Countdown to Christmas

Greetings friends! Here I am, another late night with our crazy schedule... and I just wanted to pop in and share some holiday musings. I don't know about you, but this time of year, I have a really hard time trying to accomplish everything on my list. The balancing act is real, while I try to complete work, family, and home obligations...as well as make gifts and prepare for Christmas and the New Year...why do I always feel the need to be an overachiever this time of year? I try to make as many of my gifts as possible...and this year, I am finding myself a bit behind. I am doing my best to spend this holiday season with a happy and grateful heart...and I hope things will fall into place with the holiday rush. 

This week, I managed to get an overdue finishing order complete and shipped at the last minute...content photographed and filmed for my upcoming Therm O Web blog post (cross stitch ornament finishing)...two projects and photos completed for a Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown (coming soon!)...a pile of sewing done for my Etsy Shop (if you are looking for my project bags, go take a look)...and some of my gift making complete. We had several challenging household things going on this week that hindered our sleeping schedule, that in turn took time away from my to-do list...so I am scrambling a bit. A few gifts may arrive to their recipients a bit late this year (SIGH!).

While it has been a struggle this week, there were moments of kindness and joy that brightened my week. Last Saturday evening, my neighbors had a watch party for the new Hallmark Christmas movie Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. This movie was filmed in Kansas City in July and the city has been a buzz about it for months...hence several of our neighbors got together for a watch party. My husband was working, but it was still fun to get together with a group of our favorite neighbors and enjoy good food and a cheesy holiday movie. We had appetizers and hot cider and laughed - A LOT - it was good for my soul. We will get together with the same group, plus a few more, for a KC Christmas light tour later this month (a bus has been rented!).

...and, see that beautiful evergreen wreath at the top of this post? - my dear friend Katie gave that to me for Christmas to make my home look and smell like the holidays. I am still yet to get a Christmas tree (as we have discussed), so it is nice to have this beautiful wreath on my dining table. It is real pine and needs watering...and it smells amazing.

To close out this update - I mentioned I was gifted an incredible advent box in a previous post. This was a complete surprise and touched me deeply...not only the gift, but the very special card and note that were included. Truth be told, I have been feeling a bit down on myself and kind of like a failure (all work related) ...and the note included made me feel encouraged and loved. This is from Missouri Star Quilt Company - it is Jenny's Countdown to Christmas 2024 Box. When I tell you that each year I go out and look at this box and dream about it - even watching the unboxing videos each year, I am not exaggerating. It has never been something I could justify or afford. This surprise was definitely a gift from the heart and I am extremely grateful. Since this is a quilty/creative box, I thought I would share the box and the first five packages in today's post. This is not really a spoiler, as everyone who has this box should already have the first five gifts open - but if you do not want to know what was in each of the first five packages, stop reading/looking now...
Click on images, if you want a larger view...

Day 1: Scrappy Fabric Card Making Kit
This kit is really sweet with lots of stencils to cut scraps of
fabric and fusible adhesive, plus the cards and envelopes
to sew them too...plus a little booklet of ideas. I love this!

Day 2: Adorable Iron-shaped Tin with Embellishments
A very fun iron-shaped tin with cute buttons, beads, bows, bells, and pins.
A great mix of useful items! Now to decide what to keep in the tin....

Day 3: A Set of Quilty Measuring Bowls and a Gingerbread Recipe
Aren't these wonderful?! I was sad to find the 1/3 cup shattered from shipping
(it is the one that is barely visible)...but I sent MSQC an e-mail
(which I thought was a longshot) and they are sending me a replacement
as soon as it is available...phenomenal customer service!
These may end up in my sewing room in some capacity...

Day 4: Welcome Home Quilt Pattern and Special Fabric Panel
I think this is such a fun idea..you use doors printed on the fabric panel for
each of the houses in the quilt. Each door is different and you pick your favorites.
I would love to make time to create this mini quilt!

Day 5: Wooden Quilt Hangers
Believe it or not, I have had sets of these in my Amazon wish list
for a couple years! I am super excited to try them out.
My husband already picked a spot to hang them...now I 
just have to pick one of my quilts to hang.

So, there you have it - the first five days of the advent box - each day has been a real treat to open and I am thoroughly enjoying this heartfelt gift for the season!!

For now, I am back to my sewing room - I have another pile of project bags to sew and list. Next up on the list will be a customer order...then gifts to make. I also must make time to write several blog posts and tutorials...plus put together a few videos. Here are a few dates for you to remember:

• December 13th - I have a special project for day three of the Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown
• December 16th - Cross Stitch Ornament Finishing Tutorial for the Therm O Web Blog
• December 17th - I have another special project for day seven of the Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown

Finally, this Saturday, I got tickets for my husband and I to go the Overland Park Arboretum for the Luminary Walk. There are illuminated pathways through the gardens, along with musical performances throughout. The gardens glow with color, while candle-lit woodland walkways create a serene atmosphere...and the trees, buildings, and bridges shimmer with thousands of lights. Santa will be visiting, and the trains will be running in the Train Garden...plus hot cider and popcorn. The weather is supposed to be warmer and nicer this weekend, so I picked the perfect day! I am hoping to get good photos to share with you next week...

Friendsgiving Charcuterie Workshop

Hello friends! For those that celebrated, I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving Day. My husband had the day off work (for a change) and we enjoyed a nice meal with a dear friend that we invited to share the evening with us. After cooking a turducken (at the request of a friend) last year and all the fixins', this year I opted for catering from our local grocery store - way less work and mess. We had a traditional meal with ham instead of turkey, opened a nice bottle of wine and enjoyed a day of rest before the busyness leading up to Christmas.

Today I am sharing photos from another festive event I attended over the weekend. I took a Friendsgiving Charcuterie Workshop at KC Wine Co with a VERY fun group of friends! This was such a great event - and while I didn't really need a class on how to build a charcuterie board, I did learn a few things. The workshop was held in the incredible KC Wine Co Black Barn (a fabulous venue) and it was decorated beautifully for the holidays. There were thousands of twinkling lights, a full-size sleigh, lots of colorful trees and special cocktails for the holidays. The class included a 9" x 9" disposable plate to craft on, class materials and a take home box, crafting tips, and a complimentary glass of wine (we all had the hard cider - I had the Caramel Apple Pie Hard Cider and it was delish!). The workshop was sold out and the tables were decorated beautifully - each tray had a mini jar of honey with wooden dipper and a cute selection of autumn cocktail picks/skewers. We thoroughly enjoyed building our own boards...then we had a holiday cocktail together and watched the first half of the Chiefs game. I tried the Mistletoe Margarita (so good!) that came in an adorable glass that I was able to take home. Best of all, I had quality time with some of the wonderful women in my life...and that was just what I needed!

Festive Fox - 2024 Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament

Greetings friends - thank you for stopping by for a visit on this very special day....and to those celebrating in the United States, happy Thanksgiving. Today is my 2024 Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament unveiling and release day! Thanksgiving Day seemed like the perfect time to share my yearly complimentary cross stitch ornament design, as I am extremely grateful to be a part of your stitching journey. Yes, if you are here, then you must be a part of the stitching community that I love so dearly. Since I stood up for my artistry in 2020 and decided to release a yearly ornament on my own and not through a publication (if you are new here, please see this important post for context), I have the honor of feeling the love from so many stitchers that value my art and designs. It brings me immense joy to design a holiday ornament each year and share it on my own terms with stitchers who appreciate me and my passion for needle and thread. On this day of thanks, I want to thank YOU for a multitude of things: for allowing me the opportunity to continue to pursue my passion...for your kind support of my needlework and quilting designs...for making purchases in my Etsy Shop...for inspiring me...for your uplifting comments, notes and emails...and for sharing your enthusiasm of all things needle and thread with me. I kindly ask you please take a moment to read all the details below before downloading the chart - then enjoy!

This year's ornament is another in my Woodland Ornament Series...it is "Festive Fox." I had so much fun designing this happy winter fox with his lovely red scarf. It complements my previous ornaments and is in the same style as my 2021, 2022, and 2023 ornaments (My Frosty Friend, Bundled Up Birdie, and Peppermint Pressie). I continued in my flat-finish tradition (if you stitch it on 32-count fabric, 3 1/4" circles work perfectly) and used DMC floss (321 and 505) to make two-tone twisted cord. I decided to attach a 3/8" red gingham ribbon bow with a couple 1/2" red jingle bells. I used hand-dyed 32-count fabric again this year...search your stash for a darker neutral fabric...just make sure the white floss will stand out. I used Weeks Dye Works cotton floss for the model and provide DMC conversions with the chart, if you prefer. I truly hope this cheerful fox will bring a smile to your face - please stitch it with a happy heart. 

As an added bonus this year, I will be sharing a finishing tutorial on the Therm O Web Blog in December - this will give you time to stitch your ornament and be ready to put it together. There will be templates and a step-by-step finishing tutorial available on the Therm O Web Blog on December 16th...along with a video tutorial Reel/Short on my Instagram Feed and YouTube Channel. You can also find the exact supplies I used for finishing by visiting the posts in my Amazon Shop (note, as an influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases).

You can find the printable PDF chart for "Festive Fox" here: https://blueribbondesigns.com/free-charts/

I kindly ask you do not post the actual chart on the Internet/social media or on Pinterest - instead, post a photo of the finished piece and/or direct users to this post or my website.

My hope is that my gift to you inspires you to pay it forward by giving a holiday surprise to someone you love or someone in need! I would love to start a movement of giving and positivity. I also hope this complimentary pattern will entice you to visit my website and/or Etsy Shop to take a look (all shippable orders will include a pretty printed "Festive Fox" chart)...or if you feel so inclined, you can Buy Me a Coffee or shop at Amazon via my link...it is definitely not required or necessary, but truly appreciated. Thank you for supporting my creativity and valuing my artistry!💕

NOTE: To be fair, I want to note, Just CrossStitch Magazine has since changed their policy going forward (starting with the 2022 Christmas Ornament Issue) - they are now compensating designers for submissions (insert applause here). I should also note - they have not invited me to design an ornament since I sent them the letter in December 2020 and posted about it publicly online. I want to thank each and every one of you who spread the word regarding my blog post and called out Just CrossStitch Magazine for their outdated non-compensation policy (my message truly went viral!). While they did not reach out to me for the 2022-2024 publications, I am proud of myself and everyone who stood with me to make this change that benefits all cross stitch designers working with them going forward. Thank you for helping me find my voice to make a difference.

Finally - if you plan to stitch "Festive Fox,"  I hope you will share an image of your progress or finished ornament on social media and tag me, so I can see it. It truly warms my heart to see each of you stitching my designs!

This holiday season, may your heart be full of joy, may you find some creative time each day, and may you see the beauty that surrounds you. Take a little time to count your blessings…and a little time to stitch…

Spend the Holiday Season with Me

As November comes to a close and I am preparing for the holiday season, I plan to have a plethora of blog posts to keep in the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas. There will be a few surprises, some handmade holiday gift ideas, and several posts of seasonal things I have planned in the Kansas City area....plus I was (MAJORLY) surprised this week with a VERY special advent calendar box (think quilting) by an even more special person and I will share some of the contents with you. It will be a fun, content-filled month! 

Many of you are aware that my husband is in management for UPS. For twenty-five years, he has pretty much worked around the clock during the holidays - when he is not at the facility, he is on call (and he always answers his phone). With his (our) night schedule, I expect this season will have additional stress. During peak season, he works six days a week, with only Saturday off  (except this coming Saturday, of course he works the Saturday after Black Friday). This always leaves me feeling alone and alienated at holiday time, as our family is all quite a distance away...and it is usually just me (one of the reasons I still haven't spent the money on a good artificial tree to display all my handmade ornaments - I know, I know, I need to save the money for a tree). So, I decided this year I would schedule something every Saturday to get me (us) out of the house and enjoy the beauty of Kansas City at Christmas time. I will be sharing those outings here with some festive posts. I know others can relate to feeling down and alone during the holiday season, so let's get through the next month together!

Over the last weekend, we went on our first outing - a trip to GloWild at the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium. This yearly fundraiser is presented by Saint Luke's Health System and is a nighttime, walking journey with over a mile-long spectacle of intricate lighted sculptures. The animals are not on display at night, but the KC Zoo Railroad is decorated for Christmas (with the Grinch as the conductor) and travels through a lit Christmas Tree Farm. You can visit Santa and decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus...ride the Endangered Species Carousel...listen to local music and choirs...and have holiday food and beverages. This year the theme is “Legends & Lore” - an enchanting nighttime journey through two distinct loops: the adventure loop, with elements like Atlantis and dinosaurs, and the fantasy loop, which includes an enchanted forest and a fairy garden. I took some really fun photos and thought I would share them here...come along on this magical journey with me...

It really was a fun experience...and while it was chilly at night, I was bundled up and comfortable for our stroll through the lighted sculptures. I really enjoyed this event and hope to make it a yearly visit.

I will be back tomorrow (Thanksgiving) with the post you have all been waiting for - the unveiling of my 2024 Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament...so, be sure to stop back to see the new addition to my Woodland Ornament Series...this year's ornament truly brings a smile to my face...💖