Welcome to another update on my current cross stitching. This week I have been stitching on Animal Almanac. It is the 2020 year long stitch along from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.
This year I got a little bit of a late start on the SAL, because I was trying to finish up Welcome To Pumpkinville (last year’s SAL). However, the adorable sections for Animal Almanac seem like they may stitch up fairly quickly. Plus, with our sate in lock down due to COVID-19, I should get caught up in no time. As of right now I have the first section finished: Aurora the Penguin!
Thanks for checking, happy stitching and stay healthy!
Welcome to another update on my cross stitching. What a month March has been so far! It feels like I haven’t had a chance to catch my breath since the month started. Thanks to surgical recovery time, follow up doctor appointments and Coronavirus social-distancing, I’ve been juggling three different cross stitching projects this month.
March 4th, I had a same day surgical procedure done. Some may say minor surgery, but I believe the degree between minor and major can be subjective. Whether it was minor or not, there is still anxiety, pain, discomfort, and recovery involved. Leaving out the private details, I am thankful to God for seeing me through it and giving me a peaceful state of mind that morning.
Thankfully, my parents were able to come down for the day of the procedure, plus a few more. Having them here, especially my mom, was a major support. No matter how old you are, when hurt or sick there’s nothing like having your mom take care of you.
And yes, I am that stitcher who was stitching a project while waiting to get taken back for surgery. While the surgery went well, there has been quite a bit of fatigue and discomfort for the past two weeks, so my stitching has been interspersed with lots of napping. For the most part, I’ve been working on Purple Chick from the Mill Hill 2017 Jim Shore collection.
The small Mill Hill kits are my go to projects for car rides, travel, and for when I need a small project/finish. This Purple Chick is going to be a cutie and it’s been great to just pick it up do a couple stitches, put it down, take a nap, eat, sleep, repeat.
Then this past Monday, I got to work on Animal Almanac; this year’s SAL from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. Aurora The Penguin is close to done. Stitching is still a little slow, but I think these blocks will stitch up fairly quickly once I get back into the swing of things. Hopefully I can get caught up before April 1.
I’m addition, I’ve return to my bedtime stitching routine and have been working on the beading for Moonstruck. Another gorgeous Mill Hill kit, but of the larger variety, 6”x6”. While I also use the larger Mill Hills as travel projects, this one has been my bedside piece for a while now and I can’t wait to see the final result.
Well that’s all for this update. Thanks for checking in, stay healthy and Happy Stitching!
When coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi awakens on a bench in Washington Square Park, she has no idea she’s been missing for days, or that her friends and family have been frantic with worry. Now that she’s back, everyone is overjoyed, including a handsome NYPD detective who claims to be her fiance. But to Mike Quinn’s crushing distress, Clare doesn’t remember him, or much of anything about the last fifteen years of her life. Clare’s missing memory is tied to a crime she witnessed…Soon authorities grow suspicious. Is Clare really a victim? Or merely acting like one? Evidence is mounting…To clear her name, Clare must find a way to reclaim her memories and rescue the heiress before this high-stakes crime ends in tragedy…(via Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
When I saw this book on the shelf of my local library I nearly shouted out loud! There are very few book series that I could say I keep up with, but the Coffeehouse Mystery series is definitely one of them. Not only are the characters relatable and interesting, the story lines are actually believable. Honestly, I was expecting at some point in the series I would start to find the plots fantastical, but to my surprise they have remained creative and intriguing.
In this 18th mystery, Brewed Awakening, the author has taken the plot and characters to an entirely new level. Without spoilers, I can say that the opening chapters where we realize what has happened to Claire, prepare us for a journey through her life and past, that we have not seen before. Additionally, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride of potential alterations to her present and future life. At one point I actually screamed out loud at the book, well at Matt to be precise.
As with all mysteries, I am always attempting to deduce the culprit and/or scenario before it is revealed by the author. Yet, once again, my deducing skills pale in comparison to the incredible interwoven narrative skills of Cleo Coyle. The mystery of what happened to Claire the night the heiress disappeared, takes us from New York to New Jersey to the Hamptons. Deep dark secrets are revealed about both the living and the dead. While the key to it all, lies within the hidden skeletons of a complicated family. Let’s just say Brewed Awakening keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review; if you like you can follow my reading activity on Goodreads.
Welcome to another update on my current cross stitching. It’s been a hot minute since my last update, but I am happy to officially say: Welcome To Pumpkinville is FINISHED!
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s stitch a long from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. Unfortunately, I did get behind in 2019, due to the horrendous year that it was, so I had to carry Pumpkinville over to 2020. That did not minimize the enjoyment of stitching this cute little town.
One of my favorite things to stitch are structures & locations and Pumpkinville has the cutest buildings of any town. My favorites are the Reid A. Book Library, for obvious reasons (#booklover), and the Shimmy & Shakes Diner which reminds me of the Doo-Wop Diner in Wildwood.
This was my first time working with petite treasure braid and I don’t think I am a fan. To me it seemed like the treasure braid pulled opened the weave of the Aida leaving the look of holes in the fabric. In order to prevent this, I had to remember to make my stitches with a very light touch, that took some effort and much frogging to get the look I wanted.
While I am still deciding how I want to finish the piece, I already have thoughts of stitching another library for a hanging pillow ornament to put on my bookcase.
Now that Pumpkinville is in the finish pile, it’s time to get started on the 2020 SAL: Animal Almanac; cuteness anticipated.
Patience is a virtue. Have you heard that saying? There is truth to that, but not everyone is blessed with that virtue and waiting can be hard for anyone, especially when you are waiting for something really great. Recalling back when my husband and I were dating, waiting until the next time I saw him was probably the most impatient I have ever been in my life. I still get a bit impatient waiting for him to get home, mostly in the good I can’t wait to see him kind of way. As Christians, we have that same expectant waiting as we wait on the coming of Christ.
During my devotion this week, the verses and narratives echoed what we are learning on Sundays as we study the Book of Acts. Jesus promises. all believers, that he will send us a helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with us while we wait for his return. A simple understanding of that promise might be that He will send us the patience we need to wait. However, it is not the job of the Holy Spirit to help us wait patiently and quietly for the Savior.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8
When Jesus first sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles they were gathered together in the upper room. The minute they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit they became active. They began preaching the Gospel of Christ, ministering to the public, attending temple service to praise & worship, and performing miracles in His name.
Our waiting time here on earth is not intended to be stagnant either. We are to be actively waiting by sharing the gospel of Christ, being in fellowship with one another, praying, worshiping, and ministering to the needs of others. This is the daily help that the Holy Spirit provides to give us the resources needed to carry out crisis work here on earth while we wait on Christ’s glorious return.
Welcome to another update on my current cross stitching. This week I have been stitching on two projects, both from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, With Love & Pumpkinville.
While I always enjoy every project from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, With Love was particularly enjoyable to stitch. First, I loved the fact that it was a fundraiser to support the wildlife affected by the fires in Australia. Second, the timing was perfect for the crazy schedule we had the past two weeks. Most of my stitching on this was done in waiting rooms, exam rooms, and the car.
And didn’t this adorable koala turned out so cute! (If I do say so myself.) Initially, I intended to finish this in an adorable frame that I saw on Etsy, however, there have been so many creative finishes shared on Instagram that now I’m not sure which way I want to go. Hopefully I can make a decision soon and share a fully finished version in the near future.
Now that things have calmed down in our schedule and my koala is finished, it’s back to Pumpkinville. This is the longest I’ve ever carried over a stitch along, but I stitch for me so that’s beside the point. I am enjoying finishing up the Reid A Book library and should be moving on to the Pumpkinville Post Office in the next day or so. My plan is to have Pumpkinville finished before the end of January, so I can get started on this year’s SAL.
I hope this finds you well and enjoying life. Thanks for checking in & happy stitching!
Much like returning to your childhood home, rereading a childhood favorite can be bittersweet. As a kid I loved the story of Alice In Wonderland, it held a mesmerizing kinda magic. Having just finished reading it as an adult, I still see the magic, but I also see the absurdity.
Lewis Carroll was, I believe, attempting to portray the wonder and power of a child’s imagination through the fantastical imagery that is Alice’s dream. In Alice’s older sister, we see the desire to hold on to one’s reverie skills despite age and reality progressively stealing them.
While I like to believe that I still have a strong and healthy imagination, many of the scenes Alice faces during her journey through Wonderland were so preposterous, that it soured my enjoyment. Perhaps I am not as imaginative as I had once been, or maybe my memory of this childhood story was filtered by the many cinematic tellings of the story.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed spending time with Alice once again, even if I did see her more as a precocious child than a kindred spirit this time around.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review; if you like you can follow my reading activity on Goodreads.
Happy WIP Wednesday! Welcome to an update on my current cross stitching. This week I have been stitching on With Love from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. Friday I discovered they had designed this adorable Koala pattern and were sending all the proceeds to support wildlife rescues in Australia. So I decided to take a break from Pumpkinville and hopefully have a small, quick finish to start the year.
It actually worked out really well, because this week is a very busy week for us, with lots of appointments & car time. It has worked out great to have With Love in my traveling project bag and have managed to finish stitching the Koala. Isn’t he adorable?
There is still the gorgeous border to finish, but we still have several appointments left this week, so I think I will manage. Then it will be back to Pumpkinville to finish.
I hope this finds you well and enjoying life. Thanks for checking in & happy stitching!
My heart is breaking with all the images that are coming from Australia. My heart wants to reach out with all my love. There is only so much I can do, but what I was able to do was join in on The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery‘s campaign to raise money for wildlife rescue in Australia. With every purchase of their adorable With Love koala pattern, 100% of the proceeds go to wildlife organizations in Australia. As of today they have already been able to donate over $3000! If you would like to help click the link above to go to their website and purchase the pattern. I got mine today, and have decided to spend the day stitching my koala and praying for Australia. Please join me if you can.
Happy WIP Wednesday! Time for an update on my current stitching project. This week I have been continuing my stitching on Pumpkinville.
This is my third year long stitch along with The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery and the second time it has spilled over into January. Obviously I understand there is no pressure to keep up with the monthly pattern releases, however I enjoy having a fully stitched piece to represent the year. Pumpkinville will still be my 2019 hallmark project, it just may take me the rest of January to finish stitching.
I hope this finds you well and enjoying life. Thanks for checking in & happy stitching!
Heart, Hounds & Hobbies 