Pinecones and A Little Bitty Finish

The girls collected some pinecones from the back the other day and made some peanut butter birdseed feeders to hang on the trees. I read them a book, Francis The Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie De Paola and thought our little craft would be appropriate.

I started this little embroidery project a couple years ago and did indeed finish the embroidery, just never put the mini quilt together. It's certainly on my 'to-do' list. When I began the project it was a free BOM, but now I see there is a small charge. You can find it here.

Goodness, what a blurry picture. Sorry about that. This is a little scissor fob my daughter made several years ago when she was about 12 or so. I found it the other night in a box and decided to do the finishing on it. It's very sweet and more so because it was the work of her hands. It's called Lady Bug Scissor Fob by Lorri Birmingham Designs.

A Bit of This and a Bit of That

As much as I love the spring, summer and fall, winter is a beautiful season all its' own. Being inside more has some advantages. The kids and I get schoolwork done without the yearning to go outside (well, not as much as the warmer months, anyway) and inside amusements take front seat. I've been working on a beautiful piece, The Marriage of Minds, by The Drawn Thread.

I began this piece several years ago hoping to get it done by our 20th (I think) anniversary. That didn't happen. I can't remember why I put it away. It was either because we were moving or a new baby was on the way; could have been both! But whatever the reason, I just didn't reach my goal.
Luckily, I had it all together tucked away in a cabinet. Every time I went into the drawer that I kept it in, I felt the need to take it out and work on it. I finally took it out a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with it all over again.

I hope to have it done for our 29th anniversary in August. Because there are many different stitches along with standard cross stitch, it is a delight to work on and is keeping my attention.

However, my eye wanders and soon I look beyond what I'm working on and snatch up projects for the future! I bought a few during an on-line sale, a few at a LNS once a year sale and (gasp) a few more today at another LNS that are not pictured because she had to order them. I think I'm pretty set for awhile...lol... I do my "fun stuff" at night once I'm done with reading to the kiddies, schoolwork, and the usual workings of family life. I recently finished reading The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge. Wonderful, insightful book. I really like her writing anyway, and this book did not disappoint. I look forward to starting Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym. It promises to be a delightful, comical story and I'm really in the mood for something light and funny!

I made some loose granola today. It is really good! I'm looking forward to sprinkling some on top of my morning yogurt!

At the same time, I made granola bars that are half gone, already. Scrumptious! These are so much healthier and tastier than store bought, not to mention cheaper.
Hope your weekend is a good one!

Friends

I feel very blessed to have a few special friends. This week, two of them are having birthdays. I gave them both the same gift; three little potted primroses and a votive candle. I placed them in a tangerine crate and covered it with a piece of material. So pretty! I hope it brightens their day!

I made this delicious Bean, Kale, Rice and Sausage soup. My family really enjoyed it. It's a tasty, stick to your ribs soup for a cold winter evening's meal. Definitely making this one, again.

Sisters really are the best of friends. Kaleigh and I made this little mid-winter outdoor tea party for the littlies the other day. They really had fun sipping their hot tea on a cold(ish) January afternoon. It is a bit odd to not have snow on the ground by now, but that's O.K., we're taking advantage of the mild temperatures!
I'll be back with some stitching pictures and a stash update in a few days. The LNS had a 20% off sale and I purchased a few things I've been wanting to get!