I think I made two

SAL check-ins that is.  A warning up front, this is going to be long and very picture heavy.  When the bug returns, it returns full force!  And you don't need to adjust your calendars, it is Wednesday.  I'm on vacation (When I turned off my computer on Thursday, I wouldn't need to turn it back on for 19 days (excepting, of course, if we don't get a continuing resolution signed and we have to go through all the furlough preparations again!!!)).  Lots of crafting and stitching, two trips and Thanksgiving are all happening in the next two weeks.  I have a list of things I want to accomplish each day and so far, I'm on track.

Before I get to that

Yes, that is snow, falling from the sky, in my backyard in central Virginia, in November!!!  I know, it's not anything near what others received, but it was a jolt to our system.

A couple days later I looked out and saw:

Sorry for poor quality, picture is shot through a window and window screen

That's a doe with two fawns and if you look closely, the fawns are still spotted!  They all looked very healthy but it is awfully late in the year for fawns this small.  We still have green in our yard and usually do most of the winter, but I don't think it's terribly high quality (I'm tempted to go to the supply store and get some food to put out for them but it's hunting season and don't want to be charged with baiting).  We've also got a few either-sex hunting days coming up.  If they stay on our land and the neighbors' they're safe (and have almost 40 acres among the three of us) to roam, but if they roam further (which they may have to do given the lack of food) they won't be.

On a happier note, first on the list was to FFO (fully or finally finished object) the Mom and Dad pillows for DNiece and DNephew: 

The pillows finished up about 7-1/2" square-ish.  There are a few mistakes, but I'm happy with them (and I got them off the to-do list).

and Jack's stocking:

The photo is dark but by the time I put the last stitch in, it was close to midnight (I am very much a night-owl when I'm not working).  The piping and backing fabric are a dark mottled blue (close to DMC 939).

Once I FFOd the stitching, I started paper crafting.  I have a thing for exploding boxes and made three.

One for DNiece Jenn who is getting married on December 5th:

One for DNiece Libby's baby shower (this coming weekend!!!! and trip one):

Here's the outside:

And the inside:

I had a bit of trouble with this one as I had a completely different idea for the center panel.  When I tried it, it looked "blah", so I was stuck - you know when your initial idea doesn't work and your brain refuses to think of anything but the original idea?  Yep, that happened to me.  Finally came up with this, but still not thrilled.  Last night, just as I was falling asleep, I thought "rocking horse", but I don't think I can take the middle apart without tearing the whole thing up, so will leave the cradle and save the rocking horse idea for another card.

And one for Jack's birthday (hard to believe he'll be one in two weeks).   Anyway, the invitation to Jack's birthday party (that's my second trip) was farm themed, so I made a barn and toddler (YES!! he's walking!  The family text got a video of him last week.  He started towards Mom but saw Dad and headed straight to him and gave him a big hug when he got there (so stinking cute)) appropriate animals:

Please excuse the mess in the background - I hadn't cleaned up and I am, despite my best efforts, a very messy crafter.  Other than the one panel for the door, the outside of the card is plain red paper embossed with a wood grain.  The lid is embossed with a quilted heart pattern that I thought looked like shingles on black and has a weather vane with his monogram in the middle and the little border around the middle of the inside is "carrots" and "tomatoes".  I love, love, love how this one turned out.

So stitching and SALs...

I definitely, unofficially, participated in  this weekend.  I totally lost track of time so didn't register, but I stitched.  If you're not familiar with IHSW, it's a chance for you to say "not this weekend dear(s), I'm stitching" and just enjoy your stitching time.  No pressure or stress, no stitches to count, no hours to log, just stitch what you can - when you can.

I worked on Forever and Ever by Cottage Garden Samplings first.  I almost had the second flower's outline done but it didn't line up.  I was one off.  I could have fudged it, but it would have bugged me so found the error:

rrriiiggghhhttt there I needed to be over one to the right so ripped it all back.  Got that done and restitched the outline and started filling the flower in.  I got to here:

Stitched on 40-count Tin Roof from Week's Dye Works with DMC conversion. 1 thread over 2

Rather then continue with this one as I should, I went on a starting spree.  Oh yes, I started five new projects in two days (I knew inventorying my stash would be dangerous - not sure how many will be started by the time I'm done with that task).  

 First, I started Luna from Nora Corbett's Bewitching Pixies series.

The fabric is a 28-count EErie Twilight from Sunny Dyes Fabrics and I love it.  It's a painted fabric so the back doesn't have the moon and trees but it does have the blue/grey/black coloring.  She has a bunch of very unique fabrics and the shipping was quick.  I'm using all the called for DMCs, Kreiniks and beads.

Then I started Temperature Tree from Stitchin' Mommy.

I plan to get the tree done so I can start stitching the leaves on January 1st.  This is being stitched on an 18-count Fiddlers Light (it was one of the many tubes of fabric I had in the dresser) with her called for "extreme temperature" colors.

Next up was part 1 of Time for Seasons from By the Bay Needlearts.

I am doing one of the alternate corners that Donna provided.  I'm stitching this on 18-count Rustico/Natural Aida with the called for DMC.  I'm sure I won't keep up with the releases, but it's nice to have the start.

And another SAL that I won't keep up with - Jardin Prive's 2019 Noel Stitch Along:

I'm stitching with White Etoile on a 22-count something (I bought it at an estate sale and the color was worn off the label).  It's not as bright a red as shown here - somewhere between Christmas red and burgundy.  The sparkle in the Etoile, as many have said, really doesn't show on camera and the contrast between the fabric and thread is driving the focus crazy anyway.  This is part 3 of 5 (she is uploaded a part each Saturday).  I started with part 3 as it's the top left corner of the design.

Next was:

Gingerbread Lighthouse by Shannon Christine Designs.  I'm stitching this on a 14-count opalescent Blizzard Blue Aida with the called for threads and beads.  I started this on in the bottom right corner.  Here's a really bad picture of the pattern cover - 

Despite this picture, it is a high quality download

Last, but definitely not least and one I'm really excited about is J from Letters from Nora by Nora Corbett.

This is one evening's stitching.  I'm using 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan (it's much lighter than showing in the picture) in a DMC/Kreinik/Mill Hill/Just Another Button Company Christmas conversion.  I saw it at The Rocking Horse cross stitch shop in Farmington, Michigan right before they closed and was able to get their conversion. They used to have it on their website, but I honestly haven't checked to see if they still do.    

So, yes, I hermitted and stitched.  I'm also counting all of the above for .  Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching and is a way for us to say "thank you" for gifted stitching goodies, show things we are stitching as gifts or whatever else we can shoehorn into the theme.  For the above,  Forever and Ever is a gift so that's an easy one.  I'm shoehorning the rest as I gave myself the gift of time (and permission) to start them.   

So 14 more days of vacation.  Today I plan to work on Christmas cards and then stitch and crochet (I am getting close to a finish on DSon's throw).  If you've read to here - thank you.  Seems that along with the stitching bug, the blogging bug has returned (and posting keeps me accountable).