Warm Winter Musings and a Peek into the Foyer

 We are just getting into winter and Mr. Pinker and I are already dreaming of warmer weather.  How about you? 

Welcome, sweet friends and Happy Tuesday.  Do come in  and join me on this quiet , chilly day.  

With Thy Needle and Thread's "Snow for Christmas" 

 The other day Mr. Pinker and I were talking about how we just cannot take the cold weather any longer. It chills us to the bone. Brrrr!   Well we do like the snow, but we do not see that too often. 

The small foyer is decorated with Christmas quilts and cookie jars. 

Here of lately the days have been in the 40's and the nights in the mid 20's which might not  be too awfully cold to some of you, but it is for this southern gal.  🥶Anywhoo... usually in December the temperatures hover around 60 with a few days in the 70's. But not  this December so far. 

In the evenings, I snuggle under a quilt that I have in a hoop and....

 ....  dream of Mr. Pinker and I trucking down the road in ole' Big Red aka our truck with the rickety rackety truck camper in tow.  

The vintage shelf is filled with Dollar Tree plates and some of my favorite cookie jars of the season. 

As my needle weaves in and out of the pretty fabrics, my mind wanders to sunny days and basking in a lounge chair in the desert with not a soul in sight except for the gambel quails cooing among the brush and the coyotes howling in the distance.  

 

Alabama Beauty is still in the works. 

 It will not be long before Mr. Pinker and I will being doing just that. Mr. Pinker has already started working on the side by side ( off road vehicle)  which we will take along with us. He is adding a horn for when we are driving down the road, and he is adding a back window to prevent the dust and sand from whirling back upon us as we explore the desert backroads and trails. We debated on whether to add more solar to the camper, but we will make that addition later. 

I added my biscuit tin to the shelf.  The cowboy reminds me of my travels westward. 

 Meanwhile, I am stocking up on canned foods to take along with us and other needful things that will be squirreled away into the cabinets of the old camper. 

A modge podge of items are on the little shelf. 

But wait we still have all of the joys of Christmas to enjoy.😀  

There are family get togethers, playing games, sleepovers, parades, grandsons' basketball games,  and of course, cooking sweets and treats.  And I must not forget that we have lots of birthday parties to attend before the year's end .  Hmmm, I think those fun filled activities  can distract me from the chill of old man winter. 

And after all of that .... well then... if all goes well , Mr. Pinker and I will be  enjoying our sunshine! 

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

Lake Havasu , AZ in Jan. 2025

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.  "- John Steinbeck 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

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🌞Parade of Homes- Early 2025 parade of home freebies.

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

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Peace on Earth

Moovelous Monday

 Someone left the  wide gate open, and all of my barnyard friends have made  their way into  the house to celebrate the Christmas season!  

               

A very Moovelous Monday to you, Sweet Friends. Welcome! 

The other day I hinted around to Mr. Pinker that I would like to put up the Christmas tree downstairs. After running some errands, I came home to see my raggedy 6 1/2 foot  tree already downstairs waiting for me.  Aaw how sweet of Mr. Pinker. 🤗

 I could not decorate it quick enough. It was not long before chickens came to roost on the very top of the tree. Years ago I stitched this piece for my oldest grandson .It is a Kathy Barrick design which was in the 2001 Just Cross Stitch Magazine .  Anywhoo....Mr. Pinker's nickname for our grandson is Rooster so this ornament is very befitting and always goes front and center.  

        

Then I tucked Barnyard  stitches here and there and everywhere.  You may notice teeny tobacco baskets as well. In years past, my family grew burley tobacco. 

A little wooden pig ornament is in memory of our pig farming days. 

I miss our little oinkers; so does Mr. Pinker. 

Of course there are felted cows and little milk cans. 

 Because the tree no longer has its legs, its trunk is tucked in a wood stove pipe. Then...the tree is tucked in Granny's old galvanized wash tub. Yep rusty and crusty- just the way I like it. 

But look what I used for my tree skirt!  A ring of vintage and antique cow bells. 🐮🐮🐮

So here is this year's Barnyard Tree in all it's glory. I still need to change out the decor on the shelves, but I am nearing a finish. I had wanted to add the John Deere pedal tractor, but I could not squeeze it in . Maybe next year. 

I have shared most of the ornaments on  this tree over the years in my Barnyard  Christmas series. If you see any that you are interested in ,  check out this year's Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025.

Alrighty y'all that is the first of this year's trees. 

Have you got your tree up yet? Or are you waiting until it gets a little closer? 

Have a mooo-arvelous day!  And thank you for dropping by. 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting,

 y'all

Melisa 

"It may be a simple life but it's honest , humble and honorable and it's the only life for me. " 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who loved the farm , Christmas time and all things rusty and crusty-.  I love and miss you so much.. Amo. 

The extra  cow bells were placed on the freestanding gas stove. 

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🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

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I Lost A Week

 Sniffle , Sniffle, Cough , Cough

Oh bother, that was how last week was for me. A winter bug hit me like a ton of bricks, and I spent days in bed . 

In between naps, I watched Andy Griffith, but other than that my days lingered with the sniffles. " I have lost a whole week, " I told Mr. Pinker yesterday.  "I think I lost a couple of pounds too." Hee! Hee! I did not have an appetite at all.  But Mr. Pinker  was  a trooper and made chicken noodle soup which certainly put me on the path to recovery.  

Santa's Hens

What all did I miss out on this week as I swam in a mountain of tissues? Well, the grandsons' first basketball games (though I did watch a little via Facetime), the Christmas parade ( 1st time in 10 years) and all of the Christmas chores that I was anxious to tend to.   Anywhoo, I am feeling fit as a fiddle now. 

 In fact, I felt so good last night, that I finished the applique and the embroidery work  on the freebie from Bunny Hill Designs called A Merry  Little Christmas,. I needle turn appliqued my pieces and added a snowflake button for the toboggan pom pom. I also changed the words to " A Very Merry Winter " so I can keep it out throughout the winter season.  It will go into the hoop this week.  

As I was looking through my little unfinished quilt tops, I found a wee 4 patch to put in the hoop as well. 

 Are you ready for Christmas yet? No not me. 

My youngest daughter and her new hubby are coming home for the holidays so I do need to clean , wash sheets and such.  Oh, and then there is the wrapping of Christmas presents, and I must not forget the grocery shopping. Busy , busy , busy.  Now how can I get that lost week back? 

Mom and I are narrowing down our Christmas menu. One of the sides that I will bring is my "Over the Top Green Bean Casserole". Green bean casseroles used to linger around as a leftover until I made this one and now it is one of the family favorites and is gobbled up in no time.

 

OVER THE TOP GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup onion diced

1 1/2 cups of mushrooms , chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup.

1/4 cup of milk

1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese

salt  ( to taste)

pepper  ( to taste)

dash of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

4 ( 15  oz) green beans , drained

1 1/2 cups of French fried onions

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Cook bacon. Reserve grease ( 2 Tablespoons). Place the 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease in skillet , add onions. Cook until translucent. Add mushrooms - Cook until brown. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute. Stir in mushroom soup , bacon, green beans. Mix.  Add milk and cheese. Mix . Add dash of salt, pepper and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning .  Stir in half of French fried onions. Pour into casserole dish . ( I bake mine in the iron skillet) . Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. After baking, top with remaining French fried onions. Bake for 5 minutes. 

"Jingle , Sparkle, Joy" is a freebie from Deborah at Midsummer Nights Musings blog in the October 22, 2008 post. 

New thrifty finds to add to my milk glass collection. 

Did you have one of these little chairs when you were a child ? I did - a  little yellow one.  I found this little chair for $4 recently and the thermos for just 50 cents. What a steal! The crock and enamelware plate were thrifty finds as well. I will be showing some of my latest "treasures" in future posts.  Before and after Christmas is a good time to go on "treasure hunts." 

Well Sweeties, I am going to see if I can catch up with all of the goings on. I wish you a wonderful start to your week and...

As always,

Happy Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

"It is easier to keep up than catch up. " - Gretchen Rubin  

Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗🧵

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . I miss and love you so much. .   ❤👼

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Tuesday Rambles and Harvest Blessings Heart Doodle

Well I got one Christmas tree decorated, and it isn't mine! 

Happy Tuesday , Sweeties. Welcome. How was your weekend? I hope it was just as delightful as mine.  I did work on putting out a bit of Christmas 

I even decorated my daughter's Christmas tree. She chose to decorate her tree in the Nutcracker theme this year. She always has the cutest ornaments.  The big nutcrackers are blow ups.  I believe she said she got them at Walmart. 

My daughter's Nutcracker tree this year. 

 Have you seen the cute Nutcracker themed items at the Dollar General? I picked up the Nutcracker salt and pepper shakers? So stinkin' cute! 

Dollar General's 2024 Nutcracker salt and pepper shakers.  Country Christmas redwork ornaments are in the tin.  I will post on them later. 

 I also picked up these gingerbread couple. There are 2 in a  pack for $2. I had to go to several Dollar Generals to get me a few. 😀

The boy Gingerbread man in Dollar General's 2 pack

The girls gingerbread in Dollar General's 2 pack. 

Family Dollar had this darling little snowman for just a buck. Cute as a button isn't it? 

Family Dollar's 2024 Gingerbread ornament for a $1.00

Christmas is spilling out in my house as well. Lots and lots of totes and boxes are being pulled from the garage and attic. Wheew!  I have so much to do , but a few things are getting decorated. 🎄🎅🤶

Candy Cane Sprinkles is in the background.  A freebie I shared a few years ago.

I didn't forget about the November Heart doodle. I do apologize for being so late in getting it out, but I was traipsing along the countryside for weeks on end in my little red truck camper. 😀🛻  

 Anywhoo...  this weekend, I  traced the design onto my cloth and began to color.  I will be finishing the embroidery today  . 

Harvest Blessings in the works. 

I did finish last month's embroidery called "Autumn Dusk " ,  but I still need to work on the bonus blocks. 

Oh bother, now why didn't I do any stitching while on the trip. LOL . Aaah that is okay though I will catch up as time allows. 

UPDATE: Nov.17, 2024: I finished the embroidery on Harvest Blessing. Now it just needs a good pressing. Hee! Hee!

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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            My doodles are hand drawn and are never perfect.  

The "Year of Hearts" blocks are embroidered on an 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of cotton. You may want to cut your fabric larger for the hoop and then after embroidery trim and square to 8 1/2".  I used 2 strands of DMC floss and  the back stitch. I color tinted my design with crayons and colored pencils and carefully heat set the color with an iron. When you heat set the color, place a clean paper towel over the design and press .

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If you have missed any of the other heart doodles, I do invite you to visit the previous posts by clicking the colored links. ❤

 Block 1 A Winter's Night, 

Block 2  Country Mail Delivery  

Block 3 A Country Spring Day

Block 4 Early Birds

Block 5 Strawberry Patch 

Block 6 A Buzzy Garden

 A Buzzy Garden with Bee Berry 

Bonus Block- Time for Gardening

Block 7 Jar of Geraniums  ( really block 8) 

 Block 8 Sunny Sunflowers

Block 9 Apple Picking

Block 10 Autumn Dusk

Bonus Block Fall Baking ( Photo coming soon. )

Bonus Block Jack's Bucket ( Photo Coming soon. ) 

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 I guess I better see what I can get into on this fine beautiful day. I hope you are doing something that brings joy into your day as well. Have a blessed day, Sweeties. Love ya'! 

As always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa

"Joy is the most magnetic force in the universe.  "- Danielle LaPorte

Hugs and Stitches  !!!🤗❤🧵

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . Love and miss you., Amo ❤❤

Ya'll come back now, ya hear ! 

A Heart rock found in my sister's driveway. Love ya' Amo. 

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet. 

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for This and That