Super Bowl Retreat 2025 🏈

Bring on the Super Bowl... Retreat!

My setup for the weekend.

Of course we needed our candy/snack area in the middle of the table.

Brenda's birthday was on that Thursday, so I gave her these framed photos as a gift. The bottom one is a shadow box and it has a little frog on top - keep that frog right there and nowhere else! Her favourite colour is pink, so I had to add that pink floss.

We went to The West Essex Diner one night for dinner and brought back dessert for later.

There were sooo many to choose from, from cakes, cheesecakes, pies, and pastries. I had to get the peanut butter cheesecake, delicious!

Our goodie bag, minus the Super Bowl pin which I added to my lanyard. One of the attendees made the cute frog coaster for everyone - adorable!

On Friday, Brenda, Claire, and I went to see Amy at Born to Stitch. It was only about 20 minutes away from the hotel, how could we not go?!

She's still working on getting her online shop open, but I love being there in person!

Some of the goodies I bought, although I forgot to add the beautiful floss. She ordered the Frony Ritter and Mill Hills for me, so they were waiting for me when I got there. If you ever need anything, give her a call and place an order!

It snowed/sleeted on Saturday evening, which had quite a few of the attendees leave early. Since we weren't leaving until after noon on Sunday, I wasn't too worried.

Because of that, the pajama/slipper contest was pretty slim! "Mickey" and I tied so we each won a huge insulated football tumbler. I think you could fit a bottle of wine in it, I'll let you know... 🍷🤣

This chick loved seeing it snow!

One of the stitchers brought a huge stash from a friend who was downsizing due to moving to an assisted living facility. She is also suffering from dementia, so she's really not stitching anymore. So terribly sad.

She brought finished pieces, partially finished pieces, fully kitted charts, books, charts, and other misc items. Charts were going for $1, kits were various prices depending on how big and what was in them. All the money was going back to her friend.

I think I spent about $60 or so? This is what I got, I think I took a photo of everything?!

I just love that sweet little owl!

All the Santa's Closet charts together were $15, with everything included.

What a treasure to find these two witches, especially after Brooke's recent passing.😥

So sweet!

I think all I have to do is put it together.

More fun finds. The bigger ones all came with fabric, and one of them with variegated floss.

This one didn't come with a pattern and I'm wondering if the witch's face was supposed to be left out. I'll have to look for this online. Unless maybe you've stitched it and can tell me?

More finished pieces that just need to be put together.

And all the ones she's finished are stitched beautifully.

The group, before fleeing the snow/sleet!

Our table, these girls are fun as always!

I'm already looking forward to our next stitching event!

Still feeling a little Christmassy ❄

I finally started stitching the Christmas 2021 SAL from Stitchonomy, just a little behind.

I had to hit The Stitching Post last week to get some more floss for my tree, not quite enough to make it! 

I decided to try and use the colours from my bag of leftover floss. So far, so good, but I'm just starting.

We had a little bit of snow last night/early this morning, enough to make it look pretty again. We were on the very edge of the storm and missed all the good stuff!

I know I'm way behind on thanking those who have left comments from last year, so I'm going to say a big  THANK YOU all so much for doing so! I think I'm up to date for this month, no excuses for it not to continue. Then back to blog reading!

Scavenger Photo Hunt - February 📷⛄

Welcome to this week's Scavenger Photo Hunt from Katie @I live, I love, I craft, I am me... The word this week is...

Unexpected...

Unexpected is defined as not expected; unforeseen; surprising

I moved one of our bird feeders on the deck so we could see the birds a little better, although it took them about five days to figure out it was there.

Not that seeing a cardinal was totally unexpected, but it's always a nice surprise to see them there!

Here's the female, she's pretty too.

And this little guy would have worked for last week too, good old Woody Woodpecker! He was an unexpected surprise.

I'm really not quite sure what kind of "bird" this is, but he's trying hard to get his share of the bird seed!

This is not my photo, but my Dad sent it to me this morning and I felt it was appropriate for this week!

My nephew is currently staying with my parents for a little while and he "promised Oma a snowman. However, the snow would not cooperate and so this cheeky little bugger greeted her on the windowsill this morning."

Be sure to check out what other unexpected photos others have posted.

A little Colour in the Snow 🌶❄

We finally got snow on Sunday, just a little bit to start.

Monday brought more snow and it sure was pretty! Sadly it wasn't all snow, there was some rain/sleet in the mix which made it a little crusty and slick out there. Then it snowed on top of that, so I think we got about 5 inches?

This was Tuesday and Chewie was loving it!

DH still hasn't taken down the lights on the fence, I like the way it looks in the snow.

I didn't quite clean up the "garden" so this is a true chilly pepper!

Here's some more colour. These are two of the kits DH got me for Christmas and I just finished this one. I think I'm going to add beads to hang them with and I still need to add the backing.

Although I did think about putting this one on a stake?

Mill Hill Come Stitch for a Spell

And maybe this one needs a stand instead?

Mill Hill Fall Tree

I've decided that I will only be stitching these kits while waiting to pick Nathan up at school in the afternoon. Otherwise, that's all I'm stitching even when I'm home and have plenty of other pieces I could/should be working on. 

At least picking him up has me stitching five day a week, I just include the weekends and this will be my third year of stitching every day of the year. Some days can be very productive, while others might only be five minutes, but any amount of stitching is good! I know Jo has me beat, by how many years?! Anyone else stitching every day, or maybe trying to?

Stitching with a view like this is an added plus, too bad it doesn't last long!