Cookie Making~cross stitchy style

I love making cookies, baking, fixing food in the kitchen. I love it when the kids are home from college and eat, laugh and visit...all in the kitchen.

It is wonderful!
I've found kids talk about all kinds of things...bare their souls so to speak...when they are eating, or munching....

I learned this years ago...to have cookies for them after school and they start talking as soon as they start eating!

Blessings,

Debbie

Baby Chicks, Big chicks and feed

I am just about done with this stitchalong! Boohoooo...

I've loved doing this and I am

going to start a small fall/harvest one...and then probably a little

Christmas Holiday one!
Keep the stitching going. It is so

fun, therapuetic and a good way

to wrap up the day....

We actually have lots of chickens

and gather the eggs in egg baskets which I have probably shared before...

the eggs get washed and then air dry...then they are put in cartons and refrigerated.

Blessings,

Debbie

So far, so good!

Hey everyone! Just a glimpse of what I've done so far...since this picture I have finished quite a bit more.
Please leave me a comment, I want to come by for a visit and see what you have done and I don't seem to have all the stitchalong gals on my blog list! How are you coming along on your stitching? Can't wait to see all that you have done!
Blessings,
Debbie

Snuggly quilt...

Hey everyone! This is my attempt...and I use that term loosely.... Hahaha...at an iron bed with a quilt on it!

And then my favorite...wink wink...a pie safe with pierced tin metal! Oh my...what I see in my head and then what I end up stitching are often nothing alike! I hope you can relate to this!

We actually had an iron bed at one time, now we have a wooden four poster bed that I love. And I adore quilts too.

Blessings,

Debbie

Kitchen Blessings Part 1

I'm so grateful for a working stove and fridge...Mine don't look like this...but...I think you get the idea. Cold food when you need it and hot food for dinner! My family likes that part. But I have traveled to many countries with my father who is a minister...and I have seen people do with much less. Cooking over firerings and keeping food cold in dark cool rooms but no refrigeration. Wow....so I am indeed grateful.

Blessings,

Debbie

Sweet little bird nest~eggs

I found the sweetest little birdy nest on my mom's patio before she and my dad moved in with us. The eggs were so tiny and speckled! I felt like I had found a real life treasure!

Thank you for coming by!

Blessings,

Debbie

Patriotic Stitching

It was fun stitching with red white and blue thread....some of my favorite colors and patterns....

We had a great time of barbecue~swimming~ watermelon~homemade ice cream....with family...lots of laughing and funny stories.


I confess I missed the actual fireworks display....oh my. But we did have a lovely time!

Blessings,

Debbie

Flower filled Wheelbarrow...

We have an old rusty wheelbarrow that I plant with seasonal flowers. I also planted a small Christmas tree in it at Christmas...during the holidays I add little signs and white lights.For fall there will be mums, little pumpkins and a scarecrow... Now it boasts miniature roses, miniature ivy plants and all types of spring bulbs that are blooming late...we live in S. California in the mountains so our blooming time starts late....
I've thought about painting the wheelbarrow to be a little more pleasing to the eye...
but there is something enduring about the rust on it.....
Blessings,

Debbie

Gathering the Eggs

What is so funny....everyone says "Oh you have fresh eggs?" The truth is since we have been married 100 years (ok really just 30) hubby has always had to have chickens of every breed and color and we have had eggs.

Chickens lay an egg a day even without a rooster. The rooster is what

makes the egg fertilized. Most eggs are not fertilized because most

chickens on the market are in cages and not with a rooster.

So we gather eggs in a basket and then they have to be washed. So the basket sets in a sink full of soapy warm water and you wash each egg getting the yucky stuff off that may be stuck on. I've even had to use a pot scrubber to scrub some of them! Then you put them in another basket to be rinsed. They dry and then are put in egg cartons by size and refrigerated... We use to sell them at Farmer's Markets. The eggs are fresh and DELICIOUS!
If you have never been to a Farmer's Market you should go! Often the people selling things have also grown them! It is wonderful to visit with them, and then take home your fresh produce that is many times hours old instead of weeks! We still have eggs but I don't wash or carton anymore...hubby does that. Big smile....

blessings,

Debbie

Fresh Baked Pie anyone?

Woohoo...here is the anniversary block I was working on but didn't have done for our big (50th) ok only 30th anniversary! hahaha....sometimes ladies it feels a little longer than that and other times I can't believe time has flown by....


Here is my supposedly kitchen window with a pie cooling in the window. A little window box with flowers blooming....this is my pretend kitchen window....I love it!

Above is a little pie stitchery I did awhile ago to fit in my kitchen which is red and white.
Blessings,
Debbie

Coffee in the morning....mmmmm good!

Don't you just love the smell of a fresh pot of coffee....I love to walk in to a restaurant or Starbucks and get that first whiff of caffeine...I mean coffee, knowing I will have a hot drink in my little hands very soon. I love it~it's the first thing I think of in the morning....as I stumble out of bed...heading by remote control to the kitchen....

And let's not forget the fufu creamer! Big smile. That makes coffee even more wonderful...but that is only my opinion!

Blessings,

Debbie

PS...I love hot tea at night...curled up on the sofa...getting a little tired...ready to drift off...and then a nice cup of Chamomile soothes my soul....mmmmmm

Hey everyone! It is a beautiful day here. It is also farmer hubby and my 30th anniversary today! Woohoo....ok I feel a little old but very much wiser! Hahahaha....if I would have known when I met this handsome man that I would be planting thousands of plants in my lifetime I may have told him early on that I had a back problem or couldn't bend over that far....Hahahah....the first time I went home with him he had me planting a huge garden...I should have known that shoveling manure would turn into a lifetime project...instead of a one time visit!




Anyhoooo...I used some of these cute little items as my visual stimulation for stitching! You never know what will give you an idea (big smile)...the pig is a little toy we have had around for years!
Blessings,
Debbie

Cardiff~Strength in the midst of a storm....

Pray for God's destiny~

We had a miracle with a couple of our children~ The oldest was born and not expected to live....the first night Doctors gave us a very hopeless report.....

he just graduated from college, is happily married and is in the ministry. The second one from the get go we were told had a myriad of health issues...every doctor visit was dreaded because of things we would hear.

We were told he probably had Lymphoma, would never see normal, was unhealthy, wouldn't have a normal life~

Not one thing the doctors said came to pass. Early on in our children's lives we decided we would pray for them~safety, protection...and that they would serve God....successfully...fervently.

We prayed that they would fulfill God's destiny for their lives and that their lives would not be cut short....
we taught them to navigate through difficult waters...and not to let a storm dictate their direction in life.

Cardiff by the Sea~we named our son Cardiff, it means strong fortress by the water....
Here is my 21 year old fortress, one of my blessings, with his little sister, no sickness, very healthy, absolutely amazing....couldn't ask for a more wonderful son....he has learned to navigate well through rough waters.
He is currently heading up a missions team in Paraguay and loving it. Thank you God for not listening to the Doctor either.

Don't ever let anyone but God dictate your kids destiny~you pray and get the gameplan. Then like a coach you tell your kids....this is how we are going to play the game~

Blessings,

Debbie

Some Free Patterns and Ideas!

Free Patterns and ideas..@http://craftgossip.com/

I get several ideas and free charts here....also referred as 'grille gratuite' in French. The french have gorgeous stitching web sites and blogs. Several times I have typed in on google images

'grille gratuite' and just looked at the free charts. They look at stitching as an art form and they have taken it to the highest level! It gets you going in the stitching department. While I make my own patterns I do get ideas on stitching, colors, and how they may shape something with stitches...like a cupcake or utensils. I always love to get ideas.

http://grillesdemaryse.canalblog.com/archives/sal_cartes_postales_/index.html

Perhaps you might need a little eye candy to get you going....

This will certainly encourage you to do more stitching!

Blessings,

Debbie

Little Red Dress

Hello again...

Every Sunday at our house is Sunday Meeting Time. We get dressed and go to church!

I'm blessed to be the worship leader at our church and one by one my kids were on the worship team....the oldest however was asked to preach or pray...his voice COULDN'T quite hit the right notes at the right time! hahaha....if you know what I mean!

Bless his heart.

Well I loved dressing my daughter in dresses, especially cute little red ones. Red bows and red shoes are also very cute!

(Picture by Raggedysmiles.com)

I just loved this little red dress too. Now my daughter is in college, but I still have

her little dresses.

Blessings,

Debbie

LET FREEDOM RING!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. We are so blessed to live in a country where we are free...

FREE TO WORSHIP OUR GOD

FREE TO VOTE

FREE TO SPEAK....

LET FREEDOM RING!

HAVE A SAFE WEEKEND.

BLESSINGS,

DEBBIE

Bumble Bees~

I've been a busy bee...while my mom was in the hospital with knee surgery I had time on my hands to do some stitching...so this is what I have done so far. I did the bee because we have several living on our fruit trees pollinating them...

I found that I liked doing my squares according to theme...part of the blocks are more food and kitchen blessing oriented...while others are flowers, garden, garden tool oriented.

But I'm working on squares now~that are family and kid focused...no real plan...I just stitch as I get ideas!

I've also made a list of the most predominant things I feel blessed for and then go from there. Sometimes I look at a stitch pattern, or look at a button and freehand the design, the outline first is stitched and then I stitch the inside...it seems a little easier that way. But I'm now in love with french knots because of our stitching friend Alison over at http://needleandthreadadventures.blogspot.com/

YOu've got to visit her...she does amazing things all with french knots....I ooh and aaaah...so will you!

Blessings to you!

Debbie