• Family,  Games

    Dixit

    In case I haven't mentioned it before, I am NOT a fan of bored games.

    Not not not.

    However, last week Mike suddenly produced a game he felt sure I would love. I told him that if there were game pieces or rules to be read, I wouldn't; he could trust me on that. But he persisted, so I gave in. Besides, he looks so sad when he plays games by himself. I sometimes see him looking around to see if anyone is watching, and when he thinks there isn't, he'll get up from his seat and move to the seat across the table and pretend to be a friendly opponent who just dropped in to enjoy a rousing game of Boardom.

    I'm totally kidding. He usually just sets up the game and waits for anyone at all to show up.

    Anyway, I gave in to his persuasion, and was introduced to a game I actually liked. It's called Dixit. The game includes the most interesting cards I've ever seen, each one a fragment of different works of art looking like they came from a beautifully-illustrated children's book. Each player gets a hand of cards, and on their turn they choose one of their cards (without showing which one they chose) and describe it to the other players by saying a word, sentence, singing a song, or miming.

    After the players consider the clue you've given, they choose a card from their hand that most matches the clue you just gave. The trick is to give a clue that is mysterious to some, yet easily guessed by others. It's an interesting balancing act if you want your little rabbit game piece to move ahead.

    Dixit 1

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    Here's a card I played. My hint to Mike and Sophie was this: "I didn't know death would be like this." (I thought the man with the walking stick looked like he had a choice as to whether he wanted to take the stairway up or down, so that's the clue I gave.)

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    When all the cards were revealed and the play was over, here was the card Sophie played. Remember, my clue was "I didn't know death would be like this."

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    R O T F L O L.

    Brilliant.

    At long last, I have a game I could recommend to families. However, much to my husband's chagrin, I am not a converted gamer. As far as his finding friendly opponents, he'll have to continue being his own worst enemy.

    Tp 5

  • Good Things

    Hopeful

    Sophie's school had a Sheridan's Custard Night this past week, so I told her she could invite a friend and we'd go. Back in the summer, we allowed the Chin to come along with us, and she gulped down her doggy-custard in one swallow. (I wonder how brain-freeze feels to a dog.)

    This time, it was the Yorkie's turn, and she. was. ecstatic. She could not believe her good fortune at having been invited to come along to Sheridan's in the family car. (She still doesn't understand that if she'd stop her screeching at everything she sees outside the window, she'd be invited to lots more places.)

    After we'd placed our orders and drove up to the window, the Yorkie suddenly stopped her screeching and gazed with wonder at something inside…

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    What was it that held her in such rapture?

    Why, it was a wall full of photographs! Photographs of dogs eating custard!

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    I decided to forego asking the drive-thru girl to take the Yorkie's photo and I took out my phone camera instead.

    Here she is, after jumping back to her seat, anxiously waiting for whatever it was she thought she was getting…

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    The excitement was palpable.

    Finally, her prize arrived!

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    And when she had finished and we drove away, she went back to screeching.

    One of these days I'm going to videotape her for you all, bc I have a feeling you don't believe me when I tell you that she is Satan's spawn.

    These two can vouch for me.

    Tp 6 

  • Friends,  Stitching

    Inspired!

    Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the home of Darlene Andersen, who used to co-own a cross stitch shop called Treasured Stitches. When Breanna was still in her stroller, Mom and I would walk up to the shop and admire all the sampler models on the walls, and then I'd add to my ever-growing collection of Fanci That and Shepherd's Bush patterns.

    The shop closed eventually, and Darlene began traveling and lecturing on the history of Adam and Eve samplers (are you hearing this, Siobhan?). She has stitched 55 of them (if I'm not mistaken), and invited me over to take a look. I brought my camera with me, but truly had not realized just how many samplers she had hanging on her walls, or I'd brought a wide-angle lens. Please forgive me for the tight photos – I literally had no more room to back up!

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    Tp 10

    Tp 22

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    Tp 15

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    Here are some laying on a bed, waiting for a place to hang…

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    This one is Darlene's favorite…

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    And this one was mine…

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    Hi Darlene! (Darlene was looking upward into her hallway, answering all my questions about her stitching.)

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    Tp 14

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    Hey Kim, remember Frances Eden? She's on my list of things I WILL complete for 2011! (Kim let me adopt her half-finished Frances bc she changed her mind on the fabric and fibers. I was more than happy to take it off her hands!)

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    This is one that Darlene calls her "Bubblegum Adam and Eve" bc of their bright pink complexions! (LOVE this one.)

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    I was astounded at all the Mary Beale stockings Darlene had stitched! And she did them all in a year!

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    She also had a gorgeous tree in her sun room, full of all of the ornaments she has stitched over the years. I can't recall how many she said there were, but they are all wonderful…

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    She had even taken my Eliza Pennance chart and stitched it 4 times, in memory of 4 of her loved ones that had passed. You can see one of them in the bottom left of the photo below…

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    What a lovely tree!

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    Darlene, thank you so much for allowing me to take photos of your stunning handwork. Your samplers are beautiful, and I came away feeling completely inspired to stitch and design! Your home truly is filled with treasured stitches.

  • Crazy Kids,  Family,  Good Things,  Holidays

    How Did She Do That?

    Sophie has been terribly under the weather lately, coughing and sneezing and getting more than her share of aww-poor-baby hugs. Since she was tired of laying around, she decided to help out with the Christmas spirit around here and came up with a most beautiful decoration, now hanging from our dining room ceiling…

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    I love having this little elf around.

    Btw, Mike is also really sick, but he doesn't know how to make cool snowflakes. He does, however, remind me of an overgrown elf.

  • Holidays

    Tannenbaum Ampelmann and Joe

    I finally got into the Christmas decorating mood the other day – despite no snow – and decided to go ahead and make the cinnamon ornaments that Tanya made over at The Scarlett House. I've been wanting to make them for years, but the only recipe I had involved an array of ingredients that were hard to come by, so I gave up on that one. Hers was much simpler, and even though my dough wasn't exactly the same thickness all around, I still enjoyed making them. And the house smelled wonderful!

    Remember when Sabrina went to Germany and brought me back some Ampelmann cookie cutters? (Which, btw, are the coolest souvenir I've ever received!) I decided to use them as well as the traditional gingerbread men and stars…

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    I have a basketfull of ribbon spools, and I thought the red check was perfect.

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    When I hung them on the tree, I couldn't help but gaze at my favorite ornaments of all…

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    Magnificent…despite the neverending Japanese Chin hair that finds its way into everything. Grr.

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    Here is this year's edition…

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    Hi, Friday! I don't need your help boy, but thank you anyway!

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    Btw, I've had to move all of my Ampelmann ornaments to the top branches bc the Japanese Chin has decided that they look much better decorating the bottom of her kennel, all chewed into hundreds of pieces.

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    May your holiday season be filled with cutting cookies, and not cheese.

    That wasn't necessary, I know.

  • New Designs,  Stitching

    Last Release for 2010

    I've had a lot of fun designing this past year, and I love all the people I've met through the process. I had so many ideas swirling around in my head (mostly after a hefty dose of coffee), but only had time to bring a handful to fruition. Which means the rest are either still swirling around in my head or they've been put to paper and stuffed into my "Future Designs" file folder. (Btw, when I've looked through this folder in the past, I've stumbled across many ideas that leave me scratching my head and thinking, "What on earth was I thinking?")

    These little ornaments have been finished for quite a while now, but I never got around to releasing them. (Btw, thank you to my mom, who stitched Esther! I love you, Mom!)

    Here is We Three

    We Three tp

    Enjoy your Wednesday! I'll be busy trying to figure out what to release for market in February!

  • Holidays

    Dear Family…

    Don't you just love Christmas? The energizing chill in the air, the church plays, the lights… it's all so beautiful! Festive! Like a month-long celebration that Christ was born!

    Isn't it fun how we give gifts to each other? All the thought that goes into it… wonderful! And the stockings! Did I mention the stockings?

    Let's talk about those stockings. Each year you all tell me how the stockings are your favorite part. Ah yes, when I was a young lass, that was my favorite part too; one never knew what joys awaited them in that seemingly bottomless sock of wonders. And now that I'm grown, you (my loving family)  have continued to fill that sock. You remind me of the wise men, who gave frankincense and myrrh.

    What, you say? They gave more than frankincense and myrrh? Why, how could I have forgotten? Of course! THEY GAVE GOLD! I must have forgotten that part bc it's the one part you, adorable family, leave out of my stocking each year.

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    Each year I beg – BEG, I say! – for these shiny, gold-wrapped dark chocolate marshmallow Santas from Russell Stover. And each year, after pulling out all the fabulous trinkets and dvds you all get for me in my Sock of Wonders, I feel around in the bottom, waiting to discover the crinkle of my favorite confection's wrapping.

    And each year, all I hear is silence. It is then that I know in my heart that Kris Crinkle has forgotten me again; I am cast off to the Island of Misfit Toys.

    I love these dark chocolate marshmallow Santas from Russell Stover. I found a box of them in the store yesterday and  bought just one. I ate it immediately.

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    Do you see the calory label? I don't give a flying reindeer's bottom about that.

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    I eat them for the protein. Duh.

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    I would have eaten these milk chocolate ones, but I bought them for the children bc they like them almost as much as I do.

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    Do you remember those stockings I made for each of us? The ones that were stitched with love and then filled with enough stuff to warrant a second mortgage on the house?

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    This is what I wish mine looked like:

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    I love you, dear family. And I love everything about this season… most of all that you're in it. You complete me.

    (Gold… how could I have forgotten that part?)

    Love, Mom

    P.S. Please don't say you thought I already had plenty of marshmallows stuffed down the back of my pants, bc that wouldn't be very wise-mannish of you. After all, I would have no problem filling your stockings with what comes out of flying reindeer bottoms.

  • Contest Winners,  Just Cross Stitch

    The Names Drawn Were…

    I'm shocked at how many of you didn't have the Just Cross Stitch issues! I would have thought that only a few people would have wanted them! (Don't worry, Breanna, you won't be getting the ornament issues in your stocking after all.)

    Will the following people please email me to receive the Halloween issue…

    Winner 4

    Winner 5

    Winner 6

    And will the following ladies please email me for the Christmas issue…

    Winner 1

    Winner 2

    Winner 3

    I hope each of you enjoy your magazine, and I'm thrilled to be able to have given them to you!

    Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas!

  • Good Things,  Holidays,  Just Cross Stitch,  Stitching

    Got Issues?

    I recently received in the mail 3 issues each of the Halloween and Christmas ornament issues of Just Cross Stitch magazine from their very sweet editor. However, I had already purchased my issues when they were first released, so now I have 3 copies of each that I'd love to give away.

    I'm sure those of you who wanted the issues have already purchased them, but just in case there are a few of you who haven't, just leave a comment here about which issue you'd like, and I'll draw names from there. If there are only a few of you, perfect! We'll draw the first ones in line. And if there is not a single soul out there who hasn't already gotten the issue they wanted, then I'll give the magazines as Christmas presents to my family. teeheehee.

    I hope you like stitching ornaments, honey!

    Jcs halloween issue

    Jcs ornament issue

    Btw, for January 2011's issue of Just Cross Stitch, I had the pleasure of being invited to be one of their featured designers! Woohoo! I designed a little piece called Winter Wind Sampler. I hope you like it!

  • Family,  Holidays

    Mike’s Heart

    Each year, for as far back as I can remember, Mike has participated in the police department's "Shop with a Cop" night. This is an annual event that is sponsored  by the OPD, and its purpose is to help children in shelters have a better Christmas – any Christmas at all, actually.

    The police officers who volunteer to participate are each paired with one or two children, and after a fun evening of pizza at the union hall, they're all off to go Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart. The Omaha Police Foundation gave each of the officers a $100 gift card per child, and the officers did their best to help their kids find the right balance of toys and clothing.

    Not an easy task when you have two 6-year-olds named Jacob and Samantha, paired with the Biggest Kid of the Universe, Mike Stewart.

    Mike said that although little Jake looked sleep-deprived and pale, his energy was boundless. And Mike's cell phone camera proves it…

    Mike and Jacob 3

    Joining Mike and Jake was little Samantha, whose smile could melt a snowman.. Even when Jake kept trying to kiss her coat in the police cruiser – despite her explaining to him that she did NOT want to be his girlfriend – she kept laughing and smiling, and learning at an early age that boys will be boys.  Especially when Jake insisted that she did, in fact, want to be his girlfriend…

    Mike and Samantha 2

    In the past, Mike has had kids whose main concern was to shop for their siblings or mother, which is always a mixture of love and heartbreak. With those children, Mike has made sure they get what they need – a coat, some underclothes (and of course a few toys!) – and then he helps them choose something for their loved ones. Mike is extremely tender-hearted toward children and those who aren't so fortunate as he has enabled his family to be.

    This year, however, all Mike had to do to please his little buddies was to find the perfect radio-controlled helicopter for Jake and a Dora the Explorer doll for Samantha. Add to that a Nerf gun, another baby doll, some Transformers gear and lots of underclothes and outerwear, and those kids finished the night with bigger smiles than they started with.

    Speaking of smiles, I had to show you this picture that Mike took, even though I'm sure he didn't mean to just photograph the bottom half of their faces… I thought it was adorable bc they have matching cheeks and chins!

    Mike and Jacob 2

    Mike always feels very blessed to be able to share a small part of Christmas with these kids. And I know he's one police man they'll never forget.

    Mike and Jacob

    What wonderful, kind people the police volunteers are. And a huge thank-you to the Omaha Police Foundation!

    Merry Christmas, Jake and Samantha.

    Merry Christmas, hon.