Inspirational Color for Abigail's Christmas Sampler

Brasstown Bald mountain is the highest peak in Georgia and at the tower, you can walk in a circle and see the tips of 4 states, including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennesee.

Before my computer took a major crash, I thought I had lost all data but just got my computer back this afternoon and had to share our last weekend visit with you. It's not far from our house.

 I also took a few videos with my camera and this was the first time I learned how to do that. 


If you love the mountains like we do, you will like to see these pics!

The leaves had peaked in the valley and as you will see, the pics on top of Brasstown Bald Mountain, all the trees are bare.

on the drive up to Brasstown, patchy color left on the road.

It was a cloudless, beautiful, sunny day.

The kind of day to go up to the top of Brasstown Bald Mountain.

Here I am standing in the parking lot and you can see the lookout tower at the top.

They give you the option to hike up the steep, steep .6 mile which really feels like 6 miles,  or a van will drive you up there.

Years ago, I hiked but today we took the van.

a close up view of the tower, you will later see in the pics.....

The season just closed the other half of the tower which holds a museum of local memorabilia and a great educational spot for kids and adults. Only the tower at the top to walk around was open.

Another reason I like the van better.

For the past 10 years at least, the same driver has been here. He is very cheerful and loves his job!

He dropped us off here and up to the tower.

I love to walk along the rails.

Body Guard stands back a bit. I don't mind going to the edge of heights but he is a bit reserved and prefers to profile the visitors there instead. LOL

This is the breathtaking view.

I love the edge.

and around and around we go.

This is actually Lake Chatuge and Hawaissee, Georgia in the background.

Looking up.......I love you to the moon and back.

It was quite a windy day but it did renew my spirit to be on top of the mountain.

The natural elements grounded me.

It reminded me that things that look so big, can really be so small. This is the parking lot, so very small now, where we were parked earlier.

And the Van Man came back every 20-30 minutes to pick up those waiting at the bottom of the tower.

Here is Moi looking up at my hubbie playing around while we waited for the van.

And in walking distance from our home, was this one beautiful red, brilliant red tree.

I hopped out of the car to take some pics and enjoy the color.

Another reminder that there are at least one or two spots of breath-taking beauty, even in the valleys.

I picked one of the many flowers in our yard that was blooming and put two contrasting colors with a bud, in a tea cup.

the colors inspired me to start designing Abigail's Christmas Sampler. Here's a sneak peak!

And Miss Abbie herself, is pleased with the sampler so far!  ;)

She is my constant lapanion........a companion in the lap.

Till later,

Jennifer

Abbie and me on the porch this afternoon

My attempt to make a cushion cover is a bit ragged but after I machine-sewed the material on the sides, both BodyGuard and me turned in all kinds of contortions on the porch trying to stuff the very long cushion into it.

Then afterwards, he says to me....."hey, how are you going to sew these ends?"

Hmmm.......well, hand sewing now. Definitely not taking it off and rolling in the floor with it again to fit it back in. :0

So in the interim, Abbie is clinging to the chaise as if I made this for her new home. She is loving the chaise because the weather is so pretty today and I don't blame her.  If I didn't have other things to do around the house, I would be lying in it right now and I may just do that this evening. I think stitching here tonight with my new Mighty-Brite small light may be in order later on.

Got out my pumpkins and Fall decor and put a little shelf up in the kitchen, changed out the kitchen curtains, and made the center island, wooden bowl full of Fallish things, like pumpkins.

In the busy rustle of things, the Labs are also enjoying the weather by sleeping upside down in their dog house. This pic was taken during all the commotion with the cushion on the back porch. Nothing wakes Ruby.

I would show you a picture of the section of painted boards that I thought was primer.....since it was a lavender gray.....but it's not, it's supposed to be the porch paint. I looked out in the morning sun and asked BG if that was primer and he said, no that is the paint.......he said

"deck paint only comes in 3 colors"

He may as well have said.......  anything  ........By then I was biting my fingernails on how NOT to hurt his feelings because we really needed this painted but not in Lavender Lace. I gave up on trying to explain the difference in cool colors and warm colors. He gave me a very blank look and he didn't really know about picking out colors......

 Well out in the sun, it glows so we have to start over with that project. We have alot, alot of porches to paint before the leaves fall.

This is Ruby at the top. She is the matriarch of the whole pack. She's the "laid-back" one. Of course, she favors Body Guard and my Lab is Raven, the "goofie, hyper one".  They come alive about 9pm, at which they bark at everything and run around the house, like it's a Chuckie Cheese.  What's really funny is that have a real bear in the yard some nights.....LOL

And then, there's Abbie, who absolutely has fallen in love with the chaise on the porch and thinks I'm trying to make a cushion cover just for her lounging in the afternoons. She did try to "help" me put this on. ;)

I wonder if she will let me finish hand sewing the ends. This is about the time I think that one of those hand sewing machines would be a nifty item to have around the house!

so the Sofa Queen turned Chaise Queen today. She's sporting her new sweater.

This is her Princess bowls we got while we were in Chicagoland.

Yes, she is spoiled..........rotten.

I made a little runner to put on the kitchen island from some fabbie in my stash.

Put up a little shelf I got at a thrift store about 2 months ago. I have a big weakness for hearts....literally.....I love hearts. I had a very large shelf like this in my older house that the buyer wanted to stay with the house and I caved but there were many times I wished I had brought it with me. This little shelf is smaller but reminds me of the one I had in my old kitchen. It has a groove for plates at the top but I put a very old stitched piece on it that I've had for about 5 years now, I bought at auction. It's a very pretty monochromatic piece and very colonial.

This sampler to the left I stitched and is one of The Sampler Girl Designs. I really love it and it stays there every season. For interests, her website is the coolest.....you must check it out!

I put some dried flowers through my hanging basket holder.

Didn't really get a good picture of my kitchen curtain change due to the camera and the lighting but I changed those out. Summer curtains are tucked away.

And put some of my stitched pieces around in different places.  The cupboards are almost bare as emptying the dishwasher is next on my list of things to do. Don't you love emptying the dishwasher??????

Men totally do not understand this nesting and re-arranging thing that many women (including myself) do each season but it really is comforting in many ways, or to me it is. It's just a way of cozying up the house and making a home, a home. And it's not that this is a bad thing. I think we just think differently. God made us that way.

Men think functional and practical.

Women think about the big picture and sentimentally.

But this is just my opinion, I could be very wrong and I know this is just a generalization of what I've encountered. It's kinda like Ying and Yang.....LOL

So, can you see Waldo in this picture?????  hint, in the lower left corner.

Well, more to do, so best get busy. Sunday nights are the busiest for me. By then, I'm rested up, and new energy sets in for the Monday morning, which is a good thing!

No cooking tonight....Wendy's Chili with fries for supper.

And the Fallower Fall Give-a-way Winner is:::::::::::

The Fallower Fall Give-a-way drawing at midnight last night from the Random Computer Number Generator picked this lovely lady!

Patti from United Kingdom

Patti thank you so much for your kind thoughts and I hope you enjoy your added stash items.

Email me at jennifer.dalenberg@yahoo.com  for your snail mail address

Thank you so much for sharing your Fall thoughts with me. I loved reading every comment and got to visit with new folks who also love stitching all around the world!

We are getting ready for our trip to Chicago in just a couple of weeks. I'm so excited about it!  Abbie is already practicing her longest howling notes.

All the hustle and bustle of activities before going on a trip takes us a couple of weeks to get going, planning this and that, and when and what.

I know that is about as clear as mud but honestly time is flying so fast and so many things to do before we leave are spinning my head.

Today I spent many hours designing some new samplers for future stitching projects. I really am enjoying it and hope I can burn the needle a bit faster to share.

Any day I should get a good supply of some new overdyed threads to tweak and put the final touches on the projects I'm working on. I guess you could say I'm like a kid at heart in the middle of August with a new pack of Crayons for the year.

 Back to the thread before bed,

Jennifer

The Fallower Fall Give-A-Way starts here~~~

Who is in the mood for some Fall stitching?????

some Quaker stitching?????

something practical for Fall and Quaker???????

Yep, if you are the lucky Fallower for this Spectacles Pocket ( Quaker Pocket Needfuls) by Primitive Traditions

PLUS!

32 count Vintage Autumn Field Belfast linen

Plus a Kelmscott Acorn Threadkeeper

(threads not included)

for a Fall Stashing Give-a-way

on Feathers in the Nest!

I'm itching for Fall right now, literally, with a Ragweed allergy from......well, a hot place. ;)

Ezema is the name of the game right now.

So, I'm looking forward to that first good frost which is probably a good ways away when ragweed and other allergens pass away; however,

getting a jump-start on Fall stitching is just plain fun to do in anticipation of cooler days, sweaters, boots, pumpkins, mums, and leaf-color, day-tripping here in the mountains!

If you are like me and usually can't find your spectacles to stitch your designs, you need to make a pocket for them to stash in your purse or stitching bag.

Included in this give-a-way are the new pattern of The Spectacles Pocket by Primitive Traditions (Quaker style), Kelmscott Acorn Thread keeper in Mother of Pearl, and a 13 x 18 cut of 32 ct Vintage Autumn Field Belfast linen!

Important reminders are:

1) post only to this posting if you want a chance or two or three for this lovely set

2) must be a follower new, or old, or anything in between. New followers are always welcome!

3)international accepted

4) for 2 chances make a separate posting and name your most favorite thing about Fall, whether it be flowers (mums), food, cooler weather, football games, school-starting, or any other Fallower-friendly thing that makes you smile.  ;)

My favorite thing about Fall is starting up the fireplace at the homestead. I love warming toes together with my honey by the fireplace!

5) for 3 chances post a separate posting that you have shared this on your blog (if you have one) in some way.

Starts today and ends August 31st at midnight EST USA.

Good luck!