Some end of the year finishes

Since my last post, I have been extreamly busy with the prep for the holidays. Between Yule, Christmas and now New Year invites I also had to get things ready for my brood here. I love the time spent on getting things ready, but am pleased to now sit back and relax for a few days before the New Year begins.

Yule  (Winter Solstice December 21) was spent with my oldest DD. We made cookies and began in ernest to get the meals ready for the day of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve was spent at home with 'the Brood'. We opened all of the presents that we had for one another. For the first time ever all of the kiddos had purchased a gifty for momma (aka ME). I love each of them and was plesently suprised by how much thought went into each of them.

I want to share some of my finishes for the year with you.



This first one is of a blackwork butterfly that I have been working on. The patterbn is from Stitches Magazine. It is one of 16 that will be placed into a frame and hung on the wall of my family room.

This is one of the "twin" angel that I made for my neighbor Ms. Liz. She wanted one for herself and one to give to her daughter-in-law. I was very pleased with how they came out. The only parts on them that were not had done were the head and hands. Those were purchased online. I hand sewed the dress, underskirt, and sleeves and hand beaded the cuffs just at the edge of the lace. The wings were made by shaping some "pipe cleaners" and sandwiching them between two pieces of gold tulleand using my sewing machine to satain stitch over the formed wings.

Thats all I have for now. I will be working on some new projects over the next few weeks and finishing up some of my WISP's that I have had hanging around.

May you all enjoy your Christmas goodies and I wish you health and happiness as the New Year begins.

Feeling Blue

Well, since I last posted I have completed several small cross-stitch items. I will post some pictures once I get to the store for batteries.

It is amazing that I keep finding myself up at midnight watching the shows that I DVR'd. The Martha Stewart Christmas show was on Fine Living the other night. I love to watch her at work...If only I was as organized as she is. Sigh....some day. For now I will have to enjoy my creative clutter. I do need to get everything all picked up so that the tree can be hauled down from the attic.

I have been putting it off. I am having a hard time getting into the spirit of the season. I think that it has a lot to do with the cold, wet, blustery weather. It has been gloomy. Last Tuesday it did snow about 4 inches. It looked like a glistening jewel when I got up. By mid afternoon it had started to rain and by eaving all the snow was gone. We ended up with icy roads and a few downed tree limbs. Tis the season.

I am going to have to give myself a kick in the kiester. Time to get over the gloomys. This is a time to enjoy and celebrate. I need to remind myself of all the good things that I have.

So here goes: My Happy List

I have a warm and comfy home.
I have a wonderful Boyfriend who cares about me.
My Children are healthy and (usually?) happy.
My car runs and has a new muffler (ah the peaceful hum of the engine is sweet).
My parents are coming from MN to spend part of the X-mas holiday with us.

Hmmmmmm...This should not be so hard! I will need to start posting some happy thoughts. I am going to shoot for one happy post each day for one week. It is a beginning that I hope will lead me to a happier place before the real holiday hits me.

I sound so whiney. Ah well...I am determined to turn over a new leaf and be more positive.

Merry Meet

Tina