Remember those who served!

Let's remember those who served and have given so much! 

Hey, Friends!

Hope everyone is enjoying a Happy Memorial Day weekend. We’re not off on Monday, but that’s OK – it makes a longer Christmas break. 

I’ve started going to yoga classes again.  It has been at least five or six years, so back to the basics.  There’s a new studio downtown, and it seems nice so far.  They have various hours and instructors for different types of classes.  There's even one today (Sunday) at noon that I'll be trying.  

Yesterday DS and I went to see Star Trek – Into Darkness.  I really liked it – seemed more reminiscent of the old series. 

I’m still stitching on the birthday surprise, but did also finish June Word Play.   And here’s the current view of the Adam and Eve wall.

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

  

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

Peace♥Love♥Joy

Charlene♥SC

Berries all around...

Hey, Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day!  Mine started on Wednesday with a special delivery of chocolate covered strawberries.  Yum! I’m always amazed at how big some of them are! Saturday we saw Iron Man III then went to a new-to-me place for sushi.  Both were excellent! I’m a very proud and thankful Moma!  I really should try to remember to take pics because the dishes were lovely, but we were both hungry!  Then on Sunday I cooked roast pork for BarBQue at Mom’s.  I got her a toaster oven and she seemed pleased.   



Mary Gibson is framed!  They always do a very fine job at my LNS, Stitch and Frame.  Are you familiar with her?  Her origin is from Haslemere Educational Museum, and I got the chart from Needleprint.  I think she turned out beautifully and she will hang proudly along with the other (much smaller) A&Es! 

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!


May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

Peace♥Love♥Joy
Charlene♥SC

Hey, Friends!

How’s Spring acting in your area?  It was quite chilly and breezy yesterday.  I’m guessing the high was around 55ish, but it never felt warm – pulled the sweats back out.  Today is supposed to be near 60° but it’s 50 now with the wind whipping the rocking chairs on the porch like mad – and now the rain has started.  I know there were some college graduations yesterday, so I hope everyone made it through without getting drenched!

This week I met the ladies of the LNS Tuesday night stitch group at Outback for dinner.  I guess it’s been more than a year since I’ve gone to actual stitch night.  It was nice to see them again, and the meal was good, too!  It was a small group, with one who was not participating when I went before.  Maybe I’ll get back into the routine of going again… just see how/if the dynamics have changed. It really wasn’t relaxing or fun for me anymore. It had gotten to the point where I was on edge, anxiously waiting for time to leave. 

Do you ever perk up your coffee with a little spice?  Last night I wanted something ~ that illusive craving.  Into my coffee with caramel macchiato creamer I added a bit of ground ginger and allspice.  Yum!  This morning I added allspice and pumpkin pie spice. Just a little, mind you.  Sometimes those coffee shop flavors are a bit overwhelming, but now think I’m on to something!    

I did finish stitching Hannah Skinner.  I spent the morning last Saturday decluttering my stitching table next to my chair and filing the charts that had been waiting to be put away. Know what it caused other than putting a kink in my back?  My to-do list is totally turned around. There’s one thing in progress for a birthday, and I want to get the June Wordplay underway, too. 

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

  

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

Peace♥Love♥Joy

Charlene♥SC

Really Spring

Hey, Friends!

We’re really getting some spring around here!  That yellow-green pollen has taken over the car, porch, driveway…  We even had a bit of a storm with some rain, but all that did was make pollen mud.  That’s OK – at least it’s not snowing; right? No - last week it was in the 80s - now the highs are 60s.  

DS and I went to Mom’s last Saturday and picked up fallen branches and trimmed pampas grass for burning.  These kinds of chores make me realize how  lazy sedentary I am – my legs were sore for days!  And we didn’t finish, either.  There will be another day about the same to get it done. Doesn’t that kind of day make you realize how great a shower feels? 

Do you know that Ball is making blue jars for their 100th anniversary in 2013.  I picked mine up from Ace Hardware last week.  If you have one close to you, they MAY have them in stock, but if not you can order them online and have them delivered to your local store with no shipping charges.  Some of the sites I checked were charging outrageous shipping fees. I got an extra box of jars for less than the shipping would have been for one!

What?  Oh, stitching.  I finished stitching the sweet little bunnies that were offered by Snowflower Diaries.  I used some ‘limited’ unnamed over-dyed threads, and a few named ones, too.  It’s stitched over one on 28ct linen.  Have you seen her new design?  Check it out here.  

Then there were a few letters of the alphabet along with a tiny bird I wanted to stitch for a little surprise.  I’ll try to remember to get a pic of them before they head out.  But I didn’t remember to do that… oh well.

Yesterday a few stitching pals got together for some retail therapy at my LNS, Stitch and Frame.  I had Mary Gibson sized up for framing, and picked up some silks for an upcoming project. It looked like they found some things they “needed” as well.  We went for a little sustenance, and on to Starbucks for the chatting and stitching portion of the afternoon with handy caffeine.  I didn’t take a single photo… It was great sharing the day with such good stitching friends.

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

Peace♥Love♥Joy

Charlene♥SC

April Showers?

Hey, Friends!

On Thursday, we had rain and about 40°.  Not so much like spring, but the predictions for the coming days is climbing up to the 70’s.  Let’s hope it stays in that vicinity of spring for a while!

I started on a new piece on 28 ct planning to stitch over one, but with two threads.  How many times do I have to start a project that way before I remember – it won’t work!  I frogged what had been done and began with one strand.  Now it seems so easy…  Maybe that’s the point??  Not far enough along to share, but maybe next time.

I finished stitching May Word Play by With thy Needle and Thread.  I am really enjoying these!

Oh, and here's April hanging on the office door at work.  Not a great pic taken with my phone... 

What else?  Finished the piece that was a gift from TheScarlet House at the PALS conference last year.  Thanks, Tanya.  It was a fun stitch!  It’s in a small shadow box that sort of reminded me of drift(barn) wood with shells around.  It’s stitched on 28ct Tea Linen over one.      

Hope you all have a great spring weekend with a bit of time for stitching – maybe on the deck or garden?!

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

Peace♥Love♥Joy

Charlene♥SC

It's Spring

Hey, Friends!

But does it feel like spring in your town?  I'm still seeing snow around on many blogs. Fairly typical for inland South Carolina - cold nights (20s – 30s) mild (50s – 60s) days.  The first weekend of official spring has started with this Saturday about 35` and rain with a forecast of 50s.

I finished With Thy Needle and Thread’s April Word Play.  I had seen a Fuzzy Bunny Tail  description and decided to give this little guy something different, too. 

And speaking of using your repertoire of specialty stitches, did you see Tommye’s grass on this Easter piece?  Brilliant!   Mary Corbet had an article about surface embroidery that I think could be a sweet touch to some fun cross stitched pieces. 

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

Peace♥Love♥Joy

Charlene♥SC

Ides of March

Hey, Friends!

Good morning!  Do you believe the forecast for today is 77`?  Wouldn't you know it would be on IHSW?

I’ve finished a few pieces to share!   You can see these and some other stitcher's finishes over at SNTF.

 

Prairie Schooler’s St. Patrick Clover is finished into a small pillow with a beaded edging.

Heart in Hand,  St. Patrick Bird, has a little ric rack with tiny star buttons.

I also finished the March Word Play.  I found a ready-made frame at Hobby Lobby (50% off) that is not as deep as a shadow box, but has a bit of space between the back and the glass.  I was able to pad the piece a bit and love the result.  One of the primary features I was looking for was for twist clips on back for easy change!  My plan all along has been to hang it on my office door.  One of my coworkers asked if I had one of “those machines” that sews embroidery! LoL  I’m stitching April now…

Have you seen that Google Reader is going away?  “will retire Google Reader (the actual date is July 1, 2013).”  I am an email subscriber to several sites, but not everyone offers that option. I saw over at Katrina’s, The Needle’s Promise, that she is switching to BlogLovin.  Think I’ll give that a try, too.  You can automatically download all your links from GR, but I’ve decided to do a little clearing.

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

Peace♥Love♥Joy

Charlene♥SC