Thanks For The Feedback....Here's Jack!

Thanks everyone who took the time to chime in on my little pumpkin finish.
The majority voted to leave him as is, so without further ado....



He sure is a happy looking guy.



He definitely makes me smile.
I stitched him on a mystery scrap of linen with an orange from Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shop and DMC 310. The chart is Pumpkin & White by Bent Creek.

Hmmm...what to work in next?

Have a great weekend!
Happy Stitches!

Chris
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Opinions Please

Good Morning!
I need some feedback. Back in January I started this for the Halloween All Year Long SAL. January's theme was pumpkin.



I am going to finish it as a 2 sided ornament or fob. So the question is.... Should I fill in the open linen on the pieces in the opposite color? Would this make it more dramatic. It shouldn't take me that long to do. Or should I leave it as is?

Thanks for the help!

Chris

P.S. this is a Bent Creek Design called Pumpkin & White


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RAK From Shirlee

Hello Friends,
I stopped at the post office on my way home from work yesterday and inside the mailbox was a surprise from Shirlee aka the Easily Influenced Stitcher.



Binx had to help me open the package.



Look at this fabulous pin cushion. I love it.



Lovely backing fabric. Thank you Shirlee!
After happy dancing around the house with my pincushion and finding the perfect place to display it, Rich and I had dinner.



See why I love these dishes?
Later in the evening I tried a new recipe. You slice and freeze bananas.


Then put them in the food processor and chop them up until it turns into something the consistency of soft serve ice cream.



We added some peanut butter and cocoa powder and ran the food processor some more.



And you end up with this. It was pretty yummy. I think next time I will try some vanilla and cinnamon .
I always have bananas in the house and make a loaf of banana brea once a week but this was another great way to use those bananas that are a little too ripe for Rich to eat.

Well I am going to bed. I have had 3 mentally exhausting day at work.
As always, thanks for stopping by and visiting.

Sweet Dreams!

Chris

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A Finish, 500th Post & A Chart To Pass On

Good Morning!
   I stayed up to finish my Blackbird Designs piece from The Prim Ladies Society.

 My friend Carol over at the Polka Dot Chicken blog changed the color of her house and I thought I would do the same since the pale Carmel Corn color that the basket was filled in with was so close to the fabric color. I chose Picket Fence. Go see Carol's version here.

 I personalized this with my Aunt Mim's initials and her year of birth. She passed away in April. We lost her way too soon to early onset Alzheimer's. The disease started to appear in her early to mid 50's. I spent lots of time with her as a child. She was artistic and so beautiful.

I can't believe that this is my 500th post!

If you would like this pattern for the BBD piece I would like to pass it along. Please leave a comment on this post saying that you would like a chance for it. I will draw a name out of the hat on Sunday the 7th of July. You must be a follower to participate and new followers are always welcome.

That's it, I am now running late for work.
Have a great week!

Chris

More Dishes

Howdy!
So glad that is finally Friday. I hope that you have had a good week and have some plans to have fun this weekend.
I got a wonderful box in the mail today with these small oval platters(very small).



See my giant hand?! Are these not the cutest little plates?



Here is the normal oval plates that we usually use for dinner or sandwiches. When I ordered these I thought that they were deeper like the vegetable sides but the are flat like the platters. I got 8 of them :)



I also found one of these wide rimmed soup or pasta bowls. Only one, I will keep searching for more. Love them.


Sweet dreams!

Chris
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Painting The House

Happy Wednesday Friends!

  I hope that your week I going well.

  I have made a little progress on my BBD piece.

The charted color for the house is the Carmel Corn GAST floss that is used to fill in the basket. It kind of blends into the fabric. Carol over at The Polka Dot Chicken Blog has changed her house to yellow. I am going with this off white( Picket Fence).

What do you think?

I hope the pics show up.

Later

Chris





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The Best Of Plans...

Hello Friends.

Thursday morning my long list of things to do was interrupted by a severe line of storms that came through on Thursday afternoon. The power ended being out for about 7 hours. This tree came down out in the back of our property. So I didn't go to Zumba, it was just too nasty out. 

I did  have a treat on Thursday. One of the reps that I deal with weekly brought me this. Yum!

Since we didn't have good weather on Thursday Rich and I had to do stuff at the house to get ready for our company on Saturday, so we didn't make it to Salisbury for the lecture.

On Saturday Rich and I headed down to Jordan Lake for the dam tour. The weather was gorgeous, clear and low 80's. Look at this view.

The dam tour was kind of lame. But we visited a place we hadn't been before.

 More of the dam... exciring, right?

 We packed sandwiches and after lunch we went for a hike on same trails by the lake. I started playing with an app on my phone called Map My Ride. You can use it for cycling,running or hiking and it shows your       speed, distance and makes a gps map of your route. It is pretty cool.
Since I haven't been to Pittsboro lately and it was so close to where the dam is we made a little detour. This is the courthouse. The courthouse was severely damaged by fire about 4 years ago and I haven't seen it since the reconstructed it. They did a great job. This is where my friend Susan and I went to the lecture on Southern family cemeteries and I learned about the vinca that I am always talking about.
They have  lovely old soda fountain in Pittsboro too, so we treated ourselves  to an ice cream cone too.

 Our company arrived on time and we enjoyed a nice dinner with Rich's brother and his wife. They left early Sunday morning and Rich and I went out for another hike. This guy was crossing the trail.

 I did to stitch some Saturday. After dinner we watched Jack Reacher on DVD. It was pretty good.
So here is my progress! I am closing in on this. It will be my first finish of the year..sad :(

Oooh, this is a really bad picture. Sorry.

Well That is it for now from here. Blogger is being really difficult. I hope that the pics show up this time.

Peace.

Stitching Progress

Here is my progress on my BBD piece. I am loving it but I just need to be able to sit still and devote some blocks of time to it. Hmm... I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Yesterday I had a massage. It was very nice. I was given a gift certificate at Christmas and finally had time to use it. I also ordered some new sunglasses. Yea!
Tonight, Zumba.
Tomorrow, I think that we are going to a lecture in Salisbury.
Saturday, we are going on a dam tour in Chatham county, and hoping to get in a hike. Then we have family coming through town and spending the night.
Sunday, dinner at friends.....
Hmmmm..... Stitching I don't think it is going to happen.
I hope that everyone is having a great week and that you are finding some stitching time.

Hugs

Chris
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A Weekend Recap

Hello Friends!
   I hope that you are drying out if you are on the east coast. If you aren't in the east I hope that you are enjoying some wonderful weather.
  On Saturday morning I got up to prepare for the June meeting of the Piedmont Heritage Sampler Guild. I was in the shower and of course the power went out. There has been so much rain here that I am sure a tree came down some where. This was our yard sale where we were getting rid of stash. So had I gone through some of my things before Saturday morning? no, you should have seen me with my flashlight!?! I need to learn not to procrastinate.

 

 Here are some of our members in action. I think that everyone found some wonderful things. The proceeds are going towards the teaching fee for our class with Praiseworthy Stitches next June. You can find some info on the class here.
   When I got home Rich wanted show me these little guys out back. Every time you stepped you saw movement.

They must have just hatched. They were so tiny .

 

 Rich and I both got in 2 hikes over the weekend. Things cleared up enough we went out to our normal spot Saturday so Sunday morning we went over to start our hike at the Thorneburg tract.  It is part of the same trail system. And we saw this...

 They are restoring this house which is the 1825 farmhouse on this property. The volunteers are camping out in tents while working on this project. I felt bad for them with all of the rain that we have had.

 A little bit further behind the house and the dependencies I saw this huge spot of vinca. I bet the family cemetery is under this.

 It was great hiking in another spot. Rich and I really need to do it more. It is great to see different things and hear different birds.

 Pretty clearing...

 Sharing the trail....

I was able to give blood Sunday afternoon. Of course the normal errands and some cooking for the week.
I am going to leave you with this pic.

Always remember not to mess with a granny wearing a superman cape!

Hugs

Chris
 

June Orts

A few additions this month! Woot!

Chris
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A Few More Finished Pieces

Happy Wednesday! Or omg it is only Wednesday!?! Can you tell that I haven't had any diet coke this morning?

When I saw Myra (Gr8dame's Blog) she gave me back the last 2 pieces that she had finished off for me.



A Bent Creek piece.



Lovely.
And this Brittercup ornament from one of the JCS Ornament issues.



Gorgeous!



Pretty backing fabric.
I wish I had some more things finished to give her bit this year I haven't had a finish yet! I need to work on that.


Keep stitching!

Chris
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A Saturday Off!

Hello Friends.
If you have been visiting me for awhile you know that I have been working a lot of Saturdays lately on top of my Monday to Friday job. So I can't tell you how nice it is to have had a Saturday off.
I went to Zumba, then grocery shopping, ran home to get a shower and then headed out to have lunch with Myra.
It has been about 2 months or more since we have gotten together to catch up. We headed over to a new restaurant, bakery/coffee shop that has opened up in town.



Very cute. And charming inside too.



Take a closer look at the chandelier...



I think those are milk bottles. Myra and I placed our order and headed out to a table outside.



I ordered a smoked salmon salad. It had asparagus, greens, a few olives and pickles tomatoes. This is something that I would never have thought that I would be eating in Asheboro. I am so glad that they are here. Myra had a pimento cheese sandwich which she said was really yummy.
I also came home with a loaf of asiago red pepper bread.



I had some toasted for breakfast and it was yummy. It is so nice to have bread and a restaurant like this in Asheboro. It is called The Table.



Here is one of the gorgeous flower boxes on the outside of the building.
I had a wonderful visit with Myra. She brought me 2 more ornaments that she did the finishing on for me. I will save pics for a midweek post so check back :)



This is a picture if some new apartments in Asheboro. Up until a couple of years ago this was a panel factory. Somedays the smell of shellac would be so strong when you drove by. Now they are these lovely looking apartments. They are right next to the restaurant where we had lunch.
After I got home I did my weekend cooking. I seem to spend a couple hours each weekend doing this to get ready for the week. I made a quiche, hard boiled some eggs for salads and cooked some sweet potatoes. I also tried a new recipe that I got out of a Good Housekeeping magazine.


This is ...
1- 12 oz jar of roasted peppers drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
You just purée everything in the food processor or blender.
Yum! Serve it with pita chips and fresh veggies.



I cut up some of this flatbread that we get at the Nazareth Bread Company in Greensboro. This recipe is a keeper. Yum.
I have beef stew with barley in the crockpot and will probably put a loaf of banana bread in the oven later.
Hopefully I will make some more progress on my BBD piece too.



But right now we are off to get in a quick hike.
Have a great Sunday!

Hugs
Chris
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