Building Houses & Surprises

Building a house is hard work! Oof, I'm tired! Laying bricks, slapping on mortar, hammering on roof tiles, installing window and door frames and erecting a chimney. Lots of work! Here's how my Valentine Rose looks after a week and a half of stitching...or, uh, building. Not bad!


The house still needs a little more work...a bit of mortar and installing the door. I think I will do the door last as I'm unsure of my dyelot for that area. Besides...I think I could do with a change of scenery so I'll head over and work on the potted plants in this block.

I am stitching along with Sally, Jane and Lisa on AotH. I think I'm a little farther along but they'll catch up soon. I'll soon be busy with class pre-stitching, ornie stitching, finishing and trying to get farther along on Mary Wigham.

I would *love* to finish this block by the end of the weekend. That might be hard as I have a hectic schedule through next Tuesday. Yikes! Busy, busy! Not to mention, I need to finish a couple of things that need to go in the mail. I must put my finishing procrastination to an end. I just need more time...and hands. Yea, both, in abundance, would be helpful!

Last night, I received a lovely surprise. A few weeks back, KarenV emailed me asking if I would like a pattern she had when she was done with it since she had seen it was on my wishlist. How sweet! I said yes and put it in the back of my mind. Well, I was surprised to see a big envelope in my mailbox for such a tiny chart. Imagine my surprise when I opened the envelope and out came a baggie filled with assorted trims and a stunningly cute Birds of a Feather Angel ornie. It took me a bit to close my mouth from the shock of it all! She recently showed this ornie finish on her blog and I had commented on how cute it was. Little did I know it was me who was the intended recipient!

And a close up of the ornie...so cute! I just love the pompom trim!

I've been reading Karen's blog for a while now and I'm always surprised and inspired by all her finishes! They turn out spectacular and she always has the perfect fabby and trim. One day I commented that I wished I could find similar trims locally but how my selections are limited. Well, I guess she remembered! So many lovely trims. I am so excited to use them. Thank you so much Karen! I love everything!

Well, short post for me today. I hope to stitch and then drag my lazy bum to yoga instead of just thinking about it all the time. I could use some zen and meditation. I'm sporting a tummyache today though so I may just hold out until the weekend.

Hope you're all enjoying the week...2 more days to Friday!

Until next time...

Ups and Downs

"Don't let one problem discourage your goals."
~Bunny Year Lucky Dinner fortune from my Fortune Cookie

Up

Considering my whine earlier last week, it seemed interesting that this was my fortune during Bunny Year dinner. Weird...I guess the noodles were trying to tell me something. Bunny Year dinner was very yummy. Potstickers, soup, noodles, rice and king pao chicken with enough leftovers to last me a couple of days. I love leftovers!

Down

Tried to do the right thing despite coming across the most incompetent receptionist ever. Not delivering messages and blatantly eating food on the phone does not exude good customer service to me. Don't make me mad with bad customer service either because even though I am a cranky-ass, my previous profession was all about making customers have a lovely stay and be happy. I know! Hard to believe. But on Friday, happy due to my Happy Bunny Day dinner, I found a credit card in the lobby of my building and tried my hardest to get it back to it's owner. I used my mad Google skills, found where it belonged to even though the owner of the card doesn't even work in my building. I should be a frickin' detective. I think I missed my calling. Anyways, I called the office and told the dumb receptionist to please give this man a message that I had something that belonged to him and could he please call me or pass by my suite.

Ever get the feeling on the phone that the person on the other end isn't even listening, let alone writing it down? Yea. I had that feeling. But I gave this guy the benefit of the doubt. At the end of the day, I call back and ask if he gave the owner my message. His response, "what message?". I could have jumped through the phone and choked him. Are you serious! At that point, I was mad. If he had delivered the message, the owner would have his card. Instead, the owner is on his way back home...3 hours away. I got the owner's phone number to let him know that I'd had his card since the morning and I had hoped to reunite him with it if he had only gotten my message. I can only hope he gets it back since I followed his instructions to give it to someone else. Sometimes doing the right thing is a frickin' hassle! But better I had grabbed the card versus leaving it there for who knows what to happen.

All I know is that if I happen to lose my credit card somewhere, that some kind soul out there will try to get it to me intact so that I didn't have to be without a credit card and go through the hassle of canceling it. That receptionist totally screwed it up!

Up

Met up with a bestie and caught up, had dinner and watched No Strings Attached. Usual fluffy chick flick with humor. Entertaining but nothing to write home about.

Down

I don't know what Scottish bagpipes and the ringing of a bell mean to you but to me, it is the saddest sound on the face of the earth and enough to bring me to tears. Spent the day celebrating the life of a coworker who succumbed to lung cancer. Despite the loss, I try to think that Dave is in a happy place because he is reunited with his wife, Connie, who he lost to breast cancer a year ago. After so many years, it was so apparent that they were deeply in love and that loss hit Dave hard. Now they are back together. But the cry of the bagpipes and the ringing of the "last call" makes me choke up and re-evaluate.

Up

Ever feel like you need a complete wardrobe change? I'm feeling that way. My clothes are either old, faded, stretched out or need mending. Not to mention my niece told me I had mom jeans?! It was time to shop and I actually felt like it. That's rare. I went outlet shopping in 75 degree weather. It was gorgeous and I got a good dose of Vitamin D not to mention found some incredible bargains! I am so happy. I had fun. I found nice clothes for a total deal and even bought a little black dress in a single digit size! I don't know how that happened but maybe that is incentive enough to go to the gym so I can ensure that I can still fit in it when I have the chance to wear it!

So I'm on a up...I hope it stays that way!

Stitching

I've been stitching on Valentine Rose this past week but it's been busy and I've maybe managed one hour each day which isn't a lot but it's better than nothing. I find that I need that hour (at least) to keep me sane. Considering the overall time, I guess I've done ok. That house is huge! I've put on the roof and installed the windowframes and doorframe but am still laying the brick. Lots and lots of bricks. I'm planning on stitching for the rest of tonight so I wonder if I can finish the bricks and do the cement stuff between the bricks. I forgot what it's called. I'll show a photo in a couple of days. No photos today but I'll share a new obsession.

Chatelaine Frosty Knotgarden

Chatelaine Evening in the Park

Someone get me off the Chatelaine site! Holy Crap. Each time I go there, I see a new one I like. I now have a couple of patterns; Taj Mahal and Frosty Knotgarden. I think I'm too scattered to understand the chart...they look confusing! I am debating which one to start my Chatelaine obsession with...I can't decide. Um, not to mention figure out how in the world to fit it into my so-called rotation. *sigh* I need more hands.

Time to blowdry my hair and lay some bricks on this here house. Hope you all had a fun weekend!

Until next time...

Happy Bunny Year!

Hello my lovelies...it's a day to celebrate! Happy Lunar New Year or as I call it...Year of the Rabbit.

I'm ready to celebrate. My apartment is clean, I'm not wearing black (my sister will be shocked), I'm planning a nice meal revolving around noodles to promote longevity and will probably have an orange too. And my dad even gave me a Macy's gift card yesterday! It's not cash in a red envelope but hey, it's close enough. The gift card is red. I'm considering that lucky too since he knows nothing about Lunar New Year or how to celebrate it. I need as much luck as I can get, you know?!

Let's see who else is going to celebrate for sure. Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway. I hope that new commenters continue to comment. I may whine but I don't bite. Promise!

So the results...I don't know how you get the Random.org photo on the blog. Do you have to be a paying customer? Anyways, here is the shortened list...

There were 56 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. 9. Mainely Stitching
2. 40. Maureen
3. 2. Danielle
4. 43. Pat Matejcek
5. 18. Blu
6. 20. Sally
7. 10. Mel
8. 15. Cath
9. 51. Linda
10. 22. Catherine

The winner is Barbara of Mainely Stitching! Barbara, please shoot me an email with your snail mail address. Congratulations!

***

There's more stuff to talk about. Today is the New Moon so it's time to show my TUSAL jar. Compared to my last report...where it was empty...there's been much improvement. I've been stitching my little heart out.
Yes, I am getting my money out of my pumpkin pincushion! It makes me happy to see it so I've left it out way beyond Autumn. You can click the photo to see my orts up close...little orts from Mary, Snow Garden, my Angel ornie and the BBD pincushion so it's a hodgepodge of colors.

I also got some nice packages in the mail that resulted in this...
I got my fabric shears back from Gingher. I'm impressed! There and back in 2 weeks all for the small fee of $7.50 for sharpening. Much less than taking it to the local shop! So I can get to my finishing soon. May not happen this weekend since it's getting full but maybe the weekend after. I also got my order from Shakepeare Peddler. I signed up for their Fabric of the Month so I received a fat quarter of Examplar which will come in handy for sure. I also ordered a Stitcher's Pack to see what that's all about. I'm about 50% on this...there are some cute colors for smalls but not sure about half of the little cuts. Will have to see if I can find what ornies to stitch on them. I also ordered a copy of A Sampler Enthusiants Book of Days Calendar after seeing this on Michelle's blog. I think it will be a good way for me to keep apprised of what I stitched on what day...especially seeing as how scattered I've been lately. So happy mail too!

Well, almost time for my bunny year dinner! Happy Bunny Year to you!

Until next time...

Out of Sorts

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. I've been feeling out of sorts for the past month. Being scatterbrained and so tired and pulled in a lot of directions. I've gotten some comments that I sound overwhelmed and I guess that I am. I've been feeling the distance between me and my friends and the increased need for attention my elderly parents are exhibiting. I think I'd be able to handle it all better if I had a support network. But I don't...it's just me taking care of everything. It's sad to have this feeling that everyone needs or wants something from me but when I need or want anything, I have to do it myself because no one else is going to do it for me. I want to go in one direction and am forced into another...trying to appease others at the risk of neglecting myself. And because I want to beat to the tune of my own drum, I feel kind of guilted. That Catholic guilt will kill you, you know...or at least force you into the scary white jacket and padded room.

And even though I love San Francisco, I often daydream of picking up and moving far away from here so I can finally have a life of my own, with less responsibility. And time to recapture the creative drive that is so incredibly stunted. I can follow a pattern but at this point, that's about it. The dreams about designing and owning a small little sanctuary for stitchers are just that...dreams...because my energies and focus are elsewhere.

So, I'm in a "nobody gets it" mood. Nobody gets why I am so stressed and sad and frustrated and resentful. Least of all, the people who are making me feel this way. When I feel this way, I need silence and alone time. My chirpiness decreases; my hermit tendencies increase and I focus more on my stitching since it's what I do at home.

So my stitching has been coming along.

I finished my Heart in Hand Little Angel in the Clouds. I think it's so cute! I will have to restitch soon with a pale lavender heart instead of the tan. I also stitched a little gift for my penpal. She has intermittent internet so hopefully she doesn't see this! I stitched Blackbird Designs Bluebird on a scrap of 32 count platinum with GAST Brethren Blue. I'm debating whether I want to add pins and buttons.

Well, I sent off my shears to get sharpened a couple of weeks ago and I realize I don't have any scissors to cut fabric other than those. I guess I better hunt down a Joann's or Michael's coupon so I can buy a backup pair. So no finishing for me...yet. I can't even cut my fabric down!

And I started on the border for BBD Valentine Rose last night. I wasn't supposed to start until February but with the absence of fabric shears, I decided to at least be productive. Plus, I am taking a Sandie Vandosdall class with my Sampler Guild in March and I hear there's pre-stitching. I don't even have my kit yet...I wonder how much stitching I have to do! So I had better get a move on on my personal stitching so I can drop everything once I receive my kit.
It doesn't look like much for now. This block has a huge house that needs to be built! Maybe by the weekend, I'll have some house to show...if I can squeeze some stitching in between the responsibilities.

So...don't be surprised if I'm not as chirpy as usual. I am trying to find my happy place. It's quite hard with the constant interruptions and such but I'm trying.

Thanks for all the entries for my surprise! There are some new blogs I need to check out. I really enjoyed the responses to my questions. I've got lots of movies to add to my Netflix queue. I'll answer my own questions on Thursday when I announce the winner. Movies and travel are two things that make me happy besides stitching and I am trying to reacquaint myself with both.

Well, I think I'm going to head to bed early tonight. Hope you all are having a good start to the week.

Until next time...

Did Someone Say Bunny?

So remember a while back I was talking about doing a little surprise in celebration of it being the Year of the Rabbit? It's that time. Surprise! It took a little while for things to come in because even though my brain may spit out ideas fast, the postal service and the release date of things can be slow.

Here are the things I am giving away to ONE lucky winner. I wonder who it will be?!
CCN Bunny Hop with overdyed threads, The Trilogy Happy Bunny Bunny Day, L*K Hop Squared, JBW French Country Rabbit, 2 bunny buttons and a cut of bunny backing fabric.

So what do you have to do to enter?

Answer one of the two questions in your comment...on this post only.

1. Since we're in Oscars movie season, what is your favorite movie? It doesn't have to be an Oscar-nominated one.

or

2. If you had the vacation time and could travel anywhere, where would it be and why?

That's it! Please don't post about this "surprise" on your blogs? I'd like it to go to a regular reader who happens to enjoy my ramblings instead of someone who came by just because they heard about my g-away.

Deadline to enter is February 3rd which is Chinese New Year. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

What Day Is It?

Do you ever feel like that? I feel like that *all* the time! Days go by at a blur and I try to keep the days straight. I remember when I was in my teens, the days just dragged on. I had the audacity to be bored and felt like I had nothing to do. Now I relish not having anything pressing to do and just taking the time to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Being kind of a loner, I relish alone time and stitching time. It helps me decompress from the stress of the day. If things are too busy and stressful, I feel like a chicken with her head cut off.

This past weekend went fast. But then, when don't they. I spent all of Saturday at traffic school and it was kind of torturous. The class I signed up for was a comedy traffic school and frankly, the instructor needs to work on his material. We did the exam in the form of Jeopardy and it was so annoying. I had the right answer quite a few times but as we were split up in teams, the spokesperson would always side with the "doctor". For being a doctor, there's a reason she was in traffic school. She doesn't know the traffic rules! We were losing terribly the first half. Finally, I got to shouting out the answer. Screw the spokesperson! Let's just get on with it already. I obviously become more vocal the more frustrated I am! Next time *knock on wood that there doesn't have to be one!*, I'll do the class online. I just wanted a break from the computer. I am on one between 10-12 hours each workday. After a while, you just kind of want to go out and actually see people.

The movie of the week was Blue Valentine. It stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams and I chose it because I felt like seeing Ryan Gosling (he's cute!) more than Natalie Portman. But the movie was meh. Kind of made me happy to not be married. Some scenes were hard to watch...and not because of it being violent. It wasn't. It was more because of the emotion. How love came about and then was lost; dealing with a disintegrating marriage. I did enjoy the scenes that took place in the past more than those that took place in the present but I think that was part of the point. How come so many Oscar picks are dramatic downers?! Mind you, Oscar noms don't get announced until tomorrow but there's been some talk about Blue Valentine getting some sort of nomination. We'll see. I heard mixed views on Black Swan and I know to expect that to be a psycho-trip, weird and kind of a downer. I think next week will have to be The Fighter...Amy Adams isn't playing a fluffy, sweet girl character. Should be interesting there.

I was hoping to have another stitchy finish to show you today. But I'll show what I am stitching on. Carol, Lois, Staci and I are doing a little informal ornament stitch-a-long. One ornie per month. Maybe this will inspire me to actually put up a tree this year! Here's the ornie I am stitching this month. I wanted an easy stitch considering all the busyness lately.

Little Angel in the Clouds
Heart in Hand
32ct. Dirty w/recommended threads

Poor angel is currently wingless! But I love this little design. I think I will have to stitch it up again soon and switch out the tan heart to a lilac heart. I think that will be cute. Maybe I can finish this up tonight? Eh, probably tomorrow. After this, I need to stitch up a quick gift and then I will sit down for a huge finishing and mending session. I'm gonna do it! I am! *sigh* I hate finishing and mending! But maybe these monthly ornies will help me get over my mental block about finishing. One can hope!

I do have to say that after only working on 40 count for the last couple of months, stitching on 32 count is HUGE! Wow...what a difference.

Thanks for all the sweet comments on Snow Garden. Those GAST dyelots are weird, huh? I've pulled my threads for Valentine Rose and I already have one color that I'm iffy about. We'll see what I decide. Hope nobody got upset about my "readers" comment! I have permanent readers...blind as a bat with a prescription in the 5.00+ range. I should get lasik but I'm too scared!

Well, I think it's time to peel off and stitch a bit. I worked my 8 hours, washed 2 loads of dishes, baked banana muffins, cooked dinner and did a preliminary draft of my taxes. I think I deserve a little stitching time. Hope you all had a great weekend. It's Monday...right? ;-)

Until next time...

The Snow Has Been Conquered!

And by snow, I mean Snow Garden. Because...you know...there's no snow here. Despite the rough start, I'm really happy with how it turned out and am relieved it's finished! I decided I won't do the personalization until the end. I want to see how the last blocks turn out and assign blocks then. I know I will have extra blocks...more blocks than family to pay tribute to...so Snow Garden may be a generic but I'll figure that all out in a couple of months.
I ended up frogging the Lexington Green border because it was just a tad too green and stuck out just a little too much for my liking. Last week, when I stopped into my very close LNS, I found a skein of Parchment with green shading. Everything fell into place at that moment.

**Ok, put your readers on **

It's hard to tell the color difference in this photo but it's an example of how wacko dye lots are. (you can click on the photo to make it bigger)
These are the same color. On the left is the Parchment I started off with initially. Obviously a soft tan. The one on the right is the one I just picked up that has a very slight mint green hue to it. That's where the green in the model photo comes from.

It's 10pm so my photos are crap but I wanted to share.

So one down and uh, fourteen more to go! What did I get myself into?! Here's a little glimpse of how far I have yet to go.

wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere!

This week is so much better...and it's already Thursday! It will be a busy weekend since I have to spend my Saturday at traffic school. I don't really appreciate being gypped out of 8 hours of stitching time when I see people running red lights left and right because they are too busy yapping their heads off on their cellphones...which is a double violation in California but you do what you have to do.

On Monday, I decided to go see Country Strong. People kept telling me to not see it because of the bad reviews and then I stupidly read a couple of them and found out the ending. I decided to go anyways because I was curious. I like movies that have singing and/or dancing. And honestly, I've seen a lot of terrible movies in my life but this wasn't that bad. It was actually good. Not great or fantastic...I'm not even going to suggest that you go see it. From the trailers, you get the impression this is a feel good movie and that Gwyneth as the lead, overcomes. It is sad and tragic and painful...and amidst all that, there is good Country music. I know most people don't like Country Music and I usually have the radio dial set to Classic/Indie Rock but I grew up with a Nicaraguan dad who loved him some Country music. I have no idea why but that means I don't mind it as long as it's not obnoxious Country pop. I'd rather listen to the stuff about how the truck broke down and my lady ran out and took the dog and all I can do is drown my sorrows in this here bottle of Whiskey. But anyways, it even had an Original Song Golden Globe Nomination.

I wonder what movie to watch this coming weekend. I'm thinking Blue Valentine or Black Swan. Oscars are just around the corner.

Ok, time to start my Chrismas ornie before it's time for bed. Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Until next time...

Rambles and Jumbles

Hello blog friends...it's been a while, hasn't it?

Before I get into the going ons, I want to say thank you to all my readers and new followers! I can't believe I am up to 123 followers. I am so excited! Details for the surprise will be coming soon once I can get my hands on the items I want to give away. It will be a stash enhancement since I haven't the time to make anything and am still trying to make good on my stitched item for my blogiversary from last April. Oof!

The start to the new year has been rough. And not like anything bad has happened. It's just been so busy and I am braindead and so tired before the end of each work day. By the time I get home, I just stare at the tv, unable to concentrate on anything. So I am scatterbrained and my thoughts are a jumble and when I get this way, I crave quiet and personal space. This becomes difficult when you work in a cubicle environment and your coworkers like to joke around and make lots of noise. I had a little loss of temper last week and made one of my coworkers all mad. But you know what, it's been blessedly quiet at work now and I've been more productive for it. She'll get over it. I really need to figure out a way to work from home to have the peace and quiet I crave. I miss having my own office but don't miss managing. The scatterbrain and difficulty focusing is so frustrating...not to mention the feeling of being pulled in so many directions.

Since I've been so tired, I haven't started my gym routine yet this year. I need to...and start getting to those yoga classes. I think I'll feel better once I get my breathing and stretching in weekly not to mention it's a very good workout.

Stitching has been slow as usual. Snow Garden has been giving me fits and I had to throw it in the corner for a week. My Parchment is too tan, the Woodsmoke, Chamomile, Cidermill Brown are all too light, Portabella not as variegated and I'm not sure if I'm really happy subbing Lexington Green in my border. A dear friend sent me some super dark, variegated Woodsmoke. Another stitcher is sending me some Chamomile to see if it's dark enough for my liking. I stopped by the close-to-me LNS and picked up new Cidermill Brown and Parchment that has a faint green hue to it. My Snow Garden is now a collaborative effort in stitcherland! I'm stitching AoTH as a SAL with Sally...I wonder how she's managing. I'll be happy to be done with this block because it's truly one of my least favorite ones and the drab coloring, whereas suitable, for January...is not very happy. This is where It stands for now. Please ignore the wrinkles...didn't feel like getting the iron out.

When Snow Garden was in a timeout in the corner, I stitched on Mary Wigham. I finished Part 2! Yay!! And technically started Part 3. The motifs I recently stitched are the squirrel motif and the rosebud motif with the initials and tiny bits in between. I am so happy to be moving forward with Mary. I wonder if I can stitch one page/part per month. The motifs always take longer than I think they will so not sure how realistic I am being.

When I can't stitch, I surf the internet, read blogs and try to be inspired. You've all been keeping me busy and I've struggled to keep up with my Reader what with all the Crazy January Challengers out there. Lots of wonderful projects! I was surfing Chatelaine (like an idiot) the other day. There are very few Chats I can picture myself stitching. There is always an element that prevents a design from winning me over. I only have one in my stash (Taj Mahal) that I haven't even fully kitted (thank goodness because who knows when I will get to it). So in my surfing, I saw Evening in the Park and I fell in love. It must be my whole enthrallment with snow at the moment and disappointment that I can't have a snow day. I know all you folks in the Eastern belt think I'm nuts but having a snow day seems like a fun thing. Evening in the Park features swans, bare trees and snow. So I've been daydreaming about swans and snow and blue/grey/silvery fabric for days! I don't have time to stitch a Chat! What am I thinking?! Not to mention the expense. I feel my resolve faltering though. But it would be a nice addition to the "artwork" in the apartment and is more my style. Lots to think about.

So...it's just been busy. Trying to get out more to meet new people. The recliner was fixed...yay! I am on a kick to go and see the oscar nominated movies before the Oscars so I went to see The Kings Speech yesterday. It was wonderful! Very well done and Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush did a wonderful job in their acting roles. It had funny moments, heartwrenching moments and happy moments. Oh and in my search for the link, I see Colin Firth just won a Golden Globe for Best Actor! Seriously, go see it! I am trying to decide whether I go see The Fighter or Country Strong (not nominated) today.

Well, this has gotten long enough. Hopefully, the next time I post, I'll be done with Snow Garden and working on my January ornie.

Until next time...

ABC's of Me

Nicole posted this on her blog and it looks like fun so I thought I'd play along.

ABC's of me...


A - Age: 35
B - Bed size: Queen
C - Chore you hate: All!
D - Dog's name: don't have any...but one day a boxer puppy will come home with me.
E - Essential start of the day item: the alarm! I'd still be asleep without it.
F - Favorite color: Red
G - Gold or Silver: Gold
H - Height: 5'8"
I - Instruments you play: None. I can sing pretty good though.
J - Job: Administrator
K - Kids: No way!
L - Living arrangements: Solo
M - Music you love: Just about everything but R&B, HipHop or Rap.
N - Nicknames: Val...which I don't like.
O - Overnight hospital stay at hospital: Surgery at 1 month (pyloric stenosis). I'm fragile...be nice! :)
P - Pet Peeve: Not doing what a person says they will do.
Q - Quote from a movie: "Anything less than mad passionate extraordinary love is a complete waste of time." ~ Dream for an Insomiac
R - Right handed or left: Right
S - Siblings: Two, 1 brother and 1 sister
T - Time you wake up: 6:15 is when the alarm goes off ~ when I get out of the bed can be another matter entirely! The snooze button gets a workout.
U - Underwear: clean
V - Vegetable you dislike: Kale and Chard...what is that stuff?!
W - Workout Style: The stairs to/from my apartment? Ummm, uh...next question?
X - X-rays you've had: dental, ankle...nothing major.
Y - Yummy food you make: Baking...yes! Cooking...nooooo.
Z - The best place to visit: For you? San Francisco, of course! For me? Seattle, Chicago, New York.

...and now you know my ABC's, won't you play along with me? If you do, leave me a comment so I can come and learn a little bit more about you too :)

Until next time...

Calgon...

Take me away! Seriously...

Brain-dead and so tired! Too tired to even look at a needle...let alone hold it. The one week of furlough means that you work doubly as hard when you get back to work. The days have flown by and I can't believe tomorrow is Friday already. Stitching has been slow but at least I try to put in a length per evening. Tuesday and today are the exceptions so far.

I've been doing lots of thinking about this year. What I hope to achieve and what I hope it brings. The bottom line is simple. I just want it to bring happiness. That's a long term goal.

So what will make me happy right now? Followers. There...I said it. I was quietly waiting and waiting for my followers to hit 100 and look ------------>

I am so close! I have 96 followers. Can I just have 4 more?

Because, you know what happens at 100 followers right? A fun surprise. The G word. I don't like saying the g-word though...probably because I'm weird but you all know what I'm getting at.

Not to mention it's the Year of the Rabbit and we have to ring it in with style...and bunnies. Lots and lots of bunnies. Hope you all like bunnies....

But that's only going to happen if I hit the big 1-0-0! Uh, not years (at least not yet)...I'm talking about followers here.

I guess I'll see what happens.

I'm off to rest my head. Why's it feel so heavy?! *sigh*

Until next time...

The Snow in Snowless SF

Hey there ladies and gents...Happy New Year! Four days in and you wouldn't believe how busy it is. End of year, beginning of year, payroll corrections, FLSAing, Workers' Comp, all day meetings, new years' resolutions, social calendaring. It is busy! Did I just have a week off because it certainly doesn't feel like it. Mind you, I played tourist for most of my week off and whereas, I had a lot of fun and I hope my sister and her family did too, it's tiring! New Year's weekend, I spent mainly planted in the recliner flitting from this program and that program and wasting way too much time on the computer. So even though I had huge stitching plans...the stitching didn't really materialize. It did...just not to the proportions or progress that I had hoped.

Mary Wigham is put away for a couple of weeks and I am still working on that squirrel motif. Lots of starts and stops with leaves to stitch and color changes. I'm hoping to finish part 2 and move onto part 3 by the end of the month.

My New Year's Day start was on BBD Snow Garden. Here are the supplies
Um, ignore the creases. I don't think to iron until *after* I take a photo. I'll be stitching the entire series on 40 count R&R Olde Town Blend with the recommended fibers.

Progress has been slow due to my flitting about. Why am I so restless and distracted?! Anywho, here's my start...with lots of little snowflakes.
I am trying to follow the model photo more than the pattern. I liked that in the photo, the border vine looked like I very light green-blue color and so I replaced the Parchment with Lexington Green in that area. We'll see what else happens...maybe it will stay, maybe not.

Today is also the new moon so you all know what that means...TUSAL time. Daffycat took up the reins on the TUSAL for this year so we can all continue the fun! Thanks Sharon! Here is my jar up to last night.
But it's a new year so that means I am going to start from scratch. Need to get rid of all of last year's bad mojo anyway.
Now here is my jar without one single ort in it because there's no stitching going on tonight. I bagged last year's orts and will try to figure out if I just toss them, spread them out for nests or get a glass ornie. Do I really want to keep bad mojo orts though?! I dunno...

Well folks, I have an all day meeting to cover tomorrow. This girl needs her beauty sleep so that she's not a crabby crab tomorrow. Stitching must wait til tomorrow.

Hope you all have had a good start to the new year.

Until next time...

Goals for a New Year

I am so happy to see 2010 end. In 6 hours and 45 minutes, it will be 2011. And in reading Berit's blog yesterday, I realized it is the Year of the Rabbit. Yes! As a rabbit, it just has to be a good year, right? I'm just going to keep thinking that. Not to mention it's a prime year...

Ok, let's have a little recap, shall we?
2010 Personal Goals
~Be more positive and happy. This is my number 1 goal. The rest will be icing on the cake. - Um, no...another terrible year.
~Lose those 10 pounds and exercise regularly. - Lost 5 pounds mainly by cutting out pasta and less breads.
~Save money towards big purchases - Bought the recliner and saved...yay!

2010 Stitching Goals

~Stitch from stash...I can do it...I know I can! - Um, no. I bought more than any other year!
~Continue to limit exchanges (2-4) - Completed 2 exchanges
~BAPS for me: Mary Wigham, Fairy Moon and L*K Boo Club - Mary Wigham = WIP, Fairy Moon = not started, L*K Boo Club = completed.
~Gifts: Newton, Bless This House, Letter C - Newton = UFO, Bless This House = Completed, Letter C = Completed.
~Stitch 12 Christmas ornaments - Ha!

2011 Personal Goals

~Be more positive and happy.
~Lose 10 pounds and exercise regularly.
~Continue to save money
2011 Stitching Goals

~Finish Mary Wigham
~Finish BBD Where My Heart Blooms
~Stitch one design per month on the BBD Anniversaries of the Heart Series
~Start two Mirabilias
~Stitch 12 Christmas Ornaments
~L*K Christmas Rules

2010 allowed me 18 finishes...9 less than last year. I didn't like that very much. I had hoped to have a productive year that allowed more *me* finishes. So that's my focus in 2011. Me. Stitching for me. Becoming a happier me. Doing things that make me healthier and more positive. I know it will be difficult as I have much negative around me but I have to take the steps away from that to really allow myself to shine. I've felt lost for a while now...floundering...always trying to make those around me happy while sacrificing my own time and happiness. No more!

Goodbye 2010...and good riddance! And ecstatic greetings to a brand spanking and shiny New Year. Hello 2011!

Hey, froggie...pass the champagne but stay away from my stitching!

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me through my roller coaster happenings over the last couple of years. I wish you all the very best in 2011. Happy New Year!

Two More Days...

Until the New Year! Do you all have any special plans? I just plan on staying home in my pajamas all day, having a movie marathon and stitching as much as I can on Mary before going into a rotation with projects. Or shall I say *try* to go into a rotation with projects.

Stitching this week has been slow. With family in town, I've been playing tourist and coming home late and tired. It definitely hasn't been the lazy, stitchy week I imagined so far! Oh well, that's ok.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I've never been very good with holidays. It's the most difficult time of the year for me. I am just eager for the year to be over so I can feel like I have a clean slate. Once that happens, I should perk up some.

Before Christmas, I received a lovely package from Lisa. I'm a little late in posting my thanks here. She sent me this beautifully stitched ornie by La D Da found in the 2010 JCS Ornie Issue in a fun green with a beaded tassel. I love it!
She also included a journal and some tissues. Thanks so much Lisa! =)

Speaking of fun mail, I recently won one of the giveaways Blackbird Designs was hosting.
And received four great little packs of fabric. These will come in handy for pinkeeps, ornies, etc. They are small cuts so it would be my first plunge into piecing when I use them.

Now for stitching...as I said, stitching has been slow. I decided to take Mary off the scroll frame since I was tension issues with the fabric. My scroll bars are a little short for the fabric. And with family in town, I wanted to have my project portable so I can stitch at my parents. But there really hasn't been any time to stitch. What I have stitched has been in hand and I am starting to think I stitch faster this way even though I am a stabber and not a sewer. I haven't made that jump yet.

Here's my update on Mary...photo is clickable.
Since the last update, I've stitched the smaller pink-red motif, the large blue motif, the smaller yellow one with the yellow blob that I am still trying to identify, the quarter white motif and the initials. I am almost done with part 2. Just need to stitch up the squirrel in tree motif and I can move onto part 3.

NYE will be Mary stitching and on NYD, I hope to start on Snow Garden of the Anniversaries of the Heart series. Will have to try my hand at a weekly rotation. There is no way I can do a day of the week rotation as many evenings, I just can't get to it with work and gym and errands. So I am thinking first week, AoTH, second week, Christmas stitching, third week, Mary Wigham and fourth week, Where My Heart Blooms. When I finish one project, I can insert a new project into the rotation. I'm not very good with rotations but I will see how this works.

Are any of you starting a new project on New Years' Day? I think this is the first year I am actually committing to it!

I'm not sure if this will be my last post of 2010...but just in case...I wish you all a happy, safe and joyful new year!

Until next time...

Merry Christmas

I've tried to stop by and wish everyone a personalized Merry Christmas on their blogs but I know I missed many and am behind on emails. So please accept my sincere wish that you and yours have a wonderful Holiday. May your day be merry and bright!

Until next time...

A Charlie Brown Christmas, Part 2

When I was visiting my sister and family in Dallas, we went to go see the ICE show at the Gaylord Texan. I didn't really know what to expect other than the theme this year was A Charlie Brown Christmas and it would be cold. Ice, you know. Seemed appropo to go since I've been immersed in all things Peanuts at the moment.

The Gaylord Texan is a huge resort-like hotel. There was lots of walking to get to the area where the show was.

The whole time we were walking, I was wondering how I was going to stay warm in an ice show. The Gaylord provides you with a garmongous unattractive parka. I was still a popsicle when I left the show. Wow, it was cold. But they do tell you they have to keep the temperature between 9-18 degrees. They also say that they fly in a team of ice carvers from China and they sculpt the ice into the displays in the show. It's very impressive!

And we finally got inside the show.

And the ice display begins...these photos are just some...there was lots more but some areas were so crowded, it was hard to take decent photos.

This was one of my favorite scenes

The platform that Charlie Brown is sitting on are 4 ice slides that you can slide down. Cristina went down the slide and had fun although it was a little hard to actually slide, she said. I passed...didn't want to get frostbite on the buns!
Yay! Linus and his little piano!

Kind of hard to see but this is a nativity scene sculpted and made entirely of ice.

Even the wreath is made of ice.

It was a fun time! I can't believe Christmas is tomorrow! I'll be back with at least one more post.

Until next time...

White Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas, Part 2 will be postponed til tomorrow. Too many vodka sodas/martinis last night. Oy! I'm getting to old for anything beyond a glass of wine these days.

Tonight, I'm heading to see The Shop Around the Corner at the lovely classics theater nearby. Natasha agreed to join me so should be fun! A little Jimmy Stewart to set the tone over the next few days. So picture fixing will have to wait til tomorrow...

When I was a little kid...a long, long time ago...each Christmas I would dig out my parents' Bing Crosby White Christmas record. This gigantic LP...that I played on my tiny Fisher Price record player. And I would play it over and over and over again. I think because it was the only Christmas album we had in English. I think my favorite song on this album was a White Christmas. Living in San Francisco, there is no snow. And if on the rare occasion there is snow, it doesn't stick. So as a kid, having a White Christmas sounds exciting and I wished for one each year. I mean, there was snow in just about every Christmas movie I watched...couldn't there just be snow here?! But there has yet to be a White Christmas. One day, I will treat myself to a White Christmas in New York (hopefully), when I can invest in some snow appropriate attire and not risk freezing my buns off!



I've been enjoying the snowy picturesque scenes that everyone has been posting on their blogs recently. They are lovely. I know that with the lovely-ness comes the possibility of being snowed in, the power going out, shoveling and treacherous driving conditions. But all I see is lovely expanses of snowy wonder.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

Until next time...

A Charlie Brown Christmas, Part 1

For being such a Snoopy/Peanuts fan, I've never really watched any of the specials or movies. I am a fan based solely on the comic strips. I loved reading the comics as a kid. I actually liked reading the paper. And on Sunday, forget it! I was in comic strip heaven!

The other day, I flipped the channel and they were showing A Charlie Brown Christmas so I watched it...well, most of it...

And it starts like this...

Narrator: It was finally Christmastime, the best time of the
year. The houses were strung with tiny colored lights, their
windows shining with warm yellow glow only Christmas could bring.
The scents of pine needles and hot cocoa mingled together,
wafting through the air, and the sweet sounds of Christmas carols
could be heard in the distance.
Fluffy white snowflakes tumbled from the sky onto a group of
joyful children as they sang and laughed, skating on the frozen
pond in town. Everyone was happy and full of holiday cheer. That
is, everyone except for Charlie Brown.

Charlie: (to Linus) I think there must be something wrong with
me. I just don’t understand Christmas, I guess. I might be
getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees
and all that, but I’m still not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m
supposed to feel.

Linus: Charlie Brown, you are the only person I know who can take
a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.
Maybe Lucy is right. Of all of the Charlie Browns in the world,
you are the Charlie Brownest.

Hmmmm, does this mean I am like Charlie Brown? Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas.




It puts things into perspective some don't you think?

Very little stitching in my corner of the world. The kitten search has been slightly traumatic and I'm going to take a couple of days off from that at the very least. My search only bore the lesson that I am better off dealing with the shelter. The people there are pleasant and nice and don't pressure you to change your views or talk you into kittens or cats you don't want or aren't sure you do want or tell you a bunch of horror stories. My experiences with rescue organizations has been pretty crappy so far. Enough to have my anxiety shooting through the roof. And even though I was on track for an adoption, I couldn't deal with the hard sell tactics. It was like I was buying a used car instead of adopting a kitten and providing it a good home and a loving environment. I know the right kitten is out there for me. I'm not going to be pressured into the wrong situation. And I feel like I will know when it's right. Just like I felt it was right with that cute orange tabby that got away. For the moment, all the excitement has been sucked away by the hard sell.

That's ok though because I have stitching to do and fabric to fondle and threads to choose.

Tomorrow comes part 2 of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Once I untangle myself from the giftwrap, tape and ribbons...stay tuned.

Until next time...

Holly and the Ivy

It's dark and gloomy and rainy in my little corner of the world. It would be very conducive to stitching if I wasn't on an organizing bender. So no stitching photos. I've barely made any progress on Mary but I suppose that some stitches are better than none. I did realize that I need to tone down the stashing! I've gotten most in it's proper place and my 5 drawer stash cart is fit to burst! I may need to buy an add-on drawer soon. I do realize I need to purchase some darker fabric for ornies...I need to find some that will be good for ornament stitching and will be good to showcase snowy scenes/snowmen. If you have any color suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

So I have nothing to show and all I've done is organize...which is a big yawner to talk about. I'm going to share another carol.

If you haven't seen it, you should check out Nicole's finish of Shepherd's Bush Holly and Ivy. She did a terrific job with it! When SB first came out with this, I had to hold myself back. Considering my insurmountable stash, I'm glad I did but every time I see this design, I start to hum.

Holly and the Ivy was one of my choir songs in high school...every...year. I always thought that this was a strange carol to be singing cuz you know, it isn't jingle bells. As a First Soprano (back then, def. not now) it was a more difficult song to sing since it hits some pretty high notes in the choral range. Here's a more contemporary version showcasing Bambi. Don't watch it if Bambi imagery makes you sad. The tone of this version was nicer than the choral or amateur videos out there.

The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

Refrain:

Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,

The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet saviour

Refrain

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good.

Refrain

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.

Refrain

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.

Refrain

Until next time...

Almost...

I almost became a kitty mom even though I didn't feel ready. Friday before last, I had gone to the shelter annex and this orange tabby mewed and mewed at me. I was on my lunch break and busy the rest of the weekend and not feeling ready even though he mewed and rubbed against my hand on the outside of the cage and reached out to me with his paw. Enough to make your heart break. So I went back on Friday because all week I thought about Mr. Mew and I wondered if he was still there. He wasn't but I saw that he was still on the main shelter's list so I went after work. And I looked and I looked and I looked amongst the "holy cow, are you in heat?!" meowing and the crazy "did you give this kitty some kitty crack?" jumping and I didn't see Mr. Mew. So I went to the counter...just in case and I asked...if he had been adopted. I was 2.5 hours too late. I was sad all weekend! I hope Mr. Mew has a wonderful happy home now though even though it isn't mine. Just goes to show that things won't wait because you don't feel ready.

The rest of the weekend was errands and gift shopping and meeting up with a couple of friends for dinner. Nothing incredibly fascinating. I did go see Burlesque. Ok...don't go rolling your eyes! It was fantastic! I could have sat there and watched it all over again. The singing and dancing was top notch and toe-tapping. I actually felt compelled to clap after each performance but then I remembered I was in a *movie* and not a live performance. I love Cher! Can you believe that she is 64...she looks terrific! Cam Gigandet is pretty easy on the eyes to. I never realized that Christina Aguilera had such range...mainly because I stopped listening to most pop years ago. End result is that I can-not wait for this movie to be released on video. Loved, loved, loved it!

So what else...

I heard from my partner in the Hooked on Exchanging ornie swap that she received my ornie. It was hard for me to part with this one. I love Frosty Flakes! I saw that my partner seemed to be a LHN fan so I decided to stitch up this cute snowman. Simple finish, white beaded edging and a sheer white ribbon hanger.

LHN Frosty Flakes
32 count Pearled Barley
Recommended CC, DMC and Mill Hill Beads

I also stitched the back with the simple tree from the pattern.

For the last week, I was trying very hard to finish part 1 of Mary Wigham. Wow, it seemed to take me forever! I don't know what it was. It's a little hard for me to get into a good position with the floor stand and recliner. I can't seem to get the stand close enough. I think I got too used to bringing the qsnap so close to my face to see that now I am struggling a bit with the distance. Maybe I should try out my magnifier and see if that helps some. I am so tempted to get a Stitchmate but I know I have to wait a little bit longer before I indulge in that fantasy.

The new motifs I've stitched are the funky flower stitched in dark green, light yellow and cream, the initial box in cream and dark green, the SH initials and the light green motif on the top. Ignore the deep crease. I guess I didn't iron the fabric and the rods are too short so I don't have the best tension on this fabric. The ecru is a little hard to see but that is how it is reflected in the color photo so I went with it.

Now onto Part 2. I wonder if I can finish part 2 by the end of the month. Hey now...I hear you laughing at me! I'm laughing at myself! But I will try and see how far I get. I'm devoted to Mary til the end of the month and then I have to put her in some sort of rotation. She will be neglected a little and we'll see how well I am at rotating. Past practice on rotations has been pretty dismal.

I've been setting my goals and projects for 2011 and kind of freaking myself out! There is so much that I want to stitch and I'm trying to be reasonable. This was a poor stitching year. I'm about 10 projects down from last year. I wonder if I can get back to that standard of stitching again...

Well, I'm off to wash the dishes and relax a bit. I have the back of an 80 year old and it has been acting up a lot the last week and holding me back from the chores I have to do around my apartment...you know...in my quest of getting ready for my own little mewer. But tonight, I think I need to just take a muscle relaxer, ice some and hope I don't drool all over myself. Stash organizing tomorrow!

Hope you all had a nice weekend and that those of you in snow country are keeping warm and safe.

Until next time...

Christmas is Coming

Back in a time...long, long ago, I sang in choir. And we would sing traditional Christmas Carols and some not so traditional ones. I keep seeing "Christmas is Coming" written all over blogland...and I start humming to myself. Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat, if you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do, if you haven't got a ha' penny, then God bless you...

I came across this video on YouTube and laughed my head off! I figured if it made Ms. Scrooge laugh, then it might bring a smile to your face too. I'll type out the true lyrics below.



Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat
Please put a penny in the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!

When I'm feeling blue, when I'm feeling low
I start to think about the happiest man I know.
Now he doesn't mind the snow, he doesn't mind the rain,
But all December you will hear him at your window pane,
Singing again and again and again and again and again;

Christmas is coming and the bells begin to ring,
The holly's in the window and the birds begin to sing.
I don't need to worry, and I don't need to fret,
And the more you give at Christmastime the more you get.

God bless you, gentlemen, God Bless you!
The more you give at Christmastime the more you get.

Christmas is coming, the egg is in the nog.
Please give a friendly man a friendly dog.
If you haven't got a friendly dog, a friendly cat will do,
If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!

God bless you, gentleman, God bless you!
If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!

Christmas is coming, the lights are on the tree.
How about a turkey leg for dear old me?
If you haven't got a turkey leg, a turkey wing will do.
If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!

Christmas is coming, the cider's in the keg.
If I had a mug of cider I wouldn't have to beg.
If you haven't got a mug of cider, half a mug will do.
If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!
If you haven't got a thing for me, may God bless you!

There are a lot of true sentiments in this carol. Maybe I'll snap out of it by Christmas. Don't be surprised if you see more carols pop up. What's your favorite?

Ms. Scrooge

23 days til 2011
16 days til my furlough and 10 glorious days to myself...and stitching...and maybe playing with a new kitty...and spending time with family.

Those are things I am looking forward to...

I haven't been in a blogging mood since I am in a hunker-down mode to get myself through the holidays. I am yet again Ms. Scrooge. I enjoy seeing everyone's photos of decorations and I live vicariously through their Christmas spirit and prettily lit Christmas trees. Those of you that have trees solely decorated with hand-stitched ornies, I stand up and applaud. OMG, can I get my needle to stitch faster?! I envision one of those little trees in my home someday. But for now, I've slapped a wreath on the door and that's about it. At least the hallway smells all pine-y and nice. I hope my neighbors appreciate it!

I've been re-organizing and cleaning...trying to kittyproof because I want a Christmas Kitty. I still have to re-organize my stash and put all the things like floss, fabric and such that I have lying about IN my cabinet because, you know, that's what it's there for. And while I'm doing that, I may as well box up the VHS and get rid of them seeing as I don't watch them because I don't have a VCR anymore and what's the point of keeping VHS if they are practically obsolete?! So little projects like that keep cropping up. Busy, Busy. I'll soon go to the pet store to look for a kitty bed and scratching post and food bowls and placemat so those are already here when I get the kitten. I want to be prepared.

I'm also dealing with annoying little issues that have cropped up that kind of round out the feeling of "rounding out an already bad year". Things like discovering a tear in the fabric of my 3-month old recliner. I am still trying to figure out who will come out to fix it but they had better come soon! At least the recliner is still under it's one year warranty but really...3 months in and it's got a problem?! And I received one of those lovely "give me your first born" red light camera traffic violations. Seriously, why does California have so many budget problems when they are bleeding people dry with these fines?! And for the record, I didn't run the red going straight. I made a right turn without stopping at the red because it had just turned and the coast was clear. No "Camera Enforced" sign. But the plain fact is I didn't stop at a red. Do I really want to go in front of a judge and say I was starving and stuffing my face with popcorn on the way to buy some fake Spanx and the coast was clear and won't you give me a break because I have a clean record?! I don't think they would understand. I will just have to pay the fine and go to traffic school. Terrible timing. Huge fine to pay while having to buy Christmas gifts too!

2011 can't come soon enough!

***

Onto the stitchy stuff...

On Saturday, my stitching group had their Christmas get together. It was a lot of fun to see ladies I only get to see occasionally and be dressed up (for me) and have a fancy lunch. I stitched a little, I knitted a little and talked a lot, You have the option of participating in an ornament exchange and this year, I whipped something up.
Thanks to Karen V. for posting her overdyed conversion. I don't have very much silk and so I used her suggested colors of GAST Endive, Piney Woods and Oatmeal with DMC 347. Stitched on a scrap of 32 count Lakeside Linens Pearled Barley. I backed it with the fabric shown here and did a braid with skinny green ribbon for the hanger. It was the first time I used the sewing machine in months and I think it turned out nice. Simple yet elegant. It did make me realize that I need to stock up on some pretty ribbons because I am seriously lacking in that area of finishing supplies!

I also stitched an ornie for myself. This was the first ornie of the three that I recently stitched. I fell in love with it and just had to keep it. I think I would like a pinkeep style finish and don't feel up to cutting the matboard at the moment. My creativity really seems stunted when it comes to finishing despite being surrounded by wonderful ideas in blogland...I wonder why.

Tweet Gift by Full Circle Designs

2010 JCS Ornament Issue
32 count Vintage Examplar
Recommended Threads

I stitched a third ornie which was for the Hooked on Exchanging Ornament Exchange. I'm a little worried as I haven't heard if it's been received and it didn't have far to go. I guess USPS is busy with the holiday boom.

And last but not least is my TUSAL jar. It got quite full...mainly from ornie stitching and fraying linen threads which I stuck in there.

I'm wondering what to do with my orts in the new year as after the next new moon, I think I will start over from scratch.It's fun to see the threads fill up the jar and how they vary in color. Daffycat is continuing the TUSAL this year. Go sign up if you're interested!

Over the weekend, I pulled out Mary Wigham. Talk about a blast from the past! I am still working on the same motif...the weird funky flower. I am 1.5 motifs from completing Part 1. OMG, there's 8 more parts to it! Ack! But in all seriousness, it's nice to see the motifs transform and since each one is a different color, it feels like a mini happy dance each time you complete one. I decided to stitch this as a true reproduction meaning I'll be stitching Mary's initials and not my own. I figure if I'm going this route, I may as well go all the way. I'll be personalizing AotH next year anyways. It doesn't look much different than the last time I posted, ohhhh months upon months ago, so I will wait until I at least finish the funky flower before posting a photo. I need to get cracking so I can liven up the Mary Wigham blog and be a good moderator. Life seriously got in the way this year.

I've been reading about the Crazy January Challenge on so many blogs lately. That is one crazy challenge! I will not be taking part though because I have anxiety attacks when I have more than 4 works in progress! But I am going to enjoy seeing what everyone is up to.

Well, as I end my post, I want to take the time to say thank you to my regular blog readers and followers. When I was feeling especially low this year, I'd come on my little blog and whine and your positive comments and hugs really helped me power through all the emotions I had been feeling and make me feel a little less alone...and well...I've been feeling lonely a lot. I don't think that people really understand how stitchers really bond and come together. But I am thankful that we do. And in the new year, I will do a little something special. I don't know how and I don't know what, but it's coming. And even though I am Ms. Scrooge, I hope that you and yours are enjoying the holiday season full of twinkly lights, decorated trees, carols and smiles. May your season be merry and bright.

Now me, I need to find some cider to make me some spiked mulled cider and then I won't be so scrooge-y! :)

Until next time...

Happy December!

Wow, December 1st. How'd that happen? I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner and the year will soon come to a close. As much as I'm not ready to deal with the holidays.at.all...I am ready to put the year behind me. The first 6 months were terrible and the remainder of the year has been spent trying to get over the drama, while meeting new people and getting on with my life. It has not been easy. All the things I had hoped to do in 2010 will shift into 2011 and I'm hoping I can dig up some positive outlook from somewhere.

I don't have much to show in the form of photos. At least not today. I finally managed to stitch and finish my exchange ornament...2 days late. I need to get better about finishing. The stitching is easy...the finishing stumps me sometimes. I have 2 other ornaments that I need to finish via the sewing machine. This might get interesting...I haven't turned on the machine in a good 7 months or so. I hope I don't sew my fingers together! After that, I have one more ornie to stitch and finish and I can get back to Mary Wigham and WMHB. Both haven't seen the light of day in a while!

Did everyone have a nice Thanksgiving holiday? Mine was nice and relaxing. I spent time with my sister, BIL and the kids. I am now the little one. The kids have grown so much; it's amazing. They now tower over their auntie! We had a nice turkey dinner that I ate in my pajamas and us girls (sister, neice and I) went to watch Harry Potter. Fantastic! I also met with new blog friends in the DFW area. Michelle and Natalie were kind enough to meet me at a local coffee shop and we had fun talking and talking. We talked so much, we didn't even pull out our projects! Thanks for taking the time ladies!It was great meeting you both!

I went to a wedding and wore a fancy dress and met new friends and bumped into old acquaintences. That was nice. It went from being 70+ degrees down to being 40 degrees while I was there and I think I almost became a human popsicle because I was freezing! As much as I had a nice time, I am happy to sleep in my own bed, wear my flannel jammies, shuffle about in my slippers and have full control of the heater. I think anyone else would be sweltering in my apartment but I can't manage to get warm enough...and it's not even truly winter. This is going to be one cold season!

No more traveling for a bit so I have the feeling that I will be getting a lot of stitching in. Especially after coming to the conclusion that online dating is 5000 times worse now than it was 3 years ago, that I haven't been on a date since the breakup...unless you count Mr. Octopus and I didn't even realize I was on a date then and that I haven't come across one single guy that I *do* want to date. Not one. So I've resigned myself to be one of those crazy spinsters with cats. I just need a kittie. But I have to clean first...because there is way too much "string" and fabric and other wonderful things lying around that a kitty would love and would cause me to have a fit if a kitty got into it.

One more month, clean slate, new outlook. Can't wait!

Next post, I'll tell you a story about a certain Charlie Brown Christmas. Hope you're all having a great week!

Until next time...