An anniversary and Fun With Flags

Hello!  There is sunshine out there but there are also some black clouds looming.

Hubby and I celebrated 40 years this past weekend. Our actual 'celebration' will take place in a few weeks when we make a trip to NYC. Baby boy has lived there 9 years and this will be our first trip - should be fun!

The annual 3 Stitches get-away was this past weekend and our theme this year was Fun With Flags.

Really cute projects! That odd looking piece is actually a needlebook. It has an American flag on one side and a Texas flag on the other. 

All the goodies with which to make the projects - including finishing fabrics.

As you can see, the room isn't that large so this fun weekend is limited to 40. Those attending have first shot at next years get-away. I've already signed up! (there is a waiting list for any spots that open up)

That's Pam - our hostess. I hope no one is in witness protection! LOL 

One lady made these cute cookies - one for everyone. Almost too cute to eat - almost.

Some goodies - the needle minders on the top left were made for everyone attending by a very nice person attending. I bought the bunny and the other things were handed out during the weekend. I might make that flag into a needle minder.

I was a good girl at shop night. Besides the bunny, I only bought the stitching bird chart. The other chart I got in the mail the day before I left so I thought I would throw it in the picture. I might have ordered a chart or three during show and tell after shopping.

Door prizes! The piece on the left is a scarf. 

I can't wait to use the little chest in my 4th of July decor.

We have a gift exchange - this is what was in mine. The pincushion (on top of the tumbler) has scissor pocket on back. Yes, the candy got opened before the picture.

These things got left out of the other pictures. The zipper pouch was also in my gift bag and the other two things were more handouts. 

I know some people get a lot of stitching done at retreats - not me. First, I'm a slow stitcher. Second, I'm easily distracted and there is lots going on in that room! 

That's it for the get-away wrap up.

Monday I spent most of the day helping dad (he jacked up his arm) so I didn't get much done here, then something caught me Tuesday - started with a sore throat and by the end of the day I had fever and started coughing. Felt like I was coughing up a lung. Finally went to the doctor yesterday. One of the meds he gave me I couldn't get until today since the pharmacy didn't have it in stock - and they could have told me it tastes like crap! YUCK   

So far I'm fever free today but if I get hot I start coughing so I'm not getting a lot done. I'm trying to clean out my side of the closet but it's going slow. One thing is for sure - it ain't going anywhere so I'll get to it eventually!

Hopefully by next time, I'll have my Easter decor out.

That's it. Hope you weren't too bored!

Ready for St. Paddy's Day

I've got all my 'greens' out on display. 

 I got my rooster all decked out. I couldn't find any green lights. I guess I should have thought ahead and picked up some at Christmas.

I finished my Lizzie Kate monthly for the white frame (this is also in my kitchen) I started with August and so far I've managed to finish each month. I'm working on April.

Here is my favorite white cabinet.

I picked up the little shamrock at Joann's on sale and with a coupon so it was only a couple of bucks. 

This little stitched piece was from the 2011 get-away. It was supposed to be finished into a needlebook. I never got that far so I pulled it out of the bag and made it into a little pillow. This years getaway is next weekend! Can't wait to see what our theme will be!!!

Another Lizzie Kate monthly. I have all of these stitched except December and January. I started December but ran out of one of the flosses and when I got a new skein it wasn't the same color so I have to take out what I already have stitched. It's not much but I just wasn't in the mood at the time.

And last but not least - the little paper shamrocks, gifted from a friend. They are just so cute!

That's it.

Have a great weekend and don't drink too much green beer!

Gifted

I have the best friends!

One sweet friend sent me the pink flosses, cute quilty bandages and heart buttons for Valentines Day (I know, I'm a little slow)

and yesterday I found these in my mailbox - a RAK from another friend.

Aren't they just the cutest? I'm planning to swap out my Valentine decor today (remember, I'm slow!) for St. Paddy day decor. I'm excited to add these little shamrocks to my very limited amount of 'green' decor.

The weather is depressing. Rain and dropping temps. A good day to spend inside. The rain should stop later but the temps will continue to drop.

To the sweet friends who gifted me - thank you so much! 

Hope you all have a great week!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our oldest! Brian and Brittany got engaged last week! They will probably tie the knot the last weekend in October - Brittany's favorite holiday is Halloween.

We are very happy and excited for them.

Happy Valentines Day!

Just thought I would drop in and say Happy Valentines Day.

I have few little touches scattered out around the house

Re-purposed a little shredded paper from a gift bag to make a little bird nest

A few glittered hearts in a glass basket

A stuffed heart (the charms spell LOVE) that I made a long time ago

Some garland and a couple more hearts on the mantel

Little stitched pieces on the table at the top of the stairs.

All stitched for hubby either for Valentines Day or an anniversary. These stay out all year (except when the Christmas decor is out)

Added some heart vase filler around the candle.

I've been putting my charts in the XStitch app on my phone but I haven't come across these yet - and my memory isn't that good so. . .

My sweetie took me to a nice lunch and I made lasagna for dinner.

Now he is taking his after dinner nap!

Hope you had a 'sweet' day!

Happy Birthday Timothy!

Everybody say happy birthday to my favorite middle child!

Not sure how he can be 35 when I'm only 29!!!

Happy February!

 Happy February!

 I'm a little late showing it, but I finished up this little Lizzie Kate design just in time to put it on display the first of February. I have all the charts and I'm hoping to keep them going until I finish all the months. (I think I started with August?) Anyway - thanks to Priscilla's brilliant magnet idea it's easy to change them out of this little frame I keep in the kitchen. 

 I don't have a lot of Valentine decor but I sprinkle a little here and there. Most of it is in this little cabinet.

 I love these little lights - the ones in this cabinet do not have a timer on them so I'm looking to swap them out soon.

 This little stitched piece was a Secret Needle Night kit from The Silver Needle years ago. It was one of the first flat fold finishes I did (not that I have done many). It's not perfect and I really need to replace that cording.  Check out Vonna's blog for awesome finishing tutorials. 

 I love finding things to put in these little glass jars. I don't have a lot of display space or I would have more of them, but I change these three frequently.

Another little Lizzie Kate monthly series. I've had this series since they came out and have stitched all of them except December and January - I hope to get those done this year. I started these before the magnet idea so these have to be changed out from the back of the frame. I've considered remounting them and finding another frame but I'm still undecided. 

My rooster has become another favorite place to decorate. So far I've done Christmas, winter and now Valentines. Those little lights are supposed to be pink but they have a purple tint to me. Not sure what I will do for March since I have a very limited amount of St. Paddy decor and I'm not finding anything that strikes my fancy in the stores.

I have a few more things scattered around the house that I forgot to take pics of. Maybe I can get those up before the end of the month.

Has your weather been as wonky as ours has? We have had temps from the low 20s to the upper 70s (might have even hit 80) so far this month. Yesterday at 7:00 am it was 71 and at 9:00 pm it was 35. Started the day with the a/c on and ended the day with the heat on and the fireplace going! It is 28 at the moment. Brrr. At least it isn't raining to go with it!