Finally...I'm back!!

Okay, so I've taken a MUCH longer blogging break than I'd intended.  But life has been so hectic these past three weeks - something had to be cut out of my time, and that something was the blog!  However...I am back now, and quite recovered from the busy-ness of the holidays, the start-up of the New Year (finally back in the swing of things)...and finally, more importantly, it appears I've recovered from strep throat completely.  Woot!

I've always wanted to say that.  Now I feel better.

So what's happened in the past month?  Ummm...I had my 35th birthday, just three days before Christmas...and no, I don't feel any different.  I don't even feel much older, though my body is disagreeing with me.  Are weird eye twitches normal for the 35th year?   Achy knees?  Pounds that refuse to go away?  Temperamental hips?  I blame my sweet babies for the pounds and hips...too much stitching  and reading for the twitchy eyes...and maybe my new boots for the knees.

Oh but they are SWEET boots!  I must get a photo up for you to see.

I don't know what Christmas gift I am enjoying most...my brown knee-high high-heeled boots, or the DVDs of Downton Abbey.  Hmmm...it's a toss-up.  The boots make me feel tall and skinny, so they might win.  But Downton Abbey....ahhhh...am I the only geek in Arizona who loves this show?  I can find no other girlfriends who even know about it.  Am I also the only one who does NOT have cable TV and therefore watches lots of PBS?

Anyway, I had a great birthday -- my in-laws were in town, and they spoiled me.  Well, Mom did -- she took me shopping!!  Clothes shopping.  I needed some new threads so badly - and not the needlework kind.  ;)

And my husband REALLY spoiled me!

This is me holding up my gift card to the Gadabout Spa!!  There's enough for me to get a manicure, pedicure and massage if I want.  But I am not into massages, so I think I'll get TWO manicures and pedicures.  Sweet!  The gift card even came with a pair of flip flops and a tote bag.  

We went to Chili's for my birthday dinner - my favorite, hands-down.  Chips and salsa, baby!  Even with strep throat.  I took Tylenol and drank lots of iced water.

See the gorgeous purple scarf?  My mother-in-law gave that to me.  And see the gorgeous man?  He's the one who gave me the sweet boots and Downton Abbey DVDs.  Yes he really loves me.  He bought me a chick flick.  A six-hour chick flick.  And he even puts the boys to bed on Sunday nights so I can watch the new season of DA. 

And I got some finishes in before the end of 2011!

Cross-stitching finishes:

The Angels Sang by Little House Needleworks

I finished it like a flat ornament, though it's too big for an ornament - it will hang on the wall.

This is My Joy, also by Little House Needleworks - I haven't "finished" it yet, but the stitching is done!

I've already had some 2012 cross-stitch finishes...but I'll post those another time.  This post is getting rather long!

And I finally finished reading David Copperfield.  Sigh.  I love that book.  (Remember that I'm a nerd!)  I won't give the ending away, just in case there is another person out there who has NOT seen any of the movie adaptations and really doesn't know how it ends (just like I was until New Year's Eve).  But suffice it to say, I was satisfied.  I love how Dickens weaves several threads of a story line together, keeps them all running separately for half the book, shows the reader how they're all interwoven throughout the last half, and at the end, wraps it all up neatly.  Magnificent!  Just like Little Dorrit and Bleak House.  

I am deciding whether or not I will start A Tale of Two Cities.  I freely admit that I've started it twice, and stopped twice.  I cannot get through the first chapter.  Which is weird - I would think that a book that is about both England and the French Revolution would be interesting to me.  And yet...there I am.  Putting it back on the shelf.

It feels great to be back in the blogging world!  (Thanks Eileen for the encouragement!)

Now I need to locate my children.  Well, I know where they are (bedroom)...I just am not sure what they're doing.  It's the quietness that I find alarming!!  

Nearly ready for Christmas...

I keep wanting to sing, "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat..."

But we have no goose, and he is not fat.

And now I'm being silly.

I feel as if I've been lazy this season...I have yet to add more ornaments to our tree (see last post) and I think I just WON'T.  Christmas will still come if our tree is not fully decorated.  I have a friend who didn't even bother putting ornaments on her tree this year - just the lights and the star on top - and it looks lovely.  And it's much less stressful for her, and there are less things for the kids to get into.

What a smart lady.

I am all about cross-stitching this season, not decorating.

I started the lovely "This is My Joy" pattern (also mentioned in last post) by Little House Needleworks.  I LOVE it! I'm about half-way through.  The thread is silk, and oh it is lovely to stitch with.  

Glides through the linen smoothly, and it's so soft. 

I love the variegated look of the hand-dyed threads - see how the little sheep has different shades of green?

(The thread is Crescent Colours Belle Soie, by the way - color is Collard Greens.)

I got my "bake on" yesterday -- baked up some cookies and bars to give to the neighbors, and then put this sinfully delicious pudding dessert together -- just for me.  

Just kidding.  I'll share it with my family.

Maybe.  If they say "please" and put on puppy dog eyes.

Pudding dessert always makes me think of my sweet Grandma - she made this when I was growing up and we always loved it.  I'm so thankful that she gave me the recipe before she passed away.  

I miss her so much!

Ben's preschool had their annual Christmas pageant, "Happy Birthday Jesus," on Thursday night -- he is the little guy in front with the orange shirt on under the tan "robe" (he and his class-mates were Inn Keepers - the row behind them were the Shepherds).

"There's noooo room for you at the inn!!"  

(That's his buddy Gabe to the left - they've known each other since they were practically born, just three weeks apart.)

Then Ben decided that it was time to flip his robe up over his head.

Gabe thought the result of the "flipping" was fun.

Meanwhile, Sam was rolling around on the floor, having a grand time.

"Is it over yet?"  

What troopers they were!

And so, with my stitching project half-way finished, the pudding dessert complete, and the Christmas pageant over, I think we are now about ready for Christmas.

Now I just need to get my house somewhat cleaned up - family is coming tomorrow!  Then it will REALLY feel like Christmas!  Yay for Grandma and Grandpa!  (and Uncle Doug!)

Merry Christmas everyone...

and to all a good night.

(couldn't help it - sorry)

Christmas-y stuff

We FINALLY got our Christmas tree up, thanks to Ben and his constant prodding...

No "day of rest" for us on Sunday afternoon!

Don't judge us for our style - Ben went to town decorating the tree himself:

He was quite meticulous about how he added each one to the tree, and explained in detail to his dad why he'd arranged them in this way:

But Bryan can't really remember what Ben said about it, because it kind of didn't make sense.  Apparently it made perfect sense to Ben - which is really the important thing here, isn't it?

These are shatter-proof ornaments, by the way.  They are taking the place of my lovely lavender and silver glass ornaments, which will not reappear until the boys are past the taking-the-ornaments-off-the-tree-and-throwing-them-inside-the-tree phase.

Oh, someday I'll get my beautiful purple and silver tree back.  But I'm quite happy with our brightly-colored hodge-podge tree for now.

I did add some of my own ornaments, up high and (hopefully) out of reach.  I finished up a Hallmark series this year.  I am actually not "into" angels - but these were so pretty, I went for it.

the last holiday angel in the Hallmark series

I'm contemplating adding more ornaments, but so far have had little motivation to do so.  For one thing, I've been concentrating hard on not going through another bout of strep throat.  So far, I seem to be failing.  I'll let you know it goes.

Also, I've been working diligently in the evenings to finish this sweet piece:

excuse the hoop-marks

And it's funny, because I'm not really "into" angels...hmmm...well anyway, this is a Little House Needleworks   design, "The Angels Sang".  I just love the simplicity and country-style.  So homey and warm.  I'm stitching it on 30-count Straw linen by Weeks Dye Works.  I think I might frame it -- but am also considering making a wall-hanging with some twigs/branches -- something "earthy" if that makes sense.  We'll see!

As soon as I finish my angel piece, I'm starting another design by LHN - a brand-new one called "This is My Joy" -- just picked it up today at the needlework store.  Can't wait to begin it!  I've never stitched with silk threads before (I chose the Collard Green and am going to stitch it on 30-count Cocoa linen by Weeks Dye Works) and I've heard silk is amazing.

excuse my very bad with-flash photo

Okay now you're updated!!

And just "who" are "you"??

;)