Embroidered Pencil Cup

I have always loved Southwestern Design, but haven't been brave enough incorporate it into my wardrobe too much.  But I did find a way to put it on my art desk.

I found this pencil cup at Dollar Tree, for (gasp!) a dollar!  Plus tax.  : / I had the embroidery thread from my mom.  That plus a needle and you have all you need to decorate a pencil cup.

I doubled up the thread because I needed it thicker.  I would have used yarn, but I gave it all away after I failed miserably, AGAIN, at attempting to learn how to crochet. 

I made sure my stitches covered up the tail, so the inside of the cup wouldn't look too shabby. 

I did this without a plan, knowing that I wanted to incorporate at least one arrow.  I ended up with two because I liked it so much and one stripe. 

Are you dying to try this yet?  I want to do another one.  I might have to go back to Dollar Tree tomorrow.

What a Beautiful Gift

As you know, we went and stayed with my In-laws for Christmas and had a great time.  We left a few things behind to be mailed to us.  I got a couple boxes in the mail and there was something in one that came as a very pleasant surprise.  It was this blanket.

Isn't is just beautiful?  Attached to it was a note that said, "Give to Jim and Les (my in-laws).  For your first grandchild.  Yvette (Hubby's grandmother that passed away before we had kids)."  I honestly couldn't think of a better surprise than that.  This isn't the first blanket that we have that Yvette made, but right now, the one that has touched my heart the most.

These two blocks are my favorite ones.  The neatest thing about all of this, my oldest son is obsessed with birds.  He loves them and pointing them out to me.  It's one of those things that was just meant to be I guess.