Silent Night

This is another December finish.  I like stitching this and it makes for a nice gift to special friends.  I also can reveal the gift I made for Marissa.  She loves it and the Washington Temple will be a nice reminder of our visit in June.

These are the nightgowns and pajamas that I made for my grand children.  They have become a traditon and and the kids look forward to having them. 

Our family's traditional Christmas breakfast is Eggs Benedict.  Years ago Ric would get a ham from the Honda dealership.  Sense we always had Christmas day at his parents house, we would have the ham on Christmas Eve.  Ric would then make the family Eggs Benedict for breckfast with the left over ham. Even though we don't have Christmas day with his family any more, we still do the ham on Christmas eve so we can have the left overs for breakfast.

A Christmas Tradition

Every year for the last 35 years I make peanut brittle. Starting the weekend after Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve I make batches of this yummy candy. I go through 25 pounds of sugar, 35-50 pounds of raw Spanish peanuts, 3 gallons of Karo syrup, and 5 pounds of butter. It has become such a tradition that it is hard to cut back or stop when you have so many requests each year.

These are ready for delivery.  I have already sent some to Ric to hand out to friends, family and co-workers.
I got the recipe from Ric's mom.  After we were married and living with his parents, I ended up helping her make this candy.  After the many batches with her as my teacher, the tradition lives on through me. 

Peanut Brittle


2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo light syrup
2 cups raw Spanish peanuts
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup water
Bring water to a boil on med/high heat. Remove and add sugar and karo syrup.

Bring to a boil. Add peanuts. Stir constantly. Put in candy thermometer and cook to 295 degrees on medium to medium/high heat. When 295 degrees remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Quickly stir in soda. Pour out onto two buttered cookie sheets. Break into pieces when cooled.

Some Stitching--Overdue Post

Here are some of the things that I have worked on these past few weeks.  I haven't spent much time on the computer sense I have my blackberry.  There is not much time for Blogging when the Holidays are around the corner.

Last year I saw this tutorial and wanted to make the ornaments for the holidays.  I pulled my holiday fabric and went through my buttons to make these easy decorations.

This pin pillow was stitched while I was visiting Ric in Maryland.  The pattern is a freebie from gazette94's blog.

I made another Felix sweater.  I really like this pattern.  It works up quick and easy for a gift to a new baby.
Still stitching away for Christmas.  I am hoping everything gets done on time.  Half day kindergarten makes it hard to start anything time consuming and I am running out of weekends. 

Coral Reef

While on vacation I saw the usual sites in Washington.  The first week I spent viewing the monuments and museums.  I took the train into town and looked through the exhibits at a leisurely pace. One of the displays was in the ocean exhibit in the Museum of Natural History.  They had created an example of a coral reef all done in crochet.  The different fibers in the reef were amazing and realistic.  I met several ladies who were contributors to this display. My pictures don’t do it justice. Some of the artists were from the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery.

A Tease

I returned from my 16 day trip to the east coast to see my DH.  Along with all the sites, I visited family, stitched and basicly was spoiled.  Here are a few pictures that sum up the beginning of my trip to the end.  More to come in the next few days.

It Came!!!

A couple of weeks ago I won a giveaway on Hazel’s blog.  Well it came today and look what awesome goodies I got. 

The patterns and thread are fabulous and I will need to get a couple of them kitted up so I can start on my Holiday stitching.

The soap is wonderful and the cloths perfect to throw in my almost packed suitcase.
The chocolate won’t last long on my 5 ½ hour flight east.  Maybe I will get a little stitching done.
Thank You, Hazel for the wonderful giveaway!!!

A Week in Review

Last week has been interesting.  I have whined that we did not get much of a monsoon and then we had a storm that even the natives said they hadn’t seen before.  Most of the Valley got hit with wind, rain and hail.  This is a picture of some of the hail we got.  Some areas got tennis ball size hail.  Four tornadoes touch down east of Flagstaff that caused extensive damage.  We didn’t receive much damage thankfully but others had their skylights broken out and damage to cars.  My kids at a local body shop were swamped with work from all the repair orders.

The other excitement is winning a giveaway from this blog.  I don’t enter all the giveaways so this was an awesome chance to win some charts and goodies from Hazel. She has posted them from the UK and I will post pictures when they arrive.

I made 2 more hats to put on Kristen’s Etsy store.  Here is the link to see some of the things we are offering.

The pumpkin Hat is an adult size and the Christmas hat is for infants.

The rest of my week I volunteered at the Mesa Cannery helping can salsa for the Bishop's Storehouse and worked in Sevrine's Kindergarten class. Now I am prepping for my trip next week to see my sweetheart...  So excited to see DH!!!

Pumpkin Hat

Pumpkin Hat

Crafting Traditions

Sept/Oct 1996

page 18-19



Good Advice

I got this in an email this week from a friend.  I needed the reminder about priorities and what is most important.


Written by Regina Brett, 90

years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older,

I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:



1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a
special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Count Your Pumpkins

Count Your Pumpkins

from

Better Homes and Garden

Holiday Crafts, issue 2000

16 count Aida

DMC threads

This is another Pumpkin sampler I did this weekend.  (Note to self-buy a non reflective glass frame.)

Pumpkin Challenge

Work up on 28 count Linen and DMC Thread substitutions.

Piece was started on September 15th. Finished on September 16th.

One of my favorite cross stitch blogs started a pumpkin challenge. Go here to see about the details. http://beckysc.blogspot.com/

I have several fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving charts that I have put on my to-do list. This little piece had been kitted and was just waiting for the perfect time to work up. This was the right incentive to get it done. The chart is a freebie from San Man Originals found here. http://www.sanmanoriginals.com/

Football, Finishes, and a Flag

Saturday I woke up and put up the flag in remembrance of the tragedy of 9-11. I had Sevrine take this picture of the Flag in front of our house. Colleen cropped out her thumb and brightened the color. I thought it was a nice photo to remember this day.

Saturday we celebrated Payton's 3rd. Birthday. He loves the Movie "Toy Story" and this was his theme. He is totally attached to Buzz Lightyear.

With Sevrine in Kindergarden, I am now fighting the traffic to pick her up. They release the kids 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the school so I need to get in line early. I bring my current dish cloth and get a bit done from the wait.


Now that college football and the NFL is in full swing, my ability to work on projects has increased. This has been great for getting Christmas projects done and some of my WIP pile completed.

35 Years

How do you sum up 35 years of you life? Today I celebrate being married to my eternal companion, best friend, and sweetheart. I am truly grateful that it started in the Manti Temple where we united our family for eternity. It is my prayer and wish for the coming year to be filled with peace, love and happiness.

Easy Baby Booties

I cannot count the number of times I have made these booties. These work up in about an hour and a half. I have made others but still come back to this pattern: (Make 2)

I use Bernat Baby Softy sport weight yarn and size 7 needles

Cast On 40 stitches.
Knit 12 rows.

Toe shaping:
Knit 18, knit 2 together, twice, knit 18. (38 stitches)
Knit 17, knit 2 together, twice, knit 17. (36 stitches)
Knit 16, knit 2 together, twice, knit 16. (34 stitches)
Knit 15, knit 2 together, twice, knit 15. (32 stitches)
Knit 14, knit 2 together, twice, knit 14. (30 stitches)

Knit 2 together, knit across row, last 2 stitches knit together. (28 stitches)
Eyelet Row: knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together across row.
Next row knit across, knitting the yarn over’s for the eyelets.
Continue the cuff in either garter stitch or stockinet stitch for 9 rows.
Bind off.

Sew up back and across bottom.
With a crochet hook, make a chain stitch tie to weave in through the eyelets of the bootie

Life and Little Stitching

Sometimes there isn't enough time in the day to sit down and work on all my projects. Some days are better than others, but I try and do something that is creative because it helps me think, plan, organize and de-stress. It is nice to to see what I have accomplished so far this year. Stitching makes Life a little easier.

Last Christmas I picked up this chart from my LNS, The Attic. This is Lizzy Kate's "Time For God". I thought that this was appropriate for all the trials and events that we have experienced so far this year. Trying to keep the perspective of Gratitude is helping us face the future.

This is a little sweater I started last week. It is called the One Skein Hooded Baby Sweater. I like the yoke treatment and changed the hem to garter rows from what the pattern called for. If I do this one again, I will add button holes instead of the ribbon ties. This was a quick knit and it took just one skein of my designer sport yarn. The pattern can be found on ravelry along with the corrections.

I am trying to stay caught up on my baby gifts. Between family and friends I am always making something for these little ones.

Starting to work on my Christmas list.


With school is session I have been adjusting my schedule to fit the drop off and pick up times for Sevrine. It has been a rough start for her but hopefully she can pay attention and have some success in her class.
While Ric is back to work, I am handling the yard work and other honey-dos that need attention. When I was out taking Sevrine to school I saw this amazing desert sage bush. This is in my neighbor’s yard. I had to take this picture. I was surprised that it smell really nice too. The next picture is the same bush in my yard. We have regularly trimmed it so we miss the blossoms.

It is that time of year that the smoke detectors needed new batteries so I hauled the 14 foot ladder around trying to find the one that was chirping. This is life!