All The Way From Malaysia

Good Morning my friends! How are you? I am doing pretty well, thank you! The acid reflux is taming down. Not gone, but better. My hip pain is low.Hooray! God is good!

I won the recent giveaway of Lillie. Take a look at these wonderful gifts she sent me, all the way from Malaysia!

What a neat thing this needle pocket is. I love the Malaysian beads!

I read about your beautiful country on every one of these postcards you sent me Lillie. Thank you. I find it fascinating to learn of our fellow stitcher's countries. Lillie also sent me these adorable, little scissors.

I finished reading Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini. What a great book! I loved it and highly recommend it.  I have never been disappointed with any of Jennifer Chiaverini's books. I am now listening to Sovereign The Books of Mortals by Ted Dekker. He is my all-time favorite author. I have never listened to a book on CD before. I thought I would give it a try since I love to read, but then my stitching time is greatly reduced. It is working out great.  I still prefer to read a real paper book, but this is rather awesome being able to do both, at the same time!!

I am very close to a finish, probably today. It is a Lizzie Kate I bought this summer at our LNS, The Stitch Inn. Which reminds me, The Stitch Inn, closed. I no longer have an LNS. =( I buy all my floss at JoAnn. Looks like I will be buying all my short needles and linen online now. So sad really isn't it?

Emerson is gone on a Kairos Retreat until Friday evening. You can read about Kairos (with Jacob) in my post here. Jacob is partly involved in this one again. They like to bring back former students who are willing to participate and support the younger students in faith formation. I WILL remember to bring my tissues to the closing ceremony on Friday evening. ;)

I thanked God for all of you today! There are some of you who need extra prayer.♥ You got it!! Shirlee is most heavily on my mind and heart right now. She is in surgery as I type this. She is having heart surgery. Say a prayer for her too, won't you?

Thanks for stopping by today old friends and new! I am so glad you did. =)

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

Flora McSample Heart Sampler Giveaway

Good Morning my friends! Cooler weather here. The leaves are starting to change color. Emerson returned home to us last night from his Kairos Retreat. He had a very good experience. =)

I purchased Flora McSample Heart Sampler from Lizzie Kate back in June from The Stitch Inn. I just finished stitching it up a few days ago.

Isn't she sweet? I stitched this two over two with DMC on the provided 28ct Mint Green Cashel linen.

I went straight off to the thrift shop to look for a suitable frame. There was one in the correct size but not the right look. I will keep looking for a while yet.

You know what I do with most of my patterns once I have them stitched up don't you? ;) Yup! I offer them to you! So, would you like to stitch this sweet little  sampler? You will get the pattern and the remaining beads for the flower. There are more than enough still. You would have to come up with your own charm or idea for inside the basket. And as you can see, I kinda used the linen. ;)

If you would like to own this pattern, please leave me a comment here telling me so. You need to be a follower. I will draw the name of winner on Thursday, September 26th.

I found a few cute things for myself while shopping this week. Gotta love these slippers, right?!

Look at this cute little hand sanitizer holder from Bath & Body Works! I told the cashier I was quite sure this was intended for perhaps girls 40 years younger than myself, but I love poodles and I love pink. She told me it was just for me then! ;)

Have a stitchtastic weekend friends! I am so glad you stopped by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Holy, Holy, Holy

Good Morning friends! This is the other little stitch I was up to last weekend.

This great little pattern can be found in the JCS 2011 Christmas Ornaments Issue. It is called Holy, Holy, Holy by Summer House Stitche Workes. I stitched it one over one on 32ct mystery linen. I really like the colors.
I showed it to you with Emerson's Kairos necklace. This is a Jerusalem Cross.

Sometimes you just have to say, "Wait a minute!!!", and then you stitch something totally and completely for yourself! That's what I did here. I had plans of making up a snow globe for myself LAST year. Well, since I need a night time project to stitch in front of the kids(remember I am stitching up Henries during the day time?), I told myself this wouldn't take long and I was not going to wait another winter!!

I have other gifts to make up, yes. But, hey sometimes I want SOMETHING for me too! ;) So here it is in the snow globe all finished up.

Every time I look at it, guess what goes through my head? Yup!
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

I started stitching up another small design for the other side. This pattern has nothing to do with the first. I didn't think it has to, since they are on opposite sides. A little variety. ;)

Jo recently asked what my favorite top five designs from the JCS Christmas Ornaments Issue are. So here ya go, in the order they appear in the magazine.

Peace by Blackbird Designs

Ewe-le Tide Greetings by Mosey 'n Me

Baby Cardinal by The Victoria Sampler-Designs by Cathy Jean

Not Even a Mouse by Little by Little Design Co.

The Golden Circle by Gentle Pursuit Designs

That was fun Jo! She got the idea from fellow bloggers. What are YOUR favorites from this ornament issue? =)

Well, off to stitch Henry #2. Wanna see Henry #1?

one over one on pale green 30ct linen

Sorry the picture is a bit washed out, I took it in the bright afternoon light streaming through the window. I think the second and third ones will stitch up faster, since I was tweaking my design and my colors as I went with this. I used six different shades of apricot for this little squirt. ;) I am pleased with how he turned out.♥

Have a wonderful, stitchtastic day my friends! Thanks for your kind words.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

"Do you guys have any treats? They are putting me on a diet here! Help!!"