While I didn't do a lot of stitching for Christmas, I did do a couple of things.  This was a Homespun Elegance piece, "Merry Eweies."  It was shown as a framed picture on the chart, but I've become addicted to making the drums so decided to do that with it.  I actually stitched this on 18 ct. linen over two thinking it would be big enough for a pillow, but it just wasn't so that's when I looked at it and tried to think what I could do with it other than frame it and the drum became a reality.  Also I have had great success with finishing drums, but I have to admit this looked a little wonky at first but evenually I got it so it was presentable.  I just have it sitting on the candle holder to show you, that's not how it was gifted.  Anyway, I will try to show more but as usual I forgot to take the picture of the Lizzie Kate piece I did.  I  stitched Flora McSamples 2016 Treats and turned the long piece into a pin cushion, and the reindeer piece into a needlebook and then took one of the sheep off the pin cushion and made a scissor fob.  This I forgot to take a picture of.  Duh, my brain seems to be dead at times, especially around Christmas. Who am I kidding...all year long!   I'm sitting in the shop today, wondering what time the snow will happen (they say it's going to...although there is often a change we get rain instead) and hoping we get a snow day tomorrow.  Yes, I didn't work on Tuesday through Thursday and yet I'm hoping for a snow day.  There's something really decadent about a snow day for me.  For one thing I'm freezing in the shop.  It never ever seems to get warm enough when it's in the 20's and 30's outside.  I still have 3 layers on top plus my winter coat which I've had on since I arrived.  I'm about to put my gloves back on, although the little packs that you can put in your shoes and gloves to keep everything warm and toasty were sitting on the counter so perhaps I'll have to break one of those open, even though I got them for Sara.  I can't imagine anyone will be coming in today, so I'll use the time to catch up on social media and the catalog postings.  I always thought I would do that at home since I was suppose to be retired, however, I can't seem to get off the friggin IPad I purchased for work.  First of all, I've never even brought it to the shop so I don't know what the hell I was thinking.  But between it and Roku my stitching is taking a hit.  I have worked periodically on my needlepoint project, but even that should have been done by now.  I keep looking at the January challenges on Facebook hoping that would move me along, but no, I check them out, think to myself that I'm missing valuable time stitching by playing with the IPad and then pick up the IPad and play somemore.  I need a Facebook intervention.  At least with Roku I can stitch along.  I am pleased to say I have kept up with the reading and managed to get 32 books read in 2016.  But that's because I've refused to take the IPad in the bathroom (also know as my reading room) and I won't put a T.V. in there either.  It is strickly for reading.  I'm also distracted this week helping Michael with a research paper.  I loved school and writing was my thing so everyone felt I might be the best one to give him some instruction.  The problem for Michael is that I research endlessly and rewrite a paper everyday until it's due.  He's more of a one day, a couple hours at most and God forbid he reread anything.  So it's a struggle but we are muddling through.  I'm not sure I'll be his go to person next time.  First paper he's done and it's 7-10 pages.  He got to pick his topic and I just had to roll my eyes when he told me what it was.  I should have known since he watches very little T.V. but will watch the programs on Discovery over and over.  He picked "Moonshiners" as his topic.  Needless to say it wouldn't have been a topic I would pick, but I'm rolling with it and have more information then I would need in a lifetime on it. The only interesting part for me is studing prohibition, and that's probably the only part he doesn't want to read, and for that reason that is the first thing I had him study and write a report on for me.  Yes, it's like we're back in school again.  I'm thankful it will be over January 20th when the paper is due.  Skip a week...yes, I forgot to post the first part and we did get 3 snow days last week as it snowed Friday into Saturday night.  We got a total of 11 inches apparently so I didn't go outside for a total of 5 days.  And yet never stitched a thing.  We had Camp Wannastitch in town this weekend, 174 stitchers in all, so we were busy, busy, busy.  A bit shout out to all the stitchers and our thanks for making a wonderful weekend for us.  We were incredibly thankful that Stasi Buhrman drove over from Richmond to be our fabric cutter for the weekend.  She is our shop angel a lot and we always loved her, but boy we really love her now.  For some reason she loves cutting, although by the end of the weekend I'm sure she's rethinking that.  But by the next event where she's free and can come over to help, the memories must fade because she's willing to help us once again.  Thank you Stasi.  You really can't imagine how much that's appreciated.  Our Judy was babysitting the new babies, and frankly Sara and I would have killed each other if no one was here as a buffer.  I'm practically useless anymore so poor Sara is called on for everything in both shops and tempers flare, but at the end of the day we go out to eat and it's laughs and chuckles again.  Now while I loved seeing many of the stitchers we've come to know from this event, I'm thrilled to say the stitching gene has kicked in again and I've managed to finish stitching a small project....now I have to assemble it...UGH!  But it is small so that's on tonights schedule.  And I started another project which I was worrying about even stitching as it's on dark fabric, gunmetal, but I found my fears were baseless as it's not that hard to see...very different from black which I struggle with.  But while I still check out things on facebook, I'm not glued to it permanently anymore.  It's such a relief.  I really missed stitching.  So I guess the intervention can be called off.  Sara will be disappointed as she and her friends were going to make it a vodka fueled intervention as any excuse for a party will do!  Sorry Sara, the only intervention we may see is a vodka intervention for you and your friends.   So we're back open, snows gone and we're gearing up for our annual Super Bowl Sale.  It will be held as usual Super Bowl Weekend and will start Friday and continue through Sunday.  So get your orders ready and call it in, mail it in, e-mail it in and better still come in and join us for our Super Bowl party on sunday where we add food to the shopping experience.  And for those who are retreating here on the property or anyone really, if you have certain fabrics, fibers or charts you know you what please let us know as soon as possible so we can make sure they are here for you.  We still have a little, and I do mean  a little time left in order to get things.