Back in Papillion

We arrived back in Papillion, Sunday afternoon, Sept 14. We decided to stay at the Walnut Creek campground, run by the city of Papillion. It is a pretty nice little place. Only electric, but cement, fairly level pads. And oh so quiet (most of the time)...Ha! I was awakened Monday morning by a marching band practicing at 6:30 and horses clopping through on the cement. It was quite a surprise, but nice once I got coffee made! We will stay here through Sun. now.

Originally planned on leaving on Thurs....but we have to change our verizon pkg and have decided to upgrade phones....and of course new ones are not available until Fri. and since it is soooo close to Saturday and my awesome 'Outlander' series....(the wedding is this week!) we have to stay!

Jer has spent the week making sure tires are aired properly and getting a tire stem fixed. Also our title arrived on Sunday, so we got the rv licensed properly now (nearly stroked out on that one!) And last night we were awakened to our propane leak alarm going off! Gaaaahhhh! So now are awaiting a call from Camping Word to see when we get in.

So not a lot and yet lots going on, all in the learning curve! :)

Maiden Voyage

We are finally, mostly loaded up and left for our maiden voyage to camp with Jerry's sister and her husband for a long weekend. The campground was a KOA about 50 miles north of us in Onawa, IA. We were able to get electricity and water, but no sewer :(.

The weather was cold, rainy, and super windy....a perfect way to stay inside and become familiar with all the workings of our 'new' home. I spent a lot of the time, sorting, storing, and rearranging 'stuff'. Ha! I still have much to do and have made a 'list' of things we need, forgot or want!

We went to dinner Friday night with 2 of the couples from the campground, Jer's sister and her husband, to a little restaurant across the Iowa line in Decatur, NE. I had the fried shrimp :) and Jer had the chicken fried steak! It was good.

Saturday was spent enduring severe winds and rain. Bailey and I walked around the campground about 2pm (game time!) and no one was outside. We had been told about all the 'football watching parties' outside, but the place was silent. I giggled at how quiet it was. I made our 'first' dinner in the rv, spaghetti, fruit salad and yummy garlic bread! All cooked on the rv stove!

Sunday morning we had breakfast with Jer's sister at their place...wonderful omelets, fruit and cinnamon toast and lots of good conversation. Afterwards we closed up the rv and Jer 'practiced his first dump'!  We just might be getting the hang of this!

Retirement

Retirement! The word evokes many emotions in me. Sadness, nostalgia, nervousness, fear, hope, excitement, uncertainty....

Hubby and I will be closing our coffee shop on Monday. We have sold it to Petit's Bakery who will be reopening the day after labor day. I have agreed to train them for a couple of weeks until they feel comfortable with our recipes and ways of making our drinks. I think it will be a good thing. But and it is a big BUT it is bittersweet to us to leave a business that has been our lives for the last 10 years :).

We have decided to hit the open road and travel to visit family and friends. Our new home will be our new to us Class C Forest River RV.

When our girls were young we were avid campers in a little pop up trailer and had many wonderful trips with them and good friends! So we have decided to spend the next few months visiting family (North Carolina) and friends (Arizona) and try out this 'fulltime' rv lifestyle we have dreamed about.

We pick up our new to us rig next week and can't wait. Our plan is to finish training the new owners at the shop and become familiar with all the ins and outs of a big rig! I have been making lists and checking them twice. Our biggest concern is figuring out our connectivity, we still have many questions about internet, phones, wifi, etc....but I am positive we will figure it all out.

Our little Bailey will be excited when she figures out that we will be 'in the car' all the time...she loves to travel with us!

Until next time......

Don't you just love......

Don't you just love when you start a new project? I love when inspiration hits and the decision is made to start a new project....I love deciding and finding or buying the pattern and choosing the linen. Next on my list is going through my thread stash and finding the threads I already have and then (oh no, hehehe) having to go to the LNS and getting the rest of them that I absolutely have to have. Next up I get a new large baggie and fill with all the necessities I will need to do this project.

I have been watching Vonna at the Twisted Stitcher starting her '6 Fat Snowmen' by Lizzie Kate and fell in love with the threads and color of her linen. The combination just sucked me in, lol (I know she said she used an Amber linen, but on my monitor it looked grayish blue and that is what I liked about it) so I just had to do it. My local LNS had a good variety of linens to choose from and I chose a 32 ct Confederate Gray and I love it with the threads.

BUT I am usually a 1 project at a time girl and so I promised myself I would finish this first. I just have a few more stitches to put in and am going to do them this morning when I am done with this post and then the 'new' fun can start....

Lizzie Kate's Sampling Thanksgiving

Started Nov. 1

This will be my first Thanksgiving piece, hehe.....so I really wanted to get it done this year...

Have a great day today....I am just going to snuggle in with my hot coffee and stitch! Hope your day is just as good to you :D

38 years ago.....

38 years ago today,

I married the man of my dreams, my best friend and lover

The vows we said were: 

"to have and to hold from this day forward,

for better, 

for worse, 

for richer,

for poorer,

in sickness and in health, 

to love, and cherish,

(we made them leave out 'and to obey':D),

till death us do part."

Every word of those vows have been woven throughout our marriage. 

We have held strong through everything life has shown us 

and in the process have become one.

He makes me whole.

Happy Anniversary to the man of my dreams, my best friend and lover...

I love you.

I have been stitching like crazy, and have decided that this week....I 'will' get some finishing done! hah! but that is my goal! Its good to have goals right? 

Homespun Elegance Snow (I am going to finish into an ornie) This was my first Homespun Elegance piece and I am totally enthralled with her designs......uhoh!!

Found this one in my finish drawer (not a clue what design this is??? anyone recognize it?....anyway going to finish as a flat fold....Have not done one before so thought I would try it :D.

This is the beautiful freebie from Brenda  and will be my second crow to add to my beginning 'murder'....I am on the lookout now for more crow patterns :D....will give me a 'reason' to add to my stash, hehehe.

I am working on a halloween ornie and christmas ornie right now and will hopefully show you those next time.

I wanted to show you a picture of a fall tree in our backyard, the day I took it (last week) the sun was shining on it and it was just glowing.......

.

Today it (1 week later) looks like this:

Big Sigh.........

Best stitches to all of you and hope your week is wonderful

Cindy

My goto "I just wanna stitch" meal :D

Someone told me about this recipe a few years ago and it has turned into my quickie fix for when I just want to have some 'me' time or am in a super hurry, hehehe....Hope you enjoy it!

You use 3 ingredients:

1 bottle of 64oz V8 juice
1 package frozen cheese tortellini
1 package of your favorite breakfast sausage ( I usually use the spicy hot)
Brown the sausage to your liking, pour in frozen tortellini and V8 juice and bring to a boil....Done! :D
You don't need any seasonings and the longer it sits the thicker it gets....

I hope you enjoy. Now I am off to stitch :D  Hope your Sunday is lovely,

What a wonderful day!

I happened to be home today, I babysit my GD on Monday and Wednesday, when the doorbell rang and it was the postwoman :D.....I won a giveaway (happy dancing going on) from Babs! Thank you, thank you! I have never won anything before and for this to have arrived today.....I can't tell you how big my smile is!! She sent the most beautiful pillow to me, done on 40 count and trimmed in the most beautiful fall colors and very delicate lace :D. I have actually never seen stitching done on 40 count yet and this is amazing to me! How do you wonderful, talented people even see to stitch this....

I also received Barb Adams and Alma Allen's, A Schoolgirl's Works. I can't wait to curl up in my nest and read this :D.....I love history and samplers!

There are also 3 patterns, 2 complete with thread, material, ribbons, beads...oh my, i can start right away!! Shepherd's Bush Passion Fob kit, the limited Addition Santa from Prairie Schooler and a 2004 Prairie Schooler Santa :D! The darling little scissors in the beautiful fall colors will give me my second pair and begin to 'grow' my collection, lol.  The beautiful skein of Silk 'N Colors is the most luscious  fall color of Autumn Bouquet...can't wait to work with it! There was even a pack of needles to use with it, hehe!

And last but not least the beautiful frog! My first one!! I put my 2 pair of scissors in it already :D!

Thanks again Babs...this is just over the top for me and I am still tapping my toes (sitting tho, tired from the happy dancing) with happiness!

I found a beautiful halloween giveaway

I just came across the prettiest Halloween giveaway..... click here to see it and enter :D.. Benjamin is sooo talented and a mouse told me its his birthday today!

First Fall Finish :D

Good morning! Thank you to all my new followers! This is so much fun joining the 'blogging' world and finding so many people with the same interests and loves as mine...I have been so inspired and learned so much already from all of you!

One of the first blogs I found was Carol's and her posts are so inspiring to me..she did a post of little crow small's and since I love crows, fall and smalls...hehe..used this freebie from Primitive Betty's...who does some wonderful pieces..:D and here it is, all finished in my first pillow:

I used all dmc colors and rummaged through my material/ribbon stash to finish off!

The weather here in the USA midwest has been cool (50s). rainy and cloudy for the last few days....perfect stitching weather and super for hubby and mine's coffee shop.....lots of shivering customers, hehehe..I felt sorry for the parents yesterday that were coming in for something hot and heading out to soccer, softball tournaments with their kids.....I so remember those days!

I think this afternoon when we get home I will make a homemade steak and onion pizza.....the smell of onions sizzling and bread baking and football playing in the background will be a perfect backdrop while I stitch on my next fall small.....I hope your day is just as cozy!

Best stitches to you!

More stash reducing! Yaaay

Good morning and blessings to all of you. I am personally remembering in my own way all those and those of us that were touched in some way by 9/11.....may you find peace....

I have been busy reading blogs, getting inspired by all of your pieces and finishing some of my own! The cooler weather and lower humidity in the midwest always inspires me to get my duff in gear and finish stuff, lol.....of course, the ideal weather never lasts long around here so who knows what the week will bring,  I have even started my 'fall' cleaning.....but i know that won't last...hehehe

I have been working on a xmas gift for my DD and her family...I wanted to do a family sampler for them, but they are sooooo NOT into old vintage stuff, so i got creative with Bent Creek's Gnomes in a Row....I am hoping they like it....I have to add their personal charms, I have a baseball, soccer and an Iowa football charm so far....i still would like to find a girly charm for my dg, but haven't come across one that trips my trigger yet.

Bent Creek's
Gnomes in a Row
I used all the suggested threads and fabric count

 Another finish that i have been working on for several years a while is Sweetheart Tree's B is for Bunny....I am so glad that i decided to finally do it, cuz i love how it turned out. I think after I have seen a bunch of yours finished that I will finish as a flat pinkeep :D...

Sweetheart Tree
B is for Bunny
it was a kit with thread and linen :D

I have D is for Dog also, so maybe will pick that one up this winter to work on....I love the colors and beautiful threads...2 of the bunnies are done with whisper thread and are fuzzy and the pearls, buttons and charms are just too cute!

DH and I have a coffee shop and are coffee nuts so a friend gifted me this next pattern and  I finally got the chance to stitch it up....I am having such fun discovering all the 'new to me' linens, dyed and all the new overdyed flosses etc......coming from someone who stitched in the 70s and 80s and just now getting started again....good grief, I feel old.....things have changed soooooo much and for the better!! hehehe....so bear with me as I learn all the 'new to me' stuff!

Bent Creek
Good Morning
done with recommended threads

I have found a sunshine charm and am looking for a coffeepot/cup charm too and then will finish and put in a small frame.

Today is DH and his cousins reunion....they have not all been together for 30+ years....so it should be really interesting??? I would really rather stay home and stitch, sigh....but will go for him....you know all the things that a wife must do....its a wonder we get any stitching, crafties, etc. done at all! lol

Best stitches to all.....

Happy Fall Ya'll! ... almost :D and my first freebie to you!

Autumn-time is coming
(sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

(author unknown)

Red leaves falling
Red leaves falling
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is coming
Autumn-time is coming
All around
All around

Orange leaves falling
Orange leaves falling
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is coming
Autumn-time is coming
All around
All around

Brown leaves scattered
Brown leaves scattered
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is now here
Autumn-time is now here
All around
All around

Fall is my favorite time of year....and the cool evenings and crisper days have been making me think its coming sooner than later....which is great by me.

I have been attempting to design a pattern and wanted to share with you all :D.  Let me know what you think...I am just learning this blog thing, uploads, etc....

i designed it to be on 28 count and am leaving the colors up to you!

2011 Pets on Quilts Show

! If you have photos of your pet(s) on one of your quilts...or you have made a quilt with a pet theme...or you have used Electric Quilt to design a quilt with a pet theme - then this show is for you!!...and there is still time left to enter...just head over to http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2011/08/welcome-to-2011-pets-on-quilts-show.html for all the details (and thanks to some FABULOUS sponsors, there are AMAZING prizes to be won!)...

I would like to introduce you to my furbaby (3rd child), Bailey:

My husband and I had a coffee shop in a strip mall with a pet store down the way from us. I was in the habit of bringing some of the puppies down to our store for the day for customers to play with.  (and me)  Bailey had been down for an afternoon as a 1lb, 8 week old puffball and I had returned her. When I went back to get her for someone that had asked to see her, she had been sold to a family (and I must have looked really sad...) When you bought a puppy from the store, they came with a free vet check and the family had taken her to the vet and discovered that she had a heart murmur and had returned her. The pet store owner brought her down to us and handed her over and said, here...she is yours :D...we fell head over heels for her!

This was in the middle of January with cold, windy snowstorms right and left.....the first time I took her out back of our store to go potty.....she weebled around and started to squat and just then a wind gust blew her across the lot about 3 feet.....I scooped her up and we then proceeded to litter box train her.....she did wonderful! and it has been so easy to take care of her. Our customers were in love with her too and thought she looked like Bailey's Irish Cream, hence her name :D!

Bailey came into our lives during a very rough period for us and has been such a comfort and loving presence in mine and my husband's life....I cannot believe what a blessing she has been....she goes everywhere with us and isn't happy unless she is within touching distance of one of us. She sleeps on a pillow next to our bed and her favorite spot while we are dressing, etc is on the quilt on our bed:

the quilt I is one that i made for us in 2001. It is Lover's Knot, by Eleanor Burns. I used material that was left over from my DD wedding and others from my stash. I have a wonderful embroidery machine that I made my labels with:

Bailey spends her days at the coffee shop with us and greets every customer with a kiss if possible. She loves our milk delivery man (cuz her brings her favorite treat, whip cream!) She has a burlap coffee bean bag that she sleeps on too!

I hope you have enjoyed meeting our baby. We sure do love this little puffbutt.....

There will be voting for the viewer's choice in several categories this weekend...so be sure to give Bailey a vote! Get all the details here: http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2011/08/welcome-to-2011-pets-on-quilts-show.html

A giveaway from Daffycat!

Daffycat is having a giveaway on her blog...check it out! Its too cute! http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/

Working on my stash :D

Happy Sunday to all....we finally had a thunderstorm go through last night and not only was it fun to watch, along with much needed rain....but this morning is cool, low humidity, clear skies and it smells wonderful! yay!! This summer has been a bear for most of us in the USA!

This year I made a vow (ha!) to reduce my stash (and finish UFOs) and I wanted to show you a few of the pieces I have done. These were Sweetheart Tree hearts that I had collected over the years.

I have one more in my stash to do, I think it is called 'Autumn'...but I am tired of hearts right now, lol....I finished these in just simple squares as you can see, but after seeing all of the creative finishes out there, I may add to them....what do you think?




I have a wonderful daughter that used to cross stitch...(marriage and a new baby have put that on hold for now, lol) but I wanted to show you the first piece that she did and gave to me :D. She stitched on this for quite a while as a jr. high student....it made its way a couple of years in a row to Florida while visiting grandparents, went to friend's houses on sleepovers, etc....but eventually she persevered and finished it! I was so tickled with it. Her dad made the frame for it when it was finished and it has hung in my craftroom for me to enjoy for years.

I hope your weekend is peaceful and thank you to my new followers :D...and your comments. I so appreciate them.

Best stitches to all of you, Cindy

I just have one???

First of all, I want to say thank you for the comments! I so appreciate them, its fun to get feed back! :D

As I have followed your blogs out there, I have discovered that most of you have 'several' scissor keeps and fobs..and scissors, .they have been beautiful to see....but what has surprised me most is that it is OK to have more than one! rofl...I thought you could only have one??????...oh dear...I have added so many of them to my wishlist now!

I made my 'one' scissor keep several years ago from a freebie ( http://caron-net.com/designerfiles/desjanfiles/janchrt.html ) that I found on the internet, it was the first time that I used the beautiful watercolours and other threads that were just becoming available. I also learned lots of fun stitches (not that I remember any of them, lol)

This afternoon I picked some basil and made pesto to have on our pasta tonight, along with chicken from the grill and icy cold watermelon.....hehe...its too hot for anything else.

Best stitches to you :)
Cindy

Things we hold dear to our hearts

I am the oldest of 6 children, 5 girls and 1 boy.....we are spread all over the USA and I don't get to see them very often, but I treasure the times I do. One of my (younger) sisters, Linda, likes all kinds of crafts and is also a very kind, wise and gentle soul. She has over the years, stitched everyone in the family a beautiful piece.  A few years ago (oh man, I guess it was a lotta years ago (1996)! ) Does time pass more quickly for you too? Anyway, she made me a cross stitch that I absolutely love and hold very dear to my heart.

After she sent it to me, my husband made a beautiful frame for it and I cut the mats. We were talking later and Linda mentioned that there were 2 companion pieces to it...soooo...i set out to find it. (Duoh! never dawned on me to just ask her for her pattern!)  I ended up calling all over the country (it was the days before the internet!!)  and finally found the pattern and had it sent to me.

I promptly set about stitching one of the pieces, and have yet to do the other one.

But I have discovered it in my stash and have black aida material and all the threads, so I think it will be next on my list to do to complete the set.

Hello!

The reason I have started this blog is because I have been reading all of yours out there and you have given me the courage! Thank you! I have so enjoyed all of them and you have inspired me to start stitching again and to start living! I am feeling so positive these days and I owe it to all of you...thank you again. I have realized that everyone has 'issues' and that I/we are not the only ones....why I didn't 'get' that before i have no idea but you all (unknowingly) kicked me in the butt and now I feel like 'doing' something about it! My hope is to be able to contribute to the daily ideas/inspiration that are so freely given.

Until next time,
Cindy