It finally feels like FALL! *Edited*

Hello Blogging Friends!
I'm making a big effort to try and post more often!

Since my last post, I went with my husband to one of his annual engineering meetings.  It was at the Beau Rivage, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast--a beautiful hotel/casino.  We've stayed there several times, just for something to do and a place to get away for a night. Anyway, one of the spouse activities is always BINGO.  They budget money for lovely gifts, and a door prize or two.  Various committee members go and select the gifts.  There are usually really fun prizes and it all works out great.  Except, sometimes I haven't won a prize......and that's not so much fun!  Hahaha!  This year was different, however!  The stars were aligned, or something, and I did manage to make a BINGO!  You go to several gift tables and select what you want!  In reading all of your blogs, I see that many of you have Vera Bradley bags of various sizes and styles.  I didn't have one, so I was lucky enough to capture this one:

It's a wonderful tote bag and the color is perfect for Fall!  I'm so pleased to be a winner!!! YAY!  Then, at the end of BINGO, they draw for door prizes, which can be anything.  This year there were three and the big one was a spa session at the hotel.  There were also two $100 bills.....and I won one of those, also!!!  I have never won the door prize there! So I can keep my $$ in my Vera Bradley bag!  This made it a fun little get away!!!

Below is another photo of my new kitty, Omar....he loves to sit on this rug!  Isn't he a pretty boy?

I think I have told you that I have a designer coming to help me get my house in order.  I have been frantically cleaning out and purging.  It is hard to do, but is really getting easier!  I am so glad to see things shaping up!  I didn't think I was going to do any re-upholstery, but I guess I am!  haha  These are my fabrics, all of which I love!  I can't wait to get it done and finished!  It has been a lot of fun.

I finally got my Halloween tree put up, and I love it!  Halloween ornaments are fun and cheerful!  (At least the ones I get are--I don't enjoy the scary ones!!)  This is one thing I edited!!!  I kept looking at the tree and thinking it looked ok, but something was different. THEN, I found the orange and black bow that I put at the top--so, I removed the other photo and put this one!!  haha

I have a good selection of cross stitch and bought items.  It's such fun, and this is a fun time of year.  Thanksgiving and Christmas follow, and I even have some New Year's ornaments that I made after January 1st.  That will be a new one for 2016!

 

My other edit is that I went in and tried to identify the various ornaments, and added a few other phtotos.  In the left photo, the top cute owl is designed by our friend Jacquie and was a freebie on her blog at one time.  The sweet "BOO" black cat is a Waxing Moon chart called #129 Black Cats' Halloween.
In the right photo is a cute little freebie called Halloween Delight! by La Chatelaine Designs.  It is so cute with the little black cats and beaded edge. I love the little "if the shoe fits" freebie.  It is several years old and I cannot locate it anywhere--does anyone recognize it??  The purple and black ornament is by Lizzie Kate "My Other Car is a Broom"!

On the left is a freebie from The Sisterhood--Boo! It's done on lavender Aida and I used Purple bat fabric and ribbon.  The cat and pumpkin is a French freebie from Nathalie and found on her blog.  It is backed in black velvet and the bottom features flat sequins.  Next is a sweet freebie from Homespun Elegance and I used some printed Halloween ribbon and backed it in the same fabric you see on the front.

                                          

Here's another freebie--but I can't find it online.  I have had some of my freebies for a while!!!  Sorry!

                                             

This cutie was in 2010 Just Cross Stitch Annual Halloween Issue,  It's by Casey Buonaugurio and is stitched on orange linen.

                                            

This little pumpkin freebie is by Judi Utter and can be found at Cyberstitchers.  Isn't it cute??


I have one little thing I'm working on for Halloween!  I must get on it fast--I don't have much done!!! I'm using a hand-dyed scrap of linen for a different look.   It's a little Prairie Schooler freebie card.  So cute, and working up sorta fast! I have a lot of those little cards and should make all of them because they are fast and too cute!

Thank you for stopping by and please come visit again soon!

Frances

Why Does Time Fly??

Dear, dear bloggers--I am so very behind in my blog!!  I am really embarrassed because I was so happy to start my blog, and was posting pretty often!  Oh well, tons of things have been going on, and I am just now getting back to blogging and stitching!!  I've tried to check your blogs and keep up with you, but I haven't done that regularly.  I'm hoping to establish a schedule and make time for ME!!

I've actually, really done some stitching, which I hope to show in the next post.  That has been fun, as always!  I've enjoyed seeing all of your beautiful Halloween and Fall pieces. I want to do a couple for each of those holidays this year.

Today I'm showing two old stitches that I made into ornaments.  They were framed in gold frames with dark green oval mats.  They were pretty, but dated.  I don't remember the pattern at all--but I do think this finish brings new life to them.  It's a daffodil from the front view and the back view--how unique!  They;re stitched on Fiddler's Cloth and edged on one side with gold fabric and sheer green striped ribbon.  I think they look very "Springy"!!

I also have a new family member!!!  You all know how I love cats!  I lost my very sweet Violetta a little over a year ago.  I was so sad and disappointed.  Then I got my beautiful Dolce--a very sweet but timid calico.  I also loved her, in spite of her constant fear of any male human and hiding under the bed any time that someone came for a visit.  I was willing to tolerate that, but she started wetting the carpet in our bedroom....she did it 3 times!!  I cleaned it and on the last time, I left the room for a moment and came back in to find her in our bed, wetting on my husband's side of the bed!!  That was the final straw.  I had to take her back to the rescue place.  I found out later that she had done the same thing where she previously lived...  This all happened in March, but I didn't share it with you for fear that someone would feel I was a horrible person and say bad things about the situation.  I just didn't want the possibility of hearing that!  It was a very tough decision to make.  She was so pretty and sweet, but I'm afraid she has deep problems.  I am grateful that our shelter is a no-kill place, so she is safe there, and that does give me some relief about my decision. 

So, now I have a white Turkish Angora!  I named him Omar.  He's 4 and is so sweet and just about perfect!  We've had him a month!  I'm so pleased with him. He came from a high-kill shelter in New Orleans.  Ours goes down there and gets pets they think are easily "adoptable."  It's great that they are willing to help these animals.  I'm so glad to have him--pets bring such love into your home.

 

I've also taken a different church musician job, which I start next month!!  I loved my present job at a large church, but the job came open at our Cathedral, and I just had to apply.  I was selected and I'm overjoyed.  This is an old photo of the inside, during an ordination.  It's such a lovely and beautiful place!  I took this photo from the choir loft in the back.  So pretty!

I hasn't rained here--really rained--since July 4th.  All of our yards look terrible and I guess we will wait until the Spring to try and get them back in shape.  At least it's cooler now!

I hope to show some new finishes on the next post.  It's also time for my Halloween Tree!  I'm so glad to be back and to have news to share!  Like I said earlier, this has been such a busy time, but good things have been happening.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you come back soon!

Frances