Life With Jules, and other stuff

…well, almost! Just have to put it together into an ornament somehow. Thinking I might just make it a mini-biscornu style ornament so it has some dimension to it! I just hope my cousin likes it!!! 18ct Oatmeal Aida DMC Floss #: White, 321, 561, 562, 815, (bs) 702, & 816 Design from Better Homes & Gardens Treasury of Christmas Cross-Stitch Designs insert 

Here is my tree for this year: Notice a theme? I am a huge Michigan State fan and our football team has done fantastically well this season!!! I finally got to use the ornaments my mother sent me for Christmas last year.

OK, I did it again! I decided to join this challenge over at Minna’s blog. I found it through Harmien’s blog . I am hoping this will get my stitchy fingers moving again. Most of what I already know I will use in this challenge are pre-kitted pieces that I have had for a while now. I think it’s time to get some of them stitched and cleared out to make room for more goodies. LOL If you are interested in joining Minna and others in this challenge click on the “challenge” link above! Right now, I am trying to get motivated to stitch an ornie for my cousin. I have the television show “Bewitched” on so it’s kinda taking away my concentration, lol! I do love that show and others from that era. I am also slowly catching up on reading your blogs and commenting where I feel so inspired. If you see that I have stopped by but didn’t leave a comment, please don’t take it personally. I am hoping to make one of my goals next year to keep up a little bit better. We will see… Until next time, I ...

I broke down and purchased a 32” tabletop tree at the Dollar General today! Heck, I really wanted to display that Penguin biscornu I received from Linda M as well as my Michigan State University ornies that my mom got me for Christmas last year. Remember those? From that package that arrived a month after the holiday, LOL! Anyhoos, here are some snaps of my cute little Sparty: As you can see, I gave the penguins a place of honor at the top surrounded by lights. I like my little Sparty tree and am glad I went ahead and purchased it. Sandy loves the garland. So much so that I cut some off for her (there was waaaaay to much of it for this little fella). My dad seems to like the tree too. He was at least smiling when I finished! I promised a progress pic on Coming Home for the Holidays and here it is: I actually have a bit more done than shown, but these are the latest pics. This weekend, I plan to work on some ornaments for my nieces, nephews, and one of my cousins ...

I hope everyone is having a fun and food-filled Thanksgiving celebration today!

OK, so I am a wee bit early, but I do have a great excuse! I promise!! You see, we in the floral industry have these pesky things called busy seasons. This week happens to be one of those so I thought I would get my post out a bit early. I got a great surprise from our lovely hostess, Parsley (aka Deena). Wanna have a peak at what she sent me?!!? I know Sandy did: Ok, here’s what I received: In no particular order: a pumpkin cookie cutter, pumpkin salt & pepper shakers, a beautifully stitched fall pillow “Fall Mums”, some pumpkin ribbon, See’s candies, a table cloth with hand-embroidered frog “Hoppy Fall”, Pumpkin Spice candle, pumpkin scissors fob, several skeins of floss (DMC and the Caron Collection), 16ct Beige Congress fabric, The Pampered Chef’s Spring/Summer 2009 Season’s Best Recipe Collection, Twisted Threads Itty Bitty Forever and Ever chart, Marilyn Leavitt-Sonblum’s A Gathering of Roses chart, The Sunflower Seed’s Sunflower Welcome chart, Elegant Designs’ T...

I mentioned not too long ago that I am involved in a Christmas Biscornu Exchange over on The Stitcher’s Showcase. Well, I received mine in the mail today and would like to share it with you all now: I really like penguins this time of year! Almost more than Frosty and Rudolph. I think all three are in a close race for #1. Linda M. did an excellent job in making this biscornu for me. I don’t have a normal size tree yet, nor the space for one, but it will be displayed along side my 2 ft tree next to the other penguin piece I have. Remember the movie Happy Feet ? Well, the other piece I have is one of those silly toys that Burger King included in the kids meals a few years ago! I also want to share some progress on Coming Home for the Holidays with you: I am finding that if I spend just a couple of hours each night on it I can get quite a bit accomplished. As you can see, I am working up the left side now. I am hoping to have it finished before the end of January 2011 as I know it wo...

To all of my fellow veterans, and especially to my grandfathers, uncles, and cousins who served: Thank YOU!!!

To all of my fellow Veterans and especially to my grandfathers, uncles, and cousins who have served or are serving, Thank YOU!!!

My dad thought it would be a good idea to get Sandy used to riding in a vehicle before our big trip to MI in December. Here are some pictures from our trip to grandma’s house yesterday: Sandy’s 1st Road Trip VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL Grandma lives about 15-20 minutes north of us. Sandy was talking the whole way there and then the whole way back. When we were getting ready to leave, Sandy kept running from me,...

I finally got my last PIF out in the mail!!! Here is a sneaky peak of what the recipient is going to receive: ***************************************************** I also got my Biscornu Exhchange (from the Stitcher’s Showcase) mailed out today: I won’t show their contents until they are received! I do hope the recipients will share as well!! I can now turn my attention back on Coming Home for the Holidays and the few ornaments I want to do for my nieces and nephews. I found two patterns that I will be using for those. I will share with you when they are completed! Hope everyone is having a great Monday!!! Oh, and I took Sandy on her first road trip yesterday. We went to my grandma’s house. Check here for photos! 

Sometimes Sometimes I sit and wonder Why did you fall in love with me It’s a question that seems to be On my mind a lot lately Your bright smile and tender hugs Fill me with a passion That I never knew was there Sometimes I sit and wonder Is this too good to be true We really have no differences But those we do have Are not hard to miss And the faults that we have Are really not hard to overlook Sometimes I sit and look at you And it’s really plain to see I fell in love with you And all the reasons why I cannot live without you For if I must I’d surely die 1996

Yup, you read that right! We finally got into the 50’s here in Central Florida. Our overnight low was somewhere in the low 50s. When I went to work at 8:15 am, it was around 56’F. Yikes! It was a cold one!!! It is still hovering in the upper 60s and we are expecting more cold weather over the remainder of the weekend. No, I am not complaining. If I were in Michigan, I would be dreaming of this weather, LOL! So snuggle up and I will share the rest of my day… Today brought another package in the mail. I won Maggee’s giveaway a while back and received my winnings today. Here are a couple of pictures: I really love the ornie she made! The backing material is perfect!! I also recently won a giveaway from another group that I participate in (non-stitchy). You can see my post here ! This afternoon after work I finally got my Swap package mailed off! As we speak, it is making it’s way through the postal system. Around the world it will go! Where it will stop, only I know (and the S...

I have to send a big shout out again to Angela for the Tuesday’s Show & Tail. Although I didn’t participate this week, I do have a late post for it: This is what I decided upon for my win from her 1 year Anniversary of hosting Tuesday’s Show & Tail! On the left is a chicken feeder. On the right is a repurposed sewing gadget (can’t remember what she called it) and a candle stick to go with it. Now, I had a tough time deciding what I liked as there were a few items that peaked my interest. I finally asked my sister to take a look and she liked the chicken feeder. So, she will be receiving it tomorrow at work. (As I type this, Sandy – the cat – is busily scoping out the box and has now knocked it over! Stupid cat!!! LOL)

natures beauty fields and fields of wildflowers so gay dance in the winds in the early spring day they run and they play oceans and oceans of waters so blue what a beautiful painting what a beautiful day mountains and mountains of hills so green flatlands and grasslands what a vision to see so many things in this world to see so many things in this world to love December 14, 1990

Well, now we have this: Orange Blossoms to Oranges VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL