Happy Monday Morning!!

Trying to get organized and set some priorities.  Life has definitely gotten in the way lately - and I've let it.  So much going on I haven't had much time for me.😏

So, here's a new cross stitch design I've recently published.  Friends & family know I'm a coffee addict - so this is perfect for me.  The chart is available in Iris Originals Store - my online shop!

My laptop is driving me crazy and I really don't want to have to invest in a new one right now.

So, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

See you next week (hopefully)! 😁😘

Newest website - Stitchers Haven

Have I mentioned that one of my passions is counted cross stitch.  We're so blessed in Guntersville to have a local shop - there aren't too many around these days.

So, Irises Web has just finished a website for them.  Check out Stitchers Haven and let me (or the shop) know what you think.

Frosty has a New Raincoat

Frosty is a working dog and has to look good.  He's got a better wardrobe than I do.  Isn't he adorable???

This will be his 'winter raincoat' as it's heavier and has a hood.

This picture makes him look bigger than he is - he's wearing a sweater under the raincoat :-)  I gotta say, he wasn't real enthusiastic about the hood, and it comes down over his eyes if I'm not careful.  

It's a pretty purple color, lined and trimmed in pink.  It's okay, "Real Men wear Pink".

Our 'boss' gave it to him.  We work a couple of days a week in our local cross stitch shop.  He's the "greeter, guard dog, and all around conversation starter" and he takes his job very seriously.  

He always thinks we're leaving for work when I put a sweater on him, though he wears one most of the winter because he's so little and gets cold so easily.

Here's Frosty taking an outside break at the shop and sittin' in Rita's lap (note the sign in the window);

Newest venture in my life is counted cross stitch design.

I've actually been designing charts for years, but always just for myself. I was encouraged to market some of them, so they're available in my online shop.

I'm not a great artist, so they're relatively simple, mostly 'sayings'. Here's one of my favorites:

Bring coffee and no one gets hurt!!!!

That's the "Dolly Mama" cross stitch hanging over my coffee pot.  And, there's good reason for it to say that. 

My husband used to bring my coffee to me in bed before my feet ever hit the floor - that worked out great for both of us :)

Now that he's gone, I stagger into the kitchen and pour my own.  I get the coffee ready before I go to bed at night - it's not something I never forget.  I don't set the timer as my daughter-in-law gets up before me and turns it on, so when I stumble in the kitchen it's made and waiting on me.

EXCEPT THIS MORNING!  When I arrived in the kitchen the coffee pot was sitting there empty, surrounded by a wet towel and next to it a note - "coffee pot broken, water everywhere, NO coffee".  Needless to say, that didn't totally make my morning a good one.  So, doubter that I am, I had to turn on the coffee pot.  How it could have still had that much water in it as wet as the towel was I have no idea.  So now there's more water on the counter for me to clean up and none in the carafe where the coffee was supposed to be. 

It's been leaking a little for awhile, but it still made coffee - not today.

So, as soon as I could shower and get dressed it was off to town for coffee and a new coffee pot. 

The coffee wasn't nearly as good as my "Community" coffee is, but at least it was coffee and sort of got my motor running. 

After finally finding a coffee pot that did the few things I required it to do, getting homeunpacking, cleaning, and running one pot of water through it first - I've FINALLY had my regular morning coffee.

 

I don't require the fanciest coffee maker in the world - but I am spoiled to a few things - programmable, strength setting, auto off and not break the bank.  This Black & Decker filled my requirements and while it certainly wasn't nearly the cheapest coffee maker there - it wasn't nearly the most expensive either.  

The coffee maker that just died was a different brand, bu if it this one lasts as well as my last Black & Decker (under counter one which was about 25 years old when we finally replaced it) - I shouldn't ever have to buy another one.

Oh, and if this point you had any doubts about how seriously I take my coffee - here's another cross stitch hanging in my kitchen....

 

Look what I found

Putting away the last of the Christmas decorations today, I found an old paper bag in the back of the storage room. Curious, I opened it up to find a stack of vintage handkerchiefs and a vintage ladies slip.

Now, when I say vintage - I don't mean the 70s or 80s (that's just a few years ago). These are from the 1930s or 1940s - certainly no newer.

At first I thought it was silk - but I'm not sure.  The inside looks handmade, but it does have tags, one is a heavy paper tag, so it hasn't been worn.  The color is a peach with cream lace trim.

It's been folded a long time, but doesn't look any the worse for wear.  I'm sure the wrinkles will iron out.

Now to figure out what to do with it.  It's a "large" size (40), so who's going to want to wear it.  And anyway, why would one want to wear a slip that's 70 plus years old???  Offer it on Etsy maybe?  We'll see.

Most of the hankies are stained - mostly from being folded for so long.  Some of them are handmade, others just old.

Then there are a couple with full designs.  I'm thinking I'll try a vintage hankie Barbie dress with one or both of them (wish that was an original idea, but it sounds like a good one anyway).

I really thought I'd gotten rid of all this old stuff, I'm not usually a 'saver'.  I'm thinking my DH stashed this away at some point in time being sure I'd want it eventually :)

Boy am I behind

.... and really trying to get caught up.

First, I had family visit earlier in August - that put me behind.

Then I had to work for 10 days straight (well almost, I was off on Sunday/Monday). I'm way too old for this full time working. I normally work 2 days a week in my local cross stitch shop (and love it). There's just the owner and me - and would you believe she had the nerve to go on vacation to Ireland.

And, there were doctor and dentist visits - which usually take up waaay too much time. I'm trying to adjust to a new partial and having to go back frequently for adjustments. This is not fun.

Sitting in the living room one night recently, too tired to do anything and looked across at this:
Does she look like she thinks she owns the place??

Quiet Day

But sometimes those are nice.

I have a "Stitch Group" that meets at my house on Thursday afternoons - so that was my afternoon today. We're just a bunch of ladies (mostly from my church) who use cross stitch as an excuse to get together and eat goodies :)

Actually, there are only a couple of us who do cross stitch. One crochets and/or quilts, one does needlepoint, one does embroidery, and one of the younger gals (who doesn't come all the time) just comes for the fellowship.

We always have goodies - unfortunately, our main/best cook was out of town today, so we had to make do with store bought, except for some pretty good dip one lady brought.

It's a great time to just relax and fellowship. And, it makes me sit down and relax for an entire afternoon.

Frosty LOVES Stitch the Group ladies and knows exactly when it's time for me to put the coffee on. He begs for treats shamelessly, and is always rewarded with some.