Creative Day !

 This is what I was making yesterday. I seen the idea at Michael's. It has Martha Stewart glitter paint on the T. Below is a better picture.

 It is real easy to do. Buy the Bright Copper Charger. One sheet of Fall looking scrapbook paper. Letter and Paint. Wal-La!! My one Fall decor item so far.... lol

 These came in the mail yesterday. I can't wait to get started on the Blackbird design. I am waiting on my Grey Linen and Floss to get here. I order a lot of my stash from Anita - http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/index.html
She gives new updates on hand at her blog - http://anitalittlestitches.blogspot.com/
I like that she discounts her items.  So go take a look.. She also has fast shipping.

I also ordered this.  A Stitcher's Purse - Brenda at With Thy Needle & Thread.  I now need to order those Shell Purse tops.  That was my day yesterday.. My creativity is gone today...  lol  I am back to stitching. 

Hope everyone weathered Irene Ok. I have been watching the pictures on The News Channels while I stitch.  Hubby is upset with me because we got a promotion deal on our cable for 1 year free HBO & Cinamax and I have been watching HLN, CNN, and TWC. lol  I have watched some movies at night. I watched Robin Hood with Russell Crowe.. I liked it. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang comes on at 3:00. I will be sitting in front of the TV stitching.. lol 

Hope everyone's week is going good and if those with no power will have it back ASAP!!  Till Later....

Some Finds Today !

 These are some thing I picked up this week out looking around in stores.. I found these 2 magazines at Hobby Lobby & Books A Million.  I was kind of disappointed in this years Halloween Tricks & Treats Magazine. A lot of Pumpkin Carving and a big spread on Alice & Mad Hatter's Tea Party. The Craft's & Things magazine had more my stuff. Needlepunch, Rug Punch, Cross stitch and multi-media art - Paper/fabric things. I thought is was a better Magazine.

 I also got this box from Hobby Lobby. It is for me to use with the Casting Spells by Blackbird Design. I will stain it first.

 I am going to try and do a black stain.. Not just painting it Black.. I want it where I can see  a little of the grain.. So hurry down to your Hobby Lobby. They only had 2 on the shelf in my area.

 I can't wait to get my chart I ordered. It should be here soon. 

 I had bought 2 of these Coffins at the end of last season at Michaels for .99 each. They have them again this year. $2.99 So.. I bought another one.  Can't have two many coffins!   lol

I seen this Kit by Fern Ridge Collections called - A Coffin To Die For. I thought is was so cute, til.... The price $ 46.00 for 28 count Cashel, Sullivan floss, Batting, Needle, & Coffin.  OK... NO Scissors included..  I thought I might do my Coffins with a Vampire in one, laying , and a padded top with RIP cross stitched in the top. I seen someone last year on a blog, did a Skeleton and put it in the coffin. That was so cute!  I might just make the other a Pin Keeper.
My mind is going 80 miles an hour with ideas.. Now to try and stop it so that I can stitch !  urghhhh

A Finish And A Stitching Progress

 This is one of the Cricket Collection Halloween Ornaments finished. I call him Ghosty..

Here is the last one.. I call him Batty. He is stitched with Thread Gatherer's silk & colors and Sheep's silk.  Let me tell you. I have dry hands and the thread just keep getting snagged on my ruff hands.. lol   I love the feel of the thread. He also is made with Kreinik #4 Threads.  Snagging again!!  Maybe I just need to keep lotion on my hands.. but then I am afraid of it getting on the linen.

I am still stitching on the Model Stitching. 

To my blog friends on the east coast - Please stay safe this weekend. I have my tv tuned to the weather channel. Ya'll have had a eventful week, earthquakes and now a hurricane. Seen on News that there have been 4 earthquakes in 3 days.. Colorado, Virginia, San Francisco, & Peru. That is alot of Earthquakes.  Heard from some of my blog friends that they have felt aftershocks.. Just stay safe friends and do you have a generator to keep those computers up and running?  lol

Turn fans toward my state of Bama and blow that rain this way. We have not had rain in the month of August at my house. All around me.. but not at my house!  I thought I heard Snap, Crackle & Pop the cereal guys, but no, It was my grass underneath my feet.

Headed to eat my Chips & Salsa. Yum Yum Lunch!

Till Later......

Model Stitching

That is what I have been up to. I am stitching 2 models for Michelle May over at The Raspberry Rabbits. They are great to stitch. That is about all I have been doing. Met my BF Diana for lunch at the very elegant Burger King... lol  It is new.. so it has not had time to because messy or be abused yet.  They are still learning to get the orders right.. They do have a problem with the ketsup dispenser.. That is all I will say....
I am watching a whole day of Ghost Hunters on Sy-Fi channel. I love ghost stories.. So I am stitching and watching about Ghost. I like to hear the history of the places and then watch them try to find something. I have always been fascinated by the stories that go along with the un-natural. There is always a story.. that is what is so great. Can you tell I love History? 
I am reading on my Kindle, 100 True Stories That Happened During The Civil War. It is a great book. The stories are short and to the point. I mostly watch History Channel during the day. I have been watching the Earthquake & Hurricane News.  That is all I have been up to.. Hope everyone else is having a great week. Till Later...

Where Old Malls Go When They Die ....

 I am writing tonight about my favorite Mall and the memories. Eastwood Mall had it's Grand Opening on August 25, 1960. It would have been 51 years old this month. It is no more... I love this advertisement of 73 degrees Year Round! . It was a first in Alabama  inside stores. This is a quote from the news and advertising for the 1960 Grand Opening ,A New Era of Shopping in Birmingham Alabama.
"Living comforts of the next decade have become breathtaking reality in the Heart of Dixie.  These are sights of the 1970s about which other cities talk.  In Birmingham, they exist.  A masterpiece of shopping luxury never before seen in the Deep South."

 It had a Bowling Alley with a Giant Sphere on top of the building that lit up at night. It had a lounge called the Boom Boom Room.

 Great Wagon Ho Restaurant in the parking lot.  It did change names through the years but still had the mule driver and wagon. You knew you were at Eastwood mall when you seen this landmark...

 The Mall also had a Krispy Kreme in the Parking Lot.  How many malls have one of these?.... Not our new malls!

 This was The Spot in the Mall.. I remember it being bigger for some reason.Look at those Ultra-Modern Lights... lol  When my mom and aunts would shop, this was the place to met back at.. The Money Fountain.. People would throw change in the fountain and make wishes..  We being kids would play in the water.. I remember many times waiting at this fountain.. You know.. Way before cell phones... I remember all the aunts taking their little ones.. (US) you have to remember we were in the age group of 1 thur 10 years old.. 6 of us kiddies..( before my Brother)  and 3 aunts. And saying to each.. " Meet ya'll back here at The Fountain at whatever time!" Loved Aunt Gloria Big Station Wagon, It hauled us all!

 That cage on the right was a giant Bird Cage!  I loved looking at it. This mall had it all. No rain hitting you, 73 degree temp all the time, and main department stores like: Aladdin Cleaners, Bell Brothers Shoes, Colonial Stores, Duane's Shoes, Eastwood Barber Shop, Gordon's Quality Jewelers, Happy House Shops, Hill's Food Store (later to become Winn-Dixie), Kinney Shoes, S. S. Kresge (dime store chain which evolved into the present-day Kmart), Kroger, Lerner Shops, Liggett Drug, Kiddieland, Mall Record Shop & Appliance Center, J. J. Newberry's, Olan Mills, JCPenney, a Top Value Stamps redemption center, Wendy's Sportswear, and an Alabama ABC Package Store ... It was also to have had a Heliport for Helicopters to land.. But that never came about.. I wonder Why?

 Oh... Across the street was the best McDonald's !  It had a bridge that went over a creek where there was a playground.  That is were we kids always wanted to eat. My daughter's first shopping trip at 2 months old was to Eastwood Mall and this McDonald's in 1982. Had to go baby shopping at Parsian's Store!

The Theater opened on Christmas Day 1964. It had a breezeway connecting it to the Hill's Winn Dixie and new Pasquale's Pizza. There as also to be.. A Go-Cart Track.. Now that would have been something back then...  Well.. it was not to be. A Birmingham Retailer - Pizitz came in and they built a big department store at one end.  End of Go-Carts. I never knew any of this.. I was not even born when it opened. I was born in 1965. My family had shopped for most of it's 46 year run.. I found a site about landmarks in Birmingham. It is a great site to look at pictures and read about the city I grow up on the outskirts of.

Demo 2006

 This was the end of Eastwood Mall. No more inside Mall. It had a great run. At the time the Best Mall In The South and we did not even know it!!! It did change over the years. Updates and remodeling went on.. Boy, it had it's Neon going on in the 1980's.

I better not forget to mention it had the Pioneer Cafeteria, that is where the little elderly ladies went to meet their friends for lunch all dressed up. When I was older, I got to go see them.. lol  I didn't care to much for the Cafeteria style food. Get a tray and move down the line .... where you pointed at what you wanted slopped on your plate... Reminded me of the Vegas Vacation movie.. buffet scene were Eddie says, Give some of that green stuff and don't go skimpy on me"....  lol

I guess change has to happen.. I don't have to like it. All the shops and malls have moved out of Birmingham. Everything is in the suburbs.  I still have Brookwood Village Mall - Built 1975 and The Galleria Mall built 1986. The Galleria is going down fast.. Shops are moving out of it and into they call " Open Air Malls".. Give me a break..  I do not want to have to get out of my car and go inside a store to come out and walk two stores down to go into another store to come out of it get back in my car to drive to the other side of the street to go into another store. All while it may be raining, freezing, or 102 degrees. I want that 72 degrees year round.  lol I guess it is what is the "IN THING" now... I don't have to like it.. I just don't go to those places..  Well, I have shared enough tonight...  Now you know how I feel about Malls...  I still have nothing.... lol  I better get back to stitching soon...    Till Later...

I HAVE NOTHING....

I have nothing.. I don't even know where the week has gone.. What have I done all week?   Nothing...  Absolutely nothing...  I had great ideas bouncing around in my head.. Did I do them? Nothing.. Absolutely Nothing...  Maybe this weekend... Check back with me this weekend.. I may have cleared the cobwebs from my head by then... lol

Till later... Sorry I had nothing....

SCREAM !!!

 SCREAM HOUSE - JUST NAN

This is what came in my mail box Thursday!  I can't wait to start stitching.  It may be like that Halloween Ornaments from Cricket Collection.. Take me years till I finish!

Silver Needle Still has these Kits. http://www.thesilverneedle.net/exclusives.php?Reloaded=True&osCsid=f36760a0

I have not been doing anything but stitching and sitting under the air conditioner in this heat! 

I hear Thunder in the distance!  I hope to see some rain. My roses are still blooming but they need water bad.. I could just go out and turn the sprinkler on for them.. I am sure they would appreciate it!

of course... They are the only plant things that has survived this heat! I also have a big fern.. It is resting under the big oak.. It seems to be doing OK.. I will go check on him tonight.. 

Till Later.....



NEW FINISH !

 This is my latest finish!  The lighting is not that good.. I took it last night in the sunroom. It is in the mail headed to a good friend of mine. It is from designer, Brenda at With Thy Needle and Thread/ Country Stitch. It is from her 3 design leaflet called Bunny Tails. I cross stitched the pillow one night watching a tv show.. really fast stitch. The tail on the bunny was to have wool. I didn't have any, so... I used some angora yarn I had in my stash.

I tried to get a better picture in the light this morning.. but it was so hot and humid, my camera lens fogged up. I did get to use the new sewing machine. It is great!  I am now stitching on Primitive Needle - Hornbook Angel. I am using the called for threads and Days Gone By 40 count linen.  Buying a new sewing machine made me have to go through my drawers and straighten up all my ribbons, trims, and sewing misc.. Why is that?  I now have found all my trims I had lost.. In the back of a drawer full of loose ribbons.  Now I have to roll on cards to sort... Funny how getting one small thing leads to a big clean out and sort job.. Well, back to those drawers....

FRAMED PICTURE AND MY NIGHT

 It is finished and in it's new home. Halloween Garden by Lisa - Primitive Needle.  I swapped some of the colors. I had only 3 of hand-dyed the chart called for. So... I went digging in my stash and found ones that I could use to make it more colorful. I love that little Toad and his toad stools. The linen I used is more greenish than the pictures shows it to be. Of course, there is a glare on the grass. I used glass because I will be storing this and plan on using it for decoration for years.

This is a better detailed picture of the frame. I got the frame at Hobby Lobby last year.. I got 2, they match.. I did paint it black and ruff it up some with sand paper. They were on the clearance isle for $2.80 each.. I threw them in my cart real fast. 
Every time I go in Hobby Lobby my cart automatically goes to the clearance!  I don't know why... lol 

Let me tells ya'll about last night.. I have been wanting a new sewing machine... Grandson has messed with my tension knob and I can't get it back right.. either top is to tight or bottom tension is to tight.  Well... I had been eyeing this Brother machine at our Wal-Mart.. It was $199.97.. It also has everything to quilt , all attachments, even a longer little table thingie.. and hard shell carrying case!  I read all the reviews on it.. Got great reviews.  Oh.. It had 80 different decorative stitches also.. Great machine!  I thought.. I will have to order it.. I found out our Walmart had it. It was marked down to $159.97. Wow.. 40.00 savings.. This is where you may now kick me in the @*S... lol  I seen they had 2.. You know me thinking.. I need to ask Hubby.. It is a purchase that is big for me... I thought.. Hey, This is Friday.. What is the chance 2 people would buy both these machines..   I go home.. Of course, Ding Bat me forgets about talking to hubby about it.  We get up Saturday morning go to visit some friends.. I remember about it driving home.. It helps that he wants a back massage machine at Walgreens.. We stop get it and then head to Walmart.. I go down that isle.. All excited!!!  My family knows how I am!! I am dancing down that isle!!!  WHAT!!  Where is my Machine?  Both boxes are gone! I get upset.. Found a employee working the floor. He brings his little hand thingie that scans the barcode to see if they have anymore... ZERO.
get this... He then says," Yep we don't have anymore, they were $90.97, we discontinued selling this model."  WHAT!  $90.97. I was really upset... He said another store may have them. I didn't give hubby time to turn around. I jerked him by the arm and out we went... Next stop. You guessed it, Walmart 13 miles away!  lol  Hubby keeps repeating that he has not ate since noon and it is now 7:00 pm.. I am on a mission.. Food is the farthest thing from my mind... I say just pull up to the door.. I will get out and go check.. NO.. he wants to go in.. I get a buggy.. Go in.. NO Machine at this one. Back out in the car.. Hubby says something about spine caving into his backbone.. I didn't hear all of it.. I said OK..., Next stop walmart 7 miles from this one.   Guess What?  They had it.. I got excited!! Only the display model.. $90.97 They could not found the box.. No power cord, No hard shell cover, No speed peddle, No extra quilting attachments, and No long table thingie.  WHAT!!  I don't think so.. No power cord!What good is it!!!    By this time, hubby has pulled me aside and is trying to tell me If I will agree to the model that is replacing this machine.. He will gladly buy it at full price If... I will just get it and Let's get the H3ll out of these walmart's so that he can eat!  That is the way it was put to me.. I Did Agree. 
So... I learned... forget about a great bargain if hubby is with you and no food has went into his mouth since Noon!
So at 8:56 we sat down to a great steak dinner at O'Charley's where, hubby said, " I hope that eating this late does not keep me up all night."  Me - No comment... grinning from ear to ear.. thinking... I have a new sewing machine....

Continued From Last Fall

 I have picked up the Halloween Ornaments by The Cricket Collection/Cross Eyed Cricket. This was as far as I got last Fall.
I hope to finish them this year.. 

Ghostie needs to be finished. I hope to finish him this weekend. Then I will be on to Batty. Cute bat.. Then it will be time to finish them off as ornaments. I bought a cute Black Halloween Tree after Halloween last year! Can't wait to finish them and put the little tree up with my ornaments on it.
I painted my frame for the Halloween Garden. I hope to get it framed in the morning.. Considering it is 10:28 pm central time. I painted the wood frame with a brush.. I am wondering if a spray paint might be better for frames.. Any tips from bloggers will help alot. Just trying to figure how to cut time...and what might work better. Please let me know from your experience. I am trying to make it kind of rustic. I will sand around lightly on it before spray sealer on it.  I will post picture when it is in it's new frame..
Till Later.....

The Grandkids And Stitching

 Today was Library Day!  Josh & Zoe love going to the Library. Zoe found the computers today. Now we know to put her in front of the computer while Mom hunts their books to check out. Josh even has his own library card. They love for Raeanne to read to them.  We go to the library about once a week.

I came home and started back stitching on Primitive Needle's Halloween Garden. I changed the colors to ones I had in my stash.  I love Lisa's designs. She will be missed in the designing world. I'm also working on a pinkeep by Brenda - With Thy Needle & Thread for a friend. I can't show the picture yet. I will when I send it off to her.
Trying to stay cool in this 100 degree heat. I needed to clean out my car.. It is a wreck on the inside.... All I did was put gas in it and parked it and ran in the house where you can hang meat because I have it so Cold in here... lol  I ate a bowl of cold fruit for lunch, all I crave is cold things to eat. I had Cheerio's last night... lol  I was going to grill out some steaks... Hubby told me to just throw them up on the roof and they should be done in no time at all.... lol I thought fire in grill and oven hot for baked potatoes.. I don't think so......So may be Salad Night here.  
Oh... by the way, Billy The Exterminator is coming back on A & E tonight. All new shows!!!  I have been watching all the reruns this afternoon while stitching. 
Till later....

The Winner Is.......

 This is the surprise I made and added to the giveaway! A great summertime necklace!

And the Winner Is:

Pam - http://confessionsofasouthernstitcher.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Pam !!! I have left a comment on Pam's Blog. I didn't have an email address for her. Pam please contact me with your address and I will get these 6 items in the mail to you!

Thanks everyone who entered.

Try and stay cool this summer...

Till later.......