The Stream

Well let's take a moment to reflect in the stream.....colder weather is here in NoAla but hey, it is January. Last week felt like Spring but this week is more seasonal. I just hope the daffodils survive the change in temps.

1. My friend, Sharon in NC and I are always talking about hair, make up, dressing nicely without looking too Grandma if you know what I mean! No offense to Grandmas as I am one! When I look at pictures of my grandmothers and great grandmothers they all looked so old and they were younger than I am now.  I read that Aunt Bee was just 50 years old when she made her debut on the Andy Griffith show. That surprised me!   Sharon wanted me to ask my readers what kind of foundation that use in the make up department. She had a favorite from Clinique but the formula changed and she was upset that she purchased a new bottle to find it was not to her liking at all. I am a minimalist when it comes to make up. I do use a foundation, some blush and lipstick. I dont do eye make up as much as it seems to leave me looking like a raccoon at the end of the day. What is up with that?  I use Cover Girl foundation and right now I am using a blush that I got in an Ipsy Bag. I do not even know the name of it. I am particular about lipstick as I do use that daily. I just ordered Color Works lipstick as it is for mature lips. I will let you know what I think of it. I did read a magazine article about aging gracefully and the writer said, focus on your lips or your eyes but not both. So I focus on my lips. I feel that I need lipstick to keep me from looking like a ghost with my white hair and pale skin. If you have a foundation to recommend, leave a comment!

2. Marvin and I went on a movie date last week. We saw Knives Out with Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Daniel Craig.  It was a bit of a camp depiction of a murder mystery. Mr Craig played Benoit Blanc, the detective who was helping the police solve the murder of a famous mystery writer played by the great Christopher Plummer.  Marvin and I both enjoyed it...there is some language but over all a pretty tame movie.  I will say that High Def is not kind to the older actors and actresses. You could see every line and wrinkle. I do applaud Jamie Lee Curtis for being natural and not going with Botox and filler.  Sharon and I both agree that we love her hair cut!:)

3.Well I tried the new lipstick and it was just ok for me. My friend, Sharon, says she uses it every day. I usually use Revlon lipsticks and they are still my favorite. I will use the new lipsticks up as they were a bit pricy. Sharon suggested using a lip gloss over them so  I will try that.   I am too easily influenced by advertising.:)

4. I did get some finishing done on Weatherwise and Rebecca Nurse. I was pleased with Rebecca but not as happy with Weatherwise. Can someone tell me how to cut foam core STRAIGHT? I did learn that if it is something I really value, I will take it to the framer. It is just not my forte. However I did make a Valentine Door decoration and I love the way it turned out. I am more crafty in that area.

5. Are any of you ladies planning for spring? I have been looking at some new capris and slacks. Part of my purging was my closet and I have gotten rid of a lot of worn clothing. I kept a few things for cleaning days as I do not want to ruin good clothes with cleaning products.  I did go through spring and summer clothes and was pleased to see that I only need slacks this year. I have quite a few dresses and skirts that I enjoy wearing in the warmer temps.  Easter is April 12th and I do like a new dress for Easter.  I think my mother spoiled me growing up. Every year she would make us a beautiful new dress for Easter.  My mother was quite the seamstress...she made all of our clothes, even pjs when we were small!  I am hoping Christopher and Banks will have something for me.

Well I have rambled on long enough!! Everyone stay warm! Mister Winter is back after teasing us with spring like temps. That is life in the south...you never know what the temps will be!

This and That

My goal for January was to brutally declutter my home.  I have been doing fairly well in being honest with myself. Am I going to use this or is it just sitting here taking up space? I had a lot of dinnerware...you would think I cooked all the time and had parties like Martha Stewart.  Now that we are empty nesters and our children are raising families of their own, my entertaining has certainly changed.  My children do not want these things so they are going to a thrift shop here in Priceville. The proceeds from the sales goes to missions so it is a win win.

I am also trying to neaten up some areas.  One is the armoire in my bedroom that holds a variety of things.

Cards and some crafting supplies are in the top of the armoire.

More craft supplies and some genealogy notes. I wish I had taken a photo of the junk pile this was before I started sorting. This old armoire has been moved multiple times, held a variety of things and it has the scars to prove it but it is still a great place to store things you reach for often but you do not want it out for all to see.

I did find some stitches that I had put away and promptly forgot they were in the armoire.

My January Cottage...

I have tidied my craft closet, organized my cross stitch charts and as I was doing this chore, I had a mail call.

A gracious gift from my dear stitchy friend, Meg.  I was able to file them in my storage container and I know I will enjoy stitching each one of them.

I recently had a card from Robin in Virginia who is so kind to read my blog and to leave a comment.

It  looks perfect in my January vignette on the breakfast bar.

I have been focusing on a finish with Rebecca Nurse this week and I hope to complete it this evening.

What to stitch next???I guess I better start on my Prairie Schooler for February. Since it features a ground hog I need to hop to it.

Another goal for the new year is to keep my home tidy and organized. What is the use of purging if you bring things back in? I must say that watching some of the cleaning videos on You Tube has inspired me to do a little bit every day. Making a list helps keep me on target. I will try to report my progress in this area as the year marches on.

Saturday Stitching

The Huntsville Cross Stitch Retreat is one for the books. This year was even more fun than last year!

We had four Floss Tubers in our midst....Long Dawg Stitcher, Jen's Stitching Niche, Southern Ladybug and Ladywing Designs.  I tried not to be a fan girl but I got to meet each one of them and they were delightful ladies. Jenny, The Long Dawg Stitcher sat at my table and we found we had lots in common. Both of us are Georgia Girls, both married to Ga Tech men.

First I will share some of the tables...

These ladies sat at my table and we had the best time. All of us but Jenny are members of North Alabama Stitchers.  However she did join our group this week. She knows a fun bunch when she sees them.

Jennifer is from Louisiana and she was in Huntsville for the second year.

These sweet ladies sat at the table next to us so we were all chatting and stitching.

Some of these ladies were from Nashville and one from Tuscaloosa. I am not using names as I did not ask if I could mention them on my blog. Crazy Kay is photobombing!!

The Mississippi table...missing Lisha. Katrina Boyd, the founder of our great time is the one smooching Bridget.

Katrina brought lots of charts as well as fabric.

I enjoyed seeing the finishes she brought along as well.

On to Haul....

I purchased a chart with this same saying but it is a bigger stitch.  There just might be a giveaway at the end of this post.

I tried to hold back!!

I also won a chart of my choosing.

I love Abby Rose.

Katrina gifted us with a chart, thread drops and a waxer.

Katrina designed this chart...a quote by Jane Austen.   I will keep calm I will be mistress of myself. Being an Austen fan...I was very happy to receive this chart.

I purchased a project bag from Kay....one for Summer Projects.

I am a member of Brenda's Minders and More project bag club. Brenda graciously allows me to pay for mine in cash as I am a dinosaur and I do not have pay pal.  Here is the December Bag.

Here are some samples of the beautiful stitching I saw at the Retreat

Speaking of Brenda...here she is as Catie shows off her beautiful bee.

These two were done by my table mate, Kay.

Tablemate, Janice is working on this. It is so pretty and I am tempted to do it myself but I know I would never finish it.

One of our NoAla Stitchers, Leslie, recently completed this stitch. A photo does not do it justice.

I hope I have encouraged you to attend a retreat. It is so much fun. We are all looking forward to meeting up again next January.

Now as promised here is a giveaway for a chart that I already owned.

As you can see the one I purchased at retreat is much simpler. I loved this one too but I cannot keep them both so a lucky reader will get this Waxing Moon Designs Chart.  Answer this question...who is your favorite designer? Do not use the word giveaway. You must be 18, a follower of this blog and live in the continental US.  I will post the winner next Saturday.

PS..bloggers, be sure and check your comments awaiting moderation. I found five there today!! I am not sure what is up with Blogspot lately but just trying to make sure I do not miss any comments.

Friday Five

1. One last Christmas photo

Marvin put lights on out porch rail at Grimmwood this year. It was so pretty that I hated to take it down. The Christmas tree can be seen in the window. Bruce said he enjoyed seeing them glowing at dusk as he was working on the farm.

2. Our Giant Baby

Joshua is 8 months old this week!! He is starting to look like a toddler and not a baby.

3. A New Fire Screen

Some friends bought  a new house and they had this pretty brass fire screen that they did not want so I am buying it from them. Actually we may be bartering as I have something they can use.  I am taking the old black fire screen to use at Grimmwood.

3. Winter Whirlygig and Dough Bowl

I put out some smalls in the dough bowl yesterday.  Dont forget to keep an eye out at Cathy Haberman's webpage for her February Freebie. She does one each year in honor of her wedding anniversary. With You I am Home is from one of her freebies.

4. Bow Ties

We are so enjoying these old photos Marvin is putting on a flash drive. Marvin is thinking of taking up bow ties again!  He and Mina were spiffy dressers.

5. The Winner Is...

Number 17....

Out of 19 comments, Joyce F was the random winner!! Joyce please send me your snail mail address to agrimm55@hotmail.com.  Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. It does seem that coffee is the winner in the hot beverage department among my readers.

I will be doing another giveaway on Stitching Saturday so if you are a stitcher, you might want to be on the look out for that giveaway this month.

Hair...

And no I am not talking about the song by The Cowsills. You younger people can look that up!

I have had the same hair style for several years now and I was ready for a change. Not a drastic change but something different. So Suzanna cut some layers in my hair and I am happy with it. I look forward to styling it in some different ways.

Okay....selfies are not my thing....I took about 20 before I got a good one.

I have to admit that my head feels lighter. Basically this is the old shag hair cut....just not done in curls. I may give that a try just for old times sake.

It seems all my friends are debating the color issue. To Dye or Go Natural. At a certain age, it does become a quandary as  to what decision to go with in the hair department. One of my friends decided to quit coloring and she found out that her hair was still a fairly dark brown with enough gray that it just looks frosted. I think it looks very nice on her and woo hoo for natural brown hair.

Another reason some friends are opting for natural locks is the price factor. It is a nice chunk of change to plop down at the salon if you continue coloring.  And roots....when I colored my hair, my roots would show in about two weeks. It is good to have hair that grows quickly but no one can or needs to color their hair that often. I have seen the little color wands some people use to cover roots. Those were not available when I colored my hair.

Frankly if I were going to spend a lot of money to look younger, I would have my neck redone. That is the one place that shows age like no other.  But as I have said before, I am glad to be here, aging normally in pretty good health. I have some dear cousins and friends who did not get that privilege.

I am thankful to be 64 years old. I am thankful for a dear husband who does not care about gray hair and wrinkles.( he has a few of his own.:)) I am thankful for friends who listen to me whine about changing my hair style. I am thankful for a wonderful hairdresser that makes me look better than I should. I am thankful for blog friends who drop what they are doing to read my silly ramblings.

So I am just going to end this post by stating that I am a mid century modern....if I were an antique I would be pretty valuable!

Blue and White

Many of you know of my love of blue and white! The Christmas season brings the Decatur Tour of Homes. Our town has two historic districts, Old Decatur and Albany Heritage.  Every year I say I am going to go to view the homes that are open but something always seems to come up.

This year Freedom Lights Productions took photos of many of the houses, the doors that were beautifully decorated as well as some of the churches were open to welcome guests. Jergen, the owner of Freedom Lights, goes to my church and he graciously allowed me to share one of his photographs with you. If you would like to see more of his photographs of the historic tour go and like his Facebook page, Freedom Lights Productions.

Look at this door.....If you love blue and white, it makes your heart go pitter patter!  While I love it, if this was my house I would be biting my nails over the danger of all these petty pieces!!  Those Apple Towers are quite nice as well.

I know many of you enjoy blue and white decor as well so I wanted to share this here at Nanaland.

I had a great weekend at our Cross Stitch Retreat. I have to be honest and say that there was more talking than stitching done. Oh and a little  purchasing was done as well. I reined in my spending.

It is so good to be with people who GET  your love of handwork. I saw so many beautiful pieces. There was one lady doing a lovely needlepoint. She had come to the retreat with her cross stitch friends.  Katrina is doing several retreats through out the south, east of the Mississippi River. Check out her webpage.

And now if you have read this far...today is the day to comment for my 100 follower giveaway. I will be sending a small box filled with random goodies that I  think any of my readers would enjoy.Answer the question, What is your favorite ....coffee, hot chocolate or tea? You must be 18 to win and you must live in the continental US. You must also be a follower of this blog. Please do not use the word giveaway in your comment. I will announce the winner on Friday Five. Good Luck!

Saturday Stitching

Good Morning! As you read this post I will be at the Drury Hotel in Huntsville where Katrina Boyd is holding her January Retreat. I am not a big traveler but I can drive 30 minutes to get to Huntsville.

Here is a WIP parade of things I am working on in the New Year.  All these things were from my stash I am pleased to say!

I made a lot of progress on Rebecca Nurse while we were in Georgia last week.  I am using my cute needle minder from RJ and Mary's Giveaway.( Stitching Friends Forever)  I am doing this piece in memory of my ancestor, Samuel Aborne who testified on behalf of Mrs Nurse.

I kitted this Penny Pumpkin up to take to the Retreat. The fabric is Cyprium....another friend at North Alabama Stitchers was using this fabric and I loved how it looked on her piece. It is 28 count Cashel from 123 Stitch.  Dont envy my Dr Who Needleminder!

I am stitching The farmers Wife from Farmyard Parade. Another start to take to the Retreat. It is being stitched on 28 count Even Weave from Hobby Lobby. It will go to the dough bowl at Grimmwood.  I am using my Mr Rogers Needleminder on this one but it is at the bottom of the Q Snap.

Now for some finishes...

This Whirlygig from Heart in Hand will be made into a pillow. I finished the others in rounds but thought I would change things up.

I finished my January Prairie Schooler.

All you quilters do not cry out in Dismay at my feeble attempt at quilting stitches. It was late at night and I was getting tired.

This last piece is the small I am taking for our North Alabama Stitchers Smalls exchange at the retreat. The lady I stitched this for does not read my blog so I can go ahead and share it.

We were supposed to do something Wintery. I used a freebie chart I found online. Sorry I cannot remember the designer. I added the little spools at the top in a nod to our love of stitching.

I will be back next week with pictures from the Retreat! Stay Tuned.