Silver Anniversary

Hi friends! Wow. I can take a break I think.

On the 3rd was Brian and my 25th wedding anniversary. On Saturday we had our celebration. We had a joint party with my mom and her husband, as they will also be married next month for 25 years this year. The party was wonderful. We rented a hall in the town I grew up in. The one my mom and most of my family still lives in. We had family and friends, a meal and a good time.

I had on display this:

Forever Be My Always by Emma Congdon

 Do you like the frame Brian and I picked out together? We went to Hobby Lobby to have it done.

And after I gave this to Mom and Jim, we displayed this also:

They loved it and were very appreciative I am happy to announce.😊

I have been stitching just a little on AotH, Moonlight Visitor. I am sorry, I do not have a picture for you today.

I won a giveaway from our friend DJ. This is a super chart. It will make great gifts for friends.😉Sorry DJ, I did not remember to take a picture of the chart AGAIN and I am not putting off posting about this gift from you another day! So I borrowed the picture from your blog.😉

That's it for today for me my friends. Break is over! Back to packing! Oh yes, I must tell you all. The moving date is NOT the 13th, this Friday. It is the 27th. That truly was the original date. The buyer is a first time buyer and also an underwriter at a bank. So she THOUGHT she could move it up to the 13th and was pushing for it, but no, it will be the 27th. That is okay. We have the apartment cleaned and over half painted. Think pink my friends! (Very, very pale pink) Woo hoo! Yes, my husband loves me.💕

Take good care of yourselves. There is only one you!! And I am so glad YOU came by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Winner

Hi friends! We went to the apartment yesterday and cleaned and began painting. The walls were painted grey. Brian asked if we could paint them colors of our choice. Yep!😊 But boy, what a LOT of work. And we are going back at it today.😐

The winner of the "God's Art" chart is our friend Mary. I will have another giveaway soon. I found charts to give away when I had my HUGE clean out of my stash in preparation for the move.

I have read yet another book by my favorite cartoonist, Stephan Pastis. I am trying to read the books in order of publication. This one was published in 2004, and is titled, Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury. I had many laughs of course. This was a fun book.
The Fab Four of the funny pages come together again-this time in their first book treasury.

Rat, Pig, Zebra, and Goat, the central characters of Pearls Before Swine, are back in Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic, the first Pearls Before Swine treasury-supersized for your enjoyment.

But this is no ordinary cartoon treasury. Like the influential Beatles album that inspired the book's title, Sgt. Piggy is full of surprises. In addition to collecting all of the Pearls cartoons that appeared in BLTs Taste So Darn Good and This Little Piggy Stayed Home, cartoonist Stephan Pastis takes readers on a VIP backstage tour of one of the most successful comic strips in newspapers today.

In Sgt. Piggy, Pastis explains the genesis of Pearls (hint: it didn't begin at an artist's easel), why he was initially reluctant to show it to newspaper syndicates (and the surprising reason he changed his mind), the unexpected responses from readers to his work, and which Pearls strips worked and which ones didn't (and how he would have corrected the ones that didn't). The result is a rare and revealing glimpse into the world of Rat, Pig, Goat and Zebra.

I am stitching away on Moonlight Visitor whenever I get the chance. I will show you a picture next time my friends. Off to the apartment I go!

Have a super week! Thank you for stopping by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Clara Ellen

Hi friends! I have finished my mom's sampler block.😚 I am so pleased with this one. It could not be more perfect for her. I have very early memories of being out in the garden with my mom. She IS a gardener, and this sampler, Clara Ellen, just says garden to me!

Once again, I am stitching this entire Anniversaries of the Heart sampler series on 25ct cream Dublin linen, one over one. I used DMC on my mom's with the exception of VMSS Faded Celery. That is used on a few leaves, but mainly is the green that the whole house is stitched up with. I made a few changes from the pattern, as I have to with almost every block, since I am stitching this all over one, and it is necessary to make things fit. There was to be a third bird where the "e" of my mom's name is. Oh well!😉 The date is shown stitched up in the urn/basket. That was stitched over one on the pattern. Since I am stitching all over one, it does not fit now, so up top my mom's birth date went.

I had a PROBLEM!! ARGH! The right hand border of the last sampler block was partially off. Two thirds of it was out too far by one stitch!! I just started Clara Ellen in the correct placement and thought maybe I can leave it. As I stitched away, it ate away at me. I ripped it all out. This is the part, but is a picture of it corrected now.😁

I have now begun sampler number #9, Moonlight Visitor. This one is for Brian.

I have a pattern giveaway going on right now friends. Take a look if you are interested RIGHT HERE.

I finished yet another "Jane" book by Stephanie Barron. This one is titled Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron: Being a Jane Austen Mystery.  I am sure you know I am going to tell you I liked it.😉 I have never not liked one Stephanie Barron's Jane Mysteries!!
The restorative power of the ocean brings Jane Austen and her beloved brother Henry, to Brighton after Henry’s wife is lost to a long illness. But the crowded, glittering resort is far from peaceful, especially when the lifeless body of a beautiful young society miss is discovered in the bedchamber of none other than George Gordon—otherwise known as Lord Byron. As a poet and a seducer of women, Byron has carved out a shocking reputation for himself—but no one would ever accuse him of being capable of murder. Now it falls to Jane to pursue this puzzling investigation and discover just how “mad, bad, and dangerous to know” Byron truly is. And she must do so without falling victim to the charming versifier’s legendary charisma, lest she, too, become a cautionary example for the ages.

 That is it for me today friends. I will be back next time with another book review. Have a stitchtastic weekend my friends! I am glad you stopped by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Giveaway

Hi friends! We are moving along on the sale/closing of our home. The inspection has been done. Of course the inspector found something. An electrician is coming tomorrow.

I am over half done with my mom's sampler, sampler #8, Clara Ellen. I am sorry I do not have a picture for you. Next time I will and it will be a finish. I hope! You never know. This moving stuff is busy, busy, busy!! So much to do. And our closing date is October 13th!!😱

I do want to offer a chart as a giveaway to my American friends. I am sorry, but due to postage, I have to offer it only here in the States. The only rules are that you have to be a follower of mine and you have to leave a comment here on this post telling me you would like this chart. I will draw the name of the winner on Monday, October 2nd.

The latest book that I listened to was Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. I came across this book on the blog of our friend Robin. I am so glad I did! What an excellent book! And this is a true life story!! Wow! I highly recommend this.
Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.
In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders.
Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.
Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.

In the middle of all this busyness and craziness going on, I am trying to get a few things prepared and done for our upcoming 25th wedding anniversary party also. Wowza! Pressure makes me organized though, so this is good. I think?😕

I hope this is a great week for you my friends! I myself, cannot wait until the weather cools down around here. It has been in the 90's for half a week. I have literally not stepped outside the house for almost 4 days now. A menstrual migraine plus the heat would NOT be good for me. It's okay.

I WILL SURVIVE!

So glad you stopped by. Til next time!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

I will have you notice the lack of chin hair!! Finally! I trimmed his chin. Remember I said I would share his picture once I trimmed the hair that Mary could not get?! Murphy is QUITE the rascal!

SOLD!

Hi friends! Guess what? Yep! The house is SOLD! 8 days! It took only 8 days on the market!😄 And now guess what?! We close and move out on October 13th!! wOw!! Less than one month now!😲

I do have a finish to share with you. May I present Maisie!

one over one on 40ct cream linen using DMC#640

This wonderful freebie can be found RIGHT HERE. You may notice the freebie is on a French site. It is also not labelled as "Maisie". I am calling her that. Why? Have you not seen the many, many Maisie Dobbs mystery books I have read this year and last?!? I am a HUGE fan of Jacqueline Winspear and Maisie Dobbs, so I just had to create a Maisie for my cubby shelf. I searched and searched for the right old fashioned lady that represented Maisie to me. It took me months to find her. Lots and lots of searching, but I found her.

I am very happy with this finish. Do you remember how I originally began this piece? Here is another look at it.

I am glad I scrapped that start and just began over again with DMC 640 instead.

I am now back to working on Anniversaries of the Heart.😊 That feels great! I am working on sampler #8, Clara Ellen. This sampler is dedicated to my mom.❤️ I will show you a picture next time.

Well, next up, is to wait for the house inspector to come by. Such fun. NOT. Always something, right?

I hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you for stopping by. Your comments brighten my day.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

The Top Five

Hi friends! It is time for me to share my Top Five favorite Christmas ornaments from the JCS 2017 Special Holiday Issue. Except, I am sharing 9!! HA! Out of the "70+ Ornaments" in the magazine, I honestly only see myself stitching these 9. I am just listing them as I came across them in the magazine.

1.  Hats Off to the Holidays! by SamSarah Design Studio Inc.

2.  Sno-Cone Snowman Drop Ornament by StitchyFish Designs   
So glad to see Lee finally made it into Just Cross Stitch magazine! Just like she said she would!! Congratulations Lee! What an accomplishment!

3.  Modern Nordic Ornament by Ink Circles

4.  A Savior Has Been Born by My Big Toe Designs

5.  Halleluia by Nikyscreations

6.  Joy by Hands On Design

7.  2017 Christmas Bauble by Patricia Ann Designs

8.  Merry & Bright by Lucie Heaton Cross Stitch Designs

9.  Very Merry by Lizzie Kate Inc.

Aren't these great ones? I really like them. Do you? Have you seen this issue? Do you have a favorite? I still really look forward to this issue every year. I enjoy just flipping through old issues.😊

We continue to show our home. Which means constantly keeping it spotless.🙄

 I have been stitching up the freebie for my cubby shelf on 40 ct, one over one. I am getting close to a finish.

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement last time. I surprised all of you by our plans to move to an apartment. It is definitely a BIG change for us!

I hope you have a stitchtastic weekend my friends!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Stitching and Slightly Crazy Over Here

Hi friends! The stitching of the small freebie is not going so well. All because I wanted a vintage look. I wanted it to look like an old sepia photograph. Well using DMC 4145 was NOT  the way to go about that. I figured that out after stitching on it for TWO days. One over one on 40 ct. Yes, you read that right. Wanna see the hot mess?

Um, yep. Can't tell what it is right? Nope. I am not telling you yet. 😉

The winner of the Stitcher's Sampler Pattern Giveaway is our friend Manuela. Manuela I need your postal address, and I will have this sampler pattern sent on it's way to you.
 
 I have news. We are moving. After living in this pink and white brick home for 9 1/2 years, we are downsizing. This is our fourth home we have owned. We are now moving to an apartment. We have not lived in an apartment since the first year of our marriage. The apartment is two miles from this home, in our same little village. The apartment is on Main Street above the Italian bakery. I have never mentioned it, but in addition to Brian's full time work, he works a part time job as a baker. Yes, he is the other baker who works with the 75 year old Italian baker.

So. BIG changes for us. We had a HUGE rummage sale. Got a storage unit, put many things there for the meantime and have been getting our home ready for sale. My stash has NEVER been more organized or purged!! Yesterday afternoon the house first went on the market. We had a call from our real estate agent telling us a family would like to come see it. They came in the early evening. We are waiting to here from our agent today what the showing agent has to say about last evening. Here we go! I will keep you posted. 😵

I hope you have a wonderful weekend friends! I am so very glad you stopped by.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie