October – Breast Cancer Awareness

October – Breast Cancer Awareness

There’s a Pink link in the left column that allows you to sign up to receive a daily email reminder to click to provide (free) mammograms for women.  Just a click from your busy day…

 Did you know September was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?  I didn’t …  Click to go learn more about the symptoms of the ‘hard-to-diagnose’ disease. 

Quite some time ago, I finished stitching the Crazy Quilt piece, and the plan was to make it into a pillow for my aunt who has been fighting ovarian cancer for almost five years!  Her daughter is converting one of her bedrooms into a room for Mom after she has chemo and needs to be with someone.  DC asked if I’d make some window toppers for her, and of course I said yes.  She had the fabric, but didn’t know how to sew it up.  She had bought some of similar fabric that are hanging in the other BR.  When I held up the fabric, it looked short… She had measured the ready-made ones, top to bottom, and cut the fabric to that exact length!  I went home and dug into the muslin drawer, lined them, and they came out ‘just about’ the right length.  Of course I forgot to take a picture, but maybe I’ll get one of them hanging some time.  ANYway…  While the sewing machine was accessible (*path cleared to get to it), I decided to put the pillow together.  We had dinner together the other night, and DA was thanking me for the pillow, and said DC made her leave it at her house, in her room there.  J 

We had talked about the fall stitching getaway, so I took the stitched pieces from TWTQ to show them what we had done there, and how much I had stitched.  They were very complimentary of the piece, but they are amazed that I can ‘sit and stitch all that tedious work’ for hours on end.  They don’t know what they’re missing, do they?  DC is one of those obsessed housekeepers (she vacuums her entire house EVERY day) and works full time, so I told her that’s why her house looks like it does, and *mine looks like it does!! 

I’ve finished the stitching of the Tea with the Queen project (plus a scissor fob and will probably add a bit of design to the back of the scissor pouch), but we’ll see how long it takes to get it completely sewn up! 

Front of needleroll and closeup

Bag label and front of scissor pouch

This is an ornament by Sue Hillis from the JCS Christmas Ornament edition.  Again, I’ve improvised a bit to include a little silver strand in the snowflakes, and am considering using tiny star shaped pearl beads in place of the pearl buttons.  I’ll have to look at my pearl buttons to see if there are any tiny enough – what with the scissors and spools…

I’m writing this on Friday, to be posted on Saturday (complete with pictures).  I’m SO glad it’s Friday – and it’s Ladies Night!  A group of friends get together once every couple of months or so to have a cocktail, usually with a theme of some sort - these aren’t stitching ladies - like manicures or coupon swapping or tales by the outdoor fire pit (any theme will do), and dinner.  Tonight is cold cut sandwiches.  They usually request that I bring dessert,
We don’t have ANY dessert yet????? Marquirita pie – I would never drop hints!!!!

So tonight is Margarita pie encore – recipe from Pampered Chef.  I’ll TRY to remember to take a picture before we dig in.  It’s easy and GOOD if you like lime.  I tried Key Lime last time, but for me it wasn’t tart enough with the other ingredients, so this time it’s regular lime.  We’ll see if THEY like it as well.  They didn't notice any difference...nor did I.

Margarita Pie

Crust

1 ¼ cups finely crushed pretzels (I leave a few chunky pieces for texture)
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
¼ cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate

Filling

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) [Note to self – new can opener]
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup orange juice
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Combine milk, lime peel, and juices in medium bowl; fold in whipped topping.  Spoon mixture into crust.  Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.                  Yield:  8 servings

Thanks for stopping by today, and please come back again!

Getting Ready!

Sing along with me, won’t you?

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go,

I’m standing here outside the door,

I hate to wake you up to say goodbye….

No, I’m not leaving on a jet plane, but I’m headed to the Weekend Getaway, Tea with the Queen. Lucky, lucky, me, it’s in my home town, so I don’t have far to go – could you tell that by the bags? At least there’s no clothing luggage!  But just wait, there will be something I don't have with me...

I’ve only been to one ‘cross stitching’ retreat, but I truly had a great time and it was a good learning experience for me! Love that linen!! A great thing about this one is I know I’m getting to meet an online friend, Carolyn, and possibly others, too. Sometimes we know each other by ‘screen’ names but not necessarily by birth names.

A bit of a stitching update. I stitched and completed this last year for Halloween, but was never happy with the way the words across the top, Let’s all Do the Monster March, blended in with the fabric. I took it apart and stitched with some shiny Kreinik around the black part of the lettering, and it looks SO much better. I probably should have taken photos before framing, but we’ll see if I can get a reasonable shot.

Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon!