Trick or Treat Blog Hop 🎃 2021

 Finally, it's time for the annual Trick or Treat Blog Hop from Jo @Serendipitous Stitching!

Start there to see where to begin collecting all the letters from the other blogs to figure out the Halloween phrase for this year.

My Halloween stitching this year is my finish of The Haunted Mansion by tiny modernist. I started this in the beginning of 2020 and I loved stitching every bit of it!

I did it on 32 count, over one, I didn't want this to be a big piece. I still have to get it framed properly, but thought this was appropriate for today.

I made several changes to "make it my own" 

~ The witch is now green, I added whiskers to the cat, and I made her broom with strands of floss.

~ I have the Invisible Man sitting in the chair, although he's been accused of being the Purple People Eater!

~ I made Frankenstein's Monster taller with thicker boots.

~ I changed the skeleton at the front door to a Zombie.

~ I changed one of the skeletons sitting at the table, to the Mummy from another tiny modernist pattern. 

~ I started to add an arm coming out of one of the graves, but can't decide if I want to continue.

Now the letter you've been looking for...

For your next Halloween haunt, head over to see sweet Cathy @The Stitching Grandma.

Scavenger Photo Hunt - May 📷🔍

 Welcome to the second word of the Scavenger Photo Hunt for May. Another late entry! This week's word is -

Mirror...

Last week had DH and I in Florida while dating, this was taken there too, but at Disney.

Not a true mirror, but to our identical Gmen when they were little, it could be!

A couple week ago, DH, our friend and I went for a walk in Ellicott City and then had lunch. The next room had mirrors along the wall and we saw our doubles.

While waiting for pick up at school, the perfect picture of the American flag and the Maryland state flag.

There's a mirror in there, but you won't see a reflection!

See you Friday for some rain photos, although it's supposed to get up to the upper 80's here (26℃), with no rain in sight! But the weather has been known to change by the hour, so we'll see.

Scavenger Photo Hunt - January 🌚

 Welcome to the 3rd Friday of the January Scavenger Photo Hunt from Katie @I live, I love, I craft, I am me.... This week, the word is...

Moon...

The moon is described as the natural satellite of the earth, visible (chiefly at night) by reflected light from the sun.

Ah, the moon, one of my favourite things to look at and take photos of. There was no way I could pick just one, so get ready for the parade.

This was taken at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland, at a friend's summer party. This bear looks like he's having fun!

Taken at our house in the front yard.

January 2019, the Super Blood Wolf Moon, taken at home.

This was two years ago during a December getaway in Pennsylvania.

I have no idea when this was taken, probably at home.

The Wolf Moon, January 2017.

That speck is the moon at Deep Creek again, this time at the family house.

This was taken in Dubai when I was lucky enough to go with my DH for a work event in 2015, we considered it our 20th anniversary celebration.

This was taken at a house we rented at Topsail Beach in North Carolina. The house was named Moondance, how appropriate!

I have no idea where this was taken, maybe our house?

Our Halloween ghost peeking out of Nathan's window, he loves the moon too!

Another one at Deep Creek Lake.

The National Christmas Tree in DC in 2010, with the moon in the background.

I went to see the New Orleans Saints beat the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, it was a beautiful night for the moon to be out. This was taken as it was next to the scoreboard.

As for stitching, here's a variety of moons for you.

My last parting moon photo was taken last night, the full moon isn't until next Thursday.

I hope you're not tired of the moon yet, there's still more to see!

Please go take a look at the others, I'm looking forward to seeing where else the moon has been.

Friday's Stitching Ground 🍁

Today was much nicer than yesterday's rain, although a bit colder.

DH and I took Chewie for a short walk this afternoon. I love walking through the leaves. They were still damp so I missed hearing the crunching!

Love in the leaves.

So I think I finished with Mr. Zombie, but I think I need to do some outlining on him. It's a little hard to see his decayed body since it sort of blends in with the fabric. I don't think he's too gory?

We watched the 2nd season of The Mandalorian tonight, it was good! I think this will be our new Friday night thing, when Gman1 gets home from work after 9pm. It's worth the wait!

I know it's on Disney+, but has anyone watched any of it yet? We had a free year, but looks like we'll have to pay so we can continue watching it. Goodbye HBO, we don't need you both.

Thanks to Mary @ Stitching Friends Forever, for suggesting this one. It definitely has a grapefruit flavour, which I love!

Friday's Stitching Ground... a little late 🧟‍♂️

Oh my, seems like my Friday went until today!

Friday was a quiet one, I was working on other things (you'll see another time) but I did pick up The Haunted Mansion again and worked on finishing the door, lights, and back stitching the steps.

I decided on adding a zombie at the door instead of the skeleton, but I think it needs more gore! I'm going to try and dangle an eyeball, we'll see. Any other suggestions? Are you a zombie "fan"?

I also spent some time outside with Chewie, he loved running through the leaves and being chased.

The update on him is that he's not throwing up anymore, but now has issues at the other end. In the middle of the night last night, he cried four times to go outside. I think that's worse than any of the boys were as babies!

Tonight's dinner was rice and pumpkin, I read that was a good thing to try. Poor pup can't catch a break.

And then before I knew it, it was Saturday evening and I got a few more stitches in before the festivities began.

It was finally ghoulfriend time and Kerri made a Hello Kitty Zombie cake for Cori, I think I suggested the zombie knowing how much Cori "loves" them... not! 

We enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches on the fire, some s'mores, and even some toasted Peeps, delicious. And don't forget the wine!

Luckily it wasn't too cold and we had was a lovely evening together.

Unlike Sunday morning, which became cold and rainy.

Baseball hadn't been cancelled yet, so we went to the field early since DH is the coach and the boys were supposed to arrive before the game. Just after we parked, the email came to notify that all games were cancelled, go figure. The empty parking lot should have been a big clue!

This evening I had Ming with me since Chewie was in the basement with the guys. I started the zombie, but only one shoe so far!

Well shoot, that didn't last long.

Time for a Change 🎃

I decided I needed a break from The Haunted Mansion, so I went in a totally different direction... sort of, not really?!
Still Halloween, but instead of 32 over 1, I went for 18 (I think) over 2.
BIG difference!

This was an easy one to pick up, it was on a freebie table at one of the retreats I went to last year and it was partially started - the grey pumpkin, cat, and part of the purple pumpkin had already been stitched, AND it was stitched in the same direction I stitch in, BONUS! I'm thinking of stitching it again with different colours and a smaller count, we'll see.

And while I'm stitching, Ming is keeping a careful watch on Chewie as he "innocently" sits next to her.

While Maximus sneaks away to our bedroom for safety.

 More togetherness, still at a distance. You can see on Ming's fur where Chewie was "loving" her.

Friday's Stitching Ground 🐱

This afternoon I was stitching in my regular spot in the great room, but later this evening I stitched in the bedroom so I could spend some time with Maximus. He is still being a scaredy cat and not coming out of the bedroom unless we take him out and bring him to another safe place. It's been two months, this is getting ridiculous!

So close, I'm almost finished with the right side! I might take a break after I finish adding the two ghosts and then stitch something else just for a change of scenery. Not sure what yet, probably something small.

Earlier in the week I had company in my craft room, Ming!

I found some fun fabric to sew more masks, perfect for Nathan because his school's mascot is a knight.

And because I don't need Chewie in my room getting into trouble and bothering the cats when they're in there, he gets to sit outside and watch. Still spoiled rotten.

These two are for DH, perfect since he's an aerospace engineer!

My girl Cori and I went to see Finding Nemo at our local Clarksville Commons, outdoors with social distancing in place.

"Mine, mine, mine!"

You can never be too old for Disney movies, at least not me! Do you have a favourite one? My favourite princess is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I love Toy Story because of the Gmen, and Cars because of Nathan - they were the first movies they got to see at the theater and they loved them. I still have their toys from both movies, I can't get rid of them!

Thank you for your suggestions last week about filing/labeling, I'm still not sure what I'm going to do and might just wait until the fall/winter to do something about it.