Almost Christmas...

Can you believe it is the end of the year already?! This year seemed to fly by in a blink of an eye!! December is usually the busiest time for me, but I did manage to make some progress on my stitching. I am really enjoying stitching this piece~

I needed a new Christmas wreath for the front door this year, cause the one I had accidentally dropped on to the floor and broke. With limited time and a tight schedule, I needed something simple and quick to make. So after a little research, I decided to put together this ornament wreath~ I think it is pretty festive, don't you say?

Although it is almost Christmas, we are still having some summer-like weather, and my plants seem to enjoy it very much, flowers blooming left and right~ My favorites are these violate blooms. Since both these plants have never flowered before, I had no idea what the flowers would look like, so I was very surprised when I saw them. Aren't they beautiful?!

And here are some reds that are blooming, adding a little Christmas to my balcony~

And finally, some orange and green in the mix!

So are you all ready for Christmas? I'm getting there!!! May you all have a wonderful holiday!!!

Stitching Again~

It has been a while since I started a cross stitch project. My hands were itching, so I pulled out my fabrics and thread.  

I really enjoy the process of seeing the design coming alive on the fabric. It so felt good to be stitching again! 

Our county was giving out free plants a month ago. I brought home a Hibiscus without knowing what kind of flower it has. It had its first bloom this week, and it was an orange blossom with multi petals extending from the base of the bloom!!! What a pleasant surprise~  

These are my little happiness recently. What are yours?

Autumn...

Long time no see, my daring friends, summer has been very busy for me, and when I look up, fall has sneaked in!!! It took me a while, but I finally finished the applique of my Hawaiian quilt~~ It has been a struggle, I had to take apart some portions of it cause I just didn't like how it looks, still not 100% satisfied with it, but I am going to set it aside for now, and come back to it with a fresh eye later.

And then there is my crazy quilt sewing machine cover. I am working on hand quilting it right now. It is quite a challenge to hand quilt through so many layers, but with the help of a pair of trusty pliers, it is coming along just fine. 

Some other things I did during summer, a little gardening fun~ While I was eating dragon fruit one day, I looked at those millions of little seeds and just thought it might be fun to germinate them so I did, and to my amazement, they really did germinate!!! Their little leaves are so fresh and cute, and with time they start showing their cactus characters~ 

And then I thought, a little bit dressing up is needed!!! So a few leftover fabrics and cute mushrooms later, this is what I ended up with~~ Aren't they just adorable?! I will have to make more of these, they make perfect gifts, won't you say?

Speaking of fall weathers, in sub-tropical Taiwan, it means it's time for blooms again!! Because our summer is too hot for flowers to survive, winter is the best time for them to thrive. Now that the weather is cooling down again, I filled my balcony with lavenders and daisy. It is such a joy to see them greeting me every morning, while I enjoy my breakfast on the balcony~~

So that is my story lately. What have you been busying? By the way, if you haven't already noticed, Nancy over at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe has been hosting some awesome giveaways, be sure to join the fun if you haven't already!!!

A Wedding Blessing

My little sister Eliza just got married this pass June, and I was so lucky to start cross stitching just in time to make her a wedding gift. I picked this wedding sampler cause I think it is cute and sweet just like my little sister!!

Pattern: Bent Creek "I Do"
Thread: DMC cotton floss
Fabric: 18ct oatmeal aida by Regency Mills
Size: 4" x 6"
Completion Date: 05-05-2008

I changed out the wedding ring design and replaced it with a diamond ring in order to fit their name in. This was actually Sam's idea and I think it was a great one!! I also added in a giraffe so they will remember whom this gift was from~ I would have arranged it a little differently if it was not such an after thought, but I think it turned out ok.

I also decorated some potted plants with little mushrooms and ladybugs for the bride and groom to give away on their wedding. They also served as table arrangements with digital photo frames provided by the groom's brother, and I think they looked cute!! I even wanted to keep one for myself, but it was all gone before the party ended!! I'm glad that they were so popular, though~

I'm so happy for Eliza and Yi-Chen that after 10 long years of dating and half of it being a long distance relationship, they finally got married. I'm sure if this didn't stop them from being together, nothing can separate them!!