Sunday, August 08, 2010

Mr. Postman

Mr. Postman was very kind this week and brought me some wonderful mail! First up with the scissor frog I won from Deb's giveaway. I was so excited to win this giveaway! I've been searching for a frog for a while without any luck. I figured I was destined to be frog-less. Well, of the glass variety...those stitching ones still attack once in a while! Deb was kind enough to include some goodies as well...scissors, a strawberry and some tweezers. It will all come in very handy! I had to run around collecting all my scissors and I've put them all in the frog for the photo. Once I include Deb's scissors, I only have 2 free slots left! Who knew I had so many scissors?! I do have to say thank you to everyone who left a congratulatory comment on Deb's post. It gave me many warm fuzzies to read how many people were rooting for me during my "low" period and were happy that I won. You guys are the best blogging buddies! Deb, thank you so much for hosting a terrific giveaway!
Then I received a package from Marjorie. I won her blog giveaway a little while back and even forgot I won so this was a nice surprise to find in my mailbox. Marjorie stitched up a cute pumpkin pillow which I know is a JBW design. She also included some charts, purple fat quarters of fabric, pins, ribbon, buttons and rickrack. Lots of fun stuff! Thanks so much Marjorie!

***

Other things on the stitching front...I realized I forgot to put up a photo of my stash acquisition from NiaH last week.
After my last post, my sister emailed me and said that all she saw was a brown house and that didn't classify as "color". Hey!! I think goldenrod and brown are colors! So maybe this will make her happier. I didn't get to stitch too much last week because I re-caught my cold and was down for the count for a couple of days. Missed the gym and everything. But I stitched my little heart out yesterday and I think I don't want to see any green for a while.
The funny thing is that I started with a different skein of Bean Sprout and it was more yellow than green and the grass was looking sickly. Mind you, lots of grass in California looks sickly because we're always in some form of drought and the sun dries out the grass but that wasn't really the look I was going for. So I looked in my stash and I had 3 (!!) other skeins of Bean Sprout in varying shades of green. How did I end up with so many skeins of one color!? I have to take a little break from Simple Joys so I can do some obligation stitching.

Here is my fabric/floss toss for what I'm about to start! Black fabric! I hope I don't go blind...err...blind-er than I already am. The one good thing about black...all colors go with it!
Hopefully, I can make a decent start tomorrow. I think my right wrist needs a break...I've either been doing too much stitching/typing or I've been twisting it weird in my sleep which I am sometimes prone to do. It's a tad painful. Ow!

I've also been going through my stash and trying to weed out the items I know I won't stitch or already stitched and don't have any need for anymore. I created a stash sale blog years ago and then never put anything on it. Yea, I know, weird. I just posted some OOP kits that I bought in my college/post-college years and then never got around to stitching. My tastes have changed since then. If you like kits, please take a look at my sale blog! They are almost all OOP and hard to find through Google. I'll be adding charts soon.

As for this weekend...the key word is lazyness. Or maybe less busy than normal? I dragged myself out to a happy hour on Friday that was a combination of fun, awkward and intimidating. It's always hard walking into a group of 60 people that you don't know and just be social but I found my niche and hit it off with a handful of people...and that was nice and worth the awkward and uncomfortable aspects of the night. Those being dealing with quasi-stalker and familiar faces I recognize from the online dating world. Um...all just kind of weird. This weekend, my neighborhood's been overrun by it's annual festival so I've been hiding out avoiding the crowds. I did go check it out yesterday to check out the vendors and eat lunch! Tonight I'm looking forward to dinner out with a couple of girlfriends. All pretty quiet and lowkey.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!

Until next time...

23 comments:

Jackie's Stitches said...

I was so happy to see you'd won Deb's giveaway. You filled your frog rather nicely and quickly! Simple Joys is looking good. I'll need to check my skeins of Bean Sprout to see if they're anemic too!

Christina said...

Oooohhh, I'm very intrigued to see what you're going to stitch on BLACK fabric...a Halloween piece I wonder? It's just not a fabric you often see used in 'Blogland'!. I'm really keen to try stitching on black, in fact I bought Lizzie Kate's 'Ho Ho Ho' but never got around to doing it.

Margaret said...

You've won some nice prizes there! Congrats! Love your Simple Joys so far. Nice that you had a skein of Bean Sprout more to your taste. I'm looking forward to seeing what you're stitching on the black. It looks so pretty! Hope your eyes can take it. I know it's tough!! Glad the happy hour was worthwhile. I hate awkward moments -- so nice you found some good people!

Catherine said...

Great goodies! Enjoy them all - you deserve them!

I love stitching on black once I get going. The colors always seem to pop. Can't wait to see what your project will be.

Mary Elizabeth said...

What a great idea for the frogs! I have a bunch of them. Now I can use them for seam rippers and small sisors.
I am glad you got all that great mail. It was time for nice stuff to happen over there.
I am also glad that I got to see you at NiaH.
Lots of Love,
Mary

Carol R said...

A beautiful scissor frog Valerie I'm so happy that it's made you happy - you deserve it! The giveaway from Marjorie is lovely too - cute little pumpkin pillow!

Simple Joys is looking good and you think I'm brave with my high count linens but look at you stitching on black!

Hope your cold gets better soon
[[[hugs]]]

Theresa said...

Such wonderful gifts you have won there!!!! Your scissors collection looks very nice in that frog~~

I was actually working on Simple Joy as well when I was away, but didn't have a whole lot of progress.... Actually it looks like you have passed my progress already!!!! LOL~

Black fabric.....Hum.... I wonder what you will do with it. I think I have color fabric phobia.... Even though I do buy color fabrics on my shopping trips, when it comes to time putting a kit together, I always go back to the usual cream or sand or beige.... Can't wait to see what you will do with black!!!!!

Lainey said...

What wonderful give-aways you have won, both packed with lots of gorgeous new stash.
Simply Joys is looking fab and I can;t wait to see what is going to appear on that black fabric. Happy Stitching!

Carol said...

Love your giveaway wins, Valerie. The frog from Deb looks wonderful filled with your pretty scissors. I'm always amazed at how many pairs of scissors people own! I only have 3!!

Simple Joys is coming along well--it really is one of my favorites. Can't wait to see your black piece take off. I love stitching on dark colors. My mom is always worried that I'm going to go blind stitching all of my "over one" pieces! I wonder if that can really happen?

Feel better soon :)

staci said...

Your mailman brought you two super awesome packages!!! Enjoy all your new goodies :)

Anonymous said...

You've had some great mail lately, Valerie! Love your progress on Simple Joys - I worked on mine last week, but this week it's the turn of another of my WIPs. I had a similar problem with the Bean Sprout - the partial skein I had was very yellow and I also didn't have enough so I ordered another skein, which is much greener (and nicer!)

doris said...

Woo ... fabulous prizes! Good for you!

I can't wait to see what you're stitching on that black fabric.

Meari said...

Wow, look at all that stashy goodness! Congrats on the wins :) Your stitching looks great. Yes, brown and goldenrod are two different colors.

Glad you're feeling better.

Laura said...

I love that French Country Pumpkin--I just ordered the turkey.

I'm still jealous that you won the flower frog but I have to admit your scissors do look great in it!

Meari said...

P.S. What's Niah?

Katrina said...

What fun goodies!!!! Love the frog and all the stash.

Glad you got out and had a good time this weekend :-).

mainely stitching said...

Gorgeous new goodies!! Enjoy!

mbroider said...

Enjoy the stash Val!! Those many scissors:) Good you got the frog, LOL

Sally said...

Fantastic giveaway wins Valerie:)

Love your Simple Joys and can't wait to see what you're going to stitch on the black. Very pretty thread colours.

Dani - tkdchick said...

Wow! Some great wins there especially the flower frog!!!

Your WIP is looking good and I must agree brown is well just brown! Ick!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Pumpkin said...

Wow! You've got a horseshoe somewhere ;o) Look at all your nice goodies! What fun to go through it all.

I was going to say that your house was just 'brown' but refrained ;o) It does have MORE color now. LOL!

I can't wait to see what you're going to stitch on the black!

Shelleen said...

Congrats on winning the frog. I can't find them either. I know what you mean being tired of stitching the same color, have done it many times. Can't wait to see your new start.

Julie said...

It always nice to have something nice in the post, beautiful goodies you received.

I'm looking forward to seeing what project is being started on the black fabric