A couple real "finishes" and my busy month!

Only a month since my last update....and I have some things to share! I did finish the Sportsman's stocking. I am still looking for someone to "finish" it because a stocking is WAY beyond my expertise! But here it is. I'm sure they will love it, but won't know for another month or so! If you are interested to see some of the details up close, you can go to my Photobuckets album.

I was actually prepared to get the November Cottage done and ready for my calendar this month. I haven't had one hanging since July!!! So this weekend I got the sewing machine out and finished it so that it is ready to hang. The flowers you see around it are still my marigolds....my baskets are still looking great even though we've had some frost. I used all my own threads I had on hand. I rarely have the specific threads they call for so I just wing it.

Then I decided I really should make my first small pillow for a seasonal bowl...and since I finished the pumpkin last month and it has 2012 on it....geez....get it done! I would so love to add little extras to them instead of just one kind of material, but I just don't have the ric-rak and abundant supply of coordinating material. So this will have to do.

And I've been working on this piece for the last month. I was gifted this pattern and had the material and threads all picked out (I hate to kit!) so when I finished the stocking it was ready to start. I just added the buttons this morning. I have the material it's sitting on and I'm thinking of maybe a no sew wall hanging. Maybe I'll get motivated today while I watch the Lions lose(well maybe not, they just scored their 1st touchdown in the 1st quarter for the whole season!). Don't even get me going on the Detroit Tigers. They make it to the World Series and as of last night they are down 0-3. No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit to win......

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of meeting fellow stitchers, Rhonda, Anne and blogger Shari . Shari lives about 1hr 45 minutes away and was kind enough to open her home to us. The day went too fast and before I knew it I had to go, but I enjoyed seeing all the cross stitch in Shari's home and the projects that Rhonda brought. She loves over one and love to see them all! LOL We found out that Rhonda only lives 30 minutes from me and comes to my town to shop! So we are hoping to get together again sometime and get to know each other better. And can you believe it I don't have ONE picture of us....was hoping to get a group shot and Shari's husband didn't get home until I left!

Besides traveling to my stitching day, I also went to Indianapolis with the work girls for a seminar. We left the boss at home! Here we are doing a self portrait and then the capital building from the top of the hotel bar. We had a great time together and ate at one restaurant where the bill ended up being $350 with tip!! And we shared one appetizer and one dessert among the 4 of us!!!

I also went to a concert at the fair. It was Eddie Money.....I went to see him back in the early 80's when we were both a few years younger. But hey, the tickets were less than $20 and I got front row, middle seats. Yes, he sings about as well as he does in the Geico commercial. Here is my perspective from the evening and I wasn't zoomed in!

 

Also this month we decided to switch out our plain gray straight sidewalk with the stamped concrete like we did for our patio last year. Here are the progress photos. We have lots of moving of plants and new things to plant. I did get about 40 tulips planted when it was still 70 outside. Already looking forward to spring!!

removing the old sidewalk

While the staining powder is still on

After the stain is removed and now the sealant is on.

All of the fish are doing well and it was a sunny day,  so I thought I would try and get a picture to capture all of them. Well it's hard to get them to cooperate, but here is a large group of them. We'll see how many babies we get next spring and then decide if we need to weed out a few. If you are still with me, I really didn't plan on a post this long.....here is a photo of Amberlyn with her Uncle Brett's camo hat on and her "pretty" dress! Quite the combo!! Don't know what I'll have to share next time.....but hopefully you'll enjoy it! Happy Fall y'all!!!!

And as a PS....I haven't read a book in YEARS, well the girls at work were all talking about the "50 shades" trilogy. I told them to bring them in. I'm on book 3 now and I just started them last weekend. So add 2 books read to what I accomplished in October!