Catch up post

Gee December is just passing me by!  I'll just post my WIPocalypse and my TUSAL post today.  To start here is my ORT jar for the TUSAL for December:

 I've been working my little fingers to the bone on the stocking trying my best to finish and I probably would but I ran out of thread.....I just have no idea when I can get back out to get more but anyway there is no way I will be completely finished by Tuesday.  I still have quite a bit of backstitching to do and was working on the shadowing when I ran out of that color.  I will just keep working on other areas until I get replacement thread.  I ended up asking dh for some and he can just give to me in my stocking :) at least it will be completed by year end I'm sure. So not keep you waiting too long here it is from the last time I posted:

And now:

I've gotten quite far on it and only have the little bit of shadowing the the right of Santa to go then it's just backstitching and french knots left!  I finished the doll house, blocks, alligators, pigs, giraffes and Noah's ark!  Funny while stitching the shadows I kept finding missed stitches here and there.  I will get that stitched up and just wait on the floss I need.
Thanks for looking! 
Barb

WIPocalypse

Wow it's that time again already!  This SAL is for the WIPocalypse where we are all working on our current projects for the year.  You can find out more of it here on Measi's Blog.  I decided to work only on the hubs stocking this month since I really need to get that finished before Christmas. 
Here is what I had at the last update:

WIPocalypse Oct:

 And now:

I've been quite busy on this!  Love seeing this coming together and I'm so excited!!  I finished the stool, Santa, most of the desk leg and just started on the doll house roof.  I'd say I'm getting closer to the end and have a goal of finishing all stitching by the end of the month.  Hope I can make it soon because I can't wait to sew it together.

I thought I would give you a picture of what my young lady's stocking looks like.  I made this one about 2 or 3 years ago for her.  I couldn't find it last year at Christmas and went a bit bonkers trying to find it to no avail.  A couple of weeks ago when my daughter was cleaning out her closet she pulled it out where she had hung it the year before.  She left in on the outside of the closet door afterwards and I was so happy to see it there!  I guess she called herself keeping it "safe" I had no idea she had hung it in her closet.  You can imagine my relief.

Here it is!

Love it so much my heart is fluttering :) 

Aside from my stitching efforts here is the Fran checking out some scrumptious birds outside this morning.  I could watch her all morning: the way she cocks her head and ears is just priceless. I'm just giggling the whole time!

She was totally beside herself because there must have been a hundred black birds this morning out there.

This afternoon I had to pickup a sick little lady from school.  She has a headache and lays on the sofa with Fran as her nurse.  So sweet!

I've got to get back to the sick patient and to my slice of banana bread yum!  Til next time, take care :)

Sunday again

 Hi : o ) it's Sunday again!  I do love my Sundays.  It's time that I use for housewifery things like changing out my wreaths, bake, work in the yard or on one of my projects.  Saturday I went to our nearest Lowe's to get some much needed plants for this fall.  Of course that is pansies around here.  I just love the mix of color they have to offer.

 I just potted some right in with my geranium there.  It's still blooming and even has more buds on there.  I just couldn't take out the geranium since it wants so badly to hang out in my pot there.  See that itty bitty pink there?  That is part of it still blooming.  There are about two other sets of blooms that haven't bloomed yet.  It's suppose to get pretty cold on Wednesday so will see what the cool weather does.  

They are just lovely hanging in their basket and out on the front of the house. Just love that mix of color!

 Walking about out back after planting the basket I was surprised to still see some camellia blooms still on my plant out back.  Love these, you can't see if from this one but they have just a hint of pink on the edges. 

 Looking around inside I'm feeling a bit guilty not working on my ripple.  It's been put on hold while I work endlessly on the stocking for my dh.  I'm getting pretty far on it but I can't help not sitting with the ripple in my lap while it's cool out and doing a ripple here and there.  Ripple.Ripple.Ripple I do miss you :(  I promise I will be back soon! 

 Here's the culprit...taking up every pit of time but I'm very much enjoying working on it.  Anticipating sewing it together.  I can't wait! It's nice to see how far it is coming in comparing to my last WIP post.  Wow it has been going pretty quickly!  Although I did have to frog out part of the bench's back leg there where I miss counted...

Well I'm going to snuggle up to my ripple while I work tonight on the stocking.  Do you think ripple will mind?  Hope not :)

ORT, Tea & Autumn

 Now that the weather is changing the skies seem to be at their brightest.  I love love this time of year.  It's my absolute favorite.  Halloween, fairs, leaves changing, Christmas around the corner, ::autumn:: :)

 The leaves are on the brink of changing to their magnificent yellows and reds.  This is out back of our house where we have a nice foot path.  I will have to go out on a walk with the wonderful cool weather we are finally having.  Perfect weather!

Last but not least I'm late on showing you my ORT jar.  It's slowly filling up but haven't gotten much done as I would have liked.  I'm working solely on the stocking for DH so that I get it completed in time this year.  I'm determined to get it stitched by the end of the month.  Will have to see how far I get on the next update around mid month!

Great Giveaways!

There are two wonderful giveaways being offered.  Time 2 Xstitch is having a giveaway when she hits that 100 followers!  I know I'm just starting out with my blog perhaps that will be something I do when I get closer to 100 :)
Here is Time 2 Xstitch's blog.  She is giving away a sampler of your choice from Samplers Not Forgotten!  Isn't it gorgeous?

Another giveaway is from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  It's this lovely Sewing Necessaire

I love the blue's in this!  It's just beautiful don't you think :)

Be sure to go and sign up for these!

Lazy Sunday

I got a good bit accomplished this weekend.  Did my house tidying routine, have a sliced roast in the slow cooker making italian beef for dinner tonight (new recipe - will let you know how it goes!) and even have been able to slip in more backstitching on the stocking!

When I came upstairs this is what I came to - sleeping kitties :)  I love seeing them napping so close together.  They are just too cute and make my heart squeeze.  Hope your weekend has been a good one!

IHSW October

This weekend was the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend.  I used this weekend to work on getting some of the backstitching completed on the stocking and made some progress.  I forgot how long it takes to backstitch and it felt like it took forever and I didn't get far.
Before:

After:

Well that is my report for this weekend's stitching!