Where I've been and What I've been up to....

Hello Friends!
Got a couple of e-mails asking if I'm ok and I'm still kickin'! Just been busy as usual here in good 'ol Indiana. I've finally got my reader down to ZERO...and I have to apologize, I did a lot of drive by readings....but soon, dear friends, soon my children will be back in school ;)

So I don't have any of my own stitching to show, so I'll show you some examples of the finishing I've done for some of my clients....now this is NOT my stitching....but it sure is my finishing:

Get a Life hanging Ornie

Stitched by Petra

Weather Outside Flatfold (stitiched by Petra)

Amore Pillow (Stitched by Petra)

Whole kit and kaboodle stitched by Petra (bee fob and Love box not pictured above)

Shepherd's Bush "Eggs" hanging pillow (stitched by Mary Ellen)

Shepherd's Bush "Flag" hanging pillow (Stitched by Mary Ellen)

Shepherd's Bush "Be Witch" Pillow (stitched by Mary Ellen) this is my FAVORITE...stitching this one is on my short list

"BOO!" cube (stitched by Jill S.)

Aren't they all varied and each stitcher did an exceptional job! Thank you folks for entrusting your heirlooms and special things for me to finish for you :)

Well, the painting and flip flopping of the bedrooms happened in less than 48 hours last weekend. Mama and Daddy were walking a little slow on Monday but it got accomplished :)

My landscaping is completed...a sneak peak was above in the "Be Witch" picture...more on that soon...

And my very own Daddy came up to Bloomington, for a drive by canning session. He brought the canners and the beans, and I bought the quart jars and a little less than 4 hours and whole lotta bean snapping later I had 21 quarts of green beans for this winter :) Yep, a little slice of Indiana Sunshine in a jar for those long winter days!

So that's been my life the past 7-10 days...3 working days come F-S-Su...*sigh*....

Hope you've all been stitching to your little hearts content! So may the floss be with you and floss on friends :)

Tin Backsplash

Hello Friends! Hope this finds you all well...today I'm running nearly on "E". Seems I'm a couple cards short of a full deck. I guess the weekend, running all around town, cleaning and redecorating the kitchen has caught up with me. Have you ever felt so tired, that you think you could fall asleep sitting up....that's how I feel today. Guess I'm making a second pot of coffee today....

I mentioned my new tin backsplash and here it is:

It really isn't real tin...it's actually thermodynamic plastic, but when you touch it on the wall it feels like tin. Ours is called Vintage Copper...and I think it turned out great ;) My dear husband Keith put it up for me the other night when we got home from the fair. A lot of measuring and critical thinking and four hours later....viola! (I hope the pictures are clickable)

We've also landscaped our front yard...I'll save those pictures for another post....

Well other home projects are on the looming on the horizon...school starts in 2 weeks so we have that long to get this done. The girls are going to move into a bedroom together. Recently we found it more conducive to break up the twins....so they've been sleeping in separate rooms - they'd laugh and talk all night together and it was affecting their behavior. Since we separated them, it's been a world of difference in the both of them, so it'll have to stay that way. There is such a difference in age between Katie and Ellie that I think it will work out for them to room together. They (well Katie) has decided they "need" their room painted lavender and pastel green because they are taking over the boys old room. Ian will be taking Katie's old room and Jacob which has been living in the "guest" room will be keeping it as his own. With Katie getting the stamp of approval from Daddy the big home improver....Ian decided he'd like to have red and white striped walls - I have the stamp of disapproval on that....so he decided a nice deep blue for his wall would be great. Daddy said fine. Jacob decided that "soothing white" would be perfect for him....Daddy did a backflip over that decision - since it won't involve painting. So in other words....more DIY is lined up for the Pfeiffer House in the next 14 days......stay tuned....

Until next time, have a great weekend and Floss on!

Summer House Exchange for Jill!

Hello Friends!
Hope this finds everyone fit as fiddles and enjoying their day ;o)

There's no rest for the weary here at the Pfeiffer household....nope Monday I cleaned the downstairs, Tuesday I took the shower curtains down and gave them their 6 month bath and cleaned and scrubbed our showers and tubs. Then we went to our country fair and had a good time seeing the "moo" cows and "cockle doodle doos" as Ellie calls them :o) We got home at around 5 p.m. and then Keith and I put up a copper backsplash in our kitchen until 11 pm. Pictures maybe tomorrow, when I get my kitchen redecorated and cleaned. Right now, I want to call "UNCLE"....I'm bushed!

I just heard mintues ago from Jill and she sent me the nicest e-card telling me "thanks" for her Summer House Package. This is what I stitched for her:

Designer: Little House Needleworks - Diane Williams

Design: "Berries" Thread Pack

Fibers: Crescent Colours as charted

Fabric: 32 ct. Sassy's Fabbys ~ "Creamy Cocoa"

Finshed as: Mattress Pincushion

Jill deserved a really special package because she's done a lot for me....so I came up with this idea. I'm really bad about just starting to stitch and not planning...it usually "comes" to me as I stitch, what it will be, how it will be finished, or whatever.... I started out just going to make this into a hanging pinkeep and as I was stitching it I thought it would be fabulous if that fence and berry bushes would go all around the sides of a mattress pincushion. Lots of stitching and counting and figuring...but it turned out perfect! I really think this turned out sweetly....and I'm glad it went to live with Jill!

Ok friends...short and sweet, back to cleaning....*sigh*....

Birthday surprises galore!

Well my mailbox has been frequented again by some super stitching friends and I have lots of beautiful things to show you! First off I need to apologize to these ladies, because I got all of these things towards the end of last week and I was working and had little time of my own and didn't get to post these lovlies until today. In fact Microbiology typically takes a nose dive this time of year, because naturally - more people are outside and not as many respiratory illnesses are going on. But Hey Ho! both hospitals had incubators near to BURSTING this weekend. I worked, in total (driving included) 13+ hours both Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Let me tell you the gears need a little oiling and the body is moving a bit slowly after the marthon 39 work hours in 72 hours. And holding true to fashion to my legend of getting weird things....I had a couple of cases that were just down right odd - I'm like a magnet for weirdness! Guess it makes life interesting!

First up is a delightful package from Julie!

Julie sent me the Shop Hop special pattern that features a Halloween design, they must have also sold kits because I got finishing instructions ball fringe, ribbon and backing fabric, plus sweet little JABC buttons to adorn the stitching part and the linen to stitch it on! Yahoo! Plus Julie sent me a cute little "Doodles" kit featuring a beehive and bee button (love it!) and LHN's Night and Day Pattern that I've been wanting! THANK YOU JULIE! You shouldn't have :) I can't wait to stitch the Shop Hop design and finish it! Hopefully I'll make time to stitch it soon so I can display it this Halloween :)

Next Michele sent me this:

A sweet birthday card and a lovely skein of Fancy Green Nancy Crescent Colours (my favorite over-dyed floss)! THANK YOU MICHELE! I love it and was working on a design and ran out of Fancy Green Nancy so your sweet birthday gift arrived in perfect time!

Next up, Julianne sent me this:

A lovely hornbook with a Prairie Schooler Freebie I've been wanting to get around to stitch and a box of cards (also sent at a timely time period because I had "greeting cards" on my shopping list)! No more cause Julianne came through with a lovely boxed set of cards! THANK YOU JULIANNE! Julianne has spoiled me rotten all year long with her surprise gifts and I need to get her some stitched lovely sometime before the year is up!

Here's a close up of Julinane's Hornbook...isn't it gorgeous! LOVE IT!

Next up Cathy B sent me this:

A super lovely (wish I could figure out how these are made) flange pillow featuring my favorite holiday! And an exclusive Shepherd's Bush kit! Look at her card isn't it cute?! What can I say about this? It is perfection from start to finish..I absolutely LOVE this flange pillow and have it proudly displayed on my 4th of July / Americana table right now!

Here's a close up of Cathy's pillow...another gorgeous addition to my cross stitching pretties! THANK YOU CATHY!!! You know I love it!

Next up, sweet Susan what a dear she is....sent me this package:

A lovely tin of Ghirardelli Chocolates (I'm ashamed to say those were gone in the first hour upon receipt!), a lovely half yard of Moda Sampler fabric that I've been lusting after for a looooong time, a half yard of some beautiful French Lace linen (its gorgeous) and a tube of Jojoba hand lotion that again arrived at the perfect time because we've been landscaping and my hands are like sandpaper! THANK YOU SUSAN....you made my day and everything is just perfect! AND I'm talking my husband into a trip to Shipshewana - keep your fingers crossed!

So dear friends...that's my haul and what a haul it is, yes?

Today is hotter than fleas on a griddle here in good 'ol Indiana...the humidity makes you "stick" to everything...not nice. :( I'm hopeful that after I pick up Jake from summer school that I get to call it quits with going outside and sit my bottom in my chair and stitch. Guess time will tell

Until next time dear readers, stitch with joy and laughter :)

Innocence...

21 years ago in July 1987, I was getting my Senior High School pictures done. I can remember how exciting it was because I got to change clothes and there were all sorts of poses and it was just great good time.

That same day as I was waiting for my appointment time there was a little girl there that had been getting her picture taken wearing her mother's wedding veil and sitting by/on her mother's wedding dress. I remember thinking I was going to do that with a little girl I had some day. Well that memory stayed in a wrinkle in my brain and since one of my little girls is having a birthday on August 5th and she needs a new birthday picture this is what my brain came up with:

In one hour I'll be heading to walmart to pick up my multitude of prints - and I bet there are some people (Papaws, Grandmas and Me-mes) that will panting after them ;)

I figure why go pay somebody a whole lot of money for taking my kids picture when DH bought me a whole lot of memory for my digital camera and these are professional quality, there's a Wal-Mart 3 miles from my home that I can get large photos up to poster size in 1 hour, God gave me a great big world to shoot photos in, I have a picture fixer upper program and I get results like this? Yep...I'm stitcking to a plan.

Until next time....keep on stitching!

Birthday and Witches

Friday I received this cute, cute, CUTE pinkeep from AmySC. Isn't it sweet?! I love it and have it displayed with my ever growing sheep collection ;) Thank you Amy for your sweet gift and your sweet sentiments you wrote on your blog! I appreciate it very much and I cherish your friendship!

The majority of this weekend has been about finishing up my Witching for Stitching Halloween RR I'm a little sick of the whole thing...looking at it trying to make sure that everything is ok....but here it is - modeled by my lovely daughter Katie:

Here's a snap of it in the house...that's why its so dark:

The majority of the design comes from Blackbird Designs the only thing that isn't BBD is the tree/cat/pumpkin deal on the left hand side...that is Plum Pudding Needleart and is from Salem Inn. I think it turned out pretty ok. I love the verse, I love that crow and I think it will be fine.

What do you think?

Well that's it for me today....I'm on to have our evening walk...and then kit up my next project which is for another exchange.....I know.....over extending myself once again.....

Until next time, stitch and smile!

A wish granted for Leena - I hope!

I just saw on Leena's Blog that she has returned from her vacation and her Make a Wish was waiting for her upon her arrival. Leena wished for any design and any finish incorporating a La-D-Da Design. This is what I stitched and finished for her:

Designer: La-D-Da

Design: Tiny Sampler Freebie

Fabric: 28 ct. evenweave (tea/coffee stained by me)

Fibers: DMC my own colors

Finished as: Stitcher's Box

Enjoy Leena! I had a good time thinking about, stitching and finishing this for you ;)

I'm not a bit chatty today....so....I guess that's all for today! I added some new songs to my playlist so am enjoying "cruising" the internet listening to "my tunes". Off to stitch some more on my Halloween RR....geez! I hope it gets done soon...IT IS SO CLOSE!

Until next time stitch with smiles ;))))))

Penny Rug Ornament...

Here's my ornament for the first round of The Christmas Ornament Swap. This month's recipient of 13 ornaments due by July 31 was Staci and this is what I stitched for her:

A "Penny Rug" Pillow Ornament

Design Name: Build Peace

Designer: Handwork

Taken from: Just Cross Stitch Anniversary Book

Stitched on: 40 ct. Newcastle Silkweaver Solo

Threads: Gentle Arts Sampler Threads

It turned out pretty doggone cute, in my own humble and honest opinion...I don't think I'd do a thing different and I'm going to do it again for myself. I just really love how it turned out all primitive and antiquey looking....

As soon as I saw it I knew that IT was THE ONE for Staci...I hope she loves it as much as I thought she would!

Well after a 7 day stretch working (3 days of which I worked at both hospitals) covering for vacations....I'm ready for a couple days off! My job is very flexible (well for the most part) and I love the work I do and as soon as I finish my work and all my reports are done and Doctors have been informed, I get to leave. So on average I work only 4 hours per day (if it is only at one of the hospitals) and 8 - 10 hours per day (if I'm working both hospitals). During the summer Microbiology (for the most part) takes a nose dive. So it's not been terribly hard work over the past week...but I still have to schedule and make sure the kiddos are ok, calling every hour to make sure everyone is still alive.

I have three days before I have to go back to work again and I'm going to sit my bum in the chair and finish my Halloween RR come hell or high water as my Pap used to say ;) Let's hope neither comes around anytime soon, though, yes?

A big THANK YOU! for all the lovely Birthday wishes ;) You all made me SMILE!

So until next time.....stitch smiles!

They say it's my birthday ;)

Well July 5th is my birthday :) 38 years ago today my Mom got a little relief from labor pains, but then started the real pain! LOL! I was just one feather short of being a Yankee Doodle Dandy...but I'm a dandy none the less, according to my husband ;) I'd also like to wish a BIG happy birthday to HUEY LEWIS of Heuy Lewis and the News Fame, who shares July 5th as his birthday too...he was my big *heart throb* from the teenage years...he still sings a mean song ;) wears his jeans pretty doggone good if I do say so myself....

This past week my Postman has been really busy running up to my door stoop and ringing the door bell, on Thursday he finally said, "Did you win some sort of lottery?" and I said, "Nope, I'm just having a birthday and have lots of generous friends!" It is always an unsuspected surprise that anyone would choose to take time out of their busy, harried lives to stitch something for me and especially on something so insignificant as my birthday! I mean the older I get, the less I like my birthday. But I have lots to be thankful for and I'm not ready for the junk yard yet! My heart is filled to bursting with all the beautiful things, heartfelt wishes and friendships that I've received over the last few days. I'm just gobsmacked at all of these....and I know you all will be too. So without further ado, here's my haul, from my beautiful, lovely, generous friends! And I'm the LUCKY one to be able to call them friends, that is birthday present enough!

First off (in no particular order) from the sweetie Harmien a lovely set of pincushion pillows and the cutest sheep notepad.

Design from the Goode Huswife

The colors are my favorite and the design is perfect! I love the primitive look and feel to these cuties!! Totally GORGEOUS stitching and the finishing is divine!!!!

Next the sweet Carol sent me the most fabulous gifts shown here: Seasons Petit Pinkeep by Brightneede - stitched one over one!! Gorgeous isn't it! Also a good choice as I love the changing of the seasons and is a big theme in my home! SPECTACULAR stitching and finishing!!!!

Next up: dear Becky sent me this bunch of goodies: Glory Bee Pinkeep - Another STUNNING choice as I love Americana Designs and Bees/Beehives and this beauty is wrapped all into one! Becky's finishing is STUNNING as always!

Staci sent me a set of friendship squares and some lovely goodies to boot!: Aren't they gorgeous and these beautiful fabrics, tin and floss rings...I see some lovely finishes in my future!

Finally, my dear, sweet friend Marie sent me all of these bounties:

Design taken from Mary Beale's Sampler and mounted on Decorative Plate

Arm Chair Organizer (made by Marie!) with orts bag, needle nest and scissors keep

Moda Tin (she went specifically on Ebay to find after seeing one and thinking it would be perfect for me....that Marie, such a dear!)

Victorian Motto Sampler Threads

Everything Marie sent and stitched and made was just perfect! Marie is the sister of my heart ;)

I also received a gift card from my buddy and pal Donna! And the sweetie Jenn sent me the Thread Gathering pattern from my favorite designer: LHN!

WHEW! I need a drink after listing all of these super gifts! Who needs Christmas?! LOL! I want each of these ladies to know that I love everything that you sent me, am humbled from the experience to know that I have your friendship and I thank you from the bottom depths of my heart and soul. THANK YOU! I cannot express with words adequately what your gifts meant to me. Just your friendship is gift enough...but these things are just icing on the cake I guess! THANK YOU all again!

And in the span of a few days and with some really good friends I have a whole display to remember the friendships I've made in this blogging community! I am humbled.

Thank you all - my readers, the ones that leave me comments and the ones who don't :) - the passersby - my longtime blog fans and my new blog fans.....everyone that may take a moment and sit a spell on The Twisted Stitcher's Welcome Mat: Thank YOU all for being you and for taking the time to read my slice of cyberspace - every day is like a birthday when my "in" box has a comment or my hit tracker has a hit from one of you!

Until next time, may you stitch with joy and may it be with a friend ;)