Catching Up and a TUSAL

Crazy busy...that's what my life has been like the past week or so.  The boys had half days starting the Friday before Thanksgiving and don't go back to school until Tuesday!  What have we been doing?  Well, I mentioned the trip to my parent's house in the last quick post.  The boys had a blast!  Here they are with one of their cousins exploring the roots of a tree while on a hike with pappy.

 

The boys and their cousins on grandma and pappy's back steps.

We did some clean up in the gardens, cleaning of the house, ate some turkey and some pies, and finally, we started decking the halls.

The boys also had down time to just be.  The little one took his old car seat and pretended the back of daddy's truck was a space ship!

There has been little stitching.  I managed to finish gathering up the goodies for the exchange and will be sending those out to their new home tomorrow.  I did put in a few, a very few, stitches on We Sing Thee Merrily.  I've got to get back in the groove if I want this finished for Christmas!  You'll also see the latest additions to my TUSAL in the corner.

Speaking of the TUSAL, if you wish to join in the fun for next year, it's time to sign up! 

Just click here! 

Thanks for stopping by!



Weekend and Winner!

Just a real quick post.  Friday night, my oldest son had his last fall baseball game.  From there we traveled up to the mountains to visit my parents for the weekend.  It was a weekend of flea markets, hikes in the woods, playing with cousins, fire hall craft shows and food, shopping and just being together.  We just came home this afternoon and now I have to get my household ready for family that is coming for Thanksgiving at our house.

I picked a winner for the giveaway ~ Calamaty Jr.!   Congratulations!  If you remember, I want to tailor the goodies to the winner, so even I don't know what I'm going to send yet!  I have emailed for a list of likes and wishes, from which I will put something together.  Once it is received, I'll share with everyone.  Thanks to all who participated and for following me through my first year! 

Congratulations also go out to my oldest two boys.  They tried out and were picked for teams at the All Star Baseball Academy!  Practices start in a couple of weeks!  I am very proud of both of them!

I hope to do another post soon with some pictures.  I'm still working on "We Sing Thee Merrily" and have to finish my exchange piece and get that package in the mail.

Thanks for stopping by!

One Year.....

After our crazy snowstorm, we did have a fairly mild night for Halloween.

The little guy scraping and scraping.  We also had to harvest the seeds and roast them per his request.

We reused, borrowed and made our own costumes.  Anakin from Star Wars, a devil, and just a plain old box.  As for the box, his head was outside of the box, thus he wrote on the sides of the box, "Think Outside the Box".  Creative and not an expensive costume (unless you count the things I ordered from Kohls in order to get a box).  I told him he should introduce himself as Jack.  Jack in the Box.  He didn't think that was funny. 

We only did one Jack-O-Lantern this year.  Each of the boys drew a face and we picked what we all liked best from each picture.   

I've done some stitching, some I can show and some I can't (it's for an exchange).  The first one is from an older JCS ornament issue.  Thanks to Ranae, I was able to get this picture turned around!

And here is another look at Heartstring Samplery's "Sing We Merrily".  I'm really enjoying this one.

Now to the title of my post.  It was one year ago yesterday, the 6th, that I started this journey.  I want to have a giveaway, and I want to make it personal for the winner.  So, if you'd like a chance at something - not sure exactly what yet - let me know in your comments.  I'll pick a winner on the 20th. 

Thanks for stopping by and welcome to my newest followers! 

I'm Snow Not Ready.....and a Tusal.....and Other News....

It's still October, right?  I didn't miss the rest of the fall season did I?  Because this is what I am seeing today....

 

 

 

 

I am a little concerned as to what this winter might bring, especially since fall is already showing us the white stuff!  Should I blame my husband since he purchased a snowblower back in August??  I was sort of hoping that would mean no snow, guess I was wrong...

Right now as I am sitting in my front living room typing this, I am watching a pair of bluebirds flying about my front porch trying to find a safe haven from the snow and wind.  They are trying to hide in the robin's nest from last spring. 

I also need to post my Tusal update.  So here's my monthly picture:

It's getting harder to push the threads down in the jar!  The threads on the top are a result of my latest start.

Does anybody know what it is??

I have some other news to share.  The ladies of the Strawberry Sampler have been asking me for a while now to join their craziness.  I finally took the plunge!  I have been helping out at the store one or two days a week.  So, if any of you ever order anything from there, you may see my name on your mail order (or better yet, if you stop in the store and I'm there, I will get to meet you in person)!!  Some of you may have noticed that I have added a link to their site in my sidebar.  Here's my shameless plug....if you aren't signed up for their newsletter, you might want to do so.  Every week, they'll update you on what's new and usually advertise a "Wacky Wednesday" sale.  Sometimes, they'll even throw in a special sale related to anything from sports to weather.  For instance....now through Monday if they get snow in Chadd's Ford (and I can tell you they are...) any patterns with snowmen will be 20% off.  You can place an order online or email them with your order...

They are also letting me offer my blog readers 15% off any orders placed between November 1st and the 15th.  Just place "Bramblewood" in the subject line or comment section of your order.

It's been almost a year since I started this blog, so stay tuned....I think a giveaway will be in order!!

Thanks for stopping by and welcome to my newest followers!!

The Witch's Boot

When we first moved in to our new home, it was fall.  My oldest two boys were just toddlers and my little guy was just a baby.  The older two had a hard time settling down in the evenings and going to bed.  They kept coming out of their bedroom, talking, laughing and just not wanting to give in to the dark side and go to sleep.

During a visit from my parents, mom and I went shopping.  While on this shopping trip, Grandma found a witch's boot.  A plan was hatched.  That night the boot found a spot in a living room window.  The boys spied it when they snuck out of their room.  Oh my!  We told them the witch must have left it there by mistake and would be coming back for it, so they'd better get to bed.  Cause everybody knows that if little boys are awake, the witch might take them with her!  With eyes full of shock, they quickly ran back to their room and we didn't hear from them until breakfast!!

On Halloween night after everyone was asleep,  that witch came back and took her boot away.  She checks in on the boys every year.  The boot arriving in the middle of the night, usually around October 1st, and leaving after everyone is asleep on October 31st.

Last year the morning that the boys discovered the boot, this is what they saw when they looked outside.  My middle guy decided that it was the trail left by the witch's broom!

On the stitching side, I was the lucky winner of Elisa's giveaway.  She stitched this adorable little pillow - I love birds and just look at those pretty pins!

She also included all these extra goodies!  Patterns, threads, fabrics, finishing items, and a pretty butterfly.  Thank you Elisa, I love it all!

I have also finished Jolly Jack.  Isn't he cute?

I'm not sure yet how he'll end up, could be a cute framed piece, or perhaps a little pillow.  But, it looks like he might have to wait until next year for display.  In the meantime, I took some quick pics of some of my other Halloween decorations.

 

 

Tonite was a special night for my little guy.  He placed in the PTA Reflections program and his visual arts entry is headed to the Regional Level!

  

And last weekend, he got the game ball for the most strikes in a pitching debut for his fall ball team!  He's had a great week!

A Happy Halloween to everyone and thanks for stopping by!!