needles-and-quilter-me

TAST Wk 2, CQJP 2012, and Christmas Goodies too!

2012-01-21T20:29:00.001-06:00

It's been a really weird week around my house this past week. Mid winter funk has settled in for me and not much stitching or sewing or anything else has been accomplished....but oh well....it will happen again very soon for me.

We took a trip to the Twin Cities this past weekend for a visit with my sister and brother in law for a couple of days.
My husband, George, kept my brother in law company for part of the day Saturday while I and my sister took the morning and a bit of the afternoon to do some girlie things.
We spent the better part of the morning visiting the downtown shops of Anoka and then had lunch at a place called "Billy's" (GREAT nacho's and beer..ha) and before going back home stopped back in Elk River to do some bargain hunting at the Goodwill shop (DID find a few things for crazy quilting) and then back home to join the guys for the afternoon watching football on tv.
Had lots of good conversation and it was so nice to get away from home for a few days to break up the long winter here in northern Minnesota even though our winter has been rather abnormal as with much of the country this year....hardly any snow and temps way above normal for our neck of the woods. No complaints from this girl though!

I did complete the second week on my TAST project but still haven't managed to get a good start on the 2012 CQJP part of my plan...ha!
I decided if I feel I know the weekly stitch well I will not spend a great amount of time on the TAST part of it until I actually add it to my blocks so this is why the first 2 weeks stitches are not real involved.

My great plan is still to combine the two projects into one booklet of sorts but need to make a final choice on the block colors and pull together the fabrics to make the little quilt blocks.
I am hoping that tomorrow (Sunday) will be the day to get that part started and the first months block started and maybe finished.
This past week 3 stitch focuses on the feather stitch. One I actually have never tried. Hmmm should be interesting!? Most claim it is a very easy one to work....

Oh yeah as I said in my last post...I have this need or urge or whatever it is to try my hand at some serious handmade cards and memory booklets. I have collected papers, inks, stamps, and you name it for quite a while now for yet another want to try it craft...SERIOUSLY want to try it.
Before Christmas my daughter, Kristy, and her boyfriend, Brian, asked me for a idea list of things I would like. Me not being the greedy type just handed her a mail order catalog (PaperWishes.com) with a few items marked off that I thought would be fun to have.

Well below is a list of what THEY thought I should have..haha...like I said I am NOT a greedy person but for some reason known only to them they bought all of it! LOL (Gee, there was a LOT more in the catalog..hmmm...haha)

A Hot Off The Press "Layered Labels" Template for making tags, etc.
SEVERAL "Smooch Spritz" sprays for adding glimmer to any papers, etc.
A new item called a "Sew Ribbon" Leaf punch for punching papers to add ribbon in a very special pattern. (I had two marked in the catalog but they were out of stock on the other one I had picked).
The "Mizuhiki Magic" Instruction booklet for making several types of decorative knots AND several packages of the special cording suggested for the knot making as well!
To top it all off I was given a beautiful paper organizer to hold my growing collection of patterned papers, etc.

How spoiled am I? Pretty gosh darned spoiled I'd say! SO much fun to look through the MANY, MANY, online video's and see the HUGE amount of ideas to peruse and try too!

I THINK I BETTER GET BUSY...doing SOMETHING! LOL

You all have a great week!
Keep a smile too!

Huggs, Lynn

TAST 2012, CQJP 2012, and other fun things!

2012-01-09T08:49:00.000-06:00

I am participating in the weekly "TAST for 2012" and am posting my first weeks work today. I finally decided to take all of my weekly TAST stitching and incorporate it into a booklet and also combine it with my "CQJP 2012" blocks as well. I will be showing my TAST stitching for each month in the block as time goes by and then will be making a booklet of sorts with the whole thing. I have my fabrics chosen for the CQJP blocks so will be sewing those together crazy quilt fashion in the coning days as well.
If anyone would like more info on either groups project you can click on the side bar buttons to see what's going on in the groups. There are tons of great ideas and things people are working on for their stitching and it's so fun to see how creative the people are in their own projects!

I also decided to join in on a crazy quilted needle book exchange this month so will be working on that this week as well. Hoping to get at least 2 done and to get those mailed off very soon!

Oh jeez! My daughter and her boyfriend made me pretty gosh darned happy for Christmas this year by finding lots of goodies for me off my wish list for my card and scrapbooking time. It was So much fun opening gifts! I'll show all of that stuff in my next post!
I dug out my practically NEW (less than 3 hours on it new) CRICUT cutter and then over the weekend I bought myself a brand new Cuttlebug as well as some embossing folders at Michael's! (Got a GREAT deal at 40% off all of it so I am very happy). I then updated my Cricut software online too so can use the websites Cricut Craft Room in conjunction with the Cricut to design and cut. I am not in any way being paid to endorse these products...just saying I have them and am GOING TO USE THEM! Ha!

I truly am planning to do much more stitching and card making to my years projects this year! starting out good anyways! Ha!
Oh that's IF I can tear myself away from PINTEREST long enough to accomplish my own things! LOL Have you looked at that site? Jeez!

Hope you all had a GREAT Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
You all have a GREAT day!

Lynn

A Newer Bloggers give away...

2011-12-12T15:07:00.000-06:00

HI Everyone!
Busy, busy here getting ready for Christmas with my family!

I wanted to let you all in on a new bloggers give away over on Nicola's Blog. she's a new blogger hoping many will stop by and check out her posts.

I remember when I started MY blogging and wondered if anyone would check it out and leave a hello for me. It's been amazing to see where all are from in the world!
Thanks to all of you that do stop and leave your comments for me! Always nice to see and read!

Hope everyone is getting their holiday things organized and done for next week!
Keep smiling!

Lynn

How about " Occupying" your sewing room?

2011-12-04T20:44:00.000-06:00

I signed up today for Cat Patches Occupy Your Sewing Room Week. I'm (AM GOING TO) set aside some special time this week just for sewing on Christmas gifts I want to get done!
This event runs from Dec 3-10 so it will give me a whole week of just creating. If you are interested check out the "Cat Patches" button to the right or click on the link in this paragraph. Barbara is also giving having some special drawings for those that do participate! Have some fun and join in!

Yesterday I received my second crazy quilt Round Robin back home in my mail. This is the block before the Round Robin.

And this is it after the ladies did their marvelous work on it for me! The picture doesn't do it justice. Another one that I absolutely LOVE!

My first block is posted on the previous blog post if you haven't seen it yet and both come from a Round Robin I organized and ran in the "Stitching Fingers" Crazy Quilting Group this last summer. Maybe after the first of the year I will organize another...we will see.

Oh Boy! joined in on TAST and the CQPJ for the coming year too!More info on both of those in my sidebar if you might be interested.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING tomorrow I think and then onto my sewing! Ha!

Hope everyone is doing GOOD!
SMILES!!!

Lynn

Catching up! (OK...somewhat)

2011-11-30T13:34:00.000-06:00

Well now it's been a while again since posting to this page.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends? I sure did! Our weekend was fairly quiet but we did spend Thanksgiving day here at home with two of our adult children and their significant others plus one teenager. I cooked the full meal with the exception of pies (well I made 2) and my daughter, Kristy, brought the pecan and the apple struesel pie. YUM! Anyways now onto the month long process of getting ready for the BIG holiday...CHRISTMAS!

I am SO excited about that this year as it will be the first time in about 2o years (near as I can figure) that we'll have all of our children home plus the 2 grand kids (both in college) too! Oh and we'll have the 2 significant others of our two older kids here too and then the one teenager (sons girlfriends son)too...haha!
WHEW! But I am SO happy everyone plans to be here this year and I will be praying for GOOD traveling weather!

Our youngest daughter will be flying home to us on Dec 22nd to stay for about a week from Nashville where she lives. HER special guy, Will, is serving overseas in Iraq at present but MAY get home in time for the holidays too and MIGHT, MIGHT actually fly up here too sometime in the week after Christmas! Time will tell on that! We all know how the military is about those things. The thing is that WE haven't met him as of yet even though they've been together almost a full year now and we sure are looking forward to the possibility of that happening! He was just recently promoted to the rank of MAJOR in the US Army so of course we are so happy for him and very proud of him for that promotion as well!

I also have a nephew, Todd, that is serving in Kuwait, working with the draw down of the troops from Iraq and we pray for him and his safety as well. This is his second tour overseas.
PLEASE remember ALL troops and their families and pray for our troops safe return
to us here in the states. I can only imagine how hard it is for parents, wives, children and other extended family members of these men and women around the holidays and everyday as well. THEY all need our help and support.

OK...onto to the rest of this post!

Recently I was involved in a couple of Round Robins pertaining to crazy quilting.

THIS is the 1st block I sent on...

And THIS is the result after the other ladies stitched on it for me! I LOVE IT!

This will be the second block I sent off to others but I am still waiting on its return and will post it in the next blog post I do!

I am still feeling fairly new at this type of quilting but believe me it IS addictive!

I was also involved in a cross stitch round robin these past few months! In this RR we stitched on Aida cloth and passed it onto others to do their work on our project as well.
I chose the following project as I've had it laying here at home for quite a while.(hehe) and did order the threads to use in it as well instead of using the regular DMC floss that I usually use.

I stitched up the first left side section and then sent it on to the other ladies the work.

I absolutely LOVE this too! The colors have turned out so rich looking and it will be a very striking design when totally completed. I was trying to decide IF I'd work it all of just the top half of it but when I got it back I decided I'd do the whole thing up as have enough threads to complete the bottom part too. When done I'll have a handmade frame done up for it (thanks to my hubby..ha)

Last but not least for this post is the CQJP2012 or Crazy Quilters Journal Project 2012. I came across this in a group I belong to online and decided to participate in it in the coming year. This is something I will be doing for myself and hope to learn as I go on crazy quilting and the process involved. (Told you it was addictive..ha)
If you are interested you can check out all the info available HERE
There is still time to register and be accepted to the group!
I think it will be very fun and fairly easy to be involved in this. I am planning to do up a "Book" of sorts with my stitching and should be able to see how well I progress as each challenge comes along.

I think I will stop for now and get on with the rest of my day! Hehe! Quilting, cross stitching, a NAP maybe?? LOL

You all take care!
Keep smiling too!

Lynn

TUSAL ~ August

2011-08-29T09:56:00.000-05:00

BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! Many of you maybe wouldn't understand the BLAH feeling of blogging. And I have had it ALL SUMMER! I decided to take a hiatus from it all and am going to now redo my blog as well. (Really..I am)

Before I tear things apart and start my make over I'll post my DaffyKat's TUSAL for the end of Aug. I didn't do a lot of stitching and what I did was mostly on crazy quilting blocks for round robins I am currently in. I was forgetful and "FORGOT" to do it totally from last month but as you can see from the last one I did post I really am serious about NOT getting much done.
Oh well..,,,I forgive myself a lot lately...haha

OK! Onto to the fall season and back to some serious cross stitching things too! Stay tuned for my next post PLUS I will have a exciting drawing to celebrate (?) my 60th birthday month too!

Keep that smile!

Lynn

TUSAL and a Stash Drawing Winner too....

2011-06-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

Daffykat's TUSAL...
Well not a whole lot of cross stitching going on again this past month. I am working on the Crazy Quilting Round Robin blocks plus a couple of other small quilting projects so my little TUSAL jar isn't filling up very fast.

We have a WINNER!
In my last post I offered a "Traveling Stash" Drawing for those who left a short comment on my blog page. LATE last night I drew a name from those gals and Diane A, (Nan), who lives in Indiana was the winner! I have contacted her and will have the stash sent onto her very soon! Congratulations Diane!

Not a whole lot of news in my life these past days. Just been working as I said on the quilt blocks for the Round Robins I am in so I can get them passed on to the next in line to stitch on them.

I am also involved in the "Red and White" fabbie exchange over on Sew Many Ways blog so I will be getting that out into the mail very soon too! How fun are RED and WHITE fabrics? I love them! Then I have a cross stitch exchange coming up again so I will get that started this week too!

Hope everyone is doing well!
Keep a smile if you can!

Lynn

Traveling Stash, Crazy Quilting and a Fabric Swap....and Tragedy

2011-05-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

I was the winner of The Traveling Stash!
DJ had it for offer on her blog "Tickled Pink In Stitches" not too long ago and I was the winner! How GREAT is that?

I was so excited when I received the package as it was jammed full of great stitching stuff! I've taken the time to go through it all and I picked a number of things!! There was lots of great stuff! Now I need to replace some of the things I took out of the package and so I'll be going through MY stash and finding duplicates, etc, of things I probably won't use.
The rules are that when you get the Traveling Stash, you go through and take what you'd like. Then you add to the box as many things as you've taken out... plus some extra, if you'd like, and then offer it on your blog. And then it goes to another lucky person!
If you would like to be next in line to get the package passed onto you please leave a message on this post only! I will draw somebodies name on JUNE 1st and then will be in touch with the winner. PLEASE leave a way for me to reach you by leaving a email address if you are a no reply blogger. I'd hate for you to miss out because I had no way to contact you!

The whole month of May so far has been a real bust for me in MY needlework and stitching. Can you say LAZY, LAZY, LAZY? I've just been working on the crazy quilt squares for a couple of Round Robins that I am in in the Crazy Quilting For Newbies Group. Below is the block I worked on for Ruby in the Half and Half RR. She chose beautiful colors for her block and the theme turned out to be a under the sea theme set by the first stitcher in the round robin. I added the jelly fish, the "sea weed' with the beading that's in the middle of the bottom half, the off white pearl looking buttons and little lobster plus some horizontal stitching and beading in the upper left side on the blue. Oh yeah the peachie colored vintage button in the center as well. Although the photo doesn't do the block justice it is turning out to be a pretty little block for Ruby.

I also received Pam's "pink Color Study" RR block all the way from Australia about May 12th or so and will start working on this one too! Some say they plot and plan ahead of doing any stitching but I am a do it as I go and no real plan type...so will be interesting to see what I come up with on the pink block.
Today I will go and do some fabric stash shopping! YIPPEE! I am involved in a great little fabbie exchange on Karen's "So Many Ways" blog and I need to find a few new quilting fabrics for that. This is a red and white fabric swap and I will be sending in about 215- 5" squares of red and white fabrics to exchange with the others in the group. This one will be lots of fun! I think everyone loves red and white don't they?

Some ask WHY I get involved in so many exchanges and swaps? Well like most I REALLY, REALLY LOVE getting those packages in the mail and they all add to my stash of needle working or quilting supplies. PLUS we all meet a lot of new online friends as well. Most I don't know personally but feel like I've known them all a very long time. We have a lot of fun chatting back and forth through emails and groups and lots of kidding around goes on too.

On a very sad note... all the young teens in my life (grand children and niece and nephews) in my home town of Long Prairie were shocked and saddened along with their parents and the rest of the community on late Sunday. A fellow classmate, Jacob, 16, was killed in a car accident that happened in the rain as he was driving just east of town. So sad that such a young man would have his life ended so soon and such a tragedy. Jake will be missed so much by so many.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and all his friends and the rest of the small community.

Thoughts and many prayers too to all the people that have gone through the terrible tragic weather and tornadoes in Minneapolis, MN and in Joplin, MO this past weekend. I can't imagine what they are all going through having to deal with the clean up and loss of life, homes, and community. So, so tragic!!!
If there is any way you can help out by giving your time or donations PLEASE DO. We all need to kick in and help as we never know when WE may be having tragedy such as this happen to us.

I hope everyone else is having a good day today...
Take care! Hugg your loved ones!

Keep a smile,

Lynn

TUSAL....Hmmmm???

2011-05-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

Well here it is...my ORTS jar for the month for the TUSAL!

Sure doesn't look like much has been added. That's because NOTHING was added! Sure have been lazy this past month and didn't do much of anything in the cross stitching dept. at all!
The crummy spring weather...rain, snow, rain, snow....took me down a bit and I didn't feel like doing anything ...so I just didn't! Ha!
Back on track now and working on a couple of stitching projects as well as a couple of Round Robin's.

Here's MY block for the "Pink Round Robin" in our Crazy Quilting For Newbies group. It's been passed on and will no doubt be used for something for my daughter, Jackie, when it's returned to me. She LOVES pink!
I also have plans for something for our other daughter, Kristy, too! I am in the process of gathering the needed threads and fabrics for that block as well.

In the same group I received this block for the Half and Half Round Robin.

This is Ruby's block and the first person who started the work on it decided to make it a under the sea theme. I have a few ideas and will be working on it from now until around the 15th of the month before sending it on to the next stitcher in the group to for her work on it. It's a very pretty color choice I think!

Hope all are having a good week so far! Soon the weekend again!

Keep smiling.....

Lynn

Stitching for Spring

2011-04-21T16:57:00.001-05:00

Hello All...
Just adding my exchange photos back in from a exchange we did before the Spring/Easter Season on "Lainey's Stitching Hoose" blog. I inadvertently had this posted in my last blog post and wasn't supposed to reveal to the others in the exchange until this week before Easter! Well I was on a roll updating my blog at that time...what can I say?

Anyways....I had done this cute little pin pillow for Ellen and then we were to add in 5 items that were of a spring or Easter theme. I added in the hand dyed cross stitch fabric/gold stitching needles/a Mary Engelbreit tin/some hand dyed cording plus a springtime themed note pad for her. I hope she enjoys it all! (BTW...I snitched her photo of what the total pkg. was that I sent as I forgot to do that before sending it to her...HOPEFULLY she doesn't mind me using it?)

In exchange I received the very same pattern design but in a cute little wall hanging that I absolutely LOVE! She also added in all the other goodies with her package and of course I really LOVE getting fun things and will use them all as well!.

What's really great is the fact we don't know each other at all and we chose the same design from Lizzie Kate to stitch for each other. Well as they say "Great Minds Think Alike" huh? Funny tho!
Thanks again Ellen!

I mentioned in the last post that my youngest daughter is living in Nashville. Sunday night we had a knock at the door and there she stood! Drove all the way home in one day alone (1000 miles one way)to spend this Easter week with us! We are tickled pink! Had NO idea she was going to do that but so happy to see her! (She is a bit driven and strong willed...lol)

As it turned out there were other reasons for her to come. A friend of hers from grade school/high school passed away this last Friday in a sad, sad series of events giving birth (full term)to her first child. Her sweet little baby girl passed away on Sunday as well so there was a double funeral on Monday. So, so sad! Her husband and family are devastated and in shock over this as well as family and friends. Please say a prayer for them all if you would.
Hold your loved ones close and tell them you love them as often as you can.

IN the bright side of our life our other daughter will be home tomorrow so the two girls can see each other and visit for a couple of days over the weekend too. That's something that doesn't happen often here anymore. It will be fun to have them both here.
I wonder how many times we as parents go through a empty nest syndrome thing? I sure seem to ALOT lately!

I also sent off my first block in the Half and Half Round Robin in my crazy quilt group. We are each doing about a quarter of the block and passing it on to another in the group to add to. Below is what we call "the naked block" and below that MY additions to it for Amanda.

Next I'll show you the one I will work on for Ruby from the group as I just received that one in the mail today. I'll need a couple of thinking days first before I actually start stitching on it for her.

Alright! Enough of my rambling for now!
I hope you all have a very Happy Easter weekend and also can enjoy time with family and friends!
Take care!
Keep a smile too!

Lynn

A Spring/Easter Exchange ...Spring has sprung!

2011-04-12T14:30:00.025-05:00

Well hello everyone...
It's been a while again since I posted on my blog but do have a few updates to share with you.

I was involved with a exchange in two separate exchanges this past few weeks. Both were Spring/Easter exchanges. One reveal will be a re post later even tho I already HAD POSTED IT the other day. (You aren't losing your mind if you checked out my blog in the last couple of days and saw it and now it's gone) Guess I wasn't supposed to post now. Hard to keep exchanges straight for me and I do what comes automatically for me when I post things.

For Paisley's Swap I made this little pin pillow item for Natalie. It's from Waxing Moon Designs and is called "Spring Bluebird". We also added in 5 items that related a bit to Spring or Easter as the theme.

In return I received from Emily this cute little biscornu and goodies.
THANK YOU again so much and also to the group chairperson who hosted the exchange! I love everything that was sent and will use it all!

Spring has FINALLY sprung here in NE MN. It's about time! This past winter has been so LONG and drug on so much! We had enough snow for 2 winters as far as I"m concerned and it came very early it seemed.
Onto the spring summer seasons! can't wait for the first rhubarb to bake with and the lilacs to be blooming as well.

We will have a family gathering May 1 in central Mn to say good bye to my nephew, Todd, who is deploying at that time. this is his third tour and it makes me sad he is leaving his wife and little boy behind again for months on end. That little guy is going to miss his Daddy very much as its the first since little Wyatt, now 2, was born that Todd will deploy. My prayers to Todd for a safe and short deployment and to the others that will also go in his group.
Prayers for Todd's wife, Ann, and also my brother and sister in law as well. I know it will be hard on all of us not having Todd around. They all live about 200 miles away so I can't just stop in for coffee when I feel like it to help out or keep them company. I don't think anyone has any idea how tough this can be for any family dealing with this type of separation when our troops deploy. It's a major stress on everyone involved.

Todds not the only soldier in the family serving our country right now. Our youngest daughter, Jackie, who lives in Nashville, now has her guy, Will, overseas as well. We haven't met him in person YET but we hope his deployment stays on schedule and he'll be back home this next fall. We also got word he just was promoted to a Major in the Army so something to be very proud of too. Of course we all pray he has a safe tour over this time as well.

PLEASE remember all service men and women in your thoughts and prayers even if you don't agree with the policies and participation that are in place right now for our country in overseas events. We are all free in this country because these brave men and women fight for us all!

On that note I will stop for now...
Time for a nap I think....ha!

Keep smiling! Enjoy the spring days ahead!

Lynn

TUSAL ~ April..

2011-04-05T13:53:00.007-05:00

Oh Boy! Almost missed posting my poor pitiful TUSAL jar for the month of April for Daffycat's blog. Well ok a couple of days late but here it is! Still not much stitching going on for me here. Just haven't been in that sort of mood for some reason again these past few weeks.

Just haven't felt the greatest the last few days so laying a bit low and then things get crazy around here so no rest for ME! I think it's just a bit of over dosing on the spring dreary weather. We still have snow but now as a lot of the country are dealing with the dreary days of rain/snow/rain/snow...maybe sunshine/rain/snow, etc etc..YUCK!

Have been doing some stitching for a couple of exchanges but of course I can't show those things YET! I will when they reach their new destinations and owners. That's all I've gotten accomplished in cross stitching.

In Tonia's Oak Haven SAL Group I belong to I did my cute little owl for the month of March. Can you see him blink one eye? I changed the design just that tish of a bit for this month.
The April design is so gosh darned cute too and I think I'll work on that later this evening.

I am working on a round robin crazy quilt block. INTERESTING to say the least. Of course I'm too particular in how I set things on somebody else's project and this is my very first round robin too so want things PERFECT! Ha! Yeah! OK! In my dreams. I'm new at this crazy quilting business anyways but at least I know WHY they call it crazy quilting! ha! It's going to drive me crazy being so fussy with MY work. WILL post what I completed before I send it on to the next person.
MY block appears to be hung up on the Canadian/USA border (customs) as the person who will work on it first hasn't received it YET. well it was mailed off two weeks ago. Again the postal services are S...L...O....W! GRRRR!

Along the same lines... the group I belong to (Crazyquilting For Newbies Yahoo Group) is celebrating the groups 5th year anniversary and had a drawing for some goodies relating to crazy quilting. Yesterday I was reading my emails VERY late in the afternoon and found out I was one of the winners to receive one of the anniversary goodie packages! I am SO tickled and can't wait to see what I will be receiving! Such a FUN group of ladies!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far? Warm spring days WILL show up eventually! Well...I can only HOPE!

Keep smiling!

Lynn

Royal Mail???

2011-03-09T10:07:00.012-06:00

The other day I received this puffy envelope from the UK. Had Royal Mail on the stamp area. I thought to myself "It's Here!" My official invite to the BIG WEDDING!

Well of course it wasn't my engraved invite and I probably wouldn't go anyways. Not into that sort of thing you see. Ha!
Actually it was this VERY cute pin pillow from Maddy in the UK from our Buttons and Thimble exchange.
Is this not the cutest thing?? Look at the backside fabric too!

I LOVE it!
THANK YOU so much again Maddy for your cute little stitching made just for me!

I've just been working on a couple of crazy quilted items this week and a little cross stitching for yet another couple of exchanges.
Baked some whole wheat bread yesterday too! MMMMM! Good stuff!

I hope all are having a good week so far?
Soon the weekend again.
Take care all! Thanks so much for stopping by! I enjoy seeing you all here!

Lynn

TUSAL ~ MARCH 2011

2011-03-04T14:23:00.006-06:00

Well here it is...my TUSAL for "It's Daffycat's" blog group for the March posting.

Gee, pretty sad I must say so myself! I'm just not in much of a stitching mood these days but that will change as I have a couple of spring projects and exchanges to work on this next week.

Some SUNSHINE would sure help the ambition.
WHEN is summer coming again?? All I hear the weather man say is cold temps and snow..grrrr!

Well I picked up some new fabrics this past week and am working on my crazy quilting too a bit so the days aren't really a total loss..ha!

Hope everyone else is having a good week! Enjoy your weekend too!

Lynn

Fun fabric give a way....

2011-03-01T15:25:00.020-06:00

While looking around at several different blogs yesterday I came across Fionna's blog that led me to another giveaway.
A bundle of 15 fat Quarters from 'Where the Wind Blows' is being offered for a giveaway on the Vignette In stitches blog.
This is the Melly Hurlston fabric that is used in one of the projects in Issue 2. of Vignette in Stitches magazine.

This giveaway will close in 10 days and and then the drawing will be held.
I am excited at the prospect of this type of fabric! It's brings the springtime color and really cheers me up! If you'd like to have a chance to win go to these blogs for all the info and enter too!

Have a great day!

Lynn

We have a WINNER!

2011-02-26T23:08:00.021-06:00

Hello everyone....
I wanted to show you the pin pillow I made and sent off to Maddy in the UK a couple of weeks ago. She's received it so I can show you how cute it is. (No she didn't get my cute music box along wit it...sm) The theme for the exchange was "Thimbles and Buttons" in our "Exchange Heaven blog group". We were supposed to make something in relation to that theme. I found a design online at a blog called Cross Stitch Happy and deviated a bit from it to fit both the thimble and buttons into the little pillow.

Other than that I've been working on a quilt block and have it finished now for the Crazy Quilting for Newbies Group I belong to. This will be a round robin with 4 of us in my specific group each helping each other to finish their blocks. The block was to be a 2 color block and I chose black and white for my first RR block. It will get passed on to the others to add their work and then come home to me later towards fall.

Last but not least....WE HAVE A WINNER!
I am so happy see hear from so many on my blog and to get some new followers too! I put all the names of everyone who entered my drawing in a BIG bowl and drew out a new blog follower! Teresa is also a new blogger just starting out on blog land and I wish her the best! I'll look forward to seeing what's going on in her world too!
Teresa, I will be in touch to get your mailing address!

Ok! Off to make dinner here! The hubby is giving me THE LOOK! Poor starving guy! Ha!

Take care all!

Lynn

Will YOU be a winner?

2011-02-25T15:28:00.006-06:00

Drawings are SO much FUN!

As announced in a earlier blog in the last week I decided that since my 100th follower slipped by me with out notice I'd be a bit different and celebrate 125 followers to follow me on my blog.
When my blog followers reach that number I will draw and announce a winner for the nice little package of giftys I pulled together to send the winner.

The photo shows a nice little design from Little House Needleworks titled "Gentleness". This will also include the actual threads from Crescent Colours to do your design.
I've added in a 60" PINK tape measure in it's own little carrying tin as well as a Mary Engelbreit spiral notebook for you to maybe carry in your purse for all those important little notes.
Oh there MAY be more added to the list of goodies as the days go by too! Wink, wink!

So if you'd like to be included in this drawing... leave me a comment and let me know where you are from...That's ONE chance to win!
If you are a follower let me know or if you are a NEW follower let me know too....That's another chance to win!
If you advertise on your blog about this giveaway....that's another chance for you to win!
That would make THREE chances for you to be a winner!

Please, Please, Please leave me a email address so I can reach you for your actual postal address to send you the goodies if you are the lucky winner ok??

THANK YOU to all who come by and say hello. I've said it before and I will say it again...I REALLY LOVE hearing from you all and appreciate all of you!!!

Gooood Luck to you all!

Lynn

Lots of give aways going on.....

2011-02-21T23:00:00.003-06:00

Here's another blog anniversary give away I found today. There are SO MANY going on right now but fun to see the blogs and the info everyone is posting.
Teresa over on Willow Tree Pond is hosting a first year anniversary. Congrat's to her on her first year!

Hope everyone had a GREAT day today!

Lynn

A couple of finishes....AND Don't Forget Friday!

2011-02-21T16:21:00.011-06:00

Exchange Heaven 2010 Ornament Exchange....In December I sent off a exchange ornament for a holiday exchange to the UK. As it turned out the package went missing and so I did a redo on it. I did find out the second one I did for my exchange partner made it to it's destination which is GOOD!
Well...I will count them both as finishes in MY records.

Don't forget that on Friday I will announce my plans and give you the photo for a giveaway to celebrate my blogging followers hitting 125! As I said before I truly appreciate all who stop by to say hello.
Hope you are all having a great week!

Smile!

Lynn

A New Giveaway is coming Friday!

2011-02-20T10:20:00.010-06:00

I was just reading through some blogs that I follow and immediately came across Loretta's give a way! She's celebrating her 100th follower and is giving away a neat gift package....check it out here!

This also reminds me again to thank each of you for being one of MY followers too! I really appreciate everyone stopping by and seeing what I'm up to.

I, myself, managed to let MY 100th follower slip right by and giveaways are so much fun! So I will be offering a drawing myself when I hit 125 followers. How's that sound? I'll post on Friday to show you what I'm planning to give away so be sure to stop and see this little package and I will list the draw requirements then as well!

Have a GREAT Sunday everyone!

Keep smiling!

Lynn

2 Give away's from others and ..........

2011-02-19T07:35:00.008-06:00

Hey all!
Well, it's Saturday and the weather did it's switch back to more normal winter days here. UG!

Cruising around in blog land this morning I came across two different giveaways from two wonderful ladies!

Sarah over on her Crafty Moo's site is giving away a few goodies for us cross stitchers. Nice of Sarah to entice us all huh? Thanks Sarah!

And then Sandy over on her Pine Mountain site is having a giveaway as well! She has a great little kit of her new designs she will be drawing for very soon.

You can click on the highlighted wording to see either of these nice sites and sign up for their drawings.

How do you like the new topper photo on my page? I have a very nice cousin, Jolene, and my auntie AND God Mother, Mary Lou...Jolene's mom... who several years ago gave me this cute little pillow for Christmas. Everytime I see it I smile because it SO fits me most stitching days! Ha! Seems Jolene was pressed for time so she called her mom in to the rescue to help her finish up her Christmas giftys that year! Ha.

Well, time for me to round up my day and see what I will be doing to pass the time.
It's currently a minus 3 degrees here and they say a snow storm is moving in for tonite and tomorrow. HOPING most of the snow will go south of us as they predict but who can stop Mother Nature?

Keep warm and keep a smile!
Have a great weekend!

Lynn

I was RAK'd and a RR too....

2011-02-16T14:33:00.012-06:00

Hoooooo Eeeeee!
As I am sitting here writing this it's 53 degrees here in a VERY SUNNY, melty, Northen Mn....It's SO nice outside! Water is running, the snow piles are melting down to a visible view of what's coming on the road from your drive way height, and it gives us some HOPE that our spring/summer WILL be coming! Of course this won't last long. A good chance of snow for the coming weekend and some lower temps...but it sure improves the spirit here! Ha! YES!

I had to post and let you know I was RAK'd on Monday by a new stitching friend and exchange partner....Deena (Parlsy). She was my exchange partner from our recent Valentines exchange and then Valentines Day I got the envelope with these nice patterns in the mail too! How NICE of her! Thank you SO much Deena. When I am done with them I'll be sure to RAK somebody else with the same surprise! WHO wants to be next???

I pulled together the fabrics for a "Half and Half Round Robin" crazy quilt block exchange in my CQ For Newbies Group. I am choosing black and white for my colors and hoping my friends will add their stitching in red/black and white. This will be a fun exchange between four of us and I can't wait to get started on it. I'm thinking I'll make the finished block into a tote bag embellishment.

Well I think a lighter jacket is in order and I'm going to go out and sit on the steps for a bit (oh on a blanket) and soak up some SUN! Ha!

Hope you're all having a GREAT day!
Keep a smile!
Lynn

"Seasons of My Mind" Exchange...

2011-02-14T08:16:00.008-06:00

Just a really quick post today....
Happy Valentines Day to all who love this day! I hope you all have a great day!

Over on Parlsey's "Seasons of My Mind" blog we did a Valentines Day exchange over the past few weeks. I was lucky enough to receive mine from Parsley herself and she sent me a WONDERFUL package of a couple of great books, wonderful truffle chocolates and some Dinky Dye flosses for my needle working. She also made the cutest little cross stitched card for me. She doesn't know that I plan to take that apart and make a needlebook from it today so I can enjoy it year round...ha! I LOVE needlebooks and use all of the ones I have.

THANK YOU so much Deena (Parsley) for hosting the swap and I will be watching for another one you may be hosting! This one was really a lot of fun!

Enjoy your day all!

Lynn

Exchanges, quilting blocks and another SAL completed for February

2011-02-11T23:41:00.019-06:00

Hello Everyone and how are you all doing?

Not a lot going on in my neck of the woods but do have a couple of things to show you.

I received word that my exchange partner, Elise, in the "Exchange Heaven" Valentines exchange received her package so I can show you what I made for her. I think it turned out pretty cute too.

In exchange I received this great little heart hanging from Vivian. She also sent along a small hand painted wooden needle holder too. I'll be using that all year long in my carry along cross stitching projects. Thanks so much again Vivian for the neat things you sent to me!

I sent off my exchange package of quilt squares to Annette and received my exchanges back from that this last week. This was a group exchange for the "Creamy Neutrals Color Swap" in the "Quilt and Needle" group. We were to cut 10" squares of any neutral colored 100% cotton fabrics and package them up in amounts of 10 squares to a package. I LOVE the asst'd pieces that I received and I plan to use on those for something special for my own use. these are the ones I got to play with!

This last week I worked on the small SAL for the "Heaven on Earth" stitching group. My last blog update I showed the first in the series of these for the coming year and this little pair is the ones that we stitched for February. Quick and easy peasy to do....and I can't wait for the next design to work on when its released on March 1.

Oh this is enough for now! Ha! I have done absolutely nothing today but peruse my "busy" ahem..schedule of what I should be doing today. Major slough off day!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!
Thanks to all of you that stop by and check my posts out! I really appreciate it. Please feel free to leave a comment when you are here...I LOVE seeing who's been here and do go check you out too if you are a fellow blogger.

Take care and SMILE!

Lynn

TUSAL/February 2011 and Other Good Things

2011-02-03T14:14:00.020-06:00

Well...today is the day we post our TUSAL container for "It's Daffycat" for February. I have been working on several exchanges in the past weeks and this is what I have to show for my stitching floss ends. Somehow it seems I did do lot's of stitching but have little to show for the thread ends.

I mailed off packages just this week with cross stitched items in them for several exchanges. I will post pictures as soon as they reach their destinations and show what I received in exchange from my partners.

I did my January SAL for the "Heaven On Earth SAL" as well. This SAL will be sent to us once a month from the group leader in the coming year. I've decided to make mine into a small wall hanging after I get all the individual months stitched. I am new to this group but really am enjoying it and thanks to Tonia for her great little designs. This little owl is SO CUTE!

I had to re-do a holiday ornament that was lost in the mails going to the UK before Christmas so I'll add that little project to the mix too in my next blog update. HOPEFULLY this package doesn't disappear on its way across the big Atlantic....Grrrr!

I also did a crazy quilted "Victorian Boot Swap" package for our "Crazyquilting For Newbies" Group. Had lots of fun putting that together but I am too indecisive when it comes to coordinating stitches and trims etc. I guess that all comes with the learning and experience part?? ha!

I also mailed off my exchange package for the "Creamy Neutrals Color Swap" in the "Quilt and Needle" group. We were to cut 10" squares of any neutral colored 100% cotton fabrics and package them up in amounts of 10 squares to a package (hopefully a good assortment)...and decide ahead of time on how many 10pc. pkg's we wanted to do and I chose to do 4. I am anxious to see what I will receive in return for this exchange.

I am not a football fan so while hubby is watching the Super Bowl this weekend I'll do up the next months HOE SAL block...another really great little design.

Oh and I didn't just SEND packages...I received some too but will show all those goodies when I post after the ones I sent off have let me know they have received them.

Well off to see what I will kit up for new stitching projects....and those quilt projects too!

Keep a smile! (Even in all this crummy, rotten, stinking, weather we are all experiencing. This too will pass!)

Take care,
Lynn

The Last of the 2010 exchanges....

2011-01-17T14:11:00.018-06:00

Well finally getting around to finishing up on cross stitch exchanges for 2010....
I really enjoy doing exchanges with persons from all over the world. This past year was no exception. After waiting and wondering for the entire month of December I ended up re-doing one of my ornaments I did for these exchanges. It happens every so often...something goes missing in the mails. Grrrr!

In my Yahoo group..wXSw

I mailed of a little ornament to Ellen in Singapore. Of course being waaaay around the world it finally showed up and she let me know it was received. It went ditto for me as well receiving from Ellen but I did finally get her package towards the end of the month.

Funny that we both made the very similar style ornies to send! Ellen also sent along several goodies as well. THANK YOU again Ellen!

In the Yahoo TGOSM group I sent off this ornament to Susan.

While I am still waiting to receive mine from my exchange partner it was made known it is on it's way but will be a bit late in being mailed.. Life does get in the way at times and I totally understood the late mailing. Hopefully things are going much better for that person and her family!

And finally in the Exchange Heaven Group I sent a ornament off to Lucy.
However it seems to have gone missing...Boo Hoo... and I had to remake another for her. I was going to show the one I made but don't want to spoil the surprise for her if it does happen to show up on her doorstep!

I did receive mine from Vivian along with some extra goodies as well. This little blue bird just makes me smile as it reminds me a lot of things my dad would say about the blue bird in winter. I better not share as this IS a family channel..tee hee!! Let's just say he really HATED winters in Minnesota and let us know from time to time in his choice words...ha!

Well that's it and I'm off to work on finishing up my exchanges for February...cross stitched and some signature quilt squares as well as a Victorian crazy quilted stocking.
I am about half way through all of that so not feeling too pressured....HA!

I want to thank everyone again that was involved with any exchanges we did together this past year. It was loads of fun to give and to get! I hope you all enjoyed it too!

Keep smiling!

Lynn

A nice give away......

2011-01-14T23:42:00.006-06:00

In my many travels through out blogland I came across a nice site called "Everything Glittery"that is offering a giveaway of free glitters for us to try. Go here for more info! I think they would be so cool to try for embellishments in card making or scrap booking plus I have a few other ways I am thinking of using them.....pretty colors!

Enjoy your weekend!

Keep a smile!

Lynn

Daffycat's TUSAL! First Post....Ha!

2011-01-04T19:08:00.008-06:00

Well now...Alrighty then! On with the show!? Ha!
Here we are on January 4th and I ALMOST forgot about posting my TUSAL post! Holy cow! That one came up FAST! LOL... Good grief! This might be tougher than I thought?? Hehe!

Well I will really TRY to abide by the rules of Daffycat's little game and play along nice!
So here is my first photo of my "Ort's" jar. Ort's ? What are Ort's you ask? How about "Old Ratty Threads"? A name given to all those little clippings and thread ends left over or "frogged" out (ripped out) from needlework mistakes and thread tailings from working on projects.

I haven't been real prolific in my stitching this month but hey...we are ONLY 4 days into it! It will be a MUCH better jar next month! Ha!
Oh and yep! that's really just one of my kitchen glasses that I'll use for now. Hey...if worst comes to worst I can dump the orts and fill it with...well never mind what I'd fill it with...I think that would probably just cause more orts!? LOL

If you are REALLY interested in this little SAL see daffycat's sidebar button to the right for more info. I understand that she is leaving the signup open for just a teensie little bit longer for any new players to sign up.

Have fun! Stay tuned to see how much MY Ort jar fills up by the next new moon!

Lynn

I Won! a 2011 TUSAL AND I am a Celebrity of sorts??

2011-01-01T17:55:00.030-06:00

New England Stitchers Retreat blog had a drawing in December and I was the lucky winner of 3 of Lizzie Kates little kits! "Merry Little Bird", "Flora Mc Sample Boo Sampler", and "Fa La La" are some of Lizzie Kates newer kits and I can't wait for them to arrive so I can start to work on them! I love Lizzie Kates designs so they with be a great start to the new year for me.
Thanks so much for the girls from the New England Stitchers Retreat blog for offering the kits for the drawing!

These kits will also help me get started on another fun project for the coming year as well. Daffycat is hosting a fun little event called the "2011 Totally Useless Stitch-a-long".
Hmmm I thought this would be something else I could do that isn't too labor intensive. LOL Click on the link or the side bar button for more info on this if you are interested in joining in on the fun.

This weekend I also started working on my exchange project for my Crazy Quilting for Newbies group. We will be working on and exchanging a hand made crazy quilted Victorian boot stocking in February. I am excited about this as this type of quilting really intrigues me and I have been collecting all sorts of yardages of laces and trims, buttons, and handmade doilies etc. over the years. This will be a good start to using those things in this type of quilting. I have several ideas for items to make for myself and for family too so this will be a on going needlework project and will help pass these LONG winter days too.

Well again I'd like to wish everyone a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope your next year will be filled with happiness, good health, and all you wish for too!

I also want to again take time to thank each of you for stopping by and visiting my little blog.

The other day I received a nice email note from Peggy Anderson in Duluth who left me very flattered. She has read this blog off and on for a couple of years and also has mentioned my blog in her 12/26/2010 posting in Duluth's Area Voices in the Duluth News Tribune local bloggers area recently so others in the area can be aware of my blog. I guess I have never thought of MY blogging as that interesting and suppose I will need to keep on top of my updating , etc. Ha! I try to add things from time to time that I feel are interesting in my side columns and might add interest to my readers.
I really like reading comments too! Please leave me one if you stop by too??

Well....that's it for now!
Keep a smile!

Lynn

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

2010-12-31T10:55:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year Graphics

YEP! That about sums things up for me too! I hope everyone has a very HAPPY NEW YEARS and has lots of fun but safe festivities!

We are sitting here today waiting for round 2 of winter snows storms to hit us full bore. Can never have too much snow I guess? Yesterday was miserable for all who had to travel.
After our younger daughter had her Duluth flight cancelled yesterday because of weather she is safe back home in Nashville. She got on a flight right out of OUR town (go figure) and still made her connecting flight in Minneapolis last evening.
Our other daughter and her boyfriend left yesterday morning for home too in the western part of the state but had to drive right through the worst of the lousy roads and weather to get there. They are home safe as well so all is good again!
The drive way is cleared again although I expect hubby will be out there more than once this weekend again doing that job. Ha!

We stay home on New Years Eve instead of being out partying. Not sure we are getting too old or I refuse to deal with the hangover, etc. associated with the partying...LOL
It will be a good evening to sit and work on my crazy quilting exchange...OK START it ha! I have most things rounded up for it and really need to buckle down now as it will be due in February.
I also have a counted cross stitched ornie exchange to work on due in February as well. No lack of things to get done...ever......ha!

So what about you? Any New Year resolutions? I AM going to get that sewing/craft room of mine reorganized! I am! Iam! Iam! OK! So I didn't say WHEN! ha! It's the only resolution I will make for this coming year!

Thanks for stopping by to see what's going on! Hope all had a great Christmas!
My hubby bought us a Kindle so that will be good to have too on these cold winter days and nights. IF I can pry it out of HIS hands! Ha! In nearly 40 years of marriage I have never seen him read a book....now he decided he should start! Ha! Like I said it's gonna be a long winter!

Keep a smile!

Happy New Years to ALL!
Lynn

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T14:38:00.002-06:00

Wishing you all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday with your families and friends!

Keep smiling!

Lynn

Winter Came....

2010-12-01T11:29:00.006-06:00

Well winter is here for sure this time. OK! I KNOW it's it the end of November. Ha!
After a longer than expected fall and a quick few snow systems that moved through our area in November we got hit 2 days ago with the first really BIG snowfall of about 8" of new snow.

I happened to look out the window as my hubby was clearing the drive way...
Yep! Head down, all bundle up ...the Mn winter walk! He really HATES clearing the snow! LOL
Well it was really pretty outside.

We are SO happy our youngest daughter will be here for a few days right at the holidays between Christmas and New Years!
I am of course HOPING that she won't have bad flying weather and is delayed or worse yet stranded somewhere in the airports on the 26th. She seems to have those little black clouds of bad weather follow her about...ha! I'll be saying little prayers all month for her!

I have all of my ornament exchanges sent out to their new owners and I'll show those later when they arrive at their new homes.
Time for me to be thinking of Christmas shopping and the holiday baking I guess.

Have a GREAT and Blessed holiday season!
Keep smiling!

Lynn

2010-11-23T08:23:00.002-06:00

Free Spiritual Photos Religious Pictures Quotes
http://animation-gifs-glitter-graphics.blogspot.com

Belinda's doing a give away!

2010-11-12T18:33:00.009-06:00

Sitting here wondering how the coming weekend will turn out weather wise. We've had such a nice November (well for NE Minnesota that is) so now it sounds as if we will be paying for it this weekend. Snow storm watches are out! Yikes!

I guess it will be a good time to stitch and do some work on a quilt I want to try and get done before Christmas. Oh? did I mention at any point in time I work well under pressure?? LOL Pretty sure I have..ha!

I was involved in a small but fun exchange in my online "Quilting For Less" group. for the month of November we did a fat qtr. exchange in beige, tans, and browns. These are the ones I received from my two exchange partners.

Susan sent me this little group:

And Roz sent me this little group:

I am sorry the two light colored ones in the group that Roz sent didn't show the pattern very well. White on cream is very hard to photograph!

THANK YOU to both of you nice ladies tho and I hope you will like what I mailed on to you as well!

Belinda over on "Samplings From a Blue Ribbon Girl" is having a great little give away if you are interested in checking it out!

Hope everyone has had a good week! Time for some R&R? Enjoy!

Keep a smile! AND take care too!

~~~Lynn

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!

2010-11-11T10:15:00.005-06:00

Share Comments & Graphics - Layouts - Photobucket

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all who have served for OUR freedom!

What a Crummy Day!

2010-10-26T14:12:00.018-05:00

What a crummy day! It's blowing and raining so hard here right now. Fall is almost gone and we're looking at the chance of some light snow this week! ICK! I guess all good things have to come to an end eventually. I really don't even mind winter too much but hate the thoughts of that COLD wind blowing and some days of sub zero temps. We don't ski or snow mobile or even ice fish in this family so the winter months can get quite long.
I guess it will be plenty of days of stitching and quilting and I'm planning my days/months ahead with good intentions.

A few weeks back I was involved in the TTE Too Group. First we did a exchange for fall which I showed off in my last blog.

I have now received word that Najma in Spain has received my little needle book so I can show you all it too. This exchange was to have a pumpkin theme and w could make anything we wanted as long as it had a pumpkin theme on it. I chose to again a little freebie design I found online from
The Drawn Thread called The Autumn Scissor Keeper. I thought that design would work well for a needle book as well and most really like needle books to keep track of their hand needles. I'm thinking I stitched it on a small piece of 28 count linen over 2 threads? well anyways I hope Najma enjoys this little project and can use it a lot as well.

In exchange I received this really great little biscornu from Liz in the Netherlands. I absolutely love it! I have a special basket I display all my biscornus in and this one will be a great addition for me. Liz also added in the cute little fall leaves that I can use in my card making as well as the the back ground fabric shown. I'll plan on using that in my crazy quilting blocks at some point. she made the great little fall card as well. Thank you so much Liz!

I do really enjoy making and giving in all the exchanges I participate in and show off the items I receive too. I also post photos on my Facebook albums so get lots of nice comments there as well. I appreciate those that take the time to look plus it gives me incentive to move ahead as well. Thanks to everyone!

I'm also in the process of planning and making some thing/things to sell online. I've been thinking about it for quite a while and decided this winter will be the time to make the next steps in this. Not sure yet if it will be Etsy or eBay or??? Time will tell but watch for that news too if you stop by here as a regular.

Thanks to all of you who stop by and leave a comment or two. I do read them and check out YOUR blogs as well as "follow" a few new friends too. I'm also updating my blogging as well and making a few changes. You may have noticed?

Time to move on in my day! I'm watching those little squirrels stealing the food from my bird feeder...the little gluttons! If anyone has a good remedy for keeping the little critters away so at least some of the time the birdies can feed...let me know ok?? ha! Going to do some more stitching today and also some quilt squares for my crazy quilting as well. Busy, busy!

Keep smiling!
Hope the week is going good so far for you too!?

Lynn

Fall Exchanges and I WON!

2010-10-18T19:50:00.017-05:00

Just recently I was involved in a couple of exchanges in the Tiny Treasures Exchange Too Blog Group. The first exchange was for a “Fall” pinkeep exchange.

I made this little pin keep for Laurie over in New Zealand. I used part of a autumn freebie pattern from Gazette94. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this blog take some time to go look and see all the great designs offered to us all for FREE!

I received this great little pin keep from Nan. She chose to stitch the pattern in a popular quilty type pattern because she knew I was also a quilter. The colors are just great and I will use this by my sewing machine.

The second exchange was for a pumpkin themed item. I have received mine but am waiting for my partner to receive the one I made for her. I’ll show you all those photo’s very soon!

I also was fortunate to be one of the winners in a drawing over on Daisy’s Garden and received my little envelope of goodies the other day. What a nice assortment to win and I thank Carol for offering that drawing to us all. I am a novice Crazy Quilter so these laces and trims will come in very handy. I have a special little box that I plan to make a embroidered crazy patchworeked cover for and I’ll use these in that little project.

Hope everyone has been enjoying the beautiful fall with all its color! We have been lucky enough here to have had several days of sunshine to see all those great fall colors but sadly the trees are about done with that phase.

Have a great week then!
Keep a smile too!
Take care!
Lynn

2010-10-05T16:14:00.027-05:00

October...A time for beautiful fall days and color everywhere in Minnesota! It's also time for everyone to be reminded of Cancer Awareness Month as well.

Over on Nataly's blog she is giving away a wonderful little gift of pinks to help spread the word on Breast Cancer. Stop on over and check it all out and be sure to sign up for a chance at winning this great prize!

After a really busy summer, we took the last week and moved our youngest daughter to Nashville, Tn. She decided she was ready for a big change in life and took the bull by the horns so to say and made the move. She's found a cute little apartment as well as a nice job (well so far it is...) So we helped her load up all her possessions and moved her that far from us! Boo Hoo!

We had a bit of time out there and went to see Hermitage Plantation the home of Andrew Jackson. It was a beautiful day to go and see all that history. The museum and grounds were really interesting and there were also 4th grade children in period costume that day giving little narrations of different areas of the grounds, etc. They all did a super job and it was fun listening to them speak their parts.

That evening our daughter drove us to downtown Nashville where we had dinner and walked the "strip" a bit. As a lot of Nashville touristy things are still closed for remodeling, etc from the floods earlier this summer we missed many of the attractions and events we would have liked to have seen. On the way back from downtown tho we did drive through Centennial Park, home of the Parthenon and saw that building all lit up at night. It was so peaceful and pretty there...a perfect evening.The Parthenon in Nashville was originally built as the centerpiece of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897. The Exposition celebrated 100 years of Tennessee statehood.

The next day we headed back home to Minnesota, leaving our "Baby" behind. She had already left earlier for work that day but I KNOW there would have been tears flowing from Mom (and Dad too...sm)

Time now to go get the camper and bring it home from central Mn where we have it on the family land just outside my hometown. Packing AGAIN!

you all take care!
Keep smiling too!

Lynn

A apology..I know I'm slightly crazy too!

2010-08-29T09:28:00.010-05:00

Hello everyone...

First of all a BIG thank you to all who stop by and leave a comment for me. I SO appreciate them and I read them all and try to check back on YOUR blog as well right away to see what all of you have been up to too.

I had posted in my last post that I had done up the little butterfly floss tag for Lorna as a freebie design. That was incorrect. I have found my working copy of the pattern in my stitching notebook (ha...right where I put it). The little butterfly design is not a freebie design but is a slight variation of a design by Patricia Martellini in my August 2010 issue Gift of Stitching magazine 2010. The change was from the wording on her design (The word Pleasure) to my putting Lornas name on the tag instead to more personalize it for Lorna. My apologies to Patricia and to Brooke for MY mistaken thought on where the design came from.
TOO many things going on in this old mind of mine! ha!

Bought myself a book today on eBay too! Sort of a treat for myself as I thought it would give me a bit more incentive on my new found interest. ha! We'll SEE huh?
It's a beautiful day out here today. VERY pleasant so I think I'm going to sit outside and work on some of my Crazy Quilting and maybe more cross stitch as well.
Hope you all are having a great weekend!
Keep smiling!

I've got the BLUES!!!

2010-08-27T15:37:00.015-05:00

Bought some new stash at Joann Fabrics the last time we were down to my camper in Central Mn. because I KNOW I don't have enough sitting here to work on! LOL... I love the blues and couldn't resist this line.

Then I used a BIT of that new stash to make this little needle book
for my Posy Needle book exchange.
In my last post I showed the needle book I received from Debi and now this is the one I made for Mary. I had a lot of fun making this one and heard from Mary that she really LOVES it so that's good news too! I always second guess my abilities in needle working. I guess we all do? I'm so happy she likes what I made for her!

Then I also heard from Lorna who said she received the floss tag I made for her in another blogging group exchange so here's a picture of that little tag too.
I took the photo before I found the little silver ring to add to it so MY photo looks rather plain but you can get the idea of what I made.
Well with everything going on in life in the last few weeks I am not finding the freebie pattern I used for this little butterfly, etc. When I do I will post the info on here as well as it's part of a really nice and quick pattern I think most would be happy to use too. I really NEED to be more careful in writing information down so the correct person gets credit as I am far from being a stitch designer!

NOW I am thinking towards fall so starting to get in the mood to sew again.
I have a couple of surprise projects to work on for extended family and also am moving ahead with my newest....crazy quilting! I've rounded up lots of my laces and trims and special fabrics too and am going to try my hand at dyeing some of those trims and laces for my quilting projects! I think I need to own Fort Knox! LOL Oh well...wish me luck! (Again thanks to Lori K..you know who you are..that used a bit of gentle persuasion to get me going on CQ!) tee hee!

Have a GREAT weekend everyone!
Keep smiling!

Lynn

Crazy quilting & Needlebooks, and a floss tag?

2010-08-20T11:04:00.018-05:00

Hello everyone...

Well...I see I did it again and left my blogging abandoned for over a month! It's been SO busy for us in my family in the last 45 days or so and my blogging took backseat to everything else in life as sometimes happens.

I DID do up my very first crazy quilt block for a exchange in a group I belong to and got that sent off. Whoa! NOT the way I really wanted to finish my first try at crazy quilting but I was rushed to get it done and in the mail. I have been looking online at others crazy quilting projects and have gotten so much incentive. I'm HOPING this winter I can spend lots more time on this new type of quilting for myself. Good luck in that..right???

This is the block I received in the exchange from Beth P. She did a great job too and helped add to my incentive. THANKS so much Beth!

In my "Pretty Posy" exchange I received this wonderful little beauty of a needle book from my exchange partner, Debi. She did a great amount of beading as well as the required applique in her work (both front and backside) and I so appreciate the time she spent on making this for me! What needle book doesn't have a nice assortment of hand needles in it as well? Debi also included several types of needles for me to keep in the book (OR lose..ha!)

Thank You so much Debi!

I am in the finishing stages of getting my exchange partners needle book together and will be mailing it out either later today or Monday. When she receives I will post that photo for you all to see as well.

Also on the agenda will be posting my floss tag I made for "somebody" in a floss tag exchange. The one I received is here but will wait and post both photos together. (THANKS so much Rachael! :)

Thinking I'll stop for now. Sure HOPING I can get back down to business now and keep updates to my blogging coming along now!
Have a GREAT weekend everyone!

Keep that smile too!

Lynn

Crazy for Crazy Quilting?

2010-07-01T12:46:00.031-05:00

OK! So lately I've been having this strange urge to try something completely new for me. Even tho I know I really like my cross stitching and my sewing and quilting, etc. I decided to try my hand at doing some Crazy Quilting as well! I am excited as I look though all the info and photo's of others work online and am amazed by it all and how creative people can be!
Well I joined two "new to me" groups in hopes of gaining lots of fellow stitching friends in this type of quilting. So far so good! I've had plenty of ladies contact me to offer advice and encouragement and have even been invited to participate in an exchange of a 8" quilt block exchange in one group! (Thanks Lori K!)
Ok so HOPING I can follow through on this, keep up on my blogging to see how it goes ok? Wish me luck! I really think this type of stitching will be FUN!
I did round up several fabrics and laces, trims and other baubles to use in this project so off to a good start I think! I knew if I hung onto all my older laces, ribbons, and trims that sooner or later they'd come in handy! My first exchange will be due towards the end of July so I guess it's time to get going on it!

Earlier today while looking around in blog land I came across a blog called " A Fine Feathered Nest". I really enjoyed looking through this one and I think you will too!?
Pop on over to Debbie's blog and see what she is giving away.
Debbie's Southern Belle pillow case reminds me SO much of all the wonderful ones that Grama's crocheted way back when! Crochet is something I know I'll never ever try to do. Well I'll wish you luck in winning this pretty little Belle if you wish ME luck too! Ha!

Also decided this summer was going to be the summer I hope to learn how to use our not so new family camera. So was at the camper in central Mn earlier 3 weeks ago (in the rain AGAIN) and decided to take a few pictures. Peonies were in bloom while there and when we got back to our home there were little violets scattered all over around the side entrance of our house. (Now I know what happened to my little violets I planted several years ago? HE mowed I think?? Geez!
How am I doing so far in the photo dept?

Hope all are having a good week?
Keep smiling!

Lynn

Hey all Quilters...

2010-06-29T09:44:00.002-05:00

How about some lazy summer sewing? Check out Em's idea for a summer sewing project she has going on her blog! Sounds like a good idea to me too! Some not to stressful sewing using up some of those pesky scraps laying around in your fabric stash! I decided to join in and will HOPEFULLY get some of my little scrappy pieces put to some good use over the summer. You can check her link through the side bar or click on her name in this paragraph!
Have some fun and share what you are doing! It can only give others incentive...mainly ME! LOL

Have a GREAT day!
Keep smiling!
Lynn

ATC's, Pin Cushions Too...

2010-06-16T18:11:00.021-05:00

ATC HEN Springtime Embroidery Swap....

In May I participated in a online ATC Swap that was open to any type of ATC you wanted to make as long as it had some sort of embroidery, etc. on it. I chose to do counted cross stitch and this is what I sent to my exchange partner. ATC's are rather small (2 1/2" x 3 1/2")and I was looking for something a bit different and easy so I combined counted cross stitch with a tish of scrap booking/card making items and came up with this design.

In exchange I received this nice ATC from Kathi E. in Batavia, NY! She did a beautiful ATC just for me and also included a very pretty piece of chiffon type fabric too. Well she wrapped the ATC in the fabric but I'm a saver and will use it for other projects that I will be doing.

Thank you so much Kathi!

Also this past month I did a pin cushion exchange in the Tiny Treasures Too Group. I made the following little pin cushion for Andrea taking a part of a design I had found online. I added the little dragon fly as a sparkle to the pin cushion and think it perked it up a bit. When I find my information on the design I will post that in my next blog post so you can all see the complete pattern. (Scatterbrained me!)

In exchange I received this beautiful little pin cushion from Iza P. all the way from Poland! She did a wonderful job on making it as well and I LOVE it!
Thank you so much IZA!

Time to start packing etc. for another trip to my camper in Central Mn.!
I hope everyone is doing well?

Take care!
Keep smiling too!

Lynn

Here I am! Late posts again!

2010-06-08T15:15:00.002-05:00

THANK YOU to all of you that have taken the time to stop by and read and see what I've been up to in life! I appreciate all of your visits and comments so much!

AGAIN I am a slacker when it comes to updating my blog..Sorry for this everyone! LIFE gets in the ways more than I care for I think!
I decided that I will post the photo's of several different exchange projects and gifts I have done recently and or have received. At least when I look at the photo's I can see that I really DO accomplish something! ha!

The first two photos are of a needle book I made up for a exchange I did recently. Simple enough huh? The design is actually part of a freebie design I found online called Spring in Bloom
I did this one using a lugana fabric and DMC threads.

This little pillow I also did for a exchange gift for a good friend of mine.
I found this pattern on Waxing Moon Designs in their free pattern section as well. This one is called "Spring Blue Bird" and there are three more to go along with this one for the seasons in the year. I'm thinking I'll be doing all four for myself soon! I think they are all so darned cute too! I did this one on lugana fabric too with DMC threads.

My last project is another needle book I did up for a spring exchange. The little lady bug said MAKE ME! So I did! I thought this one turned out so cute and I've had several persons ask that I make them one too! Good incentive I guess to keep stitching? This pattern is yet another freebie (I seem to use freebies a LOT but there are SO MANY online to use!) And guess what?
I can't find where I discovered this one but I will look further and repost it soon! I'm thinking I did this one on lugana as well and I used DMC threads for this too.

Items I received in some spring exchanges include this very pretty biscornu that came from Meg S. in our BBI Spring/Easter exchange. My picture really doesn't do it justice. It's So beautiful and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! Thank you again for the wonderful exchange Meg!

This lovely and pretty needlebook/floss bobbin I received in my "In the Garden" exchange in the Stitching Exchange Group from Sheril. She did a wonderful job and I appreciate the time she took to make this for me! Sheril also sent along all those goodies you see pictured as well! Lucky me! Thanks again Sheril!

WHEW! that's it for now! I have more to add but will wait till I am at home on my desk top computer to post more exchange photo's and to write about what else I've been up to!

Hope all are doing well!

Keep that smile!

2010-05-29T06:59:00.002-05:00

Myspace Graphics, Memorial Day Graphics at WishAFriend.com

It IS spring!

2010-04-19T18:25:00.031-05:00

Once again I've let my blogging slip by with out any updates in the past month too.
First off I want to thank those of you who stop by for a visit and leave your comments. I appreciate receiving them and it's always fun to go look at your blogs too and see what you all have been up to. If this happens to be your first visit, PLEASE leave a comment! I love hearing from you!

I've been busy stitching on a few more exchanges and have sent some. They have been received so I can post photos of those items.

The little springtime tin I did for a exchange in my Tiny Treasures Two Group. This was my very first time at making one of these tins into a needlework finish and I think it turned out rather well. (It's a variance on a freebie design I found on www.lesgrillesdeliselotte.com) I did this one with the DMC threads also.

In return I received this beautiful little tin from Ronel all the way over in South Africa! I have had the pleasure of having Ronel in another exchange as well and she does some beautiful and creative stitching and finishing. This little tin actually has little cards that are linked together with ribbon. The tin could be used for photos or for needlework. She suggested adding some felt to the cards for a needle book. What a great idea too!

This cute little bunny and giftys were sent to Terry N. in my wXSw Easter Ornament exchange. (design is a freebie from Waxing Moon designs and I did it on 16 count w/DMC threads)
I had received this really darling little pillow and biscornu from Terry in exchange.

I also have two more projects completed and on their way in the mail for two other exchanges. HOPING they will get to their new owners very soon so I can post those as well!
Last but not least I was involved with two different "Freebie Exchanges" in two separate groups I belong to. Those are going to be fun to do and even though they are seasonal spring items I'll be working on them later this week!

Well in other parts of my life...we have had our new car that replaced the one wrecked in our Dec. accident. I guess we are enjoying it or at least my husband is. We have almost 4400 miles on the odometer now...ha! Me I'm not driving as much as I used to before the accident. I'm still not real comfortable with riding in ANY car...expecting something to happen. (I experienced the whole accident but my husband was knocked out on impact and doesn't remember a thing about it). I know that feeling will eventually go away. I'd just like to feel like I can go places and enjoy the ride if you know what I mean? Maybe I'll add some photo's of the new wheels on my next blog update.

Quilting has gone by the wayside I guess for now. I have purchased some new fabrics and really would like to get at that too. Just don't seem to have the drive or inspiration to go that route. Am thinking tho of a couple of summer projects tho so maybe I'll get the inspiration back too soon enough?

OK! Enough for now...Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather. Sure would be nice to be able to ship all that rain some have up to us! not gonna happen tho is it?

Take care!
Keep a smile too!

Lynn

Is it REALLY Spring?

2010-03-16T18:48:00.012-05:00

These last couple of weeks really have felt very spring like here in NE Mn, USA! It's about time! All of our snow is about gone now. We had several days of rain and wind and that helped rid of us all that icky dirty snow. I noticed the pussy willows are budding out but I haven't seen any robins yet. I assume they will show up soon or have and I haven't been paying much attention? I'm pretty sure we'll be paying yet for these nice days of an early spring with some snow of some sort but it sure is nice to think spring anyways and feel we might actually get a summer sooner than we thought too! I suppose that means I need to think about spring cleaning and window washing?? At any rate it's a real mood lifter! OK I was meaning the weather change NOT the cleaning! ha!

Monday I received my exchange package from the "Easter Ornament Exchange" in my wXSw group. Terry N. made me a really cute little Eastery biscornu and thought I should have a matching pillow so she also stitched that up for me as well! Aren't they SO cute? THANK YOU again to Terry for such a special gift!

In my Krafters Korner group we did a "green" exchange for March. In my last post I showed you the project I had made and sent to my exchange partner in that group. Well she in turn sent me a needle book as well...using some of the same fabric I had sent to her! (I opened out the little book to show both the front and the back side of it) How CUTE is this little needlework book from Grama Dee! I LOVE the Care Bears theme and she made the cutest needle book and included a couple of gold needles and a "frogging" scissor too!
THANKS again Dee for this special "green" exchange!

I really enjoy doing all the stitching for such special needle working friends online. Everyone works so hard and does such great work on their exchanges and are a very caring and sharing group of ladies. LOVE it!!!

This past couple of weeks I have been cruising around on eBay a bit TOO MUCH but managed to win several bids of fabrics and complete kits for counted cross stitching. Given the fact I need to either mail order or travel a long distance to any needlework shop, this way of picking up items really IS more fun for me. My husband thinks I am slightly wacky but ohhhh well! Ha! I did find some great deals on several colors of 28 and 32 count fabrics and since I had literally NONE I am chomping to get stitching on those types of little stitching projects too from the patterns , etc. I listed in my second to the last blog.
Really trying hard to stay on course and concentrate on those now! REALLY I am! He he!

Thanks so much to all of you who have left a comment or two for me. So nice of you to stop by and take a look at my blog.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Enough for now! take care and keep smiling!

Lynn

The Luck of the Irish for Dee.....

2010-03-06T07:41:00.004-06:00

Just a very short addition to my blogging this morning....
I had a small exchange project that I made for Dee in my Krafters Korner group and she has let me know she has received that as well so I can show the little needlebook I made for her. I also added some gold needles to the book when I sent it. Everyone needs some luck don't they? What's better than green and gold for St. Paddy's Day?

Have a GREAT weekend all!

Lynn

SPRING has SPRUNG...well maybe?

2010-03-05T11:15:00.021-06:00

Well now...
Time certainly has a way of slipping right by me these last weeks AGAIN! I really meant to get a update in here to this blog but things get in the way too often I guess!?
Anyways...
I have been working on several different exchanges and the other day I sent off a package to Gillie in Michigan and she has let me know she has gotten it. I stitched a "Ready for spring" project in the Stitching Exchanging group and made her this cute little pillow to hang wherever.

In exchange I received from my partner, Despina, this really cute little needlework tray and goodies.

I have one more project for the H.A.G.S. January exchange that I did complete and mail off to Leeanne and I'll show that too.

Currently I am stitching on 2 more little projects. One is for a exchange in the wXSw exchange...for my Easter partner and the other is for the Spring/Easter exchange in the Brooke's Books Interactive Group.

Adding to all of the stitching projects I hope to get through I have made several stash purchases for myself:

Little House Needleworks....Ornament of the month for January through April
Rosewood Manor....Quakers and Quilts
Rosewood Manor....Gathering Flowers
The Prairie Schooler....Holly Days
Dragonfly Stitches....Our Heart's Bloom
Design's by Lisa....Snow Moose (well HE was just TOO CUTE!)
The Drawn Thread....French Garden Scissor Pocket and Keeper
Hillside Samplings....A"Berry" Nice Sampler

Well as if that wasn't enough to think about doing I also picked up
Volume 2 of Ornaments galore by Ursula Michael. (HAD to add that to her Volume 1 that I own....LOL) But those little designs are all just so darned cute!

And let me not forget about the FOUR "Hardanger" project books I received in a grab bag pkg. from Nordic Needle. I really want to start doing some Hardanger again. Most of those things will be small enough to grab and take with me in the car or while traveling and camping this summer.

Needless to say I fit right in with the "want to's and the gotta have it" enablers! LOL
I have about half of these projects kitted up now so I really can't say I don't have enough to do in addition to the other group exchanges I am signed up for this spring.
Oh and all the WIP's and SAL's I am involved in too!
Did I forget anything?? He he!

We won't even get into the quilting projects ha!

Hmm...maybe my brain WAS rattled in that accident in December??
No...actually I am doing very well and a bit perkier too since we are losing the snow so fast for this time of the winter. Spring thaws... but I know there will be days of paying for this too to come! It's only March!

Hope you all have a GREAT weekend!
Keep those smiles!

Lynn

2010-02-10T22:41:00.008-06:00

Hi everyone....
It's been a few days and I better stick to my plan of keeping up better on my blogging here on my page.

First of all I want to thank all of you that sent me good wishes and concern after my last posting. It's always amazing to me how many of you read this and take time to respond with your comments as well. It makes me feel a bit special that so many will send a thought or two and your little prayers as well. As I said earlier my hubby and I are both doing very well after our accident with the exceptions of a few twinges here and there. I suppose I can contribute some of that to A.G.E. as well huh?? Ha! Well anyways THANK YOU to all!
We will HOPE the coming year will be free of any mishaps, illnesses, or what have you's for myself, my family and friends! 2009 was a LONG year for me!

Pictured above is a small finish I did for my daughters room mate Kate. She is the owner of two house (apt.) cats and I tried to make the colors match her kitties as close as I could right down to the little bead eyes. One of her cats is a dark grey calico mix with amber eyes and the other is gray and white with light blue eyes.

The design is called "Meow Spoken Here" (how cute..ha!) a freebie from
Stitchy Kitty.
I did it on 14 count oatmeal aida with DMC threads. I also did a minor adjustment to the pattern to fit both of Kates kittys on it.
I think it turned out rather cute!

I had thought that as long as I was laid up for most of the month of January from the accident I'd be stitching up projects like crazy. They aren't all finished as of yet and I do have several small projects going for exchanges that are coming up in the next couple of weeks. I'll be posting them as soon as they are received by their new owners. I did manage to do some major damage to my checkbook ordering lots of things I'd been perusing online for several months too. Ha!
MY New Years Resolution will be to do as many as I can along with some cross stitch exchanges I will be involved with as well. I plan to do at least 1 or 2 Christmas ornies every month as well as some SAL's and a few UFO's too. Hmmm? Sounds rather ambitious! LOL We'll see how this all goes I guess?

I did get the chance to get to some of my heaping piles of fabrics and have been planning some quilty projects as well. We'll see how that goes too!?!?

Well enough for now.
Hope all are having a GOOD week

Keep your smile!
Bye for now.....

Lynn

The Good Lord was watching out for us...

2010-02-08T10:44:00.010-06:00

About 2 months ago I posted pictures of our new 2010 RAV4 we had just purchased. We were SO thrilled with this car and loved it from the start! We drove that car feeling happy and content.

As we were out doing end of the year errands around town on December 28 we were crossing a busy four lane intersection (on a GREEN light... after our stopping and waiting for our RED light to change) when we were hit broadside by a 22 yr. old kid who just wasn't paying attention to his driving duties and ran his red light. Estimates were that he hit us at approx. 50 MPH.

The kid that hit us was driving a F150 pickup and nailed us right smack in the drivers door.

We firmly believe the Good Lord was watching out for us all.

We also believe that IF we hadn't been driving the new car with the side air curtains and air bags we would have been hurt a lot worse or my husband killed.
My husband had to be removed from the vehicle with the help of the Jaws of Life and we were both taken to the hospital via ambulance. Hubby was kept in ICU overnight with a concussion and dealt with double vision for almost a week plus dealt with very severe bruising on his whole left side....but had NO broken bones other than his top RIGHT rib (probably from me smacking into him upon impact?) He is doing MUCH better now and seems almost as good as new.
I am doing alright too although I was pretty bruised up as well and lost a back molar from clamping down on my teeth upon impact.
Hubby was knocked unconscious upon impact but I however remember every single detail from the impact to now. YES we both had on our seat belts....always, always, always wear them!

SO WHY AM I showing you all these pictures?

We believe people need to start paying MORE attention to what's going on... on the road in front of them when they are driving and less attention to their cell phones and messages or talking, animals in the car, or whatever else is causing them to not pay attention to the task at hand..DRIVING!
We have no proof this kid was using his cell phone but he did have his dog loose in the truck cab with him and he mentioned he was "looking down at something". You can draw your own conclusions.

So far our medical costs for the insurance company have run close to $30,000 just for myself and hubby. That doesn't include the cost of replacing our vehicle, all the phone calls, my daughters and son and extended family and friends worrying about us and US worrying as well.

The kid was issued a ticket for running the red light and that was it. He wasn't hurt and with the exception of his truck being totaled is going about his daily business.

Life is so fair at times isn't it?

PS... Another year has started and we do have a new AGAIN RAV4 vehicle although it isn't the same color as the one we lost. Of course now we are in the controversial TOYOTA recalls saga. This too will be resolved and hopefully we can once again enjoy our fun, new vehicle! (Don't think I've ever mentioned that my husband taught Automotives at the local college for 30 years? I fully trust his judgment on these issues so will let him deal with it all...ha)
Probably better not get me started on Auto Manufacturers and recalls. I've heard about most of them as well because of my husbands life occupation. I do have my opinion tho! ha!

Hope everyone is having a GOOD start in the New Year? Mine will get batter too. It already has.....

Snowstorms, exchanges and grandchildren

2009-12-09T09:56:00.016-06:00

Looks like the BIG snow storm has missed us up here on the Iron Range of NE Minnesota! While others are digging out and experiencing the very high winds just to the south of us in the state it's fairly quiet here. I was really expecting to wake up to tons of snow drifts and more snow but that was not to be this time around I guess?

I have been SO busy shopping, and stitching, and doing some sewing too.
Here's a photo of a finish I did for "Beate L." in one of my current exchanges. She's received it so I can show you. It was another fun one to work on.

I was also involved in a 20 ornament exchange in another group and have received my package back of about 16 different handmade ornaments from others in the group. Some didn't or couldn't full fill their commitment but it's alright. Life happens. I received many wonderful ornies made by each exchange member. I made this one to give. The idea was from Lettie on "Polka Dot Pineapple". She has such wonderful, fun ideas she shares with us all. I had fun making these easy ornaments to give! Thanks to Lettie for the great idea!
I've already added these little beauties to my tree for the season so will have to get a photo of all the ornaments AFTER the holdays when I take the tree down. Never thought to do that ahead of time! LOL THAT would make too much sense!

Well I have two more exchanges to work on and get mailed by weeks end so better get back at it. I want to spend this next week wrapping gifts and finish doing my baking and candies for Christmas.

My granddaughter (Chasity..the blondie in the group) will be trying to make a day trip visit to us on Sunday as well from college about 75 miles away in Duluth. She wrote asking for a mailing address and I suggested she HAND deliver her card to us instead. Hopefully this weather will settle down and she can make it here. I'll be sending some goodies back with her to share with her room mates at college before they all break for the holidays! She was lucky enough to get in one of the college "suites" as they are called and all four of the girls get along VERY well. That's GOOD for being a freshman and all the big changes they are making in life after high school!

And our only grandson turned 17 today! It sure doesn't seem possible these two have grown up this fast (well in age) Happy Birthday again to our Brett too!
Their little half sister Maranda is growing so fast too! I remember her when she was just a baby. She had the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen on a baby girl. Of course she's still a cute looking kid!

Well I better get busy!

Have a safe and fun holiday season!
Keep a smile too!

Lynn

Another exchange done and a NEW car too!

2009-11-28T22:36:00.012-06:00

Hello everyone...

We had a fairly quiet Thanksgiving and hope you all had a nice one too. Our older daughter and her boyfriend came home on Wednesday evening to spend part of the weekend with us. It was just the four of us then for making the traditional dinner here.

Friday, I and my daughter, Kristy, made lefse for the very first time together. It seemed to take FOREVER to cook, roll and bake the 3 doz. we managed to get baked. She thinks lefse is great went out and bought herself a special griddle just for baking this Scandinavian treat! We had a nice time ...just the two of us...talking on several different subjects and memories of her grandmother making hundreds of lefse and flat bread on the very same table I now have in my kitchen. We don't often get the chance to do things like this together so I really felt blessed she was here to share this time with me over the Thanksgiving weekend.

I had planned to post a couple of pictures of my latest quilting projects I have sent for exchanges BUT it seems they were lost when my computer crashed and died...GRRRR!
Well onto better things that DID get a picture saved instead!

I was involved in a holiday exchange in one of my groups and made this cute little snowman ornament for Terry N. in one of my exchange groups.

The design I did for Terry was from a new booklet by "Ursula Michael called Ornaments Galore". It has such cute designs in it and I really love her designs and uses!

Terry in return sent me one that is SO darned cute too! (Ok! I borrowed her picture from the group album as my camera isn't cooperating with me right now) HOPE you don't mind Terry.

Thanks again to Terry for her great choice for the design she stitched just for me!
I really enjoy doing projects for these exchanges and of course am very happy when the mail man drops off a little goodie package for me in return as well!

A little Christmas early here at our house this year too as my husband and I decided to purchase a different vehicle. The old Buick (2001) we've been driving was getting rather aged and had high mileage. As we were looking for what we thought we wanted we finally decided to buy a brand new 2010 Toyota RAV4. A HUGE step for someone who only has bought domestic cars all HIS life and taught automotives for 30 years as well! The RAV4 is made in the USA though so does that really mean it's a domestic or import? LOL... Well we LOVE it and it will be our only vehicle for all wintertime driving as we park the truck we own for the winter. So far so good on our SHARING a vehicle plus it cuts down on costs for insurance and gas of course using just the one vehicle. Ha!

I have several other things to get made and ready for mailing by the second week of Dec. so I better get busy!

Have a great week everyone!
Keep that smile!
Take care!

Lynn

AND THE WINNER IS........???????

2009-11-12T23:28:00.022-06:00

Hello everyone,

Well the time has flown by and it's now time to announce the winner of my blog anniversary give away! I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to make a visit to my little corner of the world and leave a nice comment or two for me. It's always nice to hear from you all and to see where people are from in the world who make time to stop by and say hello. That little counter of mine just keeps on going up up and I really appreciate you all!

The winner is: MARY from Redmond, Oregon!

I will be contacting you Mary in the next day or so for your address info, etc. CONGRATULATIONS to you and I hope you'll really love what I have in store to send to you as my anniversary winner!

I have been busy these past weeks working on the exchanges I needed to get done for sending off to exchange partners and below are a few of what I have been working on. They have all been received so I can post pictures now!

In the Tiny Treasures Group we recently did a needle book exchange and I worked up this little needle book for Karina. It found its way to her safely..thank heavens!
I'm not sure where I found this pattern as it was made up for a scissor case but I thought it would work alright for the needle book as well.

In the Stitching Exchangers Group we did a exchange for the Fall Harvest Time
and I did up the following design for Aubry. This was a freebie designed by Erika Michaels. I found the pattern on Rainbow Gallery sometime ago.

Then I did this cute little fall design for Debbie. This was for a exchange in the Brooksbooks Group I belong to. The design I found on San-Man Originals and it was in the freebies section.

Last but not least is a addition to a project I did earlier in the summer for a exchange we did in a group. Thought I'd put the info in here for the pattern as I don't think I had at the time I posted the first picture.
This was a design I found in a older issue of a "Just Cross Stitch" publication. The Holiday 2004 issue....ha! Ok I keep those books and magazines FOREVER.....
The design was from Little House Needleworks and was called Woodland Snowfall.

I think I'll hold off until sometime during the weekend to post the things I've done for some quilting groups I belong to. One day at a time! Ha!
Hope you are all having a good day but have a GREAT weekend too!
Raining here and a dismal day..a good day for stitching or sewing I think?

Take care!
Keep a smile!

Lynn

My Little Grannie and a Anniversary Drawing too!

2009-11-02T19:36:00.012-06:00

Is this not the cutest little quilting grannie you've ever seen? Earlier this fall I attended the Little Falls Craft Show with my sister for the first time ever. I've heard so many fun things about this annual fall show so we decided to go check it out. Along the way through the booths of vendors was this little booth full of these cute little handmade dolls. All of these little dolls were dressed up in different themes and of course there had to be one for quilters too! This little cutie sits only about 8" tall. She's made from polymer clay and has a hand sewn outfit.
Well as it happened that day was also MY birthday and my sister decided I NEEDED one of these dolls so this one was my gift from her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me hmmm?? I still haven't come up with a name for this special little lady and need to soon! She sits in my living room at the moment but will take up residence in my sewing/craft room as soon as I get it organized again.

Along with all the fall chaos in life came my first blog anniversary. I want to THANK each and everyone who has stopped by and read my blog from time to time and left a comment or two. You and your comments are appreciated so much!
I really wanted to do a special drawing just for the occasion as some of us bloggers do to show our appreciation. Time slipped by and with the other commitments I've had this fall this little drawing was delayed until now.

Well today I am announcing that I am going to have that little drawing.
For this drawing I will be giving away a quilted tote bag (made by me) filled with several items for you to use as you work your way through your holiday gift giving projects. Included will be a nice little assortment of holiday fat qtrs., notions, threads, and some other special surprises. The items will be usable by either a quilter or a needleworker so everyone can join in on the fun!

All you need to do to have your name entered in this drawing is leave a comment on THIS blog entry mentioning the drawing. For two entries you will need to leave a comment here plus add a note on YOUR blog mentioning my drawing and then have a link back here to help pass the word along. Be sure when you leave your comment you leave your name and email address too so I have a way to reach you in the event you are the winner. (I'll need your mailing address)
That's all there is to it! The prize package will be mailed shortly after the 12th so you should have it in plenty of time for the holidays.

GOOD luck to all of you!

That's it for this time. Time for this chickie to hit the sack! This daylight savings time change always gets me screwed up on my sleep for a few days. I'm sure I'm not alone!

Remember to keep that smile!
Take care!

Lynn

2009 Halloween down the tubes!

2009-11-01T11:08:00.009-06:00

ARRRR!

Yep! Halloween is over for another year in NOT so nice Minnesota!

We are in a nicer neighborhood but only had about 8 little trick or treaters last night. I think the crummy weather yesterday had a lot to do with it but know there were parties going on around town too. Most parents these days were doing the party idea instead of door to door trick and treating I think.
I remember the good old days of us kids going off all alone from our homes for a night of fun and laughter.(OK..GOOD memory? I'm getting old but I'm still a kid at heart!)We never had to worry about the things kids these days need to be thinking about....tainted candy, crazy people on the streets, or the partying drivers on the roads. We all knew everyone in our neighborhood and felt perfectly safe all evening off alone having fun WITHOUT our parents tagging along.
Those days are gone for good I guess.

Yesterday I received a text message from my daughter over in Detroit Lakes. I guess she and her boyfriend found a better way to deal with the crummy weather yesterday..ha! Hence the pumpkin head snowman!

Then around 9pm or so last evening my other daughter texted a photo message also wishing us Happy Halloween. Jackie (that's her on the right)and her friends were out plundering so she said. HOPEFULLY they didn't find too much trouble to get into!
I'm sure both daughters and friends had a fun and safe time!

Off to do both some sewing and some cross stitching now! Gotta keep plugging along!
You all have a great day!

Keep that smile!

Lynn

PS... Tomorrow evening I will be posting the very belated info on my blog anniversary give away I will be doing! This little drawing has been put off until things around my house settled back down a bit from the past crazy months I've had traveling. Stay in touch and see what I have in store for you all and remember to enter AND to pass along the news to your friends! THANKS!

.....HAPPY HALLOWEEN.....

2009-10-30T21:08:00.003-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

All our kids are grown and out on their own so we don't have much to do with this day but do pass out treats yet to the little goblins that come knocking at the door.

My daughter is a very dedicated Minnesota TWINS fan and did carve a pumpkin for her apartment in Minneapolis this past week. Not sure if she did it free hand or had a pattern but I think she did a pretty good job!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween day and night!
Keep warm (it's snowing here...AGAIN) and be careful!

Keep a smile too!
Lynn

Check out Geta's Blog!

2009-10-27T15:13:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone...
I'm still working to catch up on my own posting and pictures on my blog but I have some very fun info on another blogger! Geta is doing a drawing on her blog for a beautiful trapunto quilted table topper! She has lots of great information and also recently wrote and has made available a e-book on her tecniques and patterns! Stop by her blog and check out what she has to show you! You'll LOVE it all! Don't forget to sign up for her drawing soon too!

Have a GREAT day!

Lynn

Chaos of Life

2009-10-24T13:04:00.016-05:00

OK! Here I am! I AM BACK!

I haven't been sick or injured and no one else in the family has been that I know of either, (Thank heavens) My VERY independent life of being retired has just been in total chaos.

The last 2 months have been spent constantly running back and forth to my hometown and helping get my dads house ready for a RE-sell after the person who had originally bought it defaulted on the contract for deed and I and mt siblings got it back in September...NOT GOOD!

So we have been doing a TON of work on fixing it up, [painting, remodeling, and cleaning) GRRRRR! It was left in a HUGE amount of needed repair and cleaning. I don't know HOW people can live like some do wallowing in dirt, filth, and damage...imagine your WORST cleaning day and add to it 10x's and you'll maybe come close to what we have endured these last weeks.
Oh I didn't mention...the house is 4 bedrooms,3 full bathrooms,2 living room areas and a nice sized kitchen plus a family room in the basement. The house is over 100 years old and is one of the first built in my hometown and has lots of the original oak woodwork etc. well worth doing some fixing on I suppose.I just have a huge problem cleaning up after somebody Else's carelessness.
Myself, my husband, one of my sisters and her husband and one brother have done all this work and finally are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Painting, needed sheet rocking, cleaning and totally remodeling one bathroom have taken place and all I can say is that it BETTER be worth it and that house BETTER SELL! Yeah in THIS economy???

We also fall cleaned our fifth wheel camper the last time we were down there too and got that winterized and brought it home this last trip too to store for the winter. Summer is gone! Fall was here (I think) but I spent most of it working on that house! Didn't get a chance at all to enjoy one of my favorite times of the year..FALL.
Yep! You could say I am slightly disgruntled YET!

My sewing and stitching have suffered immensely through all of this chaos of the last 2-3 months. This is something I really enjoy doing but haven't felt up to not had any time so just didn't. I have managed to get my obligations done for the exchanges I have signed up to be part of and am actually getting ahead of the game this past week too!
All commitments were sent out and everyone who was a recipient should have received or will shortly. IF I have missed anyone it surely wasn't intentional and I would think I would have heard by now? I am currently working on a needlebook for a current exchange plus I have a exchange of 20..yes I said 20...ornaments for a send 20 get 20 back exchange in a group I belong to as well. Gonna be power sewing those tonite and tomorrow as they really are sewn not cross stitched. Not worried at all about getting them done as I do better at that sort of thing too! Ha!
Oh and I have a birthday ATC for November in another group too! (I haven't forgotten)

On top of all this commotion my desktop computer decided in the last three weeks to die on us! I shut it completely down when we left to go back down to work on that house and when we came back it just wasn't a happy thing and refused to turn on and run. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! After having a tech look at it I found I have lost all files of needleworking designs I have collected off the web (BOO HOO) plus many quilting patterns etc. Not a major issue as I can sit here for HOURS and HOURS looking around and finding more..LOL
(One more reason for my husband to roll his eyes at me! HA!)
Well luckily for me I had JUST in early Sept. backed up most of the photos and other things that I felt were REALLY important and had them on jump drives! ONE positive anyways!
Anyways..I have one brand new computer...so life is good once more! Ha!

Things are looking up again even tho winter IS coming and so are Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas! Time for me to get back at those projects again.LOL!!!
I Do have 3 PIF's to get out too. LOL They are here somewhere nearly finished too! Don't give up on me yet! I remembered those as well!

One more thing is that I had promised a drawing for a 1st anniversary of my blogging. I haven't forgotten that but as I said life has gotten in the way. Just getting that all pulled together so I have photos etc. Look for more info this coming week and be sure to sign up for that little ditty too.

I have several pictures to post and hope to get at that this week too from exchanges I mailed off or received, and drawings that I was lucky enough to win, etc. Now where is that darned camera??? Ha!

PS.
We did have a good weekend a couple of weekends ago having my sister in law, nephew and his wife visit us. We took a day trip down to Jay Cooke State Park and to Hawk Ridge in Duluth. Fall colors were still pre prime and the weather was VERY cold and windy (snowed the day before) but we had a nice time viewing the fall color that there was.
Jay Cooke State Park is a beautiful park with very rugged scenery of the St. Louis River flowage just south of Duluth near Carlton. Hawk Ridge is on the northeast edge of Duluth along Skyline Drive with a great view of Lake Superior and the city of Duluth.

ANYWAYS...As I said...I am back!
Have a great weekend and YOU all keep a smile!
I'm trying to too!

Lynn

Early fall days and a blog anniversary give away....next week

2009-09-04T10:40:00.013-05:00

Hello everyone!

Look who invaded my hummingbird feeder again this morning! Little buggers scare away the hummingbirds but I guess no one is starving as that feeder keeps emptying. Now I know WHY! I have this feeder at the camper so don't see it constantly of course and wondered why it was going empty so fast! The feeder is just outside the big windows in the living room area of the camper so I can see the little hummers as they flit around. Now it seems I have the little orioles too! Pretty aren't they?

I so appreciate all of you who stop by a read my page and leave such nice comments too! I keep seeing that little counter tick away those numbers and it amazes me that people would really read this! THANK YOU to all who take the time and I hope I can get a more ceative style as I move through this next year of blogging too!
I am thinking of splitting my pages because of my interests both in cross stitching and in quilting. Maybe doing one or two posts a week for each? It gives me more incentive too to keep plugging away on my projects as I show and tell what I'm up to in that respect. Time will tell on that and what I decide to come up with.

It occurred to me this morning that my BLOG ANNIVERSARY is tomorrow. And my birthday is this next week on the 12th.

I decided I'd have a small giveaway to celebrate both! Ok maybe just celebrate the blog anniversary part? Sm Sm (I really don't MIND birthdays but they just seem to be closer together in the past few years.) Ha!
The little hitch will be...I will post WHAT that giveaway will be AFTER my birthday on the 12th and am back home and have had a chance to think about it a bit longer.
Stay tuned for more info and I hope you will sign up for my give away.

Not any stitching this past week at all! Shame on me! But I did sit down this past week and went through all of my flosses and threads and totally organized them, checked for doubles, etc and made my list for what I still need. DMC is my floss of choice because its the easiest for me to find in my area with out mail ordering. Then I moved on to organizing and inventorying my cross stitching fabrics. Hmmmmm sure didn't realize I had that much! ha! I'm thinking it's time I try to do some hand dying of some and see what I can come up with? Should be fun too!

Oh and I have a special type of fabric dying technique I really want to try too. Will plan and think on all of that for AFTER this weekend tho.

I hope you are all having a good start to the long Labor Day weekend if you live in the states! We are at our camper right now but will be leaving this afternoon for my daughters in western Minnesota for the weekend. I am sure we'll have a great time. The weather is to be wonderful in the mid 70's ...just MY type of a fall day! No rain predicted but never know what might happen or when in that category.

Be SAFE! Take care!
Keep that smile!

Lynn

Summers end..stitching exchanges, quilting exchanges and steam threshing shows

2009-08-31T10:27:00.026-05:00

Well now... Gee! I actually am remembering to do a update to this blog!

Off we will go this next weekend again to my camper for a while and I think that will be the last time around for any extended stay there! Summer slipped by and I think I spent most of it packing..unpacking..packing..unpacking and traveling the 200 miles between home and that nice place in the country! Not really complaining but wish it was a bit closer to home. Ha!

Labor day weekend will be spent with my daughter and her boyfriend in Detroit Lakes, Mn.
We are planning over the weekend to go to Rollag to the WMSTR (Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion). This should be fun and the weather is predicted to be great for all the wandering around the grounds on Saturday! Some parts of the show will be featuring the pioneering women and the ways they lived and worked in those so many years gone by. Other areas will include seeing lots of old steam powered farm machinery. I'll be sure to take the camera and will hopefully get lots of pictures to post later!

In a excerpt from the web page and for more info if you are interested:

http://www.rollag.com/index.php

Women of Rollag & Harvest Machinery

‘A woman’s work is never done.’ Pioneer women’s activities’ are recreated at Rollag. On Main Street, The Pioneer Ladies Demonstration Building is abuzz with demonstrations of spinning, weaving, quilting, butter churning, rosemauling and more. Check out the collection of hairstyling tools and hats. Next door, the Prairie Rose Boutique sells crafts, jellies, baked goods, and assorted homemade gifts and souvenirs. Outside, watch soap making and take home a fresh bar of soap made right here at Rollag. The General Store contains antique exhibits and merchant wares including WMSTR apparel, books, and other memorabilia. Back in the woods, tour Flossie’s laundry, containing operational washing machines and kitchen appliances from years gone-by. Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. in the Threshermen’s Memorial Building, enjoy a style show exhibiting a wide collection of vintage women’s men’s and children’s fashions. Who knows, maybe there’s an explanation to that weird old dress Grandma used to wear!

I received notice that Marie R. in Australia received her little exchange I made for her in our exchange group so will post a picture here of what I sent to her.

This was a "In the Style of Little House Needleworks" theme in the group and we had the choice of using a actual LHN design or one similar to that style. I used a actual one and think it turned out GREAT! A new method of finishing it off for me too but was fun to stitch and put together for Marie. All indications are that she likes it very much! Good news!
I am still waiting to receive my exchange from whom ever had my name in the exchange but will post a picture when I receive it!

Over the weekend I was working on another exchange project for our "Ugly Fabric Exchange" This one involves sending your partner a piece of what you feel is one of the ugly fabrics in your fabric stash. They then decide on a project to use that fabric in (it's a secret) and do up the project and send it back to you. FUN again!

Carol M. in Canada sent this batik type brown fabric to me. It has highlites of a medium orange and a mossy green in the print as well. I am adding the orangie calico print and the mossy green solid to the patterned print. We'll see what I come up with!
I have this fabric all cut out and partially together and am using a new technique (well new to me) so it will be fun to finish up and get mailed back to that partner as well.

Oh I also.....as I put it succumbed to signing up for several other cross stitch exchanges for fall as well as a couple of quilting ones. I guess I better stay on task and get at those too so they are mailed off ontime! Watch for photos of the projects as I finish and mail them off to their recipients!

Whew! Times awasting. It lokos like a beautiful fallish day out today too. Maybe will take a walk first. Ha!

Have a GREAT week everyone!

Take care and keep smiling!

Sunflower fields, cross stitching exchanges, quilting plans for Sept. too

2009-08-26T13:44:00.037-05:00

What a beautiful field of sunflowers we had to look at this summer for a short while!
This past two weeks or so I was again at our camper on our land in central Mn. spending time in the nice and quiet country just outside my hometown. Our summer is almost gone and fall is starting to show its coolness again. Some trees are even starting to show a color change to some of the leaves, etc. Grrrrrr! Where did all that summer go?

We took several pictures and I also happened to get a picture of a local Amish buggy going by on the road too.

Last Saturday morning we woke up to a foggy morning. Cool and damp. The farmer who rents the farm land I own planted sunflowers this summer for his crop. My husband went out to take a few pictures so thought I'd post this one. It seemed that even the sunflowers were peeking up looking for the sun that morning. Ha!

I didn't get much stitching done in the last couple of weeks but am going to post a few of my exchange projects as well as some I received in the mail after getting back home.

In the BBI Summer Ornament Exchange I stitched this one for Phyllis...

I received this from Jane in West Virginia:

I received this one from Tina:

In the CSE Summer Ornament Exchange I stitched this one for Kim K.

I received this cute one from Kim K.

In the "in The Style of Little House Needleworks" Exchange I received this cute bell pull from Gaynor in Ireland.

I did send off a exchange to someone as well but she hasn't indicated that she has received it yet. I will post that photo when I get notice....sm

I am in the midst of planning a couple of quilting exchanges for the coming month.
One is a "Ugly Fabric" exchange. Ha! My partner sent me a fat qtr. of what she thought was one of her ugly fabrics. The plan is to make something from it and send it back to her all completed and usable. THIS ought to be a challenge but fun too! Well I'll be off to the fabric shoips to find some coordinating fabrics for that project very soon!
Photo's of the finished projects to come in a future post!

I hope everyone can enjoy the last days of summer. Schools are starting and soon fall will be here in full colors.

Take care for now!
Keep smiling too!

Lynn

Wasps, cross stitched thingys and another sister gift!

2009-08-07T13:59:00.032-05:00

Above is a picture of a wasp nest that the wasps built on my neighbors garage around his security light! It almost looks like a alien doesn't it? Can't believe how the wasps built all around the light but didn't cover over the motion sensor of the actual light! Well the nest got sprayed close to dusk last night and is no more I am afraid but it was built where humans could be hurt quite badly by a insect bite. Sure don't need that!

WOW! It's been a while again since I posted to my blog here in blog land! Summer is slipping right on by us here in Minnesota if we can call it a summer! We've had a much cooler than average summer time with very few really HOT days up here in northern Mn. I for one won't complain about that!
I have been spending my time between our home in northern Minnesota and at our camper in central Minnesota in my hometown. Not working anymore allows us both to come and go when we please. Retirement is nice but there are days when I miss working too! Well ok! miss the ones I worked with...not the actual work! Ha!

I have kept busy on several projects all summer and have been doing some counted cross stitching for exchanges and also am working on a couple of quilting things I have going on for exchanges too.I really am doing something in my stitchings daily....ha!

I am putting several photos of stitched items I have made for exchanges on here now and if I don't get them all in on this post today I will put them in over the next couple of days.

In my next post I'll show everyone what I received in those exchanges.

These were done by me over the summer months so I can show I really am doing something in my stitching daily....ha!
Oh I also have a couple of finishes that I don't want to post here quite yet as they are on their way to the new exchange recipients homes. Don't want to spoil the surprise so will post when they receive them!

I have my little Singer Feather Weight sewing machine sitting in the camper so I can sew both here at home or there as well. In July we had a family thing going on at our little family farm we have our camper sitting at. My sister, Barb, from Madison brought me a nice little surprise when she came for the family functions! I am now the proud owner of a ORIGINAL specially made card table for my little Feather Weight! Singer had them for sale back when they were manufacturing the machines. There is a small insert that is removable in the table top and then you can place your machine in it so you have a sewing area and your machine sitting flush with the table. These were made specifically for the feather weight machines. This one isn't in too bad of condition for as old as it is...but I am trying to decide IF I should refinish it or leave it as is? When I decide I'll post a picture of the machine and table all set up for sewing.
I am so happy to be the owner of one of these tables! My sister is also the same one who brought me the little machine as a gift several years ago. She thought it would fit nicely in the camper so I have a machine there to putz with when doing my sewing projects.
I am still trying to find some special thing to give to her as a thank you too! Something will turn up I'm sure!

Well time for bed for this chickie! I am tired tonite!

Hope all have a great weekend!
Take care!

Lynn

2009-07-10T13:09:00.021-05:00

Hello All....
Well I am getting caught up on postings and emails so I can show you what I received in the mail while I was off spending time in my hometown again this past week.

First off I received this wonderful mini quilt from Connie T. in our "Spring Blooms Mini Quilt" Swap. She did a beautiful job on her quilt and I absolutely LOVE the fabrics she chose! This little wall quilt measures about 18" square features several jewel toned fabrics with gold gilt edging high lighting the design. She also included a little "Loyalty Wallet" plus a quilters guild pin from a quilt guild in her area as a small surprise for me and it was all wrapped up in yet another fat qtr. of beautiful metallicted fabric. THANK YOU to Connie for doing such a great job!

I received a really cute candy cane ornament and several goodies from Lori in our "Summer Ornament" exchange in my Chatty Stitchers Yahoo Group. She sent along so many extras in addition to the ornie she cross stitched for me. How nice of her! We were both running behind in getting things sent and she made up for her lateness (ha) by sending the ornie plus several recipe cards for summer grill cooking, a pre made bookmark blank, a cute little "Witchy" clothespin doll for Halloween kit, another holiday plastic canvas kit for a ornie, plus put the candy cane ornie in a nice little organza gift bag. THANK YOU to her for all the great ornament and for all the extra goodies too!

OOPS! OOPS! OOPS!
In my last post I goofed up a bit in the post and want to correct that now too and my apologies to Mary B. for omitting the picture!
In the Krafters Korner Group I did a counted cross stitch patriotic exchange and my partner and myself surprised each other by doing the very same pattern! How funny is that? Mary B. did a very cute scissor fob for me as well as sent a attached scissor and patriotic red/white/blue star shaped buttons, and some metallic flosses too! Very cute! And THANK YOU Again to Mary!

Then right before I left for the 4th of July holiday I also received my nice little box of goodies from the June F-R-I-E-N-D-S Swap I participated in. Pat from Iowa sent something with each item starting from the letters of the word FRIENDS. I thought this was a clever swap idea and Pat managed to come up with GREAT ideas for goodies to send me.

F = Picture FRAME
R = Triangle RULER
I = A Cookbook from IOWA
E = ECOLOGY Tote Bag
N = Patriotic NAPKINS
D = Purse Wallet for DRINKS (Teas, etc.)
S = STEAM a SEAM Tape
Plus she sent along a extra SURPRISE item of the cute quilted wall hanging that I'll hang in my sewing room. THANK YOU to Pat for all of the wonderful items!

This week end I will get started on a couple of ornaments for more exchanges/swaps I am participating in as well as get things together for a couple of quilting projects I want to work on. I also need to finish pulling together Pat's FRIENDS pkg and get that ready ti mail off to her on Monday. Lucky her! She's been on a long vacation these past weeks so she will have her FRIENDS pkg. very soon from me!
Next week I am off once again to my camper in my hometown in central Minnesota for a family function and will have my entire group of 5 brothers and sisters and families there to visit with. I can't wait. It isn't often we are all totally together so hopefully the weather will be good and we can have a good visit with each other.

I am STILL waiting on a couple of exchanges yet so again when they are here I will post and maybe then will FINALLY be all caught up!

Hope everyone has a good weekend! ENJOY!

Keep a smile!
Lynn

WHERE did June '09 go?

2009-07-05T12:25:00.017-05:00

HOLY SMOKES!
In blog land it seems I lost the WHOLE last month!

I hope everyone is doing good and had a very fun filled July 4th weekend with your family and friends?

We are currently in central Mn. again staying in our camper this week. We've had some great weather and have spent most of the time with my sister and her husband visiting, fishing, and sitting around the fire at night listening to the total QUIET of the country here in central Minnesota (oh with the exception of a few coyotes yipping late at night)and we didn't get by with out rain. I know the farmers around here are always happy for that tho so I don't complain too much about it coming anymore. The crops are looking good for the area too and the field of sunflowers growing on our land we have our camper on is growing like crazy after the very needed moisture a couple of weeks ago. It's so great to enjoy the country and have family and friends around to chat with and do things with too.
Tonite we'll be doing our fish fry with another of my siblings and his family. Oh and they will bring that CUTIE PIE little great nephew of mine for me to play with too! Ha! The weather is nice today and warmer so we'll be feeling the mosquitoes too but who cares???

In June we had the graduation of our grand daughter graduating from high school in my hometown. Here's a picture of one very happy grand daughter (Chasity), one happy dad(our son Tim), and one smiling grandmother(ME!)We had a very nice time but the day of her open house it was cold and it rained all day. Everyone adjusted and space was cramped for eating and visiting but we all had a good time and she had a fun and safe weekend so that's the main thing!

The following weekend we had MY 40th year class reunion to go to. One of my good friends from high school and her husband were staying here with us with their camper so Friday night was filled with sassy campfire talk until the late hours. We had such a good time seeing everyone and believe me MANY have changed so much in looks (including me..haha) that it was very hard to recognize everyone! Then again some of those scoundrels haven't changed that much at all and I knew them right away! Most of our class advisors were even there trying to rein us all in one more time to try and have order for photo's etc. The best part is NOW we can all talk back to them and not get into too much trouble! LOL! It was a GREAT time and I will have many good memories again of the class. Hopefully there will be a 50th year reunion to catch up on things once again too.

This past month of June went by so fast and amid some unexpected poor timing of a few things happening I didn't get the time to update my blog with all the postings of the things I had been working on.
I was involved in several exchanges in May/June/July and I belong to several Yahoo Groups and received several items that were waiting at the PO for me when I returned home last month. It was just like christmas for me and such fun to open everything!

Gail M. from Canada in the Quilted Table Group sent me this wonderful runner in the Patriotic Table runner exchange. She did a GREAT pattern and color choice and also included a "Loyalty Card holder" as well as a Quilting Group pin from her quilting group in Canada too....THANKS again Gail for your very beautiful runner!

In the Krafters Korner Group I did a counted cross stitch patriotic exchange as well and my partner and myself surprised each other by doing the very same pattern! How funny is that? Mary B. did a very cute scissor fob for me as well as sent a attached scissor and patriotic red/white/blue star shaped buttons too! Very cute! And THANK YOU Again to Mary too!

The "Spring Blossoms Mini Quilt" Swap
The "Tiny Treasures Floss Tag" cross stitch exchange
The "Chatty Stitching Exchangers Ornament Exchange"
and Cindi's "ATC June Birthday" exchange

These are all swaps I am waiting on for the gals to let me know that they received their little packages from me.
When that is done I will post both my sent and received projects for those groups.

Well this post has been a longer than wanted it to be post and I still have lots to catch up on! WHEW! Summers about half over for us here in good old Minnesota! I hope you are all having a GREAT one and enjoying the good ole summertime fun!

Take care!
Keep smiling!

Lynn

2009-07-03T22:54:00.001-05:00

Minnesota Quilt Designers Blog Hop

2009-06-25T07:19:00.006-05:00

Hey all! Check THIS out! These Minnesota designers have a great idea going for the next several days!
Every day of this hop a different quilt designer from Minnesota will be featured. The designer gives tips, techniques and some may be offering free patterns!

2009-05-28T15:35:00.016-05:00

WOW! Had a really nice weekend of weather as we were in central Minnesota spending the Memorial weekend. We finally had nice weather to take our fifth wheel camper down to put on land we have there just outside of my hometown of Long Prairie. Love that place in the country! Some of you may know from my previous postings that the place is a family farm that has been in the family for close to 100 years and will soon be considered a "century farm" The lilacs and apple trees were in full bloom and the farmers were busy in the fields getting their crops in. HOPEFULLY now they will have that much needed rain and get the crops going and growing!

My daughter, Kristy and her friend, Brian, were there with us over Saturday and Sunday so that was nice too! They are into geo caching so we took a few trips around town to find three caches. Kristy found the first one (actually they found all three..ha) and made her million $$$ LOL..Ok so it wasn't REAL but she took that fake bill from the cache and replaced it with something new in the container. Geo caching is a really fun way to be outdoors and finding new things in places you'd never think of looking and websites are available for info on that hobby.

When I got back home I found a small package in my mail from a summer exchange that Terry sent to me! What a cute little summer time ornament and I LOVE it! She also added in a few flosses and beads and a bead container to help organize the beads. Thanks again to Terry for such a cute little exchange!

I am finishing up on a couple of exchanges that have deadlines the end of this month. What's the rush anyways?? LOL... Well they will be in the mail before the actual deadline so I'm not too worried.

I hope you all had a fun filled and safe weekend!

Keep smiling!

Lynn

Projects, Fabrics, The Toy Society and I WON!

2009-05-17T09:17:00.045-05:00

Hello Everyone...

I have been spending time this week doing some counted cross stitch and some quilting projects plus a few other little crafty projects.

I'll show you a couple of finishes I am working on this weekend for a couple of those exchanges. These cute little quickies were done on 18 count aida with regular DMC threads and the patterns were freebies from Trail Creek Farms After you look through the site take advantage of her great little designs. You can find the freebies under the "special offers" section.
I'm sure she'd appreciate the visit!

Of course with all the years of working in fabrics and crafts retail I didn't have fabric here at home to use in the projects I'm working on so HAD to go visit a couple of local quilt shops. Ha! To those who can relate to any fabric buying and quilting it's great therapy to be at those shops browsing and fondling all the great fabrics and seeing the wonderful colors! Of course when you get the chance to do that you have to buy too! And I did! LOL So...here are the PERFECT fabrics I found for my projects and I'll be posting pictures of said fabrics in later posts after my projects are finished later in the week.

I have several blogs I like to check out on a daily basis and one I really enjoy looking at is Giraffe Dreams. Carol does some fantastic quilts among other things and most are given away to charitable groups and needs. This past week she came across a site for making handmade toys to randomly place around the community for the little ones to find and KEEP. I thought this sounded like so much fun and decided to join in and will be making some of those toys and placing them around my community to make some little child's day a happier one. The site also has a place for the ones finding the toys to post where and when they found them,etc. So it will be fun to see how long it takes and possibly see a picture of who found them. Just thought adding some happiness to some little child's day would be fun. THANK YOU to Carol for making me aware of this great project! You can find all the info you would need for this great program at The Toy Society

"Cross Stitch Gold" is a cross stitch magazine I buy from time to time. The magazine is published overseas in the UK and is pretty pricey to buy here in our country. But being it's full of really great designs and patterns I splurge once in a while on it. One of the last issues I bought had a chance to win a great assortment of Madeira threads with a value of close to $100. Well I decided on a whim to sign up for that drawing and guess WHO won? Ha! ME!!!!
Yesterdays mail brought this chunky little padded envelope filled with 12..count em 12 really great metallic threads and flosses plus a gift set with a 22kt. gold plated embroidery stork scissors, gold plated cross stitch and tapestry hand needles, a gold plated thimble, and a gold needle threader, in addition to all of this there were two thread color charts that will be very handy for me in planning my purchases of threads later too.. If you are familiar with Madeira threads you know how pricey they can be. WHOA! Was I EXCITED! Giddy would be a better word..haha! Lucky me! Now I don't know if I should just hoard and look at my great little prize or actually use them?? Actually the threads were mostly for machine embroidery but I use them lots in my cross stitch projects to I am thrilled!

Well we've had rain for what seems like forever again here in NE Mn. I guess much of the country has had a lot of crummy weather again these last couple of weeks so I know I am not alone. I am SO ready for actual summer though and can't wait until this so called spring season settles in to actual summertime warmth!
We are still waiting on the contractors to get here and re shingle the roof for us. They dropped off the materials a full week ago now expecting to get here to do the work and be done by yesterday and the rain has delayed schedules. We are hoping it can get started on and finished up before Memorial weekend as we want to get our camper hooked up and take it down to my land in central Minnesota and get it set up for the summer down there. Guess we ALL wait on the weather at one time or another and can't do much to make it all go our way.

I better get back to working those projects!
Hope you are having a great weekend!

Keep a smile....
Take care...

Lynn

Happy Mothers day!

2009-05-09T11:30:00.005-05:00

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all you mothers out there! I hope you all are having a GREAT weekend!

Keep a smile!
Take care!

Lynn

High School Prom 2009, Baby Wyatt, Pinkeeps

2009-05-07T14:47:00.018-05:00

Hi All....
We have had a busy last few days around here so really haven't had lots of time to do much of anything and then not really feeling myself either so have been laying low most of the week....doing better now tho!

This past weekend we decided to go down to central Mn. to my hometown and spend the weekend. While there we had the fun on Saturday evening of going to our ONLY grand daughter, Chasity's, grand march for her prom. She hadn't told us till we got there that it was this last weekend and was extra special as her last one before she graduates from high school in June. It's scary seeing how FAST times flies on things like that! Prom was in the newer high school building and not the one I attended in my school days so that in itself seemed strange too. Of course everything was decorated up very nice with a Las Vegas theme (no gambling) and the kids had their post prom, party right at the high school too so they were locked in and safe ALL night till 5am the following morning. That in it self too was nice and her mother and I didn't worry about them all night. Ha!

Saturday we also had the fun of seeing my little great nephew who was 3 months old already this past week too. He's growing like a little weed as they all do at that age and a very cheery, happy baby. Well....while we were there he was anyways! Ha! Little Wyatt had his studio pictures taken this week too so I am anxious to see them too.

On Sunday we spent the afternoon visiting with good friends. It's always nice to see them as they have been our friends since we were married and he is a very good high school buddy of my husbands too so it's always some humorous stories,etc when we visit plus all the catching up we do about our families and their families too. Sunday evening we had supper with my brother and his wife, that little baby and my nephew and his wife, and my sister in laws mother....so again we had a nice time and caught up on things and extended family.

Oh and the weather was just great all weekend! Cool in the upper 60's but sunny and no rain...how lucky was that??
We even had time Sunday night for a camp fire when we got back from my brothers so I guess our weekend was a success of traveling, visiting, and relaxing too! About time after all this winter nonsense! Ha!

Yesterday I received in the mail a package all the way from Australia from Marie. She was my exchange partner for our pin keep exchange in the
Stitching Exchanging group I belong to. She out did herself in the things she included in my package and the pin keep is so adorable! Marie is also the founder of the group and does a super job of keeping us all organized and on schedule too. THANK YOU again Marie for all you do and for the great goodie package!

WHEW! No wonder I'm feeling so washed out today! I think it's jammie time for ME now so will close this little bit of news.
Hope all is well with you and you are all having a great week too!

Keep that smile!!
Take care!

Lynn

2009-04-30T12:27:00.013-05:00

Just a quickie post to congratulate somebody on a great job of blogging! !!Steph hit her 10,000th hit on her blog and is celebrating in grand style by doing something extra special for those who visit! Check out her posts and leave a comment for her congratulating her! Way to go Steph! GREAT JOB!!

Button Fairies...a new one for me!

2009-04-27T13:43:00.015-05:00

Hi everyone...
Last week I mailed off my 2 little button fairies for the "Button Fairy Swap" on Swap Bot. These were the very first ones I have made and although I'm sure I have lots to learn about making them I really had fun working on these little cuties. I am still awaiting the other one from my exchange partner and expect it any day now and will post a picture when it arrives. This was a really easy project and a good way to use up a bit of my crafting supplies I seem to have collected over the years! Ha!

I am still waiting for my exchange partners pin keep from our Stitching Exchangers group as well but am sure it will get here soon! I can hardly wait! Everyone is so talented and we all seem to have separate ideas of finishings on our needlework. It's always fun to see what we all come up with.

Well I made another life milestone..NOT bragging you understand and NOT that I was really counting the YEARS till it happened...ha! My high school class of '69 will be having their 40th...yes I said 40th...class reunion this June in my hometown in central Minnesota. Ohhhhh Boy! THIS ought to be interesting! LOL I know it will be so much fun to see so many I haven't seen in many, many..ok..MANY,MANY years but I know we'll have a good time! Several of us have been in contact already over the last few months through Classmates and Facebook showing family and individual pictures, etc. so we won't be totally shocked! LOL!! From what I can tell we really haven't changed that much! A GOOD thing...ok maybe we are more MATURE LOOKING but still look like we did way back then! (Optimistic aren't I?) Anyways...we'll have a nice time catching up and bragging about our kids and grandkids too!

And because I'm pretty sure (HA!) I don't have ENOUGH to do I couldn't pass up the chance to participate in the Spring Blooms Mini Quilt Swap over on the Quilting Gallery blog site. It sounds like a fun little sewing project and if you are interested feel free to check it out and get the info for the swap on that site. You can find it through the link in this blog or through the cute little picture link in my sidebar. Maybe you'll take part in this swap too?

OK! Enough of this craziness of goofing off half my day....Time to get busy around here! This is what happens when your kids are grown and gone and you aren't working fulltime...ha!
Hope you are all having a GREAT week!

Keep a Smile!
Take care!

Lynn

GOOD Things in Small Packages...

2009-04-21T10:10:00.038-05:00

Hi All..Have to show you all the little package I received in yesterdays mail! This came from Tana from our Swap Bot - Sewing Room Spring Cleaning Swap - April. The swap was to help us all start clearing out stuff we had laying in our sewing rooms that we no longer wanted or needed.

We were to send on the following things to another swapper:

One fat Qtr. of a holiday fabric (holly print)
One fat Qtr. of a UGLY fabric we at one time thought was gorgeous (purple/orange fabbie)
One fat qtr. of a colorful fabric (orange print fabbie)
One notion or something that we no longer thought was a way cool tool (gripper snaps)
One unused spool of thread (black upholstery thread)
One unwanted ribbon or matching buttons ( I received BOTH plus some orange floss)

The BEST part of all of this little pkg. was the fact that I happen to LOVE fabbies with the little gold highlights or accents on the prints (if you click on the picture you can see what I mean by the gold..sm)! And she sent me TWO coordinating ones! I can see them used as a smaller bag and just yesterday came across a pattern online in the blog so maybe will use that one to make up these great fabbies. I think Tana did a GREAT job of her start of cleaning her sewing room out and I THANK her here too for the super choices she sent me!

Today I will work on my little "Button Angels" for another swap in the same group on Swap Bot. Another project I have never tried but look forward to creating these little things to pass on to someone else. have already received one of mine from the same swap from Heather. The picture I took I think looks more blue than purples but for the most part the little lady is a purple color rather than a blue. I will post the other one as soon as I get it as well as my own creations too!

LOVE that Swap Bot! Inexpensive and for the most part smaller mailings!

Oh I have So many things to be working on...just like everyone else I think?? Ha! I better get busy on them! Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Take care!
Keep that smile too!

Lynn

2009-04-18T07:55:00.014-05:00

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far? It's a little early in it all for me here in Mn. but I'm sure I'll find plenty of things to do to keep me occupied...
I was messing around last night reading in other blogs and seeing all the great ideas and fun things people are posting and I came across this one from KHRIS for a fun sounding exchange for later in the summer. I decided to join in and figured I'd have plenty of time to pull this one together. Take a look and see if you'd be interested in it also? You never know what you might end up with in this exchange. I find most swappers are a very generous lot and I myself have received many great items in my swap ventures!

I had also earlier in the week decide to join in on a exchange of Cindy's which is a ATC Birthday exchange and so am planning on what I'll be doing for that one too. This one is a counted cross stitch exchange using a ATC to show your work. I love the smaller exchanges as these are something I can take with in my purse while traveling in the car and can work on them no matter where I am going if I want to. I usually put them in a ziplock bag so I have everything right where I can see it and it works well to hold all my threads, fabrics, and pattern, Cindy also shows on her page exactly what a ATC is for those of you who don't know and might want to try it.
Both exchanges are open to anyone who would like to join but you really need to make the commitment to DO it and not be a "flaker" on the whole thing. Lots of fun to see where these items you receive come from and you can make new friends as well so check them both out ok?

Well I better get busy with MY projects for the day...it's a good day to sit and stich as it turned cloudy and cool outside again overnite. KNEW we'd be paying for the nice weather we had this past week!

Keep smiling!
Have a GREAT day!

Lynn

Springtime..and a couple of projects...

2009-04-16T07:13:00.022-05:00

Another NICE day today in this part of northern Minnesota! I know we'll pay later for all the nice weather we've had this past several days...We ALWAYS do! Well I guess as long as we don't have 4 feet of snow on the ground I can deal with chilly weather and a bit of rain off and on for a few days too. Grass fires are starting to be a real problem everywhere in the state. It's another sign of spring before things really start greening up!

I have been busy working on my counted cross stitching and have a couple of things to share with you here now. The first is a pin keep for a exchange that I'm participating in that will be going out in the mail in the next week or so. NOT saying where it's going...shhhhhhhh...a secret! I found this freebie pattern on Canalblog and used a 28 count linen over 2 with 814 DMC floss.

The second one is a celtic design I'm working on...another freebie from the May 2007 freebie designs on Ink Circles. I've had this one started for a while but decided to finish it up before summer. I'm using a 14 ct. oatmeal aida for this one with 772,904,906 DMC's for this one. I'm thinking I'll do up a journal cover with it when I get it done?
Hopefully I will get this finished up soon!

Might be off to my hometown in central Mn. this weekend to help do a few things to get the place down there ready for the summer. I hear we have a couple of trees down from the winter that need to be removed, etc. So want to have that done and water to the cabin bathroom done, etc. before we are there this summer. My brother and his son are doing a lot of the work but the wood cutting is something everyone can help with. Later on in the summer I'll post some pictures of all this "home away from home" as well as some others from down there.

Well hope everyone has had a good week and will have a great weekend too!

Keep a smile!
Take care....

Lynn

A Saturday Lake Superior Drive..and one poor computer!

2009-04-06T19:15:00.044-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter week and weekend?

Our weather was beautiful and on Saturday we along with our older daughter and her boyfriend took a drive to Two Harbors and to Gooseberry Falls, which is north of Two Harbors a few miles, for some "being like tourists" and some picture taking. Then we took the drive down to Duluth to wander aimlessly around the waterfront and the Lift Bridge area for about 2 hours as well! The day was gorgeous and balmy..even by the harbor! It was SO, SO nice to get out in the sunshine and enjoy the weekend! NO snow to deal with for a change! Maybe spring IS finally here after all???

Hmmmm... I also had a SICK computer this last week! Jeepers! My computer decided to give me lots of grief so this last week, Tuesday, we decided to take it in to the Dr. for a diagnosis. It was hospitalized for 4 days and in the end came back to us alive and seems to be doing great! Thank heavens!! At least it isn't another unexpected huge expense to add to the spring budget! BUT...upon hooking it back up to the monitor and keyboard ...the dumb monitor decided to die. Ugggg! So off to buy a new monitor. (Oh the better to SEE you all with! LOL)...OK..so now I'm trying to be REALLY optimistic and am hoping the computer won't actually DIE on us too!
If you're like us and use this thing for EVERYTHING you might guess I was going through withdrawals symptoms all week! Well I WAS..Ha!

Last week I was once again surprised and honored that Cindy Mae thought of me to be one of her recipients of another award! Thank you so much Cindy for thinking of me...

This is blogging award originated in Portugal and the award is accompanied by the following words:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."

This award has the stipulation that I should deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I and going to fudge a bit and would be honored if the 6 people listed below would accept this award from me as I am one who really enjoys reading their blogs and the efforts they put into them. Please give some attention to these 6 writers I have chosen and check out the blogs they write!

Mary
Vonna
Mel
Joke
Ronel
Marie

Well...it's about 11:30PM and I am exhausted so going off to beddie bye now for the night! ha! As I was so busy over the weekend I need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed (ok..forget the bushy tail! I REALLY don't need one!..LOL) to catch up on emails/blogs/ and other projects tomorrow!

Hope you all have a GREAT week ahead too!

Keep that smile!

Lynn

Quilted Table toppers, exchanges, and a shopping trip!

2009-04-02T10:50:00.015-05:00

Hello Everyone....
We ended up with about 8" of snow after the Tuesday storm so it's now totally white on the ground outside again. Guess some of the spring flowers in my area of the woods won't be up for a bit longer. I love the spring with the tulips and crocus, and daffodils blooming in the area! Everything starts to look so fresh and bright after the winter doldrums. Well guess we wait another few weeks to see the burst of color.
I heard from my exchange partner in the "Quilted Table" exchange and she has received her package from me. This was another fun exchange for me to work on and send. She says she really likes it too so that's always a good thing. Am posting a picture of it for those who are interested in seeing what I made for Dorothy.

I have been working on yet another exchange, a pin keep, for a certain person in my "Stitching Exchange" blog. Have had to rip stitches on it a couple of times but all in all it's going fairly well. Will show that project as soon as I can after she receives it too.
Then I want to work on my Gail Pan's "Christmas Wish BOM" squares to catch up a bit on those and also my 4 puzzle pieces for the "Pieces of Friendship Puzzle Swap" on "Pat's Winter Gatherings" exchange too! This should keep me occupied for a few days and out of trouble..ha! Oh, I NEED to go shopping for more trims, etc. for those projects too and we will be taking a trip to Duluth to the Spring Home, Sport and Travel Show at the DECC on Saturday so will go to Michael's and Hancock Fabrics for things to use in several projects.

Ok! So now that I know what I SHOULD be doing the rest of this week I better get at it...and stop messing around in my computer ha!
Hope all of you are having a GREAT day!

Take care...
Keep Smiling too!

Lynn

2009-03-31T18:00:00.003-05:00

Oh SNOW SNOW... GO AWAY!

Yep it's snowing AGAIN! GRRRRRRRRRRR! Approximately 6" so far in this spring storm. Where is that spring we were supposed to have according to the calendar???

Been busy stitching things again for my exchange and swap groups this week to keep me occupied as I sit looking out the window and being grumpy! I WANT warm weather!
Just saw that my exchange pkg. made its way all the way to South Africa to Ronel so thought I'd post a picture of it on here for all to see. She loves lavenders and mauve and this was as close to that color as I could find but she says she's loving it! So that is very good! This was the very first biscornu that I have stitched and was fun to do too!

Still waiting to hear on the table topper I made for someone too. That picture will get posted when I hear she has her pkg. Not that far for it to go so assume she has it and just hasn't posted yet?
Well everyone ...be brave! Summer WILL come! ha!

Keep a smile!
Take care....

Lynn

Hmmm?? Kreativ Blogger Awards!

2009-03-29T07:53:00.028-05:00

Here it is Sunday morning and I had said in yesterdays post I would have a additional post done up last night. My apologies as I ran out of steam and went off to bed instead. Guess that's my A.G.E. showing again. I seem to have some signs of that affliction a LOT lately! Ha!

This last week I was very pleasantly surprised when I received a award from Joke http://jokegaoxing.blogspot.com and now I am passing that onto others whom I feel have done some great work on their blogs and inspire me to keep at things a bit too moving onward and upward.

The rules are as follows....

Copy the logo of the Kreativ Blogger Award in to your blog.
Make a link to the person's blog who nominated you. Nominate other bloggers and add their links to your blog. Leave a comment on those blogs, that they have been awarded.

As much as I LOVE reading everyones blogs through out my day (BOY! I am a time waster on my computer! Ha!) I am only going to do as Joke did and pass my nominations onto 4 great bloggers that I enjoy so much! (She was supposed to do 8)
So...I am awarding the following gals for their great blogs. Stop by them and check them out if you haven't already!

Anita... http://anitas-stitching-addiction.blogspot.com
Angela... http://hookedonstitches.blogspot.com
Milly... http://stitchingobsessionii.blogspot.com
Beth... http://crossedpurposes.blogspot.com

(And of course I can't seem to get this link thing to work properly today...sorry)

All these ladies have such great blog's with wonderful examples of their stitching and/or tutorials for finishings and I LOVE reading them! THANK YOU Ladies for your hard works!

I am still patiently waiting too for word that my exchange packages for the biscornu and the table topper have arrived to their destinations and when I do hear about that I will be sure to post pictures of what I sent. It's all still shhhhhhhh till then. I sure HOPE they like what I sent. Don't we all second guess ourselves in doing exchange projects?
Well time to sit and do my stitching and have some quilt projects to get started on too. Kinda behind on those things and really need to work harder at getting those started today.

Hope everyone is having a great day today! Remember to keep all those less fortunate in your silent prayers today especially those affected by the flood threats in western Mn and North Dakota. It appears things MAY starting to settle down over there but that could all change in a matter of minutes or hours time.

Keep a Smile!

Lynn

2009-03-28T14:57:00.016-05:00

Hello everyone...
And how are things in your world? Seems like the time is flying by for me here which is good too I think but I am STILL patiently waiting for our true spring. We've had more snow, some rain, wind, cloudy days, a typical spring in Mn. but it shall soon stop (ha..hopefully)and the warm weather will take its place. I am so anxious for the flowers and lilacs to show their colors here!
The flood threats in Fargo and in Moorhead as well along the rest of those Red River areas of the state and North Dakota remind ME not to complain too much about dealing with a little more snow and cold here in NE Mn. We have been very fortunate to live in a area where we've personally never had to deal with any forest fires or water issues from Mother Nature. We just have killer mosquitoes! Even they are a very, very SMALL minor nuisance compared to what these folks are dealing with this past couple of weeks.
Please keep them ALL in your prayers!

I have been busy finishing projects so I can move onto new ones..ha! So many exchanges I am involved in this past month but they are so fun too! In the past week I received several in my mailbox from others. Always FUN to get but I think my mailman thinks I've totally lost it! Ha!

PAY DIRT Week for ME!
Early in the week I was delivered a nice envelope full of goodies from our Sewing Colour Hunt Swap #3 in Swap Bot. Jen in Canada sent along a great assortment of PINK colored items I will definately find use for...some great flosses, a pink printed fat qtr., ribbons, buttons, hand needles for my stitching, and a bookmark blank too! She did a super job of pulling together things I really can use and love!

Well let's see what else came along to me this last week? In another Swap Bot exchange - Just the Scraps Ma'm swap...I received mail art postcards from
June in New York. She took some of her fabric scraps and put together the cutest postcards suitable for mailing or to just keep and cherish. Hmm? What do I do?? sm I'm thinking I'll just hoard them for a while to show off to others! ha!

And then I also received a kitted up freebie exchange from Mary in our Chatty Stichers Exchangers group. She sent a (pre selected for March) themed cross stitch pattern kit, that included the flosses, needles, a gorgeous prepainted aida 14 count fabric, a pkg. of floss bobbins (now HOW did she know I really needed those as am out) plus the pattern for a cute Easter picture from "Vee and Company Cross Stitch Designs" showing bunnies in a basket. Hmmm have the hubby planning to make a picture frame to go with this one when I get it done! Oh I'll be sure to post a picture too when it's all finished!

Last but not least this past week I received my Spring Table Topper exchange from Becky at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota! She did a WONDERFUL job of making and machine stippling a table topper for me and I LOVE it! She also sent along 2 hotpads plus that good ole candy candy stuff! I have the perfect pair of bunnies to set on the topper for my table display but need to dig them out. Suppose I better do that soon or Easter will be here and gone and I will be a day late again. LOL
I made one and sent it on to it's new home too but will wait to post a picture later after I know the person has received it...shhhh it's another secret!

THANK YOU ALL so much for the things you sent me! I really appreciate them all!

I have a couple other things to deal with in blogland here but will wait for a later hour tonite to do those...hm?? Wonder what they are and what's in store? Stay tuned! Sm sm.....SMILES!

Take care!
Keep the smiles!

Is It SPRING now???

2009-03-22T16:31:00.033-05:00

Hmmm..Well only one more week and it will be April! Seems like last fall I was sitting grumping about the coming winter. WISHING for spring and warmth to get that camper ready to pull around again. I still can't wait for that time to get here but we are 2 months out now instead of 6 months! Last Friday was the first day of spring...ok so we had it come in like a lion here in northern Minnesota and that wasn't a very nice day! What started out to be a nicer day quickly turned into a rain/snowy mix of weather and caused lots of problems for anyone wanting to drive anywhere in the area. We ended up with about 3" of the wet, sticky stuff but it soon disappeared the next day off the roadways and now we will be back to the spring thawing and rain/snow/sleet mix we always experience. Well ICK! But it just means that summer is coming after all! Some have seen or heard the spring robins but I haven't seen or heard any as of yet. Know they must be around tho?? Sm

I sent off a exchange package to someone in "Tiny Treasures" one of the exchange groups I am involved in but she hasn't indicated yet that she has received it so won't spill the beans by posting a picture of what I made. When she lets me know she has it in hand I will post the biscornu I made for her.

I did receive my exchange in the mail though all the way from Poland. It turns out I had Monikas name in the last scissor fob exchange and I was very surprised to see that she had my name for the biscornu exchange.

Monika did a great job of making the biscornu you see pictured and she sent along a few other items as well including the counted cross stitch kit that contains the new DMC floss that is scented. I think they have had the product in the markets in Europe for sometime now but it's just now hitting the US market so is new to most of us. I had already received two skeins of it in another exchange I was in earlier in the year. Now I have chocolate, strawberry and lavender scents to work with and try. Each smell yummy and will be a nice way to try the product. I doubt I'd ever mix them together but have a few ideas in mind for the chocolate and strawberry ones.

I am a follower of the "Craft Gossip" newsletter and the other day found a really cute idea for Easter exchanging and gifts in the edible crafts section. This idea was submitted by Hilary Shirley so will share it with you. I thought this was such a CUTE idea! my daughters both always loved the Peeps Easter things so we always had to buy them. This year I'll put this together for each of them with the directions etc.
You can check out "Craft Gossip" by clicking the link on my sidebar to see more ideas and patterns and such.

Make Easter S'mores in a jar from the Creative Gift and Party Ideas folder on

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

1. Reduce 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.
2. Layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 quart jar.
3. Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar.
4. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.
5. Carefully spoon remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.
6. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup Easter M&M's.
7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon.

Her suggestion was that she did M&M's first, then Peeps, then put combined brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in baggie. I didn't like how the crumbs made a mess in the jar.

Attach a gift tag giving the following instructions:

1. Empty the jar contents into a bowl. Snip the bunnies into bits with kitchen sheers or cut up with a knife. Return the bunny bits to the mixture. Mix well.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
(Makes 9 to 12 bars.)

One more goodie for today then I NEED to get offline and make supper as my daughter is on her way to visit for a couple of days from Minneapolis! YIPPEE!

As I was cruising around in other blogs I came across one you might be really interested in. Give aways are so FUN and Ginny over on her blog is doing a drawing for a sewing box FULL of things she considers special...sewing notions, books, buttons and a bit of fabric, etc. all thrown into a nice little sewing box!

I'm adding a link here and you should try and stop by her March 17th blog to see what's going on.

http://ginnysquilts.blogspot.com

Leave a comment for her as per her instructions BY MARCH 27th and maybe..just maybe...YOU'LL be the lucky winner! I believe the drawing will be next week on March 28th? ((Oh! I HOPE I win tho!!)) SORRY! Ha!

Well ok! just one more thing! Please take time to click the pink link on my sidebar to help those not so fortunate get a free mammogram. Follow the link through to the site and just click! That's all you have to do. Every click will enable one person have a free mammogram and we can help prevent this cancer from being a reality for others at NO cost to us except for the time of going to the site. Please help out??

Suppertime!
Hope you a having a GREAT weekend!
Take care and keep a smile!

Lynn

2009-03-11T10:01:00.027-05:00

Is this not just the cutest picture? I found it online of course but it's SO gosh darned cute!

Well here we are in another winter wonderland of fresh snow and a good amount of wind! Seems that spring won't be here as soon as we thought in good ole Mn.
Well the sun is out and shining brightly on the newly fallen snow..ha! Sounds and looks more like December than March around here! Brrr! Was -7 when I got up this morning..YUCK! Well what's spring tourney time in Mn. without a good snow storm to move through to wreak havoc on travelers through out the state?? I'm hoping all school teams and fans get through the week with out too many troubles traveling etc. and GOOD LUCK to them all!

I haven't been terribly prolific in the needlework and quilting depts. as I thought I'd be this week but the weeks only half over right?

I can now post a picture of what I finished last week and mailed for my Spring Ornie exchange (Chatty Stitcher Exchangers). This cute little penguin was sent to Georgena in southern Mn. It's a pattern in LIZZY KATES Tiny Tidings XII patterns called "Snow Zone", sitched on a 28 ct. irish linen and using the DMC threads suggested in the pattern.

Yesterday I received my ornament from a member of that group also. All the way from Connecticut, Lori sent a cute NOEL holiday ornament! Stitching ornies gets me more in a mood to make holiday items. I always say I will get ahead of my gift giving and getting things in the mail from others always inspires me.

I am presently working on a biscornu for the Tiny Treasures Exchange and also a couple of items from Freebie kit exchanges in yet another cross stitching group I'm in. Will post on those soon too.

Also will be showing posts very soon of quilting projects I'm working on. I'd show them now but they are for exchanges and I need to wait for them to be shipped off and received. Don't want to mess up the surprises for anyone!

Oh I visited a local quilt shop that opened not too long ago here in town last week too. "Quilts Around the Corner" is new and smaller in size but she has lots of good fabrics and patterns and her set up in the shop is great too!. Very well organized, etc. No website yet that I know of but hopefully she'll get one up and running soon. The shop is located around the corner (hence the name) to the west from Walmart if you happen to get to the area and are looking for it.

Not a lot of other news of great interest to write about. Hope everyone who reads is having a good week. Hope its warmer and GREENER too where you are! I have faith that spring/summer will be here soon or later but days like yesterday really made me wonder!

Take care!
Lynn

Spring Thaw?? OK! Maybe not YET!

2009-03-05T13:21:00.011-06:00

I'm thinking Spring might actually get here in the next month? Ha!
OK! Wishful thinking AGAIN too! But daylights savings time starts this weekend doesn't it? That shows the promise of something coming other than this long winter of long dreary days to me. Of course today it's in the 30's and the snow is melting and we have actual puddles of water from the snow melting too!...Hmmm LOOKS springy to me!
I have had a few emails from former classmates of mine in the past couple of weeks. Interesting to see after so many years. Some of us are trying to pull together a 40th (good grief!!) class reunion for this summer. It sure seems like it was in the not so distant past that we all took those big steps towards being the gown up adults we thought we wanted to be. Now we all are looking at where did all that time go? Most of us have children and grand children. The oldest of my 2 grandchildren will be graduating herself this year from high school and is looking towards attending college. Where does the time go?
I spent the last few days in the Twin Cities visiting my younger daughter and checking out her apartment. We just haven't been able to get down there since she moved there and had her as our chauffeur while there so didn't have to fight all that "anthill" traffic or try to figure out which way was the right way to go on those busy highways. We spend part of one day at the Mall of America traipsing around looking at things. Hmm? That place used to intrigue me when they first built it but not anymore. Too big..too spread out..too trendy for us "older" folks! ha!
I guess my age is catching up on me and I just want to stay settled in to places I know well and enjoy...none of that city slicker stuff for me!
I have been working on several projects and just finished up another ornament for a holiday swap online. This one will go overseas and again I'll show that finish when I know the lady has received it from me in the mails.

Things I am working on this week are:

Gail Pan's BOM holiday quilt blocks
Pat's Winter Gatherings Quilted Puzzle Piece Swap
Tiny Treasures Biscornu exchange
Spring/Easter Table Runner Exchange
With any luck at all I will finish them all up and can get them all mailed and will be caught up. These exchanges and swaps are fun to do and keep me busy.

About 3 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Pre Diabetes...not a total shock as not too much surprises me anymore in life but did throw me for a loop for a few days adjusting to it all. It's been pretty hard to stay on a diet regime but am attending nutrition classes for planning better diet menu's and will be monitoring blood glucose levels etc. Thankfully with the diet watching and MORE exercise I hopefully won't be needing any types of medications YET!
Some of all of this is caused by my age and my thyroid starting to slow down. I am finding that many in my age group are having to deal with this and suggest that if you haven't taken steps to have a diabetes check with your Dr. you do so. In my case I always have my annual physical which is when they discovered it. Don't take chances on your health. It isn't worth it in the long run!

In lieu of not showing any of my stitching/quilting projects I am putting in a picture of my little honey of a machine my sister brought to me a few years back. My little Singer Featherweight is about as old as I am (altho I think it probably runs much better than I do some days...Ha!) and I use it for my lighter sewing such as quilting smaller projects and crafts. It also fits nicely in my camper and goes with me when I feel a need to be sewing on rainier days when we don't have other plans for the day. Isn't SHE great??? I just love her!

Well time to get ambitious? Probably not yet! ha! Hope all are having a great week tho!
Take care!
Lynn

2009-02-18T12:10:00.013-06:00

Hi All...
Well another week is slipping away and that just means one more week closer to that springtime we all in Minnesota are waiting for!
Springtime always means those pretty pastel colored fabrics are in the stores to drool over if you are a sewer. Yesterday I received my Swap Bot package for the Sewing Swap #2 from Tana in Oregon. She sent me a very pretty fat qtr. of pastel floral fabric as well as organza pastel colored ribbon, some nice pastel yellow buttons and 2 skeins of floss plus a small box of beads too! Very generous and I am sure I'll be using it all for some springy types of needlework finishing. Thank you so much Tona! Swap Bot is so much fun to give and receive and you never know for sure when something will show up in your mailbox!
I will also post now the little needlework project I did up for Lisa in Texas as my exchange in the Valentines swap for the Pocketfull of Pretties swap. She is the one who made the great wine bottle lite and sent me the goodies also. A very creative gal! I also sent her the little white doily as well as a box of Hershey's Dark chocolates that aren't in the picture. I hope she enjoyed it all!
Well time for my lunch and then some stitching for a couple more exchanges I am in for March! Gonna sit in the sun like a turtle in my comfy chair and work on those!
Hope all are having a very good week?
Take care!
Lynn

On with Winter....

2009-02-14T20:04:00.014-06:00

Hi everyone...I hope you've had a nice day to share with that someone special yesterday and did something really special together also?

In my case I wasn't expecting anything special (well got a shiney new RED cell phone a couple of weeks ago) but decided to go find a new relaxing chair for myself to enjoy. One that fit my short, chubby, bod and would be comfortable for sitting in to stitch on my needlework or read or just watch tv. well ok! I'll probably fall asleep lots too! LOL It seems everytime I've looked for a chair that fit ME there wasn't one to be found. Yesterday I found it! A local furniture store is having a huge sale on their entire stock of furniture this weekend and I searched through out the place and finally settled on a cozy plushy recliner by Lane. OH Boy! I should get LOTS of stitching done now huh?? Well time will tell. As of right now I can't tell as I won't get the chair till later today when my husband can take our truck to pick it up. They wanted a fee of $100 for delivery..ha! We can drive back and forth to the place several times for that price...NO WAY was I paying that kind of $$$ for them delivering!
At any rate...Happy valentines Day to me too! Ha!

I received my wonderful "Pocket full of Pretties" gift from Lisa in Texas on Thursday. She sent me a wonderful Valentines themed wine bottle all fixed up with the little mini lites inside it as well as several other goodies too!(Hmm? Seems someone took advantage of all the chocolates! My husband says thank you! ha!)I have always admired those bottles and it's so nice to have one of my own now! This was such a generous gift and I love everything she sent me!

OK! It's 1 whole degree above zero now ..when I woke up this morning it was -10 so it's heat wave working again! Ha! The daylight is getting longer and the darkness is getting shorter. That means spring/summer MUST be on the way in cold northern Minnesota!
I am counting the days till I can hook up that fifth wheel and head to central Mn. for lots of summertime relaxing! More on that later in the spring!

Time to do laundry and get it out away...YIPPEE! NOT!
Hope all have a very good day today!
Take care!!
Lynn

Look out Race Fans..The Force is Back!

2009-02-11T08:53:00.013-06:00

Well..Now then!
In a bit of off my usual topic stuff of sewing/quilting/needlework and whatever else I like doing in my spare time I am going to say a BIT about some the summer fun things I like to do and am waiting rather impatiently for. The winter has been LONG but we know that summer is coming when the NHRA drag racing starts up and is televised on tv! YIPPEE! We in this family are huge John Force Racing Team fans. We try to catch all of the events as they are televised on tv (when ESPN can keep to their schedules ON TIME)as well as have been to Brainerd International Raceway (BIR)several times to watch this team race in person. Ok..so my husband has been involved in automotives his whole adult life so that has some to do with it all too but some how I have more fun watching short runs of several teams drag racing than seeing too many cars circle around on a oval track for too many times any day! BORING!!! Not knocking the NASCAR fans at all...sm...but maybe you'd like to check out NHRA and see what that's all about too? Something NEW to try..for the new year???
Now today I am choosing my fabrics and pulling together my supplies for a spring table runner that I am making for a swap. I found a really cute pattern in a older crafting magazine and will use that one. The bright colors of spring fabrics always make me get a better attitude on these long cold winter days in Mn. and perk me right up.
And then I want to extend my thoughts and prayers to all of those in Australia that are having to deal with the terrible wild fires. I feel so bad for these people. To lose lives and homes in something as terrible as this has been is just awful and is so hard to deal with and make life adjustments to. Please keep them all in your prayers and we pray the situation will be over with soon!
I hope everyone can have a super day today!
Raining and thawing the snow here..so that is GOOD!
Take care....
Lynn

The weekend..and now ice storm threats....

2009-02-09T14:00:00.022-06:00

Alrighty then....hello!
This last week was another week of not getting much accomplished but on Friday we did go over to visit my daughter and her boyfriend in the western part of the state. I did manage to find a room for the weekend at a hotel in the town they live in so that was GOOD! There was a 16 team hockey tourney going on so rooms were at a premium. Plus a nearby town had a "Old Timers" Snowmobile run going on too (vintage snowmobiles, etc)so that was why all the hotel rooms were booked solid....plus lots of snowmobilers and ice fisherman too.
Saturday was spent in Fargo/Moorhead doing a few things. We went to the Fargo Air Museum (something I wasn't that interested in but didn't complain) The guys get into that sort of thing more than we women do I think?

After spending an hour or so there we went to Best Buy to browse around a bit..hoards of people shopping there for some unknown reason and parking was crazy too! The rest then decided it was time to go sporting goods shopping. I on the other hand really wanted to go to Nordic Needle so was dropped off there to drool and shop to my hearts content alone. Well I THOUGHT I had plenty of time but as it turned out I was joined about 45 minutes later by one husband (well mine..haha) walking in asking if I was ready to go yet?? Sheesh!
Guess it was either check out then or walk home. I did manage to find a few things I wanted to get and it was fun to see the actual models of projects done up too. Among the things I bought were the March/April issue of "Just Cross Stitch" magazine, the "Believe Tree" designs by M Designs, "Tiny Tidings XII" from Lizzie Kate, a booklet of 26 embroidery designs from RICO Designs featuring snowmen and a few other holiday patterns and ideas, plus one lonely little card of Fuzzy Stuff white embroidery thread for some of the holiday designs I will be doing through out the coming year. Boy! Not much for what I had intended to purchase but did get out of there with a bag anyways! ha!
Well then thought again then we were heading back to DL for the rest of the day. As it turned out the rest were still not done shopping and looking so onto yet another sporting goods store "Scheel's of America" as my daughter called it. The place was HUGE and again throngs of people shopping and browsing. Everyone must have been planning ahead for a big tax refund check or something as I noticed not too many were buying much of anything no matter where we went and most were just looking around.
We got back home here around noon yesterday and I spent the rest of the day catching up on emails, looking at the Nordic Needle catalog..hehe.. and planning my revenge for my short shopping trip! LOL I also pulled together some fabrics for a spring quilting project I need to get busy working on too. Not saying what project as its a surprise...sm

Today I am pulling more fabrics together for the "Christmas Wish BOM project" to get that started tonite or tomorrow. It sounds like it might be a good week to just stay in and sew and stitch as they say ice storms/rain will be causing lots of troubles for our area today yet and overnight into tomorrow....schools around the area are either closed today or will be closing early as the day progresses. We shall see what happens.
Enough for now...Hope all are having a good day!
Take care!!
Lynn

Saturday Ramblings...

2009-01-30T23:38:00.024-06:00

Hello All...

Off and running for the weekend and have some new stuff to create with too! I received my win from the fat qtr. drawing in the mail this past Wednesday from Sherry's PIF drawing a few weeks ago. I did a PIF on this blog in Decemeber in return and have those lucky gals names on the sidebar. They will be getting a fat qtr. pkg. from me very soon also. PIF's are fun to be involved in and share with others so if you have a chance to participate in one try it out for yourself!

I also received just yesterday my January kitted up freebie exchange from Linda in Texas. She sent a cute freebie pattern and some nice hand dyed fabric to work it up on. This exchange is from a Yahoo group I'm in (Chatty Stitcher Exchangers) and is lots of fun. We have been exchanging exactly what the name implies in cross stitching kits complete with pattern, threads, fabric, and even a needle so you can pick it up and start stitching. Each month there's a special theme and the kit pattern etc. is chosen by the giver to send to the one she's partnered up with. You never know what you might end up with but as I said it's lots of fun to get surprises in the mail. I will be taking this one with me next weekend to work on at the hotel when I go on my road trip!

I am planning to head over to Detroit Lakes, Mn next weekend. My daughter lives there so we are going over for a weekend visit with her and her boyfriend. They have a really nice quilt shop there and I plan to be a visitor there as well! Ha! Can't wait! Also plans are to drive the 45 minute or so drive to Fargo to go to Nordic Needle on Saturday as well. I don't have a LNS here in town so anywhere I can find one is great but Nordic Needle tops the cake as far as I am concerned for me to shop at! I'm so excited to have the chance to go and the weather BETTER cooperate to travel! Grrrrr!

Well, enough for now! Gotta get busy!
Keep warm and have a smile!

Lynn

Super Bowl weekend plan of attack!

2009-01-30T07:56:00.014-06:00

Hello all...
Just a quick post this evening and to add a picture of the bookmark that I did for Gina in the Brooke's Books group exchange. I also did up a scissor fob that is on it's way to Poland for the Tiny Treasures exchange and am posting that as well...GOTTA show some progress for the month of January! ha! Hopefully that will get to it's new owner in good shape and she will like it as well.

I've been working on a Valentines exchange project and will be getting that one all done and ready to mail over the weekend too and then will be moving on to a couple of others I want to get working on over the weekend also. WHEW! Well it will keep me busy and maybe out of too much trouble. I'm not much of a football fan so will be using my iPod LOTS over the weekend I think? Ha! Or I'll hybernate in the bedroom with the TV on and do my stitching there.

I have a few other things to get pictures of and post but they can wait a few days. We have a new fancy, does everything, digital camera on order and it should be here in the next 3 days or so! Had to splurge a little...LOL I'm told it will be So easy to use I won't want to put it down! Well we'll see about that too!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy the game if you are a fan of that sport!

Lynn

Look what I found last summer!

2009-01-26T10:29:00.011-06:00

Hi All..Keeping warm? ha! Yeah winter stinks huh?? LOL Oh well..more time to let the mind wander and mine has been wandering lots this morning!
I was sitting wondering what to do next in my list of MANY things I want to do all at once and decided to take a few pictures.
Wanted to show the quilt that was the earliest one I can recollect helping hand quilt (when a younger teenager...early 60's maybe?). My mother had decided she was going to be clever and make a hand quilted quilt. I remember this one being on a huge square quilt frame sitting taking up the whole living room. I'm sure many of you remember those? The ones your mothers and grandmothers used? None of that machine quilted stuff for them! Everything was hand quilted on one of those frames that were actually 4 pcs. of lumber clamped together to make a huge frame, supported on each corner by chairs. The frames took up the whole room for several days while the quilts were worked on. (Little brothers and sisters loved them tho as they played underneath on the floor for hours "camping, etc")
Anyways....this pattern is known to most as a "Lonestar" and is about 64" x 68". (not sure WHY the size is so wackey?) It is all cotton muslin and 100% cotton solids and is yellowed quite a bit after all these years. I remember helping her handquilt around each and every diamond and finally getting it back off the frame and binding it by hand with that narrow handmade binding. Whew!
I came across the quilt again while going through things from my parents home this last summer and snatched it up. I guess with 3 other sisters it didn't have much sentimental value as I'm sure one of them would have grabbed it if they had wanted it before now. It is in pretty good shape for the shape it's in and I have washed it gently in cool water and dried it. It's just something I can hang onto for several years and remember...(smile)
So..now onto the rest of my day...STILL wondering what will be next! Thinking some small quilty thing...

Have a GREAT day! Take care!
Lynn

The NEW baby...isn't he cute???

2009-01-24T12:39:00.012-06:00

Hi..
Not real sure where this last week went but it's Saturday and it was AGAIN -20 early this morning here in good old northern Mn. Jeepers!(It's now -2F LOL) When does spring get here?? OK I know it's a ways off yet but I can dream and wish can't I? The sun is shining tho so that's a GOOD thing today! It helps my attitude immensely even tho I don't plan to venture outside at all for the whole weekend. (Ha! Just sent my hubby off to pick up groceries and needed items...lol) He finally found some NEW winter weight boots for his outdoor activities and ice fishing so really think he just wanted to try them out? Well he can have at it then! I'm staying in where it's warm!

I got a few projects done over the week and today am deciding what to do next for some February exchange projects etc. One is for a Valentines Day gifty in the "Pocket full of Pretties" exchange so I guess I better get busy on that so it's mailed by the deadline date too. I still am waiting for the January recipients in my exchanges to get their pkgs. so I can post those pictures in here.

Today I was emailed a new set of pictures of my new little great-nephew and am going to show him off to the world. He's such a cutie and is a week old already! My nephew, Todd and his wife, Annie named him Wyatt James and he was a 7lb. 1 oz. baby at 21" long! Momma is so tiny I'm not sure where she had him tucked away but they are both healthy and doing great! I haven't seen him as of yet in person but can hardly wait! Babies can be so much fun!

Well I am going to get busy not with some stitching and maybe a bit of quilting too this weekend! Times a wasting!
Keep warm where ever you are and take care!
Lynn

2009-01-22T07:24:00.009-06:00

Hello..
Here it is Thursday already and not sure where the week is flying away to?
I've been keeping busy with projects and have been stitching on several smaller items for my exchanges, etc.
I received a scissor fob and some of those new DMC scented flosses (what will they think of next?) plus a pattern booklet from Eileen in England as part of the fob exchange in one of my Yahoo Groups. It's so gorgeous with all the gold cording and tassle! Those new DMC flosses smell so yummy too! One is chocolate scented and the other says tutti fruitti but smells like strawberries! Yummmo! I found a freebie pattern online the other day featuring chocolate covered cherries so just may use those flosses for that?

##### PIF's #####

I posted in my sidebar the winners for my PIF's so if you are one of those lucky gals you can expect a nice little gifty from me in the coming months..sooner than later I HOPE! This was fun do do and I think I'll plan a couple more later in the year. If you ladies would get me your mailing addresses it will REALLY help...LOL
See my profile for my email addy...

Well time to get busy in my day..WHAT can I come up with next to do?? Should clean and do laundry...naaahhhhh! No fun in that! Hehe!

A NEW START for this Country!!!!

2009-01-20T10:53:00.006-06:00

Today is a GREAT day! We are all experiencing a day in the history of this country! As I type I am watching the inauguration of our next President of this United States and thinking how much we NEED a new leadership and a new faith to run this country. I truly believe that this new President will bring the change and I pray for him and his cabinet to bring about that change for the betterment of us all. I don't normally speak my political views on my soap box but need to express my thoughts on how this country has been going so wrong in the last several years. No matter how you voted or what you feel in your own mind...it's time for change and it starts TODAY! God Bless us all!

New Baby Boy!!!

2009-01-17T23:16:00.004-06:00

We finally have that new baby boy born this late afternoon to my nephew and his wife! The whole family has been waiting for this little one to brighten our family and by the looks of the first picture, he's going to be a cutie...Well aren't they all? Haven't talked to the proud Papa or Mama yet so don't have the particulars on weight, length etc but will post a picture here when I get one. We are so happy and grateful everything is well for them all!

The weather finally started to warm up to what they say is a January thaw coming in for the state this next week. Figures after having nearly -40 yesterday morning to get up to...Sheesh! Well hoping soon it will be spring and I can think about getting my camper ready for summer camping. Right now it's sitting in a 4 foot snow drift...poor thing! Well, I can be optimistic can't I?

And...working on my PIF's for my drawings so those will be kept a secret till they are mailed out and received in the coming months. I also have been sorting (in my mind) my want to do projects for the rest of this month and for the coming months as well. So much I WANT to do and so much I SHOULD do! Ha!
Gotta get that list drawn up and prioritize I guess?

That's gonna be it for tonite. It was a VERY early morning for me this morning with no nap..jeepers! Long day! We'll see what tomorrow brings?

Enjoy the weekend!

WOO HOO It's COLD!!!!!!

2009-01-15T12:29:00.015-06:00

It's been COLD here in northern Mn. I guess we are all suffering from the worst part of the winter and it seems to be running across the country rampant this week! It was -30 here this morning and the wind chills are at about -45 right now. YUCK! YUCK! ISH!!!! Well it's about noon here now and we are having a tropical heatwave of about -23 right now ha!

Last year at this time we were all settled into that beautiful area of Utah near Zion National Park but as I remember it want so really warm there either then. We had a couple days of small snowfalls of about an 1" or 2". Been watching the weather from here now this winter and they are suffering with the cold and snows right along with the rest of us. I miss that area of the country but will stay here snug and warm in my home for now. MAYBE next winter will take us south somewhere else where its supposed to be warmer? The hubby thinks Brownsville, Texas sounds good although I'm sure they are experiencing the cooler temps too this week. Time will tell....

I had a email last night that I was one of the lucky people to win a package of goodies from "The Gift of Stitching" magazine drawing for November! How great is that? I hardly ever win anything and this will be a great gift for myself even tho I already have all the issues. (The pack will contain a one year subscription, the 2006Back Issue CD and the 2007 Back Issue CD.) It comes at a super time for me as I think my own subscription is about to run out soon! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that magazine and all the great ideas and patterns it offers! If you aren't familiar with the magazine take some time to check it all out.

After the sadness in my family these past couple of weeks with my step fathers illness and passing away I am back at my stitching and working on a bookmark for a exchange and will finish that up today. Also doing a scissor fob for a exchange in the "Tiny Treasures" exchange too that I need to get mailed off in the next couple of days to Poland. I will post those project pictures when they are received by the ladies I mail to.

I also decided to do a smaller quilted BOM project for myself I found last night online in anothers blog and through a link from there to the site for the pattern (A Christmas Wish), etc. something that is smaller to work on and it is also a new challenge to me personally to do as the year progresses. If you are interested in it you can click on the picture on the sidebar to get the link to the site. Maybe towards the end of the year I'll offer mine as a prize in a year end drawing?

STILL waiting on a new baby in the family. I heard from the expectant mommy (my nephews wife)this morning and they will induce her Monday if she doesn't have it by then. That poor girl is SO uncomfortable and as small as she is I'm not sure where that baby is going to grow anymore! The whole family is waiting for that new little one to spoil. I will post a picture as soon as I get one.

Keep WARM and Toasty!

PS..Still looking for people to be added to my second PIF drawing...See the Jan 9th posting for info!!!

ANOTHER "Pay it Forward"

2009-01-09T18:06:00.007-06:00

A NEW PIF for my Buddies or Whoever!!!

~~~It works like this~~~

Well I did it again! Got the chance at another PIF this month! They are SO fun and made another new blogger friend...Cindy!

If you would like to receive something stitched by me within the next 365 days, please comment on this post to say that you are interested.

I will take the first 3 people...or if there are more than 3, then I will do a drawing on January 21. In return, you must offer to do the same :) (Please only sign up if you are sure you will be able to do your part!)

What's a PIF? It stands for Pass It Forward or Pay It Forward, meaning pass forward a bit of kindness to make the world a better place.

The item I send could be anything. Just whatever I am in the mood to stitch and finish at the time. This PIF will be a cross stitched item only...no quilted one as in my last PIF. Remember, I will have 365 days to send it to you. Be sure your comment has a link to your blog or your email addy so I can contact you for your mailing address.

I am Sad

2009-01-06T20:47:00.005-06:00

Today I sit again in my hometown in Central Mn. for the second time in a weeks worth of days. Tomorrow evening I will gather with the rest of my family and extended family. Thursday we will all gather again for a final farewell to one of the most important people I have ever known...my Step Father.

We were called to my hometown on New Years Day to sit with him...to be there for his comfort and for ours. He's been struggling with his emphysema illness for close to 4 years and was again in the hospital. He had told the nurse that day he didn't want to be alone so we all came to be with him. We had a very nice talk and he was chatty and happy we were there. He knew all of us and we kidded and joked with him for most of the day.

Friday we had him admitted to Hospice. That was with his decision also and then Saturday several of us left to go back to our own homes as he would have wanted us to given there was another winter storm coming in. Sunday evening my phone rang and it was my brother telling me my step father, at 86 years of age, had passed away peacefully in his sleep at 7:30pm.

My step father married my mother when I was quite young...8 I think? He took on the responsibilities of 4 children after being a bachelor till he was 40 years old. He and my mother then went on to have 3 more children so we were a total of 7 for him. He did what he could to raise us right, teach us his values and offer us a decent upbringing and I never heard him complain about doing any of it.
He loved us all. Treated us all the same..no favorites for one over another.

And then came his grandchildren. They called him "Grampa Gene" or "Papa". He was so proud of them all and they were so proud if him. The Great grandchildren won't know him except by the stories they hear because they are all so young yet...but they will know he was a special man.

I called him the "Wise One" of the family and he'd just chuckle or grin when I said it.
He will be missed..........

2009-01-01T08:25:00.011-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS DAY!
It's going to be yet another being lazy day for me I think today. Oh in my mind I'll be plotting and planning those yearly so called goals or resolutions. Oh wait! I said I don't do that! Most don't seem to happen for me so why make them? Well, I'll read through others blogs, etc. and see what THEY are hoping to do in the coming year and then MAYBE, just MAYBE I'll find a few that sound good for myself too?

I did a PIF for the last week of the 2008 year and the winners who will be receiving a PIF from me are:
1. Cameo
2. Jackie
3. Kathryn
Congratulations to the ladies for being on the ball and leaving a comment. You will be receiving something special sometime (but SOON!)in the coming year from me and they have already put a PIF in their blogs as well.

While sitting here last night going to through some emails I found I had already won a PIF for this year! How great is that?
Sherry had contacted me to let me know I had won one of her PIF's of a couple of fat qtrs. I LOVE fat qtrs. as they can be used for so many different things!

Well with Sherry's PIF came the requirement to add a PIF to MY blog..ha! So I am doing that as my first "Need to Do" for this year. You could receive 2 Fat Quarters from me within the next 365 days.

PIF #1 for this year from me will be a Fat Quarter PIF. Everyone loves a FQ! Quilters and stitchers use them all the time! Sometime within the next 365 days, I will send out 2 FQs to 2 people.

If you are interested, leave a comment on this post by January 7th and I will draw 2 names that evening then post the winners names on my January 8th blog. Please be sure to leave your email address or a link to your blog so that I can get in touch with you if you are a winner!

If you win, you must be willing to post this PIF on your blog and do the same for 2 people. It's as simple as that! Good Luck everyone!

Well I think I'm going to go dig through my stitching projects and find fabrics, floss, and the patterns I chose for a couple of other exchanges I'm involved in. I need to do a bookmark and a scissor fob for a couple of ladies in my cross stitch groups. Good things to be working on while football blares and the hubby is in and out all day. Not so much concentration that way....for ME I mean!
Have a GREAT day everyone! Good health, Peace, And Prosperity in the coming year for you all!

Lynn