Stitching?

Okay, I am wondering where the time went since my last post...a long, long time ago...

We had a busy end of the summer...from family vacation, baseball games and triathlons, to birthday celebrations, and back to school and saying goodbye to dear friends.

Hanging with an old friend after school was finally over...

How they have grown in two years...and, if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you'll know all about the elusive teenage smile hunt during our Tennessee vacation...

I did catch an amazing smile during a moment of genuine fun with this brothers...

 

Exploring in the Smoky Mtns...

I love their reflections in the water...

Hiking in the Smokies...

Views from our cabin...I love these mountains...relaxing on the porch listening to nature's songs, watching the hummingbirds feed, reading books...pure heaven...

 

The oldest finishing his season...the last time playing with some of these boys....still playing for the same place this fall, but some new faces joining the team as others move on.

The youngest finishing strong in his third triathlon.  The final one of the season is this weekend.  He will be running cross country this fall.  He is amazing me!

And the middle guy back at the job for a new team this fall.  They placed third in their first tournament together, not too bad.  All signs point to a fun fall season!

 

My middle guy turned the page into teenagedom...the big 13!

We spent the day at Ft. McHenry in Baltimore, walking inner harbor and then dining at a fabulous German restaurant....yum!

 

We had about three weeks in August where I wasn't working and before school started back...we had some down days, but had a lot of fun too...

a day at the bay with neighbors and old neighbors who were in town...felt like old times...

A night at the Phillies game for mom and a friend...

We were able to see Charlie Manuel inducted to the Phillies wall of fame...

We watched the Little League World Series...cheering for the Philadelphia team, the Taney Dragons.  Congrats for a former team~mate of my middle guy, Kai on his home~run in their final game!

There was a day of target shooting at Grandma and Pappy's...

The first day of school...the teen lost his smile again...

And while Labor Day found my middle guy and I at a baseball tournament and my husband working, my other two were again at the bay with friends...having a blast and being well taken care of...

Crab time and I missed it!!  Ugh!

My middle guy and I enjoyed some quality alone time and time with team~mates...

We had some good laughs eating here ~ the menu and gift shop are hysterical!

I returned home on Sunday to spend time with my other two and the middle guy stayed behind with his team~mates' family...he's sandwiched between the twins...they gave him his first experience at a Japanese steakhouse...

All~in~all, a busy fun weekend before returning back for the second week of school!

 

Panzer loved having the boys home over the summer and seems to also be adjusting well since we all have returned to school and work...

the lazy dog days of summer...

Panzer wasn't too sure of the bay, and despite the boys all trying, he went back up the steps...

Love that face...

Workin' those eyes!

 Escorting the youngest to the bus...

 

Did you figure out the reason for my title yet?...I did not put a lot of time into stitching...really, nothing that would amount to anything worth showing...I did however frame this piece that I stitched last year...

I saw some great things from the fall market ~ and especially fell in love with the big one from Heartstring Samplery...it's waiting for me at my LNS, the Strawberry Sampler...can't wait to get it and make a start...well, I actually can't wait to find some stitching time...

 

And finally, we said goodbye to some good friends and they are greatly missed.  They are now living in the Atlanta, GA area ~ well, at least for a couple of years, and then hopefully back to this area.  I taught her to stitch a couple of years ago, so if any of you live in that area, maybe I can get you in touch with her.  And if you have any suggestions for shops that are closer to the Atlanta area, please let me know, as there seems to be nothing in Atlanta and that seems crazy to me!  She's really homesick, so hopefully her stitching will help.

 

Thanks to all of you that stop by and lasted through my long post with virtually nothing stitching related...I am reading your blogs, seeing all of your beautiful work and leaving comments here and there.  Hopefully, I will have some stitching to show next time!

 

Given my long absence and saying goodbye to our friends, I thought this more than appropriate...

“Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would, I'd never leave.”
― A.A. Milne

Goodbye to Summer

Well, it certainly has been awhile, hasn't it?  The last weeks of summer were very busy.  We've celebrated birthdays, gone hiking, had days at the bay, read books, started baseball, ridden roller coasters, and gone back to school.  There was very little time for stitching, but there was some.

If you have the instagram app, I have been posting pictures there too, under Bramblewood and you may recognize some of these pics from there.  Hope you enjoy seeing what we have been up to!

 

Our neighbors own a wonderful home on the Chesapeake Bay.  We are fortunate that they invite us down from time to time throughout the summer for some fun. They also host a once a summer gathering of the their non-bay neighbors.

Here are a group of neighborhood kids getting ready for some tubing.

Let me tell you, the kids think this is just awesome.  Me, not so much.  Yes, in addition to taking part in the rope swing earlier this summer, I tried my hand at tubing.  By the time the kids were done and it was the adults turn, the water was not this calm, but we went anyway.  I am still trying to figure out what is so much fun about being bounced around like that!

 All done and coming back to the dock.

Time for fishing. 

Waiting for the waves from the big ship ~ unfortunately, they never came. 

Some water trampoline fun.

It was a fun day of friendship, laughter and of course, good food!

 

My middle guy celebrated a birthday.  He requested a quiet birthday at home, topped off by a lemon cake with cream cheese frosting.

 

We had the getting ready for school physicals and dental appointments, which are always followed by lunch out.  Pizza at Pinnochio's.

We squeezed in a trip to the sweetest place. 

The thrill of spinning high above the ground.

 This is the face while on the above ride!

The roller coasters. 

 Hope you make it back!

The new mixed in and around the classic. 

My boys are on this one.  I opted to greet them at the end. 

There was a special solar light display throughout Longwood Gardens this summer.  We made it over a couple of times.  The pictures don't even begin to show how beautiful this was.   

The fountain show, set to music, always a favorite. 

 

The oldest started middle school ~ now having to now get up an hour earlier. Can you tell he wasn't too thrilled that I still insisted on a first day of school picture?

The younger two. Trying to be cool, too cool for school.

Some last minute craziness before the bus arrives.

And there they go! 

 

We had some critters visit this summer.

Did you say your prayers today? 

And meet Fred.

Fred took up residence on our slider door ~ the outside, thankfully.  We were able to see Fred at work maintaining and using the web to catch his prey.  Then one day, Fred was gone.  I still think Fred was really a Fredwina, but the boys insisted on Fred.

And one must not forget the puppy.  He's six months now and most likely around 100lbs, he'll go for a weigh in in a couple of weeks.

He watches tv.

So handsome. 

Sock?  I don't see a sock.

Watching the Little League World Series.

Oh no, he dropped the ball! 

Did I hear the fridge open? 

Bone crunchin' time.

Playtime with a friend. 

 Love's his boys.

 

 

Now, let me show you the little bit of stitching I can.  I have managed to keep up with my ornament a month.  I found these little cuties while on vacation in TN.  So, although they are little, I am counting them as July, August and September's ornaments.

The picture is a little dark, but these are stitched on perforated paper and then adhered to these tiny sleds. I have another set of designs to do as well.

 

I was one of the very lucky winners of a giveaway from Cottage Garden Samplings.  Vinniey is the very talented designer and if you haven't seen her designs, do pop on over! 

Just look at all the goodies!

I have to confess.  The DARS box of chocolate ~ it's empty.  That didn't last long at all!!

My boys enjoyed the small hard candies and were most interested in the writing on the wrappers. 

There were trims, fabric and scissors!  

 Love the colors in these threads and the verse reminds me of some metal trivets that my mother used in the kitchen when I was little.  Does anyone remember those ~ they usually contained a kitchen verse or prayer?

Thanks again Vinniey!!  I'm looking forward to getting this one started.

 

Sweet June also sent me a wonderful rak.

Isn't this tote bag perfect for sewing and stitching stuff.

Here's a closer look.

And she knows how I love sheep.  Look at this cutie, posed in front of my very late tusal jar!  Hanging head in shame, I completely missed last month - the jar on the left contains my 2012 threads, the other jar contains threads from last year.

I ordered a project bag from Faye, along with a smaller one to hold things like my scissors and threads.  I absolutely love them!  Thanks Faye!

 

My mom was telling her cousin about my flower frogs and she very kindly sent this one to me, one that had belonged to her mother.  It is very tiny and oh so colorful ~ I love it!

 

If you have made it all the way to the end of this post, I do have some other stitching to show, but it is for an exchange and can't show it until I'm given the green light.  Thanks for being patient with me while I enjoyed the end of summer with my boys.  I know it won't be too long before they venture out on their own. 

“Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”
― A.A. Milne