Friday Five

1. Lunch at Camino

We had lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant on Sunday after church. We usually eat out with friends but we knew son Ben and the kids were coming and we wanted to eat and get home. It had been a while since we had eaten at Camino and I am happy to report that it was a good as ever.

2. Hoover Grimmlins

We were so glad to get to visit with the Hoover Grands Sunday afternoon. I think they were glad to see us too. Before arriving at our house, Ben stopped at the Wheeler Wild Life Center to let the kids run around and get rid of some energy after their long car ride. He sent me this picture of Margaret and Baylor in the observation tower. Sand Hill Cranes are here in droves right now....migrating back to Florida I believe.

Margaux is such a good big sister to Baylor. She always has his back, Literally!

3. A Stitching Stash

My blog friend and fellow stitcher, Georgia, has been so gracious to send me some of her stash that I may keep or give away here on the blog. What a joy we both receive from sharing with our stitching friends. Georgia also sent me this lovely card which is on my kitchen hutch, reminding me of the blessings of blog friendships.

If you are a stitcher, be sure and check out tomorrow's blog. There will be a giveaway. I did keep a few of these wonderful charts for myself but I hope to do a giveaway each week in February using some of my stash and some of Georgia's gifts!

4. Valentines

I picked up Valentines for the Grands at Dollar Tree. two for a dollar! I will add Five Dollars to each card and the Grimmlins will be happy.

5. February Breakfast Bar

It is  hard to believe that February is here tomorrow! I am wondering what I will put out for March...possibly my Easter things will come out as Easter is on April  12th. I do not have much in the way of March stitching. I guess I should remedy that.

Several asked if the chocolate cake in my Wednesday post  had to be refrigerated as it had sour cream in the frosting. It only lasted two days here as I shared it with friends and family and mine was fine. I did refrigerate the left overs on the third day just to be safe.

Chocolate Heaven

For years I have been on the hunt for the best chocolate chocolate cake. The cake part was not the problem....it was the icing that was giving me fits.

Well thanks to a recipe in the Jan/Feb issue of Country Woman Magazine, I have a winner.

For the cake portion of used a triple chocolate cake mix...sorry but I do not remember the brand. I use the Cake Doctor's suggestions when using a cake mix. Melt  one stick of butter to use instead of the oil. Use Milk instead of the specified water! This makes any cake mix cake taste like  a made from scratch cake.

I will say this amount of icing is supposed to be for a three layer cake. However, I am not a fan of a three layer cake.They are so hard to cut and serve! And I like a  lot of frosting on my cakes so the amount of frosting was perfect.

2 cups of Milk chocolate chips(they suggested semi sweet but I went with what I had)
1 stick of butter
1 small container of sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 cups of confectioners sugar

Melt the chips and the butter together...let cool then put in mixing bowl
Beat with paddle attachment until mixed well. Add sour cream and vanilla.
Beat until incorporated.
Add four cups of sifted confectioners sugar.
Beat until creamy.

From now on this is my go to chocolate icing. It got a thumbs up from friends Susan and Janet as well as daughter, Amelia!! Enjoy!

Olive Branches

Well its January and time to "fluff" the house a bit. For years this is how the urns on my mantle looked....

I cannot even remember where I found these small branches.

Recently I went to Pineapples here in Decatur and I saw some Olive Branches on sale, marked down from $8 a stem to $3 a stem. Well I looked at them and I did not purchase them. They stayed on my mind and I went back today to see if there were any left to purchase at that great price. I had looked on line for Olive Branches and no where did I see ANY for that good price.

I was in luck...they still had some. I picked up six stems thinking I would need three in each urn. Well I tried three in each urn and after leaving hem on the mantle for a day, I decided that three stems were too many. You could not see the graceful lines of the branches.

Two were Just Right as Goldilocks would say.

What did I do with the other two stems?

Pardon the glare. I took these pictures in the evening. I think the Olive Branches look very nice there with the blue and white urns.

What did I do with those little branches? I put them together and placed them in a blue urn in the kitchen.

I think they look very nice on top of the hutch.

I also added some candles to my dining room table.

Brass is making a come back girls....

Doing a few little things around the house can make a big impact!

Oops

I forgot to add the winner of last week's giveaway!!

Long time reader Miriam is the WINNER. Her favorite designer is Lizzie Kate. Please send me your snail mail address Miriam...agrimm55@hotmail.com Thanks to all who participated! Please scroll down to read the Saturday Stitching post.

Saturday Stitching

Good Morning! Cold January Days are perfect for stitching. I have spent a good bit of time in my stitching chair with my favorite Matilda Jane Blanket over my lap!! Cups of hot tea may have been sipped as well. I enjoy Green Tea but recently I cam upon Yorkshire Tea in the English foods section at Publix. Since my Tankersley relatives are from Yorkshire I thought I would give it a try. Oh Yum...it is a strong but mild tasting tea. It has become a new favorite.

I thought I would do a throw back stitch first this morning.

In my cleaning I came upon this little stitch that I had put away last winter. It is a Prairie Schooler stitch and one of my first attempts at Priscillafying something.

Weather Wise is finished and applied to this blue frame. I saw Priscilla do something similar and I copied her. Mine is plain and not as froo froo as Priscilla's but I like it and I think it looks nice in the guest room.

Rebecca was finished and framed. Some of you may remember I stitched this in honor of Rebecca and my ancestor, Samuel Aborn(e) who testified to her good character at her trial.  One of my stitching friends said she liked the cute plaque above Rebecca.  It says Take the Trip, Eat the Cake, Buy the Shoes. A gift from my good friend, Sharon. I told my friend, well in light of what happened to poor Rebecca maybe we should take that advice to heart!

Another finish for the dough bowl. February Square Dance by Heart in Hand. These are much smaller that I thought they were! Perfect for a small pillow. I did change the colors using some of my fancy floss.  I stitched the February in a Royal Purple instead of the black that was charted.

I started my unicorn chart this week!

Easter Parade by Blackbird Designs. It is such a fun stitch! I am so glad the company decided to release it again. This chart sometimes went for over $100 on Ebay.

I have to share the sweet small I received at Retreat. This was part of an exchange the NoAla Stitchers participated in this year. Catie and Brenda are planning another one. It is fun to stitch something special for a friend. ( and a little intimidating as well in this group of great stitchers.)

I decided to hang it on the picture of Marvin and me and the grands that sits on my dresser. Thanks to Patti for such a pretty heart. Patti is known in the No Ala Stitchers for her beautiful bead work. Her Mill Hill pieces are amazing. She is a gifted stitcher for sure. Thank you Patti for my gift.

I have spent some time working on my Snowmen triplets this week. I just have one to go. Maybe he will be a finish next week.  Happy Stitching.

Friday Five

1. My Favorite Ball Player

This boy has his game face on for sure!! Elliott has started playing basketball. He is going to break some hearts one day!!

2. Throwback to the late 1970s.

This is the house we lived in when Ben was a baby and I was pregnant with Amelia. Located outside of Athens Ga, Marvin took this picture on a snow and ice day. We were so proud to be able to rent this home. It was owned by a local church. Some older members left their home to the church in their will in order to bring income to the church. We did not have much furniture but we had a lot of House.:)

3.  Homecoming  Court

Niece, Laura, is on the Homecoming court at Dalton State College. She is a senior this year and here's hoping she wins the crown.

4. Valentine Door

I wanted something Cheery for the front door in this cold weather. Thanks to the ladies at Pineapples for the Bow and the Heart. The basket and the greenery came from Hobby Lobby.

5. The Grandparents

More scanned pictures from the early 1980s.

My Tankersley Grandparents with Ben and Baby Amelia. My grandmother always called Amelia, Amanda. Amelia says a lot of people call her Amanda. Back in 1980 Amelia was not as popular as it is today.

My Grandmother Henderson with Ben and Amelia. My grandfather lost his life in a car accident when I was in high school. Grandmother lived in a mobile home on my parents property after Granddad's death.

I have so enjoyed seeing some of these old photos! Great memories.

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.