"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." ((Proverbs 31:13)

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Celebration of The 12 Days of Christmas!

For our Family, the joy of  celebration began on Christmas Day, with the beginning of Epiphany, from the birth of the Baby Jesus, and continuing for 12 more Days of Christmas, through January 6th.  In our Western culture, that is when the Biblical Magi found the Baby Jesus.

We carry the love, peace and joy of our Savior's birth, in our hearts everyday, not just at Christmas.  This year, it has been a great joy to meet so many wonderful new friends, since I first began my stitching blog.  It has and continues to be a source of enrichment and sharing with each and every one of you, and it is through the beautiful threads that connect us with one another, that I have come to treasure new friendships.

"On The First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me.... These lovely designs, complete with linen, threads and some lovely sewing tools!
"Quaker Christmas II" (Bygone Stitches)
Gorgeous Linen, Threads and Cute Little Sheep Needle Minder!
Three Adorable LHN Christmas /Winter Designs!

A pair of beautiful scissors
were found among the branches of
our Christmas Tree!
Recently, I came across a lovely post, written by my dear friend, Jo, who shared some wonderful Christmas photos and descriptions of her Family traditions, as part of sharing in "The 12 Days of Christmas in Blogland".
It was originally begun by Evalina, and there are several other participants too!  I decided that, even though I am a little late in starting on Day 5, it would still be fun to do.

And so, dear friends, I would like to share with you, an opportunity to receive ONE of my special gifts, that I offer to you, in celebration for each of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." 


"On The First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me....A Partridge in a Pear Tree"..... 


I don't have a Partridge in a Pear Tree for you, so I am offering:


"On The Second Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me...
Two Turtle Doves, and A Partridge in A Pear Tree..."


I may not have Two Turtle Doves, but I have Two Very Special "Love Birds.."


"On The Third Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me, Three French Hens,
Two Turtle Doves, and A Partridge in A Pear Tree!"


My goodness, but I don't happen to have Three French Hens, but I can offer you:
"On The Fourth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me..... Four Calling Birds,
Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and A Partridge In a Pear Tree!"  


Since I don't happen to have room for Four Calling Birds This Christmas, My gift to you will be:


"On The Fifth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me......Five Golden Rings!
Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in A Pear Tree!"


I searched and searched, in vain, but alas... My Five Golden Rings cannot be found anywhere, and so I must offer you this lovely "Christmas Poinsettia Sampler" instead, with FIVE little treasures!
FIVE Delightful Treasures To Stitch!
A Sampler, Needleroll, Ornament, Tin Cover and A Gift Bag Set too!
To receive one of my gifts, this what you will need to do:
*Share, in your comments, something special about your own family traditions.
*Please tell me that you are one of my dear followers.
*Tell me, for which Day and Gift, you wish to enter, for your name to be selected for ONE of my gifts.
*If you don't have a blog, please be sure that I have your email address so that I can contact you.
*All Entries Must Be Received by January 6th @ Midnight.  I will draw the names of my Gift Recipients on January 7th, and notify the Lucky Recipients!


For tonight, I leave you with this sweet little prayer, that I recently found tucked away in my childhood Bible:  
                                        " A Little Prayer Especially for You"
"May warm sun shine upon your day, and stars light up your night.
May you always know the road to take, when the forks turn left and right.


May roses shed their fragrance, And birds sing all the way.
As good friends walk beside you, to add joy to every day.


May all of life's little shadows, Be brightened from above,
And your heart feel all of the happiness of our Heavenly Father's Love."


Blessings to All of You Sweet Friends!




27 comments:

  1. Hi Kathy, What a fantastic giveaway, you are so generous. I would love to be considered for Day 4 please The Carriage house Samplings designs.

    Thank you so much,

    Hugs, Kaye
    http://kittenstitching.blogspot.com
    KayeDeP@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kathy, a beautiful post! My family always went to dinner at the Wayside Inn (have you been there. It's beautiful)on Christmas Eve and then on to midnight Mass. We always had Christmas PJ's. I would like to be entered in the 2nd day of Christmas. I love the La-D-Da pattern. Have a Happy New Year. Deborah

    ReplyDelete
  3. When I was growing up, one tradition was always opening one gift on Christmas Eve, something that could be worn to church that evening or a book to read or pajamas to sleep in.

    I am a follower of your lovely blog, and would be thrilled to win La D Da's Love Birds, as I have been looking for something special to stitch for our 40th anniversary next summer! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What wonderful goodies you received for Christmas!
    Great way to do a giveaway. No need to include me, the ones I'd pick I already have! I will tell that one of my favorits traditions is creating our memory walnuts - you have probably read about it on my blog.
    Hugs to you and best wishes for a Happy New Year filled with much love, laughter and many stitches!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great stash....and ohhhhh....Love those scissors
    Wishing you a Happy New Year

    ReplyDelete
  6. hello dear, what a lovely giveaway..
    please count me in for this.
    thank you
    love cucki xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. You're so sweet to do this! I'd love to be entered for Day one, the O Come All Ye Faithful chart -- such a pretty design! And yes, I am a follower! :D

    We have various Christmas traditions. One of them is to go out to cut down our own tree from our favorite tree farm. When we get home, we always cut off the bottom of the tree again to give it a fresh cut to drink from. We keep the end pieces on the mantel. My DD used to decorate each one with the year and a drawing of some kind. When she went off to college, DS continued that tradition. We have a hefty collection of tree stumps now on the mantel, fun to look at!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello-i am first!The ritual consists of a ritual crawl area (neighborhood, district, most often the whole village) survakari group - children aged 4-12 years or bachelors. Some writer, in the distant past, the ritual performers were men [1], but over time it is transferred to the children and then to the youngest. These survakari go from house to house, entering homes where sourvakne family members, livestock, somewhere barns, stables, etc., acting magic formula-wishes for health and fertility. Sourvakne itself consists of hitting the back of sourvakne object with specially prepared for this purpose survachka. This sourvakne donate sourvakars hosts with established tradition of gifts - most often these are food products (bread, wine, dried fruits, nuts, bacon, etc..) And / or petty cash.
    -Yes-I am your follower
    -Three Adorable LHN Christmas /Winter Designs!
    I like somuch this disajgns
    -http://marcela66.blogspot.com/
    Thanks for chance.Happy New Year!Best regards-maria

    ReplyDelete
  9. On Christmas morning, the family gathers at our house for breakfast then the opening of gifts (now all adults). We don't have this particular breakfast meal at any other time of year, and oh, how they all anticipate it. I have been reading your blog for some time, but just became a follower. Thanks for sharing this lovely thought, and the offerings are pretty great, too. I'd like to be entered for the fourth day - Quaker Christmas Sampler. Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  10. A lovely little prayer Kathy, thank you.
    God luck to all who enter your drawing, some lovely charts.
    Wishing you a blessed 2012

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the gifts from your true love! He knows what you like. I would love to be entered to win O Come All Ye Faithful. My family always gathers together on Christmas Eve for a late lunch or early dinner (depending on whether I have to work and what time I have to be at church). After a nice meal we open our gifts to each other. We have begun a new "tradition" by getting together to eat dinner on Christmas Day at a good Chinese buffet a la A Christmas Story. Thank you for offering this fun give away.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a lovely giveaway Kathy would love to take part.

    My family have flown the nest now. but I would make the girls two stockings full of gifts so they could have a little gift each day of December.

    Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy New Year to you, Kathy! I do hope it brings you and your family much love and laughter...

    I would love to be entered for your Day Four: Quaker Christmas Samplers. My favorite tradition is buying each of my three sons a special ornament each year and tucking a letter inside with highlights and memories of their years. They each have quite a collection now and each year they love recalling silly incidents or proud accomplishments as they read through all the notes :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for such a thoughtful giveaway! I would love to win the Quaker Christmas II from the First Day of Christmas, as I have never stitched a Quaker piece.
    One of our family traditions is to gather around the Nativity set, before Christmas breakfast and presents, say a little blessing and place the Baby Jesus in the manger...
    Wishing you health and happiness in 2012.
    Busy Hands...Happy Heart
    Patricia
    PS All the giveaways are lovely...I would be thrilled to receive any of them!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You got some lovely gifts.

    We're still building our Christmas traditions as my children are still quite small, but going to the Crib service at church on Christmas Eve before we put the pillow cases out under the tree for Father Christmas to fill with presents are pretty set now.

    I would love to be entered into the draw for the LaDaDa & Carriage House Samplings charts, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lovely stash! We always decorated sugar cookies on Christmas eve. I really miss it! I would like to try for day 2. Thanks so much! (I am a follower!)

    ~Kat

    ReplyDelete
  17. When we (me and my sister) were little children my mum encouraged us to make Christmas Cards, with white cardstocks, watercolours, glitter. You can imagine what would they be... anyway, she sent them to our family and friends making us feel little Picasos! LOL

    I want everything! Well if I have to choose one, I´ll pick the La-D-Da "Lovebirds" chart!

    hugs,
    Laurita

    ReplyDelete
  18. Kathy, Happy New Year and thank you! Im an old follower and I would love to be entered into the draw for the LaDaDa charts.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am a follower -
    I really would love to win La-D-Da Love Birds - What a beautiful pattern for the second day !!!!

    I love Christmas Hayrides - We enjoyed a few of those when I was younger - So much fun !!!!

    Awesome Giveaway idea -
    Good Luck to everyone !!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is a really difficult decision!
    I think I like the Two Turtle Doves Love Birds chart the most, it's the one which is "me" most of all.
    I've shared many of my traditions on my blog (as you kindly mentioned!). A new tradition is to try make my Christmas chocolates last until Valentine's Day, I managed it last year. I love to savour my luxury chocolates, I eat the cheaper ones first and save the best for last.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Please consider me for day. Such lovely things!!!!!!!! haircarm@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm not going to even try and decide which I like better! They are all great!!!
    Awesome giveaway!!

    Marion

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Kathy

    you are so generous with you're lovely giveaways

    could I please be entered into the draw for CHS- merry christmas chart, that is one of my favourite designers
    thank you so much for the chance to win x

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a nice giveaway. I would choose carriage house designs chart or the Quaker Christmas chart. Love both of those. One of our traditions is to have all our family together for brunch after presents on Christmas morning. Family is best present of all.
    Melody
    Bookwomanstitches.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a lovely giveaway!!! I have been enjoying your posts. I am a follower. ;o) One of our favourite traditions is to read the book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever the last few days of Christmas.

    It is so hard narrowing down to just one, but since I have to I would pick Day#1 O Come all ye Faithful.

    Have you ever heard of the legend behind the song The Twelve Days of Christmas?

    How is your son? I have been praying for him.

    Love, Heather

    Blessing to you and your family!

    ReplyDelete
  26. That would be the day with the nutcracker. I think it would be day 3.
    Somehow the number wasn't there, sorry. haircarm@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your new Christmas stash is great! I loved the prayer that you left for us.

    ReplyDelete

Consider the Lilies of the Field

Consider the Lilies of the Field
"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the Lilies of the Field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these." Matt: 6: 28-29)