Liebster

On Sunday, Stitching Cat awarded me the Liebster Award.  Thank you Stitching Cat! 

Liebster is a German word meaning favorite, dearest, or beloved and the Liebster is awarded to new bloggers with less than 200 followers.  In turn, I...

1) thank my friend that awarded me and link back to her;

2)  post the award on my blog;

3) pass on the blog award to five other bloggers;

4) list the bloggers I pass the Liebster on to with their links and let them know by commenting on their blog;

5)  then share five random facts about myself that people do not know about me! 

What a sweet way to pass on links to other bloggers, broaden our blogging community and learn a little bit more of each other. 

I'm fairly new to blogging and it's fun to find new blogs from those that have left comments or become followers on my blog.  Here's my list of 5~~~some may not be exactly new but they are new to me :)

                                                  1) Viola di Nebbia @ The Little Stitcher

2) June @ Butterfly-butterflywings.blogspot.com

3) Betty @ Samplings from Sprink Creek

4) Shar @ Sharlene's Stitching Site

5) Misty @ 413 Sparrow Lane

Five things about me.  Hmmm, let's see......

1) Jane Austen movies and most period pieces are my favorite to watch on the television

2) I love to drink hot tea almost daily and it's got to be in a china cup with the tea steeped in a teapot. 

3) Love to read collect cookbooks.  Have more than plenty to keep me occupied for a long time.

4) I'm a Pin-aholic (love Pinterest in other words)

5) I do not have a green thumb.  Such a shame since I really like to see pretty flowers on my porch.  Keeping them alive through to the end of summer is a challenge! 

Thanks again again, Stitching Cat for the award!

tulip time..........

I love tulips.  They are one of my favorite flowers, especially in white.   They seem the perfect flower to perk things up in winter, when things can look a little bare.  Reminds me that spring will just be around the corner soon.

These were photographed serveral days after I had purchased them.  I change the water every couple of days and I think that helps keep them fresh longer. 

They are such a little treat, one that I don't frequently splurge on.   

Have a lovely Monday!

Sunday Stitching

It's a perfect stitching day, slightly overcast with the definite look of winter but not freezing cold (great so that the boys can play outside some), and nothing that HAS to been done right at this moment.  I so enjoy that kind of Sunday afternoon.  Put on a period drama on the dvd, brew up a pot of tea and I'm good to go.  Speaking of dramas, have you all watched season 1 of Downton Abbey? 

 

It's a BBC period piece that first aired on PBS last year.  Season 2 starts tonight on PBS in our area and will be perfect stitching company.  If you are into that kind of thing, definitely check it out:  Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Theatre

I don't have a progress picture on my current stitching project, CCN'S January.  Sadly, I really haven't done much stitching on it (didn't do a thing over the week) but I almost have the little house about done today.  It's a small design that wouldn't take too long to finish; I'm just stretching it out it seems.  

Off to warm up some tea and get to some more stitching!  Hope today finds you doing what you enjoy the most!

Happy 2012

Happy New Year to all of you!  May this new year bring you and your loved ones many blessings, happiness, prosperity and good health!

Best wishes and love,

Weekend and Small Stitchery

Hello! 

A small stitchery to share today and some snapshots.  This was a free design offered by Primitive Betty that I whipped up a couple of months back while on a long weekend to Asheville, NC.  It was quick and easy on the eyes and hand so it was perfect for the relaxing weekend we had planned.  I used a scrap of what I think is natural raw linen by Zweigart Belfast in 32ct.  Used DMC threads in browns, yellow gold, pumpkin and medium green.  Wished I could remember the exact threads.  Plan on finishing this as a little pillow sometime.  

Here are a few snapshots of the where we spent most of our time.  It was the first of October which was still a little too early to see any great fall color.  The temperatures were perfect though; cool crisp fall mornings and evenings with warmer temps mid to late afternoon.  Great for walking around the estate. (click images to enlarge photo)

The gardens were designed from insiration taken from Tiffany Lamps.  You can just make out the shape of a dragonfly around the pompass grass. 

View of the back of the house

The Conservatory

Another view of the back of the house with the lake in the forefront

It was such a fun and relaxing weekend.  Hope to go there again real soon.

Have a great weekend!

October

October is my favorite time of the year.  I love the cool crisp air it brings, seeing the beautiful color as the leaves change on trees, and pumpkins everywhere.  Here are a few lovely images for today:

 

(via lilybeanpaperie)

(via thriftydecorchick)



(via yankee magazine)

(via the girl who ate everything)

                                                                        (via pinterest)

Definitely going to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte this week!

                                                                       Happy October!

Biltmore

For the last few years, my husband and I have made it a special treat to go up to Asheville, NC for either our anniversary or my birthday.  Our annual trip is coming up soon and we both are SO looking forward to the couple of days we'll spend there.  Just relaxing together and enjoying each others company. 

We spend most of the time at The Biltmore Estate.  George Vanderbilt built a stunning mansion (more like a castle) in Asheville, NC.  It's simply amazing and the grounds and surrounding scenery is just beautiful, especially in the fall.  If you have never been, I highly recommend going to take a visit.  The house and grounds (which include gardens, a conservatory, vineyards, a farm area, and The Inn at Biltomre Estate) are beautifully maintained.  There is much to see there and restaurants and shops.  Here are a few pictures taken from a trip a couple of years ago:

A view from our picnic spot we always have by the river at the back of the house

Fall mums on beautiful display at the gardens of the estate

A view from the back terrace of the house



It's such a relaxing couple of days.  After touring the house & gardens, we head up to The Biltmore Inn on the estate to enjoy a lunch out on the inn's terrace and then relax in their library with tea and a book (for him) and needlework (for me), taking in the beautiful scenery all the while.  The views there are so lovely!   The trip is coming up soon so I need to decide on a small stitchy companion for myself that will remind me of our annual trip. 

Have a great rest of the week!

Fun Finds....

Tickled pink to find this little treasure on Monday.  It's always fun to find something that catches your fancy when you least expect it.  Decided to pop into Michael's to browse and just happened to look at a bin of clearanced wood stamps and found this:


 

Score!

I've seen this saying on posters all over Pinterest and Etsy so when I happened upon it as a stamp at Michael's (made by Hampton Arts), it was giddy-up to the checkout counter!  I'm sure I will find lots of uses for it and will get inked up real soon.  

The saying is a British quote that began back in 1939 at the beginning of WWII.    It was intended to raise public morale in the event of an invasion.  Here's what the original looked like:



photo via web



Here's a fun take on the saying that I found on Pinterest:

May just need to get this one for my craft space. 

The 3 day weekend sure went fast!  Time to forge ahead with the new week. 

Keep Calm and Carry On!