"Un" Random RAK

I have to post today to show you this lovely present that I opened today! You know there are some people that you know are brought into you life for so many reasons. This present was given to me by a Dear friend BeckySC. She is such a GIVING person freely giving us her time, her support, her work on all of the exchange groups, stitch assistance, her blog gives us inspiration, and she offers this all FREE with NO strings attached... to a Stranger who needs her. This is a trait that I hope I will one day excel at too. This is the reason behind why I called this post "UN" random RAK... Because this is not a random thing for her... she is constantly all year blessing people.
She is a Blessing to have as a friend, and has been there for me through so much this past few months. Thank you Becky for this, for all that you do ... and for This WONDERFUL gift!

Now... to share with all of you the goodies that I received from her:

I know she has this on her site... I think it is a Ewe and EYE design. I just fell in LOVE with it the very first time I saw it!

Isnt this little guy adorable!!! like a marshmallow

Thank you so very much... I am so lucky to have a Becky Piece to grace my collection! and it is So perfectly stitched and finished! Thank you for this wonderful gift... it has Made my day!

I THANK MY GOD upon every remembrance of you...Phil. 1:3

Keep crossing those stitches!

Holiday Season- Exchanges - Lots of PICS

Not that I know that my ornament has arrived safely I can show what I stitched for the Round #3 Ornament Exchange. This was to be sent out on January 1st but I wanted Julianne http://juliannep.blogspot.com/ to have it for her tree this year! Side #1

Side #2 This is it being held up and shows how the 3 sides go together. The Third Side is to each stitchers creativity. I just placed my initials... the year... and that it was for the Ornament exchange It is By Cherished Designs and is in the JCS Ornament Issue. It is so nice to stitch and to have fun with. A little bit of a challenge getting all the pieces stitched and stuffed and tasseled and all... but a ton of fun!

I can NOT wait to see my ornament!!!! I will keep you all updated!!!!

The SECOND Point in this post is The Gifts between Friends Exchange that I was a part of:

This is what I sent out:

I sent this to BeckySC
http://beckysc.blogspot.com/


THIS is what I received:

This arrived from Marie P http://creativethread.blogspot.com/

Thank you again so very much... I just love everything.

These Exchanges were a TON of fun and I have already signed up for the Easter Exchange. I will definitely do the Next ornament exchange. This is so worth all of the time that I have put into it! Thank you to Becky for Leading the exchanges and to the many stitchers that go into making them "Tons of Fun"

Decorating the Tree

The Day after Thanksgiving... My family sets up the tree. With me being unemployed again this year... It is a tight year... but I am trying to hold onto as many of the old traditions that I can ... It would not feel like Christmas without them!

This year is was My daughters Boyfriend, DD, DS, DH and myself. We watch Christmas shows while we set up and decorate the tree. It is Fun! Here are some of the Silly pics of the progress. Funny thing... I did not take a Finished pic of the tree... Maybe I can in the future posts.

As you can see... in the TV ... We are watching the MUPPET Christmas Carol show... I love that show... Whenever I think of it I think of the Rats asking for one lump of Coal to warm the fire Please... and Scrooge saying how would they like to be on the UNEMPLOYMENT line... They snap into Beach wear... and sing... "we're havin a Heat wave... a Tropical heat wave" I laugh so hard every time!

Every year The Kids talk of this weeks before Thanksgiving... They seem to REALLY enjoy decorating the tree... Maybe in the years to come this will expand to their families and we will be able to keep this tradition!

I am ending with a picture of my DD and her Boyfriend. They seemed to have a lot of fun... Dinner, Movies, decorating a tree, wrasseling, Goofing off... and CREATING MEMORIES!!!!!!

Thank you for Joining in on our day AJ !!!!! We hope you join us for many more!

A Request- Can anyone Help!

Well maybe I am on a "Wish Granted" HIGH... But I am hoping that one of you girls will help me! I have wanted this chart since I have first seen it!

With Me being unemployed and the job market being what it is... I do not see this chart as something that I will be able to get any time soon, and maybe NEVER! The price is way out of my budget ball park even for a Christmas Gift. The DH and I have vowed not to buy for each other with the cash flow being low. We are focussing on the Kids and the family! There will be time when we are financially better to get things for each other!

I emailed Silver Needle since this chart is one of their exclusives to ask if they would be selling this as a chart only or Chart and beads together... to make it affordable and they stated that they were NOT and that I could hope to find the Chart for re-sale or to be gifted with it! They did suggest that I try to go in together with several friends and seperate out the supplies best we could and to pass this chart along to each other when finished. This would be near impossible to split up like that... and several of my stitch friends do not want to buy this for the simple reason that it has been made so un-affordable for all. So much effort to try to get it... and no one is interested.

So... Here is What I am asking you all... Would any of you have this chart ONLY not the kit... I could never touch the expense of this kit! If you are finished stitching this kit and are wanting to SELL the chart portion ... would you please email or post to this so I can get in touch with you! I really REALLY really like this chart... and it is so sick in the head to want something this bad ... It is SOoooooooooooo pricey!!! and I just can NOT afford this kit right now... but Could possibly afford the Chart. I will at a later date buy some fancy pins for the top!

Please help!

This is a Silver Needle Exclusive...

Merry Fifteen By Just Nan

http://www.silversites.net/just-nan-crossstitch.php?Reloaded=True&osCsid=d36c9949aabce9c9a9c9ddaa7128c69a

Look at all the cute little guys on this biscornue... I have thought of what all I could sell even to try to gather the money to get this kit... but it is a "WANT" and I promised myself I would focus on the "needs" for now!

If any of you could help with re-selling this chart ... or even an exchange for something I might have if you can give me a wish list... I will see if I have anything that we could exchange... please let me know! I would be forever in your gratitude! I have an email button in my profile please email me or comment to this post!

Thank you for listening and looking at my wishes!!!!

Wishes do Come True!!!

I Have been involved in a Christmas exchange group and have to show you the WONDERFUL gifts that I received from Marie P. at http://www.creativethread.blogspot.com/

I say Wishes do Come True because I had just posted my want for one of these cute little Annalee Elves... and here it is! Thank you so much Marie. I just can not tell you enough how much I love this little elf! With me being unemployed I just do not have the spare cash to invest in "wants" instead of "needs" You have granted a huge "WANT" for someone that you have never meant! This is HUGE. I just can not believe that I have it !
As if this little elf was not the big blessing for the gift... she also stitched me this WONDERFUL candle mat! Look at this ... I took several pics of it and could not truly capture how adorable and how well it is finished! Wow! I feel like Christmas has arrived!

She listed this as:

Chart By: Prairie Grove Peddler

Titled: Little Candle Mats- Snowmen

stitched on : 30 Ct Alma

Here we go again... There is MORE...

See now I am Bragging... (giggle... but I love it all so much!) Look at all my goodies together...

My Annalee Elf, my wonderful Candle mat with a yankee candle and a glass candle holder, Red Pearl Pins, Dmc Needles, Snowman Fabric, Red Sampler Floss, and a Snowman Kleenex holder filled and ready to go!

THANK YOU ... Thank you!... Thank you!

Marie... Thank you from the very bottom of my heart! You have blessed me a great deal today! I hope that I am able to bless my recipient like this.

Mixture... Ornament Exchange... and Winning

This post is a mish mash of things... that I have not been able to post until now...

This first is the Ornament that I made for this segment of the Ornament Exchange... I know that this person has received this ornament so I can show everyone my finish!

I fell so in love with this little stocking... that I really battled sending it out to her. I have already started one for my tree! ;)

This went to Carole... and I thought of her each time I picked this piece up to stitch it and wished her the best of days! This was stitched on a Mystery Scrap of fabric with Mystery HDF silks. Mostly silks from the Detrius Bags that I have received!

Designer : Hands To Work

Chart : Christmas Stocking Ornaments

This next one was the ORNAMENT that I received ... Marie sent me this lovely little package... I was so excited to get it out of my mail package...Look at the cute little Snowman card on it!!!! AWE... I love it!

OH... But wait... This is even BETTER.... THIS is what was INSIDE that cute little package with that cute little snowman card... Creme de la creme... Look at this ornament!!!!!
Designer: Blackbird Designs

Chart: Quaker Medallion Strawberry

This pattern featured in the 2006 edition of JCS Christmas Ornaments.

LAST but certainly NOT least... is a Winning! On the HDF sight Barbara posted a contest with 3 LOVELY thread counters... I WON one of them... and is was the EXACT one that I wanted!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Look at this lovely counter...

I have taken soooooooooo many pictures of this and can NOT get the TRUE quality to shine thru. This picture does NOT do this piece justice... It is just lovely with little leaf beads... and the colors are so delicate... and so pretty... It has 2 needles at the other end one for counting the fibers in the fabric and the other to place in the fabric every 1- stitches... to be sure that I keep my place. I have already had the chance to use it and LOVE IT!!!!

Thank you so much Barbara for this lovely prize!!!!

October 30 - November 1 - Halloween 2009

This Halloween My family went to Big Bone State Park for their Halloween Fest. In the past they have had so many activities... and planned so much fun things for us to learn. Like one night late... a bon fire and an OWL walk, another night just smokes by the rec center... then there was the Ghost Walk that we always did... for SEVERAL years we have looked so forward to this event!

THIS YEAR however... there were NO special events that were like this... the "ghost walk" this year... was every one meeting in the rec center.... and watching a lap top of the findings that they had in the past there at the park. My dd and I both stood there waiting all bundled up for the long walk thru the park... and everyone left and there was NO WALK... I do NOT call this a GHOST WALK... I call this BORING!!!!!! But here are some of the pics that we took of the night!

On Friday before we left ... it was 73 degrees and we were packing ... I went over to my mom's house and as I opened her screen door... I was stung by a bee... I am allergic... so this was not good!!! I was swelling and feeling pretty bad. But determined with Benadryl that I would not let this ruin my time! Then the DH locked his Keys in his truck at work... so we got off to the park about 2 hours later then we planned... WOW ... what a day! That night was High winds... and hard rains... and brought in with it a COLD FRONT.

The next day temps were in the 30's another COLD camp trip!!! BRRRRRR!!!!! Campfires are so awesome when it is cold like this though!!!

My DD had to work that day but was off in time for the park trick or treat event! Here she is dressed up at her work that day!!!!! Isnt she a pretty lil pirate!!!

After the trick or treat here are my lil monsters (well not so lil anymore!) going through their candy... what a HAUL!!!!

Because of the cold weather... my dd took off the lil pirate costume and went as Medussa with snakes in her hair and a pink toga over her winter jacket!!!!

My DS went as a BONE MAN... with a bone mask and all!!!!!

OH... and the DH ... he went as a evil CLOWN!!!

These were our pumpkins that we carved earlier in the day on the back of my DH truck tailgate... all lit up to greet the little guys as they came around for their candy... we sat right in front of this tailgate in chairs... It was fun to see all the costumes!!!!

This is a pic of my DS earlier that day... carving the pumpkins... See if we had smell-o-blog software... or feel-o-blog ware... you could see that the hand in the front has some of the pumpkin guts all over it.... he was trying so hard to SLIME me with that stuff!!!!! How fun!

Here he is being a good boy and keeping the pumpkin stuff to himself!
Happy Halloween everyone!

October 16-18 Camp Wildcat! pics galore!

I have not been able to post in a while but still want to share some things with you ladies...

October 16-18 we camped at Levi Jackson State Park in London, KY (one of our favorite campgrounds) We attended the Civil War re-enactment of Camp Wildcat ! WOWOWOW!!!!
If you have never been to a re-enactment... and you like history... you need to go! It was soooooooooooo Cold the day we went.. Cloudy and a high of 31 degrees... and we all had a blasst!!!!

Several large cannons on the South and the North side started out the battle... this was not that far away... and was so intense... to feel that cannon fire in your chest go off...

This is the memorial stone that is laid now to mark the area the stone next to it lists the many men that laid down their lives at this battle. It is so sad to think of this!

This was the North starting their battle with cannon fire

This is a Northern troop caught to far over in the Southern battle line as they chased him out... That horse is just absolutely gorgeous!!!!

OK... here is My lil baby... trying to keep warm with a cup of Hot Chocolate!!!! They fooled us and put them in Starbuck Cups... Wow that made me want Starbucks even more!

Showing the men fallen in the battlefield

North is making their way up into southern field area

The start to the end of the battle... the sound of them honoring the brave soldiers for both North and South forces that bleed and gave their lives that day so many years ago!

This is a picture of the Southern camp hospital... this table showed samples of actual instruments that were used.... down to the way the pain killers were made...Horse hair for stitches... ect...

Look at those Bone Saws.... WOW!!!!

This was down the main fair of the Southern Camp... those preparing and warming before the battle!

There was a position for all... young and old. This lil fella was so cute!!!!

Again... This battle was both educational and very entertaining... they celebrated the spirit that we had and the lives that were sacrifices that were made there on that very spot! That you to all the re-inciters that are part of the London, KY chapter that worked hard on making this battle what it was!

Awesome Giveaway to announce!

Ladies... Please go to this link and check out the GORGEOUS dog Rory... and also the wonderful giveaway that she is having!!!!!

http://kathystitchcomments.blogspot.com/2009/10/to-thank-you-with-special-giveaway.html?showComment=1256816035443#c1881535011561017974

The names for this giveaway is going to be chosen by Rory on October 31st.

Good Luck to all!!!!!

Wish list wants

Girls... I have to show you these cute little elves... I LOVE them and want one so bad!!!!
I hope I can get a job before Christmas to be able to get one to put in my house for Christmas. I wanted one for Halloween too but that is NOT going to happen!

Here is the link...
http://www.annaleegallery.com/product.html?t_q=502808

This is the one that I just Love!!!! But it is soooooooo hard to choose!!!! They are all sooooooooo cute. I see a lot of the girls that are displaying their cross stitch work with these little elves holding them! It is simply ADORABLE!!!!!!

Oh look at this one!!!!!
http://www.annaleegallery.com/product.html?t_q=502009

I hope one day soon to get one of these little guys!!!!

Giveaway News ... You have to look!

I am starting tonight girls by giving you a link to another blog that I visit daily and ask you to look. She is doing a give away and it is AWESOME! It is a Breast cancer Awareness giveaway... please go and take a look:

http://feathersinthenest.blogspot.com/2009/10/october-give-way-breast-cancer.html


FINAL RETREAT DETAILS...

OK girls... I have to tell you the stories of the WAY HOME from the retreat!

So we leave the Cavalier ON TIME just like we planned... and drive for maybe 45 minutes... and we are at a stop!!!! COMPLETELY!!! We sat in a Traffic Jam for 3 hours... and then finally found out that there must have at one point been an automobile accident! We traveled a little under 10 miles in almost 3 hours... WOW !!! Now we are behind...

The next even was in Virginia... where we were behind a truck hauling Cows... and was talking of COW subject... like "Happy Cows are in a Happy Trailer! " and What conversations they were having in the back of that truck... when all the sudden... out of the back of the trailer came this RUSH!!!!! and Gush!!!!! It was Cow PEEEEEE and was Spraying all over my car... SHEWIE!!!!! Oh we laughed so hard... What if our windows were down... that would have been so Gross... OK well about 10 minutes later a fella on a Motorbike...decided to get in behind this trailer... OMG... we laughed sooooooooo hard ... he had no bug guard... so if those cows decided to go to the potty again... he was in for a YUMMY event and some strange looks at the truck stop later that night. Oh we wanted to follow them to find out what happened but they both turned off together!!!! That would have been soooooooooo funny...

NOW... we are back in line and heading the course for our trip home... in West Virginia now... and all the sudden out of NOWHERE jumps out a BLACK BEAR... Yes... a BLACK BEAR... Looked to be fairly young... and a little thin... But he acted as if to Swat the car in front of us and then leaped over the back of the car... and over the guard rail as if it were NOTHING!!! OMG!!!! I have NEVER in all my years seen this happen. How cool was that!!!

As Dusk approached ... we saw all kind of deer... and even Coyotes that was as usual very fun... I love the wildlife.

In the darkness and winding thru the hills of West Va... many hours later... We are cruising fairly good beside a big truck with 2 carriers ... so it was a BIG truck. The front cab tires hit a Skunk... rolled him over into my lane... and wouldnt you know we hit him too... and he SPRAYED my car like crazy... Well goodness you would too... if you were just hit by a truck... rolled under a SUV and hit again... Poor fella... But now My car had Cow pee and skunk spray all over it! WOW!!!! what an interesting smell... when we stopped to get gas... YUCK!!!!!

OK then we hit Winchester KY and it is SNOWING!!!!! WOW ! We arrived at home around 2 a.m. and I was NEVER so happy to see our area!!!! What a trip!!!! But it is all good for some laughs!!!

Mor Pics and stories from the Retreat!

Ok Ladies... as Promised... more tales of the R&R retreat!

This is me and my DD on the Beach... the wind was blowing pretty good but the temperature is lovely... the waves and the water was awesome!!!!

On to some more of the kits given at the Retreat... On the left of this Picture is the gifted kit that The girls from Blackbird Designs gave us. The first night we had a special get together and they talked of many different ways to finish our pieces and even crafty ways to take something that we had stitched and make more items out of it! It is a LOVELY kit and even has the lighthouse that we visited the day before that is at Ft Storey.

On the Left side of this picture is the kit that was given to us the second night as we all gathered for a "circle of friends" gathering... What a blast... finding out how all the retreats have been together... and how this circle of friends that we have been such a part of had grown and become the awesome group of people that it is today! Each person had helped with this... and it had a cute little acorn charm that Charland made for it! WOW is it cute!!!!

Below is the Retreat Piece that The Shepherd's Bush Girls brought for us. They also gave us a gorgeous hand made box and during the class they told us that theyhad brought us gifts...
They gave us the cutest little pair of scissors... with a beaded fob... Mine had a birdy on the bottom... and then they brought us a craft project... we made a little accorn pin cushion of wool... it is adorable!











This is a picture of one of the parting gifts from the retreat... Last year they gave us a Mermaid Necklace that Charland had made especially for us. This year the accorn with the circle of hearts in the center! Oh it is LOVELY!!!!!!

OK... so I have to put this little birdie pic in here... cuz he is a cutie Patootie... and also because He was probably standing when I started this post... and now is tired... and sat down!

This is the Welcome Sign of the Cavalier Hotel !!! see... Dying To Stitch! That was us!!!!

After going to the shop and buying so many goodies... we went across the street to Ruby Tuesdays and had the Best Lunch!!!! This is us as we first got there!

On the Beach There was a Ginormas (this is a word tonight! lol!!!) statue of Neptune with all kinds of sea life around him...

Here is my DD posing with one of the tiny little guys!
And Below is a Pic of us with King Neptune and all his creatures!

SHEW!!!!! I think that is it for today... I do however want to tell you all about our trip home still ... more for tomorrow's post!!!

Have a great night!

Keep Crossing those stitches!