Saturday Stitching

No stitching here on the home-front this past week.  I've had a busy week.  But, I am feeling anxious about autumn and I want to stitch something to celebrate my all-time favorite season.  Here are some Autumn and Halloween stitching designs that have caught my eye.  Be on the lookout for some Autumn decor that I purchased at the craft

fair this morning (which I went to against my better judgement due to this insane head cold I have).

Friday's Chatter - Headboard Photos...

Here are some inspirational and out of the ordinary headboards. Take a gander and see if anything appeals to you. Then move on to the question ... help me choose a headboard. Have a FABULOUS Friday! Be creative, be kind, smile at someone just because.

Question, Idea, Opinion???

As I move toward working on the bedroom, I am faced with the decision on what to do as the headboard in my bedroom. Fortunately for me, I have a super handy dandy husband who is quite talented with a power tool and wood.

I have shared some of the items that I have purchased to use in the decorating of the bedroom and the paint has been chosen and will be two shades of cream - very neutral.

Here are some of the ideas I have had bouncing around in my head.

Pick up an old door at the flea market (or two doors) and use them.

Use 3 wood panels, painted, an mounted to the wall and hang photos from ribbons on them on vintage hooks.

Do something with beadboard

Wood covered in fabric or burlap or something natural and sea-grass like

Get a vintage iron headboard

Then there's the finish/color. Do I want black, chippy, cream, white, aged, distressed, etc.

What would YOU do?

Love Is...

I have to say that I have found some wonderful people through blogs. One of these people would be the very talented and gifted Screaming Meme. She shares such lovely projects and ideas and she is very kind as well. Today while visiting her blog, I was led to her sister's new blog http://kosandkerry.blogspot.com .
She is writing the story of her daughter Kerry and the love of her life Kos. When you read the story your heart will be so touched by Kos' story as he has had quite an amazing journey so far in his life. You will then realize that this young woman, Kerry, is an absolutely lovely girl who loves with her heart and not her eyes. I hope you will pay her a visit - tell her Suzann sent ya!
Swing by Screamin' Meme's blog too - she's a great gal with loads of inspiration. http://thescreamingmeme.blogspot.com/

Baby Steppin'

In an effort to get my family healthy, I've been concentrating on healthier food choices and I've been trying to get us to be more active. When you add the gas prices, I have become even more determined to stay out of the seat and use our feet. I've noticed that many of the other parents at the elementary school are not driving to school. Mr. Big loves riding his bike and I'm trying to get us both to lose some weight and exercise more so I am going along with the bike riding. Of course, as I'm riding around I envision the Queen song 'Bicycle' from the front and Queen's 'Fat Bottom Girls' from the back. LOL. I own a bike and have for years, but I am ashamed to admit that I have not used it much. Today I realized that I ride twice as much as Big each day as we ride to and from school. Not that I'm complaining, I need the exercise. After school Big wanted to take a long bike ride, so we rode down to my mom's house and then back to our house. All total, round trip It's probably a mile, but wow does my bottom burn right now. LOL. After dinner tonight hubby and I walked back up to the elementary school for 2nd grade curriculum night. Several other parents chose to walk as opposed to driving too, so we were in good company. I can surely feel all this activity tonight. We're going to continue to ride our bikes and take our walks after dinner which will help achieve our goals. My tweaking our menu to feed my family healthier will also be most helpful. We're going to try to go for family bike rides through the paths in our area and we're going to sign up for a family fun walk to support reading in our local schools. I'm excited about these changes that I'm making and seeing my family embrace. I just know that the way to make these changes permanent is to baby step.

My Favorite Color is WHAT?

The things that can occur to a person when they aren't even thinking is amazing to me. Or is it perhaps the fact that I think too much and over analyze things that causes me not to make these simple discoveries like normal people. Or better still, is it because I am so completely overwhelmed with the goings on in my world that random, insane thoughts are forced into the forefront of my mind because there just isn't room for them in my wee brain any longer. Whatever the reason, a strange thing happened to me while I was making my bed this morning...

I noticed how much I love the way the bed linens are so calming and sere and seem to flow seamlessly into one another to create layers of tranquility. Then I realized that the sheets had the palest of green stripe while the alternating color was cream. The secondary pillow cases on the pillows that are on my bed are cream. The pick stitch quilt that I purchased from Pottery Barn earlier this year is the most comforting shade of willow green. The duvet that I purchased from Pottery barn earlier this year is the most beautiful shade of cream and the monogram is also the same cream so it gives the most subtle accent. The duvet I purchased on Friday at Pottery barn is this beautiful ticking stripe in a muted green that is almost the exact color of the pick stitch quilt and the leaf plate I purchased is a beautiful cream color. This made me stop and take a look around. I have green candles on cream candle stick pillars. I have lime green plates and votive candles, I have 4 different shades of green t-shirts hanging in my closet. I appear to be drawn to greens. I love the comforting feeling you get from a mossy green and the cheerfulness of a lime green. I found cream everywhere. I have a cream pitcher, cream decorative plates, there is a cream silk band on my favorite sheets, the plantation shutters I chose for the great room are cream too. I have cream lamps, cream quilts, and cream appliances.

Now, if you would have asked me yesterday what my favorite color was, I most likely would have said blue. Perhaps cobalt blue, but more than likely something more "fun" like cerulean. But, I realized today that I seem to be drawn to green. I think that my true favorite color is green with cream as it's running mate.

Which brings me to my next "ta-da!" moment. The dilemma in my house has been white trim or cream trim, since the day we moved in. After having the white kitchen with black counters (quickly replaced with white counters) made me realize that white can be cold and sterile. But, I LOVE the flexibility of the white. So, we have gone back and forth, forward and backward, left and right, inside and outside, about white vs. cream. It's been literally maddening. if you mention white or cream to my poor hubby, he will slap himself in the head, roll his eyes and scream. (have I made him insane or has he ventured in that direction on his own? - the world may never know).

So, decisions were made today that make my heart smile. I will be doing the trim, the doors, and the kitchen cabinets in cream. I will be painting the bedroom in a neutral color to showcase the green (which also looks outstanding with black).

What do you discover when you aren't thinking???

Saturday Stitching

I finished my Sunflower SAL (freebie design) a while ago, but I haven't posted any photos (been kinda busy). I stitched it over 2 on even-weave (a new favorite fabric). I feel almost as though the colors are too bright, but I'm not certain. I really would like to finish it off as a small hanging.

I am now working on JBW's French Country Alphabet. I am planning on doing this as a gift for my girlfriend's little boy Kaden who was born in June. (look for photos next week...)

My cousin had a little girl a couple of weeks ago and for her new daughter, Madelyn, I want to stitch Country Cottage Needleworks new design 'Princess Parade' . The photo is above.

The above design is new from Littlehouse Needleworks and is called Autumn Harvest. I just love how it captures that warm and fuzzy autumn feel. This chart is definitely on the top of my wish list. (which is more like a book than a list)




This chart is from Country Cottage Needleworks. it is called Boys and Bugs. I absolutely LOVE this design. Of course, I'm a mama who loves her boys and this is just precious. Another "gotta have" for me.



Last, but not least, is this cute new design from Littlehouse Needleworks that also caught my eye. It's called Heart and Home Sampler. I just think it is yummy!

Do You See What I See? (moving to the bedroom)

Here is another area of the house that I'm working on. I came across some amazing buys today while at Pottery Barn. You just have to love their clearance sections. We had put up the wallpaper on the one wall (you can see it behind the large wooden leaf) and I'm really not feeling it so I'm thinking about putting up pine boards horizontally on the wall behind the bed and distressing them and either going with a stain or a cream / white washed look. I'd love to hear what ideas you all can come up with for me. I really would like to get some decorating projects finished in this house we so affectionately refer to as "the ugly house". I can't wait to read what ideas you all have.

Do You See What I See?

Here are some photos of some of my favorite things in my great room. This is the main living space in our home. I would love to hear what you see for this space given the photos I have shown. The sofa? Definitely NOT staying. The paint colors? Definitely could be changed. I'm even going to start painting the kitchen cabinets this weekend and I have not chosen a color for those either. It's almost a blank canvas. What would YOU do if you could decorate this room however you wanted? Have fun!

Why I Do Not Enjoy "Back to School"

I have one word for you...HOMEWORK!  

Mr. Big had a great first day in second grade.  Which is a huge relief.  For the 24 hours prior to school beginning, he was crying explaining why he should be home-schooled.  What it boils down to is that he isn't very fond of children his own age, never has been.  So, when he came out of school with a huge smile on his face, this mama let go one very big sigh of relief.  Of course, as soon as that passed, he took much delight in telling me that I have homework tonight.  

So, tonight for "my" homework, I checked Big's assignment notebook and verified that he completed all assignments and I then signed his assignment notebook.  I had to read through the "classroom rules and discipline" packet and sign that as well.  Last, but certainly not least, I tried to make sense of some very vague instructions on the math homework (hopefully I understood it).  That was my homework for 2nd grade.

For 9th grade I got to help find 50 locations (strange locations I might add) on one of 5 maps that in total cover the entire world AND write 3 checks, fill out 4 forms, and 

help to proofread and print a one page essay, double spaced, written in the third person.  

For 12th grade I got to fill out 3 forms and write 3 checks.  

I wonder what I'll get to do for tomorrow's assignments.

As Mr. Big's reward for not crying this morning and having a much better attitude than he did yesterday, we surprised him with a bike lock.  This means that tomorrow he and I will be riding bikes to school.  Let's hope it doesn't rain.

Back to School

Those are three of the saddest words in my vocabulary. Here are photos of my little guy and his first day today.

I would also like to take a moment to thank everyone who sent their condolences on the loss of our pet Max.  We are still mourning our loss, but with each day we find it easier to reflect upon our happy memories.