Smalls SAL 2014.......

Heather of Stitching Lotus planned our 2014 Smalls SAL this year!!  I joined in and got lots done each month in preparation to post something each month during her SAL.  I completed the task each month, and here is what I have to share for this month.  I stitched for my best friend Kimberly the Milady's Needle ornament in the 2014 JCS ornament magazine.

This was my mom's ornament that I had stitched earlier this year but did the finishing work on it last month.  This is BRD from the new 2014 JCS ornament magazine.

 

But you probably already knew that I would make it into a hanging pillow which is my favorite way to finish.  Here is the ornament for my dad that I had stitched and shared earlier this year but now it is finished too.  I've been on a PS "deer theme" for my dad's ornaments over the past few years!!!

I had stitched Prairie Schooler Santa for my girlfriends back in AZ.  When they loved the first one I did and finished earlier this year, I just knew it would be their Christmas ornament for this year.  So yes.  I have stitched this PS ornament 4 TIMES this year and I still didn't do one for myself.  Maybe in 2015 since I already have all the DMC pulled for this particular Santa!  LOL
Here is all 3 of them photographed together for Angelica, Janet and Debra back in AZ.

Now.....for the rest of the day, I am going to spend it with my kids, stitch a little and relax!!!   I will  make my list of ornaments for this coming year as I have already signed up for Heather's Smalls SAL again for 2015, make a list of what I want to stitch or hope to stitch on this coming year as well. 

I hope you have a very peaceful day today and ring in the New Year tonight content stitching the night away!!!

Happy Stitching!

Merry Christmas and SG Advent Day 25.....

Today is the final day of our SG Advent Exchange! I opened up my last package and it contained 3 charts from my Wish List!!  I received JN Snowflower, The Drawn Thread Christmas Quartet, and With Thy Needle and Thread Needleworker's Sampler!  YEAHHH!!!!!  Lynne has blessed me with many wonderful gifts each day of this Advent Season.  I'm very easy going as I love each and every gift because someone took the time to pick it out to send/give to me.

I am having a WONDERFUL day spending it with my family all together.  Being a military family, we went home at Thanksgiving and celebrated that holiday with family.  We weren't able to go home for Christmas though.  That's the tough and sad part.....being away from family but they are always close in my heart.  We did call each other and talk this morning!

However, we brought our gifts from family back at Thanksgiving and ever since then, I've been stalking the mailbox receiving gifts from my stitching friends!!!  I hope to show those gifts here over the next few days as I took pictures of all my wonderful gifts!!! 

We had our big dinner at lunch today and have been spending the day watching Christmas movies with the kids!!!  I did stitch a little while but had to lay down to rest some as I had to get up early this morning.  Friends of ours were flying out and dear hubby drove them to the airport!  Me....I had to find the battery charger for the camera as I couldn't remember last night!  But....I found it. 

I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas.  Jesus is the Reason for the Season and every day of the year!

Blessings to you and your family!

SG Advent Day 24.....

Oh today's package really had me stumped.  It was not a cushy one where you could squeeze it.  hehe  Yes....I'm still like a little kid who likes to guess what's inside and yes....I'm that annoying person who really likes to open the paper carefully and neatly.  DRIVES my family nuts!!!!  LOL  But I think that goes back to my childhood where we were so poor that we would save the wrapping paper to use again the next year and we needed to open the paper as carefully as possible.

Today, Lynne gifted me with a couple hot cocoa packets which I will drink during a movie marathon with my kids, a Debbie Mumm mug with a tea infuser ball and spoon rest.  On the back of the mug was a small packet of tea with a red note inside.  The note said, " I wish we could sit down together and drink a cup of tea, but since we can't, when you drink this one, I hope you will think of me."  AWWEEEE  I love it!!!  I have loved each and every one of my presents that Lynne has given me.  I always love this exchange every year.  I am NOT hard to please at all.

I just love the Christmas season!!!  Not only do I like the Mary Engelbrit decorations but also the Debbie Mumm like the mug I got today!!!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas mugs!!!  I drink hot tea in the fall and winter time.  I'm not a coffee drinker at all but I wished I were as I could use my mugs more!!!

Today I will be baking our Happy Birthday Jesus cake.  It will be in our tree cake pan and the kids are making the Buttercream icing.  Yes.....I still have the hairbow to make this morning and sew on the frog closures on Grace and my jackets.  I didn't get around to it yesterday but I did get the presents wrapped and some other chores done so I don't feel stressed out.  I'm going to go finish up some of that this morning so I can get some stitching in today.

Happy Christmas Eve and Happy Stitching!

SG Advent Day 23.....

Oh our time on our SG Advent Exchange is drawing so near to the end!  I always have such a fun time giving and receiving during this exchange.  Today I got 2 pieces of celebration finishing fabric, some much needed 40ct linen, a small notepad which I never seem to have enough of, and an adorable snowman ornament!!!!  I just love it all!!! 

Are you all ready for Christmas?  I almost am. I just have to wrap my family's gifts today which hopefully won't take too long......that is if I remember where I hid them all!  haha  No really.  I know where they are.

I hope to have some serious stitching time today as well! 
Happy Stitching!

SG Advent Day 22 and TUSAL time post.....

Today's SG Advent gift was packed FULL of goodies!!!  OMS!  Talk about feeling very spoiled......Lynne has really spoiled me.  I got some Mary Engelbrit finishing fabric, some Halloween finishing fabric which I never seem to have on hand, Bohin size 28 needles, Mill Hill Charmed Mittens kit, a stocking Christmas fob that is just soooo cute, and some adorable Christmas socks that I could have worn today had I opened my present first thing this morning.  Oh well.  I will wear them tomorrow!  Not to worry as I LOVE just wearing my Christmas socks all month long!!!

The Christmas outfits were finished.  YEAH!!  Now I just need to make my DD a hairbow as she likes them to match her outfits that I make her!!!  That won't take that long.  DH and I went shopping this morning and had a "Day Date" out!   Shopping is not his kind of date but we had some errands to run and went to lunch at Cracker Barrel which the kids don't really like eating there.  It was fun and we found a shirt for him for our Christmas pictures tomorrow night.  I always have a family picture made each fall time but with DD off to college, it now has to be when she's home from college.  So we are going tomorrow night to have our annual family pictures made!!!  The only thing left for me to do is to wrap the Christmas presents which shouldn't take me too long.

Here is my ORT tin that I keep on my lap board while stitching.  Hard to believe that this is the last posting for the year for the SAL.  You can find more about this on Daffycat's blog.

And my ORT jar with the tin added into it.

I am going to stitch a while before making the hairbow.  I need some downtime before working some more this evening.

Happy Stitching!

SG Advent Day 21.....

Oh today's gift was at the bottom of the box.  It felt sooo cushy that I thought it was towels but I was wrong....again!  It was a new pink stitching bag and when I don't want to use it as a stitching bag, I can use it as a purse!!!

I look forward to an entire evening of xstitching, resting and relaxing.  Have you gotten your list organized for what you want to stitch this next year yet?  I am still trying to decide what BOP I want to stitch for this coming year. 

Also.....do you start a new project on January 1?  I have before and I think I will again this year!  Hmmmm what will it be?  A new ornament, a JN Ornamental Advent 2 days for my monthly commitment, or my new B.O.P.? 

Happy Stitching!

SG Advent Day 20.....

Ahhhhh......the weekend is finally here!!!  Thus my reasoning for posting late.  With it being Saturday, it means that I could get to sleep in and rest from this past week and the hubby and kids are all home too.  But I LOVE having my family all home!!!

Now....on to my daily Advent gift.  I can't believe how quickly this month has gone by.  We all say that on our Stitcher's Garden board when opening our Advent gifts.  We look so forward to Dec 1 for the start of our Advent Exchange but then realize how quickly the days are going by.

Today I got the BBD Wild Lilies chart and all the Sampler Threads to stitch it.  Now to go find some fabric in my stash so I can stitch it!!  I'm sure I've got something in there that will work. 

While out shopping with my daughter yesterday, I picked up 2 "Frog Closures" to add to our Christmas jackets.  Now on the pattern, it called the "jackets" a "kimono".  So I thought this white frog closure would be a nice added touch to the front of the jacket/kimono.  It is made of  white braid but still looks very nice on the royal blue fabric.  Here is what it looks like from what I could find on the web.

After enjoying a nice lunch out and going to see Big Hero 6 movie, I'm ready to spend the remaining evening stitching on my iStitch Advent SAL!!!!  WOOHOO 

Have you already started thinking of what project or projects you want to stitch this coming year?  I have.  I am making a list of everyone that I plan on stitching an ornament for, and I will cross each person off that list AFTER the ornament is stitched and completely finished with a backing.  I hope to stitch 2 each month along with 2 days of the JN Ornamental Advent.  And I'm sure there will be at least SOME BIG OLE PROJECT that gets stitched.  I don't like saying the other way so I just say BOP!  So get your thinking caps on and start making a plan for things that you want to complete this next year.  There is no stitching police out there but I do like to have a plan laid out ahead of time.  Must be the military wife in me for the planning!  hehe 

Happy Stitching!!!