Kentucky Sampler

Monday, Monday....

2012-06-04T21:35:00.000-04:00

I have spent the last 30 minutes typing out a blog post that was getting very windy so I deleted it all and I'll let pictures do most of the talking....

I try to exercise about 6 times a week and when the weather is so nice as it has been I like to go outside to do it. I walk/jog (more of the first than the latter) for about an hour and if any of you have been following my blog for some time you will remember that dogs seem to be drawn to me while walking.

I have learned to carry little milk bones in my pocket for them in case I run across one that sees me as a dancing T-bone steak or something. These two are new.

And then there were three......

We picked up Max. He was especially smelly on this day.

I also carry two apples that I have cut in quarters for my other four legged friends..........

If I forget they are sure to let me know as I walk by empty handed.

As I turned the corner somehow I picked up a few more hounds............

Before I walked the next few yards I had seven dogs all around me. A couple of them weren't being friendly to one another and I thought for a moment I might get my leg chewed off. I made it to the next bend in the road though and these two stayed with me all the way home..............

We planned on taking them back to where they met me on my walk but after my shower they were gone.

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While in Pennsylvania I went thrift store shopping with Laymie, my daughter in law. I found another stash basket. Oh YES!! I'm sure I can fill it in no time at all.

Every Wednesday there is a farmer's market in Lewisburg, PA that I remember going to when I was a little girl. I took Josh there as he was growing up and now he and Laymie go there with Liam. It hasn't changed much through the years. It's mostly fruits, veggies, fresh meats, bakery items etc... There are a few stands with yard sale sort of things too. My eye caught sight of this toy and I would have paid a small fortune for it. Fortunately it was only $2.

I had this exact toy when I was just a little one. Well maybe not THIS one but one exactly like it! I have very few memories of my childhood (none that I enjoy recalling anyway) so when I come across something that jogs a good feeling or memory I get all excited over it.

Found this bag at a health food shoppe. It's made mostly of recycled materials......

Do you have to be over 40 to remember Dick and Jane? I know someone who would really like to have this bag! (hey Bert) :^)

This post is really getting windy and not one stitchy picture! I hope to finish Guardian very soon.

I can't help myself....I MUST include a picture of my little man here. I miss him so much.

OK so I couldn't stop at just one. Such a beautiful young family.

Thanks for hanging in there....this was a long post, huh?

Have a wonderful week everyone!

{hugs}

~~Peggy Lee

Still Playing Catch-Up

2012-05-29T19:25:00.000-04:00

Hi there friends!

How was your holiday weekend? Mine was nice. We go to a short Memorial Day service at the Mill Springs National Cemetery that's about five minutes away from our house. This was the third year that we've attended and we wouldn't feel right if we weren't there. It touches our hearts to see the now elderly retired servicemen there and now we are seeing younger folks who may have a family member who has passed away recently while defending our country. Masterchief and I will both end up there one day. I count it as a great honor to have a national cemetery be my final resting place. I'm in no hurry to get there, mind you!

I am still playing catch-up with all the blogs on my list. I know I will never get to them all but I am trying to read and comment on a few between unpacking and readjusting to actually having more than one room to live in. I know I must say this every time I get home after an outage but we truly appreciate what we have after not having it for about two months!

In the evenings I try to put a few stitches in The Child's Guardian. I am almost done. I have put my name and date at the bottom and am now putting those five little blue stitches in each of the spaces in the woven border. I started in the upper right corner, so let's see....75 little blue stitches complete.....410 little blue stitches to go!

**head spinning**

That makes it sound like so many.

It's hard to get a good picture of it. It measures almost a perfect square from stitch to stitch, 13 1/4" x 13 1/2". I'm pretty sure this is 30 count although I can't seem to find where I wrote the info on this one down. I've been working on it off and on since December. I think it's about time I get it done!

Oh that reminds me.....can anyone tell me if DMC threads are colorfast or not? I feel I should know the answer to this one but I don't mind admitting that my brain is functioning at a minimum at the moment.
OK...so it's been more than a moment. :^(

I ran across a recipe on Pinterest the other day I thought I'd try.

It's strawberry upside down cake and ohhhh it's soooo gooood!

I must go work on those little blue stitches now. Thanks so much for remaining loyal followers and dear friends even when I must take some time away from blogging. Stitchy friends are AWESOME!!

Until next time...

~~Peggy Lee

2012-05-28T07:19:00.002-04:00

Please take a moment today to remember those who have given their lives while defending our freedom....and those who are serving still.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Almost Home

2012-05-15T10:14:00.001-04:00

Hello my long lost friends in blogland!

**waving emphatically with a big cheesy grin**

I can't begin to tell you how I've missed you all! I have absolutely no time to stitch during outages....not even to think much about crossing an X. I miss the satisfaction of stitching each night on a sampler. I will soon be on my end of the couch stitching once again.

Our last day of work was Sunday May 6th. We left New Jersey on Tuesday for PA to stay with my son and his family. Little Liam is now 18 months old. I can't believe how quickly he's grown!

His Mommy and Daddy got him one of those bikes with no peddles. I forget what they're called but it's supposed to be easier to learn than one with training wheels. He's not big enough for that right now anyway. He doesn't like to sit on it yet though. He only wants to walk with it. It's so cute! He loves to be outdoors.

We stayed with them for a few days, until Saturday morning when we left for Maine to visit with Masterchief's mother. We are staying here until Thursday morning when we will go back to my son's. We are planning to begin the 11 hour journey back home next Thursday. We really don't want to be on the road too close to the Memorial Day weekend.

We left home on March 17th and we are so very anxious to get back to Kentucky! I've been doing some shopping while here in Kittery, Maine. Well ok....LOTS of shopping! How can I resist when my mom-in-law lives within walking distance of the Kittery Outlet shops? Today we are going to Kohl's. I have to drive a couple hours to get to the nearest one to me at home so I love going there when I'm near to one while traveling.

I'm sorry I haven't been able to follow up on ANYONE'S blog since March. I have to completely hang up the stitchy world while working. There's just no time while working six 12-hour days and living in a hotel. Besides...my mind is all wrapped up in the nuclear world and there's no room left in there for anything stitch related!

I'll leave you today with BIG NEWS!!

I'm going to be a Grandma............

AGAIN!!!

**here's that big cheesy grin once more**

Laymie is due in early December. We are so excited!

I am sure I won't be able to post anymore until I get home but I will try to read and comment on some of your blogs later on today.

I miss you all SO MUCH!!

Big stitchy hugs...

~~Peggy Lee

Three Stooges??

2012-03-21T11:58:00.000-04:00

Right before we leave home for New Jersey for work each Spring and Fall, my head is spinning with all I have to do and pack and I say the big goodbye to you in blog land forgetting that Masterchief always starts one week before I do. I have this first week to move in to our new home (hotel room), brush up a bit on what I need to know for work, and meet with my friends in PA.

Yesterday I met with Catherine of Bramblewood Stitches and Brett, our blog lurking friend. The first time I met with Catherine about a year ago she brought her dear friend Brett along and I am so glad she did! We have such a good time when we three get together but that time goes by so quickly. We have to cram about 6 months of gab, gossip and giggles in to just a few hours.

We met at our usual place, Starbucks. We window shopped a nearby jewelry store and then we embarked on a mission of sorts.

I wanted to shop for a messenger bag since I left mine at home. It's the most comfortable way to carry work related things in during training week. You'd think that wouldn't be so difficult to find, right? WRONG!!! We went to TJ Maxx, Target, Kohl's, Old Navy and nearly every store in a nearby mall. Even though we came away bagless, we had a bunch of fun while on our quest.

We found that Catherine looks good in just about any hat she plops on her head...........

I on the other hand do NOT......................

Brett and I decided we missed our calling as hat models................

I especially like the anti-theft device on Brett's hat!

We think Catherine should get this one for the Derby......

We moved on to the display of sunglasses. Catherine and I think Brett should have bought these....

***

Brett sprinted in to each store locating the nearest associate to ask them if they had messenger bags. Catherine was very helpful in keeping us on task because we often found ourselves distracted by all the pretties.

Before we parted ways we had a quick lunch at Panera Bread. No pictures from there as we were famished from our intense shopping experience.

At the end of our visit it didn't matter that we couldn't find my messenger bag. We had such fun together. I'm already anticipating the next time we can get together. Hopefully I can see them again before this job is over.

******

Oh I almost forgot! Here is a quick picture of my progress on The Child's Guardian by La D Da....

There are a few stitches that are to be in the center of each diamond of the border and I need to use the provided alphabet to put my name and date in that space at the bottom. The lighting isn't very good here right now so I took one with the flash and one without for you.

Masterchief just messaged me to say he is on his way back to the hotel right NOW! He completed all his training early for the day so he could leave before noon today. We are going to the King of Prussia Mall.

Hmmmm.....maybe I will get my messenger bag after all!

Have a great day!

~~Peggy Lee

Speed Post

2012-03-16T20:58:00.000-04:00

Good evening friends.

We are leaving very early in the morning. I should be in bed already

but I wanted to show you my progress on

A Child's Guardian by La D Da.

I have all of the words done and only need to finish the border, and my name along the bottom.

I am using DMC threads for this one. The recommendation is 310 and 3768 but if I remember correctly,

3768 was too bright for my liking so instead I'm using 413. I don't know much about the linen other than it's a random 32 count piece from my stash and it's rather dark. Thirty-two count is big enough that I can stitch while Masterchief drives us to New Jersey tomorrow! Well...in between naps.

I must get to bed now if I'm ever going to get up early enough to leave in the morning.

Masterchief starts his work week on Monday but I don't start until the Monday after that. I will be meeting up once again with Catherine and Brett. Can't wait to see you girls! :o)

Put your party hats on because this Kentucky girl is comin' to town! Remember last year when we hit The Christmas Tree Shoppe and tried on all those silly Easter hats? I know I have a picture of that tucked away somewhere for bargaining purposes.

Goodnight friends....

~~Peggy Lee

A List for this...a list for that.....

2012-03-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

Are you like me? Do you have to write everything down or you will forget it? Right now I have several lists going.

Things I need to clean/organize before we leave
Things I need to pack

scrubs for work
clothes for training week
clothes for when we visit family after this outage is over
all those other necessities needed to survive in a hotel room for roughly 6 weeks

Yes, it's that time again. Masterchief and I will be heading to New Jersey this Saturday to work the Hope Creek outage. I think packing is the worst part. I make a list of everything I put in each suitcase or bag. Some things I can't pack until the last minute so I put them on a separate list. As I pack each thing I check it off the list. I usually end up rewriting any particular list several times.

Here's a list I'll share with you. I sat in the middle of the living room floor with my stash baskets all around me last night. I don't have as many WIP's as I thought I did. What I DO HAVE however are LOADS of projects all kitted up just waiting for me to start them.

Here they are:

Charity For All by: Erica Michaels
Land of The Free by: WillowHill Samplings
A Love Song by: Fouroaks Designs
Crimson Vine by: Primitive Things
Blessings And Kind Wishes by: BBD
A Little Quakeresque by: Blue Ribbon Designs
Winter Lace by: Whispered By The Wind
A Spot of Tea 2 by: Samplers and Such
Shady Day by: Sheepish Designs
Home of a Needleworker (too!) by: LHN
Battle Hymn of the Republic by: LHN
America by: LHN
Matters Choice by: Carriage House Samplings
Acorns & Threads by: Carriage House Samplings
Roses Are Red by: La D Da
Something Wicked This Way Comes by: La D Da
A Big Flower Sampler by: La D Da

The only WIP's I have are Commandments by La D Da, The Childs Guardian by: La D Da and another Great Is Thy Faithfulness by MBT. I hope to give the second one to my mother if I ever get it done. Oh, I almost forgot about ABC Tapestry by Rosewood Manor. That's a BIG one.

I haven't been browsing blogs too much lately. I think I might have left a total of two comments recently! I had a TEE (transesophageal echocardiogram) done at the hospital on Friday. They put a scope down my throat (putting me out first, thank God) so they can get a real good look at my heart. The test only confirmed what my cardiologist thought was the problem. I definitely have a hole in my heart and it will need to be closed. It sounds scary but it's a very common problem that is fixed with simple one day surgery with virtually no recovery time!

I might be able to visit a few of your blogs during the first week or two of work, before they get in to the 12-hour days but for the most part I will be MIA until the end of May.

I'll miss you all.

Cross some X's for me!

~~Peggy Lee

Finished EDITED Please read.....

2012-03-05T12:00:00.002-05:00

Thank you dear friends for all the lovely comments on my last post!

I managed to do quite a bit of stitching over the weekend.

The frogs came to visit me while stitching on Commandments so I put it away and got another WIP out.

That is the good thing about having so many projects in the works: when I got tired of one I can put it away for a bit and stitch on something else.

That resulted in yesterday's finish.

My Big Toe Designs
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
28 count dark cappuccino (over one)
Hand-dyed Fibers: Black Iris Bud 'n Bloom and Mermaid Blue

I would have liked to take a better picture. Sometimes the lighting isn't right and I'm no photographer!

I must take 30 pictures of the same thing with only one of them barely passing to post.

I really enjoyed working over one on this one. I think I will work over one on 28 count more often.

Not sure how I will finish it yet.

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Edgar mentioned on his blog how he only wears Converse (Chucks) sneakers.

Masterchief had just bought himself a pair online and I thought they were so cool.

I HAD to have a pair too!

Did you know they come in just about every color you could want?

Mine are PINK...in case you were wondering.

:o)

They provide absolutely NO arch support but I don't wear them all the time. When I have them on it sorta feels like I'm wearing flippers or snowshoes! I guess it's all in what you're used to.

Thanks for stopping by today! I do appreciate your comments so very much...I read EVERY ONE!

~~Peggy Lee

***********EDITED**********

I have seen so much devastation on local and national news about the terrible storms that changed so many lives in a few seconds time...and taking lives as well.

Last night I read for the first time how it had affected a fellow blogger. My heart ached when I read her short post of how her home of 25 years was blown away by one of these storms.

Sheri didn't go on about how awful this tragedy was but merely said "we are all ok, no one was hurt, we will build a new house".

Let's reach out to Sheri and others like her who need our prayers, hugs and support right now more than ever.

GO HERE to see her blog.

Safe and Sound....

2012-03-03T16:05:00.002-05:00

My goodness Gertie, THAT was a storm! We had whipping winds with thunder and lightening but it seems we fared better than those around us. Heartfelt thanks to those of you who emailed to see if we were okay. Let's keep those who didn't make out so well in our prayers!

I remember in my last post I said something about listing seven things you might not know about me but I'm still trying to come up with that many. Maybe by the next time I post here I will have enough to tell you.

I worked a bit on MBT Great Is The Faithfulness the other day and by the end of that day I was ripping out all I thought I had accomplished. I counted wrong somewhere, so I put it away and pulled Commandments out of my basket. I haven't stitched too much on it but I'm working a little on the border.

Sorry about the wrinkles. I just spread it out on the sofa and took a quick pic. I feel like I'm crawling along with my stitching now that I am home from GA. A girl could get very comfortable with sitting in a hotel room all day with nothing to do but stitch! Imagine the dent I could put in my WIP basket!

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Back in January I tucked a free pattern away in my new stash cupboard offered by Jennie Lynn on her blog: Appleseed Prim. I have practically an entire bolt of muslin so I decided to get it out today and make this little guy.

I had a tough time trying to stuff his spindly arms and legs but once I got going it wasn't so bad. My poor old arthritic thumb thanked me for not making more than one today. Thanks Jennie for offering this freebie!

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I've read many blogs of those of you who love to watch Downton Abbey. I hadn't seen a single episode before so when season two started I decided to see what all the hub-bub was about. I will say when I finished watching the first show I still didn't see what the excitement was but after watching the second one I was hopelessly hooked like the rest of you! Now remember I don't watch soap operas. Can't stand them. So when I found myself waiting impatiently for the next Sunday evening to get here I was a little surprised at myself. I shouldn't compare this program to a soap opera although I call it; a soap opera with class. After season two was over (and that went by all too quickly, didn't it?) I felt like I had missed something by not having watched season one. So.....lookie here what Masterchief ordered for me!

Now I can sit and watch both seasons without interruption or being forced to wait a week until the next show! Oh I DO love my Masterchief! I do... I DO!!!

That's it for today friends. I plan to sit myself right down in my comfy stitching spot on the couch and stitch until my legs are numb. That doesn't take long either because for some reason my most comfortable stitching position is sitting Indian style but I need to get up every once in a while to resume blood flow.

I hope the remainder of your weekend is full of stitches like I want mine to be.

~~Peggy Lee

I WON! New Goodies and Progress.....

2012-02-26T12:24:00.000-05:00

Good Sunny Sunday to you! My kitchen warms up quickly when the sun is out and it's proving to be quite useful today. I have a bowl of bread dough (rye) rising in a sunny, toasty spot right now.

I will probably need to get up here in a minute to punch it down.

I won a wonderful giveaway a little while back and have just gotten around to taking pictures. Heather offered this on her blog and I was SO VERY EXCITED when I found out I was the lucky one!

Heather sent SIX charts and an adorable little gingerbread man pillow! Isn't he sweet? Heather even included some of the threads for one of them! I have never been much of a seasonal stitcher so this has really inspired me to get moving on some Christmas goodies. Thank you so much Heather! You are so generous to have offered such a lovely giveaway.

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Marly from Santas and Samplers crafted some very useful (and very prim-gorgeous) boxes and I knew I had to purchase a few to hold some of my stitchy goodness.

I have them on top of one of my stash cupboards right now but I think I will take that basket out from under them and put it somewhere else. The larger oval one will be perfect to keep some of my threads in! Thank you Marly for holding them until I returned home from Georgia. I love them!

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Well now that I have jumped on the WIP wagon I needed another basket to put them all in! I once had to drive 1 1/2 hours to the nearest Hobby Lobby but not now. I have been giddy with anticipation ever since I found out one was opening up right close to where I do my grocery shopping! I tell you I must have spent close to two hours just walking through that place yesterday! It was so crowded. I used a 40% off coupon to get this new WIP basket...

I like the size of it and the handles. It will be full of zippered bags holding WIP's very soon!

Here is one of them...

I couldn't decide which one to put up. It's amazing how lighting can really change the look of one piece! The first one probably best shows the true colors.

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Carmen over at Primcats named 7 little known things about her on her blog and challenged her readers to do the same. I'm going to do it too.....on my next post. I think this post has kept you long enough and if you are still with me I thank you so very much!

I have punched my dough down and I think it's about time to put it in a pan to rise once again.

Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate the time (and word verification headaches) you take to comment.

Hope the remainder of your Sunday is sunny too!

~~Peggy Lee

Seems like forever.....

2012-02-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

....since I posted here last! With all our traveling I really haven't had a moment to put together a post. I also haven't read or commented on ANY of your blogs. I feel awful about that! I wanted to play catch-up the other day but when I saw how many new posts there are I started to feel faint.

Since arriving home on Tuesday I have been unpacking and packing. Yes, you read that right. It's a job I detest every time we have to go away to work. Not only do I have to unpack from our time in Georgia but I have to start gathering what we will be taking to New Jersey in a few weeks when we go there for the Spring outage. It makes my head spin so I don't really have any mental fortitude left to read/comment/post. I'm finally caught up on the laundry and I have rooted through the "outage" bin so I'm seizing the moment!

We heard that Winter was to arrive in our neck of the woods so instead of driving back home when we were finished in Georgia, we pointed the car south and headed to Florida. Ft. Walton Beach to be exact.

I took my shoes off long enough to dip my tootsies in the water and put them right back on. It was cold at first but really not too bad. The sun was so warm. I actually left there with a little bit of sunburn on my neck!

We walked out to the end of a fishing pier....

....then we walked to The Crab Trap for dinner....

The calamari was delicious!

I don't really have much to show for progress on anything stitch related. I worked on Guardian a little bit on the way home from Florida but didn't get too far. I can't stitch when the roads are the least bit rough and I usually end up sleeping a good portion on the way home. I am just like a baby....when you put me in the car I go to sleep quick! Here's the scary part: it doesn't matter if I'm the driver or the passenger! Needless to say, Masterchief does ALL the driving when we travel.

I promise to do some serious blog browsing in the next couple days. It won't be long before I will be absent from blogland while I am working. That is always a hard time when I'm away like that but all my bloggy friends have always been very understanding about it. You're THE BESTEST!!

I hope to have some progress to show next time.

Thanks for stopping by and thank you all so much for your comments. I love reading them....now I must get busy and leave some comments for YOU!

So glad to be home,

~~Peggy Lee

The Weekend is Over

2012-02-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday Friends! I am so glad Masterchief had the weekends off on this job. That is not always the case. It gives us a chance to do a little sight seeing here in Atlanta.

On Saturday we went to the Coca-Cola Museum.

When I go to a museum I usually prefer to roam around at my own pace but this one started out with a guide. At first we weren't too keen on it but it turned out we had a very nice visit. At the end we tasted Coke drinks from all over the world. Our favorite was one I think they only make for South Africa. I can't remember the name of it but it tasted like pineapple and coconut. Very good!!

We got to choose our own bottle of Coke from an assembly line.

On Sunday we went to the Georgia Aquarium. I have NEVER been to one before and I was thrilled that my first aquarium experience was at the largest one in the world!

We took alot of pictures but I won't go nuts here.

After my visit to The Stitch Store on Saturday we went to a Krispy Kreme just down the road. Again....I have never been to a Krispy Kreme before (I led a sheltered life). Now I want to know, how did I ever get this far in life without visiting a Krispy Kreme? If we had one close to where we live it would be so very dangerous. I had a few bites and left the rest to Masterchief. He was more than happy to be of assistance.

This morning I exercised till my toenails hurt to work off those few bites. I tried to eat healthy after that....

Steamed veggies and rice

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Here is a quick pic of the two versions of the MBT design.......

Not the best picture but you can get a feel for the size difference. The top one is on 35 ct. over two. The bottom one is on 28ct. over one. Here is where I am at with it right now....

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Now before I forget again here is what I picked up at The Stitch Store on Saturday....

I know it doesn't look like alot but those silks really made Masterchief's credit card sizzle. I also ordered a few. I really like these little thread keepers. I put my thread on them and then put them all on a ring for each chart.

If I'm going to get any stitching, blog reading/commenting done today I better do it now.

Thanks for visiting with me today....
~~Peggy Lee

New Friends!

2012-02-11T19:42:00.003-05:00

I am still all giggly from such an exciting day!

Let me share it with you......

I was pointed in the direction of The Stitch Store in Buford Georgia by Terri at Dixie Sampler and I was growing more and more excited all week just waiting for Saturday to come. Masterchief asked me on the way there if I would mind terribly if he dropped me off at the store and left me there while he drives around looking for a car wash.

Are you kidding?

Do I MIND??

Silly man!

:o)

I walked in to see a group of ladies all seated around a table chatting and stitching. I walked around the table to see what everyone was working on. I must say they all are incredibly talented and I marveled at each of their WIP's.

That's Jeanne at this end of the table and Terri, the shop owner sits at the far end.

Then Jeanne presented me with a gift from all of the ladies...

Well I was flabbergasted to say the least! They all had been warned that I was coming to visit.

I couldn't have guessed what it was but I knew once I opened it that someone has been following my blog!

Peanut butter Cheerios!

I didn't make it very far down the road before I got in to them. What am I going to do if they ever stop making these? I don't want to think about it. Thank you ladies!

Jeanne helped me pick out some silks that I needed for a couple charts. She was so nice to help me choose just the right colors and I am so grateful for her input. Hold on to your knickers friends....I picked different threads than what the chart suggested! I'm getting braver by the stitch.

After that, Jeanne showed me where everything was in the shop and then left me on my own to ~~drool on~~ browse through everything.

Well you can tell who was behind the camera because I'm in EVERY picture he took.

Masterchief arrived back at the shop just in time...

I love the look on his face when he hands Jeanne his credit card!

I made myself comfortable while Masterchief recovered....

Jeanne and Terri and all the girls were so very sweet and made me feel like one of the gang.

Thank you girls! I am so happy to have met you and hope to cross paths with you again sometime soon.

After we left the shop we went to the Coca-Cola museum. Tomorrow we go to the aquarium.

That's another post.

Well aren't I the goof! I just realized that I didn't show you a single picture of what I bought there. I picked up a couple charts and LOTS of Belle Soie silks. That really drove the bill up....you know how expensive they are, but oh so worth it! I'll take a couple pictures of the new stash and post them soon.

Hope you all are having a very stitchy weekend!

~~Peggy Lee {still giggling}

I was RIGHT!

2012-02-11T17:15:00.003-05:00

After all these years, now I KNOW I am pronouncing it right!

:o)

Do You Trust Your Gut?

2012-02-10T08:16:00.002-05:00

Hey there friends. Thanks to all of you who commented on my last post about my Eliza finish and the MBT start. I don't know about you but it makes me smile on the inside AND the outside when I read comments like that. It's like you all are my very own little cheer leading squad!

Seriously, it warms my heart and I want you to know I appreciate that.

Now...here is my latest dilemma. In my younger years as a stitcher I never wavered from what a pattern called for, being linen, threads or anything else. I am slowly learning (and being coached by a very dear bloggy friend) that I really can do that! I am learning to trust that gut feeling I get when I look at a pattern and think, hey that would look nice if I did it on a different sort of linen or a different color thread. I most recently came across this feeling when I received the linen for Great Is Thy Faithfulness by My Big Toe Designs. The picture on the front of the chart shows two different versions and I wanted to stitch it in the monochromatic version it showed. I ordered the exact linen that was recommended but when I received it, it looked very green. I posted a picture of it in my last blog post. The more I stitched on it the more it wasn't growing on me. So this brings me to today........

I have started stitching it on a piece of R&R 28 ct. dark cappuccino, over one. It's not as hard as I thought it was going to be...stitching it over one, I mean. I'm using only two colors: Examplar Black Iris Bud 'N Bloom and Mermaid Blue. I love this silk floss. Do you know if it's sold any more? I haven't seen it in shops in a long time.
I am really enjoying stitching it this way! I'll keep you posted.

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I picked these two frames up at a Michael's just up the road from the hotel. I'm not crazy about what is in them although it is cute, I really want to use them to frame something stitchy. They are really a cute size.

I also got these buttons...

Thanks for visiting today. I really appreciate your comments and encouraging words.
I think I am going to visit a different cross stitch shop in Marietta, GA tomorrow. I am so excited!

Have a great weekend....
~~Peggy Lee

One Finish...One Start

2012-02-08T10:17:00.001-05:00

One Finish

Eliza Evans 1831 A Quaker Sampler
Reproduced by Darlene Lara
Linen: 40 ct. Navy Bean - Lakeside Linens
Thread: WDW Molasses

One Start

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
My Big Toe Designs
Linen: 35 ct. Tin Roof
Thread: WDW Charcoal

Well that's the short and sweet of it. Thanks for stopping by. More updates soon.

~~Peggy Lee

Stitches from Georgia

2012-02-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness....

have I missed you!!

The internet here at the hotel we are staying in has been on the fritz. Just when I think I am ready to do a blog post..kapoweee! NO INTERNET!! I think they finally have it fixed to where I don't have to worry about it going out mid post.

This has also meant that I have not been able to keep up with your blogs. It would take me almost forever to catch up again so I think I will be starting fresh from today. I'm so sorry if I missed something on your blogs and I will try to catch up.

I have lots of pictures (because I haven't been able to post in a while) so here goes....

We ordered Chinese delivery on our first night here and this was my fortune.....

Masterchief's fortune was something weird, as they usually are. I don't know if traveling south has brought me unexpected happiness or not. I wasn't unhappy to begin with.

I have been doing some stitching while sitting here in the hotel room during the day. I could take Masterchief to work and use the car but I'm still trying to scrape my chin up off the floor. You wouldn't believe how people drive here! No...I mean...REALLY. My friend I do NOT exaggerate! Not only do they whip in and out of traffic, cut you off, blow their horn when you get in their way,etc...but they are on their phone or texting while doing it! I will never understand why people get in such a hurry. I will also never understand why they text while driving. That scares me half to death.

Here are a few pictures of what I've been up to.....

I saw this one on a blog and knew right away I had to stitch it. I started on it right away and finished it just a day or so ago. I don't know how I will finish it. Instead of putting one of those diamond shapes in the very middle like the chart called for I put my initials in there.

I am very close to finishing Eliza Evans. I just have to finish the border. Her name and year were stitched over one and let me tell you, that was difficult!

I have also started Great Is Thy Faithfulness by My Big Toe Designs but don't have a picture of it handy right now.

I found one of the cross stitch shops some of you recommended and last Friday Masterchief drove me there after he got back from work. I didn't call first. It was Friday after all. What cross stitch shop isn't open on Friday, right? Wrong. We fought through this maddening Georgia traffic (even worse on a Friday afternoon) finally arriving where our navigator told us to go.

I was so excited! Masterchief stayed back by the car and took a picture of me heading for the store.

I stood by the door for this one.....

.....ready to open the door......but it wouldn't open! Then I saw that little sign that was taped up on the door saying they are not open on Friday's right now. Oh how frustrating! So we went back the next day and I enhanced my stash of threads quite a bit.

All of these are WDW threads except for three Belle Soie silks. I knew silks were more expensive but OH MY!! They are over $7 each!

The next day we went in search of WIP bags. I had purchased two of them while in TN at Target so we found two Target's here but couldn't find the bags. Finally someone suggested we visit The Container Store. I have never been to one of these before so I was skeptical at first but I found them and they were very reasonable.

I bought several of them so now I can have several WIP's in my basket!

We found the local mall here. It was mostly high-end stores. Way too expensive for my taste but I managed to find a couple things.

These are linen napkins but I think I will probably stitch something on them.

This hotel puts out a very nice breakfast every morning and also offers dinner three nights a week. Every morning I do my exercises either in the room (Leslie Sansone DVD's) or I go down to the fitness room and use the machines. Then I take some of this up to my room to enjoy....

I could get used to this!

We don't see buildings like this at home.....

They are so beautiful when the sun is shining on them and the sky is so blue.

Masterchief grabbed the camera while I was stitching on Eliza the other night. That over one on 40 count was making me cross eyed!

Here you see my recent addiction: almond M&M's.

Well I must get going. I think I will take a walk today. The weather here has been very nice but it is to be cooler this week. I don't think I have ever seen Azalea's in February before!

Thanks for visiting with me and I do hope to get caught up on my blog reading today!

~~Peggy Lee

Final Thoughts...

2012-01-31T21:33:00.000-05:00

Here are some final thoughts at the end of my second day of being holed up in the hotel room here in Georgia......

I seriously need to stop ordering from 123 Stitch
I think I just ate 600 calories worth of PB Cheerios
Housekeeping will never satisfy me and I should just give up and accept it, knowing I am OCD about these things
I should take a break from stitching when my eyes burn so badly I can't count the threads any more
When the pool looks cloudy, I shouldn't swim in it
I probably shouldn't try to communicate with the help here at the hotel. Who knows what I have said to them in my broken 9th grade Spanish!!
All the lotions in my bag won't help me in this dry Georgia climate
I will ALWAYS want MORE from 123 Stitch

I was up at 4:30 this morning when Masterchief got up for work. I didn't go to bed until after midnight last night so I really need to get to bed soon.

Goodnight friends...

~~Miss Peggy Lee (well I am a bit farther south, ya know)

Hello from Atlanta!

2012-01-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

We made it! Of course Masterchief did ALL the driving. He prefers it that way. I haven't a clue why....*giggles*

It took about 5 1/2 hours give or take. We stopped when we saw a sign for the Georgia Winery. We picked up a couple bottles of flavors we liked....blackberry and something else.

We left home on Saturday thinking we would have Sunday to relax and maybe explore the area a bit but our plans quickly changed when my Masterchief remembered that he forgot some very important paperwork. So....back to KY we drove on Sunday...and back to Georgia we came. My butt hurt from sitting in the car all that time and I'm still sore today.

I was able to stitch a little bit on the Guardian while on the road. This is usually something I cannot do. It usually makes me a bit green but this piece is on a big enough count that I could see it fairly well.

When we went back to KY on Sunday I wanted to bring some threads back with me. I couldn't decide what to bring so I brought them all! I really don't have that many. They all fit in a big ziploc bag on their rings.

They are doing something to the elevators here today and tomorrow. Whatever it is...it stinks! I had to abandon this post for a while and go outside so I could breathe. The sun is shining and it's 60 degrees out there. The bees are out and the azalea is blooming. I could get used to this!

I want to find a couple cross stitch shops here but it probably won't be until Saturday. I want to let Masterchief have the car for the first week of work if I can stand it without going crazy!

I need to catch up on your blogs that I've missed during the last couple days. Thank you all so much for the safe travel wishes. Little did I know we would be doing it two days in a row but we made it safely.

Thank you for visiting with me today.
~~Peggy Lee

Hotel Living...Again--- and These Linens are the BOMB!!

2012-01-26T19:40:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get your days of the week mixed up? I'm sure that I am not alone but I would venture to guess that I take it to the extreme. Just ask my friend Catherine. You know it's really bad when a friend at least 10 hours away has to keep me straight on what day it is. She is more of a help to me than she knows. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I am VERY scatterbrained. I can't remember things from one day to the next and it helps to have a friend keep me in line. It's a hefty job but Catherine does a good job!

On to the main reason for this post ~~~~

Masterchief was called for a job. This job is in Georgia. We are going to be living out of a hotel for somewhere in the neighborhood of three weeks. We leave Saturday morning. The nice thing about this work trip is I don't have to work this time. This job isn't at a nuclear power plant. This one is at Georgia Tech. Masterchief is a Sr. HP which makes him more in demand than me and that's quite alright with me. I have all I can do to just do the two outages each year. I really don't have to go with him on this job but I've never been to Georgia before and I'd like to play tourist for a bit. So while my hubby is working I will be running around Atlanta. Oh I don't plan on doing that every day. What I do plan on though is spending alot of the time sitting in the hotel room stitching away. There will be no distractions....like a floor that needs vacuumed or a spare room that needs cleaning up after somebody tore it apart looking for things to put in her new stash cabinet. :o)
I wanted to post tonight to tell you all because I'm not sure when I will be able to post again. I won't be on the computer much for the next couple days so I can clean the house and pack. I can't stand leaving the house without practically Spring cleaning....it's a sickness, I don't fight it anymore....it's how I roll.

The second reason why I wanted to take the time to post tonight is to tell you about the most GORGEOUS linens I received in the mail last week. I ordered three chunks (how do you like that term) of linen from Jan at Tree of Life Samplings. I'm sure alot of you are already familiar with Jan and her blog. She also has another blog: Belfonte Notes. I've been a follower of Jan's blogs for some time now but didn't realize all the talents she has! I saw on Charlene's blog HERE where she ordered dyed linens from Jan and they looked amazing! I contacted Jan and ordered three linens myself.

Sorry about the glare. I'm not the worlds best picture-taker. :o)

From left to right are Sugared Almond, Almond Creme' and Toasted Coconut. Let me tell you that I have purchased/ordered lots of linens and these are TOP NOTCH!! I love the way she dyes them. They don't look blotchy or anything. It just looks so naturally done. Does that make sense?
Anywhoo...I encourage you to check Jan's linens out. I see many more orders from Kentucky in the near future.

That's it for tonight my friends. I need to get busy and pack something! Tomorrow is going to be awfully busy for me. You know...that Spring cleaning sickness I have. :o(

Thank you all for your sweet comments about my cabinet organization project. You encourage me so.
I'll be munching on PB Cheerios later tonight.
Ohhhh....I can hardly wait!

Until I can return to blogland again.......
Keep stitching and stashing!
~~Peggy Lee

Overwhelmed...

2012-01-25T16:05:00.000-05:00

This cabinet organization thing is really whoopin' my behind! I didn't know I had all this stuff. I stand back and look at the piles and want to put it ALL in the cupboards but I'm sure it won't fit.

I have to go through all this yet! I will admit it has been fun at times. Especially when I find something I forgot I had. Yesterday I found a bunch of old hankerchiefs that were Masterchief's grandmother's.

I think this lace hankerchief is my favorite.....

I also found these two beaded purses that belonged to his grandmother...

Oh and lookie here......this old cheese box fits my spools of ribbon perfectly....

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I like to collect old sewing baskets.

I especially like to find them with some vintage sewing supplies inside.

Here is a picture of one I bought that didn't have anything inside but it sure looks old.....

I was sweetly surprised when I opened this one.....

Twenty years ago I helped my son make a Valentine's Day decoration to hang from the ceiling in his kindergarten class. We glued cut out hearts of all colors onto a large heart. In the center was the one with our names and the year. I grew straw flowers in my garden that year and here they are looking just as they did 20 years ago! It really doesn't seem like that long ago.

*sigh*

HEY...wait just an old wrinkled minute here! I am the mother of a big hairy man that will be 26 this year???

*UGGHHHH*

Is 4pm too early for a glass of wine? A nice, tall glass of wine?
Oh well, I am a grandmother after all. I can't complain. I suppose if I am old enough to be a grandmother then it's probably a good thing that my son is 26.

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I can't end this post without reporting some VERY good news!

I FOUND ONE, SINGLE SOLITARY BOX OF CHEERIOS AT WALMART YESTERDAY!!!
I had to stand on the bottom shelf and flop my arm around on the top shelf to reach it way back there but I got it! That's no joke either...you should have seen it.
All is well in my world now.

Thanks for stopping by dear friends and thank you all for your comments. I do appreciate each one. If I have not visited/commented on your blog lately it may be because there is something up with my blogger thingy. I don't know anything about computers and I think I might have followed some of you in a different way because when some of you post it doesn't show up in my reader. Please invite me over and I will gladly come see what you've been up to.

Take care of yourselves and each other.....
~~Peggy Lee

Eliza Progress and A New Start

2012-01-24T08:34:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post today. Let's not get used to Peggy Lee posting two days in a row!

*smiles*

I have been working on and off on Eliza and I'm getting close to the end.

I only have the letters A to I to finish and then Eliza's name at the bottom.

While I really want to finish the charts that I start, I am also itching to start many new ones. I've caught the WIP bug! I yearn for a basket full of unfinished projects. What is that all about? Am I going crazy or is this the way it's supposed to be?

Well...that being said, I started a new one last night. WOO-HOOOO!!!! Hey if I'm going to do this I'm jumping in with both feet!

I am using 32 ct. Creme Brulee by R&R Reproductions. I've substituted the threads only because I don't have the ones it calls for. I think it will look just fine. Here are my substitutions:

Calls for: Sampler- Black Crow / I'm using: Simply Shaker- Espresso Bean

Cinnamon / TGA-Currant

Sasparillas / WDW-Pecan

Forest Glade / CC-English Ivy

I am hoping this one won't be a difficult stitch.

Thanks for visiting today!

Hopefully next time I will have news of a FINISH!

~~Peggy Lee

Windy,windy Monday

2012-01-23T13:15:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning to you friends! I wouldn't want to have to worry about a hair-do on a day like today. It's nasty ~~WINDY~~ out there! We had a gust of over 45 mph overnight. Masterchief is a weather nut so he was up monitoring the situation, keeping me safe while I snored and drooled my way in to dreamy land. He played such the hero that I thought I should reward his chivalry with....COOKIES!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Raisin

Snickerdoodles

Of course I had to have my coffee from the Keurig my Masterchief got for me recently. If the newness of it doesn't wear off soon we are going to go broke in those cute little K-cups! I have tried hazelnut, vanilla biscotti, butter toffee and several of the other types of regular coffee. I like the Donut Shop kind too.
I was enjoying a cup of vanilla biscotti this morning at the big girl computer before the sun came up and I slopped a little on the keyboard because I didn't turn the light on and, well.......I can be a real slob at times! Shhh...don't tell Masterchief. If the keyboard shorts out, I know nothing!

It's been a while since I've shared any pictures of my little muffin of a grandson. He's so "stinkin' cute" as his momma says. I tend to agree.

So sweet an innocent

WILD CHILD!!

His mommy says he liked playing out in the snow. This is the first time he's been able to use his snowsuit.

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I have slowly been working on my stash cabinets. I have so much to go through yet but it's coming along. It's like Christmas when I root something out from under the bed or out of the closet because I have forgotten what I have! The guest room is a terrible mess now though.

I still have a big bin of fabric to go through. Some of that will fill up the bottom shelves on the new cabinet.

I still have to find a better way to store my threads.

Right now I just have them on this wire hanger. I used these miniature clothes pins to keep them from sliding all over it.

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When I was in TN at Carmen's house learning how to frame, I saw that she knits wool slippers too! This woman's talents are limitless! She was so sweet enough to offer to knit a pair for me. So off we went to Hobby Lobby once again to pick out the wool yarn for them. I finally got around to felting them last week. I think I was scared to do it because I thought I might ruin them. Here's how they look now....

I really like how they turned out and they feel so warm and comfy. Thanks Carmen! She also sent me home with two knitted dishcloths and a pretty tea towel which I put in to service so fast I didn't have a chance to take a picture.

Well it was morning when I started this post!

Thank you all so much for your encouragement in my quest to find more PB Cheerios! I have not given up and you can rest assured that WHEN I do find them I will buy up a few boxes to store in my pantry. Then I will be a happy girl. :o)

Have a stitchy productive week!

~~Peggy Lee

Weekend Catch-up Post...

2012-01-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

The weekend is here and it sure did come in with a BANG here in my little neck of the woods! I woke up around 2am to a very LOUD clap of thunder. Scared me half to death! Isn't it unusual to be having thunderstorms this time of year?

As promised this post will be full of antique shop/peddler's mall finds but first I want to share with you what Lori U. won in my giveaway. I may or may not add a thing or two to it but this will give you a good idea of what I will be sending off to her........

Lori I hope you enjoy the spoils of this giveaway! It's just a hodgepodge of things but that's the fun of putting together a giveaway...each item doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with the other.

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Before I start posting pics of the goodies I recently acquired I have to tell you how MAD I am! Since I posted about finding those peanut butter Cheerios a few of you have told me that you went out looking and bought some for yourself as well. I polished off my first box and have been looking for more.

Each time I go to Walmart I go down the cereal aisle scanning the many flavors of Cheerios and the peanut butter ones are NOT THERE!!

I ended up buying a box of cinnamon flavored ones and they are yummy but there are NOT peanut butter Cheerios! I will not give up.

Masterchief on the other hand is a happy camper...

Sausage and cheese on a fresh baked crust will do that to a guy!

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Now let's get going with the goodies I picked up recently...........

Blue Willow Child's Tea Set

I have been looking for one of these for a while now and Masterchief found this one on E-bay.

Etched Wine Glasses

You can see the detail better on the second picture. I had bought a very thin, delicate one some time back but it was a bit too delicate for my klutzy hands and it took me no time at all to break it. These are just a bit more sturdy and I have to go through 7 of them before I get to the last one!

You know that heavy white china that they serve your meal to you on when you go to a diner? I like that stuff! I have several old platters and bowls and when I saw these two little bowls for just one dollar each I grabbed them up fast. I like the smaller one best.

Now what do you suppose I could display in these lovely little things?

Well what did you expect? :o)

Set of 4 Old Blue Willow Plates

Remember those plates. You will see them again.

Five Pound Calumet Tin

I put my 14 oz. tin beside it so you could see the size of my new one. I can't believe they actually bought baking powder in five pound tins! I guess they made alot of biscuits back then, huh?

Calumet tin takes it's place among my other cans

Amber scissor frog.
Tiny blue bottle.

Now for the big find I'm most excited about...

Antique Oak Stash Cabinet

This one has glass in the front and the sides. I have yet to go through some bins in the back closet. More pics to come!

Each shelf has grooves to hold plates up but I only wanted that on the very top shelf. Now I need more scissors for all my frogs!

Look what I just saw when I looked over my shoulder!

Just look at that sneaky look on his face! Just when I think not one more jar could possibly fit up there...he finds a way to squeeze more in.

I know this has been a long post and if you are still with me you deserve a gold star! Thanks so much for sticking it out. I hope you all have a relaxing and stitch-productive weekend. I sat down last night to stitch for a while and it seemed that for every x I crossed I had to rip two or three out!

Today is a new day!

~~Peggy Lee

A Winner and a Surprise for ME!!

2012-01-20T09:03:00.002-05:00

It's Friday...it's Friday! That means garbage day for us. It's pretty sad when you remember what day of the week it is by when the garbage man comes.

Well let's get to it. Last night I wrote all the names of you folks who asked to be entered in the drawing, folded them up, put them in a bowl and asked Masterchief to pick one. I could have used one of those random generator things but this way is more "home made".

IT'S LORI U FROM LORI'S RAMBLINGS

Lori please email me with your mailing address and I will get your winnings out to you very soon.

What did she win, you ask? Well I wish I could tell you. Oh no really I have been collecting a few things here and there but just haven't gotten them together to take a picture. I will be sure to do that before I send it to Lori.

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I had a Dr.'s appt. yesterday so while I was in town I ran around to some antique/peddler's mall shops. I picked up a few things but will post about it possibly tomorrow because I am BUSTING (or is that BURSTING??) with something to share with you!

While I was running around Masterchief called my cell to tell me I had a package here from the other side of the pond. I knew right away who it was from because she gave me a squeak that I should be looking for the Postie. I'll bet you know who it is!

That's right....Mouse from Tales of a Stitching Mouse sent me a most darling little cross stitched giftie.

Can you tell I'm excited?

Mouse wrote in the card that she bought the chart with some of the gift certificate that she won during my last giveaway! Wasn't that sweet?

I just love it Mouse! It was so very sweet of you to send this to me and I will always keep it among my most cherish stitchy possessions. You are such a dear.

That's it for today friends, I MUST go exercise before I give in and say I won't do it today. I hope you all have a warm and comfy weekend wherever you are. I have been reading where some of you got quite a bit of snow and even have been suffering through power outages (Heartstring Samplery). I wish I could send some hot chocolate and cookies to you (even though I know Beth just wishes she could take a shower). Poor thing.

I will post again very soon about my peddler's mall finds.

~~Peggy Lee

Kentucky Sampler

Monday, Monday....

Still Playing Catch-Up

Almost Home

Three Stooges??

Speed Post

A List for this...a list for that.....

Finished ***EDITED*** Please read.....

Safe and Sound....

I WON! New Goodies and Progress.....

Seems like forever.....

The Weekend is Over

New Friends!

I was RIGHT!

Do You Trust Your Gut?

One Finish...One Start

Stitches from Georgia

Final Thoughts...

Hello from Atlanta!

Hotel Living...Again--- and These Linens are the BOMB!!

Overwhelmed...

Eliza Progress and A New Start

Windy,windy Monday

Weekend Catch-up Post...

A Winner and a Surprise for ME!!

Finished EDITED Please read.....