Birthday Recap and WMHB

Wow, thanks so much for all the birthday greetings! I'm officially mid-30's. How in the world did that happen?!

Friday morning began as a grey, cool day in my neck of the woods. The kind of day where you kind of need a kick in the tush to get moving or you'll stay home in your jammies all day if you're able to. My sister called me to wish me a happy birthday and then asks me why I'm still home because you know, I should be on the road by now. So I got ready and began my journey to Santa Rosa to go to the Charles Schultz Museum. I've been wanting to go here for years but when your a grown adult and you tell people you want to go to the Snoopy Museum, you get a lot of odd looks. So I did what I wanted to do on my birthday...by myself. Because in the end, no one's going to plan it for you. Charlie Brown welcomed me once I got there!
And more of the gang
And don't you feel like this a lot of the time? I know I do!
Gorgeous mural at the end of the hallway
And when you get closer to it, you realize that the mural is made out of a lot of these
This plaque goes on to explain that the tile mural is made up of 10 years worth of daily Peanuts comic strips!
And if you got tired and hugry during the museum visit, Snoopy was willing to share a cookie with you.
The museum visit was great! They change out the exhibits so it's not always the same. It was fun to walk around and learn how Schultz changed things around whether it be characters or formatting throughout his career. Every once in a while, you'd hear someone laughing at whatever comic strip they were reading. It was a nice change of pace.

After the museum, it was time to head to Sonoma. I wanted to treat myself to a late lunch at The Girl and The Fig. Just the name of the restaurant is charming and then there's the fact that it's been well-reviewed for years! The few people I asked who actually have been there had two words to say...duck confit! I arrived about 3pm and it was quiet...perfect. I hate being a solo diner in a crowded restaurant. I feel like all eyes are on me. I got a quiet corner table seated next to a four-top of southern tourists. I couldn't figure out where they were from. Atlanta, Alabama, Tennessee? Either way, they had the accent to prove they were from the South as well as the lingo. It was entertaining to be seated next to them...I tend to eavesdrop when eating solo...it makes things more interesting.
I didn't take any pictures of the food because I'm not going to pretend to be a food blogger. Plus, I was sitting near the Southerners. I didn't want them to think I was some crazy California girl taking pictures of food like it was going to be the last meal ever eaten! I started with the roasted fig and arugala salad with toated pecans, pancetta and chevre. Technically, I'm not really supposed to eat cheese but it's my birthday and I made an exception. The salad was ridiculously awesome. Peppery + sweetness of the fig + creaminess of the cheese + salt/fat of the pancetta and crunch from the pecans. Such awesomeness...yum! Then I had the small portion of the duck confit and I now know why everyone else was drooling while reminiscing about duck confit. Fall off the bone, tender, cooked in it's own fat. It was heaven. I finished off with a pear tart which was good but too crumbly for my taste. The wine pairing for the duck was steller but the fig cocktail fell slightly flat. I just don't like that much ice in my drinks. Overall, it was once of the best meals I've ever eaten and it's a good thing The Girl and The Fig is two hours from home. Otherwise, my waistline and pocketbook would be in a whole lot of trouble! After lunch, I took a walk around the shopping square before making the journey back home. I treated myself to a nice birthday outing. I would totally recommend The Girl and The Fig if your doing an outing to wine country!

Despite that, I'm struggling with hormones around a birthday. Never a good thing. Besides getting older, I'm reminded of the fact that because I am always the planner...I also have to be the planner for outings revolving around my birthday. A time when I think I should be exempt. I complain about always doing the planning every year and each year, I'm forced to do it again. I get a lot of responses to my complaints...I'm so good at it...I know where everything is...I'm the google queen. I love my friends...I just wish they'd surprise me. Of all the invitations, only one person didn't make me pick...Mr. Octopus. If feels like it would be easier to just stay home...and then there's the feeling of I wouldn't get treated for my birthday unless I planned it. I suppose I should be happy because at least this year...no one forgot. I feel much better celebrating others' birthdays over my own.

But enough of that...the day after my birthday, I had a great dinner with Claire. We tried a new to us restaurant in the Mission called Garcon. Awesome little french bistro with the cutest (kinda hot) french waiter ever. We started off with the tuna nicoise which was sooo delicious and I had the steak and frites. We were stuffed so we took a walk in the neighborhood. Something I haven't done in a long, long time. I miss that. Taking walks at night with no real purpose other than to talk and see what was going on in a neighborhood. A lot has changed in the Mission...more places to add to my "to try" list. Garcon is on the new *love * list. Not as good as Nopa...but close.

Two wonderful meals in two days. Time to hit the gym to keep those calories off my thighs! If only I could find the motivation...ugh.

And the stitching update for the week. I have really been enjoying stitching on Where My Heart Blooms. I'm finding the autumnal colors really soothing. I think I've completed the upper half now but it's the lower half that has the most stitching!
I'm doing a lot of firsts with this project. It's the first time I've stitched in hand. I kind of like it. And the first time there's more than a couple of smyrnas or eyelets. I like both! Now I know the trick for nice eyelets and I really like the effect. They are time consuming but I think it's well worth it!
I'm on the over 1 portion. I'm not liking it as much. Over 1 on 40 count is hard! Margaret...how do you do it?! I'm wondering if I should be doing tent stitch/half cross stitch because full crosses seem kind of bulky. I'm not sure I like the H I've stitched. What are your thoughts on over 1 on 40 count?

And Vonna did some quick finishing for me! This is my contribution to the Attic Auction.
Didn't she do a great job?! It came out superbly...I'm tempted to keep it for myself but I did agree to send an ornie to the auction and this is the only ornie I've managed to stitch all year!

Carol and I postponed our SAL a few days so I should try to sit down a bit tonight to start the Traveling Stitcher. I'm hoping to have an hour to devote to it. I probably won't get far but at least I'll have started.

Until next time...

They Say It's My Birthday!

I'm off to spend my day with Snoopy and the Gang, take a drive though wine country and see if I can plead my way into this popular little restaurant. Hey, it's my birthday...I think they can find a little spot for me to have a late lunch. This birthday girl can hope anyways...

I'll tell you all about it when I get back!

Until next time...

Fun, Fun, Fun! (Long and Photo Heavy)

I had so much fun! I met lots of wonderful ladies, shopped til I dropped, took some stitching classes, ate yummy food, was crafty, stitched my little heart out and just had a fabulously wonderful time. The Shepherd's Bush retreat was just plain awesome. Even more so was making new friends...I had a wonderful time hanging out with Katrina, Karin, Natalia and Sara (no blog)!

**ok, now is the time to get your cup of tea because this is going to be a long post...don't say you weren't warned**

Now it's time to play catch-up. Am I the last one to post about retreat?! I came home to 257 posts to catch up on...and I read each one because I couldn't bear to miss out on anything...and 110 work emails. And apparently some huge paper machine threw up all over my work desk! The heck?! Don't you wish you can freeze time a little so it's not so hard to catch up when you get back from vacation? Welcome back to reality, Valerie! Please beam me back to Utah...it was much calmer there.

On Wednesday, I got up at the crack of dawn to begin my journey to Utah. I landed, found my rental car and made it to Ogden in one piece. Thank you to whomever invented the GPS! First stop, Shepherd's Bush which was truly nirvana. It's a beautiful shop! It's cute and homey and just loaded full of treasures. They have a kabillion models and because they know you will fall in love with it, they even put small cuts of fabric nearby so you can just pick up the chart and fabric right there. They are amazingly organized! And the models go all the way up to the ceiling! You can just stand and crane your neck and take it all in. I would have taken pictures but imagine about 70 ladies crammed into a small shop. Shoot...there may have been more! I shopped until I dropped...had to sit down and have a lemonade break. While shopping, I met Terri, Deb, Jolene and Loraine. Right when I was going to step out to take a photo of the shop, there was this torrential downpour. Katrina, Karin and I waited it out and then ran to our next stop. Next stop...Jill Rensel's shop. Can I just say that besides being a wonderfully talented framer, Jill is also the sweetest person on earth? She had a treat table set up for retreat stragglers which included some of my favorite candy! We had a good chat and looked at all the beauties she had framed up that were awaiting their owners. She inspires me to stitch faster so that all the ideas in my head actually become a reality. After that, we had a little walk in the neighborhood, an early dinner and began the journey to Park City. Once there, I was so pooped I just collapsed into bed.

Having lived at sealevel all my life, suddenly being at 7000+ feet had me at a slight disadvantage. But luckily I was surrounded by savvy mountain-living people that they got me all up to speed on how to handle the altitude. I followed their instruction and was good to go. It was the first official day of retreat and we started it off with more shopping. OMG, there was so much cute stuff that I just couldn't resist! Trust me, I was *not* the only shopaholic there! I was in awe of how many people had the same idea at the same time and lo and behold...line! But the cool thing about standing in line is that you meet new people. I found out that there were Bay Area stitchers besides me at the retreat. I was starting to wonder! It was nice to meet Pam, Kim and Lara (all non-bloggers). We had a welcome project which was stitching your initial, finishing it as a button and placing it on these incredible project bags. Isn't it great?!

And a closeup...Karin helped me out in getting it into button form because she's a total pro! It came out great...I was so happy I think I did a little dance at the table!


Then we had a Simple Stitches project.
I didn't stitch on any class projects during class time because I wanted to do it at my own pace and not get flustered. So I worked on my Where My Heart Blooms instead. Well, Alma Allen saw me stitching on it and actually came up and talked to me about it. I practically fell out of my chair! Alma is so sweet and she has a terrific sense of humor! Actually, all the teachers at the retreat do too. Here's how WMHB looks like now. Still lots to do. Funny thing is that I don't do specialty stitches very often (as in almost never) so I had to write myself a cheat sheet.
So even though I've been blogging for what seems like forever but also no time at all, I really kind of think I write into the abyss. I know I have readers because some even comment! But the world is vast...but at the same time...small. So imagine my surprise when I discovered people were on the lookout for me because they knew I'd be at retreat! Wow! People actually know who I am! I met some lovely ladies like Tammy and Lancy (also non-bloggers). It was so nice to talk to them in between classes. They were both so friendly. There were a couple more but I've forgotten their names...but thank you for being on the lookout and saying hi! There was also Melissa who was my seatmate in the classes. Stitchers really are the friendliest people on the planet!

Here's a sneak peek of the class projects.

Jeanette Douglas:
Charland: Large Needlebook (closed)
Outside:
Inside:

Blackbird Designs:
I also took some pictures of past projects in the Blackbird Designs classroom...

It was great to see so many of their models and antique samplers in person!

And as I mentioned...I shopped! Here's a couple of photos of my stash haul.
I really like the new Shepherd's Bush stocking called Sadie. I liked it so much that I kitted it up. This is going to be *my* stocking...can't wait to start it.

And not only did I buy lots of new stash as shown above, Tina and Teri handed out extra little goodies throughout retreat. It was like christmas every single day. I am thankful I had an expandable suitcase otherwise I would have had to make the tough decision between bringing home stash or my trusty pillow! It would have had to be buh-bye pillow!
I had a wonderful time meeting such wonderful ladies. And a very special thank you to Katrina for being party..oh um...retreat planner extraordinaire! She allowed a total newbie, shy, quiet retreat goer (that's me) have a totally fantastic time! She told us what to expect and when to go running for that last "must have" pattern. Serious! Just imagine...she is holding fantastic pattern...where'd you get that...over there, hurry up, they're almost out! What? Almost out? But I need it! Seriously, at retreat, you need everything! Katrina also planned a special meal out each day which I totally appreciated. I am almost always the planner in my circle and it was so nice to have the retreat extras planned. I didn't have to worry about anything other than getting myself there and having a good time. And not only did I have a good time...I had a super fabulous time. Thank you to Katrina, Karin, Natalia and Sara for including me in your group. First retreat = success! Time to start saving those pennies for 2012!

***

And there's even more fun! I am doing a SAL with Carol R. on the LHN Travelling Stitcher starting October 1st. If you're interested in joining us, please let me know. This is a no stress, no blog SAL. Just stitch along and have fun. Here's what I will be using...called for threads on Lambswool.
*tap, tap, tap*

Is anyone still out there? Wow this was long! I got tired writing it. Be sure to read Katrina, Natalia, Terri and Deb's blogs(links above) because they all have updates on retreat with super fabulous pictures of things other than stitching! Yes, I know...there is such a thing but I had a one track mind apparently. If you are on the fence about the next retreat...just go! It was fabulous fun and apparently just what I needed. I was actually bouncy at work...on Monday! I think my co-workers were about to take my temperature and make sure I wasn't feverish and losing it!

I did return to another heatwave though. Hellloooo, sweet fog...where are you?!

Until next time...

Come Dance With Me!

Hey there friends, put on your dancin' boots and come dance with me. Come dance, come dance, come dance...

Why?!

Because at 6pm, I sewed on my last button on Boo Club. Yay! I made my self-imposed goal! It's about time I was realistic about something. Here it is in all its glory!

L*K Boo Club
32 ct. Birds of a Feather Meadowlark
Recommended WDW/GAST/DMC

That's kind of hard to see so I here are photos of the top half and the bottom half.
I am *so* happy to have a *me* finish! I haven't figured out how I want to finish it but I am thinking a wall hanging. I wonder if I can kind a spooky dowel holder...like a witches broom. I need to brainstorm and hit the craft stores. I will be offering my charts for sale...for a good price. If anyone is interested, just send me an email. Otherwise, I'll be posting them on my sale blog after retreat.

I put away all the threads and got things together for my next start. I've been following Michelle's progress on her Where My Heart Blooms for a while. Each time I saw her post an update, it only made me want to stitch mine more and more. When I met up with Lisa and Brandy at NiaH last weekend, finding fabric was my goal. Mind you, I didn't expect it to take 2 hours to get there and have a serious case of indecisiveness from being so frazzled from traffic. Thank goodness for them and Mary, otherwise, I may still be there trying to decide...a week later.
The pattern calls for a 30 count R&R but NiaH doesn't carry R&R and I'm really not all that partial to it anyways. I picked out 40 count Lakeside Linens Fawn instead. Which is kind of funny since my Mary Wigham is on Fawn too and I'll be puling her out again after retreat/birthday so I can be a good moderator and at least get through Part 1. The fawn is darker than what is shown in the above photo. On the 40 count, WMHB will be all small and dainty! I can't wait to see it transform. I'll be using the called for GAST/WDW.

A few weeks ago, I came across this blogger who has a fancy schmancy embroidery machine and she makes bookmarks. One of them was a cross which I thought would be nice for my mom since she's super catholic and her birthday is coming up. She's turning 80 on the 24th. She's getting old too! LoriRay was very sweet and said she'd make me some bookmarks for my mom and I got a couple of cross ones and some heart ones. They arrived in the mail this week and they came out great!
Well, that's about it. This may be my last update before retreat. I have laundry and housesitting to do, bills to pay, projects to start (to make stitching easy for plane travel), must pack, plus work (ugh!) and who knows what else in the next three days! I'm going to be a frazzled sleepy mess on Wednesday. But I think the moment I step foot in Shepherd's Bush, it will be nirvana! OMG, I can't wait...so excited!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Until next time...

Happy Friday!

I feel chatty but don't really have any photos to share. I decided to bail on the 2nd angel...at least for now. Work has become stressful due to the events of the last couple of weeks and I don't need stitching stress on top of it. Instead, I've thrown myself into Boo Club like you wouldn't believe. I am *so* close to finishing!! SO CLOSE! Can I do it before I leave for retreat? My goal is to be finished by Saturday night. I'd like to start something new to stitch on at retreat plus I have a quick small I want to squeeze in too.

I figured I would answer this month's SBQ from Lee.

Is there anything that you do while you are stitching that is kind of weird or unusual? A quirky habit maybe? Or anything that you do that makes you think, Hey...I wonder if anyone else does this?

I think I'm a pretty mainstream stitcher. I stitch in my stitching nest, using q-snaps, while drinking (coffee, tea, wine, cocktails...not all at the same time) and trying to get the most of my floss. I am not a waster. I watch tv. And sometimes I miss what's on the show and thankfully, I have Tivo and can rewind. How did we stitch before the invention of the dvr?! We were some lost, confused stitchy tv watchers! Sometimes, if I'm really into stitching and am watching a show on the Tivo, I let the commercial run because I just can't be bothered. I'm stitching here! I stick my needles into the upholstery of whatever I am sitting on...and sadly, I impaled Mr. Ex a ton of times because of this. You'd think he'd have learned! I'm a floss licker. Don't "eewww!" because you know you do it too. I try to be as minimalistic as possible with travel stitching. I leave with my project bag filled with linen-loaded q-snap, pattern, flosses and a pair of scissors. I've been lucky enough to never lose or break my needle but I sometimes wonder if I'm due. Maybe I should travel with a pack of needles instead of just the one lonely needle.

I wonder if anyone really does anything strange. I haven't seen any strange answers yet.

I am so happy it's Friday! This week's been a doozy! Happy Friday everyone...I hope your weekend is grand.

Until next time...

Letter C Reveal!!

Just a quick fly by post.

My niece's birthday has come and gone. It's almost been a month. Unbelievable that time flies by so fast! I managed to get Mr. Ex to extract this photo so that I can actually post something since my sister is struggling with photo skills worse than mine. I think we both need to take some photography lessons. Too bad we live so far from each other. That would be a fun sister bonding activity! Here's the photo that Jill sent me prior to shipment.

It's a little hard to see the beads on the bottom of the design. Maybe I can score some super pics when I visit in November. Now, it's hanging on Cristina's super lavender wall. That wall is bright! I may need sunglasses just to look at it!

And as always, I love what Jill did with the matting. She is so talented!

Until next time...

Remembrance and a Finish

Everyone in blogland is remembering September 11, 2001 today. A day all Americans will never forget.
The past two days have been a tad strange and sad. When you spend a good amount of time in front of the tv with your jaw to the floor in disbelief, it's never a good thing. There was a huge gas main explosion in the town adjacent to where I grew up. 38 homes were destroyed, 4 people perished and there are people still missing. An entire neighborhood gone in flames. It called for a multi-county fire response that went to six alarms. Six alarms is really bad. This is the worst that most of the career firefighters in this county have seen in their lives. And if they've seen anything worse, it was because they went to New York post-9/11 to assist. In my line of work, this causes me to worry for my co-workers who normally drive me nuts and will create a whole realm of paperwork for me. Watching the news coverage just tears at my heart; not only for the people affected but to see and hear the community coming together whether they donate food, clothing, money, donate blood or volunteer to help. Luckily, no one I know lives in that neighborhood or was affected but so many were. It's horrific.

****

Onto the stitching news. After one week, I finally finished *one* angel ornament. How did I think I could do two in a weekend?! I still have one more to do! :::bangs head on table:::
I do have to say that struggling with the frogs and the black fabric is worth it. She comes to life! There is one little area I'm not happy about due to the cursed frog. I'll ask the ladies at the stitch in what they think tomorrow.

And here is my TUSAL update. The new moon was on Wednesday, which also happened to be my dad's 82nd birthday. Dad's getting old! No cake or party since he's off gallivanting and traveling with my mom.
All that yellow and gold at the top is due to Angel stitching.

And have you seen the new Ginghers?! LOVE!! Black and white swirly mod...these are so me! I'm glad I was able to buy a pair and they will of course go in my frog!

Well, that's it for now. Time to head to the gym so I don't feel so guilty stuffing my face with sangria and tapas later! :)

Until next time...

Canvas for Adoption...Again!

**Pending: This now has a new home**

A couple of months ago, I posted here that my co-worker was moving and she hoisted this lovely canvas on me with the hopes I would find it a good home. I don't needlepoint whatsoever and I really have enough issues stitching what I want to stitch with the occasional knitted or crochet something here or there.

Someone told me that they were interested in the canvas but after chasing them down for over a month now, I give up. It shouldn't be that hard for me to practically give something away. All I ask is postage for a huge canvas, stretcher bars and threads. Honestly, this is a bargain! Shipping tube/postage within the US would cost just under $13. But I'd be willing to send this anywhere provided the postage is paid for.

Here are a couple of photos to refresh your memory.


I know most of my readers are cross stitchers like me and not really needlepointers but if you have needlepointer friends, please direct them to the blog and have them take a look at the photos. All they need to do is pay me for postage. It's really that easy. Why this is still sitting in my closet is beyond me!

And to whine for a moment...I am sad to see the weekend end. Having 3 days off was fab but it ended on a sad note. Today would have been me and *the boy's* anniversary. Despite moving on, little things like special dates hang me up. And despite it being a holiday and people shouldn't be labouring...damn DPT was in full force and gave me a $55 ticket for an expired meter. Really...that's equivalent to a pair of shoes thankyouverymuch! Goes to show that even though it's a holiday, parking in the city is never free. Ugh...just burns me! I've been ticket free for a good eight years! There goes that track record!

Whine over...seriously...some nice needlepointer out there...please adopt this canvas!

Until next time...

Lots to Share...But Must Stitch!

The title says it all! Let's see...where do I start?

First of all, thanks for all the kind comments on Grandpa Glenn's passing. My sister appreciated them and even showed my BIL. My sister peeks in to make sure I stay out of trouble but she's forgotten her logon and can't comment. That's ok. I'm happy she's reading my blog.

It took me a couple of days to get used to the sight of my new huge recliner. Then I finally sat in it and let me tell you, it kind of takes a lot of motivation to get out of it now! I love it! I'm a little worried since I picked a cream on cream pattern but it was the color/pattern that worked the best for my room.
I still need to situate my stitching lamp a little better and test out the floor stand. I didn't realize that the recliner has a wide metal frame at the base so I am a little worried the stand won't fit very well but I'll figure out something to make it work! So far, it's been a very comfy stitching nest.

The recliner replaced this chair and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I stuck it in the bedroom for now while I decide if I want to keep it or sell it. It was never the comfiest chair but it was cute and stylish for my living room. Now, it can be a catch all for the clothes I don't feel like hanging right away. Uh, yea...clothes never get hung right away!I've gone and squeezed it in a corner of the bedroom. You can see I have a little pillow on the chair. Deb did the finishing for my QFRR from a couple of years ago. Simple but elegant. I love it!
The other day, I was surfing on etsy for pincushions. I have no idea why. I should have stayed away because when I saw this, my finger did beaucoup clicking and next think I knew, pretty pumpkin was winging it's way to me!
Here is it next to my blue one that everyone else in stitching land seems to have or covet. I love the felt one so much, I want to try my hand at making my own. You know...when I have time which may be never but a girl can dream once in a while. I love the orange and white pumpkin! I would have preferred that the black ribbon not be all frayed as it is but that's easily replaced.

The stitching has been slow in areas where it needs to be fast. How come that's always the case too?! I managed to finish Monster...because you know...let me work on anything other than what I should be doing! lol
And the obligation stitching. This is all I managed yesterday. Not nearly enough and I have yet to pick up the needle today. I had hoped to finish two this weekend. Apparently, I will be lucky if I finish one! What was I thinking?!

The weekend so far has been a mellow one. I went to my favorite restaurant ever which I've already touted on the blog so many times. Nopa was wonderful! We missed our normal server though...and our normal table. We were heartsick for both but we still managed to stuff our faces and leave smiling. Now, they serve brunch! Be still my heart...must go back soon!

I also dragged myself out of the recliner and my pj's yesterday to try and meet new people. It wasn't so successful. There were about 100 people crammed into a little wine bar that maybe fits 60. I get way too claustrophobic and shy for crowds of that magnitude. I met up with Mr. Octopus instead to see if he understood what I mean by "friends". I don't think he does. I had fun out all the same. The interesting comment of the evening was when a very buzzed girl came up to me and told me I look like Tina Fey and then invited us to some picnic tomorrow. Uh...yea. Tina Fey...I don't see that but considering I like Tina Fey, I'll take that as a compliment.

Has anyone else been watching the "Labor of Love" marathon on the USA network? Holy cow, they don't want me to leave the house! I've watched more chick flicks in the last 36 hours than I have all year! I also watched "The Back-Up Plan" via netflix. It was pretty funny aside from the scary/bizarre/traumatizing childbirth scene.

Ok, time for more chick flicks and stitching. Maybe, just maybe I can finish up one of these angels!!

Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!

Until next time...

Procrastination and Sad News

What is it about deadlines that makes you want to do anything other than what you should be doing? I've always been a procrastinator. I was much better managing it as a teenager though. While the teacher would talk about US Politics, I would be sitting in the back sneak reading trashy romance novels. Then I would stay up, cram what I needed to and turned in my assignments on time. Nowadays, I seem to procrastinate and then never catch up. I know this will kick me in the booty later. But I couldn't resist. Thinking about my upcoming birthday made me think of the best month ever...October...because not only is that my birthday month...it's Halloween and pumpkins and leaves changing colors and crisp air and the pumpkin festival and fun, fun decorations. October is the most wonderful time of the year! Ok, most people think that's reserved for Christmas but I just *love* October! So I dug out Boo Club as my travel project to see if maybe I can finish it before Halloween. I don't know about finish-finishing but at least have it finished. I started this at lunch yesterday and just couldn't put it down and finished off "Brew".
Not the best picture but I couldn't resist sharing! Next up is Monster. Not sure how much I'll get done since I either have lunch plans or short lunches the rest of the week. I *really* need to work on my on black stitching. It's kind of hard to see on black but I must prevail. That will be my focus during the long weekend.

I have tons to share but haven't gotten around to taking pictures and the darkness is not conducive to my camera. So I'll be back with that but probably not til the weekend.

As for the sad news, my sister called me today to tell me that her FIL passed away today. Since she and my BIL have been married for 21 years now, Grandpa Glenn was often talked about. I would see him on my trips to Texas as they were always family related affairs and spent the occasional holiday with him at my sisters. I thought I would get to maybe spend this Thanksgiving with him but he had suffered a stroke a couple of months ago and hadn't been doing so well. I know that he's at peace and free of pain and despite the sadness we all may feel, he is in a better place. During times of sorrow, I always tell people to hang onto the happy memories because they will see us through and the person who passed wouldn't want us to be sad. I remember when my niece and nephew were younger, Grandpa Glenn would make the long drive from his town to my sister's for family functions. He had his truck stashed with candy and boy did the kids know it. Creamsicle flavored Lifesavers. I wonder if they even make those anymore. The kids loved them and Grandpa Glenn sure knew to be stocked in preparation for the sugar high the kids looked forward to. If you can spare a kind word for my sister and her family as they go through this tough transition, that would be appreciated. Grandpa Glenn was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and he will be missed.

Until next time...and on a much happier note. I promise.

Mixed Emotions

I'm feeling rather melancholy today. Hormones...wouldn't you know it. They kind of have the tendency to throw me off every once in a while. That plus I had to tell a seemingly nice guy that I was more interested in being his friend and not his date/girlfriend. I don't even know how I got swept into this whole dating scenario to begin with. I thought it was a friend thing in the beginning. I kind of wonder if I did the right thing. I told him that if we did this dating thing, it would have to be slow...because you know...my whole life recently imploded. Recent bad breakup, still sad, still finding myself, feeling skittish, trust has been banged up...yadda, yadda, yadda. He seemed to understand. He's a nice guy...with octopus hands. *sigh* Octopus hands that I wasn't ready to deal with. Maybe I wouldn't mind so much if I was feeling crazy sparks but I wasn't. I just wanted to get to know him and see where things went but mainly...we seemed to enjoy the same things. It was nice to have someone to do the city things I enjoy that I have no one else to go with but apparently, it's dating or nothing. I haven't heard from him since I told him how I felt. So now I feel bad.

And I'm thinking about my birthday which is quickly approaching. I turn the big 3-5. I may just end up having a mid-30's crisis. I've been trying to figure out what I will end up doing. It won't be anything big seeing as my social circle has greatly diminished and I haven't got very many friends here anymore. I don't have a special someone who will take me out to a romantic dinner. And so I'm debating if I just go off and drive myself somewhere for the weekend and have a solo getaway. It's tempting but I am doing all this travel this Fall to begin with and should be saving the money for my trips. Maybe I will just take myself away for the day...hang out with Snoopy and the Gang and visit a winery.

Despite feeling sad, I had a good day yesterday. I helped out at a work event and it was a gorgeous day...perfect time to be out in the sunshine. I had to check IDs since it was an alcohol fueled event and some of the ladies grumbled that they had to show ID. I commiserated with them and told them that I hate being carded too. And one lady goes, "oh yea, you're getting carded and you're only 25!" I had to tell the lady I was really 35 (almost) but being mistaken for 25 made me smile the rest of the day. After doing my time at the event, I met up with a friend for dinner and Eat, Pray, Love. The movie seemed very slow-paced to me but it was enjoyable. I enjoyed the Italy segment the best and of course, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. How come I can't find a cute Jeffrey Dean Morgan look-a-like here?!

I have a happy dance to share. I try to juggle projects but deep down to my core, I'm a one- project kinda gal. It gets kind of boring for the readership so I try to change it up. But with the internet frustrations, I couldn't move away from Simple Joys and I decided to just push through and finish it so I could move onto obligation stitching. This was a little hard since I found a mistake where the three rose flowers are in the bottom portion. I had to frog the last flower and "Simple Life" since I had added extra stitches where there shouldn't have been and it was too far over to the right.

LHN Simple Joys
CC Bean Sprout, Caterpillar, Plum Paisley, Tiny Vine; GAST Schoolhouse Red; WDW Tiger's Eye
32 count Wichelt Platinum

I'm debating whether to leave in my initials or not. They kind of stick out. I'm happy to have finished it and I like my Schoolhouse Red substitution which really brightened the piece up. I'd like to try a box top finish with this piece. That will be a ways off since I don't have a box or any materials for the finishing but that's what I envisioned the whole time I was stitching on Simple Joys.

I have more to show...like my new HUGE recliner...but this is enough chatter for one day. I'll be back with that and my start on obligation stitching.

Hope everyone had a happy weekend!

Until next time...

Holy Cow!

It's hot here! Someone please send in the fog cuz I am dying! I know the rest of the US has been in a heatwave for months and I've been pretty much spared from any extreme weather the entire summer but between today and yesterday, I am really wishing my building was air conditioned!

Because of the heat, I'm not feeling the most talkative. So I'm going to try and keep this short. Ha! I haven't progressed to my next project because I ran into another bout of network connectivity issues. Get this...that AT&T guy...didn't hook up my router correctly and I was basically stealing wireless from my neighbor and thinking everything was hunky dory. Until I realized I didn't have the Tivo hooked up to my router since it had been reset and everything crashed! I thought it was the Tivo and after going through a few scenarios of plugging things into the wrong places, I figured out that the repair guy plugged the ethernet into the wrong whatchamacallit. What would have taken any reasonably tech-savvy person 5 minutes to figure out only took me like 3 days. Annoying! But...I figured it out on my own so go me!

I can't start new things when my head is spinning in frustration to begin with so Simple Joys has gotten more attention. Here's my latest progress pic.
There has been certain frustrations with Simple Joys. First was the Bean Sprout being sickly (remember?), then my Tiny Vine is kind of light but I went with it anyways and then my Raspberry was sickly too! Only 6 colors in this design and I had issues with half of them! Every skein of Raspberry I came across had a little too much brown in it which made the flowers look like they were burnt by the sun...definitely not happy flowers. I didn't have anything to substitute with so I stopped by the local shop and picked up GAST Schoolhouse Red for the flowers which I think is more magenta than red but maybe that's just me. I like it much better! I'm almost done with the center and then just have the border to do. I am hoping I have enough Bean Sprout to get me through the border...

Then there's my TUSAL update. My jar is getting quite full! The greens and pinks at the top are from Simple Joys.
I missed the New Moon but at least I made the Full Moon....it's a beautiful one out there tonight.

That's about it for me tonight...hope everyone had a nice weekend and is staying cool!

Until next time...

*Sigh*

Take a lesson from me. It's much easier to work on your travel project when you actually put the pattern in the project bag with it! So instead of stitching at lunch, I went to Joann's and tried to remember what DMC color I was missing. I hope I picked the right one! Only time will tell...you know...once I get home and figure out where I put the blasted pattern in the first place!

Nothing very exciting to tell. Stitching has been slow and because I can't see very well on the black during the day (?!), I've been holding off until I have a good stretch of time with tons of light. I figure that between the Ott and the Mighty Bright...I'll be ok. Now to find the time! Oh time...where are you?!

The week has consisted of gym stuff. I worked out with a trainer on Monday. About 20 minutes into it, I told him I was going to hate him by the end of the hour. His response? Good, then I've done my job. *sigh* Today, I can finally walk, lift my arms and get up without feeling about 90. Despite feeling sore, I went to yoga last night. Oof...yoga kicked my ass. Whoever thinks yoga isn't really a workout...needs to try yoga. And apparently, the yoga I'm doing. It's not even Bikram...if I did that, they'd need to call the ambulance on me and with my luck, it would be the short un-hot guy who'd have to resusitate me and I'd be traumatized for life.

Today, I got the call from Jill that my pieces are ready! Yay...can't wait! Since I am late on my niece's Sweet Sixteen (it was Wednesday...happy Birthday to Cristina!), I'm having her send Letter C straight to my sister. *Karen!* are you reading this? You need to take photos right away or I'll have a blog riot on my hands! The other piece sadly won't get to be unveiled until October. I know, I know...don't hate. Just think, there's a cool unveiling happening in October! The suspense...OMG!

And even more suspense? I'll be back with an update on Simple Joys and my TUSAL. Be back soon!

Until next time...

p.s. Almost forgot to mention I added a few charts to my sale blog...