Happy Thanksgiving

HOW TO OBSERVE THANKSGIVING

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.

~~Author Unknown.~~

Off The Shelf!

Yesterday I came across a site A Novel Challenge with great reading challenges. Although many of them sounded interesting "Off The Shelf!" is perfect for me. Our own library is filled with so many wonderful books I just had to have. Shame on me - there are many which I have not read.

My aim is to read 30 books (challenge level 3 -Making A Dint) in 2011 which I presently own but have never read. Since I have read 50+ books so far this year I should still have time to reread some old favorites as well as read some new books.

I will start listing the books in my sidebar (in no particular reading order). There will be more than 30 books listed so that I will have lots of reading choices. Even then my list will certainly not cover all my unread books.

If you enjoy reading check out the site. There are so many wonderful reading challenges to participate in that here is bound to be something there just right for you.

Finished and framed

On one of our visits to Las Vegas in 2009 (while we were still in The Netherlands) I fell in love with and bought this Thanksgiving pattern. What a fun project and what a quick stitch!

The pattern calls for a 19 ct fabric using wool etc. for stitching. The coarser fabric just isn't my cup of tea (or in my case coffee) so I used a piece of 28 ct evenweave my SIL had given me last year. The name of the color of the fabric is unknown (looks like mocha) and it was perfect for this fall piece. The colors are much richer IRL.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner it was high time to get it framed so we can display it. Mission accomplished this past Tuesday. Framing is always such a daunting task for me but I am pretty pleased with the result.

'Happy Thanksgiving' by Shepherd's Bush
stitched 2/2 on 28 ct evenweave with DMC floss
started 08/21/2010 - completed 09/04/2010

Nutcrackers in Blue

This morning I put the final back-stitching into the 2010 nutcracker piece for DH. This afternoon we will be bringing it to Adele's to pick out a perfect frame and have her mount it.

'Nutcrackers in Blue' by Linda Bird (Imaginating, Inc)
stitched 1/2 on 32 ct white opalescent lugana
with the suggested DMC floss
Started 07/29/2010 - Completed 11/09/2010