Happy Holidays!

I hope you are enjoying your holidays, I certainly am. I adore this time of year and although this one is busier than those of the past, I have kept it right in the middle of my heart, as usual, spending the little free time I have browsing through my collection of Christmas books, drinking tea, working on small projects, cooking, baking - the usual.

Mr. K and I spent a quiet Christmas Eve with a platter of cheeses, spinach dip, and crackers watching Christmas movies and chatting. On Christmas day, I took my pan of lasagna to the home of very dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. R, after picking up another friend to join us. We ate and ate and had a very good time indeed. There is no better way to spend the holiday than with those who you love.

I am excited about some new looms I purchased from Carol Leigh's Hillcreek Fiber Studio. I took a continuous strand weaving class from Carol Leigh a few years ago in Asheville, NC at the Southeast Animal Fiber Festival. I have a triangle loom, the 2 foot travel size, which I purchased from Carol at the festival and now have purchased a few smaller models. These looms are the perfect size for those of us who live in little homes and have no room for a large loom, although I was have a table-top heddle loom which is also great for small spaces. Anywho, one of these new minis is called a "washcloth" square loom. This loom makes a square of woven fabric the approximate size of a washcloth. I'm thinking lots of gifts for the future, as well as a patchwork blanket... and a shawl, of course... amulet bags too! Since Carol was having a sale to celebrate her 32nd year in business, I also purchased two mini looms - a six inch square, as well as another triangle mini-loom with an eight inch hypotenuse. I also bought Carol's WONDERFUL book which explains everything you could want to know about continuous strand weaving and is packed with projects and patterns. Right now I am just finishing a project on the little square as a gift for my friend, Mrs. R.

And this project has been a bit of an adventure. Wanting to match Mrs. R's decor, I chose an overdyed yarn in shades of burnt oranges and softs browns, a bit of a knobby yarn. Well... that knobbiness has been a real challenge as my locker hook, which helps pull the weft thread through the warp threads, just kept getting tangled and caught on those little hairs! It certainly slowed me down, but I am about to put in the last two rows and Mrs. R will have a little wine glass rug! A unique gift, LOL.

The mini looms

The "washcloth" loom - about 12 inches

Of course weaving is not all that is on the fiber agenda, no. I belong to a group on Facebook called "Our Scarlet Letter Years Sampler Group" dedicated to samplers designed by.... The Scarlet Letter, Reproduction Samplers. They chose four samplers for an SAL (stitch-along) but I already have one I am working on, EK 1653, which really needs to be finished, seriously, I have been working on this one for years! I also have another I have just been itching to work on, The Boscobel Oak. Both are 17th century reproductions. I love 17th century samplers because of all the blackwork! So... those are my stitching projects for 2015, but there will be a few smaller project tossed in just because!

http://www.scarlet-letter.com/samplers/boscobel.php

http://www.scarlet-letter.com/samplers/ek.php

There will be weaving projects thrown in too, but my plan is to work these two samplers and get them finished! So... we shall see how that goes... but I am strongly determined, yes I am!!!

I hope you have plenty of projects planned that you love and will make your heart sing!

Tangled in threads,

Mrs. K

 (photographer unknown, photo from Facebook)

Happy October!

Autumn

The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown;

The berry's cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on.

Emily Dickinson

(1830 - 1886)

Finally... October is here and all the wonderful feelings and things that go along with it. Apple cake and a crackling fire; making pomanders and Halloween crafts; and lots more lovely autumn goodies. I do love this time of year!

I am beginning a Halloween project, stitching what reminds me of an advent calendar, but for Halloween, by The Primitive Hare. I have a little design to stitch each day - 31 in total. They are small designs so I think I can do this and have each one completed at day's end. Of course there is the border, but I'll do what I can and enjoy it. The Primitive Hare has a blog here and an Etsy shop, where designs can be purchased (in PDF format - instant gratification!) here . I love this designer's work, it is a real favorite. She offers a few little freebie charts at her blog as well. Isn't this wonderful?!?!?! I shall post a few photos as I go.

Time for breakfast, a little cleaning, then an afternoon of stitching!

Deliciously yours and tangles in threads,

Mrs. K.

Pimento Cheese Spread and Kitchen Towel Swap

I was over at the Facebook page for Sweet Tea & Cindy, reading her recipe for Pimento Cheese. Well, I do love Pimento Cheese, it's one of my favorite things to eat on celery sticks, cucumber slices, or crackers. In the south, according to Cindy, they eat it on a sandwich! Yes, I will have to try that. She calls it the caviar of the south, LOL. I was born and raised in New York state, but have lived in South Florida for more years than I lived in NY. And while you can't take the New York out of this girl, I have picked up a love for all things southern. Naturally, pimento cheese is on that list.

Cindy has a great recipe -http://cindyeckhart.com/pimento-cheese-caviar-of-the-south-mamas-secret-ingredient/ - and a couple a gals commented, one adds cream cheese, another, sweet pickle relish. I had to do a bit of grocery shopping today, running through the raindrops, so I picked up what was needed and decided to make a batch last night - we should have enough to get through the weekend, but I'm not sure! Here's my tweaked version:

YUM!

Pimento Cheese

8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
3 cups of mild cheddar cheese, shredded (I used a package of Sargento pre-shredded)
1 cup mayonaise (I like Duke's)
1  7oz jar of pimentos, drained
3 spoonfuls of sweet pickle relish (I didn't use a measuring spoon, just a dessert spoon)
2 - 3 teaspoons of sugar (or to taste) - trust me, this is the secret ingredient.

I just used a whisk and blended the cream cheese and mayo together, then added all the other ingredients - except the sugar, I didn't think I would need it with the relish. I blended it all up and tasted. Hmmm... something was missing, must be the sugar, so I added that. Wow, that sugar, just as Cindy says, makes the flavor pop. 

This was so easy to to whip up, and tastes so, so good, I will never buy the pre-made again. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

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On another Facebook page, SB Canning, I participated in a kitchen towel swap. The idea was to send... yes, a nice kitchen towel. It was suggested that you might add a kitchen magnate and/or a recipe. I found a really cute 100% cotton towel with an image of a bunch of carrots on it, green tops and all, added a pretty, ceramic kitchen magnate that said, "Housework won't kill you, but why take a chance?", and threw in a recipe for my very favorite Fresh Apple Cake, which I make all the time. It is really very good: buttery, spicy, and packed with unpeeled apples. I have tweaked that recipe a bit too because Mr. K. doesn't like nuts or raisins, which the original recipe calls for. 

Years ago, 1984 to be exact, I belonged to one of those book clubs that were so popular; you know, you get ten books for a dollar and agree to buy half a dozen more over the next year. One of the first books I bought was "The Fanny Farmer Baking Book" by Marion Cunningham. I was only married a few years and was delving into baking. I cannot tell you how much I use this cookbook! Well, the Fresh Apple Cake recipe is in that book and I have been making it ever since. I figured it would be a nice recipe to include with my swap, so off it went.

The same day I sent it off, my package arrived, and what a delight it is. It included a pretty towel, small wind chimes with a wooden cardinal (my favorite bird) on top, a little spatula/scrapper, the cutest scrubby, two recipes - one for Texas Hash, the other for Pumpkin Bars, a little notebook in the shape of a handbag, I just love little notebook, two containers of tea, and... a really nice sized tea strainer with stars, moons, and suns on the rim. Marla G. was very generous and I am very grateful for all the goodies. 

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Before I hit the grocery store, I made a stop at my local needlework shop, Cross Stitch Cupboard, in Fort Lauderdale. The Halloween Ornament issue of Just Cross Stitch had arrived and I had reserved a copy. It is the best issue they have done so far, filled with 51 wonderful Halloween designs. There are ten, yes, TEN, designs I want to stitch. Luckily, most are smalls. By the way, the fabric that I laid my swap stash on is from the Cupboard too, Blackbird Designs - just had to have that. Oh well, I will make a pot of one of Marla's special tea blends, put on some lovely music, and take up my needle! Perhaps a few celery sticks packed with Pimento cheese on the side would not be amiss?

Just in case you would like to check out the Facebook pages I mentioned above, here are the links:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/SB-Canning/130750240327122 - everything about canning and preserving.

SB Canning's website:  http://www.sbcanning.com/

https://www.facebook.com/cindyeckhart

My needlework shop: crossstitchcupboard.com

Deliciously yours and tangled in threads,

Mrs. K.  

Happy Birthday, Jane!

Happy Birthday to Jane Austen, born in 1775. I thank her for many, many hours of delightful reading, watching movies interpret her stories, and feeding my soul. For Jane, that old saying about living on really is true - she does live on in her novels, the movies, and thanks to the Jane Austen Society.

Favorite Jane novel: Persuasion

Favorite movie version: 1995

Favorite Anne actress: Amanda Root

Favorite Captain Wentworth actor: Ciaran Hinds

Favorite Quote from Persuasion: "I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me that I am not too late, that such precious feelings are not gone forever." Capt. Frederick Wentworth to Anne Elliot.

I actually have many favorite quotes from this novel, but this one, well, it is quite romantic and I do love it. The Sampler Girl ( click here) designed a cross stitch pattern with this quote and naturally I purchased it. The Sampler Girl has a whole series of designs inspired by Jane and her novels, so if you enjoy stitching, take a browse. I have yet to stitch this particular design, but it is in my new collection of projects that I recently put together for the next year's stitching. I always do this around Christmas time.  Another little cushion, perhaps, for the connubial couch.

Tangled in threads,
Mrs. K.

Farewell Marilyn

Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum, in the garden

Such sad news! I just heard that Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum, the wonderful cross stitcher designer, passed away on August 12th. She was the creator of many beautiful designs. I first became acquainted with her work years ago, the late 1980s, I believe. The stitching group I belonged to decided to have a special meeting night just to stitch the Told In The Garden designs, which are very country-style, Amish inspired designs. We were just crazy about them; I still have a very large collection of the designs. We even called the group Told In The Garden. This is one that I stitched and finished in 1990:

The Quilting

The words, "The Quilting" were designed to be stitched under the quilters, but I decided to leave it out. I think the large, blue quilt has over 3000 stitches, LOL! Marilyn went on to create many other designs, under the Butternut Road, and Lavender and Lace, design names; all beautiful. She was a prolific designer.

Spiritdancer, Butternut Road

 Celtic Banner, Butternut Road

Firefly Fairies, Lavender and Lace

My favorites, though, are the Told In The Garden designs. These designs have a special place in my heart, as does the group I stitched with, and as does Marilyn. 

Farewell Marilyn, stitch away in the stars above.

Tangled in threads,

Mrs. K.

Summer Ending, Jam Making and a Tropical Storm!

So, here we are at the end of August! I am so looking forward to Autumn, well, I always do. It is my very favorite time of year. I have fond memories. Now, however, I have a lot to keep me occupied as I finish up summer. Jam, or more specifically fruit butter, making commences. I am also making some new pomanders, stitching away on various projects, especially holiday ornaments, and deciding on my Autumn decor.

Early last week I made a lovely batch of spiced peach butter. The peaches were perfect and I really enjoy the process. I have been using a stock pot with a cake rack in the bottom for processing my half pint jars, but came across an enameled pot of perfect size with a steamer rack in the bottom. The price was right too. It worked perfectly. However, my new stove runs much hotter than my old 1973 model, so I had to keep my eye on the canner.

I peel and roughly slice my peaches, add them to a small amount of water, then cover and cook until soft. Into the food processor they go to be whirled into a golden puree. I measure the puree and use about half a cup of sugar per cup of puree, holding back the last half cup of sugar until I taste. This year I used half brown sugar and half white. Cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg are also tossed into the pot and the cooking begins.

I bring this lovely blend of lusciousness just to a boil, then turn the heat down and cook until it is just the right consistency. I keep a little dessert plate in the freezer during the cooking, then when I need to test, I drop a pinch onto the plate and stick it back in the freezer for a minute. If it is the right consistency, we're good to go, otherwise back to simmering.

The color get darker from the spices, I keep testing until it's just right. My jar, lids and screw bands are ready to go and I ladle that golden deliciousness into the jars. I process the jars in a water bath canner for fifteen minutes, remove the jars and wait for that wonderful little ping that signals my lids have sealed.

I just love making these fruit butters. The book in the photo above is from The Good Cook series, which I subscribed to in the 1980s. This particular book is where I learned how to make jams and can. It is rather splattered and worn, but still serves me well. Later today I will be making plum butter - oh, most precious jewel of fruit butters! It is a glorious color and a favorite of mine. I would have done this Sunday, but we had the interesting experience of a tropical storm; Isaac came to visit. At least he was polite, leaving little damage, but that rain pounded our windows and the wind howled all day and night Sunday, as well as Monday morning. I was worried that I would lose power in the middle of the process, so held off. We had a few blinks, but no loss of electricity, just our cable, but even that wasn't very long - thank you Comcast!

In any event, my husband dipped into the peach butter as a condiment for the pork tenderloin I made for dinner last night. He thought it was quite tasty. I sure hope some of those jars last through to the holidays, I plan to give it as gifts. Oh, well, there will be plum butter and apple butter too, so I should be safe!

I have been stitching away, as usual. I have a new favorite designer, The Little Stitcher. Her designs are primitive and just my style. You can see her designs here at her blog: http://thelittlestitcher.blogspot.com/

The Granny and The Deer

Not only are her designs lovely, but she is a very sweet gal. Her designs are available as digital downloads - yay, instant gratification!!!! Of course, the usual paper is available as well. She has a freebie little pair of mermaids available if you leave your email address. I am working on three of her, what I call, harvest designs: Tansy, Yarrow, Rue, The Harvest of Ancestors, and The Granny and the Deer. They are simple, but very meaningful designs. In addition, I am stitching on Salem Remembered, by The Primitive Needle. I had lost one of the chart pages while taking my mother to doctors and just could find another copy anywhere. Luckily for me, a lovely person offered me her copy and I am back in the saddle or, uh needle, so to speak.

In any event, I should be off to the connubial couch as the clock has struck two. My dear husband has come down with a summer cold, yes, in the middle of a tropical storm, he catches cold and I want to add a little eucalyptus oil to the aromatherapy atomizer to help him breathe a little easier.  Oh well, it rained and it poured!

Basic Fruit Butter Recipe

Prepare your fruit, depending on the type. Peaches should be peeled and cooked in a little water; apricots simply put through the food processor uncooked; plums cooked whole in a little water, and then put through a food mill. After pureeing the fruit, measure it, for each cup of puree, add a half cup of sugar. Hold back the last half cup until you taste to see if it is needed. Sometimes, a little more sugar may be needed. Add any spices, as you like. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until a spoon dragged through the butter leaves a trail. Check for the right consistency by placing a bit on a chilled plate. There should not be any water around the fruit butter and when chilled for a minute, it should be the right thickness. Fill sterilized half pint jars, place lids and screw bands, then process in a water bath for 15 minutes.

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K

Happy May & What's New!

Wow, May already! Time sure seems to be flying by - now that I'm all grown up and would rather it didn't! I remember being a teen and wanting time to whiz by so I would be an adult. Didn't know how good I had it! Now, I'm on the latter side of 50 and would like it to just SLOW down. Seriously, I used to wish for Friday and it took so long to get to the weekend, but now... before I know it the week is over! OK, enough of that! Happy May to all!

 I'm up to a new thing and I thought I'd share. I have very long, butt-length, hair, but it is very, very fine. Mr. K calls it angel hair - he's so romantic, as I've mentioned before. Anywho... I had been reading about how it is very hard on hair to shampoo daily, let alone put all those chemicals that are in shampoo on our heads. I read about the "no-poo" (eyes rolling) method and thought I'd give it a try. Now, my scalp tends to be very oily so I knew going in I was going to have some adjustment issues. That's what gorgeous barrettes and hair clips are for, right? So, about three weeks ago, instead of my usual shampoo, I just threw some baking soda on my wet head - not much, and worked it over my scalp, giving it a good scrub. I rinsed with plain water (in the shower) and then poured about a half cup of apple cider vinegar rinse through it, letting it sit for about five minutes. My rinse recipe is 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (organic) diluted with 2 cups of filtered water and 6 drops of pure lavender essential oil. I use about a half cup of the rinse, letting it flow down my hair. I sort of gently mix it into the hair. After rinsing, it still smells like vinegar and lavender, but that vinegar smell dissipates. My hair feels very difference than when I use shampoo. Shampooing makes your hair feel squeaky clean, which means all the good oils have been stripped away. My new method leaves my hair feeling heavy and silky, combs out very easily too.

I only do this twice a week, after years of daily shampooing - some people go a few weeks, but I can't, at least not yet. However, I have bangs and they get a little oily looking so I use cosmetic clay which I dust into them and the hair around my face. I let it sit while I do my make-up, then comb out. Voila! Oil-free bangs. The cosmetic clay works great as a dry shampoo; sprinkle, wait, then brush. I like to place a drop of lavender essential oil on my hand, rubs my hands together and then run them through my hair to give it a nice fresh scent. Oh... and I brush out my hair every night with a natural bristle brush. I read that this distributes the natural sebum (oil) down the length of one's hair, keeping it shiny and moisturized.

So far, so good. I am noticing that my scalp's oil production is adjusting and my hair is nice and shiny, tangle free and liking this method. I tend to keep it pinned up most of the time because hair this long gets into everything - including a small fan one time! Luckily I was able to turn the fan off before any damage was done, however, it took a few minutes to untangle myself. I've also dipped it in various items, but I'll skip over that. Yikes!

So this is my second step in getting chemical products out of the house. I began with using coconut oil for cleansing my face and moisturizing. It is a fabulous make-up remover too, just melts eye makeup right off. Next on the agenda is housecleaning products - I've begun making my own after collecting recipes from the internet and various books. Vinegar figures prominently along with baking soda, as you might have guessed. Love to hear from anyone who is making their own cleaners and skin care products. Oh... and if you are using the "no-poo" method, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Well, that's what I've been up to. More progress has been made on the anniversary needlework, but I keep getting distracted by books, ducks, contemplating life - my usual. Time for a cup of tea and some stitching on that anniversary piece. Leftovers for supper, so I'm good to go!

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K.

Passover, Stress and Other Bits

Well, we are still eating matzoh and drinking Milk of Magnesia, but we are enjoying the holiday. As well as Passover and Easter, I read that April is Stress Awareness Month. The recommendations for stress are chamomile and lavender, but Mrs. K. recommends a shot of Jack Daniels then lay back and read a good book!

I've been cooking up a storm on the new stove and enjoying it. Did some baking before Passover, but have put that on hold until after the holiday so as not to tempt Mr. K. Roasted some of those lovely little fingerling potatoes with olive oil and salt last night - yum, crisp outside, creamy inside. They were great along with a nice filet mignon and salad - not exactly traditional Passover fare, but we certainly enjoyed it.

Still stitching away on the anniversary piece, but not as much as I have hoped - really, I've got to buckle down! I'm reading, reading, reading and can't pull myself away. What have I been reading? A mixed bag, as usual. Whistling Woman by Christy Tillery French and Caitlin Hunter; a memoir of Bessie Daniels who grew up in western North Carolina. She has a Cherokee grandmother. I've just begun this and am already really enthralled. Also reading the Sebastion St. Cyr mysteries by C. S. Harris - yes, all of them - Regency mystery/thriller/romance. I am really enjoying them, interesting mysteries. One other that has my attention is If Walls Could Talk, An Intimate History of the Home, by Lucy Worsley. This was recommended by one of the Jane Austen blogs I read and it is quite interesting. It gives you all those answers about how people actually lived over the centuries, such as why did medieval people sleep sitting up, why did the flushing toilet take so long to catch on, what was all that fainting about. So you can see why I'm being kept from my stitching... oh and music practice too. Must work on that today,

So... what's for dinner tonight? Add that on to today's list and it doesn't look like I'll be laying back with a book, let alone a shot of Jack Daniels anytime soon!

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K.

The End of An Era!

This is my old, 1973, avocado green stove. My mother-in-law chose it, along with the same color fridge, when their condo was being built and since it still worked fine, we didn't replace it when we moved in, around 2001. The fridge passed on in 2002 - not bad, but the stove continued on! Last week, after almost 40 years of service, Madame Hot Avocado passed on. The burners are still fine, but the oven just stopped. She doesn't owe us a penny, she served us well, may she rest in peace.

YAY!!! Oh, I can't help it, that color!!! It just didn't sit well with me. In fact, it was one of my mother-in-law's favorites back in the day; even her living room/dining area had green carpet. Thank goodness that had been replaced! But honestly, almost 40 years - that's a heck of an appliance!

Off we went to the Sears Appliance store and Manny, our extremely helpful and very nice salesman, showed us what was available. Now, I did really want the same type range top - coils. Well, while you can get them, they are rather passe' - my age showing, as I really didn't want that flat glass top range, I had heard horror stories about keeping it clean; in fact, my mom has one and it seems a lot of trouble to keep clean. However, Manny explained it all to me, despite my crabbiness, and with my husband encouraging Manny, they won me over. Of course, they also told me not to expect almost 40 years of service from these new appliances, but I'm not buying that - this will last a good long time. As for Mr. K, I told him that mine is the final word regarding the choice of stove... unless he wanted to take over cooking. He went off to look around. (snicker, hehehe)

Delivery was yesterday. The two men and one woman (delivery/installation guy had two trainees) were really super nice and Madame Hot Avocado was gone and the new stove was in, including moving a little cabinet, in less than twenty minutes! No, I am not a paid spokesperson for Sears, but, honestly, the whole process was easy peasey and the sales and delivery folks were just plain nice.

So... here's a photo of my new stove - black, big oven, those wonderful burners and warming burner too. I know... most people have this, but you have to remember I've been cooking in 1973 for all these years!

Now I have to finish putting everything back in the cabinet that we had to move as well as get rid of another one that will no longer fit - the old stove was 26 inches wide, this one is 30. And yes, I cooked dinner on it last night - tortellini Alfredo - quite yummy. Wow, that water boiled fast on the double burner! The little warming burner kept the sauce at the perfect temperature and Mr. K was very happy with his dinner.

Today I plan to do a little baking, just to try out the oven, among other housewifely chores. I also need to work on my anniversary needlework which needs to be finished and framed by the end of May as well as music practice. 

Oh... speaking of needlework for anniversaries, this is the third time I am stitching something for ours. The first one, in honor of 15 years, I designed myself, stitched it and NEVER framed it! Going through some other unframed work, I found it and Mr. K said we should have it framed - finally. So here it is, after 17 years! Different types of stitches, a drawn thread band, a little heart button and a favorite verse.

For our 30th anniversary, I stitched this little pillow which Mr. K keeps on his side of the connubial couch. He gives it a little squeeze every night before giving me a little squeeze! He's very romantic, is my Mr. K. 

This design is by Beth at Heartstring Samplery with a couple of little changes to personalize it. 

So... there we are, I better get busy! Brownies, music, and stitching!!!

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K

Busy, Busy!!!

Well, the tree did not get decorated - but will be by Friday!! Absolutely, without any more interference. Ah, well, no stress, it will be what it is. Some things, like tearing apart book cases and such, proved to be a bigger job than I anticipated. For some reason, beyond my comprehension, I decided to reorganize my little studio as well. I know - let's not go there.

Decisions, decisions!!! I'm trying to narrow down the cookie list. Of course my shortbread must be first on the list - there could be a riot at my door otherwise. Oh, and those ricotta cookies - must have those too. However, I have come across some other recipes I would like to try, such as Italian Almond Cookies, Maple Chocolate Chip Shortbread and a basic sugar cookie. I always make fudge as well and  can't leave that out. I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Spiced Fudge which sounds yummy so I may make a pan of that to go along with the traditional fudge. Oh... and the eggnog! Last year I made real, honest to goodness, homemade eggnog - from scratch. There is NO going back. It was not only delicious beyond anything I have ever had, but it is nutritious with all that organic whole milk and eggs, lovely spices and just enough honey to give it a touch of sweetness. You won't believe this, but I didn't share it; no, I kept it all for myself - and no, I'm not ashamed to say it! ; ) This year I will make a bigger batch so I can share, but it does take a great many eggs, milk and some heavy cream.

There are also some aromatherapy blends and linen mists - all completely pure and natural - to be blended and bottled. What else? Oh... I have some goodies from the beauty supply which I can't mention here because of certain individuals that read this blog! Hehehe - just think about that!

I just found this in the bottom of my stitching basket! Stitched last year and never put together! I can't believe I didn't finish it. The design is from Cherished Stitches and was in the 2010 Just CrossStitch ornament issue. Another task on the list - albeit a quick one. This is for my tree.

So there I am, busy doing thinks I love to do for a season I so enjoy. Hope you are enjoying this time as well and letting the stress just flow away. Breathe in the scent of pine, bayberry and cedar - that will make you feel good!

Deliciously yours,
Mrs. K