One Year Blogoversary

Good Morning my friends! Hello to my new followers. I am so happy you have decided to stop by. =) I have been blogging for one year now. It has been a joy to join in with all of you.♥ It really warms my heart to experience such friendliness. I have met so many nice, caring friends.♥

I would like to give a few gifts to you for this, my one year blogoversary. Firstly, I made another bottle cap pincushion. I have never made two alike. So, yes, this is another Wintery Wisconsin one, but it is white with pale blue, DMC 775 floss. I also made the pale crystal counting pins.

These are freshwater pearl earrings straight from the jeweler (never worn).

 And this is a pretty pinpillow I have a hard time parting with! ;)

This pattern is from one of my older magazines, The Cross Stitcher, April 2009. The pattern is by Olde Willow Stitchery Threads, it is just simply called Quaker Motif.

This is stitched one over one with DMC B5200 on 32ct Antique Pink linen. I loved, loved, loved stitching on the little white buttons. I have never finished like this before and thought it up and loved the idea of it!

And this is the back. Isn't this just the sweetest motif? I found it at my library. ;) It is from the book Better Homes and Gardens Stitching Pretty. I just adore this little motif!!♥ This pinpillow is so  me!!

So my friends, if you are interested in this offering of mine you need to be a follower. You also need to leave me a comment on this post, please tell me if you are interested in the giveaway. Would you tell me how long you have been blogging?  I will draw a name for the winner on Wednesday, March 6th.

Mabel is improved. She is still on her medicines. She does seem not exactly the same. Like maybe she has only recovered 90% of the way? We are working with the vet with her medicines. We hope she makes a full recovery again, and goes a long time with out another flare up of pain.

As for me and my tummy, well, it is still burning. It takes some people longer to get rid of that while on the acid blockers. If it is not gone by the time the two weeks of meds are done, I have to call the doctor of course. I do NOT want an ulcer, nope!

Still stitching bargello and little things. =) Pictures soon I hope!

May God richly bless your day my friend.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

It's Been A Year!

Good Morning my friends! How are you? I hope you are happy and healthy. I have prayed for you my friends today. =)

Well, this week went from craptastic to fantastic. I haven't had a serious episode of gastritis for 9 years now. I was born a worrier. WRONG to worry, I know! Kinda hard to get it out of the old system. Well that can be rough on the stomach after so many years. Little flare ups once in a great while, just pop tums for a day or two. Not this time around. I took A LOT of ibuprofen when my pain increased recently. Then you add in the citric things I shouldn't be drinking or eating and you get profuse vomitting! Ugh! I have NEVER vomitted that much in my life. Nauseous and vomiting for 14 hours. Doctor gave me acid blockers to use for two weeks. He is fine with me relying on ibuprofen instead of the percocet. I will just need to take an acid blocker during those periods he says. My tum tum is still burning right now. It will take a few days.

Now, hey! Onto fantastic!!

 Yes! That's right!! Our boy got accepted into Marquette University Nursing School. We are so happy for him. And just a wee bit proud too! For those of you not in Wisconsin, Marquette is kind of a big deal. It's like the Ivy League College of Wisconsin or something. There were 1,100 applicants to the Nursing School this year. They are accepting 125. The letter states: "In addition to your academic achievement, your commitment to community service is impressive." Our children have been delivering clothes with my FIL, from my FIL's parish thrift shop to the homeless shelter in downtown Milwaukee for years now.

Then there is also this.

Yes, he was accepted at his second choice, Concordia University also. We already found out the financial aid available for him there would be fantastic. We will wait to hear from Marquette if it is great also. As long as he gets good scholarships and aid, he will choose Marquette. They are only one of two colleges in the state that offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree specializing in pediatrics. That is his plan thus far. If he chose Concordia, it would have to be a general degree for him, as they do not specialize in pediatrics there.

Did I mention he can live at home while attending either college?! At least to start. tee hee This mama is ♥happy♥!

So yes, I have been blogging exactly one year today. =) I am so thankful to have "met" all of you. I am sorry to say I did not finish one of the gifts on time. I will work on it today. I will have a "ONE YEAR GIVEAWAY" very soon then. ;)

Oh yes, a Mabel update. Thank you for your well wishes and prayers on her behalf, we are thankful.♥ She continues on the medications, but tapering off now. She definitely took longer to "come out of it" this time. Concerning, yes. I believe she is pulling out of it and clear. A few more days will tell. She is her happy self though. =)

I am still stitching on the scissor fobs. Yes, fobs. I decided that the bargello will be "too much" to place on the back of my "V" I stitched up for the front. So that means I need to make one more front and one more back. ;) But first I will work on the giveaway piece. Really!

Thank you for allowing me to share Jacob's University adventures with you at this time. =)

Have a great day in the Lord!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

200 Follower Giveaway Winner

Good Morning my friends! I want to thank every one of you who prayed for and thought of our Mabel. Finally, yesterday morning she woke up with improvement. We are so very thankful for this. It will probably take a few more days til she is good as new. She is so very precious to us.♥

We have a winner for my 200 Follower Giveaway! Carol! I have emailed you Carol. As soon as I get your mailing address, your STITCH pen, your pattern and your bottle cap pincushion will be on their way! =)

Made Cinnamon Swirl Bread in the bread machine yesterday. It's gone. ;) A loaf of any bread I bake does not make it 24 hours with us. =)

I am doing the finishing on the piece that I designed my own pattern for. It turned out just how I wanted. It will be off to the post office this week. Making it's way across the ocean. And that is about all we are going to hear about it for quite a while. It is a mysterious thing this project. Something I have never done. Sorry but it must remain a secret until spring. @_@

I am working on my own scissors fob. Lots of pinks and purples, imagine that. ;)

Look what came in the mail yesterday!

 Barb had a giveaway with numerous gifts. This is what I received from her. Such a wonderful pattern. She was so generous to also send the linen. Thank you again Barb.♥

Guess what? I am having ANOTHER GIVEAWAY very, very soon! My First Blogoversary! So exciting friends. That is what makes it exciting!! YOU! ALL OF YOU! It is just so neat to have "met" so many new friends. What a wonderful adventure this blogging is. Thank you for sharing your world with me. Thank you for sharing part of my world. I am honored to have you as a friend.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

♥Secret Stitching Sweetheart Valentine♥

Happy Valentine's Day my friends!! ♥ I hope you have a LOVEly day!

This is the picture sent to my by Jo:

A sweet floral heart. With PINK!! =) Are you my Secret Stitching Sweetheart??

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Please leave me a comment,
So I will know who!

I was left a surprise this morning.
















The sweetest little, silver swallow earrings from Brian. =)

I received a surprise package in the mail from Peggy yesterday.♥

The finish she created on the paper mache heart is just wonderful. It is full of chocolates and red floss. Thank you dear Peggy.♥

I want to keep this post happy, BUT I firmly believe in prayer. Will you please pray for sweet Mabel? She just began another round of back pain from her slipped discs this morning. I was late in getting this post up because I sat holding the sweet thing's head while she shakes and shivers in pain. The pain medicine has now kicked in and she has begun her muscle relaxant and steroid as well. Here we go again. She was symptom free for over 3 months. Thank you dear friends.♥

Don't forget, my 200 follower giveaway ends Sunday. Take a look here.

Have a look over at Jo's blog  to see all the Secret Stitchers today. Find out who is stitching for who! You can see all the pretties sent along to friends. =)

Have a wonderfully Happy Valentine's Day!  Secret Stitcher, I am waiting.........(impatiently, yes!)

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Valentine Cuteness

Good Morning my friends! Glad you stopped by. Thank you for your comments and kind words.

I have had an idea for a Valentine stitch for a few years. I decided this is the year to stitch it and get it done! Brian and I shared the 3 chocolates that were in this little Russell Stover chocolate box.

I have had this freebie waiting in my stash for years. It is called Mouse's Valentine. Aren't they precious? I used this freebie for the heart framing them. This is stitched on white 28 count Meran linen, one over one.

I have had this freebie in my stash for years also. I cannot find the link anywhere on the internet, I am sorry.

This is stitched 2 over 2 on 25ct mushroom Lugana. I fussy cut the back with some pretty pink and brown fabric from my stash.

It's filled with crushed walnut shells.

SQUEE!!

 I am stitching up a scissor fob for myself right now. I finished up The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis. Very good book. I really enjoy her writing. I'm gonna head on over to the library this morning. I am all out of books.

Have a wonderful day my friends. It is the beginning of Lent. The kids will receive ashes twice today! Once at Mass at school and tonight at our church service. Do you partake in Lent? Do you receive ashes in your church? I have another question. Do you "give something up" for Lent? I still have that Catholic trait in me. (I was Catholic the first 30 years of my life. I became Lutheran like my husband and children.) I gave up Hot Chocolates and Tea Chai Lattes. I don't drink coffee or tea, but I drink those yummies once a day, at home, almost every day. A very small sacrifice really, I know. Once, when I was about 20, I gave up all sweets and all meats for the whole 40 days. Now that was a challenge! But I did it.

If you haven't seen, I am having a giveaway. Take a look here. I find it ironic that it is my "200 Follower Giveaway" and I lost one follower and am now back at 199. ;)

Well, anyhow, take care til tomorrow. I'll be back with the Secret Sweetheart Stitching post. =)

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

So Very Proud

Good Morning my friends! I hope you are well. I am praying specifically for some of you.♥

Last night our Jacob returned to us from the Kairos retreat he went on with school. This time he was a group leader. This retreat is lead mainly by peers, so it is secretive, you don't really get to know what it is about until you go yourself. Former participants can come back as leaders after over a dozen hours of training and developing.

Last night was the closing ceremony at the chapel at school. The parents are all there to welcome them home. I cannot believe I forgot to bring tissue again!! Each child can come up to the "open podium" to share if they choose. There were at least 5 of those students who bravely shared that they had doubted God existed. They said that God found them and they now believe. Oh geesh! I am crying again. (I cry from everything. No really, EVERYTHING!!)

The parents were asked to write a love letter to their child ahead of time. These were read aloud in front of the group at the retreat. There was one young man last night who told us because of that letter, he knew his family loved him. He said he never knew that. Stop right there friends. Can you imagine that? No, really? This quiet young man was a very troubled young man. You could see it. What is his story? I watched for him to leave later. He left alone. Where were his parents? Who welcomed him back?

So we are very proud that Jacob is moved enough, that he is Christian enough, to share his faith and to help others come to faith.

Well our Emerson has also made us so very proud.  He has won a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art Competition. There were over fifteen hundred entries from our state of Wisconsin. It is for grades 7-12. There were 325 winners of Gold, Silver and Honorable Mentions. The Gold Key winners go on to National Competitions for Gold and Silver Medals. This is Emerson's drawing.

You can click on it for a better look!

It is hanging in the Milwaukee Art Museum. The award ceremony was there as well, in this grand reception hall, The Windhover Hall.
 
 This is located directly below the Calatrava-designed Burke Brise Soleil.



Have you made it this far friends? Well, alrighty then! I made up this little sweetie.

one over one on 28ct ?pink? evenweave

This is a freebie found here. Um, that's not the exact page, but I am not truly sure I have fellow poodle stitchers out there. I may be the only NUT! ;) But if you are interested, have a look around the site. I actually, yes I really did squeal in delight when I found these. My husband doesn't see the charm in the refrigerator bottle cap magnet COLLECTION so much anymore. "Don't we have enough?" ha HA HA! Yes, remember I did say I am a poodle nut!!

I have had this teeny, tiny pom pom trim waiting for it's moment. I did change the chart colors around a bit. I have mentioned before, but I will say it again these are the large 2 inch bottle caps. They are found at JoAnn.

Still stitching on my Valentine project. It is adorable. And no, there are no poodles involved. ;)

If you have not seen, I am having my 200 follower giveaway here.

I hope your day is filled with wonderful, stitchy goodness, and more importantly LOVE!♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

The Giveaway Winner and The 200 Follower Giveaway

A Snowy Good Morning to you my friends! Welcome new friends! Because of you all, I have 200 followers. It is amazing to me. I am thankful to God for you. I have made so many new friends. ♥

This is Miss Mabel finding the peanut. Literally. She is crazy for peanuts. I can honestly say this is the first one I have ever given her. Brian and her are the nuts for nuts. HA! ;) So I hid the tiny peanut piece under all the names of you ladies who entered my giveaway for the SANQ magazine. This is the one that fell out of the dish.

Hooray it's Catherine! It will be in the mail shortly my friend!♥

As I said, I have reached 200 followers! So I will have another giveaway for you my friends! =) The gifts are:

I made this "STITCH" on 28ct black linen. I have made this from Primitive Betty before. You can see that here. This is a black refillable pen.

This sweet little bottle cap pincushion and counting pins. I thought it gave kind of a wintery feeling. Very appropriate for our weather in Wisconsin right now.

And lastly, this Crown & Thistle pattern, Winifred Gardener- a friend of Jenny Beans.

So if you happen to like these three gifts(poodles not included folks;), you need to leave a comment on this post letting me know that. Also you need to be one of my 200 followers. If you are not, become a new follower! =) I will draw the name of the winner on Sunday, February 17th, my father's birthday.

I am stitching up a Valentine's piece.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie