I love the special issues.
They are loaded with so many things to stitch.

I also received my October Issue of Just Cross Stitch 2016 I plan on stitching the Seasons In Chalk Fall, I will however change the pumpkins to a solid pumpkin color, I am not fond of the checked look.

I hope you are all enjoying this day and are getting loads of stitching done.

Blessings
Catherine