Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my wonderful blog friends. I wish you all a very warm and happy new year, full of joy, smiles and stitching.

I will be back in 2013 to fill you all in on the holidays and stitching. :)

Merry Christmas + Catching Up

I wish you all the merriest of Christmases surrounded by friends, family and fun. I had hoped to come back to my little blog space earlier but as you can imagine, life just does not slow down no matter how much I think it might. It has been mostly fun and I cannot believe tomorrow is Christmas Day. It's finally here!

In case anyone was curious, I did not end up going to SantaCon the weekend before last. The weather here was terrible...40's and rainy. Ugh...terrible weather to be traipsing all about San Francisco dressed up in a cheap red felt Santa costume. So I bailed and am kind of relieved I did. Instead, I hung out with my stitching group at a friend's house, eating yummy food and drinking red wine in the warmth and comfort of a glorious home while stitching my little heart out and chitchatting. I had an amazing time and even made progress on my Pumpkins. So much so that I finally finished it yesterday afternoon. About time!!

I think it came out really cute. Stitched as directed on 32 count Antique Ivory Belfast. But wow, was it a lot of stitching!

So IHSW was stitching on Pumpkins at stitch group on Saturday. Sunday was a blur of dim sum, coffee plans and socialness in the city that by the time I got home, all I could do was lie down and stare at the tv. Being so social is tiring! I'm exhausted. :)

But I did take a snap of my TUSAL...here with my Christmas tree snowglobe.

All the threads at the top are from Pumpkins with some frogging I had to do. Thankfully it wasn't much. I am so happy that Daffycat is continuing TUSAL next year. I can only hope I am better about posting on time. I just love seeing the colors change in my jar and it's validation that I did manage to stitch even if it's not as much as I would have liked. I did realize this year that I don't have as many Christmas decorations as Halloween ones so my goal next year is to stitch Christmas smalls in between BAPs so I can put out a few more stitchy things. Looks slim pickings this year since I have no tree so hence, my ornies are packed away.
Since I finished Pumpkins, I pulled Jane Pattison out of my wips basket and slapped her on the stitching stand. I hope to stitch faster this year. I didn't take a photo since it's just more green border but that pine border sure is fun to stitch at Christmastime!

I was a lucky girl last week as I won Melanie's giveaway and she sent me some Christmas goodies!

How fabulous! A BBD stocking pattern, cute little ort container and a snowman bead. Love it all...especially the card. Thank Melanie. I love it all!

And to those who sent me cards, thank you so much! It has really lifted my spirits to receive cards and be able to post them on my door and look upon them from my stitching nest.

Merry Christmas to everyone. Thank you for your visits and friendship over the years. I am forever grateful to this blogging community for its kindness and support. Much love and hugs.

In Denial...

How can it be Christmas in two weeks?!

Really? I swear it's still September. How can it be December already?

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Lots of social time since I realized that if I dawdle too much at home, I have too much time to think, can't concentrate on my projects (stitching/home) and then waste too much time on the computer and realize there is no one I want to even date online. Ugh! Luckily, I met this really fun girl and so I've been introduced to her friends and have been just having a blast in the city. It has been so much fun! Although, I do have to say...I am whooped and some days, I just want to crawl under my desk at work to take a nap. I am that tired.

I do have to admit that I am not really into the holiday spirit this year. I don't feel low...I just feel too busy to take in the holidays and am a little sad I am familyless this year since my folks are still traveling and I just couldn't bring myself to pay the high fare to visit my sister. So I anticipate the last two weeks of the year being quiet and maybe, just maybe, I can catch up on some stitching and home projects. I managed to drag out my Christmas decorations and realized that I don't have that many stitched Christmas items so I think I may need to remedy that this coming year. No tree this year...so the stitched ornies will stay packed up until next year.

Since social time is high and stitching time is low, I am still working on Pumpkins...if you can imagine that. I am still determined to finish it before I start stitching Christmas. I signed up for IHSW this weekend but am not sure I will succeed in the progress department. If I go to stitch group; maybe. If I go to SantaCon; probably not!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I'll be back before Christmas for sure!

Until next time...

IHSW Weekend

Hi All!

Just a quick fly-by post. Lots of chores to do which is totally interfering with my stitching time. I have no idea how the dishes, laundry and mail accumulates so fast...for one person!

This past weekend was IHSW and I was lucky enough to have Saturday stitch group which means that at least *some* stitching would be had. It was nice to see all the ladies. It was a small group of us and I got to say "see you later" to my dear friend, Natasha, who is moving to the other coast. I hope the Carolinas treat her right! Good luck Natasha! I'm going to miss you!

I decided to focus on my stitched piece which is Pumpkins for Sale. This isn't that big of a piece but it seems to be taking me forever. But it's getting there...

I just love the pumpkins! I still need to do the awning, the grass, stitch the mouse and fill in the letters in the pumpkins. This will be my focus this week since I really need to move onto Christmas stitching but am too scared to leave this one unfinished and it becoming a UFO.

I also managed a few rows in knitting but it's too late and dark to attempt a photo now. I have about 20" of stockinette to stitch and then I will be finished! It's getting there too.

It was also TUSAL so I took a quick snap of my jar. I still have Halloween decorations up! But my jar is sporting a little more orange and green from pumpkin stitching.

Thank you to everyone for their wonderfully supportive comments on my last post about my break up. I'm a little sad yet I know I made the right decision for me at this time. This weekend was wonderfully mellow and relaxing. I spent a lot of it at home which is something I haven't done in months and it was nice to be lazy, stitch, watch tv and reclaim some *me* time. The chores didn't get done but who's going to get mad? I live alone! :)

I'm not sure if I will be able to post before Thanksgiving so I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday. I will be congregating with a group of fun single friends for dinner this year since my family is scattered and I am here solo. I'm happy I have this option since I think it will be fun. I am in charge of dessert so will be baking my little heart out Thanksgiving morn and that makes me happy. Always happy to ply people with sweets.

Thank you for stopping by my little corner in blogland.

Until next time...

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

The title says it all. I fell off my NaBloPoMo wagon on day three because I was dealing with lots of emotions over the last couple of weeks trying to figure out what I wanted  to do about the so-called relationship I was in. We were on a break which I hoped would help us get to know each other and reconnect better but all it seemed to do was breed more negativity. The outcome is not what I would have liked...obviously. No one likes to break up. So much feeling, time and hope invested in one person for it to just evaporate. But settling is not at option either. I didn't reach this ripe old spinster age if I was willing to settle. I'm holding out for the one who makes my heart sing and adds to my happiness.

So NaBloPoMo is a bust. I haven't accomplished very much outside work and the housesitting duties that oftentimes seem never-ending. Stitching and knitting has been scarce but happens here and there. I am hoping that with this newfound singledom, I will get back to my usual craftiness or at least improve. I've had the lowest number of finishes so far this year that I can remember! But I've also had a lot of fun and gotten out of my box, met new people, tried a new relationship and rediscovered myself. I'd say that was good.

I am months behind on my blogging posts, reviews, updates, emails,  etc. And my unread posts are climbing beyond 800+. At this point, I am tempted to hit "mark all as read" and start over. I am sure you all can relate to that. Being so behind makes me sooo anxious!

This weekend in IHSW! I have stitch group on Saturday so I know that some progress will be made whether it's stitching or knitting this weekend. It's a must!

Until next time...

NaBloPoMo #3

I just got back from my stitchy get together and it was a lot of fun.  I got lost on my way there since it's in this hilly neighborhood I'm not familiar with. Curvy one lane roads that seems to endlessy twist and turn forever. But I finally made it and had a fun time seeing everyone's show and tell while I stitched a few more rows in my cowl. The food spread was amazing and everyone seemed to have a good time. Even better is that I re-homed a needlepoint chair and ottoman I just didn't have the space for. It went to a well loved home and I'm so glad!

I need time to edit the photos I took today so here is a favorite photo of mine to tide you all over. See the iguana?! I took it on my Grand Cayman trip. That's one of the posts I'm behind on too so I'll probably share a photo here and there. I love lizards and iguanas. I don't want to own one or anything but I like seeing them in their natural habitat and how they blend into the background at time. 

Must run. Heading out to dinner and a party and need to figure out what to wear! 

Til tomorrow!

NaBloPoMo #2

Day 2 of National Blog Posting Month...so far so good. So I said I'd give a restaurant review today. I headed to Russian Hill after work last night to meet a new friend who is also new to the city. We tried a restaurant in her neighborhood that I've been curious about for a while called Street. I'd link it and all but I don't think it was all that great. The bar was nice and I had a couple of yummy manhattans. I decided on the ahi with mashed potatoes and blue lake beans and it was all tasty but I ended up with an upset tummy afterwards. Thinking about it now, it was either because they put dairy in the mash or the ahi was a tad too rare. It wasn't a hit for me but the company more than made up for it. We told stories and shared laughs and just had so much fun. Next thing I knew it was 10pm! That's when I usually turn into a pumpkin on a weeknight. We had so much fun we hope to try a different new place next week! Yay!

I think this month will be a good opportunity for me to catch up on all those blog things I've been delaying. First up is my TUSAL report. I'm a couple of months behind but this is the latest shot of my jar. I really like this photo since it shows the oranges and greens from my Pumpkins for Sale as well as the pillow from Carol and floss tag given to me by Carol S. years ago. My jar is all decked out!

I haven't stitched in the last three weeks because I am preoccupied with my knitting project. However, tomorrow is one of my stitching groups monthly get together. I'm hoping to see pretty things I can share with you all tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

NaBloPoMo #1

Hi all...I'm going to attempt NaBloPoMo to see if I can get back to more regular posts. It may not be a very interesting month since stitching time is scarce and I continue to housesit...but I will try. I can't believe it's November! Tonight I have plans to try a new (to me) place with a new friend. So tomorrow will be a restaurant review post!

I'm glad to see the posts of my East Coast blog friends checking in saying they are ok even if they suffered a little damage and loss of power from Superstorm Sandy. Us West Coasters can't fathom the damage we're seeing on the news. I wish everyone affected the best during the clean up efforts!

See you all tomorrow! :)

IHSW Recap

Hmmm...late again. But I know you guys forgive me! I am still backlogged with all the things I threw aside for the last few months but I'm happy to say, I've been stitching a lot more. Eh, the closets can stay messier for a few more days...right?

I did not have as much stitching time as I thought last weekend though. The closer I get to the weekend, the more plans were made and next thing I know, I'm was in full blown social mode.

However, last week, I started a knitting class for the Trixie Cowl. I had seen the model at my local knitting shop stitched up in Smooshy sock yarn. Let's just say I'm the only one in the class psychotic adventurous enough to do the same which means I have been knitting my little heart out trying to keep up with the class. Holy cow! So.much.knitting! And I am still on the first phase! But it's coming along. I can't wait to get to the stockinette part so that I can see the stripey effect this variegated yarn will achieve.

Right now, I am working on the lace section and it requires more attention. I even created a little spreadsheet to help me keep track of the rows in the pattern which not only makes me the overachiever...but the nerd in the class. So far, I have 21 out of 30 inches stitched...almost there. Then it's onto the stockinette.

Since I was distracted with the knitting, I didn't stitch as much. I managed to finish the "M" pumpkin and start on the "U". Perhaps this weekend will show some more progress when I take a break from knitting.

The one dangerous thing about taking a class at a knitting shop is that I see models of things I want to knit and buy fabulous yarn that I have no idea what to use for. As much as I enjoy knitting, I still don't feel very adept at it. I'm no good at fixing my mistakes and my hands also get crampy after a short while. Does anyone else have that problem?

I have been trying to be kind to myself and allow the time to just relax and putt around my apartment. Now that the weather is cooling down and the nights are getting longer, my urge to hermit is great. This can be dangerous because I can then hermit indefinitely (outside of work; rent still needs to be paid somehow) so I am being conscious to be social. I spend one day/night a week with the beau (do I still call him that?) and so last night we went to dinner and I tagged along to his chorus practice. I really enjoyed this because while he practiced, I knit and got free entertainment out of the whole deal. Nice! The men in the chorus are very friendly and I chitchatted with a wife that always goes to the practice to catch up on her magazine reading or work on her own needlework.

This weekend is shaping up to be a quiet one and I am hoping it stays that way. There is so much home stuff I want to do. Crockpot cooking, start on big closet re-org, farmers market, knit/stitch and go to the gym. I have the feeling I will be distracted by the World Series. Go Giants! I hope they continue to play well.

I just realized I forgot to take a photo of my TUSAL jar. I'll try to remember for the next post.

I hope everyone is having a good week!

Until next time...

Catching Up

Ahem...you know what they say about going away for the weekend being a test of a new relationship? Well, it's true. Things didn't go necessarily as planned with me and the beau and so now we are "on a break". Definitely not how I thought my birthday weekend would go and despite the abundance of wine and chocolate...which helped to sooth some of the pain...I've been sad. We've decided to hang around though so maybe after a little bit of time, the stars will realign again...properly this time. In the meantime, I've been determined to keep busy. God knows, I've thrown everything to the wayside the last few months and so now it's time for me to focus on some home projects. The closet purge and re-org, thinking about home financing (scary!), stitching and blogging (I've missed you guys something fierce), return to the gym and develop a true routine so that I can properly thrive instead of walking around sleepily bumping into everything hoping someone will buy me coffee so I can focus. Yes, being single isn't as easy and cracked up as people think...neither is being in a relationship.

I'd talk about my birthday weekend but it is still overshadowed by the sadness that followed the remainder of the week. I didn't get very much done which is probably good I was off from work. So hard to focus when you're emotionally influx.

Oh but I can't forget to mention the birthday kindness I received from Carol R and Sweet Carol. Carol R sent me her new pattern, Sew Buttons. It's lovely and I can't wait to stitch it one day. I can see it being a lovely Mother's Day gift for my mom provided I can get my act together. And Carol sent me a wonder Halloween pillow and a chart from my wishlist. I just love it! Being an October baby, I am a huge Halloween fan. Huge! I'm thrilled to have another pillow to add to my decorations this year. And isn't that pop of yellow wonderful? Thank you Carol!

When I could, I would stitch on my LHN Pumpkins for Sale. I started this project last month. I needed a seasonal small to lug around with me to work and such. It just doesn't feel right to not be working on something Halloweeny or Christmasy this time of year. Pumpkins for Sale is the only project that has been getting any stitchy love.

This past week, I dug out my Halloween decorations and knick knacks and put them up to get me into the spirit. I have to say it's working. I love my Halloweeny stuff. I even headed to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival this past weekend and acquired a new decoration. Isn't this Trick or Treat Cat Lady the best or what?!

And a "candy corn" "mommy" glass pumpkin! I wanted a glass pumpkin that was a bigger size than the three I acquired last year and this one was just calling to me. Next year, I'm shooting for a "daddy" one to make my pumpkin patch family complete. I better start saving now. The "daddy" ones are not cheap!

And here is my display in my living room.

This coming weekend is IHSW! I am hoping to hermit and try to at least finish the "PUM" in Pumpkins for Sale. I hope I succeed!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes and sticking with me through my absence. I've lost a few followers but it means a lot to me those who stick around during the bumpy roads and the occasional absence.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Until next time...

They Say It's My Birthday!

I'm on vacation with the beau...drinking wine, relaxing, visiting the beach and hoping that I can score myself a scrumptious slice of chocolate cake!  Love and hugs. I'll return to regular blogging soon. =)

My...How Time Flies!

I can't believe it's been a month and a half since my last post! I've gotten a few emails asking if I've given up blogging and if I am ok.

No, I haven't given up blogging...and I am ok. It's just that life has been hectic and most days, I feel like I am juggling more balls than I can handle. It's exhausting. Work, managing two households, chores, errands, being social and dating. There just has not been any time for blogging...or stitching.

Mind you, I shouldn't whine too much. The summer has been lots of fun. I've gotten lots of sun and have had a wonderful time in general.

Some people have guessed that I met someone and it's true. Mind you, I am not ready to label it as anything because, even as the beau has said, I am hesitant and jaded and I can't shake that. However, it's been more than wonderful to have someone to talk to, listen to old jazz and swing music with, explore the city with and be close to. And it's nice to be surprised with pretty things like these once in a while.

I've forgotten how time consuming dating is though. So with managing my stuff and my parents many crisis' and issues, I have very little solo time. I've been managing about 100 stitches a week. Not nearly enough...I am going slightly insane and am trying to figure out how to build a routine to have time for stitching plus the gym.

I missed my TUSAL and IHSW updates and it is pointless to post one now since so little progress has been made and it is so late. The little bit of stitching I have done has been on Jane Pattison. I've been working on the border since it's quite easy to remember without having to refer to the chart much.

I have quite a ways to go for the border to meet but I really do like this piney border. Excuse the wrinkles. I've been working on this one in hand since I drag it with me everywhere.

I wish I could sit here and type away but I have a pile of mail staring me in the face. How this mail multiplies, I have no idea but someone has to go through it!

I hope to be able to blog more often and stitch more often and visit with you all more in the very near future.

Much love and hugs
Until next time...

IHSW & TUSAL...Super Late!

Hmmm...I'm starting to wonder if I should just resign myself to the fact I will always be late and my grand goals for stitching will always come up short. Although, I shouldn't act so glum and upset about it. Fact is, I've been having a lot of fun and a fantastic summer so far. The days are long and the options are high.

I did manage to stitch a little bit on Friday night and Fairy Moon received a bit of attention. I finished the section of dress I was working on and have moved onto her hair. Doesn't look like much other than a dark brown blob but it's getting there.

And here's my TUSAL post for the month. Not very much has been added to it.

Last weekend was a flurry of activity. I saw To Rome With Love which was an enjoyable film. Classic Woody Allen...not fantastic but entertaining enough with some fantastic shots of Rome...a destination that happens to be on my bucket list. Afterwards, a group of us had a late dinner and hit the karaoke bar. It was a lot of fun. I wasn't brave enough to do my own song on the stage but I had a lot of fun singing along from my little perch at the bar. Sunday was a fun day starting off with brunch at my favorite spot along with lots of lounging around in the nearby park and then hitting a wonderful jazzy set at a local jazz club. It was a fantastic weekend. No surprise that I got very little stitching done...right?

This weekend is setting up to be just as busy...although plans aren't necessarily set in stone. I just know I won't be home much and things should be fun.

***

So I thought I would do a little recap on my little weight loss journey. I didn't start off with much to lose. The goal was 15 pounds. I just wanted my pants to fit better, feel better in general and tone up some. I haven't been able to get to the gym much since things have been quite busy and I found it really hard to find the time. I like to go after work since that's most convenient but things like alterations, chiropractor, shoe repair always gets in the way since the shops are only open until 530/6pm and I get off work at 5pm. If I stray from the work to gym journey, I am apt to forego it altogether. Shame, shame. 

Since February, I've lost 10 pounds and have managed to keep them off. Yay me!

**Ok, this is where it might be tmi for guys so I'll wait a bit for anyone who wants to hit the back button.**

I've noticed the 10 pound loss in certain areas. Areas, I'm not so happy about losing. Like my chest and bum. Hello...those are the nice parts. Why won't this weight drop off my tummy and thighs?! It's been noticeable in my face and neck (which are already skinny parts) also so I've been getting quite a few comments. Last week, I realized that my bras just weren't fitting right anymore. I was dreading having to go shopping. C'mon...how many women really like going bra shopping? Yea, I thought so. So this week, I got re-measured and tried on about a million bras to come out of it with 4 new ones in a whole new size. One in a band size I don't ever remember fitting into...ever. It's so strange. I also spent last night trying on every single bra I had and I managed to keep...drumroll...1 bra. 

Hmmm, I like seeing the weight loss on the scale but do not like spending the extra money to supplement my wardrobe. Bras are freaking expensive! I'm a little scared to lose the extra 5 pounds I want to lose because I wonder if that will mean I will need to go out and buy all new pants! Although, I do have some pairs that fit but a bit too snugly still. Perhaps, I'll be ok. 

5 more pounds...I can do it...right??

Well, time to begin the weekend. Happy Weekend to everyone! Go out, have fun and be safe. 

Until next time...

Randomness, Spilt Wine and Tumbles

~ I miss you guys more than you can even imagine!!

~ Life has become even busier...as if that was even possible.

~ I've been super social since I last posted. I spent a weekend up in Healdsburg in an amazing house. Where I managed to spill wine on my pants and fall down twice. I suppose I was having a little too much fun? My last tumble resulted in a sprained wrist, bruised knees, chest, shoulder and other various bruises throughout. I was more concerned with my glasses than anything else and seeing as they were ok, I felt ok too. My wrist is finally feeling back to normal...three weeks later. Let's see, what else...I've gone to Music in the Park, Sing Along Grease (so much fun!), Happy Hours, Fillmore Jazz Festival, more jazz and Film Night in Union Square to see The Artist.

~ Spilling red wine seems to be happening frequently...I'm spot cleaning my pants more than I would like but thankfully I've avoided any stains.

~ I've got some good things going on which I'm very happy and hopeful about. Think good thoughts and if the good things continue to go good, I'll have some fun news to share.

~ I've only stitched 300 stitches (at most) in the last three weeks. I'm at a loss of what to do. There just isn't the time and I am having too much fun to worry about it too much. Eventually, everything will become a finish...right?

~ I caught up with blog reading...for about a day. And then, suddenly, my Google Reader jumped to 700 posts! You all need to stop writing and stitching so much. I cannot keep up. I'm back down to 400...so maybe...if it doesn't become all crazy this week, I can finally catch up. I hate being this behind!

~ I really miss you guys. Oh, I already said that. Well...I do.

~ Seeing as I haven't stitched and I haven't found my Cayman photos, I don't have very much to share except this pretty thing that landed in my mailbox last week.

Remember when I finished my Shepherd's Bush Sadie Stocking? I knew I would never find the courage to finish it myself so I sent it off to the amazing Deb and she did a wonderful job on it...don't you think?! I love it! Will be wonderful to hang it at Christmastime.

Well, the dishes, laundry and mail are calling to me. Wouldn't it be nice to just twitch your nose like Samantha in Bewitched? *sigh* Some girls can dream, I suppose.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Until next time...

Catching Up!

Hi Lovelies...hope all is well.

I'm still struggling to catch up. Amazing how time flies. My next post was supposed to be on my trip but I really need to catch up on some stitchy things. I only have time to post because I had double-booked myself for this evening and can you believe it, both things fell through?! I think it's a good thing since I managed to cook for the week and catch up on the blogs that were quickly piling up in my reader. It was so busy today, I couldn't even sneak a peek at all today.

I've been feeling a little rattled with the move and the psychopath. But I'm happy to say that the psychopath has left me alone and I'm feeling a bit more settled at work. The downside is that the lunch options in the area are slim so I'm at a loss for yummy things to eat. I think I will have to pack my lunch or attempt to head home for lunch even though it's a little far to go. I haven't been able to find my gym routine and I am feeling it. I've either been feeling so drained by the end of the day or I have social events to go to. I am hoping to get my act together after the 4th of July. Too much going on for the next week! =)

During my trip, I stitched on Jane Pattison. Not much mind you. When I arrived in Dallas, I was confronted with the fact that the only working tv at my sister's house was in their bedroom since a good portion of the house is under renovation. So needless to say, I read a ton! And I stitched a bit when my eyes could hold out on the 40 count in not the best of lighting.

I've been slowly plugging along on the border. I really love this pine needle border and it's pretty easy to commit to memory although I am keeping track to make sure I don't catch a discrepancy in the pattern. Jane is my travel piece so it doesn't see a lot of love since I only stitch outside the house if I meet up with one of my stitchy groups or I stitch during lunch at work which hasn't been happening lately.

I was happy to get back home to finally devote some time on Fairy Moon. It's been so busy though that she doesn't look much different from before I left on vacation! I am eager to make some progress on her though. Every Sunday, I see Jill's updates on her blog and I kick myself for being such a slow stitcher when I have Fairy Moon (plus many others in queue) to send to her when I'm finished.

I am almost ready to head upwards so I can finally put a face and some hair on my fairy.

I can't believe I didn't even participate in IHSW last week. I think it's the first time I missed it since I discovered Joysze's blog! That in itself is a testement of how insane things in my little corner are at the moment. But I have my TUSAL photo. It's a week late but I've got it up!

A funky artistic shot with the bamboo that usually resides at work. It seems to be happier in the apartment though so I am letting it stay for a little while.

And I'll close with the pretty orchid I bought a couple of weeks ago. I am hoping that it is happy in it's new home and I am trying hard to keep it alive. I have had a terrible run with orchids in the past but being the stubborn girl that I am, I'm giving it another go.

Excuse the glare but isn't she pretty?!

I have so much to say and so many things to share but this is all I have time for today. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and has a smooth start to the week.

Until next time...

Randomness

~I can't believe I've been back home for two weeks already...although truth be told, my vacation feels like it was months ago.

~I packed up an office and moved to a new one. I am not happy about it...but I'm sucking it up because the rent and the bills have to be paid somehow.

~Packing and unpacking an office is exhausting. There has been no gym time but I figure that lifting and moving boxes counts as a workout. My body is certainly feeling it.

~Me and change don't get along very well so my anxiety level has been at an all time high.

~This hasn't been helped by the fact I was being harrassed by an unhinged mental case this week all because I said that I did not want to meet him for drinks. Thank goodness my gut instinct still works. I say no and have been insulted and harassed via text and email ever since. Amazing that a guy wants to go out with you and the minute you say no, you're told that you're lame, boring, fat, have a retarded face and don't meet the type of guys you are into because you don't know what you want. Really? My face (and everything else) was plenty good enough to ask out but now it's suddenly retarded? And I definitely don't want to be with someone who can't handle hearing the words "no, thank you" and becomes abusive because of it. I know that I want...that's a whole other post in the writing. The mental case has been reported...I just hope it's the last I heard of him.

~I wish one of my friends would just set me up with a nice guy already...although I realize it may not be the guy I'm looking for either but it would be a nice change from the psychopaths I encounter online.

~Needless to say, I haven't been sleeping very well.

~Despite the exhaustion and anxiety, I've had some good times. I had an amazing dinner at a beloved French bistro in the city...amazingly taken care of by the manager. I caught up with friends. I met up with a friend who tells me that I'm pretty and beautiful and smart and helps me wipe away all the evil uncertainties that sometimes linger in my head because of situations like the above even though I know I am a terrific catch stuck amidst a sea of rejected fish. I saw Rock of Ages which was ah-mazing! Of course, the music was fantastic and not so much the acting but that's the whole point of movies like that. I walked the North Beach Festival. Watched part of a soccer game for the first time ever and got lots of info on how it works. Had a delicious dim sum lunch which consisted of eating my weight in food. I haven't eaten since...so.much.food!!

~I am still trying to catch up on blog posts...which means I can't manage to write a "real" one of my own. I have a trip recap, stitching and a Yiota's kit review post to write. I am so behind!

~I hope you all have a great start to the week!

Until next time...

~I hope to catch up by next weekend...hope.hope.hope.

Hello, Hello!

Hi All...

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I returned home safely and I had a grand time!

The highlights were:

~Having my suitcase lost temporarily at DFW.
~Being ecstatic to be reunited with my suitcase...hellow, it had all my Cayman stuff!
~Seeing my niece graduate high school.
~Discovering a new country.
~Getting 10 mosquito bites...I'm allergic...so they swelled and I itch like you can't imagine.
~Getting a tan!
~Reading 3.75 books...an amazing feat for me.
~Spending quality time with my niece and sister.
~Lounging poolside and beachside for 4 glorious days and seeing this at the end of each day.

I'll do a full recap in a week or so. For now...I need to:
~See my parents off on their annual trip.
~Move my work office to a whole new location in 5 days. Packing and moving...ugh!
~Catch up on 487 posts (and counting) in my Google Reader.
~ Get back into the swing of things and try to lose the 3 pounds I gained on vacation.

I miss you all but I'll be back soon!

Until next time...

IHSW and TUSAL

Hello Lovelies...

What a busy weekend! Tons of shopping, stitch group, Maker's Faire, more shopping, Armory tour and a friend's birthday. I am pooped...and broke! I shouldn't have shopped so much but I finally found some new tanks, swimsuit and a cover up.

I hate shopping for a swimsuit but I needed a back up since my oldest one is a little too big in some parts. What is it with swimsuits though? You pay a fortune for something that contains very little fabric. Bikini bottoms are always too small which is frustrating when you're blessed with certain assets that you don't want pudging out all over the place. Two pieces are definitely made for skinny stick figures. But I finally managed to find something that was colorful, fun, fit properly and covered the stuff that needed covering.

But between this shopping trip, vacation and rent increase, I'm on a minimal spending ban til the Fall! Thank goodness I have enough stash to see me through.

So what have I been up to on the stitching front...

Fairy Moon is slowly growing. I've been enjoying the shading on her dress that I haven't moved upwards to stitch her face and hair yet.

I am fond of her and am sad that I have to leave her behind. Ten days away from her and not a stitch to be done?! How will I survive?

Maybe Jane Pattison will distract me enough. At stitching group on Saturday, I decided to start her. There are only a few stitches made but a start is a start no matter how small....right??

Jane Pattison isn't *that* small so in case I can't manage or the dogs are trying to sniff my stitching, I have some smalls I'll be taking along with me too. :)

And lastly, my TUSAL report! I found peonies at a local Trader Joe's. They are only of my favorite flowers!!

This is the last post before I leave on my trip. You all take care of yourselves and stitch lots. I'm sure I'll have lots to catch up on when I get back.

Until next time...

Catching Up...

Hello lovelies...

Hope you all had a lovely weekend whether you're a mom or not. Mine was nice, yet eventful. Life is feeling like a blur these days and most days, I barely have time to cook or stitch and it's just making me feel more worn out and crankified.

On Friday, a friend came into town and I had a nice early dinner with her and her daughter and another mutual friend. The weather was so nice, I actually wore a skirt! Dinner was nice and fab and I made it home early to stitch. And you know what?? I managed to finish Fairy Moon's wing! I thought it would take me much longer to get to that point but I did it. :) I have now progressed to some shading on the dress bodice and skirt.

Saturday was very busy with morning appointments, picking up special Mother's Day cake, lunch with a new friend, visiting with family and eating of the cake. I barely had a moment to myself.

As I was about to leave my folks...about 730pm...someone called the house. It was a friend of my little old lady friend...the one who lost everything in the fire. I was told that while shopping, my little old lady friend fell in a store and broke her femur and they had to go via ambulance to the hospital. I spent the rest of my evening in the emergency room checking in on her and helping with translation. Oh how terrible! Like losing your home wasn't enough...how she was facing surgery and rehabilitation. She had lots of visitors telling her it would all turn out ok and the surgery will go fine and trying to ease all her worries. I was back there Sunday morning to make sure there was someone with her when the doctor came around to explain the surgery. Everyone at the hospital was very friendly but who can help being nice to a sweet little old lady that keeps saying "thank you, dahling" and "you're so sweet, dahling" and "you are very nice to me, dahling". She's a riot. She says she doesn't care if she sounds like a crazy parrot as long as people know she is nice and thankful especially since her English is limited. If you can spare more good thoughts, that would be great. She will have to stay by herself in a rehabilitation center until she can get some physical therapy in and walk on her own. A local blog wrote a very nice article on her which you can read if you're so inclined.

After my stop at the hospital, I went outlet shopping to look for some warm weather clothes. I didn't find everything I was looking for but I managed to find some good deals. That took all day and boy were my feet barking after that. At least I got my exercise in!

***

More stitching stuff...a few weeks back, I asked Faye if she could make me a couple of large project bags and they finally winged their way to the left coast and they are fantastic!

I am in love with my blue paisley one and I am a big paisley fan so I am fond of the red one too. I can't wait to break one in and I think I will be stuffing one soon with this project...

What do you think??

I am not a big fan of samplers. Sure...I like looking at them but I can't picture very many in my place but there's something about Jane Pattison that keeps pulling me in. I do think it will look perfect in my living room and look how well the colors blend with my rug! My plan is to stitch it on 40count with the cottons. Here, the threads are lying on Lakeside Linens Porcelain. I am trying to match my color combo to the photo more where the colors seem to pop off the linen a bit. My cut of Navy Bean seems darker than the norm and created a more muted color scheme. Not really what I wanted. This is the lightest linen I have in my stash besides Magnolia which is too yellow. 

I haven't decided when I'll start Jane but I think she's ready...

Well, I have a quiet evening planned today so I need to maximize by cooking and stitching time. Hope you all have a nice week....oh, and don't forget this coming weekend is IHSW. Go sign up!

Until next time...

The Randomness Edition

~ Ever have one of those weeks where the days drag on endlessly and you're cranky at everyone? It's not even my PMS week but boy am I over it on a lot of things this week. Cleaning up the office for the move, clingy guys, rent hike, car maintenance. Over it! Perhaps I have vacation fever...

~ The vacation is less than 3 weeks away and I am not ready! At least I have my passport handy but I need to try on my shorts and bathing suits. Over here, you don't wear either very often. In fact, it's been 7 years since I've even taken a beach vacation!

~ Which makes me feel like I should do a spray-on tan before I leave so I don't blind people with my white legs.

~ I've barely had time to stitch or cook which is making me even more cranky. What I have stitched is just more wing fill-in on Fairy Moon. It's slow going but getting there. I still have to count to allow the appropriate spaces for the beads. My goal is to finish the wing before I leave.

~ I feel like skipping yoga today so I can stitch, relax and catch up on the Tivo...but I'm feeling particularly guilty since I ate a cupcake and a cookie this morning. Oops...I guess if you fall off the wagon, fall off hard. Both were tasty!

~ I'm trying to figure out what small project I take along with me to help pass the time. I am itching to stitch Jane Pattison but it's probably a little too big and like I need another big WIP to be carting around. I'm having enough issues juggling the ones I have!

~ If anyone can suggest some light but wonderful reads (books) to take with me on my trip, I'd love to hear suggestions. I'll go to the library and see what I can find.

~ Oh, on Sunday, there was a big apartment building fire in the Mission District. A very close friend of the family lived in this building and has basically lost everything and is now pretty much homeless. The building is a total loss. Luckily, her upstairs neighbor helped her escape with literally just a case of important papers and the robe and slippers she was wearing. If you can spare some good thoughts for this 81 year old widow, it would be nice. I love her like a second mom and am just so sad that this happened to her. Thankfully, she is a well loved little old lady and there are lots of people coming out of the woodwork to help her but as you can imagine, the sadness and shock is great as now, all she has are memories of her life to hold...most of which...she lived in in that apartment.

~ Posts will be sporadic over the next few weeks...

Until next time...

Off the Grid

This past week, I decided that I needed to take back my weekend. I was starting to feel burnt out and exhausted. The result of being social too many weekends in a row and not allowing enough quality "me" time to decompress. By Thursday, I felt super rundown and exhausted which prompted me to go home sick and  sleep the rest of the afternoon. It was just what I needed. Sleep and quiet.

I had already taken Friday off because I had plans to do an Anchor Brewery tour and tasting and they only do them during the day and during the workweek. It was a ton of fun! And then I had dinner plans at a fun place I hadn't been to in a while. Dinner was delicious, the company was fun...it was the perfect social fun day!

Saturday was stay home and stitch day so I assplanted in the recliner most of the day and stitched on Fairy Moon. I do have to say...I stitched and stitched and stitched. I stitched a lot! More than I have in months and yet...

...it doesn't really look like I stitched that much. Although I did. I have a lot of fill-in left to do in the wing. It's moving right along. I'll get excited once I get her really shaping up to look like the fairy she is supposed to be. I am not excited about tackling her monstrous white dress though so I'll need lots of cheering once I get to that point.

I was so focused on getting as far as I could with Fairy Moon that I didn't work on any finishing and did minimal winding of bobbins. That's ok though. It'll all get done...eventually. Just hopefully sooner than later.

Things aside from stitching are good. I'm holding steady with my weight loss. These next five pounds seem harder than the last seven. I'm hoping to lose them by the end of May but we'll see what happens. I know it's dependant on how many workouts I manage at the gym and I've only been able to fit in 1-2 gym visits a week. I still get lazy...although I consider it more tiredness from the crazy go, go, go schedule I've set for myself. But I'm devoted to yoga for the week and need to get back on my cooking schedule.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Until next time...

IHSW and TUSAL

Hello lovlies...how's it all going?

Things, as you can imagine have been busy busy. I don't think there is any other setting at the moment. But let's see if I can remember what I've been up to lately. There hasn't been much stitching going on. At least I don't think so...

I did finish two motifs on Mary Wigham and she is going to be put away for a little while. I can't believe I am still on Part 5 (of 9)! One more motif and over 1 wording (yuk!). It's going back in the wip basket for a spell. Oh, the two motifs I did were the big "Ackworth School" and the gold bird to the right of that one.

I also finished the stitching on Shepherd's Bush Little Eggs Pincushion. I finished before Easter but it took me until this past weekend to finally attach the buttons. I have to look in my stash to see if I have a suitable Easter or soft print to use for the backing.

I started some finishing I can't show yet. I am as slow as molasses when it comes to finishing so of the 3 pieces I wanted to finish, I only managed to complete 1.33 of them. Guess finishing will continue throughout the week/weekend although I am itching to get back to Fairy Moon now.

And lastly, the TUSAL report. I thought I would take a complete shot of what the top of my tv looks like. It has my TUSAL jar, some ranunculus that I picked up at the farmers market along my with roku and cute japanese figurines.

Wow, I am loving the new blogger template! Why did I wait so long to upgrade?! It puts pictures where they are supposed to go and I don't have to go into the html (which I don't even understand) trying to fix things. Awesome! I hope it continues to work this way!

And I thought I would request something that is a total longshot. If there is anyone out there who has Stitchmate scroll rods that they don't like or don't use, please contact me as I may like to purchase them. My order for rods was unfulfilled and I have to figure out another solution...besides qsnaps...or borrowing rods.

Well, I think that's it for me. Until next time...

Public Service Announcement

I'm back earlier than expected with some sad news. 

Yesterday, I learned that the gentleman who created and manufactured the Stitchmate floor stand passed away on Wednesday from a brief battle with cancer. I had known he was sick since I had a nice conversation with his wife a couple of months ago inquiring about their old table stand and the scroll rods I needed and had blogged about. I had hoped he was feeling better but it appears his illness was more serious than it appeared. 

I thought that other Stitchmate fans would like to know. Roger changed the life for many stitchers by the invention and workmanship of a floor stand that he individually handcrafted to order. I am thankful that I was able to order my stand last year as I honestly don't know how I would tackle my BAPs otherwise. There is hope that in time, the family will find someone to take on the manufacturing of the stand but at this time, the business is on hold and the website is down.

Thoughts to the family during this sad time. 

Randomness

I'm restless and procrastinating the things I should be doing...hence more randomness.

~I have no idea where the week has gone! It's been a blur of cooking, yoga, shopping, socializing and eating WAY too much.

~Wine Saturday was tons of fun! Lots of wine, lots of laughs, lots of food and some great people. The wineries we went to were Corison, V. Sattui, Benessere and Gloria Ferrer. My favorite was Benessere. The sommelier was fun and we sat outside and soaked in the sunshine while enjoying our tasting. I told myself I wouldn't buy any wine but I couldn't resist here. Two bottles caught my fancy and it will be a nice reminder of Wine Saturday when I get around to opening them up. Fun times!

~Why is it that when you're shopping for something specific, you have the hardest time finding it?! I spent most of Sunday shopping for a white shift for a work photo and a fun party top. Shopping is exhausting!

~Back to yoga this week. I had to try something called a Dolphin. Seriously...me and this dolphin pose did not see eye to eye. I hope we don't have to do it today...

~Went to a 9 course Japanese dinner which was yummy but WAY, WAY too much food. Seriously, I don't know how people do those multi-course tasting menus. Around course 5, I was hoping the courses were over since I didn't pay attention to how many courses the dinner was in the first place. Nope...4 more to go. I wish we had a better table and weren't seated next to loud guys who I could still hear talking in the bathroom.

~I've barely stitched this past week but I've managed 1.25 motifs in Mary Wigham. I'm hoping to finish up that second motif and put her away again for a bit. She's not really my style and I have no idea what I will do with her when I finish (if ever) but every once in a while, I feel like working on something quaker-ish.

~This weekend is International Hermit and Stitch. Go sign up and plan on some "stitch ass". I'm hoping to relax enough to do some finishing. Famous last words...

~I was scanning through The Stitchery catalog the other night. I don't usually find anything I like in there anymore but I saw this...

I love it! Too bad it's kitted with Aida and so expensive. Something to think about...

~On Saturday, this little space turns 7. Hard to believe that I've babbled on for that long. But this little space has been a huge source of comfort and friendship and I am thankful for it. I stitched up a little something for a surprise but as you can imagine (if you know me well enough), I haven't even tackled finishing it. I'll wait til I do that to announce. I always seem to be late to my own party!

~I'm so glad readers appreciate the randomness. I think my brain would buzz incessantly if I wasn't able to offload at least some of it somewhere! And I suppose some of it is interesting.

Well, you all have a nice weekend. I'll be back Monday to report what I've done with IHSW and do a proper stitch report. You all have fun!

Until next time...

Randomness

~I get along with men better than women a lot of the time but I am starting to wonder if men can really be friends with women. I am starting to doubt it. I was just "dumped" by a male "friend". Despite getting along really well, I didn't want to date him because he was what I classified as a mess. No job, crashing with friends, no car...nice enough guy. He reminded me of the last relationship mistake I made. I was clear that I wanted to be friends and each month, I had to remind him...and each month, I'd sense red flags that just made me more secure in the decision of just being platonic friends. He said something offensive to me last week and I got really upset. I told him how I felt and all I got out of him was that "he's been patient with me and his patience was wearing thin and how we both wanted different things and that he was done with me". The dude basically broke up with me...as if we were in a relationship! But I'm here telling myself that I was explicitly clear that we were friends from the beginning. And boy am I glad! I don't need any guy being more of a diva than me. And I don't need some guy pressuring me to be more than I am comfortable with. I don't need a guy who's so desperate to be in a relationship but can't see a good friendship staring him in the face. I don't need any of that.

~I don't need any of that because I am happy and secure in the knowledge of who I am. I don't need to be in a relationship to feel better about myself. And in my world, that is the most important and calming feeling. I'm happy with me. I know what I want. I am not settling. Needy diva boys can go away. I haven't the patience for them.

~I found a social group that makes me amazingly happy. Wonderful people looking to be happy, have fun and make friends. I've fit in nicely and they've even given me a title. I'm all important now. It's nice to be liked for who you are. I feel like I'm making new friends and it's the best feeling! A lot of us are going wine tasting on Saturday and I can't wait!

~I hit a little bit of a slump with stitching since it's been so busy and I've been more tired with implementing cooking and workouts into my weekly routine. But I have a couple of tiny finishes I'll tell you about later.

~Last night, I had a headache and I took my normal Excedrin dosage. I fell asleep from 11pm to 130am. I woke up with a crazy charley horse (hate those!) and was wide awake until 430am when I fell asleep for another 2 hours. I'm wondering if the caffeine in Excedrin made me feel like I slept for 7 hours when it was only 2.5 since I've been caffeine free for 3 weeks now.

~What does one want to do in the middle of the night when you're wide awake and can't sleep? Shop! Followed by rooting around for my stitching projects. I finished a small that shouldn't have been as troublesome as it was, found fabric for a Just Nan I'd like to start and dug Mary Wigham out of the WIP basket. I know! Crazy! I guess I found my stitching mojo again!

~I've been slowly organizing my DMC. I literally have hundreds of skeins to wind and it is tedious! But the colors are so pretty...

~I went on a date last weekend. More to keep up on my dating skills. It's like keeping sharp on interview skills. You don't want to get rusty. The guy constantly brought up his ex-ex-ex girlfriend (big dating no-no). And then he actually told me his ex-girlfriend (Not the ex-ex-ex) was repressed and terrible in the sack and how he had to break up with her even though he really liked her. Uh, ok. I'm glad that you feel you can be honest with me but you probably shouldn't be telling girls that information that you're hoping to date. Not to mention that our date was at 7pm and he ate dinner before we even met! Um, didn't he think that maybe I'd like to eat something when we're meeting around dinner time? Sweet Jesus...Serenity Now! Needless to say, I'm not seeing that guy again and it solidified the fact that being single isn't so bad and some guys really need help in the dating department.

~Since I only slept 4.5 hours last night, I wonder if I will make it through yoga tonight!

~I feel like this is one of my more boring "randomness" posts. It's been a weird couple of weeks but I promise that the next post will have photos of actual stitching! Promise!

Hope you're all having a nice week...until next time!

I Survived The Cleanse!

I survived...woo!

It's been funny the last couple of days. I've been diligent about keeping up with my comments and my blog friends have been writing me back asking about the cleanse. I suppose I peaked some curiousity despite my whining!

I'd have to say that the cleanse was a success. I feel a lot better. I'm more energetic and getting better sleep but I do think my digestive issues are just something I will have to try and balance. Sometimes, it's fine and sometimes it isn't and I know that stress only aggravates my symptoms.

For a week, I did an ayervedic cleanse which basically focuses on building a healthy metabolic system and attaining good digestion as well as exercise, yoga and meditation. You test to see which dosha you are. I tested as a borderline Pitta/Vata but because of my digestive issues, the cleanse leader told me to consider myself Vata. Apparently, this is like having old lady digestion! And my dietary staples of salads, popcorn and crackers are bad for this dosha because it takes a lot of effort to break down those foods and they are drying. Great...apparently, I've been jacking myself up for a while. My dosha requires that veggies and food be cooked. Hence, me now having to cook a little more. I can still eat salads but need to counteract it with good fats and acids to help the breakdown of the veggies and should stick to that being an afternoon meal instead of an evening meal. Ayerveda believes that your biggest meal of the day should be lunch and not dinner.

So what did I eat? A lot of rice! This doesn't bother me too much since I grew up having rice at two meals anyways but I haven't kept that practice up since high school so I'm not used to making or eating so much rice hence dusting off the rice cooker. So it was a lot of warm coconut rice cereal, a rice and bean concoction and lots of veggies with a smoothie, stewed fruit or soup thrown in for good measure. I felt satisfied each day. No hunger pains.

The worst part of the cleanse was the caffeine withdrawal. On my second day, I felt like death. I had no energy, was super lethargic and only got up to cook or feed myself. The headache was terrible. But I persevered. In exchange for giving up caffeine, I have a better sleep schedule. I can't really last past midnight anymore so I am forced to go to sleep earlier which means it's a little easier to get up in the mornings when the alarm goes off and hence, I have more energy. Amazing what I was depriving myself of for 30+ years. But as you can expect, after 30+ years of coffee, it isn't so much the caffeine I miss but the taste of coffee so I'll be switching to decaf to fulfill the coffee craving. I do think that the caffeine was making me a spaz and I feel a little calmer. I think it will take a little while for me to reach my inner zen.

There was no weird colonic enema although that was an option. Yes, I said enema. Don't go freaking out. Instead I took a natural supplement to help move all the bad stuff out of my system. I took it before bed, it did its work while I slept and when I woke up, I did my bathroom business and I strangely felt a lot better. I have a very slow digestive system that I think this just helps do some of the work my system seems to get lazy about.

I didn't do any of the yoga, meditation or exercise I was supposed to do because the cooking took forever. At least I thought it took forever but I also have a small kitchen and I usually try to avoid being in there as much as possible so I am not very proficient in that department. The cooking wasn't my favorite thing but I think you all got that vibe from my whining. :)

Would I do it again? Yes. I would probably try to find a time when I was doing a staycation so I could take full benefit of the cleanse with enough time to cook, meditate and exercise. Ayervedic cleanses occur in the Spring and the Fall.

Would you all like some stats?

At the beginning of Lent, I gave up sugar and was at a starting weight of 157.

At the start of the cleanse, I was at 155. For one week, I was going to give up caffeine, sugar (already was), meat, wheat, dairy, fat (other than olive oil and ghee) and alcohol.

One week later and I am at 150.8.

So I'm down about 7 pounds with 4 of those being due to the cleanse. My goal is to be down to 145 by the time I go to Grand Cayman in June. The hard part, of course, is to keep those pounds off while losing more. I'm 5'8" so I think 145 is a good healthy weight plus I'm not sure my bone structure will support me being lower than that. Time will tell though.

I'll maintain some aspects of the cleanse and incorporate more grains and veggies into my diet especially in the evenings. I ended up eating a lot of rice just because I prefer it over quinoa but I did have some of that. I am just happy I can incorporate oats into my diet now. It's my usual morning grain. I love oatmeal!

I am back to regular eating but I am trying hard to make careful choices and not snack. ANd if I do snack, that I snack on fruit.

It was an interesting experiment. A year ago, I would never have done this. I didn't think I could. What?! Give up coffee and meat and wine?! You have got to be kidding! I don't miss the coffee, I don't miss the meat although I'm back to chicken and well, I can take a break from wine but not give it up altogether. Lucky for me, my dosha says red wine is good. Thank Goodness! So...if I can do it. You can do it to if you so choose to. You can do anything! You just have to believe in yourself.

So...the cleanse was a success.

***

If you've gotten to the end of this, my thoughts go out to my friends living in the Dallas/Forth Worth area. My sister lives in this area and her house wasn't damaged by the tornado but was damaged by the storms. If you can send some good thoughts, I'd appreciate it. She has lots of water damage due to the hail breaking her tile roof and skylights and she had just finished a remodel. May she have the strength and motivation to deal with the insurance and having more contractors in and out to fix the damage. I can't wait to see her in a couple of months. I am just thankful that they are all ok. The house will be fixed up in time.

I'll be back soon with a stitching update.

Until next time...

Observations of the Week...

...aka Randomness.

~I miss coffee. I thought I was going to die this last weekend...from caffeine withdrawal. I've no idea how I did it but I did. I.am.awesome!

~Cooking takes up way too much time. Like way too much. I haven't had time for yoga or stitching. I know...blasphemy!

~I had to dust off the blender, rice cooker and the steam basket for this little cleanse experiment. More gadgets than I've used in a while. And I think I may have broken the blender. The next time I go to Macy's, I'm getting one of those new fandangled immersion blender thingies.

~I have no idea how moms who work full time and cook three meals a day do it. I miss Trader Joe's!

~Buying completely fresh and organic is freaking expensive! I didn't think I could eat so much but apparently, when you cook everything from scratch, you go through a lot of ingredients. I still miss Trader Joe's.

~I also miss Fairy Moon because she hasn't seen daylight in over a week. Her update is that she looks the same as the last update.

~I can't wait for the cleanse to be over on Saturday and not because I am craving anything although I am getting a little tired of the cleanse diet. I'm really just tired of cooking. I need to find a personal chef boyfriend. This is probably not a good idea though considering what a disaster the last "personal chef boyfriend" was.

~Does anyone have any info on the Grand Cayman as a vacation spot? Not as a tax haven...everyone keeps saying that. People must think I have more money than I have any hopes of having! I wish! I've forgotten to buy the MegaMillions ticket 2x in a row and it was at super duper millions jackpot.

~I'm thinking of ordering some scroll rods and am wondering what the longest size is I would ever need. Are 30" rods large enough for most Chats? I need to do some math.

I'll be back with a post-cleanse update, which will probably contain more whining about cooking, after Saturday. Hope you're all having a good week!

Until next time...

TUSAL Update

Wow, this is a rare early morning post for me. It'll have to be quick though because I have to hop in the shower and head into work.

Here is my TUSAL update next to some pretty daffodils I picked up at Trader Joes. There is a lot of purple and blue from Fairy Moon and some christmasy threads from Merry Be.

The week has been a busy one! I finally returned to yoga after months and months. It's been a creaky start so far but it's nice to be in class and leave feeling refreshed even if I think I'm going to die and wonder what I got myself into sometimes about halfway through the class. Tonight is the final day of eating how I want because I decided to sign up for the dietary cleanse and it starts tomorrow. Wish me luck! Lots of vegetarian eats for the next week. Since this will hamper my social life which includes lots of dinners out, coffee dates and happy hours, I hope to get lots of stitching in if the cleanse cooking isn't too time consuming.

Hope you all have a nice weekend!

Until next time...