First Spring Display

 

My first Spring display includes these jugs

with faux flowers.

My first sweet Spring display also includes

this bunny, pillow and feather basket.

Created this Bun-Bun many years ago.

I stitched this piece last year.

I stuff most of my pillows with fabric scraps

for that lumpy look. 

Need to finish the other seasons now.

All atop my old dough box.

In other news,

the  day before Spring our temp

was a wonderful 71.

Then the first day of Spring

in came the rain, freezing rain,

and then the snow.

What gives Mother Nature?

While it was snowing Tundra was outside

loving it though.

My daughter Michele ended up

in the ER a few days ago. 

She went to an urgent care first 

after 2 days of migraines and nausea.

They gave her a script.

Did not help so she ended up 

going to the hospital.

By this time her BP was high and migraine 

getting worse.

She spent 6 hours waiting to be seen.

After doing a CT scan and giving her

an IV because she was getting dehydrated,

they sent her home.

After an hour, the migraine came back.

She is making an appt to see a neurologist now. 

I gave her the info for the one Bob sees.

Hopefully he can find the problem.

Don't you love hospitals though?

Speaking of hospitals,

the one near where I work there was

a shooting the other day too.  

I was already at work thankfully.

They had all of the roads closed

and a helicopter in the air 

looking for the suspect...which they 

did finally catch.

An employee shot another employee 

in the hospital parking garage.

Thankfully the one that was shot

was not fatally shot. 

He was shot in the arm twice. 

Still not a good situation.

They blocked the road an hour after 

I went through so I missed the commotion.

Am glad I did miss it.

It is raining here now.

Will be doing my cleaning and laundry.

What will you be doing this weekend?

Spring Is Here Blessings To All!

Janice

March CupboardScape

Hello friends.

Spring is almost here.

YAY

March always reminds me

of the color green.

Am not a big fan of green,

but I do have faux greens...

so this is what I decided to do

for my March CupboardScape. 

This cross stitch was a pattern

from Notforgotten Farm.

I stitched this many years ago.

The border is shamrocks.

This is a cement bunny planter.

I kill indoor plants so another faux one.

Again showing off my leprechaun

by Notforgotten Farm.

More faux ferns inside one of

 my favorite ovoid blue slip crocks.

Me thinks I captured the green pretty well here.

In other news,

hope everyone had a wonderful 

St Patrick's Day

if you celebrate.

Gone are the days where I would go to 

the Irish bar with co-workers.

We would sing Irish songs and drink green beer.

Stay until almost closing, and get up

to go to work the next day.

The owner knew us, 

so he never charged a cover fee.

The fee was for the band.

All others had to pay $5.00 to get in.

He catered in Irish food.

He made so much money just this one day,

it covered the bills for the remainder of the year.

My mom told me on Saturday that just

North of her they had 6 inches of snow.

So glad it did not come near us.

We had rain off and on Saturday and Sunday.

Bob put a fire in the fireplace to get the chill out.

We were toasty at night.

My co-worker who left me, called last night.

He does miss me, but is so much happier.

Am glad for him. 

I told him I was counting my 339 days now to retirement.

He laughed and said it was actually less days

that I have to work...because I should not 

count the weekends, my vacation days,

the holidays we get off and even my sick days.

If I do that I estimate 200 days.

Well that's it for now.

Happy Post St Patty's Day Blessings To All!

Janice

Friday Finish

 Hello my friends!

Well I only have one finish.

Actually I finished this stitch

last February...but

I fully finished it now.

WOOHOO.

This was one of Lori's patterns

from Notforgotten Farm.

The pattern is called

Lucky O'Greene.

Lori just released a new one

with a lady called Maggie O'Greene

which I will have to purchase now.

Finished into this sweet pillow.

This was the fabric I chose for the border

and the back.

The left I coffee stained a bit while the right

was the original color of this fabric.

In other news.

driving through the marsh this week,

I have noticed it is coming out of hibernation.

The Redwing Blackbirds are back 

with their sweet song.

The muskrats have come 

out of their underwater dens.

The swans are paired up ready for love.

Soon the baby cygnets will appear

swimming alongside their parents.

I also saw my first heron hiding in the

dried phragmites waiting for his dinner.

Plan on getting my Spring displays

put out in my home.

Will go grocery shopping today

 during my lunch. 

Am working form home today and the 

store I go to is only a few miles away.

I write down my list and it is organized

by the route of the store...

so I can get in and out.

Will probably be crafting, crocheting, 

stitching and hooking this weekend.

What are your plans for your weekend?

Friday Blessings To All!

Janice

Maker's Monday

Hello friends.

Today's post I am playing with fabric. 

But first.

Bob came home with this antique splint basket.

I loved it...so this is what I decided to do.

Getting back to the fabric.

Shades of brown.

Purchased this quilt piece.

Drew out my own template.

Hand sewn eggs is what I created.

Will try to make more before Easter.

So back to the basket now.

I added aluminum foil to the bottom.

Because I wanted to add in this grass.

Did not want it falling out.

Voila...an Easter basket filled with my

own fabric eggs.

You will see this again 

in an upcoming display.

In other news,

once again Lauren is being a brat. LOL

She asked how many cross stitch

projects I have going.

Well Lauren since inquiring minds want to know.

I currently have 15 started, with only

5 in rotation right now.

The others were seasonal ones which I 

wont work on again until that season.

Spring is coming...so I will be starting

more Spring items.

Lauren dont ask me how many more

I will be starting...dont know yet. LOL again. 

Last week was a nightmare.

Not only having to do my own job,

but then had the task to contact

my former co-workers clients to inform

them he resigned and provide them the names

of those who would be handling their accounts.

I literally had a headache every night.

I was the only one who knew his portfolio

as much as he did.

Hopefully this week will be better.

I took today off so that Bob and I can

go to over our taxes before sending them

in to our CPA.

We will probably end up doing lunch somewhere,

then visit the meat market to stock up

our freezer once again.

We might even grill tonight for dinner.

It is suppose to get in the mid 60's.

WOHOO

(hope it stays)

Do you have any plans for the upcoming week?

Pre-Spring Blessings To All!

Janice

To Market I Go

Hello friends.

For those into Cross Stitch,

in  March designers all go to Nashville, TN

for the release of their new patterns.

All of the online shops share pictures

of what the designers 

will be releasing at market.

I decided to show you my top picks that

I have on my first, and second bucket list.

Then those maybe's I am mulling on.

These I will get right away.

 

Coco's Garden by Teresa Kogut.

Love how this was made into a basket.

Simply love the muted reds of this sampler.

This is called

A French Rose by

Running With Needles and Stitches.

Be Still My Heart by

Samplers Not Forgotten

Would love to do it in these colors

 of the motif of flowers

on the left in the above pic.

Changing the fabric to a white or cream

would change also change up the colors.

Just a thought right now.

Audie's Pink House by

Fox and Rabbit

I would change the house to Colonial Rose 

which I would prefer more to pink.

Next my second list...will order these

throughout the year once released.

Georgian Floral Basket

by JBW Design

A nice Valentine one.

Again will change the colors up a bit.

Cocoa and Kisses by Annie Beez Folkart

A Winter stitch for later on in the year.

A cool Halloween one.

This is Dance Party by

Autumn Lane Stitchery.

Then these I am still mulling over.

Eyelet Sampler Roll

by Lucy Beam 

Not a real fan of the eyelet stitch...

but do like this small sampler.

I could just do it in cross stitches though.

Peace Sampler by The Mindful Needle

Another smaller sampler.

Could be a candidate for a blessing one

 for next January. 

A French Summer Sampler by

Shakespeare's Peddler

I may get this one as a tribute to my 

great- great paternal grandparents

who were born in France,

while adding in their info for my heritage pieces.

Stench Stack by

Plum Street Samplers

I think this pattern is so stinkin cute!

Well my friends...this is my list of market releases

that caught my eye.

Do you have any favorites?

In other news,

Lauren asked me how many patterns 

I start in a week.

Well actually I start on average

two per month...then I rotate.

As Saundra calls it...need a spare to work on

when I get bored.

Many spares in my case. LOL

My co-worker resigned on Monday.

He and I have worked together for 25 years.

He had been there for 28 years,

with me being there 29.

I started in a different area before

teaming up with him.

He called me late Friday to tell me.

I was shocked and he had me crying.

He was my partner in crime. LOL

My work husband and we always had 

a great rapport. 

I know his wife and watched his kids grow up.

He knows Bob and came to our store lots of times.

It was a sad day on Monday...but he

saw the writing on the wall too,

and decided to get another job.

He is only in his early 50's, so 

I completely understand his reasoning,

but still sad that I wont be seeing him

or talking to him daily now.

I thought I would be leaving before him...

since I am retiring next year.

He beat me to it.

Its been only 3 days since his departure.

Now I am faced with the task of

continuing without him and letting 

our customers know who will be replacing him.

Am I confident they will be in good hands...

we will see...then again I will be leaving soon...

so will I be confident then too that 

they once again will be in good hands...

only time will tell.

Off to work my friends.

It is almost the weekend.

Thank goodness.

Market Blessings To All!

Janice

Sunday Starts

 

Hope all is well with you my friends.

Am glad March is here.

However it came in like a lion here.

Very windy and cold.

Am hoping it goes out like a lamb now.

Today I have two new starts to share.

The first is this St Patty's Day theme.

Speaking of lambs, 

this pattern is called Lucky Ewe

by the Proper Stitcher.

Stitching this on 30ct Aspen.

Decided to use floss on hand

instead of purchasing more...

but not happy with the color I chose

for the shamrock in the vase.

Cannot see it. UGH

I have to re-think this one out.

I did purchase this project bag.

Perfect for St. Patty's Day.

Next is the 12 Days of Christmas Stockings.

This patten is by Annie Beez.

The called for linen is a black 14 ct aida.

No way was I going to stitch on black linen.

Am doing this on 28 ct Earth.

It will be the same size, 

just a smaller count linen.

Well I thought this was finished,

but I realize I did not finish 

the lower right branch.

Will need to do this.

It also calls for beads.

I am only going to add the beads

 in the numbers which I have not done yet.

Hopefully I can get these done for Christmas.

In other news,

Yesterday I made wet beef burritos for dinner.

Bob made us some strawberry margaritas.

Both were good.

Tonight will make a roast chicken

with mashed potatoes and cream style corn.

Finish up my laundry and clean today.

Hopefully have time to stitch.

The wind moved the ice a bit.

It was nice to see blue water again,

and the ducks came back.

Just love watching the little diving ones.

Well off to make some chocolate chip pancakes

with some bacon for breakfast.

Let me know how March came in for you.

Sunday Blessings To All!

Janice