"Blesses is the season which engages the whole world

in a conspiracy of love!"

Hamilton Wright Malie

 

 

Let me start by wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas". I hope you are all more prepared then I am. I sometimes feel I am so far behind I am ahead for next year. Having a young child in the house again and trying to fit in the homework and her schedule has really put me behind. I now know why having children is for the young.

 

I last left you saying I would show you a picture of what my husband says "you have lost it now". Before Anna came into our daily lives and I had her room as my stitching room and there was a tall lamp beside my chair that a hook was attached that held my patterns where I could see them. I have missed that a lot and wanted something to hold a pattern while I sat in my new comfy chair. When I was out buying school supplies in the fall I saw some clipboards for a dollar and thought that is what I want to use to hold my pattern. Well it was ugly and plain and I had a piece I had stitched and was originally going to make into a pillow for my old stitch room. So after a bit of experimenting this is what I came up with.

 

Well my husband said you really have lost it when you cover a clipboard with a padded material, how are you going to write on it. I said I don't want to write on it I want it to hold my pattern.  So by covering a clip board have I lost it. This snowman biscornu pattern I have had for about 5 years and finally started it in November, well that is all that is done and maybe by next Christmas I will have it done.
If the pattern on the board looks off, she originally was holding a picture of a chicken but I like hearts better.

My daughter needed an ornament for an exchange so I made this beaded one for her to take.

Right before Thanksgiving a package arrived from Pam (Confessions of a Southern Stitcher). Oh how delicious these two boxes of Godiva chocolates were. I say were because they are all now gone and I didn't share a single one. I love the boxes and may try and cover them. I can see a cross stitch on the top of them.

I have been busy trying to teach Anna how to make hats on the loom. She wanted to make one for her Grandpa in England.

She finally got it done and it is in the mail. She was so proud of her hat. She is getting excited for Christmas and it will be fun having a kid in the house on Christmas morning. She loves the American Girl dolls and wanted another one. We have about 6 in the house. OK a couple were my daughters and I confess I have a couple of my own. You can barely see my Samantha in the sleigh behind her. We told her she can pick out a outfit or two to ask for but that is about it. Well I just couldn't resist and the new one she wanted will be under our tree from Santa. My husband said it is her first Christmas without both parents lets just spoil her. I have to say I look forward to seeing her open it and hope she shares it with me.

 

 

Yesterday I got this fun surprise package in the mail from Pam. Don't you just love the button tree. She stitched the most beautiful ornament to go with all the goodies. I did have to laugh because Pam once tried to get me hooked on silk threads and now she is introducing me to Sullivan threads.
Pam you are so thoughtful, thank you very much.

A few of you sent me a Christmas card and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I had wanted to get out a few this year but just this week finally got the family ones out. Well there is always next year.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a peaceful New Year.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart,

and try to keep it all the year."

Charles Dickens

 

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

 

Thank you dear friends.

Hold a true friend with both your hands.

Nigerian Proverb

 

I truly hold all of you with both my hands. Your comments on my last post have meant the world to me. How gracious you are to welcome me back after such a long absence.

 

I did do some stitching and sewing over the summer. It was my only way of keeping my sanity.

 

First I had a couple of pieces I had been working on for awhile but didn't really know how I wanted to finish them. I knew they would be for my daughter and she is the one who told me what she wanted.

 

 

Yes this piece is suppose to say "Reading, Writing, and Stitching". Well my daughter doesn't stitch but I wanted to do it for her because she is a teacher. OK sub trying to get a full time position.

This piece is a composition book cover.

 

 

She was very pleased with this one and asked if I could cover a binder for her. Well I had just the piece waiting for a home.

 

I started back in March this next piece. It was the piece Belinda at Blue Ribbon Designs taught at the first New England retreat. When I saw the piece I wished I had attended that class. I was so excited when the pattern was released with the shaker box. I finished the piece but never got around to finishing it. I couldn't get to a lot of working stash since I was in the process of getting it all out of my craft room making the room ready for Anna to have full time. Well this summer I finally got my supplies where I could find them and was determined to finish another project.

 

I just loved the saying "Hands to work, hearts to God".

I finished mine with a cording around the top.

It was a happy day to finally have it done.

 



I bought this pattern at the Tulsa retreat in April. It seemed to call out to me as we were right in the middle of not really knowing what the future was going to hold for us. This is my first piece I have finished filling with the crushed shells. I finished the back with a fabric frame around some wool to keep pins in. It sits on my chair arm next to me and I find myself playing with it. I think the crushed shells makes it my stress relief pillow, I find it comforting to just hold. It is sitting on my one year chronological bible. I am finding reading it this way is making so much more sense to me. I only have until Dec. 31 to finish reading it. It has also been nice because my daughter and I are reading it together and have enjoyed  our discussions.

Like I needed another chart with the many that I already had but when I saw this cute thimble purse from With Thy Needle I knew I had to have it. Mostly because she is holding a pair of scissors. Many of you know they are my addition.

 

It is lined with the same fabric it is sitting on. Of course mine does not hold a thimble, mine holds those tiny little scissors. This was a fun piece to make.

Lastly I stitched this little pillow for Pastor Appreciation Day. She has preached on this passage before so thought it would be a perfect little gift.

 

 

 

So that is what I have been up to. I will get some picture of the project my husband said "now you have lost it". I will keep you hanging with that.

 

Thank you again for all your wonderful comments. I am still trying hard to read blogs on a more regular basis.

 

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

 



I have truly miss you all.

"No matter how far off the pedestal the character fell -

they always got a second chance.

Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts the Lord

has given us. With it come understanding."

Arthur Unknown

 

 

I have missed everyone in blogland terribly and ask for your forgiveness in being gone so long. I knew it had been a long time but when I saw it was July 12 th since my last post it really made me sad. I truly love reading all your blogs and posting small bits about my life. When I started blogging I had all the free time in the world and life was going just how I had always planned it to be. My kids are both grown up and have left the nest. I still worry about them but not as much as I did when they lived at home and I knew about their every move. Little did I know that taking in a little girl would change our lives so much, after all I had raised two of my own. This summer was quite an adjustment period for us. I was sure as soon as school started I would get a small part of my life back. Boy was I wrong. We knew our niece came to us far below her grade level and her school and homework habits were lacking tremendously. So my leisure days of stitching and blogging had to put on the back burner. During the day I try and get as much done as possible because as soon as the school bell rings my work is cut out for me. Doing homework was really putting a stress on the household not to mention her everyday chores. She has been in school about 2 months now and we are finally getting into a routine. It is not perfect but is now at least tolerable. I have manged to do some stitching. I had to just to save my sanity. But blogging was non-existent. 

I ask for your forgiveness as I try and get back into reading. I have missed it so much and really need it back into my life.

 

To Bekca - The Stitching Lion, I really need to ask for forgiveness and apologize for being so tarty in posting about your wonderful gift. Many months ago Becka announced she was going to give a gift away one a month for a bloggers birthday. I won the July birthday. Her little gift arrived when I most needed it. It truly lifted my spirits.

 

First the package arrived and I was sure it must be my invitation to the royal wedding. I couldn't imagine what took so long.

 

 

Inside was beautiful ribbons and floss all in my favorite pink. She included a cute summer stitching kit. Thank you Bekca it really brightened my day.

Pam at Confessions of a Southern Stitcher sent me a pick me up package.

She knows I have a big weakness for a frosted cookies. Well I can say they were both enjoyed with a nice cup of tea.

She also stitched me this cute little pillow. I love the rick-rack in the corners. Thank you Pam it really lifted my spirits.

Over the summer I also received a nice letter from Mouse - Tales of a stitching mouse. I am afraid when I returned her letter that I may have rambled a bit. I might have used her more as a therapist and not so much as a friend. Thank you Mouse for the wonderful letter.

When I last posted I was working on ornaments for a tree we are raffling off at church. Two of us stitched the 40 ornaments that would adorn the tree. They were in a magazine titled the "School Nativity". Well I managed to get my 20 done.

 

I have been doing some other stitching and hope to post more regular. I told Pam I was embarrassed to come back to blogging because it had been too long. She encouraged me to return and said bloggers are understanding. So I ask you to please forgive me of my long absence. I am going to try and get caught on my blog reading. I know I can never go back and read over 3 months worth but I will try real hard to keep in touch.

 

 

" If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means

you never take chances."

Julia Soul

 

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa

 

When Life Gets In The Way

"Life is like a book;

Don't jump to the end to see if it's worth it.

Just enjoy life and fill the pages with

beautiful and amazing memories."

Arthur Unknown

All I can say is "Life" has taken over and kept me from blogging. It has been on my mind and I have been thinking of you all. I tried yesterday for the first time in over 2 months to read some blogs. I guess I am really just going to have to start over it was just too overwhelming. So what have I been doing in the last 2 months, I guess you can say I was making memories.

After my last blog my wonderful husband and I took a trip. It is one that was booked before my BIL passed and the family insisted we still take it and spend some time alone. You see every year in May we take a trip up north to Bellingham WA with some friends. Usually we drive but once we flew. This year they had a great idea, we cruised up. We left Long Beach and cruised up the coast stopping in San Franciso, Victoria and ending in Vancouver Canada. We then took the train to Bellingham where we stayed for a week and then flew home. I did manage to stitch one thing but have not decided on a finish.

We really had a wonderful and relaxing time. We came home and jumped right back into life. Two days later we had Anna's Open House.

And soon after it was her 5 th grade promotion.

With the promotion and her finishing up school in Pasadena that means we started having her full time. That is when my stitching came to a complete stop. I still had to get all my stuff out of the closet and find a place for it. Yes all my wonderful stash had to find a new home. So this is what it looked like for a few days.

I talked my husband into selling our old wicker furniture in the sun room and buying me some comfortable stuff. The piece with the four big baskets was bought to help store some of my stash. Well I discovered I would need about 10 of those to hold it all. So some down sizing was in order. I have looked thru about 65 stitching magazines and torn out only items I knew I would stitch someday. I also did that with some cooking magazines I had in the room. That helped a bit. I think I now have everything in a new home, not sure I can remember where but it is out of sight.

In the meantime we have been to court twice, once for a half day interview to see if we are acceptable parents for Anna. You can give birth to a child and no one cares, take one in and they check everything about you. On June 28, a day before Anna's 11th birthday we received full guardianship of her and now she is all ours.

To celebrate we took Anna on her first road trip. She loves Jelly Belly candy and so we drove up north to the factory to show her how they are made. Our first stop was Sacramento to show her our state capitol.

Then it was off to see the candy being made.

We took the scenic ride back home along the coast and stopped in Monterey, Morro Bay and Solvang a cute Danish town. She really like exploring the tide pools at Morro Bay.

We all had a wonderful time getting to know each other better.

To top off our new parenting, my hubbie and I had an eye exam and took her with us. The doctor did a small test on her and said she needed a full exam. So we took her and discovered she really needs glasses. This should really help her with her school work and reading. She is very pleased with her new glasses and says everything even looks brighter now.

Now that life is slipping back into a normal mode I am trying to get back into stitching and blogging. The only thing I have managed to stitch is the beginning of some ornaments for a church project. There are 40 ornaments that are called the school nativity. Two of us are each stitching half and they will be put on a tree to auction off in November. I have 2 and a half done so far of my 20.

I look forward to spending some quiet time reading blogs in the mornings and can't wait to catch up on your lives.

Always keep love in your stitches,
Teresa





I am so blessed.

"A blessed thing it is for any man or woman

to have a friend, one human soul who

we can trust utterly, who knows the best

and worst of us, who loves us in

spite of all our faults."

Charles Kingsley

I think blogges and crafters are just such friends that accept us as we are. In blogs you can tell your thoughts and share a little bit of lives to others. I do so enjoy reading blogs and learning all about you. OK sometimes I get a abit behind but I am still here. Still trying to adjust to my new life God has chosen for us.

Tricia from The Stampers Stitching is one of the those kind bloggers. She also goes by the name Mrs. Graceworks. I was extremely fortunate to have recieved a wonderful package from her in the Christmas exchange. If you do not follow her blog she not only does cross stitch but she makes the most beautiful handmade cards. What a surprise it was when a package arrived from her. It included several of her lovely cards for me. She also included the cutest little journal she made for my niece Anna. How special we both felt. Tricia said when she was a teacher each student had a journal they could leave her with questions they didn't want to ask out loud and she would answer back, sometimes asking a questins her self. Anna and I look forward to answering each other questions.

How do you spend your mornings? Mine use to be getting up early and getting some housework done and then enjoying myself stitching. I still get some stitching done just not as much as I would like. I have been stitching the apron in a piece that seems like it is taking me forever to get done.  I am also in the process of emptying out my craft room to make room for Anna's things.

I have not told you much about Anna's past but lets just say it is not a life a child should have lived. Her parents taught her no responsibilities are asked nothing much of her. She is use to doing what she wants when she wants. She has been very good about learning the boundries or our home. She told me the other day I know you are strict but now I understand and it's ok. She came from a home where they never ate together and all her meals were in her less than clean room. She loves eating at the table with all of us and her table manners have improved tremendously. Her grade have even gone up. Because she came from no rules she did what she wanted she many times was just bored and colored on just about anything. Usually with markers. So this now gets to how I spent my morning. Instead of stitching I spent the morning trying to get marker streaks out of a American Girl doll's hair. She does love her dolls and we are now learning the proper way to take care of them. I scrubed the dolls skin with Comet (OK don't recommend this beauty treatment to all of you) washed her hair and conditioned it. Got most of the marker out. For you info yellow and green come out a lot easier then pink marker. I did have to dip a Q-tip in bleach and get most of that out. After a comb out and a small trim this is my mornings success.

Once her hair dries I suppose I should get her dressed again. It is kind of fun playing with dolls again after so many years of them packed away. My favorite growing up was Barbies, what was yours?

We had our first court date and everything went wonderful. We just have to be bonded. They don't want us running off with all her money. What money I ask? We have not gone through probate so who knows what money will be left. Oh well that's our court system. The judege did say this is a real quardianship case where both parents have passed. He said mostly he sees kids being taken away from parents.

Thank you again for all your support. I am still out here and trying my best to keep up with blogs.

Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa





Such Kindness

" Tell the Lord how thankful you are,

because He is kind and always merciful."

Psalm 118:1

Such kindness has been been given to me and I am most thankful. First Karen from Sew Much 2 Luv sent me and and my niece Anna the most thoughtful gifts. She sent me a cute little pillow with a stitching angel on it. I just love how she has labels with her blog that she attaches to her goodies. Karen does the cutest sewing on her blog with lots of fun things for her grandkids. She was so very kind to include an adorable pink owl purse for Anna. She was so excited to get her first mail at our house. She said she was going to put her tissues and lip gloss in her bag. Remember when that was all the important stuff you needed to put in your purse and you were ready to go.

You can't tell but the card says "anything is possible". I have to believe that.

Thank you so much Karen for your overwheming kindness.

I participated again in the Stitched With Love Exchange. Thank you Lainey for another wonderful exchange.

I was so lucky to recieve a wonderful package full of goodies from Catherine at Bramblewood Stitches.

Not only was my exchange piece adorable but was stitched in my favorite color, pink.
Catherine really went out of her way to make the package special. She included lots of patriotic fabric and some scissors to add to my wonderful growing collection. She also included some fun school themed note paper. She included a wonderful new pattern with all the threads for it. Lots of cute buttons and linens were also enclosed. Thank you so much for spoiling me.

I sent my package to Shannon of My Little Stitching Blog.

I really have enjoyed participating in the exchanges. I am afraid this next one I will have to sit out. We will be out of town for awhile and I won't have time to get a package together.

I did manage to get a few pictures taken of some of the stuff I did and received at camp.

 Each night we were given some goodies at our door. The first night we received this lovely Vera Bradley bag and notebook.

The next night we received a Vera Bradley little box and nail file. Also included was a Silver Needle thread holder, painted magnet and patterm.

How spoiled were we. We also received 4 projects we could work on. I only got two of them done. First was a little fabric holder with a Lizzy Kate pattern we could use to stitch something on the band.

I still need to get some cording around my scissor fob.

We each recieved a kit to make these cute paperclips. I was lucky to get this teacher set. I will be giving them to my daughter and possibly making more now that I will be buying teacher gifts again in my future.

The other projects we received was for a block finish. We got the pattern and all the materials to make it into a block. I really learned alot about putting one together. Now we will have to see if I ever get one done. The other project was a lovely wooden pin cushion from Sudberry. I didn't care for the pattern we were to stitch for it so I am looking thru my stash for a different pattern.

I took all the girls at the camp a card with my blog and a homemade heart counting pin along with a See's sucker.

I have had so much kindness given to me not just in packages but from prayers and comments. I am truely thankful for them all. I am slowing getting back to a normal blog reading routine and leaving a few comments.  An udate on my niece, she is staying with us on weekends for now until school is out and with MIL during the week. She is very excited about coming to live with us. She said "Aunt Teresa I know you are strick but I understand now why you are and it's OK". We have our first court date on May 2 nd.  In 52 years I have never seen a lawyer before much well gone before a judge. I really don't have a fear on the background check we are really a boring normal family. Hopefully there won't be too many hoops they want us to jump thru. Thank you again for all your support.

Always keep love in your stitches,
Teresa



Heartfelt Thank You

"The best exercise for strengthening

the heart is reaching down and lifting people up."

Ernest Blevins

I can not begin to thank you for the wonderful inspiring comments you left after my last post. I am now trying to get back into my so called normal life. I read some blogs today for the first time in over three weeks. I think I am just going to have to start over there is no way I can go back and get caught up. My niece is on spring break so we got her the Tuesday morning after I returned from my camp Monday night. We will have her until Monday morning when I take her back to school. Since school is a bit of a drive in traffic she stays with MIL during the week and we get her on Friday afternoon's until Monday mornings. This will only last until the first of June when school is out.  We just hate to take her out of her school so close to the end. She is excited about coming to live with us full time and even looks forward to going to a new school and having a fresh new start.

Speaking of fresh new starts, going to camp with Pam was just the fresh start I needed.  What a wonderful time I had with Pam getting away and hiding from reality. The Silver Needle in Tulsa was a fabulous shop. I had no trouble spending my two gift certificates I got for Christmas plus more.  Here are some pictures of inside the store.

This is Lindy the shop owner and Mona her finishing expert along with Pam and me.

Here are a few picture of where we spent our wonderful relaxing time stitching.

This was Pam and my table where we shared with 3 lovely ladies.

This was the view from the window.

On Friday night we went to a Amish farm where they prepared a delicious meal for all of us, about 36.

Here are some scenes around the farm.

And I thought I couldn't go braless any more!

This is us coming home from the dinner. We stitched in the big room that looks over the lake and at the other end was bunk style rooms we stayed in. OK I had the top bunk, not good when you have to get up in the night to visit the bathroom.

I don't have pictures yet of the projects we did and the goodies we received. I will post those next week after spring break when I get my stitching room back.

Thank you again for all the wonderful support you have given me in this time in our lives. Your kind words really meant a lot to me as I was struggling with this decision to bring in a young person this time in our lives. I have truly surrounded myself with such compassion and kindess with bloggers and crafters.

"As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselfs with compassion, kindness, humilty,

gentleness and patience."

Colossians 3:12

Have a wonderful Easter. Always keep love in your stitches,

Teresa