Jolly July Stitching and Auburn House Outside Work

Christmas in July or Jolly July stitching has begun. I am going to hunker down and try and get the countdown to Christmas piece done for Lindsay.


I have lots of thoughts swirling in my brain for how I will finish this. I will share some of my thoughts while I also share some numbers that have been finished. I will apologize for the picture quality now...some are dark.

The finished piece shows the 24 pieces all stitched and finished like little bags and hanging from a string on a window frame. I don't think that will be my plan. I am sort of envisioning a quilted piece with pockets to hang on a door.

I am using this linen and ordered a big piece so I should have plenty. Has a been of a sheen to it.

Now, I often find on something like this that you can't really know what or how it will work until you get closer to the end and have lots of time to process all those thoughts and mesh it will your capabilities.

#4 is adorable, but I got off count. Some ripping needs to be done and I skipped to 5. 

Knowing that, I will just have to see. Lindsay is a very traditional person, so I know the finish will have to use very traditional colors and fabrics. At Christmas she is much like me...a very traditional person...not too much whimsy.

When I finish 5 I will go back to 4.

I have a beautiful Ralph Lauren tartan plaid table cloth that I picked up one year at Tuesday Morning for a deal. I have used it before on Tucker's first ornament, so I have more than enough to do something with that.

Oh and out of the blue I did #10, but for the most part I am going to stay on track with the numbers.

In the background of some of the above photos you can see a project bag that I made from a wonderful kind of nostalgic piece of fabric I bought once at a quilt store in Pensacola (a quilter's dream store). I used it for an apron and the project bag, but something like that might be a good idea too.
I will definitely enlist Lindsay's ideas when I get closer to the finish.

Now, I may have to another one for Paul Allen, but that is not anytime soon at all.
I do think Tucker will enjoy it this year. I am thinking of making some pictures on tagboard to put in each pocket to tell the Christmas story.

I think Lindsay would like it hanging on a door so it is up out of the way but useful....those are my thoughts at the moment. Either way, that is what you will see when you follow along for the month of July unless life just takes over.

Now, push in the clutch for a gear change.

With that I decided to share a few pictures from our Auburn house that we wish were at this weekend, but just not the time with Mom still feeling so bad. Right after she got out of the hospital on the first few days of June, we left for a super quick trip to Auburn. She was still on a lot of pain medicine and my aunt came down and stayed with her the two days.

It was kind of a workday. I put out some fresh pine straw at the front of the house. I should have taken a photo, but didn't. I did however pull up the coolest tree starter root from the really large acorn this tree drops.

Nerdy Sandy just loves this kind of stuff.

I was just pulling it up and was shocked when the whole sprouted acorn came up with it.

I put in a new shower curtain in one of the guest bathrooms. I needed the rod to rest on the tile and that made it so that it needed an extra long one. I had already put a long plastic liner in but had just not found a shower curtain, so I ordered one from Amazon for a good price.

Sorry about the open potty here. Yikes! Try to just look at the pretty curtain.

Then we went shopping and found these photos of Toomer's Corner. I don't remember the exact dates, but 1890s, early 1900s, and 1940s I think. 

I will share them again with a wider view and the exact dates and how that led to moving other pictures around. 

Now, for the outside because that is why we went to get it set up for vacationing. IT will be the only vacationing our family will do for the foreseeable future and I thank God for the blessing of the home.

Lindsay and family went two weeks ago to escape the Destin traffic for a weekend.

The view below is the side yard porch between the garage on the left and entrance into the house on the right. We put a TV that swings out and has from phone viewing capabilities. That was a gift from the kids for Christmas. 

This is the same area just looking in the opposite direction. You have seen the fire pit here. We bought new chairs which I will show you in a minute.

If you leave that porch and look towards the front of the house, there is another small porch that comes right off the living room. 

It is my favorite spot to sit when I am there. It is my old cabin screen porch and we moved that furniture back over there which made me happy happy happy. Coffee, time with God, and stitching are all very pleasant activities here.

Now, looking back down all the way to the back, you will see the fort for Tucker. He should like it this fall.

Do you spy Gus?

And the garage has a nice view out to that area and is very private, so I am keeping the rocking chairs there for sitting there.

We purchased stackable chairs to keep in the garage and easy pull out to the area where we will use the fire pit this fall and winter. If you have never seen a Solo fire pit. They are amazing and worth the price. They always run specials for half off. The wood burns down to nothing over night. Very safe and all around WONDERFUL! 

Jeff has set up a dart board and wants to down the road get a small portable ping pong table. 

I never shared all of it, but looking back at pictures I decided I needed to get that done.

I hope you liked pictures, because I probably overdid it on this post.

I hope everyone has a safe weekend. We will be home this year and very quiet. That Big old ugly C is getting too close for comfort. I now know personally 7 people who have tested positive and all under the age of 51. Six local and one a friend of Paul Allen's who WAS coming to visit this weekend. I think he was relieved they found out first. My kids are laying low as well which makes me feel better.

I will be doing a lot of praying this 4th of July for our country but for my family and friends to all know Jesus!!!

Grateful,

Sandy

P.S. I am still not getting any comments to my email, so forgive me for my unfriendliness. I am reading and love to hear from y'all.