Stitch from Stash and Just Nan SAL check-in

We interrupt our regularly scheduled post for....  CONGRATULATIONS to DNiece!!!!  She graduated Summa Cum Laude (she's beautiful and smart!!) from Western Michigan University this afternoon with a Bachelors of Science degree majoring in occupational therapy.  She has a few weeks off before she heads back to study for her Masters .

Onto the regularly scheduled post.... Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment on my blog - I still find it hard to believe that anyone but me reads it!!

Before I get onto the stitching pictures, because I have been the recipient of this look (not in this situation) but the look is very familiar and the sentiment is all cat!!!

I traced this from blog to blog but could not find the originating site, if anyone has that info, I will certainly update the post.

After weeks of gorging themselves at the feeders, the hordes of gold finches seem to have taken off for their summer homes.  There are three at the feeders right now where before there might have been a couple dozen - it is strangely quiet outside without their song.  The departure of the gold finches means the arrival of the hummingbirds.  We have two so far but have had up to 12 - gets a little crazy around the feeders.

On to SAL check-ins.  Today I have two:    and .

Mel at Epic Stitching is hosting the Stitch form Stash SAL.  Not a lot of stress associated with this SAL, it is, as the name suggests, an incentive to use up some of that stash that you may have accumulated over the years.  There is a rather, at least in my thoughts, generous $25.00 allowance each month and it rolls over so still plenty of opportunity to purchase that must have stash. 

So for April my spending report is:

Carry over:             $ 75.00
Allowance:                25.00
Purchases:                   0.00
Balance Forward:  $100.00

The first month or two were really difficult but it is definitely getting easier and it is nice to see the stash being reduced.  I had three starts from my stash this month:   

Two Little House Needleworks, All is Calm and Frosty Flakes.  I finished All is Calm and will be showing that in my Smalls SAL post but here is where I got on Frosty Flakes yesterday:

Stitched on 30-count WDW Straw with DMC, Crescent Colours and WDW

The bird was charted in the same white as the snowman, but I like cardinals and we don't have any white birds around here in the winter, or ever when I think on it, so I stitched the bird in WDW Brick.

And Lizzie*Kate's Holly and Hearts:

Stitched on unknown 32-count Silkweaver evenweave with Weeks Dye Works

Zeb at Keep Calm and Cross Stitch is hosting the Just Nan SAL.  I have so many Just Nan patterns in my stash, many kitted up and ready to go, so it was great to find a SAL that got me to pull them out and get some of them stitched.  Strawberry Summer  is in the Just Nan slot in the rotation right now.

It went from here:

To here:

It is stitched on 28-count Savannah Rose with DMC floss and perle cotton and beads as called for.  I am about 3/4 through this one and am already planning for the next one, no I don't have one picked out yet but I do love the planning.