The Monthly Cottages - One Last Look

I thought I would put all of the cottages together in one last post about them. If you have followed my blog, you have seen me cross stitch each month.

I started the cottages last August, and the first month to be on display was September. 

I just realized while looking for the September picture that I never showed September on display, so I may have to do that in September. Y'all will have to humor me!

I have enjoyed doing them so much, and have worked to find the perfect spot in the kitchen over the course of the year so that were on display and not going to get messed up.

Through this, I have found the kitchen with my white counters and no really color theme going has been the place to have my little seasonal themes. 

I can change out the table linens very easily to go with the month. Example up next.

To store them, I had a tub left over from the classroom. I keep it in my sewing room cabinets. It has all of the backgrounds, ribbons, etc. right there. Easy to get to and easy to put away.

I placed a magnet on a frame with a saying I got at Hobby Lobby. It had some depth to it, so it worked perfectly with the monthly cottages.

I originally had the washer on the frame and the magnet on the back of the cottage, but quickly changed that set up to the exact opposite. Magnet on frame works tons better!!!!

Then I mounted the cloth and the cottages on sticky mounting board that you can get from craft stores. I glued the backs down with tacky glue and held them with clothes pins until they dried. 

Corners first and then sides.

I then glued a washer (the kind you pick up at a hardware store) onto the back of the cottages. 

By doing the magnet on the frame and the washers on the cottages, it was extremely inexpensive to do and easy to switch out each month.

I didn't put anything on the back of the cloth piece. The magnet and the washer were strong enough to hold both pieces in place.

I have thoroughly enjoyed them and look forward to them for many years.

So without further adieu, let's travel the remainder of the year with cottages.

Remember I did two Junes. I didn't like the first one, but......

I love the second one!!!!!!!!!

and last but not least August.

This makes up stitching for a year of my life with a few other things thrown in.

Thanks to Priscilla @Priscillas for the inspiration. I saw these cottages on her website and knew I had to do them.

Busy stitching,

Sandy

Linking up with Stacy@Poofing the Pillows
http://www.poofingthepillows.com

Thoughts of Home on Thursday

A Dog Story and Some Stitching

Gus, the Springer met his brother this past weekend. A rather cool story this is.

Soon after we arrived home with Gus, my son discovered that a former student of mine's fiancé had gotten a dog from the same litter. The student and his now wife were just graduating from Florida State, so they named their pup, Chief after the mascot, Chief Osceola. 

I couldn't believe someone so close had managed to get a dog from the same litter. I always talked about our dogs when I taught and we have had Springers since just a couple of months after we married. I had Murphy at the time the student was in my class.

We were out boating this past Sunday afternoon and had taken the dogs to the back of the bayou to swim along the shore of Eglin reservation land. We were slowly boating back home with the dogs in their usual position up front getting as much wind as possible. We happened to see the young man and his dog outside his parents home. He was tossing a ball into the water to tire him out. 

The brothers finally got to meet. We took a couple of quick pictures, but they are all basically a blur because the dogs were running. They had a blast. 

Small world!

I finished my gift stitch. I have stitched it before and shared it on here, so nothing all that new. The book is a very old book that I have had for decades and stitched many things out of it. This time it is for Jeff's birthday coming up. 

Modeled after this one...

Typical Golden pose!

Currently I working on Part 2 of Things Unseen. I am making progress.

I have three other rather large projects that I am just dying to do, so other than the month of July when I am going to work on Christmas stitching, this is going to be the year of large projects.

I just needed to start one of the other ones the other night, so I started a few stitches on my rose project. This was not on my list at the beginning of the year, but blogs and such got me.

I saw that Martina was doing a rose pattern and I just new I needed to do one, so off to Ebay I went a searching.

AND then there is happy mail!

My sweet friend Arlene sent me a wonderful present today. I feel as if I have arrived with my new "Stitching with the Housewives" bag. Priscilla and Chelsea have just made it even cooler to be a cross stitcher. Truly is a wonderful hobby.

Oh and my finishing is so much better than it was 5 years ago and I came across Priscilla's blog and realized there was a whole new world of stitching that didn't have to be framed. That said, I decided to maybe maybe maybe redo my monthly cottages that I first saw on that blog. I have had them in my kitchen each month for years now. I thought maybe I would redo and make a flat fold out of them. Well, since I had two June stitches.... Long story about how I didn't like the red one with the strawberries and stitched a new one with different colors which I guess could be peaches or oranges. Anyway, I took one of them to redo. Then I had a moment of sanity and realized I do not want to go down the rabbit trail of redoing things along the way because I improve. I will accept the old and keep moving. No more redos on them. I do hope to continue to improve!!!

So with keeping Tucker, keeping a house tidy, cross stitching, and reading I am living the life.

Loving the longer days,

Sandy

Update and Cross Stitching Days #1

Busy, busy week.

I am over the top relieved at how well Mama is feeling. We have had two doctor visits this week, so that took up two of my days, but I am so happy that she has that skip back in her step. We have one thing to work on now, and that is her eyes. She had cataract surgery two years ago before our lives were turned upside down, and we have simply had to neglect her eyes in light of all the other stuff. We have an appointment in mid August, so hopefully we can get her eyes all better soon.

I have to tell you...I think God has just intervened on her health. Praise Him!

We had a cookout with our church small group this week. We had been taking a break with meeting this summer. It was great to catch up. Trying to get the house in order and the other stuff of life has kept me hopping this week.

I am just trying to start the day slowly this morning.

I have been planning to share my cross stitch history on my little blog. I blog mostly for myself...just love keeping a record of life. 

I have decided for posterity's sake, I am going to do a little history of my cross stitching days. I was going to start at the beginning, but I am headed down a different route to start off this little series.

I have been so inspired by two different blogs that show the many ways to display your stitching, because let's face it after more than 35 years of stitching, I have no other place to put a framed piece of stitching.

One is Carolina Stitcher. Oh my, this little blog is so cute. I am in love. I just wish she had a search box. If you love cross stitching, you have to go take a peek.

I was so inspired by this little vignette by Carolina Stitcher. 

http://carolinastitcher.blogspot.com/2015/07/where-liberty-dwells.html

Isn't this just adorable?!

I am so on this idea!!!

The other blogger is Priscilla's. She has the cutest month things done up in a vignette. I think this could replace my need for monthly decoration. After all, that school teacher in me needs a monthly display. I love her monthly cottages and word play. She also does awesome chalkboards.

http://priscillas2000.blogspot.com/2015/04/chalkboards-chickens-and-cross-stitch.html

Anyway, for my first share, I will be sharing a few of the items I have that are not framed.

One of which is a baby blanket I did for my first born. I worked on it diligently from the moment I found out I was pregnant, and finished the center square right after she was born. We hung it in her room for years. I have had it wrapped up and stored away for years now, as she is 25.

The other thing that I have is pillows. I had more, but I guess along the way, some have hit the discard pile. Not sure how I ever discarded my stitching, but I know I did. These are two that were at my mom's. I could tell she didn't want them anymore as she is really trying to clear out her spaces. I took back these two. I have the perfect place for the doggie, but am looking for a place to rest the rooster.

I always loved this little doggie. Might have something to do with the three Springer Spaniels I have had over the years.

I will try to figure out a day of the week for my sharing of the cross stitching series, but for now, I need to get busy on some housekeeping.

Counting my blessings and my stitchings,

Sandy

Easter Weekend

 A joyous Easter Monday here! 

I have been blessed to be in the company of my family and to worship the Lord. Just knowing last year that we weren't able to go to church is mind blowing enough. I know there are many who couldn't go this year and I feel for them so much. I am grateful for the fact that I could attend and also teach "my girls". 

I am so grateful for being able to have my family around the table to eat and visit. It is always so much fun to watch the kids be together and enjoy each other's company. OF course, Tucker is still the star of the show. His day of sharing is coming soon.

I am not photogenic!!! but it is what it is. Aging is not always easy, but a part of life so here is my family all gathered on the deck. I am far more happy to be able to take this picture than to worry about my poor posture OR bad hair days.

Mother was able to take one for us before Tucker was over it.

I am going backwards in time for the remainder of the post.

Tucker had a visit from the Easter bunny before church.

Mother, Jeff and I actually attended church on Saturday evening. We had a service then and two on Sunday morning, so as to spread it all out and it helps me out so that I can cook early Sunday morning and then go in to teach at my regular time slot.

Jeff was lagging behind in the parking lot, so Mother and I had our picture taken at church.

IT was quite chilly this weekend. I simply had to wear pants (no cute Easter dress for me) and hunted down a jacket to match. I had gone to a bridal shower earlier in the day, so no changes were made to the outfit.

On Good Friday, Tucker was off from school since he goes to a church daycare/school. Lindsay decided to take off and spend the day with him. We went up to the north end of our county to Baker. They have a wonderful strawberry farm. My goodness... we had so much fun. We were able to get up there before the crowds.

I told you it was cold. I had put away all the jackets and scarves. I had to dig them out for this trip.

Tucker was dressed in the cutest camouflage overalls and boots.

He enjoyed picking them. There was absolutely no trouble with him picking the wrong ones. He loves strawberries and he knew exactly which ones looked best for picking.

I honestly don't know who had more fun, but suffice it to say Mother AND Tucker enjoyed themselves immensely.

A little heavy on the pictures but they were all so cute.

The strawberries were so pretty. 

While driving home, I had a side thought. When I retired and began cross stitching again, one of the first things I stitched were the Little House Needleworks monthly cottages. I loved every single month except June. It is a strawberry cottage. I just didn't understand that one! It dawned on me that strawberries are probably in season in most of the country in June, but for Floridians that is not true. Well, strawberries are probably a much more year round thing in south Florida, but this is strawberry season in north Florida.

It all made sense as I was picking them.

So many blessings, but the most wonderful blessing is the resurrection of my Savior.

He is alive.

Looking forward to a great week,

Sandy