It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Okay, I know that is usually reserved for the Christmas holiday, but fall is my favorite time of the year. I revel in the cooler weather, turning  leaves and numerous craft festivals that start to pop up! I feel invigorated and refreshed...at least until the time changes! :) I have all kinds of project ideas floating around in my head from redoing my kitchen to finally painting my bathroom to picking out furniture for our family room that Rich ( I am so proud of him) finally finished after 6 years. This was his ongoing winter project and he did it all from putting up the studs and dry walling to installing  the ceiling, lighting, trim woodwork and painting. We did have the carpet professionally installed and now it awaits the decorating--that's me!!! It's a huge room and quite intimidating but I figure one step at a time. We will be moving our office down there; it's been in our "dining room" for 8 1/2 years. Uh-oh...another project!!! So it's off to IKEA in Baltimore next week for ideas and hopefully some purchases. Here's a couple pics:

Family Room

Office

 Now on to stitching....... I managed to complete the finishing of another project. It's a little out of season but I did stitch it in the spring, Just Nan's Hoppington Hill. It was a fun little stitch even with all the color changes after just a few stitches. That's a cute little round bunny button on the edge. I did add some bright flower pins but remembered them after I had already taken the photo so use your imagination! :)

 I've been searching for a new car project and am limited to the larger counts which I don't usually stitch on. Do any of you remember the perforated paper kits from Whiskey Creek that you made into boxes? Well, I came across a few of them in my stash recently and they are working great in the car! I can see the holes real well and it doesn't make me car sick like reading does. Not sure why that is but I'm not complaining..anything to keep from just sitting there staring out the window. Anyhow, I worked on my first one on our recent vacation drive and got the bottom of the box done. Here it is--don't you just love the colors--very Amish quilty!!!

Hometown Box by Whiskey Creek

The four sides will fold up and the large house will be the bottom. The top has 9 of the small houses on it. I just hope it will be easy to put together---all the mat board is included but you have to cut out the templates. Will keep you posted.

While on vacation to the Outer Banks, we had to drive right through Virginia Beach, so a stop at Dyeing to Stitch was necessitated. We had a very nice visit with Pat and Ann, the owners, and of course a little stash enhancement. They had all the new goodies from St. Charles Market and I did indulge but not overly so. Here is what I got:

 I've been searching for one of these for my car projects. It has the clamp for holding the chart and a drawer that pulls out to store your floss, scissors, etc. in. Thought it would be handy keeping it all in one small place. Also, it's hard to resist anything with an alphabet on it...isn't it?

The three charts are Snow Angel by Lone Elm Lane, an new designer at Market who came out with some wonderful designs, A Lady's Trimkeep  from Plum Street Samplers and A Needlebook Collage from Erica Michaels. 

I got my pre-stitching kit for one of two classes I'm taking at The Attic in November, The Unplayed Piano by Jackie du Plessis.I think that will be my next start. I am so looking forward to this trip but don't want to wish my time away between now and then. 

To end here are pics of my grand kids on the first day of school:

Loving his Ninja Turtle book bag on first day of kindergarten

All set for first day of pre-school

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi