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Hi friends! I do not have a finish to share with you but I do have something special to share. I found this wonderful corner shelf in excellent condition on FB Marketplace for a very good price. It is a great solution to display my finished cross stitch pieces here in the apartment. I am so pleased.😊 I now have all my Valentine pieces out and many of my pink poodles too!🐩

Isn't is wonderful?! I am so happy to once again have room to display my cross stitch!

I am always looking for a good book.😀 I was thinking a while ago about the series,The Cat Who... by Lilian Jackson Braun. I read the first 12 books in this series decades ago, and just never kept on. The kids were little, I think that had a lot to do with it. I decided to pick up where I left off. I recently read The Cat Who Moved A Mountain and The Cat Who Wasn't There. I am happy to say I enjoyed both of these books. I will be continuing right along with this series until the end. I do know that Lilian Jackson Braun is deceased now, so once I reach the end of the list, that will be it. I am only half way through the series though, so I am happy with that! It is a fun series. A good mystery with smart cats who help solve the problem in every story!

A murder in the mountains has Jim Qwilleran and his cats Koko and Yum Yum feeling on edge in this mystery in the bestselling Cat Who series. Qwill’s on top of the world when he rents a house on Big Potato Mountain. The owner, J.J. Hawkinfield, brought real estate development to the once-peaceful Potatoes. But Hawkinfield paid a steep price for his enterprise: He was pushed off a cliff by an angry mountain dweller. Qwilleran, however, suspects the man is innocent—and Koko’s antics have him convinced something’s wrong. He may be making a mountain out of a molehill...but he’s determined to find the truth. Even if it means jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire!

In this mystery in the bestselling Cat Who series, Jim Qwilleran takes a trip to Scotland and brings home a case that only his cats Koko and Yum Yum can solve... Qwill’s on his way to Scotland—and on his way to solving another purr-plexing mystery. But this time, Koko’s nowhere near the scene of the crime. He and Yum Yum are back in Pickax, being coddled by a catsitter...but Koko won’t sit still once Qwill’s traveling party returns—minus one member. He’s behaving oddly, and Qwill knows what that means: Koko may have been miles away from the murder scene—but he’s just a whisker away from cracking the case!

I am stitching up a Valentine piece right now. I still need to do that final finishing on my punch needle piece. I need some motivation.🙄

I hope you have a SUPER week my friends! I am so glad you stopped by. I appreciate your comments. You brighten my day!

Stay warm! It is REALLY cold here!

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” -Psalm 46:1

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

⛄⛄⛄

Hi friends! Let me share my latest finish with you. It is for my cubby shelf.

This is 'January-Snowman' from Rainbow Gallery. This is the 2005 Cross Stitcher's Surprise Series. These call for Rainbow Gallery Fibers, I am using DMC for the whole series. I just looked at the color pattern picture and chose my own. And made a few changes. Had to add pink! 😉It's calling for a large snowflake charm. I do not have one, and honestly when it is stitched this little, it does not need one. I stitched this one over one on 25ct cream Dublin linen.

I have a punch needle finish that I need to fully finish. I hope to get that done this week.

I am behind in sharing my book review with you, so bear with me please. This one is one of my favorites.Rococo by Adriana Trigiani.😁 Just a funny, different, great story. I really liked it!
New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, beloved by millions of readers around the world for her humor, warmth, and captivating storytelling in the Big Stone Gap trilogy and Lucia, Lucia, takes on love, lust, tricky family dynamics, and home decorating in Rococo, the uproarious tale of a small Italian American town poised for a makeover it never expected. Bartolomeo di Crespi is the acclaimed interior decorator of Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey. To date, Bartolomeo has hand-selected every chandelier, sconce, and ottoman in OLOF, so when the renovation of the local church is scheduled, he assumes there is only one man for the job. From the dazzling shores of New Jersey to the legendary fabric houses of New York City, from the prickly purveyors of fine art in London to luscious Santa Margherita on the Mediterranean coast of Italy, Bartolomeo is on a mission to bring talent, sophistication, and his aesthetic vision to his hometown. Trigiani’s glittering mosaic of small-town characters sparkles: Bartolomeo’s hilarious sister, Toot, is in desperate need of a postdivorce transformation–thirteen years after the fact; “The Benefactor,” Aurelia Mandelbaum, the richest woman in New Jersey, has a lust for French interiors and a long-held hope that Bartolomeo will marry her myopic daughter, Capri; Father Porporino, the pastor with a secret, does his best to keep a lid on a simmering scandal; and Eydie Von Gunne, the chic international designer, steps in and changes the course of Bartolomeo’s creative life, while his confidante, cousin Christina Menecola, awaits rescue from an inconsolable grief. Plaster of Paris, polished marble, and unbridled testosterone arrive in buckets when Bartolomeo recruits Rufus McSherry, a strapping, handsome artist, and Pedro Allercon, a stained-glass artisan, to work with him on the church’s interior. Together, the three of them will do more than blow the dust off the old Fatima frescoes–they will turn the town upside down, challenge the faithful, and restore hope where there once was none. Brilliantly funny and as fanciful as flocked wallpaper, filled with glamorous locales from New Jersey to Europe, from Sunday Mass to the American Society of Interior Designers soirée at the Plaza Hotel, Rococo is Trigiani’s masterpiece, a classic comedy with a heart of gold leaf.

I hope you have an excellent remainder of your week my friends! Thank you for stopping by! I am so glad you did!

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Murphy by Madeleine

🌟Merry Christmas!🌟

Merry Christmas to my fellow Orthodox Christian friends!

Do you like the pink lights?! They are brand new this year and I love them!💗💗💗 The angel is 23 years old. I made her and two others like her, for my mom and MIL. The ornaments you see are mostly Madeleine's and Emerson's. Jacob's are at his apartment now. I fill in the remaining spaces with "ours".

This is the gift I stitched for Brian.

This is stitched one over one with DMC B5200 on mystery green 28ct linen. I finished this tree in the same way our friend Woody does. She has made many, many trees and she gave me a few helpful tips! This will not be my last tree! Thank you Woody!🎄

Thank you for stopping by today my friends! I am so glad you did! I hope you have a wonderful, stitchtastic week!

"But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble." -Psalm 59:16

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

💗Happy New Year💗

Hi friends! I finished this freebie on New Year's Eve.

This is available from Kinkavel Krosses you can find it HERE Be forewarned, she has many freebies with profanity.😒  I stitched this one over one on light blue 32 count linen with DMC B5200. Just so it can fit in my cubby shelf!!

Now back to stitching Brian's Christmas gift. Almost done!

More Adriana Trigiani!! Can you tell I love this author?! That should tell you something! Go read her books!😉 They are all good. This series was another good one. Not the best one by her, but another good one about an Italian American shoemaking family.
Poignant, funny, warm, and red hot, Very Valentine is a wonderful treat for Adriana Trigiani fans—a “delightful” (Boston Globe), “romance-soaked novel” (Marie Claire) from much adored playwright, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, and New York Times bestselling author of Lucia, Lucia; Rococo; and Big Stone Gap. The adventures of an extraordinary and unforgettable woman as she attempts to rescue her family’s struggling shoe business and find love at the same time, Very Valentine sweeps the reader from the streets of Manhattan to the picturesque hills of la bella Italia. Already a national bestseller, here is a valentine from the incomparable Trigiani that you can take into your heart.

Trigiani's sequel to Very Valentine is a sweet second act for shoemaker and designer Valentine Roncalli. Val takes over the New York family-run shoe business with feet-of-clay older brother, Alfred; falls for the dashing, older Gianluca in Italy; and takes a business risk in South America, where she unearths a dusty chapter of family history. There are plenty of picturesque globe-trotting adventures in Tuscany, Manhattan, and Buenos Aires, and, for artistic and independent Val, a grown-up commitment evolves. There is no art without love. Only love can open someone up to the possibilities of living and creating art, Val writes to the wary Gianluca. And the startling twist of family history finally challenges an old-fashioned, insular clan to join the modern world. But it's always the endearing, unnerving and rowdy Roncallis who steal the show. Look for a heartbreaking exit of one beloved character, and a cliffhanger breakup in this charming valentine to love, forgiveness, and family.

New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani takes us from the cobblestone streets of Greenwich Village to lush New Orleans to Italy and back again, from the tricky dynamics between Old World craftsmanship and New World ambition, all amid a passionate love affair that fuels one woman's determination to have it all. For more than one hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This ancient business partnership provides a twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the schoolteacher-turned-shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret. But after the wedding celebrations are over, Valentine wakes up to the reality of juggling the demands of a new business and the needs of her new family. Confronted with painful choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: "A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything." Now the proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves—the bitter and the sweet of life itself.

I set a new record for myself in 2018! I have never read and/or listened to 56 books in one year in my life!😁 And there were SO many good ones! I want to thank so many of you for recommending books to me. Keep the recommendations coming please! I love it!💗

May the glory of the Lord go before you in the New Year friend!

"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us; if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself." -2 Timothy 2:11-13

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

❤️🎄💚🎄❤️

Hi friends! How was your Christmas? Santa Paws visited Little Henry.

Isn't he just adorable in his new hat?!🤗

On December 23rd our friend Gracie sent me a box PACKED with linens and charts!❤️💚 Thank you once again Gracie! I cannot wait to begin stitching these wonderful charts in the new year! And the lovely linens! I will definitely be using them my friend! You are beyond generous!!😊

A very special Christmas card arrived from our friend Jenny. In it was a lovely letter, including a special message from her dear Scott. There was also a wonderful surprise! Jenny made copies of one of Scott's Christmas Eve sermons from the past. This was a joy and an honor for my family to sit together by our Christmas tree and listen to Scott preach God's Word to our hearts. Thank you Jenny, Andrew, Emily! Thank you Scott!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Brian had asked me to stitch a Murphy bottle cap magnet if you can believe it! Yes, back in 2012 and 2013 I made a LOT of poodle bottle cap magnets! Do you remember them? Back then, Brian asked me to STOP making them! HA!🤣Well here is the Murphy I made for Brian.

I knew exactly the pattern I wanted to use for Murphy. So I checked Picture Your Pet In Cross Stitch out from my library. I have checked it out multiple times over the years. I have stitched our dogs and made gifts for people too. I added the silver chin and made a few slight changes to make it look just like our Murphy.

In case you do not remember my many poodle bottle cap magnets, here they all are!

I am now stitching Brian's Christmas gift. CHRISTMAS GIFT?? Yes, Brian and I are Orthodox Christian. We celebrate Christmas on January 7th.

I was recommended Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge, by our friend Mary. Have you ever read this book? BOY IS IT A WHOPPER!!! Or have you seen the movie? I really liked the book a lot. I did. However, it was so long!!! It was too long. I do not mind long books, but this dragged for me. It just did. But I read it! I am glad I did.
Vivid, exciting tales??earthquakes, shipwreck, encounters between New Zealand settlers and the indigenous Maori people??are paired with fascinating details of 19th-century life, from sailing ships and steamboats to women??s fashions and the natural beauty of the British seacoast and the mountains and forests of New Zealand. When Marianne LePatourel meets William Ozanne in the 1830s on an island in the English Channel, she sets her heart on him. However, her sister Marguerite falls in love with him too. And so begins this sweeping novel that takes the characters on dramatic adventures from childhood through old age, on land and at sea, and from the Channel Islands to China to the New Zealand frontier. When William??s naval career is cut short, he settles in New Zealand and writes to Mr. Le Patourel to ask for Marguerite??s hand in marriage??but in his nervousness he pens the wrong name in his letter. It is Marianne who arrives aboard the ship The Green Dolphin, and William??s gallant decision not to reveal his mistake sets in motion a marriage that is difficult, but teaches them both that steadfast love which is chosen is stronger than the passion of love at first sight.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend my friends! I will be stitching and listening to an audio book.😊 Thank you for stopping by. I am so glad you did! May God richly bless you in 2019!

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

I Am Blessed

Hi friends! Let me thank you from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful outpouring of love and support during our time of grief. Your caring messages regarding our Murphy have truly touched me and made me feel better. It is never an easy decision to put a pet down.

I want to share with you a sweet ornament that our friend June made just for me.

Thank you once again June! It is hanging on on our tree.💗

Our friend Stasi gave me this gorgeous ornament with the tiniest alphabet sampler stitched in it.

Thank you Stasi. I adore tiny stitching. This is hanging on our tree.💗

Our friend Martina made me the most gorgeous Christmas card I have ever received in my life. Just take a look!

Thank you Martina. Everyone in my family admires your work and I am cherishing this card forever.💗

I received this wonderful hexagon Christmas tree ornament from our friend Manuela.

Isn't this darling? Such fine work! Thank you my friend. This ornament is a treasure. It is hanging on our tree.💗

Much earlier this year you may recall I received a fantastic gift of a PINK crocheted POODLE from our friend Ele all the way in Italy! She also sent me an adorable cross stitched pink poodle card. I decided to make HER stitched poodle into a Christmas ornament. I took her stitching out of her greeting card. I cut two pink felt shapes out and sandwiched her stitched piece in between. I glued the edges. I then thought it would be neat to use DMC silver to create a silver top for the ornament. What do you think? I am not sure. I did not see anything on Pinterest, or copy anyone. This is just something I came up with. I wanted to enjoy Ele's precious poodle on our tree.

I made this polar bear ornament up for my stepfather. I added it atop his Christmas gift. It is from a paper punched kit I purchased on clearance from Hobby Lobby. I backed it with white felt. I made him the owl at the beginning of the year, and he thinks it is the greatest thing.😊 It is wonderful to have appreciative recipients.

Since Madeleine now has off of school, she has joined in baking cookies with me.😀 We tried out a new recipe for soft ginger cookies. We all approve! The recipe was given to me by Dani. You may remember her, as a once very prolific Canadian blogger. She now is on Instagram only. The recipe can be found HERE

And Christmas cookies at our house means Grandma Kehoe's sugar cookies. And Grandma Kehoe's sugar cookies always, always get made into POODLES! We used to do pink and blue, since we had a girl and boys. Now I am just doing blue. Years ago I did a Kerry Blue Terrier cookie cutter and a Llahsa shaped one for our llahsa bichon, Maggie. Yes, we love our dogs in this family. I don't know, it was just something I started when the kids were very little and it stuck. TRADITIONS!

Merry Christmas my friends! Thank you for stopping by. I am so very glad you did. I hope your Christmas is wonderful.❤️💚

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." -Psalm 27:14

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

💔Murphy💔

Hello my friends. I have sad news to share. On Friday we put our Murphy down. He has been suffering terribly since he tore his right ACL in the middle of November. He has been on pain pills to help him, but he still fell down daily, and had to be helped back up again to walk or stand. Mainly it had to be me to help him back up, because he might bite anyone else. Some times I have had to wear gloves so I do not get bit. You can imagine how stressful this is for all of us, including dear Murphy. He was about 70% blind. This was a very hard decision to make, but Murphy's quality of life was not good anymore. We loved him. We are glad we gave him 3 good years after we adopted him from the humane society when he was 12 years old and his owner went to a nursing home.

These are the ornaments I made for each of us the first year we got Murphy. The poodle pattern is 103 years old. It is in the Antique Pattern Library. It is found in Markbok. It is a Swedish pattern from 1915. I made up the snow scene. When we first got Murphy, he was very healthy and ran around our backyard like a nut, twice a day, every day.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie