Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Randomness, a Giftie and a Start

Randomness

~I have no idea how it's the middle of February. Serious? I must be dreaming. Someone pinch me...ouch!

~I am very anti-Valentine's Day. Those on my FB can attest to the interesting cartoon I posted. So color me surprised when I received tulips delivered at work, some sweet emails from friends and a guilt-free phone call from my mom. It was a nice Valentine's Day. I hope yours was too.

~Don't start asking about the tulips. I'm not quite sure what to think. But they are pretty and brighten up my desk.

~In the past week, I've been told I have to be nicer and that I'm a cranky-pants. *Sigh* I think I'm a nice cranky pants. I say please and thank you and have a nice day to everyone. I just don't deliver all my news with ego-strokes and smiles. So I'm working on being a nicer not so cranky pants.

~I've been very domestic the past week. I made beef stew, minestrone soup and meatballs. On the last, I managed to smoke out the apartment. Do you know that smoke detectors can talk now? So not only do you have to deal with the beeping, you now have some lady yelling "fire, fire, fire" at you while you are trying to open windows and having to climb up a step ladder to try and get it to be quiet while wishing you grabbed a hammer. I'm happy that no one called the fire department because we all know how embarrassing that would have been!

I'm exhausted and scatter brained so the randomness returned. I feel like I've been running nonstop and doing all these fun things but it's been such a blur that I can't totally remember what I even did to share with you all.

I'm shopping around for new glasses. This is hard for me to do solo since I'm indecisive and glasses are a huge part of my look. I like them to be classic yet make a statement. Be a little hip and a little nerdy librarian. I am also a hard fit for the types of frames that I like. Narrow face, narrow nose bridge and most styles don't come with nosepads which I definitely need. This is where I got called crankypants. Some frames made me look like a girl version of Drew Carey. Others had bling. Some had pink on them. Some were weird colors. Some were thin wire. I got it narrowed down to two styles. Either black/clear or brown/teal. One of the brown/teals would be a complete deviation from what I normally go for. Yet, they're fun. I guess I'll decide in a week when they are all here for me to try on at the same time.

Giftie

I received a lovely surprise in the mail from Sally! Look at this cute little pincushion!
Sally is such a sweetheart. She was looking for a pattern so I let her borrow mine and she stitched this up as a thank you. I was just so happy to help. This is a bonus. I just love it and am hoping this little sheepie brings me some luck! Thank you so much Sally! Sorry it took me so long to post and share.

A Start

Well, I've barely had much time to stitch lately. Since finishing up my stocking, I've been plugging along on my new start with every spare minute or five that I can find. Here is what I've completed so far.
Here's my start on Jingle All the Way by Notforgotten Farm. I'm stitching it on 40 count Lakeside Linens Pearled Barley with the recommended DMC.

This weekend is IHSW! Yay! I look forward to this each month no matter how quiet or hectic that weekend happens to be. This weekend will be busy but I have stitching group on Saturday. Yay! I am hoping to stitch more and gab less but we'll see what happens. If you want to join in on the fun, go sign up on Joysze's blog. She does a great job hosting and bringing us all together each month. Thanks Joyzse! :)

I hope everyone is having a nice week. I'm heading to bed early tonight. I've been so tired lately!

Until next time...

29 comments:

Natasha said...

OMG! I am so thankful my smoke alaram does not talk, It would be going off all the time haha...

I hate shopping or glasses. My last pair took me 2 hours yes two hours to pick out. that was over 5 years ago. I have found where I can by the same frame online for super cheap so that is what I plan to do :)

I was going to ask about the flowers but I can save that for Saturday hehe!! Have a great night and I am so looking forward to Saturday Miss Cranky Pants LOL

Veronica said...

What a gorgeous, gorgeous pincushion. Sally's finishings never ceases to awe me. Cute little reindeers :)

Hugs,
Veronica.

kate n said...

:) Well, well, well miss cranky pants! lol Yes, it is the middle of February!! Have a great weekend and if you get a chance listen to some I'm From Barcelona - they make me "bouncy".

cucki said...

aww very sweet pin cushion..so cute..
sweet reindeers..i love them so much..
big hugs cucki xx

Anonymous said...

Hi
Just found your blog.

I love your sweet reindeer start and your gift is lovely.

Hazel said...

Lovely gift from Sally. I don't know how she manages all that stitching!! Nice start on jingle too. Thanks for the reminder of IHSW! I completely forgot. X

Ann at Beadlework. said...

What a lovely little gift, SB pieces are always appealing. I know what you mean about choosing new specs - I'm due to do the exact same thing and I've been putting it off for months now.

Siobhán said...

That is hysterical that you have a fire alarm that speaks!! I hear you on the glasses. I have a narrow nose at the part where the glasses sit but a big bumble head, so it's awkward getting them to fit properly. Couple that with the fact that I always manage to pick an uncool style and then I see somebody 5 minutes afterwards and wish I had picked what they had. Or, I want to be funky because in my head I'm avant garde, but in reality I don't like to stand out, so the inner cool person is constantly battling with the nerd that is really me. Yeah--not fun. It's also why I need to buy a new pair of glasses but haven't. I lost my favorite pair of glasses that I got back in 2002. Yikes, 10 years ago. I remember putting them on & telling the optician that I looked like a cross from Elizabeth from Survivor and my parish priest. LOL

Love Sally's gift! Nice start, too.

Margaret said...

Ok, a talking fire alarm is just too much. Ugh! What will they think of next? So I'm not supposed to ask about the tulips. Ok. I won't. I assume you know who they're from? Whoops! :D Good luck with the glasses. I know the feeling, bigtime. Last summer I needed new glasses. I chickened out with the whole thing -- I just asked for the same frames again. lol! Nice new start! I like that one.

Sally said...

I think it must be the week for cranky pants as I'm just the same! Wish I could snap out of it but it's just not happening!

Glad you liked your little giftie:) You did me a kindness and I wanted to repay you :) Hope it does bring some you luck.

Love your new start.

I've decided to join in the IHSW this time. I can't wait! I might go on strike for the weekend and just stitch all day and all evening :)

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

When my boys are in the house, I NEED a screaming fire alarm because they always assume I've burned something (not that I'm a bad cook, no, it's not that at all) and totally ignore it. Even if it's 3AM. I know....
Love your gift from Sally - how very sweet of her to stitch it for you.
If I recall, we were about the same size. I have a small face (some would say a small head and a small brain to go with it) and a thin nose bridge so like you, I have trouble finding glasses as well. However, I just got a new pair that I LOVE. They are Ray-Bans, model RB5255-5076. I got them in black (they have a bit of a clear frame accent) and they are adorable. Kind of the classic Ray-Ban lense (think Kevin Costner in Kennedy) but a bit smaller and feminine. I think they'd look great on you and they come in some colors too, I think. Whatever you get, I'm sure will be fabulous on you. Here's a link but I'm not sure it'll post as a link to the glasses: http://www.ray-ban.com/usa/products/optical/RB5150?var=2034 maybe you can copy and paste into your browser.
Have a good day!

Laura said...

I won't ask about the tulips, but color me curious! ;)

Seeing that cute SB pincushion reminds me that I have that chart and should pull it out and work on it for St. Paddy's day.

Julie said...

Cranky lady here too this week, must be something in the air!
How lovely to receive some tulips, the evening news here said they are the new roses and young ladies prefer them to old fashioned roses? Not sure I agree.

Carol said...

Having been through the fire department coming to my parents' apartment building for the smoke alarms that I set off when I burned the toast, I know how awful that experience can be! Glad yours didn't get that far...

Ack!!! No, not you with a "nerdy librarian" comment, too. We are really not all nerds--really. In fact, I think my department is a darn good looking bunch :)

Such a cute pincushion from Sally--her work is lovely and I love Jingle All the Way. I know you'll love stitching it. Enjoy your IHSW, Valerie. (And I forgive you for the "nerdy librarian" comment :)

Giovanna said...

What an adorable pincushion gift, and I love your new start!

Pumpkin said...

That must have been nice! Flowers always perk us up ;o)

I saw that on Sally's Blog and fell in love with it! She did an awesome job and lucky you :o)

Great start!

Jeanne said...

I hate picking out glasses and I'm due for some new ones. What a cool gift Sally stitched for you!

Daffycat said...

ROFLOL Your story reminds me of when my parents smoke detector developed a short in the wiring and went off in the middle of the night. Not being able to make it quit screaming Dad took a hammer and beat it to death.

I'm really shy and standoffish and can come across as rude...I have to make a point of being extra-nice, just in case!

Christina said...

Hmmm, tulips. They look really beautiful until they start to droop...!

Funny you should mention fire alarms. I go through stages of anxieties...my current neurosis is fire. When I'm laid in bed late at night I worry about how I'd get the children out of the house if it was filled with smoke! (seriously, this is what motherhood does to you!). So I've been testing our smoke alarms on a daily basis and wondering if we should have more in the house! We are having an extension built soon and it is now compulsory for the builder to install a smoke alarm in every room. Perhaps I'll sleep a bit easier then?! Anyway, my point being - I'm pleased your alarms are working, if a bit annoying!

Your SB gift from Sally is so cute - Sally's finishing is always so lovely.

I love getting new glasses. Specsavers do a 'buy one get one free' offer so I get to choose TWO pairs of glasses every couple of years. I really should wear my contact lenses more but I'm so lazy these days.

Christina said...

Oops, forgot to mention. Have you seen Jill Rensel's blog? Her framing of Mirabilia's Fairy Moon...O...M...G...it's amazing!

Catherine said...

What a sweet gift from Sally!!
I think I would go crazy if my smoke alarm talked!!
Love tulips!!

Caitlin @ Naughts Cross Stitches said...

I've run into those speaking fire alarms. I was living in a boarding house and at 12am in the morning the fire alarm went off. 'this is not a drill please evacuate the building'. It's funny now but I had just started to fall off to sleep and this voice was shouting at me!

beautiful stitching and a lovely gift to get in the mail too.

barbara said...

I have to chime in on the crankypants thing and the new glasses. Niek's lately accusing me of being humorless, etc. because I don't go around smiling pointlessly at everything. I think people who do look vapid.

I picked up my glasses today. I couldn't find any frames I liked and apparently my final choice was so uninspired that no one even noticed I had new glasses. Kind of funny, really.

Anne said...

LMAO!!!! That fire alarm! I would hammer it so fast it would stop mid "Fire!" Like that helps anyways. Just makes a person panic more than necessary.

Ooh tulips! Hmm, who sent those to you??? Even though I have a hubby, we don't do anything major for that day. We both laughed when we went to the supermarket and saw all these poor sods buying last minute flowers and cards. We just went for a walk and that was it!

Lovely gift from Sally!! Sheep are so sweet!! I hear you with being uber busy. Good but not good...makes us all cranky pants :P

Love your new start!!

Hugs!!

Ps: cranky about the new words that blogger has made me type...I can barely make out the letters!

Katrina said...

I hate picking new glasses, I've been looking at Kate Spade frames :-). Cute and not too big but big enough, LOL. I want to hear more about those tulips, LOL.

Sweet gift and stitching too!!!

Myra said...

I have a tough time choosing glasses too. Lovely gift from Sally.

Melanie said...

Glad you had a nice Valentine's. :)

Cranky pants? Pfffffttt. I cry foul on that one. I like cranky pants people better anyway. The ones who are all smiley, all the time, make me murderous. *grin*

Anonymous said...

Hugs. You are right. Glad you had someone there for you. Love that photo of you. You are a beautiful woman!

Meari said...

That is the cutest little giftie ever! Nice start.