Happy Birthday Henry!

Hi friends! Yes, our little boy is 4 today! Yay! Isn't he just the sweetest?!

We are so thankful  and blessed to have this little cuddlebug as our very own. We still ask each other, "How could they have sold him, at 3 1/2 years old?!!" None of us know. But we are glad he is ours. ;)

Since Henry is only 4 lbs, he really does not enjoy the cold and snow much. I knew I wanted to make him a smart, little coat. Why not for his birthday? Perfect. I used this tutorial to make him a Country Gent Tweed Coat.

Does he look handsome or what?!♥ Very warm too. =)

This rascal didn't want to pose for me. Instead of putting him out in a snow bank,( I could have) I made it snow magically inside. ;)

Henry also has a new job, thank you very much. He and I went to visit Brian's 94 year old grandmother last month. He was a "big" hit with the old folks. They just loved him. He lets everyone pet him. He sat on laps and was content. I chatted away with the elderly.

This got me to thinking. I used to make home visits with the elderly from our church congregation. I enjoyed it and it sure brought happiness to some older people too. Now to be an "official therapy dog" you need to take courses and then test and pass. Henry was born with this fabulous temperament. We don't have the money for courses, tests and gas and such. Henry just "is" a therapy dog. A natural. So Madeleine actually encouraged me and showed interest in joining me when I told her I would like to take him to our local Assisted Living care center. (Brian's grandmother is rather far away for frequent visits) When a 15 year old displays interest in visiting elderly, I am not going to pass that up!

So we went. The nurses we met on staff thought it was a great idea. It went very well. We visited with about 8 individuals. They truly appreciated someone to visit with. And they adore Henry! Their eyes just light up their whole face. I am so happy to see anyone that happy, even if just for a little bit.

I have bought some Christmas cards from the dollar store. I will sign them with my name( and Madeleine, if she goes with next time) and Henry's name too. I will draw a little cartoon poodle. As a reminder of who Henry is. So many residents have memory issues. We will be going again for our visit very soon. =)

I am stitching on gifts and  Mary's Sampler during this long weekend. So hard! I want to just hide in my room with my Henry ornaments and get on with it!! But the kids have no idea of the ornaments thus far, why wreck the surprise. Back to them tomorrow when they are all in school again.

Thanks for stopping by today friends! I hope your day is richly blessed!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Advent Calender Blog Hop

Hi friends! Today is the first day of Advent. The beginning of a wonderful time to prepare our hearts for the miracle of Christmas. The birth of our Lord!

I am the first to kick off the fun Advent Calender Blog Hop. If you are not familiar with it, take a look-see over here, on Jo's blog. You can check in with her, on her blog daily during Advent to see what everyone else has to share!  I pondered what stitch to share with you, and knew it had to be this one this year.

I have stitched this six times now. Never tire of it. It is called 'Bethlehem Scene' by Claudia Riff Finseth. I just love the simplicity of it. What a perfect reminder of the Gift we have been given. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 

Since any of my followers recognize that stitch, I have stitched it up 6 times now, I thought I would share one more ornament made by me 2 years ago. This was a gift for Brian. It is from the 2011 JCS Christmas Ornament  Preview Issue. It is called 'Frosty Kiss' by SamSarah Design Studio.

Isn't it cute how they both had to take off their carrot noses for a kiss with their sweetie? ;)

Jo also asked for us participants in the Blog Hop to share a little something about Christmas Food. I put out a cookie platter every Christmas Eve, after our dinner of baked ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, a vegetable or two, and some hot rolls.

I make sugar cookies every Christmas. I use my Grandma Kehoe's sugar cookie recipe. I always make our dogs. We have had blue Kerry Blue Terriers, pink Lhasa Bichons and pink Poodles. This year I will be baking pink and apricot Poodle cookies. =)
I also make these 'Bear Claws'. yummy!


I do not have pictures of them, but I also make Mint Chocolate Truffles, Gingerbread cookies and Peanut Blossoms.These are the cookies you can count on in this house every Christmas. ;)

Unfortunately, Mary's Sampler has been set to the side for now. Too much  gift stitching to accomplish in the next few weeks. I will return to her as soon as possible. I love it!

Come back tomorrow for a fun visit! We will be celebrating a birthday in this household. Hint: it is one we have never celebrated before. ;) A lot of cuteness guaranteed! I will show you what I sewed as a gift. tee hee! ♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

Give Thanks was written by Henry Smith.

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong,"
Let the poor say, "I am rich,"
Because of what
the Lord has done for us

Give thanks
Give thanks

I thank God for YOU today!!

I have the second and third monsterbubbles cubed borders stitched up. I am really not feeling confident about all three ornaments being stitched and the finishing done for St. Nick's for the kids. I sure am gonna try though!

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." Henry Ford

Stitching and praying and overeating,
Vickie

How About Some Henry?

Hi friends! Hope all is well in your world. Things are going pretty well around here. It is just cold outside.

I finished stitching the first of the Henry ornaments. I created little Henry in the center, but I used the 2009 JCS Ornament Issue for the border. This design is from monsterbubbles. It is called Day One. The pattern has a partridge in the center. It also has a huge pear in the upper left border. So I got out some graph paper and made the upper left corner of the pattern complete, without a pear. I also changed the dark pink to a pinkish red, and the pale pink to a peach. He may be little but he is a guy!!  I do believe I am moving Henry over to the right a few stitches on the next one.

I was flipping through the old issues of JCS Ornament Issues for ideas to finish off the Henries. I really liked the way this ornament looks. It has a cool finish to it too. You'll just have to dig out your old magazines OR wait til I get it done. ;)

I finished the little design I had planned for the other side of my snow globe. Here she is.

This sweet, little matryoshka is a freebie from Kissy-Cross. I stitched her one over one on  28ct white evenweave with DMC 815. And then I had the doh! moment. What a dope I am. She is 4 rows too high for the snow globe. =( I should have used 32ct. I thought I measured it out well.  That is classic for me. She will have to sit for a bit. I know how I would like to finish her now, but I must persist with the gift stitching. The other side of the snow globe will have to wait too for now.

Madeleine was sitting across from me the other evening at the table while I stitched the matryoshka. Madeleine was eating potato chips. THAT got Henry's interest. ;)

tee hee! He normally is laying flat out on my lap while I stitch. A lot easier to stitch without a little head in the way. ;)

I did finish House by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti last week. Pretty good story. Got to say this is the first one of Ted's that I had figured out. That has NEVER happened before. Maybe because he didn't write it alone? Not saying Frank Peretti writes poorly. I enjoy his books also, but Ted is THE best!

Have a stitchtastic weekend my friends.♥ Thanks for your kind words.

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!!"

A Forgotten Treasure

Hi friends!  I hope all is well with you? Did ya have a stitchy weekend? I did. I got up to date on Mary's Sampler.

It is too bad I forgot about this great children's book we received from a wonderful, elderly neighbor many years ago, back in Greendale. I would like to have shown you this at the start of Mary's Sampler.

This sweet book was published in 1947. I will just have to show you the picture pertaining to this week's stitching on the sampler.

And these are the Bible passages Paulette gave to us this week:
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:20-21

 I also finished another small piece I was stitching on. I did the finishing on it last night before bed. I will show you next time. I need to shove off now. Have to stitch like crazy on the Henry pieces during the days, while the kids are in school.

I will leave you with these words from Mother Teresa to ponder.


"Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house… let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."
Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Hi friends! I am hoping all is well with you? I am so happy to have some new friends stopping by too. Welcome to everyone! Glad you stopped by today. =)

I forced myself to get the finishing done on my mother's Christmas ornament. ;) This pattern is from the 2009 JCS Ornament Issue. It is called 'Glory To The Newborn King' by Fanci That.

I stitched this two over two on 32ct mystery linen. I used all the called for DMC threads. Now take a look at the model picture compared to my stitched piece.

Now let me tell you that all the variegated thread used in this pattern are the called for DMC Color Variations Flosses. There are no other options listed AT ALL. So then, wouldn't, SHOULDN'T the model thread colors match mine?!?! The answer is yes. And they don't. Well, I unstitched her gown. I outlined it first and left that as called for. But to fill it in with a pink and orange variegated thread?!?! I don't think so. It was looking like a disco dress or something. So I used white instead.

I also have a gripe about the pink variegated thread called for and used to backstitch the wording.VERY PALE!! I just left it. I asked Brian and he said it looked good. Well, every time I ask Brian, and it is a color that is called for, it "looks great"! He thinks every called for color should be used and not substituted.

I used seed beads I had on hand, not Mill Hill Petite Seed Beeds as called for. I gave her  french knot eyes instead of beads, I like this look better. I also left off the bottom of her gown with Bethlehem and the Baby Jesus button.

I used Vonna's tutorial on felt mounted ornaments for this. I used neutral felt and ribbon. I like the finished look very much. =)

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

I got Bethlehem Scene stitched. It has alterations in the design this time, due to my error early on. I decided to unstitch part and fudge the rest. I won't go that route again. The piece looks fine. No one would know there are changes unless you compare it to ones that I have stitched correctly in the past. It just irks me though. I will work on assembling that one next. 

I am still stitching on my Henry creations during the daytime, while the kids are in school. Gotta get a move on with those. They need to be done before St. Nick's, so I can get them in their stockings. ;)

I am currently listening to House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, another book on CD. Wowza! This one is a mystery and suspense story written by two Christian authors. I have just begun, but it is already creepy. *~*

These two were cuddling together this afternoon in the sunshine. =)

Have a stitchtastic weekend my friends!

Stitching and finishing and praying,
Vickie