A few finishes

Hope everyone had a great long weekend. We had beautiful weather and it looks like it will stay around for a few more days.

Last week I finished up a few wips I was working on. The first one is by Bent Creek, Rise and Shine. I love how this one looks with my coffee themed table runner .. don't you think it would look great in a banner made of this fabric??


The next finish is Blackbird Designs' Small Token. I'll be finishing this into the suggested pin cushion. This was a really fun design to stitch and I really liked the colors. I used the fabric and threads recommended by the designers.


and my last finish is Blackbird Designs' Petites Lettres Rouges that I stitched in memory of my mom. I'm really pleased with how this one turned out and can't wait to go and find frames .. I'd like to frame both this one and the one I did for my mil in the same frame, something old and distressed looking .. I'll have to hit up some garage sales.

Carol is having a giveaway on her blog .. she made some lovely scissor fobs and is offering them up to two lucky winners *smile*

I'm off to do some ornament exchange stitching .. I'm really behind and need to focus and get these stitched, finished and mailed .. hate making my friends think I don't care about them because I'm late with their ornaments .. so no stitching for myself until I'm caught up!

I hope you find your joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for sunshine ...

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pattern ...

Is ready to move again .. visit Carolyn's blog and sign up .. of course I think she should visit the Northwest this time *grin* good luck to all!

Monday?? really??

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was busy but really nice. It started Friday night with Monica and I shopping for Chris for his birthday .. nothing like leaving it to the last minute! lol .. but we found everything we wanted to get him, got some great deals and had a soup, salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden. It's really nice nice going shopping with Monica .. I do enjoy my "awesome" daughter in law *smile*

Saturday night we went to my Dad's for a bbq to celebrate Chris' birthday with my side of the family .. it was so pretty on Saturday we actually sat outside for dinner .. we usally don't get those kind of days until later in May. Chris and Monica met up with some friends later Saturday night .. doesn't this look yummy??

The restaurant they went to have this on tap! It's called a cadillac margarita .. Chris wasn't feeling too good the next morning! lol

Sunday Chris and Monica came over in the afternoon and we spent the day together. They brought the makings for bagel sandwich and fruit. The peppered turkey was wonderful! Robert bought me a cd by Kate Voegele. We first heard her on One Tree Hill. I really love her voice. Chris and Monica got me some new candles for my fireplace. For Christmas, Monica's dad made me this cool candleholder that fits in my fireplace. It's made of Ash and has cutouts to sit candles on it. C&M got new glass candleholders, some colorful rocks and honeydew scented tealights ... it's really nice and springy looking ... isn't it pretty ...

Sunday morning before the kids arrived I started BBD's Sampler, the one I'm doing in memory of my mom .. I thought starting it on Mother's Day was fitting. I'm using the same fabric I used for my mother-in-law's sampler. I'm using Belle Soie's Chester's Blue. I don't remember my mom having one favorite color, but she loved the Ocean .. any body of water really .. so I thought these blues were perfect! It's stitching up much faster than the first one. Here's my progress so far ...

I received this lovely azalea for Mother's Day from my good friends that live across the street .. it was such a nice surprise .. I'll plant it outside later but for now I'm enjoying it sitting on my fireplace hearth.

Time to go stitch and watch Big Bang Theory .. love that show! I'll leave you with a picture of lilacs from my front yard .. they smell great!

I hope you find your joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for flowers, all kinds ...

27 Years ago ...

My oldest son Chris turns 27 today. Where has the time gone? It's funny to say, but I can still remember being pregnant with him ... I remember the first time he moved inside me ... I remember wondering if he was a girl or a boy (they didn't do a lot of ultrasounds in the 80's) ... I remember the surprise when my water broke 2 weeks early! and yea, I do remember most everything about his birth, even the pain lol. 27 years of firsts ... sleeping through the night, steps, words, first truck, camping trip, dry night, trike, Disney movie, shoes with laces, first day of school, lego kit, first A and first F, first close friend, first sleepover, first t-ball game, first girlfriend, first car ... yep a lot of firsts .. most good, but a few bad ... but that's what growing up is all about, hoping that the good out weighs the bad.

He's all grown up and I am so proud of the young man he has become. He's a loving husband and loyal friend. He's a caring son and grandson and a pretty darn good big brother. He has a good job that he loves (most of the time) and has a passion for music and cars. He loves the outdoors and also loves technology.

Happy Birthday Chris,

I hope that your dreams are fulfilled
With all of lifes pleasure
And that everything you do
You will always treasure
Not only on your day of birth
But all of your life
May you always find happiness
And live it without strife
(shamelessly stolen from a greeting card)

Love, Mom

I hope you find your joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for my son ...

Happy Friday!!

There's a lot of fun out there in blog land .. there's giveaways and blogiversaries .. here's a few that I found recently ...

Simone is celebrating her 2nd year of blogging with a grab bag give away.

The girls of Blackbird Designs are having a non-stitching giveaway .. check out the adorable needlecase!

Steph is a paper crafting addict (love it!) and is celebrating 10,000 visitors to her blog. She is offering a $100 gift card or gift certificate to anywhere you choose. How nice would that be to win *smile)

and dont' forget about Edgar's blogiversary!

and here's a really fun bag giveaway ... Country Girl, City Life is giving away an awesome bag .. go check it out .. and it's RED! lol

that's all for now folks .. have fun and let me know if you find a fun giveaway out there :)

Sigh .. I'm back ...

We had a great long weekend at the beach and I sooo didn't want to come home but until I can retire these long weekends will have to do! lol .. Lisa, Yvonne and I left on Friday and had a nice 3 hour drive to the coast. Traffic was great and the weather cooperated too. Potty stop at a Starbucks of course .. iced teas for everyone, green for me and black for the girls and back on the road. Once we got to Ocean Shores, we stopped for lunch before checking into our room. We stay at a condo group that rents out their rooms when not using them. We had a ground floor room, right by the pool and a nice walk to the beach. We loved our home away from home ... very comfy ...





We walked on the beach at least once every day we were there ...

On one of our walks we saw this silly seagull that seemed to be playing in the surf. Usually the seagulls are just flying around or walking around looking for food .. this one seemed to be actually playing .. he was really fun to watch ...

I guess I was taken by all the birds around this weekend .. here's another picture of assorted sea birds enjoying a feeding frenzy ...

On one of our walks we encountered something I really had never seen on the beach, a sea star (aka starfish). It was sooo cool to see one just there on the beach. Pretty isn't it ...

We did get concerned that it was going to die, it was pretty far from the water .. low tide .. so Lisa found a stick and returned it to the sea. Hope it

survived ...

Here's Yvonne and Lisa hamming it up for the camera ...

Of course we had to write our names in the sand ... and what would a picture of our names in the sand we without our flipflops! lol .. we thought it was a fun touch ...

and what's a day at the beach with kites?

I just love this picture of the ocean ... so much power!

We collected some fun things during our beach walks ...

When we weren't walking on the beach, we were talking, shopping, eating, drinking, laughing, swimming, hot tubbing, laughing, watching a movie and laughing some more .. We spent Saturday night at the casino .. we had a blast on the penny slots and we were all up about $100 each when we stopped and went to dinner .. never should have stopped .. we came back cold cold cold .. but we had a great time anyway.

Before I forget, Edgar is having his 2nd year Blogiversary this week and is celebrating by having a drawing this Saturday. So go leave Edgar a comment and put a little something on your blog and maybe you'll be the lucky winner .. I'd love to have something stitched by Edgar, wouldn't you?

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my most recent BBD finish. I'm excited to start the one for my mom this Mother's Day .. I thought it would be a nice piece to start on such a bittersweet day.

I hope you find your joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for sand, the ocean, shopping and dear friends ...

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