Christmas Meme

A few of my personal holiday traditions and thoughts. 🙂 (I am sorry. There are some formatting issues here that I can’t seem to fix. :-((((

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
   Wrapping paper
2. Real tree or artificial?

   Artificial. I love real trees, but our townhome complex doesn’t allow them because of the fire hazard they present. I do love the way the artificial trees hold ornaments without sagging!

3. When do you put up the tree?
   This year, just after Thanksgiving. We travel for the holiday, so we like time to enjoy the decorations.
4. When do you take the tree down?

   Just after New Year.

5. Do you like egg nog?

   Love it…but really, really prefer homemade. I have a great recipe. Adding a little nutmeg and cognac is a nice treat too!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

   My stereo system. What great parents, huh? To give a child on the brink of adolescence in the era of rock ‘n roll electronics with a VOLUME control…brave, very brave. I’d like to think they didn’t regret that gift. 🙂

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

   Several. We have one from India, a gift from when my brother was posted in New Delhi and another one that nestles in the branches of our tree. And we even have one that’s from the Holy Land, made, I believe, of olive wood that hangs as an ornament on aforementioned tree. I love them, because for me, that is the ‘reason’ for the season.

8. Hardest person to buy for?

   My Father-in-Law…all he ever asks for is socks! However, he loves black licorice. That helps. 🙂

9. Easiest person to buy for?
   My sister-in-law, Paula. Why? Because she stitches! 🙂
10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?

    Both. I send an e-mail greeting to all our friends far and near and that happens most every year. I also like to send a snail mail card or letter, when I can get them done. I need to get better at my timing. Often we send out a Christmas/New Year’s and…sigh…sometimes an Easter letter. 🙂

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

    A gift is never a bad thing and is always a gesture of thoughtfulness, so this question is hard to answer. The only time I recall being disappointed is, as a very young girl, when I’d get clothes instead of a particular toy. Now? Bring on the clothes. 🙂

12. Favorite Christmas movie?
    A Christmas Carol-I’m not even too particular about which version. I just love the story.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

    All year, but I have to admit we are still at it in mid-December. We tend to pick up things that scream a certain person’s name all year and then fill in before the holidays. Some years more gets done earlier than other years. Stitched gifts, when given, are usually the product of many months of work.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
    I don’t believe so. Paper, yes, presents, no.
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas?

    Swedish Fruit Soup, potato sausage and Rosettes. Was I trained well or what? 🙂

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

Clear and lots of them!

17. Favorite Christmas song?

Tie: Silent Night, O Holy Night and Do You See What I See?

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Travel…just about every year. My family is in the DC metro area and DH’s family lives about 3 hours away here in Minnesota. While I love being with family, I would love to have an occasional Christmas at my home.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

‘You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen….but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?’ That would be Rudolph. 🙂

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

Neither: A blown glass spire with a gold dusted stars.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

With my family, Christmas Eve, with Dan’s, Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

I have to be careful not to get on my soapbox here, but hand’s down, I HATE the focus on ‘stuff’. (if that idea bothers you then quit reading here! 🙂

The pressure to buy, buy, buy, turns generally nice people into stressed, cranky strangers and often leads to financial hardship for families in the months ahead. I love to get gifts for children…to see their faces light up. But in my opinion, we have gone beyond the point of sense. For me this is not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about the birth of a Saviour, it’s about the gifts and the blessings that are ours because of this one Great Gift and it’s about family, friends, sharing our blessings with the less fortunate and about keeping cherished traditions alive.

The gift of a loved one’s presence is the gift, not the presents. I think about that statement and I think about my dad. His is the presence I will miss most this year! ((((((((((HUGS, Daddy))))))))))))))))

Okay. I’m done now. I know there are many who don’t share my beliefs and I am not trying to force my opinions on anyone. But this blog is about me and my stitching and my little corner of the world, so I write about what I feel and believe.

May all of you find wonderful blessings in the things you cherish at this time of year.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

Handmade ornaments, Santa’s and ornaments that speak of the birth of Christ (and not in that order :-).

24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner?

Gotta go with Turkey and Ham. MMMMMMM! Yes, we usually do both and yes, it’s always a treat!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

In one word? Peace. I know, I know…it’s one of those overused wishes, sometimes so overused that it borders on sounding trite. But I wish all those I know and love, friends I have not yet met and for me and my house personally;  peace in our hearts, peace in our families, peace in our corners of the world, peace in our nations.

I think this community of stitchers…brought together by a love of the beauty created by the threaded needle is a wonderful start. We are so many…we are from different environments…we have different educational, economic and social backgrounds and different values…yet there is love and encouragement among us and we even find joy in our differences.

May these ties that bind that overcome discord, one day, be extended to our world.

Blessings,

Julie

Spending Spree SBQ And Free to a Good Home

First of all, thank you for the wonderful comments and birthday wishes!!!! You guys are just the best!

Second, last week’s SBQ (Stitching Blogger’s Question):

If you had $500 to spend on stitching-related items, what would you buy?

My, oh my, oh my…how to answer? There are many designers and projects I love out there. But I still have so only so many hours in a day. What I would do with my $500 is first get registered for the American Needlepoint Guild Master Needle Artist Program (something which I plan to do anyway.) The cost for this program is $200. Then I would register for either the ANG National Seminar or the EGA National Seminar and put the remaining $300 toward learning something new.

And last, but not least, due to a subscription glitch, I have duplicate copies of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly Magazine for Winter 2006 and Spring 2007 (the new one with the cool Quaker motif picture frame). If you would like them, please leave a comment or drop me an email with your mailing address and I’ll send it (or them) out.

More later….

Blessings,

Julie

SBQ and a Little More

 

 

The most recent SBQ (Stitching Blogger’s Question) was suggested by Danielle and is: Do you find yourself stitching faster when you are getting to the end of a design?

Most of the time, yes. Although I don’t think it’s as much stitching faster as it is applying myself better. I am not a particularly fast stitcher under the best of circumstances. 🙂

I love that moment when I realize, after weeks or months of work, this piece is FINALLY into the home stretch. And, caught up in the rush that comes with finishing :-), I’ve been known to stay up until ridiculous hours of the early morning just to complete those last stitches.

The only caveat to this is if I’ve saved something I don’t much like until last. You know, like a mile of backstitching or my least favorite stitch in the world…something like that; then it becomes hard for me to focus and the piece stands a good chance of becoming an ‘almost done’ UFO.

I haven’t switched projects yet (read that a hopelessly bad rotation stitcher) and am still working on the Peacock in the center of my Papillion Creations sampler. But, if I can tear myself away, tonight I really would like to get a little time in on my Sampler Cove Bordeaux Sampler SAL. Then I really have to move on to my round robin piece and Judy’s beautiful neighborhood. I also got the new section for Chatelaine Designs Mystery X. It doesn’t look too bad this month, so perhaps I’ll even catch up a bit.

And…for those of you who are Chatelaine Friends, Martina has announced her 10th Anniversary piece. It’s a sweete bag and the info can be found here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chatelaineanniversarydesign/

I think the finished piece will be beautiful and the colors are wonderful! I believe Martina is one of the most talented artists with color I have ever seen.

For now, it’s back to do a little stitching before I brave the wintery mix outside my window. I hope everybody has a wonderful weekend!

 

Blessings,

Julie