Pay It Forward

I recently signed up for a PIF on my friend Rhonda's blog. "Pay-It-Forward" in blog world is where a blogger offers to send something she has made to three readers who in turn, promise they will offer a pay-it-forward on their blog in the future. The first blogger has one year to send the handmade items.

Rhonda is a wonderful seamstress – honestly, there is nothing she can’t do!! She made this adorable apron that is reversible – how cool is that?!?! I like to wear aprons when I cook because basically I cannot cook without making a mess and being covered with food. I love this apron because it is large and covers my entire front and sides. (I don’t know how I get those food spatters all over me!) This apron will be put to use and used often. I will always remember my friend Rhonda who gave of her time to make my day a little brighter and made me feel loved!!

Now for your part. I'm offering to send a handmade item to the first three readers who leave me a comment on this post. In turn, when you receive my gift, you promise to keep this PIF going and post this offer on your own blog.

Don’t miss out on the fun!

Week 50 of Christmas - Scarf

My friend, Joanne, is issuing a weekly challenge for the 52 weeks before Christmas. The idea being that we can finish our gift making well in advance and stay motivated throughout the year. I like this idea and have made my list. I will do fine for the first month or 2 and then I will start to let other things interfere with my plan. I am hoping that Joanne and my other friends will keep me on task. This is the last day of Week 50 (we are doing a countdown) and I have just finished 1 gift. :)

I am finished with my first Christmas gift for the coming year. It is a simple crocheted scarf made with primary, secondary colors and black yarn. I love the fringe which is long. I hope the person this is intended for will appreciate the thought! For some reason, I never feel that my handmade gifts are good enough. I have already started a 2nd scarf which is going a bit slower since it is a new pattern.

1st Christmas Ornament Finished

Hooray for me! I finished my very first cross stitch 2008 Christmas ornament! I had originally thought I would make enough of these for my annual swap but have decided that I did not want to make 12 of these because of the tree branches! LOL! The buttons are from my mother's button stash and are all old. So, this ornament is extra special to me. I have a goal of making at least 1 ornament per month during 2008.

Valentine Stitching Finished!

Now I remember why I quit stitching. I am obsessed with it until it is finished. Everything else goes by the way! LOL! Here is the finished stitching of "February". It is a Lizzie Kate design and I enjoyed stitching it very much. I think it would have looked better on darker material - maybe next time! Now I need to decide how to finish it - a pillow, frame, or wall hanging. Hmm....

A new project

My friend Wendy sent this to me in swap many years ago and I am ashamed to say that I just started cross-stitching it last night. I always thought it was a darling pattern. Any ideas on how to display it after I am finished - a pillow, wall hanging, etc...?

After many years of not stitching, I decided a small project was just what I needed to get back into the habit! This is exactly what I needed and appropriate with February right around the corner!

Undecking the Halls

It's that time of the year when I really should take down my decorations. I am giving myself until Monday to get them all down and then they have to be packed away. Ever noticed that it is always quicker to put up decorations than to take them down? I found these suggestions for packing ornaments which I thought was quiet helpful. Picture by Mark Kund.

Undecking the Halls
#1: Instead of throwing away used gift wrapping and tissue paper, run it through a paper shredder and use the fluffy strips as packing filler when you’re putting away your decorations.
#2: Start an inventory sheet for each holiday so you can keep track of how many strands of lights and how many feet of garland you have. Make sure you don’t overbuy when it comes time to decorate again.
#3: Evaluate your decorations annually, and keep only what you are really going to use. If an item is damaged or has lost its color, get rid of it.
#4: If you don’t have an ornament’s original packaging, wrap the piece in a resealable sandwich bag, then store it in a sturdy, well-padded box. Egg cartons make excellent packaging for tiny ones. Stuff all the nooks and crannies with tissue paper saved from opened gifts. Keep your fragile items together at the top of a box. The more you have to dig for an ornament, the greater your chances of damaging it.
#5: Dough ornaments and macaroni crafts. Pack food-based decorations in resealable sandwich bags to protect them from humidity, then place the bags in a cookie tin to keep rodents out.

I had better get busy since I have so many ornaments!

Thread Holder

I stitched this sweet little thread holder as my first Christmas present for next year. Actually, this was my practice Thread Holder and I will make another one for a gift - maybe in lighter colors. I will add to it as the year progresses and give it to a friend who loves to stitch! Maybe add a nice pair of scissors or some DMC thread.

I got the pattern here from The Stitching Place. It's a really quick, inexpensive gift!

Sleeping

This is Izzy (short for Isadore) who is 6 months old. He has come into our cottage and managed to take over in just a few short months. He is so sweet! I look at this picture and am reminded of what is important in life.

1. Take adavantage of the warmth from the sun

2. Take a nap when you can

3. Hide your head and reflect when things get overwhelming

I think that is a very good lesson for all of us!

A New Year

Welcome to my new blog dedicated to my life in my cottage. It will cover crafts, holidays, cooking, cleaning, and family life. I hope you will sit down and stay awhile with me!