We love Christmas!

Our family had a good Christmas this year. I prepared dinner on Christmas Eve and we ate so much that almost no one ate the desserts!
We opened gifts and played Uno (the card game). Later that night, we watched National Treasure 1 on dvd, before seeing the NT2 on Christmas day. We really enjoyed the movie and I recommend it as a family movie.

Here's a photo of our tree. I couldn't get the lighting right, but it's must prettier in real life.
Oh well.

We have a very eclectic collection of ornaments; everything from handmade to very fragile figurines. Some are pretty, while others are just plain odd. One in particular is a "pigpen". It's a ballpoint pen with a tiny pink pig on the side of it! All I know is my DH has had it since before we were married. I won't bore you with a photo of that one.

Every year I have bought each child an ornament. When DD/26 was married last year, she was given her ornaments for her tree. Now, we have our ornaments, plus 2 sons' ornaments on the tree. Here's one of two jesters I gave DS/21 a couple of years ago. The face is very detailed and the fabrics are velvets. Another ornament that my aunt gave me this year is 3 snowmen holding an American flag.Here's the first nutcracker DS/10 got for Christmas. He loves nutcrackers, just like his older brother.

Every one of my children has enjoyed making the cloved oranges. They make the whole kitchen smell great!

I didn't put out my Dicken's Village this year. There wasn't enough time. I miss it not being out. Maybe next year!

DS/21 (the soldier), will be home for a visit tomorrow!!! WooHoo!! It has been 10 1/2 months since he's been home.

I have enjoyed reading and seeing all the Christmas decorations, crafts, sewing, and ideas on your blogs. What a treat it has been this season to have so many blogging friends that are creative!

Here are some of my favorites for you to check out:

RuthAnn at Warm Pie, Happy Home
Hillary at Wee Wonderfuls
Andrea at The Craft Room
Katrina at A Kiwi Stitching

3 Years and Still Blogging

Today is my 3 year blog anniversary. It's hard to believe I have stuck with it, though I have been inconsistent in my posts. I'll try to improve on that. I love all your comments and I especially enjoy all your stitching, sewing, quilting and scrapbooking blogs. They make me very happy. I get so inspired. Now, if I could just find time to stitch up something new to share!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging buddies!

We actually celebrated last night, so today we are recuperating. I hardly took any photos, but here's a couple...
The photo above is my mom and daughter. My daughter works for an orthodontist, so she has braces (a job perk) for the 2nd time. Here's another of the 3 amigos...how many guys does it take to carve a turkey?We had a big meal, played a few rounds of Uno (card game), then watched Deal-or-No-Deal on TV. We began at 5 and everyone left around 10pm. Today is leftover day. Yeah!!!

Unfortunately, DS/21 wasn't able to come home from Ft. Carson, so that was tough. I did get to talk to him by phone though. He's hoping to come home after Christmas. (We haven't seen him since February.) He's the one in the foreground.

New Job!!!!

I have started my new job and I love it so far. It's contract labor, which is what I've done since I left a full-time job (executive assistant to VP). I am using a micro-cassette transcriber to transcribe tapes, scanning photos and maps, etc., and other "clerical" tasks. The great thing is that I do all this from home!!! It took quite a while to find this type of independent contracting work, but the hunt has finally ended. This has the potential to turn into full-time hours, which is also a plus.

How many of you know someone who uses a Dictaphone or other micro-cassette transcriber? I'm just curious because I love using one, but apparently there are newer ways to transcribe (like digitally or by speech recognition software). Let me know if you do this kind of work or use another method.

I am still in the process of rearranging my sewing studio/office, but I will find time to catch up on some stitching very soon. I need to stitch to relax and give my mind (and ears) a rest.

I'm Also Trying to Win A Red IPod Nano

I found this contest today, too! It's worth a try, right. You can find out about it at Its Right Now.

Win A Pink Dyson!

I found out about a contest to win a $400 Pink Dyson! You can see the information about it if you click on the Pink Dyson in my sidebar. Out of each PINK DYSON VACCUUM CLEANER that is sold, Dyson donates $40 to help Breast Cancer Research. Not only is this vaccuum for a great cause but it also does a great job of keeping your home clean.

The contest is ending soon, but I'm giving it a shot. I would love to have one. You should take a chance.

You Light Up My Life

While you may be another year older, you are still the light of my life. In other words, you're still a hottie. Yeah, you're Hooooooottt! Happy Birthday to my Rockstar.
(photo from appearance on television show Live at 9)

A Small Finish and A Few Deals

While the boys were on a camping trip, I finally did the finishing on the ornament "Jesus, Author of Faith". I bought 1 yard of the 4mm rope trim ($1.34) at Hancock Fabrics. So, now I'm dancing a wee little happy dance.

Recently, I went to an estate sale and walked out with one small item. It's an old double digit numbers stamp ($1.00).
I just need to clean it. I am sure I can use it for scrapbooking or something, right?





Look, what a deal I found at a yard sale...almost new hot rollers ($4.00)!!! Now, I can retire my 20+year old set.

The dr. told me I have a couple of bulging disc in my neck, so I will be doing pt soon. Oh what fun...

16 Years of Marriage & A Pain in the Neck

DH and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary the 11th of this month. We had an awesome dinner at Bonefish Grill. I just love that restaurant!

I haven't crossed a stitch lately. I've been having some neck problems. A CT scan showed my cervical spine was a mess, so I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. I've got to get my neck "straightened out" so I can get back to cross stitching!

Good news, hopefully, on the job-hunting front. I am beginning a contract labor job soon with a company that conducts studies for hotel investors. I am looking forward to a paycheck. Maybe I can get a new lamp for stitching after a paycheck or two. If you have any suggestions on a lamp, let me know.

Bunco was a hit!

Well, this past Tuesday, our Bunco (aka Bunko) was at my house. Everyone had a good time, though we only played with 2 tables (total of 8 players) instead of 3 tables (total of 12 players). Music can really make or break a gathering, as I discovered that evening. I put the T.V. on XM Radio (channel 804 in our area). This channel, called "70's at 7" played 70's music continuously. Everyone loved it. I'll have to remember that for next time. Every time I looked around, several of the ladies were groovin' to the music. They even started rolling the dice to the beat. It was a hoot!

DH is doing well in his class, with all A's so far. He's a rock star AND a computer geek! Imagine that!

Now, if I could just find a J-O-B. Between Hotjobs, Craigslist, the local newspapers, private business career pages, Beyond.com, and others, it's just confusing to sort out. Surely, one will turn up soon.

I know...No Blogging Lately...My Bad

This has been an eventful past few weeks for our family, so the blog has been neglected. My bad.
DH thought it would be a good idea for me to take a continuing education class to learn web design. After I did the research and we discussed the options, he decided he would take a class on web design. Who knows, after he finishes this class, which counts as 3 college credits, he may go for a degree. We'll see. He also joined another band, Tuesday Sun.

In the meantime, DS/10 has started a new school. He likes it so far. Since school starts at 7:15 a.m., he has more time in the afternoon that he did last year. His soccer season has started, he joined Awanas at church on Wednesday nights, and Scouts meet on Mondays. It's a busy schedule!

I've been busy with the usual. I'm also looking for a job. I will probably be taking some classes in the next year, also. (Oh yes, we attended a wedding and I attended a funeral since I last blogged). The photo is from the wedding we attended.

Next Tuesday is my turn to have the Bunco group at my house, so the next few days will be filled with house/yard cleaning.

I haven't cross stitched at all the last few weeks, but I plan to get back on track! I have been keeping up with my blogroll visits, though, and I am very inspired.

I have lost 12 lbs. Go me! It's not much, but it's better than gaining 12...right?! Now if I could just lose the rest of extra lbs., that would be awesome!

I love the UPS Man!

UPS delivered my Arccivo that I won on Donna Downey's blog!!! It's even one of my favorite colors (honeydew). It matches the wall color of my sewing/scrapbooking studio!


Here's what the Arccivo looks like on the inside...Thanks to Donna Downey and Arccivo!! I can't wait to use it!

A Tiny Happy Dance

I finished stitching the "Jesus: Author of Faith" ornament I'd started last fall. Until a few days ago, it had been a UFO (unfinished object). Now I just need to press it and sew it into an ornament. The fabric is plain white 14 count Aida, which I'm trying to use up.

The design is from the Cross Country Stitching Magazine, Dec. 1992. Here is the list of DMC colors used.

Since I've gotten used to stitching over 2, I prefer linen or evenweave fabrics to the Aida. I think that's what took me so long to pick this one back up.

Harry Potter Freebie!

This past weekend, we visited my aunt & uncle, who live on the lake at Pickwick Lake. DS/10 was given the latest Harry Potter book by his Aunt Linda. Boy, did she score some serious points! He was very excited. (He is on book #4 right now.) We all enjoyed the time spent with family. It was nice to just relax.

Here's a freebie, Hedwig's Four Patch, for all you Harry Potter fans. If I decide to stitch this, I'll change the owl to white, as some other stitchers have done. The gallery of this design is here. Check out the designer's site, The Sampler Girl.

I'm almost finished with a UFO that had put aside for quite some time. I'll share it as soon as I finish the backstitching.

I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting for my Arcchivo that is on it's way. I can't wait to use it!!

I won an Arccivo!!!!!

(photo credit to: Donna Downey)

I am so excited a won an Arccivo!!! All you scrapbookers will love this new product! For months, my homepage has been Donna Downey's blog, Simply Me, because it's so inspiring. She is still giving away 1 Arccivo a day to the 14th commenter, so check it out. She also has a video of it on her blog that explains how to use it. What's even more cool, she is appearing on QVC on my birthday, Aug. 14th, 9pm-12am EST, to demo and sell them. If you don't win one, you can still buy one on QVC below retail!!

I don't know what color I'll be getting yet, but I'll post a photo of it when it arrives.

St. Louis City Museum

Here's some of our trip to City Museum in St. Louis, MO. I highly recommend it if you have child or if you are young at heart! Enjoy!

Cool Slideshows!

Long Time No Blog

I'm still busy dragging out all our belongings! What a process! We painted our master bedroom and recarpeted. Boy, does it look better! We also hung 2" blinds in the windows and trashed the old ones (the old ones were 16 years old). We are hoping to sell our home soon so this is only the beginning. We still have to tile 2 bathrooms, paint them, and maybe replace a tub.

Per Doctor's orders, DH is having to stick to a no sugar, bread, rice or potatoes diet. You would be amazed at the food that has sugar. It has been quite an education to learn what he can eat. In 2 weeks, he lost 8 lbs! I told him I would follow the same diet which can't hurt (especially if the result is losing a few lbs.!) We shall see....

Scout Camping trip to Kia Kima

DH and DS/10 went on a camping trip to Kia Kima in Arkansas a couple of weeks ago. They had a blast! DS is th 4th one from the right. The raccoons got into their snack foods and ate most of it up. DS shot a bb gun and got 2 bull's eyes.

He shot a sling shot and hit 2 cans, went on hikes, crossed a monkey bridge,

and did arts and crafts.
When they returned home, boy, were they dirty and dusty! They had a great time, but were glad to get back home.

We have Too much stuff!

I've been cleaning out closets and it is amazing what can accumulate over 16 years in one house! A yellow and green polka dot purse, a gold fake leather purse (eww!) and red felt hat with a feather are just a few of the items that have got to go. We are having a yard sale next weekend, so we are still rummaging through the clutter. "One man's junk is another man's treasure"....right? I hope so, because we definitely have a lot of junk to sell and donate! I think it would be way more productive to have an unbiased person go through the stuff with me. I know I'd probably get rid of even more. I am learning (and it's about time), that we all actually need very little stuff. I haven't put aside one item for the sale that I've regretted. The deeper I go into the clutter abyss, the more I want to let go of the stuff that isn't useful or has a sad or negative memory attached to it.

Today, in observance of Memorial Day, DS/10 participated, with his scout troop, in a parade and placing flags on 47,000 soldiers' graves at National Cemetery. He's 2nd from the left in the back row. He did this last year, but it takes on a whole new meaning this year, since his brother is in the army now.

Decluttering is a good thing!

I've begun the overwhelming process of decluttering our home. Spring cleaning is next. It's amazing what can accumulate over the years! DS/10 has begun going through his things, also. I haven't missed one item that we've donated to charity. I love having more space, less clutter.

DH replaced our worn-out bathroom sink and counter in the master bath. It looks so much better!

I have stitched a bit on Gathering Honey since my last progress pic. I'll share a new one soon. I really need to finish it. I'm anxious to start a new "big" project.

Thanks to all who read my blog and comment. I enjoy reading each and every one!

Border Stitching

Here is my progress on "Gathering Honey". I haven't backstitched the border flowers or bees yet. You can see that one of the bees on the left border only has wings and no body. I may not back stitch any of the border until I get all the cross stitching done. The photo doesn't do justice to the colors. I am itching to stitch a few other projects, but I'd like to finish this large one first! So much stash...so little time.

Changing the subject entirely....
Our team, Univ. of Memphis, won last night...again! Go Tigers!! What an exciting game! I can't begin to tell you how funny the "happy dance" was that my DH and DS/10 did as we scored the winning point in the final 2 seconds of the game.

Check out the funny photo of my DH with the band he is in. This was taken in the Green Room, before they opened up for Jason Aldean. There were about 2,500 people there! Our son said he wondered if they had a button that said, "Son of the Keyboard Player" he could wear. I almost cracked up! ; )

DS/20 is now assigned to Ft. Carson, CO, in the Army Infantry. If anyone knows anything about Ft. Carson, I would like to hear from you.

I'm Still Here... Really

I know I've been a neglectful blogger. I just haven't been able to "express" myself very well lately. I hope to do better.

My soldier son has gotten his orders to be stationed over 16 hours from home. He may possibly be deployed soon. I can't bear to think about that now. It makes my stomach knot up.

This week was spring break for DS/10. He was sick the whole week. We did get to play UNO Attack a few times. It's a fun variation of the card game we enjoy as a family. We've been busy this past month with Pinewood Derby, Science Fair, Scouts, DH's music gigs, VBS decorations, etc.

I have been stitching off and on. I will share a pic shortly.

Long Ways Down

My Army son called me to tell me he jumped from a 250 ft. tower (with a parachute, of course). He said it was "very interesting". Next week, he will parachute from a plane. The jump next week will complete his Airborne training. Then, I'll find out what's next on his plate.

DS/10 had a birthday in January, entered Pinewood Derby (won a trophy), and had a ceremony to become a Webelo 2 in Scouts. He also completed his first science fair project. He won 2nd place at his school level! He is so excited!

Sorry, it's been so long since I blogged....life just got in the way.

My Hero "Turned Blue" & Graduated From Infantry

Our 20 year old son, a private in the US Army Infantry, "turned blue" last Thursday. The following day, we attended his graduation from Basic Infantry Training. Both ceremonies were very emotional. We also saw 3 different units being deployed to Iraq from the Atlanta airport while we were there, also. They are all sons or daughters. Some are moms, dads, brothers, and sisters of someone who loves them. I kept a lump in my throat both trips to the airport and throughout both ceremonies. Our freedom is being protected by these heroes.

Now, he is in a holding unit until a spot opens in Airborne training. Here's my hero.

Thanks, everyone, for all the comments! I've actually stitched some on Gathering Honey. I just need to take an updated pic. I'll share that soon.