Who has time to stitch????

That's not snow, it's slush!

2012-01-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

Yep, we got a whole lotta slush this morning! Not enough to close school for the day, but enough to delay it for a couple hours. And now the Oregon rain is washing it away. Oh well, at least I didn't have to go out in it. I emailed the grocery list to DH an hour ago and that will take care of that.

My day was spent taking care of the last of the Christmas decor (I know...a little slow.) Oh, and a little stitching. I took a break from cleaning to stitch this little freebie from The Sampler Girl which can be found here. I just HAD to stitch it when I saw the scrap of fabric sitting on the coffee table and looking so forlorn. So I grabbed some Watercolors thread in Holiday and got it all stitched up. I'm calling it my CJSC Day 17 start, because I can.
The Sampler Girl "Believe"

I finished up another of my starts, Lizzie Kate's Spring Fab Fob. Isn't it FABulous? (Well, it will be, I guess, if it ever becomes a fob.)

Speaking of CJSC starts, are you wondering what I ended up with for the last few days?
Well, I had another start and finish and it just happened to be another Shepherd's Bush piece, "Hark".

Day 13: SB "Hark "

Day 14: SB "Red Snowman"

Day 15: Lizzie Kate "Fa La La"

Day 16: Lizzie Kate "By Golly Be Jolly"

I also managed to put quite a few stitches in on a couple of my WIPocalypse pieces. Here's the progress:
"Tanglewood" by Ink Circles

"Rites of Spring" by Blackbird Designs
"Temptation" by Praiseworthy Stitches

Tonight I put some stitches into SOHRH. It's been awhile...

Don't really think I'll have any more CJSC starts. I think my startitis has eased and now I am infected with the desire to have some finishes. I reorganized the space by my stitching chair and put the kitted up patterns and supplies back into my stash storage ~~mess~~ area for the time being.

WIPocalypse January, CJSC update

2012-01-12T00:25:00.000-08:00

Well, with attending an out-of-town memorial service this past weekend followed by 2 straight days of work, not a lot of stitching or posting was going to get done. Now, however, I have a few days off, so an update is in order (and it was the full moon a couple days ago, so a WIPocalypse post is due.)

With the Crazy January Challenge, a lot of my older WIPs have had limited play on the Q-snaps. I did start taking my Ariel square to work for the few minutes here and there that I have to work on it. Here is the progress up to now:

As for the CJSC, I had to switch things up a bit due to the unexpected addition of a couple new stash items:

My LNS (Acorns and Threads in Portland) offered a coupon book last year and January's coupon was good for 20% off a complete Christmas project. I went in for just one thing, but couldn't resist 20% off Shepherd's Bush kits and a couple of the other things.

So, here are the starts for the past few days:

Day 9: LHN "Home of a Needleworker"

Day 10: Lizzie Kate "Merry Bird"

Day 11: BBD "Crowning the Tree"

Day 12: Lizzie Kate "Spring Fab Fob"

I'm really excited about the last three because they will all be quick finishes. Now I just have to decide what will be the last three starts of this challenge. Those new Shepherd's Bush designs are calling out to me....

Crazy Progress and a First Finish for 2012

2012-01-08T23:06:00.000-08:00

I've been faithfully starting a new project every day so far and without further ado, here they are:

You've seen Day 1 and Day 2 a couple posts back and Day 4 I neglected to get a photo of yet.

Here is:

Day 3: BBD Bluebird's Message

Day 5: SB Thankful Sheep

Day 6: BC Happy Christmas Row

Day 7: MD Christmas Tree

Day 8: KTN Spooky Tricks

and for the best thing of all, a finish!

The first of my Crazy January Stitching Challenge finishes, in all of it's glory, Shepherd's Bush Thankful Sheep stitched with kitted supplies.

It was a fun little stitch and it's so nice to have a finish already, no matter how small.

No pics yet...

2012-01-07T01:35:00.000-08:00

Thought I might get some updates on the blog this evening, but it doesn't appear to be headed that way as I've spent my time reading other blogs instead. This weekend I anticipate the first finish of 2012 and the first finish of my 2012 CJSC starts. So far I've been faithfully starting a new project every day, even if for only a few stitches. And I'm definitely enjoying the projects I've chosen.

But which one will be the first finished? I'll show you in a couple days. Meanwhile back to reading I go.

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I rang out the old year and rang in the new year with back-to-back shifts at work, so I am only now getting around to my first post of 2012! Work coupled with the holidays meant blogging was a low priority. Though the holiday decorations are still up, I'm looking ahead to a fabulous year, especially for stitching.

The last couple weeks of 2011 saw me frantically starting a bunch of projects so I could add them to my WIPocalypse list. In my way of thinking, half the battle is getting started, so now that I have a TON of projects that are started, I'm sure to get more done, right? LOL! (I hope to update that page and links some time in the next couple of weeks.) Beyond what I actually did start, I had several others that I just didn't get any stitches in on.

I did have an official BAP start for January 1. Some of you may remember I had started Ink Circles "Tanglewood" last year, but a poor job of placement on the fabric required a restart. So, finally I have restarted it:

I also faithfully put a few stitches in my CJSC pieces for yesterday, La-D-Da "In the Garden" and today, Bent Creek "Halloween Snappers".

Here is my progress on a newly started WIP, Blackbird Designs "Rites of Spring":

And, for an end of the year Happy Dance, this was my last finish of 2011, Shakespeare's Peddler "A Weary World Rejoices" stitched one-over-two with the called for limited edition threads on some piece of random 36 ct. fabric I had in stash.

I apologize for the dark picture; it is quite lovely in real life and better light. I really like it and I'm really beginning to love stitching one-over-two on higher count fabrics.

Last, but not least, a gift to myself at the end of the year, my newest kitty, Eowyn.

Isn't she beautiful??? Our resident princesses, Amber and Panther, are not too happy right now, although I think they would adjust a lot better if Eowyn did not want to play chase with them.

I do have some other starts planned, because I didn't stitch very many charity squares last year and I would like to do a couple exchanges. But those will be smaller things, so I feel quite sure I can get them squeezed in.

I wish everyone a Happy Stitchy New Year!

Positive outcomes...

2011-12-15T23:45:00.000-08:00

Hoped for outcomes:

1. Return of backpack--check.

2. Locker combination changed--check.

3. Monkey business to stop--hopefully a check.

Unfortunately, the other kid got suspended for a couple days. While I know that he should be held responsible for his actions, the more compassionate side of me knows that this kid is really NOT a bad kid and now he's got a suspension on his record. Even my son said to me that he didn't want the kid to get in so much trouble; he only wanted the backpack returned.

The good news is that the principal plans to have both boys sit down together with one of the counselors in an effort to talk thru what's been going on. I hope they can work things out. That would be the bonus outcome, unlooked for, but certainly welcome.

No stitchy tales today. I did get the rest of my DMC threads for Celtic Autumn, so I'm happy about that. Almost ready for Christmas, how about you?

To the Principal's office...

2011-12-13T23:33:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I get to formally meet The Principal of our local middle school as I visit him to discuss my youngest son's stolen backpack. See, last week my son tells me his locker partner, who was his closest friend at the end of fifth grade last year, had moved out and had not been very nice to him the last week. I listened to the list of insults and juice bottles this ex-friend was "chucking" at him and I told my son that he needs to request a new locker combination the next day. (I didn't completely expect any monkey-business, but given the unexpectedly negative turn in their friendship, I felt it best to take a proactive stance.)

My son dutifully asked the vice-principal for a new combo, and the VP questioned whether my son reaaly thought this other boy would mess with his stuff. Ever the trusting kid, my son said he didn't think so, but that his mom wanted it changed. That was Friday. Fast-forward to today when my son returns to his locker at the end of the day to find his backpack missing. Other kids saw the ex-friend with the backpack walking home.

Now this momma bear has to go to the Principal's Office to discuss how this situation will be resolved. I am NOT a morning person and I have to do this first thing in the morning.

Patience, tact, and diplomacy...must curb sarcastic nature....

Becoming a hermit....

2011-12-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

I signed on for the the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend despite the fact that I work on Saturday night. I still don't have any other plans except to do a little stitching and perhaps some cookie or candy baking. And cleaning. There's ALWAYS cleaning and organizing to be done.

I din't get a lot of stitching done today as I had errands to run and, of course, cleaning and organizing. I bought myself a Vornado space heater for the bonus room, so that I can make both my husband and I happy at the same time. He's happy that I'm not jacking up the thermostat at night and I'm happy that I can actually be in a warm room while I'm awake. I'm curious to see if it makes a positive difference in our heating costs.

Once I whittle my WIPs down to a manageable list next year, I need to start my Chatelaine. I got the pattern for the Caribbean Mandala but I still have not kitted it or bought the fabric. Partly, it's because of the supply cost, but partly it's because I'm not sure what fabric to do it on. White just seems too plain. I saw someone stitching it once on an aqua color and I really liked it, so that tempts me. I guess we'll see next year sometime, ay?

WIPocalypse pics are linked...

2011-12-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

...for those of you interested in seeing them, you can find all the links to my WIPocalypse list here. I think I can make a dent in those projects next year, if I am really, really good. (Of course, I have hardly ever been really, really good. LOL.)

Missed a couple days...

2011-12-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

...knew I probably would, but I'm gonna try to keep going anyway. Got some pics today:

Some ornaments (Halloween and Christmas) that I actually finished up this fall.
An update on "A Weary World Rejoices"
A finish: Trilogy's "Secret Turkey Hunt"

Still bravely resisting the urge to start anything more. Found a couple more WIPs to add to my WIPocalypse list. Suppose I had better go link a few more pics...

A gift of...

2011-12-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

...a day off. My calendar was a little outta whack and I only worked two days in a row, not three! Yay! Today was a nice lazy day at home. And I do mean lazy.

I'm finding it hard to resist adding things to the pile of stuff I want to stitch. My list is long enough already and yet there's this intense urge to do more. I've avoided most addictions that plague our society in general, bu apparently I truly AM addicted to cross-stitching!

Here are a few pics of our dcorations this year. Three trees altogether:

Our small tree upstairs with some of my favorite ornaments on it.

My small tree with nursing, EMS, and firefighter themed ornaments.

Our biggest tree, which is covered with ornaments, some of which date back to my and DH's childhood.

Hope you had a lovely day today.

On a three day stretch...

2011-12-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

It's hard for me to do much more than work, eat, sleep and get ready for work on my three day work stretch. There's not a lot of energy for much else, unfortunately. Also, I just don't get a lot of stitching done. A few stitches here and there but not much more.

I received a package from Amazon today which means one less present to worry about. For me I got a book on taking better photos. Can't wait to dig into that.

So, anyway, this is my sad little post today...no pics, no stitchy news, no profound observations of earth-shattering awesomeness.

Have a beautiful day and now I'm off to work...

Blogging is no easy feat...

2011-12-06T00:35:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so I just spent a bunch of time trying to choose a new template but couldn't find any I liked well enough. Next, I wasted a bunch of time trying to upload my OWN picture onto my background, with a little help from the web, but no luck there. No more of that for me tonight. I linked a few pics to my WIPocalypse page and called it good.

This month's NaBloPoMo theme is gifts and, while I have posted for now 6 days in a row, I have not really posted much about gifts so far. It's been all stitchy related stuff, which I am sure is why my readers come here. But I'll switch over to gifts for today because I am actually a little tired of stitchy stuff (gasp!?!?! That's shocking, I know.)

Aside from material things, there are many non-tangible gifts I would like to give my boys. One of those is a love of reading. I love to read (although my time for reading and pursuit of the pasttime has waxed and waned with the seasons of my life so far.) My husband has never really had a love of reading, although in his latter years (like, the last five or so) he has become a reader of financial books and magazines.

I want our boys to enjoy reading. They don't have to love it (although it would be wonderful if they did) but I want them to at least appreciate the value of reading an interesting story.

I think I've succeeded. I read to them as young children. I took them to the library at least once a week and I surrounded them with books. I took books in the car with us when they were preschool age and to this day, they still have to bring something with them to read or draw or whatever when they are in the car.

When we discovered audio books, we would listen almost every night to something. It was like an old-time radio show and I enjoyed classic stories from my childhood like "The Phantom Tollbooth", "Where the Red Fern Grows", and even "Island of the Blue Dolphins", a book that was beyond their reading level at the time, but not beyond their listening level. I also found new-to-me children's books that I still think about and remember fondly like "The Scarecrow and His Boy" and the "The Adventures of Edward Tulane".

Harry Potter was the catalyst for moving beyond picture books to chapter books. I started reading the first book to them on a roadtrip to Yellowstone when they were eight and six years old. My oldest spent two hours one day rereading the first few chapters. He was a slow reader and had a hard time with unfamiliar words, but that was the beginning for him. After the third book, we switched to the audio books which is still one of their favorite series to listen to.

The other thing that I did to help foster a love of reading was made reading 30-45 minutes one of their daily "chores" before they could play video games. The books could be of their choosing, but it had to be words, not picture books or comic books. Now that they are in 6th and 7th grade, I don't require it anymore (they do a lot of reading at school), but I do pick up books and audio books at the library that I think they might like and strew them in their path.

One of my biggest delights has been that my oldest (who is 13 now) listened to the audio books of the Lord of the Rings trilogy this year and declared that they were his favorite books next to Harry Potter. (He said they were even better than Harry Potter. *sigh of joy*) Truthfully, Harry Potter really drew me in, too. I still mourn the ending of that series. I will read it again in the next few years, I am sure. Just as I will listen to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Again.

In the meantime, after many years of sporadic adult reading (due to small children and school and work), I am finally finding the time to read. It's hard, though, sometimes to find just the right book. I am picky. If I am reading fiction, I want to read something that will really move me. I don't need some existential "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" type of book. I don't want to read drivel. I want a book where I really get into the characters. I want a book I can't put down.

I'm always open to suggestions.

Good Heavens!

2011-12-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

My sorting and kitting and photographing took me into the wee hours Saturday night! Had to revise the list of Crazy January starts because of a strong shot of reality as I looked through all my WIPs. I decided that I needed to put mostly smalls on the crazy list, so that there was a hope of actually completing them in 2012.

I especially did my best to include only projects for which I already had the supplies. I still need a few skeins of this or that, and I certainly would have liked to have different fabrics. On the whole, though, I managed to put myself in a position where I truly could stitch from stash next year. It's a goal I've made over and over again, but never been able to hold to. However, I have a dream of building a sunroom/garden room/stitching room in the next few years and so saving up for it is a bit of a priority.

My boys find the whole idea of WIPocalypse hilarious. Especially given the vast number of WIPs that I have. They had fun ribbing me about it at dinner time. Laugh on, little men...we'll see how much I can stitch next year! (They find the whole idea of the world ending on December 22, 2012 hilarious, too. I mean, we all do. No one knows the time of the world's end.)

Last night, I at least got all of my WIP pics uploaded to Flikr and have started to link them to the post itself. But I thought I'd show you a couple of my newest starts that I just had to get on to the list before the end of the year. (I started six, but I'll just show you two today.)

Shakespeare's Peddler "Jenny Bean Creation Sampler"

L&L "Celtic Autumn" which I'm doing in a conversion to greens and oranges.

My other project for next year is the 365 project. I'm expecting a book on taking photographs to come soon from Amazon and I spent money on a nice digital Canon Rebel last year, so I want to learn how to take better photos. Maybe this will motivate me. If not, it's an easily dropped commitment. (I like having a few commitments that are easily dropped. It's like having a get-out-of-guilt-free card.)

Oh yeah, and did I mention I want to knit a pair of socks? Yeah, I really do. I can crochet a bit, but I have absolutely no idea how to knit. I just know that all those socks that I see posted on blogs make my mouth water. So, being the leap before you look kinda gal, I bought myself some fantabulous little bamboo double-pointed size 4 knitting needles, a book called "I Can't Believe I'm Knitting Socks?" and a couple skeins of yarn in a very scrumptious, self-striping color. I've also bookmarked a couple tutorials on the actually knitting process and I think I'm ready to go. Another rather inexpensive and easily dropped commitment.

WIPocalypse 2012

2011-12-04T23:35:00.000-08:00

Have you heard? The world is ending on December 22, 2012!!! I just can't let it end without finishing my WIPs! Join me and the other stitching crazies out there for WIPocalypse 2012.

Here's my list:

Mosey N Me "Happy Jack"

SamSarah Designs "Halloween Jack"

Val's Stuff Scaredy Cats

Raise the Roof Designs "Pirate Sock Monkey"

Primitive Needle "Kindred Spirits"

Shakespeare's Peddler "Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler"

Bent Creek "Sparkle"

Heart in Hand "Celebration Summer"

Just Nan "Secret Birdcage Needle Slide"

Sweetheart Tree "Americana Biscornu"

Heart in Hand "Summer Alphabet"

Trilogy "United Treats"

Bent Creek "Autumn Snapperland"

Praiseworthy Stitches "Seafarer's Valentine"

Cricket Collection "Skeleton Crew"

Sweetheart Tree "Holiday Holly Biscornu"

Mill Hill "Midnight Farm"

Barbara Ana Designs "Thanksgiving Biscornu"

My Big Toe Designs "Christmas Snow"

Blue Ribbon Designs "With All Your Heart"

Country Cottage Needleworks "Daisy Lane Cottage"

Bookmark

Snowman towel

Disney's Ariel

Diane Arthur "Bethlehem"

Two Cats in a window

Just Nan "3 Violets Humbug"

Just Nan "Scream House"

Blue Ribbon Designs "Schoolgirl Samplings"

ByGone Stitches "Quaker Christmas"

Bent Creek "Winter Row"

Fine Arts Heritage Society "The Starry Night"

Sweetheart Tree "Baby Shamrocks Biscornu"

Birds of a Feather "A Very Fine Sampler"

Just Nan "Sirens of the Sea"

Primitive Traditions "Sarah Elliot's Home Port"

Jeanette Douglas Designs "Seaside Stitches"

Shepherd's Bush "The Potting Shed"

Teresa Wentzler "Footprints"

Disney "Tigger"

Mirabilia "Lady of the Flag"

Lizzie Kate "Needle Nick"

Midsummer Night Designs "Our Souls"

With My Needle "A Child's Prayer"

Shakespeare's Peddler "Jenny Bean Creation Sampler"

The Goode Huswife "Seven Sailors"

Lavender & Lace "Celtic Autumn"

The Need'l Love Company "Ship of Ages"

Praiseworthy Stitches "Temptation"

Carriage House Samplings "Shores of Hawk Run Hollow"

Prairie Schooler "Must Be Santa"

M Designs "Hope Tree"

The Sampler Girl "My Song"

Kincavel Krosses "Holly Jolly Humbug"

"Old World Santa"

The Marking Samplar "Sweet Liberty"

Blackbird Designs "Rites of Spring"

Blackbird Designs "Sweetheart Sampler"

Blackbird Designs "Beyond My Heart"

Keslyn's "Retreat 2010"

Trilogy "Seaology"

Just Nan "Miss Kitty's Dragons"

Just Nan "Hummingbead Heaven"

Blackbird Designs "LF Summer, Autumn & Winter"

Shepherd's Bush "Millenium Sampler"

Shepherd's Bush "Queen Bee Sampler"

Shepherd's Bush "Shepherd's Spring"

Shepherd's Bush "Angel's Song"

Elizabeth's Designs "Time in a Garden"

Blue Ribbon Designs "Poinsettias and Pines"

Shepherd's Bush "Brave Flags"

Yeah. I know. It's a big list. Now that all the pics are linked, you can see that a large majority of them are rather small. Many don't have far to go. I should be able to whittle the list down, right?

Sorting like mad...

2011-12-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

So I spent the better part of this afternoon gathering my WIPs for the upcoming WIPocalypse. I faithfully photographed each one (to be uploaded at a later this month). I didn't even bother to get the bin out of the closet. Truthfully, those projects are all big and I'm not even gonna make the attempt.

A couple things came out of today's endeavors:

1. I have a crap-load of WIPs.

2. I'm going to have an even bigger pile after January.

3. I'm going to have to tweak my Crazy January list because I want to start a few of the projects now and make them into WIPs instead of Crazy January projects. (my thought process here is that I might then actually complete the January challenge in 2012! Setting myself up for success and all that.)

I wrapped a few gifts and put them under the tree. The living room is now relatively well-decorated for Christmas and I've even managed to get it cleared of the junk we accumulate in there almost daily. Of course, I can't speak for the rest of the house.

I don't know about y'all out there in blogland, but I personally like the bell-ringers this time of year. I like to hear the bells ringing and I like to put change in the buckets every time I go to the stores. Sometimes it's only pennies, sometimes it's over a dollar. Obviously, some of the bellringers are more enthusiastic than others, but I don't mind. I guess they are, for me, a potent reminder of how much I am blessed and how important it is to remember others in this season (and all year lng.)

December NaBloPoMo

2011-12-02T23:45:00.000-08:00

So, who says I don't just jump in with both feet? I officially signed up today, (but started yesterday) on this crazy blogging challenge to blog every day in December. I missed the true November NaBloPoMo, but heck, better late than never.

Today's post is picture free...I've got to spend a little time this weekend figuring out the pic uploading. But I can post my current list for the Crazy January Challenge. This will officially be the Modified challenge, as I will have a new start almost every day in January.

Revised as of 12/4:

1. La-D-Da "The Garden"

2. Bent Creek "Halloween Snappers"

3. Blackbird Designs "Sweetheart Sampler"

4. M Designs "Dream Tree Ornament"

5. Shepherd's Bush "Thankful Sheep"

6. Bent Creek "Happy Christmas Row"

7. M Designs "Christmas Tree"

8. Knotted Tree Needlearts "Spooky Treats"

9. LHN "Home of a Needleworker"

10. M Designs "Faith Tree Ornament"

11. Brightneedle "Something Blue"

12. Bent Creek "Let Us Be Thankful Row"

13. L*K "Spring Fab Fob"

14. Knotted Tree Needlearts "Spooky Tricks"

15. M Designs "Rejoice Tree Ornament"

I will be kitting these up (a few are fairly well kitted already) this month. I truly will have a WIPocalypse on my hands next year, but oh well.

I lost that blogging feeling...

2011-12-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

...although it appears to be making a comeback, helped along by learning how to use Google Reader and my very own iPad. To be honest, though, if Blogger continues to be so slow in uploading my pics, I may throw in the towel altogether. (Currently it has taken almost 5 minutes to upload one picture.)

It's really been a busy year. I have now been an ED nurse for over a year. It's hard to believe. I've learned a ton, but I've also realized how much more there is to know. I was able to attend the national Emergency Nursing conference this year in Tampa and have plans to go to next year's conference in San Diego. My boys are both in middle school and my oldest has grown 4 inches since July 2010. My husband and I will celebrate our 17th anniversary this month. Time just marches on, doesn't it.

Though I have not been blogging that much or really even reading anyone else's blogs this year, I have been stitching away. I had a very bad bout of startitis last month and now have a LARGE pile of WIPs. I can't even say I've been cured of the startitis, because my fingers are itching to start something new.
However, I have been trying hard to stay on task with "A Weary World Rejoices" by Shakespeare's Peddler because I went and stitched in the year 2011 already. I am stitching it with the special GAST colors and I really like it. I feel pretty confident that it will indeed be finished by the end of the year.

I've also been desperately trying to make a dent in my pile of stitched but hopelessly unfinished pile of shame. So far I've put a few pieces in small frames and whipstitched a couple together for little ornaments. I'll try to put pics together of those.

I set up my craft table and got out my wood pieces and fabric and paints and such with the hopes that at least a few pieces would be displayable by the end of the year. We will see. I am saving up some money for hopefully getting a few of my larger pieces nicely framed next year. We shall see.

I signed up for WIPocalypse, hoping both to motivate the finishing up of many of my WIPs and also to jumpstart my blogging. Since I am so out of touch with blogland, I'm probably the last to hear of it, but there's the link anyway. I also signed up for the TUSAL, which I had wanted to do last year, but heard of it too late. Oh yeah, and I also signed up for the Crazy January Challenge, which will really only exacerbate my startitis and increase my excessive WIP pile, but oh well.

Other things I've been working on include the 2009 Prairie Schooler limited edition Christmas pattern, CHS "Shores of Hawk Run Hollow", M Designs "Hope Tree" and a Holly Jolly humbug freebie from Kell Smurthwaite at http://kincavelkrosses.wordpress.com. (Note: Blogger failed to upload my pics after 25 minutes and then gave me an error message, so no more pics tonight.)

In holiday news, we have our trees up. I say "trees" because I have three of them. Two small ones and a larger one. My older son is 13 and has become a humbug when it comes to decorating the tree, but my 12 year old son is still game. Our big tree has all of our family ornaments including those from my and DH's childhood. One of the smaller ones is dedicated to fire, nursing and EMS ornaments. The other is decorated with ornaments that are special to me personally.

I have a jewelry tree on the coffee table that is currently displaying my small collection of stitched Christmas ornaments but eventually I hope to have so many of those that they will warrant a small tree of their own.

That's all for now. I must continue to update my google reader and do a little stitching before bed. Happy Stitching to all of you. See you next time.

Finally an update!

2011-04-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

I've been stitching and working and stuff! My goals went right out the window as I fell for the argument that I should simply stitch what makes me happy and not worry about the WIP and UFO count. Boy, guiltless stitching is awesome!

We welcomed two cute guinea pigs into the family to bring the menagerie count to 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs and 4 parakeets. Molly and Lilly are their names.

I sent out my Christmas Quaker ornament and received this lovely strawberry from Jen R. I think it's perfect for year-round display, so that's what I'm doing with it.Two weekends ago saw me at the OR/WA GTG held every other month. It worked out perfectly that I got to spend Saturday and Sunday stitching with my gal pals. I was inspired to pull out my larger pieces and put some stitches in on them:

Yep, it's Block 9 of Shores of Hawk Run Hollow! For this piece I'm using a combination of DMC, Crescent Colours cotton, Weeks or GAST and NPI silks. Pretty much only the blues are in silk, just to give the water a little extra sheen. I did the conversion myself and I'm fairly happy with it so far. As always tCan't believe I've actually gotten a block done on this one. My other piece is a BOAF design from long ago. I actually found this chart at Goodwill. It's A Very Fine Sampler.

I've had a few finishes, too. I finished Raise the Roof's Scrub A Dub Dub. However, due to my failure to properly measure the fabric (that NEVER happens, right?), I've had to leave off the words, but I don't care. I'll make it into a pillow or something eventually.

I also finished a Just Nan Summer Wings Humbug. I'm currently working on her Wooly Sheep pocket and Three Violets humbug but really no pics to show.

I also finished the Froggy Biscornu freebie by Casey Buonaugurio. I have stitched this before for someone else and now finally have my own.

I've countless other projects on and off the q-snaps and a few other finishes, but blogger is such a pain for me when it comes to uploading pics that I'm going to give up on this for today.

Hope everyone is having happy stitching. We've had a little sun here over the past week which has been very heartening and I took the opportunity to plant a bunch of bulbs and perennials. The bulbs and perennials from last year are starting to sprout and grow and that really makes me thrilled. We also found a robin's nest and a mama robin sitting on three blue eggs in a tree next to our driveway. With the sun and flowers, my spirits are lifting. Bring on the summer!!

And the winner is...

2011-02-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

...Melanie of the blog Moonraker Lampwerks! Apparently, she knits, stitches and makes some of the cutest beads I have ever seen! Just pop me out an email with your snail mail address and the LHN chart is yours!

In other news, I have been stitching a little bit. I got over to a little get-together last weekend for a few hours of stitching with some lovely gals. I worked hard and managed to grab another finish this week. Here are all the squares for the Just Nan Floral Fifteen. I just need to whip them all together and it will be ready for display.

With that finish, I have been putting a little time into my JN Mermaid Sampler. I really can't wait to put the beads on this one, but I'm gonna get all the stitching done first.

My new start for Sunday/Monday was the JN Spring Frills humbug.

A few stitches were put in a couple other projects but nothing to bother taking a pic of. I really haven't done a lot of stitching the last couple weeks. Been doing more reading, I guess, and way too much sleeping. Hope to have another small finish or two next week, but we'll see. The problem with my challenge to get down to 10 or less WIPs is that the 10 that I'll be left with are likely to be all of the biggies. But, who knows? Maybe I'll rush thru and get all these little ones done and then be forced to stitch on a couple big ones until they're finished. I guess we'll see...there's still 4 1/2 months until June 30.

Happy Blogoversary to Me!!!

2011-02-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it's arrived...my blogoversary. Can't believe that the fourth year has come and gone. There's still time to celebrate with me. Just go to my post here and comment and you could win the LHN chart from the chartpack "Hearts of America".

Had some progress on my stitching this last week. Not a lot, but some. Most of what I'm showing you is from the 2011 starts. I finished up my Just Nan Summer Wings humbug and constructed it as well. It's much lovelier in person.

It also inspired me to start the Spring Frills humbug yesterday and I feel like I got a bunch done.

Feeling a bite from the finishing bug, I completed the last stitches on this Acorn Fob by Chessie & Me and then finished it. I also put together two biscornus but I don't have a button for the centers so I'll hold off on pics until they are fully complete.

Last night, I completed the stitching for one of the six L*K Green charts. I really love the colors in this series, especially the blues.

I got some more stitches in on Starry Night. I estimated how far along I am on this project and based on my calculations, I am now about 1.3% done. Woohoo. Right now I am concentrating on the black in the lower left because it is easy and it commands so much of that area. It's a good anchor for the rest of my stitching.

Not much done on Shores this week as I was concentrating on my other "new" projects.

I did complete the stitching on a couple little fobs, but the finishing will have to wait.

For my WIPs, I concentrated on A Very Fine Sampler and made some progress. I am eager to get the band above the words done and then move on to the flower basket. I still keep wishing there were some blues in this one, but alas, there are none.

Progress...

2011-02-01T22:02:00.001-08:00

So this week was pretty good on the stitching front. First of all, today I mailed out 4 of the 6 PIFs that I have owed some ladies for almost 2 years. Michele, Suzanne, Sara and Monique should be receiving their gifts soon...maybe even this week. The other 2 are ready to be mailed out once I get an address from Lisa S. and Lorix. If anyone knows them, please let them know I've got a little something for them. I also sent out a couple R.A.K.s of sorts. It does feel nice to give. Also, I've been faithful to my challenge, waiting to stitch new starts or start new charts until Sunday/Monday and stitching on only pre-2011 WIPs the rest of the week.

Here are a few of the 2011 starts:
I've got the CHS Shores of Hawk Run Hollow. I'm stitching it with 1 over 2 on some 40ct I had. It looks very nice, but this count is very tedious to stitch on. Although I know it will be beautiful when finished, I have the feeling this is going to be a WIP for awhile. The L*K Green series is very colorful. My younger son is really going to like it. I also started the Starry Night pattern for my older son. It is solid stitches, similar to(but not nearly as extensive or detailed as) a HAED pattern. I don't have all of the DMC right now, so I just started on the black. Doesn't look like much. The other is a picture of the needleroll from the Heart in Hand Summer Fobs chart.

And what do you think this is a picture of: Well, it's Tanglewood by Ink Circles, or what's left of it. While getting all back in my groove stitching on it, I came to the shocking realization that the width of the tree would extend 20 stitches past the left-hand grass line....which is, of course, the point I used to calculated fabric allowance around the piece. I was going to be left with less than one inch of fabric on the left side, if I continued on as I was. No!!!!! I silently wailed and then, not to be daunted by this side trip into counted cross stitch's twilight zone, I decided to cut my losses. Literally. I will be making this portion of the pattern into a needlebook and, someday, I will start this piece again on a large piece of fabric. In the appropriate spot. Measuring twice, stiching once. Someday.

Other lovely WIPs in the works during the past two weeks included the Summer Wings Humbug by Just Nan, which I was, in fact, working on while waiting for blogger to load my pictures already. After this is stitched and finished, I only have one other humbug, the spring one, to stitch and complete my collection.

I also finished up Lizzie Kate's Peace Love & a Cure. It's very cute. Don't know how I plan to finish it yet.

This other one is my BOAF A Very Fine Sampler. Also stitched with one over two on a small count fabric, so a bit tedious. Also, it has very decidedly autumnal colors. Not much of an autumn person myself, but hey it will be very lovely when done. Made some more progress on it today, but I'll have to save that update for next time.

Do you like my Footprints in the Sand by Teresa Wentzler? This one has been in my WIP pile for quite some time. I basically filled in the left-hand margin from the waves and despite the gazillion color changes, it went fairly quickly. I will persevere on this one in 2011.

This last one is my start on part 1 of a 24-part mystery sampler by Papillon Creations called Castles in the Air. See here and scroll down a little to where it mentions their Mystery Sampler for more information. It's not too late to start on it yourself. It's less than $3 to download all of it and I think there are 17 parts released so far. It's not quite a Chatelaine, but it has a little of the feel of it and it can be stitched in all cross-stitch or with specialty stitches as I am doing. I didn't actually stitch on this yet this year, but I thought I'd show it to you.

I also worked on finishing up a couple of Just Nan smalls. One was the Grow! pincushion. I was reminded that I cannot sew a straight seam with the sewing machine and, therefore, I most certainly cannot sew a round seam. Lots of ripping out and resewing by hand and it's still rather lop-sided. I won't share a pic because I don't have one. Take my word for it.

Hope to have another post for you next week. We'll see how that goes, though because I'm working night shifts this week and I have 3 on, 2 off, 3 on, starting on Thursday. OMG Thursday is way too close for comfort. ***Cue the wailing and gnashing of teeth!*** My first job as a nurse is going well enough. I work in the Emergency Department and I do my best to keep up. Thank goodness that there are so many experienced nurses willing to lend a hand and answer questions. I'm never alone.

Blogoversary Time, again? Well, howabout a Giveaway?

2011-02-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, I didn't even celebrate it last year and well, quite frankly it hasn't exactly been blog central for me the past year and a half, but hey, there's always a reason to celebrate. Especially as I'm trying to baby step my way back out there amongst the online stitchers.
Anyway, my blogoversary is in 6 days. Sooooo, to celebrate I'm giving away this LHN chart to some fabulous reader. It's the 2008 Special Release "Hearts of America". (And, hey your chances might be great if everyone figures I've dropped off the face of the earth for real, lol.)

All you have to do is leave a comment on THIS post by midnight on February 14. I will draw a name later in the week and send it off to the lucky winner.

Exchanges Sent & Received

2011-01-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

Trying to get back into this whole blogging thing...thought I should start off with posting the exchanges sent and received...

I participated in the HOE Christmas smalls exchange and Christmas ornament exchange. As it happened, I ended up sending a Shepherd's Bush ornament to April K. and I received this cute little pillow back from her. I like that I can keep it out all year.

My ornament came from Tracy D. Isn't it fancy??? I love it and we were worried it had gone astray in the mail as it took forever to get here. I'm so glad it didn't get lost. I sent this BBD tin out to Lisa S. That was my first tin and I really enjoyed making it. I'll have to make some more in the future.

Kim V. and I were Fair & Square partners. She sent me these wonderful BBD squares and I sent her these Ink Circles squares. I really like BBD but have so few of their designs as my stash is way too full right now. Maybe someday...

The Winter Blahs....

2010-12-17T23:52:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry if you've stopped by and noticed that I am not posting really at all. I'm afraid that the stress of nursing school and my new job has caught up with me. I have fallen into a bit of a funk and the most I can get myself to do besides what absolutely must be done is lose myself in Facebook. The only stitching I've done this past month is the 3 exchange commitments that I made. I've just lost my mojo, which I see happens to others from time to time.

I will be back. I'm working on things to fill my well back up and get me feeling tip-top. I very much value the friendships I was starting to create through stitching and blogging and I hope that some self-care and changing of perspective will see me through.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas to all the stitching bloggers out there. I'll see you in Happy 2010!

What I've Been Up To...

2010-10-15T20:01:00.001-07:00

I stitched up this Trilogy Autumn Spots and thought it would be perfect for this coaster. I also stitched this Ink Circles "Harvest Moon" design over one because I wanted a small ornament. It turned out wonderfully. You may notice that I also received this design in an exchange. Since I really like it, I am thrilled to have it x2.

Here are a couple pictures of the Halloween/Harvest display I started this year. Finally I am getting a few things finished up so that I can have this type of display. The past few years I have been drooling over the pics from other stitchers who have been much more diligent finishers than I have been. I have several other Halloween & Harvest stitchings that should be finished up by the end of the month. The sewing day keeps getting postponed for other must-do real-life things.

This is the exchange piece I stitched for the HOE Halloween exchange. It is much more purple-y in real life. It is a part of Quaker Boo freebie by The Sampler Girl and the inside is WDW wool for a needlebook. I sent it along with some other goodies and the USPS shows it was received over a week ag, so I feel OK about posting it now.

These are the squares I stitched for my F&S Halloween round. I really like this design and plan to stitch it for myself eventually. I think anyone could recognize it as a Prairie Schooler design called "Night Owl". I know these have been received as well.

I had planned to do a real Christmas ornament blitz later this year, but I realized, as I dug through my pile of shame looking for fall/Halloween things to finish, that I have a TON of Christmas things that could be finished into ornaments and pillows and framed things, etc. So I have modified my plans to do a finishing blitz and get a bunch of this stuff finished this year for Christmas. It will be my present to myself and my family. Then maybe next year I'll do a stitching blitz. I've certainly got plenty of JCS Ornie issues to motivate me. LOL.

Some lovelies were received...

2010-10-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

So the mailman has been good to me over the last few days. I received two lovely sets of F&S Squares. One from Kaja K. who stitched "Heartslife" by Keslyn Designs. Isn't it gorgeous in those shades of blue (which looks like one of the DMC variations)? The other is an Ink Circles design from this year's JCS Halloween issue stitched by Melissa P. I love the name square! Last, but not least, I received a cute little pkg from Lucy in the HOE Halloween exchange. This is also a design from this year's Halloween issue, personalized just for me! YAY! It's a fabulous tin and she also sent a magnet, a scissor fob, and a spool of Halloween ribbon.

I've been doing quite a bit of Halloween stitching myself and I should be able to show off my handiwork here soon.

Oh and I got a job! I'll be working in one of the local Emergency Departments which is what I really wanted. Can't wait!

Looking for Jenny Bean LE Halloween Sampler Threads?

2010-09-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

If you happen to be someone that was looking for the LE Halloween Thread Pack that goes with the Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler from last year, Jeanine at Acorns and Threads in Portland, OR says she still has some of these left. You can reach her through the website at www.acornsandthreads.com.

Pass it on...

Sonda Martin, RN

2010-09-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you ladies for all of your good wishes and prayers! I am officially a licensed RN! The test was the worst test of my life followed by some of the worst 24 hours of my life as I waited for results. But what a relief to see my name on the website. Now, to find a nursing job....

In the meantime, I must confess that I am enjoying my wide-open days. Last month I did not work my regular part-time night job very much. And with no studying to be done, it is amazing how good it was to have very few commitments. That unfortunately came to an end. Vacation time wound down and one of the boys is home for school this year. (And that is already proving to be an interesting challenge only 2 days in.) Coupled with a litterbox averse kitten and a bad case of hormonal stress, I've was a wreck during the first week or so of this month.

But those days come to everyone I suppose and so we commisserate with our friends and try for perspective and realize that other people have it much worse and await the bright new day. This week has been better...a little smoother I guess. My husband got a new job that he will be happier with and the kitten has decided that she can use the litter box after all. Thank goodness. There are still a few lingering items to deal with, but oh well.

My stitching hasn't suffered during my period of blahs. I also did some finishing and here are a couple pics. You see, of course, an update of my memorial sampler. Then there is Just Nan's Frost on the Pumpkin, Hootzie Humbug, and Winter Humbug.

I've got quite a few items on the q-snaps that I am trying to finish up. I'd like to get my holiday stitching mojo up and running. I started the Sweetheart Tree Holiday Holly Biscornu today. I'm trying hard to finish things as I stitch them from now on, with the exception of items I need to frame. We'll see how that goes.

I've also been working on my stitching for others, including the Fair & Square and HoE projects that I signed up for.

Yes, I've been busy.

Happy, happy, happy! Happy, happy, happy!

2010-08-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's been over two years since Just Nan started putting out these little beauties and in all that time, I've only finished up one tin and one accessory. But no more. I now have seven out of the eight tins complete (need some thread for the Jingle tin) and five of the seven accessories finished.

Here you will see the Snow tin and mitten needlebook, the Glow tin and humbug, the Sizzle tin and pinwheel, the Hop tin and needlebook, and the Spooky tin.

I got a little lazy with the cording and, instead of tacking it to the top with thread (as wisely suggested in the instructions), I glued. This resulted in the cording not looking near as good as it should have. But I'll take it. Lesson learned and it is all still finished not too badly for an amateur. :)

Not only was I creative for myself, I also completed two of my PIF pieces, so I will be sending those out at long last to some very patient and deserving ladies.

Alas, the finishing has stolen all of my stitching time away so I have done nothing in the past couple of days. In two days I take my nursing licensure exam. When I post again, I should have an official "RN" after my name. YAY!

Just a little tease...

2010-08-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

...to keep you tuned in. I spent the better part of today (because I'm slow and had procrastinated for awhile) turning my Just Nan tins and accessories stitching from the past two years into finished products. I have a few more to complete but I'm so excited!!! I wish I was a bit more talented in the finishing department because they don't look as perfect as I'd like. But they'll be done. And I suppose it's good practice for the next things I finish....in another two years....LOL.

True Confessions...

2010-08-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

...well now that I have jumped back into blogging and stitching, it's all I want to do. I should be studying for the NCLEX exam in 10 days. I should be doing more cleaning.

Sure I have been madly going through the house and turning all of my cluttered areas into safe havens of labeled and sorted bins. My younger son is very resentful that I turned my cleaning eyes onto the hellhole (sorry, but true) that was his bedroom. ("What do you mean, I need to clean off my bed?!? You never told me I couldn't keep stuff on my bed!" as I look and see clothes, toys, books, towels? and other stuff piled all on top of it.)

If you wonder why I never post pics of my "lovely" home and stitching areas, it's because I am a total slob with way too much stuff and not much mojo for cleaning and decluttering. I could never show you what it all really looks like. But with my new degree, I am trying hard to once and for all get a clean start on life. It's just very hard to break YEARS of bad habits that my kids have unfortunately picked up as well. Years later, I will have to defend myself with, "Well, sure they're slobs, but hey I didn't teach them to smoke or do drugs." Sounds kinda lame, right?

Anyhoo, self pitying confessions are done. Yesterday, I was completely lazy. I had plans to go stitch with a bunch of other ladies at the local LNS for Saturday stitching, but when I began to contemplate how VERY hot it would be out on the sidewalk in the full sun (until it passed overhead and we were left in the shade with whatever heat the concrete had managed to hold in) I threw in the towel and stayed home to stitch in my comfortably airconditioned home. It's true that there is a little space for stitching inside the shop, but I usually don't take those seats because there are ladies who are truly more heat-intolerant than I.

I made quite a bit of progress on my "In Memory" sampler, unfortunately discovering a section that needed to be frogged. If you look at my last post, you'll notice that the flower basket in the lower righthand corner was short one black row at the top. How I didn't notice this as I was stitching, I have no idea. But a frogging I went and later, it will be restitched.

I did some blog reading today....had LOTS of catching up to do....and I enjoyed very much the pics of the retreat that Jill and Joan and Cathy and others put together. Now, I'll admit it looks like so much fun and there were such great goodies, that I was a little green-sighted. But really it just made me think how wonderful it is to have these little pockets of ladies here and there that are spending time in friendship and fellowship and love of stitching. Even the preponderance of stitching blogs in blogland is a blessing because of the connections we are able to make. In a world where people seem to become less connected, I feel blessed to have my local stitching friends and my not-so-local stitching friends because I feel connected to a greater web of women (and a few gentlemen) all over the world. (Wow, it's amazing how much thinking I can do when I'm not in school anymore...)

I go now to put a few more stitches in before work and, a little studying, as well. Blessings to all and thanks for the warm welcome back into the blogging world.

Can you say BSN?

2010-08-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Three words: Nursing. School. Done!!!

Yep, that's right, ladies and gents. I am finally finished with nursing school and it feels great! I am waiting to receive my diploma in the mail, but I am officially Sonda Martin, BSN (magna cum laude, btw!!!). I am scheduled to take my licensure exam on August 25, which will lead to me being Sonda Martin, RN, BSN! YAY!!!!

I am woefully behind on blog reading, and as you all know, I haven't posted a thing in over 6 months. I feel like I totally stepped out of the stitching world, though I have been stitching whenever I can get a few minutes. I am very much looking forward to reading about what everyone has been doing.

I promised Barb (and didn't deliver) a blog post after the OR/WA gals had our first (annual) stitching retreat up on the beautiful Hood Canal in Washington in May. Let me just say that it was soooo much fun and conveniently happened during my semester break. A big KUDOS goes out to our event coordinators, Vicki and Donna, who showed us all a wonderful time. A couple of local designers were there...Tracy of InkCircles, Linda of Keslyn's Designs, Dee of Sweetbriar Designs, Tracy's mom who is designing knitting patterns... And it was a treat. Some pics of the lovely ladies and the fabulous view:

During nursing school, I would sit in the back and stitch to stay awake during lectures whenever possible, bringing projects that were easy to do a few stitches at a time. Also, working nights, there was downtime that provided a few minutes of stitching here and there. So I did get several projects finished. When I get a chance to update my stitching journal, you'll see most of the finishes there. (Blogger is being unbelievably slow with uploading pics, so I'm just going to show you a few current WIPs right now.) As usual, the pics have poor color. But here is Just Nan's Mermaid Sampler and a Memorial Sampler from Midsummer Night Designs, L&L Song of Christmas.

I have quite a few Just Nan projects that need to be finished into tins or humbugs. And I have several biscornus that need to be stitched together. I'm hoping to get everything finished up on a big finishing day or two later this month. We'll see how that goes.

My family and I went on a short trip up to Port Angeles and Seattle in Washington and hit the waterslide park in Federal Way on our way back. It was fun to visit the zoo and the aquarium and Pacific Science Center in Seattle. The waterslides were also fun, but we should have been better about the reapplication of sunscreen because the boys and I came back a little redder than we were when we left. Here are the boys and I in front of a big stone Octopus at the pier in Port Angeles:

Unfortunately, this will be our only "big" vacation this year. I am hoping and planning for a trip to Walt Disney World next April/May.

We also had to put our 15 1/2 year old kitty Peepers to sleep in May. This was even more agonizing than putting Pumpkin down two years ago. Peepers was our baby before we had kids and the house was soooo empty without cats in it. I couldn't take it anymore, so in late June we adopted two little kittens, Amber and Panther. I bet you can guess which is which. They are a lot of fun to watch and play with and they are also very mischevious. They also have very sharp claws.

On a side note, to maximize the use of my time, I've been trying to stitch while uploading all of these photos, but I seem to be receiving an extended visit from the knot fairy! Arggh!

Stay tuned...

2010-07-27T17:22:00.001-07:00

...three days until done with nursing school. Soon I'll have some long overdue updates and pics. Thanks for checking back.

Christmas Exchanging

2010-01-07T19:42:00.001-08:00

I did participate in the Christmas round of Fair & Square, since it required no finishing. My partner was Jayne N. We were partnered in the HoE Christmas round last year. My pictures here don't do her stitching justice. It is beautiful. She stitched a pattern that is perfectly set for a biscornu, which is within my currently limited finishing capabilities. I hope it will be done in time for next Christmas.

Seeing that she likes Prairie Schooler designs, I chose this one from a JCS Ornie issue (I think it was 2006 or 2007). It was fun to stitch this one and someday I'll stitch it for myself.

Hello 2010!

2010-01-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

Wow. I guess I can say I've been good, since I was so busy with school and work that I spent my free time stitching instead of blogging. Although, I did miss out on what the rest of y'all have been doing. I've got plans to devote a couple hours tomorrow to blog reading and we'll see what's what, I guess.

Before I get to the main event (ie. stitching pics), I just wanted to say that last semester went well. I got good grades and I didn't have a nervous breakdown, though on the first day of my pediatric clinical, I took the wrong city bus and ended up having to walk 4 miles at 6:30 in the morning to get to my clinical an hour late. (From Terwilliger & Barbur all the way up Terwilliger to OHSU for you Portland, OR people.) And I discovered that I am not destined to be a pediatric nurse, unless they come into the emergency department. Give me all of the older folks you can find, but I will leave the sick kids to the fabulously gifted pediatric nurses out there.

The holidays were over way too quickly for me. Finals were over the Thursday before Christmas which pretty much left me scrambling to get things done before the big day. Then came the holiday letdown, several days of work and, this week, the housecleaning and preparing for class to start on Monday.

I did get down to my best friends house for New Year's Eve and Day and got a nice bit of stitching done. I have also been stitching this week. I was looking back and, although my stitching journal blog does not show it (due to lack of pictures and other reasons), I actually finished the stitching on over 90 little pieces this last year. Now, 85% of those are in the pile of shame...to be finished or framed "someday..." but that wasn't too shabby. It's mostly because I am able to stitch during class (keeps me from falling asleep during lecture) and I work my stitching into small bits of time everywhere, like at the orthodontist office, work breaks, bus rides, etc.

Speaking of shame...I have pieces for my way overdue PIFs that are in the to-be-finished-into-something-worth-giving pile. This has given me no shortage of guilt and is one of the reasons that I am not signing up for exchanges. Please rest assured ladies, that they will get done this year and they will look good and will hopefully be worth the wait.

Speaking of worth the wait, if you've gotten through my complaints and apologies, I can now show you some pics. This first one is my first finish of 2010: Waxing Moon Designs "Patriotic Blocks".

This next one is my first new start of the new year. It is the Bent Creek Summer Snapperville series with border. I've been putting these off for awhile and I just feel like it's time. Nothing like a little sunshine to brighten up the winter drearies.

The rest of these are all WIPs. Some you haven't seen before at all and for the others it has simply been awhile.

I've spent 10 hours this week on the L&L "Song of Christmas". I've been working on the angel and the tree to the left of her. I would really like to see this one done this year. It's been a WIP for so long and it will be lovely when finished.

When I was visiting my friend over the holiday, I would have been working on Song of Christmas, if I had brought the threads. I discovered when I had arrived that they had been forgotten, but luckily, like all good stitchers, I had several projects along for the ride and so I worked on my Mirabilia "Lady of the Flag" instead. Mr. Frog visited a couple times during that stint, but I managed to get rid of him and make some good progress.

Another WIP is "Bethlehem" from Imaginating/Diane Arthur and it's a good one for stitching in class because there are no color changes. Well, none except for the one I had to make after I started when I discovered that I only had the ONE skein of DMC 779 and it the color itself was discontinued. I don't know if I like the second color as much (and I'm trying not to think about the frogging that needs to be done), but oh well, I am not making any more changes.

Here is Bent Creek's "Patriotic Row". I bought the fabric in October and I'm going to put several rows on it. Not much progress so far, but if I just dug in, I could get it done.

This one has seen a bit of work over the last couple weeks. It is "Pinkeeper's Garden" by Just Nan. I can't wait until it's finished because I really like how her flowery pieces look when they are done and the beads are on.

There are a couple more that I could show, but I'll save them so that I actually can post something else before another three months go by. Thanks for sticking around even though I haven't been around much. Can't wait to be done with school. 8 more months. Hurray!

A bad bad blogger am I.

2009-10-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I have been busy. (And cheating on my blog with Facebook.) Yes. I have been bad.

You can see by visiting my finishes blog that I have found time to stitch little things here and there. I have been good and finished up a few that have languished, namely my firefighter gear picture. That one is due to get framed and go to the fire station here in town.

I would like to brag about this lovely birthday package that I received from Srinity in Finland. It was filled with lots of little goodies, not the least of which was this fabulous padded wall hanging of BC Christmas Row. I've wanted this pattern for myself and it's even better when someone else stitches it and finishes it up so neatly for me. The chocolate she sent is heavenly and the scissors are pink and blue...perfect for me! I am now 35 and I cannot believe where the years have gone.

I didn't get pictures of my larger WIPs or the Maidens of the Sea project because my camera battery was blinking red, but I do have a couple smaller ones to show:
Triton's Treasures by The Stitching Parlor
Beach Cottage by Country Cottage Needleworks

Lavender Blossom Biscornu by The Sweetheart Tree

I've got another 7 or 8 on the q-snaps, various sizes of projects, but those will have to be shown on another day. I am desperately trying to finish up some of the charts that I have on hand, because I truly love so many of the charts that are available in my JCS magazines and Gift of Stitching online and freebies that I simply must start those at some point and leave off buying so many other patterns unless they are absolute must haves.

For now, I will leave you with a couple pictures of dahlias that I took when my son and I did a volkswalk in Canby, OR this past September. I'm actually amazed that my camera took a picture as good as these.

A giveaway...

2009-10-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

Sandra is giving away the Traveling Stitcher pattern on her blog. Still time to enter and plenty of time to view her lovely stitching...

Gotcher dancin' shoes on???

2009-09-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Yep, she's finished and she's beautiful!!! I am so pleased and it's very hard not to plug in another Celtic Lady in her place. I finished her a couple of days ago and was waiting for a little sunshine to take a good picture. Sadly sunshine can't make up for a fuddy duddy digital camera so this is the best pic you'll get. Don't know when I'll get her framed, but she's done.

Replacing her on the L&L q-snap is Song of Christmas. I've had this one around since '06 (gulp!) and the biggest thing that's kept me from working on it is the darn Rainbow Gallery wispy and metallic braidy threads. They're awful to work with on 32 ct. fabric. I think they would do just fine on 28 ct. or larger, but not on 32 ct. The last few nights I have forced myself to work on the larger sections of these threads and I am pleased to say that I've knocked out a lot of those stitches. I don't think these pics show that very well.

And for your viewing and hopefully enabling pleasure are a couple other progress pics on some other larger WIPs. You'll see LHN's Heart of America and my mystery piece...any guesses yet?

I also started Midsummer Night Designs' In Memory from the August 2008 issue of JCS. I am doing this one for a friend of mine whose mother is terminally ill. I will only be doing the bottom half of it. It feels a little morbid to start it before her mother actually passes away, but I would like to have it mostly complete so that all that is needed is the date. I am certain that this will mean a lot to my friend.

Classes are going well. It's not too hectic right now. I stitch here and there on my smaller projects but I don't have the patience to either photograph or post any pics of those. Suffice to say that I'm plugging away.

I've been trying to catch up on reading blogs, but I've been lazy this go-round and haven't been commenting much. I'm amazed and awed by all of the exchange pieces that have been going back and forth. I've been so busy that exchanges are difficult to commit to right now. But I drool over all of the beautiful work that you ladies do.

This was the first week of school for my boys and they had a good time. They're thrilled for the weekend, though, because that means time for video games and unstructured play. I don't think you ever outgrow that need to be master of your own time for awhile.

Next weekend will be fun because it is the OR/WA Stitching GTG held at a lady's house in the Portland area. It happens every other month but I have only made it to one at the beginning of the year. This month I deliberately planned ahead and requested the weekend off of work. Sure, I could just as easily stitch by myself at home, but there is something to be said for being surrounded by other ladies who are engaged in the same activity as yourself. All of the ladies are for the most part strangers to me, but I have found value in stretching beyond my circle of acquaintances and turning strangers into new friends.

I hope fall is bringing plenty of time for stitching for all of you.

Seeking to sell...

2009-09-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Please check out my charts for sale...

Charts for Sale

I am in need of some threads, so I'd like to get some money in my paypal account. If you're interested, please email. I'll update that post as needed.

Almost at a big happy dance...

2009-08-20T19:30:00.001-07:00

...but fell short. I'm excrutiatingly close to being done with Celtic Spring. Put a bunch of time into beading her this last week and I was hoping to have a pic of that finish before I posted again. However, it didn't happen...perhaps next post. Once she is done, I will focus my UFO energy on Song of Christmas, another L&L chart. I'd love to see IT done by Christmas, but don't actually see it happening.

I do however have a new start to show off. I started LHN's Heart of America. I'm stitching it on a 28ct. linen that I dyed myself. I was really good and did a bunch of the border stitching on the bottom to make sure that I was set up well.

I have stitched quite a bit on With My Needle's Maidens of the Sea. This pic is a few days old and is only a portion of what I have done. But I thought the mermaids were quite lovely and, though I dislike stitching over-one, the tent stitch over-one is not too bad. I am very eager to have this piece done and I am anticipating a relatively easy finish since a lot of it appears to be whip-stitching. We'll see if I am correct.

I don't think I posted about the lovely little surprise that Kathy A. sent me. She saw these on my wish list and shipped them off to me. It was very nice of her and I've paid the kindness forward this week.

And here is another new start. It's a teaser, for I won't tell you which pattern it is. I'm stitching it on another one of my self-dyed fabrics and I'm using Carrie's Creation threads. This is the bottom of it. See if you can guess. I know at least one of you out there is stitching it.

Anyway, that's it for me. We are having a garage sale on Saturday...mostly kids' stuff but lots to sort and organize. Hopefully, it will be a profitable day for us. I start school on the 31st and I've gotten a jump on a huge paper that will be due during the term by choosing my topic and gathering journal articles. I'm hoping the jumpstart will offset the inevitable procrastination later. :) Hope you all are having a fun stitchy summer.

Finals week...finally done

2009-08-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

Yay! What are supposed to be the hardest two semesters of the program are now officially done. I now get my three hard-earned weeks of summer and glad am I!! And I just have to brag a little...I got 96% on my Pathophysiology final and 100% on my Med-Surg Nursing final!!!! I was SOOOO pumped up after seeing that. (Granted the instructor threw out 3 of the 70 questions on the Med-Surg final, so I don't know if I missed those or not, but YAY ME!!!) Don't know how I did on the Psych Nursing final, but I'm figuring it was a B.

I'm sad today as we just sent our boys off to scout camp for a week. This is only the second week that we have been away from the boys in 10 years. The last time was when we went on a cruise and left them at home with my mother-in-law. But today, we actually sent THEM away and it was much harder than I thought it would be to let go. Especially since I know my youngest (who turns 10 tomorrow) was a bit sad and anxious about going to camp. It is just SO HARD to relinquish them into the care of someone else and I feel a bit guilty about not going to camp with them. I guess I will have to stitch and blog to keep my mind off of it all.

I've gotten less stitching done this past couple weeks or three or four...since I last posted, but I do have some finishes. I was good last month and did manage to complete some of my smaller WIPs. Here was my list at the beginning of the month:

MCC "The Girls"

JN "When Barnabee met Bella"

Mirabilia "Halloween Fairy"

MND "Immortal Bloom"

CCN "Dragonfly"

CCN "Holly and Ivy"

SB "Potter's Shed"

BC "Baby Globe"

WMN "Maidens of the Sea"

Quilt Square 3

Quilt Square 4

and this is where it stands now:

CCN "Dragonfly"

SB "Potter's Shed"

WMN "Maidens of the Sea"

Quilt Square 3

Quilt Square 4

Not bad! I finished up 6 WIPs last month! I also put some stitches in on Maidens of the Sea and Dragonfly. Just not enough to finish them yet. And, of course, I started four more with the onset of the new month. But they are considerably smaller than several of those that I finished last month. So it won't be hard to whittle down the list again.

I've also been very good and worked on my Celtic Spring a bit and also the backstitching on my firefighting gear picture. With Celtic Spring, I am down to the beading!!! I have been doing a little of that each night for the past couple of nights. While I had big ambitions to have it finished earlier this year, but obviously I ran a little behind schedule.

As usual, my stitching is on my journal of finishes blog, but I wanted to show off my biscornu from last month. It is Just Nan's When Barnabee Met Bella and it is SO beautiful in real life. I was very pleased with this finish.

I also have this finish from Midsummer Night Dreams. It is Immortal Bloom. I changed the hair color but otherwise stitched it with the recommended CC threads.

I also want to show you this finish of one of my past stitchings. I was pretty pleased how this turned out! Can't wait to display it for Halloween. The truth is I really am not very good or very fast at turning my stitching into "finished" items. That is not where my talent lies, so it takes me forEVER to get it done.

Halloween Fairy is done!

2009-07-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here is my lovely Halloween Fairy! I am VERY pleased with her looks and pleasantly surprised at how quickly she stitched up, all things considered.

I also wanted to share with you these lovely squares with you. Karen D. made these squares for me in the Patriotic F&S round this summer. This is a fairly new chart and I had been eyeing it for myself. Thankfully, Karen saved me and stitched it up so I don't have to!!

I have been so busy stitching and studying that I have sorely neglected blog reading in general. Please forgive me. I will catch up soon. In the meanwhile, keep on stitching...

On a mission...

2009-07-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

Like the hangover after a night of too much wine, I've had the guilty feeling of too many WIPs hanging over my head. I had a huge bout of startitis a couple of weeks ago followed by a weak will in the face of Needlecraft Corner's clearance sale. Did I mention I finally buckled and signed on to Chatelaine's Caribbean Mystery XII? (At least that one will take me a little while to acquire the threads and doodads for it.)

I'm tired of accusing stares from WIP shelf and I'm gonna do something about it. I vowed that this month I would work on only current WIPs (with the exception of one project that I must start for a friend's wedding on August 1.) So far, I have finished one small and made considerable progress on another, my Halloween Fairy. She has only the right wing to go. I even got the beading completed, so she's really an easy finish.

This is my work so far on my biscornu for July. It could've easily (and appropriately) been the American Star Biscornu that I got in my stash hall, but I decided to tackle Barnabee and Bella. So far so good, though I must count very carefully.

Here is the complete lineup of smalls:

MCC "The Girls"
JN "When Barnabee met Bella"
Mirabilia "Halloween Fairy"
MND "Immortal Bloom"
CCN "Dragonfly"
CCN "Holly and Ivy"
SB "Potter's Shed"
BC "Baby Globe"
WMN "Maidens of the Sea"
Quilt Square 3
Quilt Square 4

My large goal for the month is, of course, to finish the gold metallic and the beading on my Celtic Spring. I really got going on her this last week and finished the cotton DMC stitches in her skirt. Doesn't she look great? I love this pattern and can't wait for the finish.

Next month, I've vowed to fill all the empty q-snaps with Christmas projects and work on my Song of Christmas BAP. Then, in September, I will return to my regularly scheduled willy-nilly project starting and also allow myself to put Shores of Hawk Run Hollow in as a starter.

By the way, here are the Patriotic squares that I stitched for Karen D. in Arizona. I saw that she had received them, so I'm assuming it is OK to post them here. The design is a Prairie Grove Peddler freebie that I received from an ONS. I really liked stitching it and plan to do it for myself at some point.

Here are my boys at Silver Falls State Park where we camped on the 2nd. Just one night, but it was a good night and we had s'mores. I don't know about you, but camping for me is really just an excuse to have s'mores. :) Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. I got to stitch a little with the ladies and gentleman at Acorns and Threads yesterday during the Saturday Stitch gettogether. I could have spent the time stitching at home just as easily, but you know, there's just something about being surrounded by needles being happily plied to fabric. Plus, these ladies and the one gentleman are always good company even though I never get to go often enough to really get to know them.

Where have I been?

2009-06-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well, not here obviously. I have been stitching, stitching, stitching. I've been stitching in class. Two of my classes, to be exact. I stitch and take notes and overall, it works pretty well. I'm an audio-visual type learner so as long as I'm hearing what I'm seeing (and both of these instructors use power-point), I do pretty well. So it goes, a couple stitches, a couple notes, a couple stitches, a couple notes...and so on. Makes me happy and it's working well so far. I've also been stitching at work when it gets slow in the middle of the night. Since I have to be sitting at the desk and there's not much else to do, I might as well be productive in some fashion, right?

You can see on my other blog all of the recent finishes...all of them smalls. Here's the address so please have a look: http://smstitchinjournal.blogspot.com/. I haven't been in the mood to really pick up any of my bigger WIPs. I do plan to do so tonight, when I'm done posting here, though. I'll work on Celtic Spring and watch an older version of The Other Boleyn Girl. I watched The Visitor the other night and found that to be a pretty good movie.

I've updated my Wishes and Trades blog and you'll find that link to the side.

To keep this post from being entirely pictureless, I've taken a couple shots of some recent starts. I've been suffering from start-itis like you would not believe. I'm limited only by the number of Q-snaps that I own, which are not near enough to what I would like. So here are Immortal Bloom by Midsummer Night Designs, Dragonfly by CCN, Maidens of the Sea by With My Needle and a progress pic of Mirabilia's Halloween Fairy.

I have also finished all of the stitching for my PIFs and plan to sit and do the finishing this week. It will be wonderful to get them out to the ladies after waiting a whole year to get them completed. I am obviously an ADD procrastinating stitcher. I got my Patriotic F&S doen and mailed out last week, so hopefully will be able to show those squares next week sometime.

School is going well this semester. I just completed my Med-surg I clinicals. I was on a neurology floor at a local hospital and I enjoyed it very much. I love talking to the patients and getting to spend some time with them. It was exhausting work, though. I find that the biggest paradox in nursing is the expectation that the nurse should meet all of the patient's needs but the reality that s/he simply can't meet all of every patient's needs in one shift when she is taking care of multiple patients. It is a neverending balancing act and it is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. But...I LOVE IT! Now I am in my mental health rotation and I find that fascinating as well, although a little slower paced because all we do is talk to the patients. No real hands-on skills. I enjoy it, though.

The coursework is a little easier this term because there is a lot of review for me. We are taking Pathophysiology, Physiological Nursing and Mental Health Nursing. It's nice not to have to kill myself studying all of the time because I'm drawing on the last 7 years of continuing education. Also, there are not that many papers and projects this term.

Well that pretty much updates you on my school and stitching. I pick up a stash package at the post office tomorrow, so I'll plan to give you a pic of that later this week. Thanks for coming by and hope your stitching is fruitful this week!

First attempt at dyeing fabric...

2009-05-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

So, I finally got brave enough to dye some fabric this weekend. It was actually easier than I expected. I used the RIT dyes: cocoa brown, tan, and taupe. Here are the pieces that turned out well.
I have another 5 or 6 that have to have the color taken out of them and re-dyed because there were a few grains of red or yellow dye that were not dissolved to make brown and they made little splashes of color all over my otherwise lovely fabric. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Stitching is slow. Nothing to show right now. I finished one small the other day, but have no pics. That's okay, though, if I just save 'em up for one big post a month, everyone thinks I've been stitching like crazy. :)

Stuff to show off...

2009-05-16T16:29:00.001-07:00

First off, let me show off the lovely squares I received from Carolyn L. for the spring F&S round. Her squares perfectly speak of spring for me. I love to see the spring robins hopping about. Of course, since I have no lawn (just weeds) they never come into my yard for their worms, but the neighbors all get them.

I'll also show off the squares I sent to her. They were a Faby Reilly freebie that I stitched because I was in a St. Patty's day mood.

An update on my other WIPs. The BC Baby Globe for my friend Kelly's soon-to-arrive little girl. My May biscornu is Buzzing Around Biscornu by Barbara Ana Designs.

Here's also the HIH Happy Home Home Day,

the JN Boo Needlebook,

and a newer start, Mirabilia's Halloween Fairy.

I have added a couple finishes to my finish blog. You can see them there.

On my week off, I did get some stitching done, but this past week was pretty much all school. This semester I am in class or clinical all day on every week day but Thursday. On top of that, I am working 2 nights a week at the ED. After another 5 weeks, I get my Fridays back. But still, I am just exhausted already. I was too tired last night to even stitch. That's tired.

I did have my first 8 hour clinical this last week and it really was better than I expected. I know a lot of the skills already, but I just don't know the rules of this new nursing game yet. If I knew the rules and understood the culture better, I would not be so nervous. I'm sure everyone out there has had similar experiences. I know it will get better. My biggest obstacle is my own insecurity and anxiety. Anyway, I can't wait for the end of this semester because I will have THREE WHOLE WEEKS OFF!!!! My postings will be few and far between, of course, but I'll be checking in here and there.

Yay!!! Finals are over!!!

2009-04-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Now it's a week of whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it...

OK, not really, but a girl can dream, right?!?

Don't know my grades for sure, but they're in the B+ to A range, so I'm pretty darn pleased with myself. I have made quite a few friends in my cohort and that has been a real blessing. Thursday night after all was said and done, our cohort went on a "pub crawl" down Alberta St in Portland.

OK...I felt a little old. While it was nice to visit with my fellow students outside of classes, I am not much for the pub scene or the drinking. My libations consisted of a single Shirley Temple (grenadine syrup and 7up) and I was exhausted from the sheer number of people by 9:30. I think I went home around 10pm.

If you want to see what I've finished up latelyon the stitching front, I've updated my stitching journal blog. It looks like I just ripped through a bunch of them, but really I put the final stitches in on several different small projects. A few of them had been hanging around for awhile, so it was nice to have the stitching complete. Other than that, here's an update on my Celtic Spring. Put a few hours in her one night last week. It felt good. She's so close, really...

I'm awaiting the news that my Stitching Blogger Birthday girlfriend has received her gift before I can post a pic of that. My F&S Spring squares will go out on Monday, the deadline as always and then I just have the PIFs to finish and mail.

No pics to show...

2009-04-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

...just a little update. Finals are next week and the main headache is Pharmacology. I thought I knew the drugs pretty well, but in the eleventh hour, I feel like I know nothing. 158 drugs that we had to memorize! Ugh! Whatever will be, I guess.

I have had a little time to stitch. Finished up my gift for the SBBC and just realized that I had posted my "mailed" post over on the HOE board. Had to quickly go and delete that post and put it on the right board. Doh! Also have stitched on a couple other things. I definitely have some progress to show, but the uploading of photos is too much time for me to take today.

I have to confess that after my post saying that I didn't have ANY interest at all in Facebook or Myspace, I went and signed up on Facebook "just for the heck of it." Michele was the first to find me and suddenly I was finding lots of people that I knew or have known or have lost touch with or have just met. It IS addicting. Now was not a good time to start up with it. So now you know I'm there, come find me or at least try to find me. I'm not always on, but I do check in. Just like here.

Oh, and I'll try to get some stitchy pics up next week. Thursday is the last final and then I'm FREEEEEE!!!

(For a week.)

So much for up-to-date...

2009-04-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

...yep that lasted about 12 hours...then it was back to business as usual. My papers are done, though. We'll see how they turned out when I get my grades back. Only 3 more weeks until the end of this semester. Woohoo!

Of course all that blog reading that I did do fueled a big round of start-itis...mostly for small projects. Here are some new starts...

I do have to mention that the Bent Creek Baby Globe chart is riddled with errors. Half of the symbols used in the charts are not the symbols used in the key. Thank goodness that 1) It is not a huge chart where these errors would spell death to the project and 2) I am now an experienced enough stitcher to be able to figure it out and/or substitute colors and not have nightmares of being ostracized by the stitching/designing community for "stitching outside the lines". LOL.

I also spent a couple hours the other night stitching a little on Celtic Spring. I had forgotten how addicting it can be to stitch on her. I put a fair amount of gold into her skirt swirls and treated myself by allowing myself to digress and work on some of the purples, too.

And remember my sob story about how I had not left myself enough room on the bottom of Quaker Christmas and so I was thoroughly discouraged and had decided to give it up and start over. And I was going to take the part that I was mostly done with and make it into the top of a tin...well, here it is. It is a belated birthday present for my best friend, Amber. It's not the greatest finishing job, as I do not have the skills of those like Vonna or Becky or Carol or Sally or Staci or Margaret or...good heavens, most of the beautiful stitching bloggers out there. I am pretty well pleased with the results, though, and I'm pretty sure she'll overlook the not-so-perfect points. Here also is a picture of the restart which will be stitched over one (and is therefore guaranteed to take a few years) on a 25ct. antique white linen with the same Crescent Colours of before (Steamed Broccoli, Cupid and Sassy Brass.) Also a little aside here, I always wondered why there were random letters and numbers scattered throughout the sampler. I thought it was silly. I didn't realize that it was all of the rest of the alphabet and numbers that were not used in the words or the date. Duh! It truly is an alphabet sampler... Like I said, silly me!

I also have a couple WIP updates for your viewing pleasure. SB Potter's Shed and L*K Love My Cat have had a few stitches put in them recently.

Well, anyhoo, I'm up-to-date now on what I can show off. Have a blessed Easter weekend.

A different kind of happy dance...

2009-04-05T18:49:00.001-07:00

...I am now UP TO DATE on my blog reading!!!!! I read them, commented on some, laughed, drooled, envied and plotted on how and when to increase my stash!!! I am just so pleased with myself. Oh and here is a non-stitchy blog that you should read just because she tells it like it is so well...

To boot, the sun is shining here, the kids are outside laughing and I heard BIRDS twittering. My fat old cat is snoozing beside me and I have fruit salad, rice krispy treats and fresh banana bread in my house.

***POP*** The sound of my happy bubble burstin' because I was supposed to be working on 3 papers that are due this week, one of them tomorrow......

Ahhh...how quickly we can ignore our regrets...I'll write my papers later...the now is for enjoying!

Tags and Awards

2009-04-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

So, back in February (yes, bad me!) I was tagged by Wendy Jo to list five addictions. That's a little tough because I'm really only addicted to two things:

1. Cross-stitching

2. Chocolate

However, I really love:

3. Sausage pasta (italian sausage, Kasseiri cheese, garlic, oil, pasta, roasted red peppers)

4. Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup (a sausage, kale, and potato soup)

5. Rice Krispy Treats (could eat a whole batch by myself...in less than a day)

Wendy also recently awarded me the Kreative Blogger award, which really should be the Lazy Blogger award for me.

Also, back in February (really bad me!) Sally passed the Your Blog is Fabulous award on to me!

Now, I have been so bad about blogging, that I don't really think I deserve these awards. On the other hand, it makes me feel good that somebody likes what I do write when I do write it...

Since I'm so far behind, these awards have probably already gone around a bit, so I'm just going to point you to a few wonderful bloggers that you might not always get around to, but probably do...

Look what Harmien has been creating...
Kim has been busy with a newborn and a toddler but still creating stitched beauties...
Sadie has been stitching and dyeing some lovely fabrics...
Coni does beautiful stitching and needlepointing and her adventures with Stewie are funny to boot...
Gaynor has some lovely projects going on at her blog...
I have downloaded so many freebies from the talented Maryse...
If you have a little extra stitching time, check out Donna's Stitching for a Cure blog...

OK, I could keep going, but I've got to make up the grocery list because my DH is doing that dreaded chore nice and early in the morning...woohoo!

Working, working, working...

2009-03-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

So, if you check my journal blog linked on the right, you'll see I've updated it with some pics of little stitching that I've done over the past month. Sometimes it takes a little time for me to get pics up on Blogger, so my bragging is usually only in spurts. I have some pics that I can't share yet because they are for others.

You'll notice I've been on a Just Nan kick. Yep, I've been stitching through my JN charts like crazy. I've got a 3 more tin tops to stitch and 4 more accessories, and then I'll have to do the finishing on 4 tin tops and 4 accessories. The Halloween and Christmas squares in my finishing journal will be little ornaments when I get around to finishing those.

After I get through those, I've pulled some summer charts and I really would like to get stitching on my big WIPs again as those have sat untouched for awhile. This summer I would like to jump into Christmas with a big splash and actually make some ornaments this year. We'll see, though, as I also have a goal to set cross-stitch aside somewhat and get caught up on my scrapbooks so that I can have them finished and cross over into the digital era. I have, unfortunately acquired lots of scrapbooking stash that I will truly never use, so I want to use up what I need and sell or give away the rest. Then I'll really have space to organize my true love: cross-stitch.

I do have a little in progress picture. I'm stitching this Leaping Pony chart from the Sept. 2008 Cross-Stitch & Needlework issue for charity. I was stitching on a Tigger chart, but the vast number of half-stitches put me off a little so I needed to take a break from that.

I'm over halfway through stitching my Spring F&S square for Carolyn. I've actually stitched 5 of my 6 PIFs. I just need to choose and stitch the 6th and then I can finish them into something neat and get them mailed off.

On the school front, I only have 5 more weeks of classes and then I get 10 days off before it's back to the grind. I'm looking forward to the break even more than Spring Break because there's no homework to be done during the break.

Hopefully, our family will go somewhere during my break, but it's so hard to fork over the money to even just go up to Seattle for a few days in this economy. The boys and I went down to Eugene overnight this last weekend and went to a couple museums and an indoor wave pool which they thoroughly enjoyed. It was fun to get away, but even that one night was spendy. I don't know, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, right?

There! That what's happening with me lately. I've been slow to read blogs and I'm sorry that I'm not keeping up with all of you ladies who are so faithful to keep up with me and encourage me through school. I do appreciate the encouragement and the comments, though. Have a happy week with beautiful stitching and no froggy guests!

Spring Break! Yay!

2009-03-10T12:49:00.001-07:00

Whew! It's so wonderful to have a whole week off from school! I haven't done much school work for the past four days and it has been fabulous! But, that can only last so long as there is a mad rush of papers and projects due in the next couple of weeks, so I will start working on some of them here and there this week. Other than all of the papers and projects, my exams so far have gone well...all A- or better grades. Having been a paramedic before really helps...though I'm having to learn to evaluate patients a little differently (emergency stabilization vs. hospitalization thru to discharge planning and beyond.)

I had high hopes of starting to get some yard work done this week. I have rose bushes that need pruning, weeds that need pulling, and a garden that needs to be ready for planting. But mother nature in her infinite wisdom has declared my needs to be a lesser priority than hers. So my neighbors will have to bear with us a little longer. I did, however, enjoy all the crocuses we planted last fall and I have one lone blooming daffodil and the promise of bunches more. Yay for Spring and the color she brings. Hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, irises...and whatever else I planted.

Stitching has been here and there. I have not touched any of my larger WIPs in a while. I'm on a Just Nan kick right now...trying to get all of these limited edition tins and other charts stitched up and maybe, just maybe finished. Here are a bunch of in progress pictures of those things. You'll see

--the top of the Jingle tin

--Making Friends (just need silver braid)

--Peter Cottontail (just need green braid)

Some other in progress pictures:

--Sweetheart Tree Cat Biscornu (just couldn't get it done in time for last month's biscornu)

--March Quaker by The Workbasket (for my March biscornu)

I also have a pic of the squares I sent to Heidi for the Winter F&S. I stitched Father Winter, a freebie by Teresa Wentzler. I changed it slightly to add in a little purple as Heidi likes purples and greens. I didn't notice till I saw it posted on her blog that I was a year behind and signed my square with 2008 instead of 2009. Ah well.

After posting this, I'm going to get down to some blog reading. I have a lot of catching up to do, but it will make for an enjoyable afternoon and it postpones that schoolwork.

A quick update...

2009-02-23T15:49:00.001-08:00

So, a fast and furious update here. I sent out my squares to Heidi B. today. Last minute as always but I think they will be worth the wait. Hopefully she likes them. I've almost finished the stitching on the 3rd of my PIFs. When I have all six done, I will finish them and then mail them out.

I haven't worked on SB Potting Shed since the beginning of the year, but I thought I'd show the minimal progress I made since the last showing.

Also have made very little progress on L*K Love My Cat. But it's a pic.

Here's the latest on Celtic Spring. I'm in the swirls of the skirt now. Hadn't worked on it for awhile as I went on a smalls kick, but I pulled it out earlier this month and put a couple hours into it.

Speaking of smalls, I have posted a few finishes on my finishing journal blog. Check it out if you have a chance. Anyway, gotta run.

Drumroll please....

2009-02-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

...with a little help from random.org:

Gaynor is the lucky winner of the fob and Suzanne has won the traveling pattern and fob. Thanks to everyone who entered my drawings. I just need a snail mail address and your prizes will go out Monday.

It's been a busy couple of weeks and I would like to tell more about my stitching and school and all, but dinner is cooking and I work in an hour, so perhaps tomorrow.

I have been stitching. A few must-dos are just about done. If I can find the silly camera, maybe I'll even share a pic. But don't get your hopes up. I'm not. :)

Have a blessed day.

Happy Blogoversary to Me!!!

2009-02-08T01:02:00.000-08:00

Two years already??? Where has the time gone? I've posted a little over 180 posts in those 2 years, so I'm averaging a post every 4 days. Not too shabby. And I've met so many nice people and seen so many beautifully stitched and finished projects. Ya know, I don't have Facebook or Myspace pages, and don't really care to...but I don't know if it would be the same without my cross-stitch blogging friends. Thanks for a great 2 years.

Now, what would a Blogoversary be without a giveaway? Well, I don't know what. So, I'm having one...or shall we say, two?

The first one occurred to me because I found the pattern in Friendship Crossing, the LNS in Corvallis, OR. (This was the first LNS I ever came across.) Remembering how I liked the idea of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pattern, I am also offering up this pattern as a traveling pattern. It is Waxing Moon "My Needle and My Floss". I ask whomever gets this to stitch it, sign it, and then offer it up to other stitchers. (I don't remember who should get the credit for this idea, but if I did, I would credit them. Now if you wind up winning this pattern, I am also including a handmade beaded scissor fob in colors of your choosing.

The second giveaway is another beaded scissor fob in colors of your choosing. That way, if you don't want the pattern, you can at least enter into the drawing for a fob.

So, to enter, please leave a comment on this post between now and midnight, February 14, 2009. Please specify which drawing you're entering, leave me a way to contact you, and specify your favorite colors.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Happy Stitching!!

Some pics...

2009-02-07T00:45:00.000-08:00

Well, took the first pharmacology test this week and turned in my first APA formatted paper. Thought the test went well, but now we start getting into the real nitty gritty of things: memorizing drugs. And this is where the semester really starts to get "fun" and the stuff piles on.

A highlight to this week was the arrival of my Winter Round F&S squares from Heidi B. I really like this design. She says it's a freebie, but she's not sure from whom. I've made a start on her squares and I'm liking how they're looking. Hope to be done with them by midweek. We'll see, though.

I also started on my biscornu for February. It's from a kit I had in my stash, so it kills two birds with one stone, really. Biscornu and stash reduction. I know I'm going to be well pleased with this when it's all done, but there are a lot of stitches over one and those aren't my favorite. Still it's not too bad and look I'm part way done.

Anyway, not much else to tell. School goes well. Rode public transportation a couple times this week and it wasn't half bad. It sure beats rush hour traffic. Catch up with y'all later.

Posting few and far between...

2009-01-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

No real news. School is going well and not too difficult right now. Of course, not much has been due yet. This was the end of week 3. By week 7, every week will be chock full of tests and papers due and so on.

At the advice of a knowledgeable friend, we are waiting for a big rain until we call the roof guy. This will help differentiate between an actual leak or a condensation problem due to poor ventilation. So, I have no real news on that.

I have been stitching. Little things. You can see my most recent finishes on my Journal blog here.

Also, there are plenty of charts up for sale or trade on my trade/wish list blog here. I will be adding some more in the next week or so, as well as some Silkweaver & Sassy's Fabby overdyed cuts.

Hope to get over to your blogs and visit this weekend. Perhaps I'll even be able to get a couple pics up on this blog of my in progress things. We'll see. Take care and keep stitching. Thanks for the visit.

Look back at Jan...and ahead to February

2009-01-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

Here were January's goals:

--finish Michele's PIF -- it's stitched, but not finished yet.
~~--stitch Christian charity square and send~~
--stitch & finish biscornu
--stitch 2 charts from stash
--work on Celtic Spring
--work on Footprints
~~--kit Winter F&S~~
~~--kit up February charity square~~ Even better, I stitched and sent it, too!
--kit up February biscornu
--finish something into something???

So, for February:
--finish stitching Monique's PIF
--stitch & finish biscornu
--stitch 2 charts from stash
--stitch March charity square
--stitch Winter F&S
--work on Footprints
--work on Celtic Spring

2009-01-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of the sympathy with the attic situation. We've dried it out as best we can and have been blessed with little rain. Still waiting for the inspector/roof guy to come. To be honest, I haven't had the heart to call him this past week. It's been there for awhile and it's not going anywhere. I think I just needed to get past the initial shock to the "no use crying over spilt milk" part before I call.

And I needed to get thru the first week of nursing school. Which I did. One down, 15 more weeks of this semester to go. And then 4 more semesters after that. I'm trying awfully hard to be very organized and stay ahead with reading and projects and such. Goodness, there are so many GROUP projects. That's the tough part...coordinating busy lives with 4 or 5 other people and getting things done. Oh and the papers...man, those I could do without. But, one step at a time right?

I apologize that there are no pictures in this post. I haven't touched a big WIP in a couple weeks as I have been on a smalls frenzy. There are a couple new finishes in my finish blog here. And a couple that I need to take pics of coming later. Thanks for stopping by. See you next week, most likely.

Blessing or curse???

2009-01-11T01:05:00.000-08:00

So in our bonus room over the garage, the roof slants down on both sides, but there are a couple storage areas put in the knee wall area. One of them is where I store Christmas decorations. Well, I went to take out the boxes today and finally get Christmas stuff put away and what do I find? Wetness on one of the bags...yeah, like liquid dripped on there!

Peeling the insulation back from between the roof joists, I find that the inside surface of the roof plywood is wet. And mildewy. Further investigation of the area finds that I can't even understand the extent of where the wetness is coming from, but I certainly don't believe it is new.

Two days before starting full-time nursing school, my husband has had his pay cut, I'm only working on-call and now this. Believe me, my stomach is in knots. How bad is this? I'm envisioning holes in the ceiling of the bonus room because there is very little crawl space and it's inaccessible in this room of the house. I'm envisioning thousands of dollars that insurance won't cover because they don't cover this sort of thing. Although I'm calmer now, I was certainly well on my way to PANIC level earlier. I mean, I don't know anything about this nor does my husband. We replace toilet tank handles and lightbulbs and pretend we can paint rooms and putter in the garden. We don't know anything about home repair and we certainly know less about home maintenance (OBVIOUSLY!)

We pulled out the insulation that we could reach. It didn't look all that bad, but still, maybe we contaminated everything and who knows what I inhaled. We put a space heater in there to help dry it out and then we'll watch to see if the moisture comes back between now and when we can get an inspector/roof guy to come out. (Certainly not on the weekend, when the fee is exorbitant.)

The real problem is going to be the inaccessibility factor. How are they going to be able to tell what's what without making a big mess? And my bonus room is already a mess because it is a TV room/office/craft room/storage room/lego room.... There's nowhere for the stuff in this room to go.

I'm beginning to be annoyed with the builder who sold us this house. He had plugged the attic vents in these storage areas with insulation. I initially thought it was crazy that we had them in these storage areas at all, but after research (tonight!) I realized how necessary they are and now I'm beginning to thing these "great" little storage areas are actually a curse. When the insulation blocks the vents, the attic space suffers, but if I leave them open, how could I store stuff in there and not be worried about moisture? Arggh! What use are the storage areas if they are no better than the garage?!?!?!?

So, where are the blessings in this curse? Well, for one, I guess, at least we found it now and not later. (Too late to wish we'd discovered it earlier.) Second, my Christmas stuff was not damaged. And third, I found a box of video tapes which contained one that I thought I had thrown out of my husband and his friends annual Turkey Bowl games. This has been a source of much sorrow on my part when I thought I had accidentally gotten rid of it. Yet here it appears, like a phoenix from the ashes of our potentially costly roof leak.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. I wish our roof had vented as well. Haha.

Working hard...

2009-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

...3 more days till school starts and I'm working hard to finish up a few deadline committments. Yesterday, I stitched on a charity quilt square that is due by Feb. 1. I started and finished it all in one day (yay, me!) and you can find the photo of it here.

Tonight for the Friday night SAL, I am hoping to start and finish the square that is due March 1. Then I can send them both out together and relax knowing that I've crossed them off my list. After this, I won't be signing up for any specific charity commitments, but I've gone through my patterns and chosen a dozen that I would like to stitch. I'll stitch them up one after another and then either find a specific sign-up that they would work for, or send them in a batch to one of the groups and let them assign them to whichever quilt they would like.

Hopefully this, along with limiting my exchanges, will relieve some of the pressure once school starts. Don't mistake me, I enjoy exchanges and my charity stitching, but I don't always like the deadlines. Balance. My continuing theme for 2009.

Updates and a first finish...

2009-01-08T00:33:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm trying out the new plan for using my companion blog as a stitching journal of finishes, so to see the first finish of 2009, you'll have to go to this post here.

However, you won't be cheated out of pics because I have several updates to show you on this blog in this post.

First up is an update on my Celtic Spring...I stitched on this last weekend and have been stitching on it here and there over the past month. I'm not sure when I last updated, but isn't she a beauty? I finally finished up the borders except for the beading. Now I'm working on the metallic swirls in the skirt before moving onto the rest of the skirt. I might do a little beading in the skirt, but not sure just yet. (BTW, don't bother clicking for a closer view, as it will only look worse.)

Next we've got a couple things I'm working on. One is "Making Friends" by Just Nan. This piece has been slow for me and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's all of that stiff lambswool fabric. I don't know. The other is a L*K piece called Faith*Hope*Love. It's a really quick stitch and just may be the 3nd finish of the year if my biscornu doesn't beat it out.

Speaking of which, I'll go ahead and show you one side of it. I'm using some Eterna silks that I got as a birthday gift and I'm stitching most of Debbie Draper's Hearts Desire freebie pattern. At first I wasn't too sure about the colors, but it's beginning to grow on me.

If you were paying close attention above, you might have noticed that I said the L*K would be the 3rd finish of the year. That wasn't a misprint. Unfortunately, the 2nd finish of the year is a PIF and I can't show it yet.

My last picture of the night is this lovely red tin I collected over the holidays. Taking a page from another blogger's book (and just which one escapes me), I'm taking an unfinished pattern and calling it quits at the partial point. Yes, Quaker Christmas will be turned into the top of this tin. I may restart it at some point, but since I'm going to be so short on fabric when it gets to the bottom of it, I've decided to call it quits and cut my losses. I know me, and I would be so discouraged every time I worked on stitching this pattern and knowing it would be difficult to frame. I'm happy with this option.

Well, hope this was a nice post to read. Can't believe 200 posts is only 19 away. Of course, it may take awhile to get there, but we'll see.

The weather here is rain, rain, and more rain. Already parts of Oregon are dealing with severe flooding.

January Goals...better late than never...

2009-01-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

January, hmmm. Very modest goals:

--finish Michele's PIF
--stitch Christian charity square and send
--stitch & finish biscornu
--stitch 2 charts from stash
--work on Celtic Spring
--work on Footprints
--kit Winter F&S
--kit up February charity square
--kit up February biscornu
--finish something into something???

It's kinda cheating because I'm halfway through 2 goals and I've met one of them already. Oh well...I guess that's starting out ahead.

Happy New Year!!! 2009 is here!!!

2009-01-01T19:27:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to all of my stitching friends!!!! I sure have enjoyed the last year of sharing my stitching joy with all of you. I have been enabled and encouraged and it's been wonderful.

I'll share with you my last finish of 2008. It is "Cat's Meow" by Drawn Thread. I hope to make it into a pillow. My younger son has already called "dibs" on it. I also finished stitching up Just Nan's Christmas Wishes designs.

This is one of my last starts of 2008. Can you guess what it is?

In 2008, I joined in quite a few exchanges through Fair & Square and Hooked on Exchanging. Unfortunately, I think I won't be able to do as many this year, due to nursing school. I'm cutting myself back to the seasonal and holiday rounds of F&S and the occasional HoE. I plan to participate in making one biscornu a month with the other stitchers at the Basket of Biscornu blog.

With our finances tight, I'm finally feeling that I have the ability to resist buying more stash although I have signed up for an automatic with my LNS for the Just Nan tins. So far I made it through all of the holiday and year-end sales with my pocketbook intact.

I have a few large projects that are burning a hole in my to-start pile:

Memorial Sampler by Midsummer Night Dreams
Shores of Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings
Lady of the Flag by Mirabilia
The Earth Gatherers by Shepherd's Bush

However, I'm not going to start them for now. Instead, I'm being good and filling a hole in my rotation with a UFO. This weekend, I get to visit my friend, Amber, and have a stitchy weekend.

Anyway, that's where I'm starting out 2009! Hope you all have a great year.

Goals for 2009

2009-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Now last year's goals were ambitious. I always waver between setting goals that are easy to reach or ones that are challenging. Last year I went with challenging, but this year due to nursing school, I think I'm going to opt for goals a little on the easy side.

--Finish "Celtic Spring" by June 30.
--Stitch 12 charity quilt squares.
--Get the rest of my PIFs stitched and out by May 31.
--Stitch 40 charts from stash.
--Finish "Waiting" by June 30.
--Finish "Footsteps" by Dec. 31.
--Dye some fabric.
--Finish or frame some pieces from the bin of shame.
--Stitch one biscornu for each month for my Basket of Biscornu.
--Make at least one Christmas ornament for each of the boys.

Overall, I still have the goal of shrinking my stash. I have rediscovered the thrill of finishing a larger project and really hope to finish several of my larger ones this year. I have some big projects that I am just itching to start, but I have not yet done so.

Year End Goals in Review...

2008-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

These were my 2008 goals:
****Stitch at least 12 charity squares thru the year.
Stitch at least 12 ornaments thru the year.
Stitch at least 12 bookmarks thru the year.
Finish up at least 12 ornaments thru the year.
****Complete Celtic Christmas by June 30.
Get Celtic Christmas framed.
****Complete my 12 LK blocks project.
Complete 2 other large WIPs by December 31.
****Stitch up at least 40 charts from stash.
Stitch at least 12 Britty Kitty ornaments for local shelter.
Really and truly stay off the stash purchasing for myself until I've completed 40 projects.

Hahahahahahahaha. Not even close. Oh well, though. It is a new year. :)

Well, I met 4 of the 11 goals. That's something. That last goal about stash was sunk fast. However, I'm undeterred by the low completion percentage. The fact remains that I did, at least, cross off 4.

Oops...

2008-12-21T02:04:00.000-08:00

...in my picture-packed post a couple posts ago, I forgot to show off this lovely snowman ornament from Jayne N. from the Hooking on Exchanging blog. Isn't it just wonderful? And I love the holly fabric, too. I was thrilled to receive this exchange. (And I must confess those chocolate coins did not last long.)

The weather outside is frightful...

2008-12-21T01:41:00.000-08:00

...it snowed all day here yesterday! Almost 12 inches, which is practically unheard of for my town. And the kids were out of school all week. We haven't had snow on the ground for this long in the 8 years that I've lived here. And tonight, as the icing on the "snow" cake, freezing rain. Yippee.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the snow and how it looks outside. And I love standing in the middle of nowhere in the snow at night and just being. But I don't love driving in the snow or ice and I will have to do a little of that tonight when I go to work. Call me awful, but I've deliberately avoided signing up for any ambulance duty this whole week because I hate driving in the snow and don't particularly want to attempt it in an ambulance. Not to mention that response from home would be a tad bit slow due to my non-winterized vehicle.

The inability to leave home except for a little work has generated some stitching time, which I've sorely needed. The boys and I have watched several Christmas movies over the past few days. I also watched a great movie August Rush which I really enjoyed. I got quite a bit done on my Celtic Spring, as you can see. Unfortunately, while stitching the swirly part of the skirt I noticed that the bottom left part of the border was off by one stitch. So, a froggin' we went and I'll be putting it back in sometime soon. I have really enjoyed stitching the skirt. I know some don't like all the swirls, but I love it.

I also finished up this little HIH Wee Santa '98 and the HIH Little Angel in the Clouds. I'd had the Santa mostly finished for a little while, so it was nice to get him done. The angel was a quick stitch and I'm happy with the colors. Not sure what I'll do with it yet, though.

Christmas is just around the corner and I haven't even printed up the letter or mailed out any cards. I haven't had the enthusiasm for it this year to be honest. Which is sad, because we've received barely any cards as a result. It makes me wonder if everyone is just giving up on cards... I wouldn't mind giving up the cards (I feel guilty about the wasted paper every year), although I do enjoy the letters and pictures from people, especially those that I don't talk with much during the year.

I've finished most of my shopping...there wasn't THAT much, and I'm hoping to bake cookies on Tuesday and Wednesday so they are fresh for gift-giving on Christmas Eve. We have a small gathering for dinner on Christmas day, so I'll be cooking a turkey and the trimmings. It will be fun, although we will probably have family staying with us much too long. I am grateful to celebrate the holidays with family, but I will admit that I would prefer they only stayed a few days or else found a hotel.

Well, I hope all of you stitchers out there are warm and dry and happily stitching away...well, maybe not at this hour, but you know what I mean.

OK, this will be a picture-packed one.

2008-12-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

It's hard to know where to start, but let's see...These are the squares that I received from Paula D. Very summer-y! It almost makes up for the freezing cold weather outside my door. We received snow yesterday and are looking to have more snow this week. That's very rare here where I lived, especially as we seem to live in a hole where the most common winter weather is rain and fog. Anyhoo, these squares "warm my heart".

Kendra G. and Paula have also received my squares. Here is what I stitched for them: Both are designs out of the JCS ornament issues. Kendra's is an Elizabeth Designs pattern and Paula's is a Twisted Threads. I did Paula's with DMC Light Effects thread, which is somewhat of a pain to work with, but worth the extra effort. Kendra's is done with a combination of DMC, WDW, a little yellow silk and beads. Of course, I also sent a fob. I do so love to come up with the fobs.

Here also are a couple L*K ornaments that I had stitched up before I had to focus on studying. They are from one of the Tiny Tidings leaflets.

I'm also pleased to say that I have completed all of the crossed-stitches on my firefighter gear. Now all that's left is the backstitching (blech!) and then it will be a finish! I'm very pleased with myself over this one.

And last, but certainly not least, a Happy Dance we've all been waiting for:

I finished my Shepherd's Bush Oh Beautiful this weekend. Mr. Frog did his best to put me off course, but I prevailed and here it is! I'm so very happy to have another finish for the year! Thank you everyone who has been encouraging me during my studying and my stitching.... Now I am off to read a few blogs and start working on that huge backlog I have.

First of all a big Thank You!

2008-12-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

To all of the ladies who commented and even those who didn't but simply silently wished good luck...thank you! I passed my statistics test!!!!! And I did it with a whopping 90% which is nothing short of a miracle, to be honest. I studied hard for that test, probably harder than I've studied for anything in a long time and I paid careful attention to the questions (trying to avoid the stupid errors that I often make). And it worked. I passed. I am free and clear to start nursing school on Jan. 12.

And...most of all...lesson learned. Though I love stitching, it will not be allowed to get in the way of more important things this next year.

We've interrupted our normal programming...

2008-12-08T00:46:00.000-08:00

...for finals week and the dreaded statistics final on Wednesday. I've been studying my tookus off and let's hope it pays off. No stitching as I'm paying penance for stitching too much and studying too little earlier on. I get to pick up my needles again Wednesday afternoon. Can't wait. Until then...keep on truckin'

PS. I do have some pics to share when next I am able to post. Ya know, lovely exchanges sent/received and a bit of stitchin' I did last week before panic set in and so on...

Just a wee update...

2008-11-21T23:45:00.000-08:00

Has it really been 2 weeks? Ugh...my stitching week has been limited, but I've gotten a few things done. Got my HOE Christmas ornament out on Tuesday (only one day late on the mailing.) And I also got my F&S Round 10 and Christmas Round squares out in the mail today. YAY! I now have no more exchanges due this year. Not that I don't enjoy them, mind you. But it is a load off to know that I have met my deadlines. Now I still have some PIFs and some ornaments, but the deadline for those is much more flexible, thank goodness.

I did receive a festive set of squares from Kendra for the the F&S Christmas round. I love this new design and had downloaded it for my own stitching to-do list. Now, I don't have to if I don't want to, because she has done it for me!! YAY!

Here also are the F&S Thanksgiving round squares that I sent to Margit in Germany. She said she'd like something with pumpkins, so I chose this pattern from Elizabeth's Designs that was in the special JCS Halloween issue this year. And, yes, I used that lovely Autumn-y thread from Carrie's Creations to make the fall leaves look fall-y.

Speaking of Carrie's Creations, I met the lady Carrie herself this past weekend at a stitching get-together not too far from my home. Hosted by the lovely and very gracious Vicki (I don't think she has a blog), it was very nice to meet some new gals and I hope to stitch with them more often. And Carrie is about to put out her new line of overdyed silk threads which are very, very lovely. I did get a little stitching done there. It's where I worked on my exchanges and also got some good progress in on my Celtic Spring. Look! I'm almost done with the stitching on the border! Yay, then it's on to the skirt and then, the beading. I can't wait.

I also finished up the L*K LE Christmas 2008. It would make a nice pinkeep I think.

I've worked a little tonight on my SB Oh Beautiful. I finished up 5 simple bands and now I only have 3 complex bands, 2 word bands, and a few beads to put on. Woohoo! My goal of having it done by Dec 31 is in sight.

And a good thing, too, for there are 4-5 large WIPs waiting for a Jan 1 start.

Since I haven't been blogging, I also haven't been reading. I've been trying to be good and make my schoolwork the priority it should be. I am top in the class for Microbiology but in the bottom half of the class for Statistics. I guess that just means I'm well-balanced, right?? :)

I'm so looking forward to the holidays. Just a break from schoolwork will be nice. And it will be lovely to have the boys out of school during the break. I have missed having them around, even if it is a little quieter. And I can't wait to break out the Christmas music and the Christmas movies and the Christmas decorations next weekend. Thanksgiving night is when we'll watch our first Christmas movie of the season. It will probably be Elf! with Will Ferrell.

I got my nursing school schedule for January. I am so delighted that my request to not have class on Tuesday mornings was honored because it means that I can continue with my Bible Study for the rest of this session (it runs until May). I ordered my books (don't ask what it cost, because I'm sure I could stitch for years on those dollars!) and today I got my ID card, and my lovely deep purple yes-I'm-a-grape clinical scrubs. (Don't get me wrong, they could be a hideous shade of orange or yellow or something. Purple is ok.)

Well, that's about all the news for now. Hope to have some more pics for you soon. Thanks for all of your praise of the Trick or Treat fairy.

May I present...

2008-11-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

...the lovely Mirabilia Halloween Fairy (aka ToT)! I finished her up last night, and look! She has wings! I'm pretty darn pleased with her wings! They are borrowed from a Vermillion Stitchery Birthstone Fairy and I improvised on the colors. I wanted some wings that didn't necessarily stand out and I think the effect is pretty good. Anyway, I'm Happy Dancing around and feeling pretty pleased with myself.

Most of the rest of the week, I've been working on my upcoming exchanges. I have about half of the stitching done for my HOE Christmas exchange, the main square of my F&S Christmas square, and the pattern and threads picked out for F&S Round 10. With luck and diligence, those will be stitched up by the end of next week.

I did work yesterday on this cute little L*K design that I had received for my birthday. About half of the stitching you see was done yesterday, as we went to visit some friends and watch the Oregon State Beavers play (and win!) I am not a football fan, per se, but I cheer and visit and, of course, stitch and actually catch very little of the action. It's really a win-win for everyone.

Now, I'm off to clean and prepare food as my grandparents are coming for stew at 4pm. Then it's off to work at 7pm for my 12 hour shift. So begins another week.

PS Only about 10 days until I find out my schedule for Nursing school in January! Woohoo!

Sent and Received...and stashed...and stitched...

2008-11-05T08:51:00.001-08:00

Well, I got my F&S Thanksgiving squares out to Margit last weekend...just in the nick of time really as I had to drive to another town and got them in the mail 5 min before the post office closed. I'm really the Queen of Organization. No, really! Pics will come when she lets me know she received, but she's in Germany, so it may be a little bit.

Meanwhile, Michele and I each received our Autumn rounds. Very lovely squares from Michele. And the package in the mail was a nice change from all of the election propaganda. Man, what a waste of resources. And the information on those ~~pieces of crapola~~ informative leaflets is so misleading. Thank goodness the election is over.

But I digress...I love Michele's squares. Hers are a L*K design that I had been planning to get...someday and I'm thrilled that I don't have to, because she stitched it for me! Mine is a freebie from Elizabeth's Designs "Four Fat Friends". I stitched the leaves on the tree with an autumn color from Carrie's Creations and I loved how the leaves really do look like a fall tree.

I also still have some B-day gifts trickling in from my Yahoo! b-day group. It's like my birthday doesn't end...it's kinda nice. I got this package of silk threads from a gal named Wendy. As of yet, I have not really used silk threads. I guess I'm gonna have to get to it. Some of these colors are just fabulous! The wheels are spinning in the old thinker.

You probably noticed the word "stashed" in the title. Well, I went over to my local LNS to pick up a couple things I'd ordered and I came back with a couple other things. You know the drill. I got several pieces of the WDW wool to use in needlebooks and I got a big piece of 32 ct. Summer Khaki belfast, because well, it just goes with everything, you know.

However, I made a list of all of the charts & kits that I have(not counting freebies because I have a bazillion, and not counting magazines because I have too many of those) and it's currently at just over 200 large and small charts, not counting my current WIPs. I don't know about you (and some of you have more and some less), but that is too many for my comfort. Until I counted them, I guess I just didn't realize how many there were. And have you seen my wishlist? It's in the hundreds. And I love all of those designs and all of the ones that I just haven't added to my wishlist yet.

Bottom line, I will be stitching a bunch of these over the next year and really truly trying to limit myself. I'll be in nursing school, so stitching time will be condensed and are budget will be condensed. I know, I've said it before, but I think this count drove home the reality to me. And, well, you know I probably will survive without that limited edition whatever. (Well, at least I think so...)

And so I don't end this post on a somber note, here's an update of the top half of my SB Oh Beautiful... Isn't it coming along just wonderfully. I'm really on the downhill side, and it's been great. I will be working on it during the Friday Night SAL and also the weekend of the 15th and 16th when I'm at a stitching get-together. This and Halloween Fairy (which I have not stitched on in a wee bit) should be done by the end of the year. Which will be good, because I have a couple of new big projects to take their places on the q-snaps. Until next time...keep on stitching...

November Goals already???

2008-11-02T01:47:00.000-07:00

October's Goals were fairly simple, but school and life got in the way. Still, some things were completed:

--~~Finish stitching Autumn squares for Michele~~ Woohoo!

--~~Stitch up Thanksgiving squares for Margit~~ Just in the nick of time!

--~~Stitch up patriotic minis for Q4OC~~ Finished in 24 hours and sent!

--~~Finish stitching animal charity square~~ Looked good!

--Stitch & finish 2 PIFs-- ugh no, but I've started.

--Put some stitches in on Celtic Spring--not-a-one

--~~Finish stitching last 2 blocks of LK bellpull~~ Another woohoo!

--Put buttons on bellpull -- I could count this as done, I'm only missing one button!!

--~~Put some stitches in on SB Oh Beautiful~~--More than a few! YAY!

--~~Put some stitches in on Quaker Christmas~~ A few...

--Stitch up five ornaments or Xmas designs --Nope, unfortunately only three ornies stitched up

As for November, it's really simple again:

--Stitch and finish Michele's PIF.
--Stitch and finish HOE Christmas exchange.
--Stitch F&S Christmas squares.
--Stitch F&S Round 10.
--Put the last button on the bellpull.
--Stitch and finish Suzanne's PIF
--Finish 3 more stitched pieces into something wonderful
--Put some stitches in Celtic Spring
--Put some stitches in Oh Beautiful
--Put some stitches in Quaker Christmas

Drumroll please...

2008-11-02T00:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't have a bowl of destiny (or a cup or a hat). In fact I'm rather disinclined to pull names out of anything. I know, my lameness runneth over.

I am quite skilled with random.org, though, and the random integer generator was kind enough to give me 5 lucky integers, which I will associate with lucky folks:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:26 3 19 8 6
Timestamp: 2008-11-02 07:57:52 UTC

Those integers correspond with:

Carol R., Sadie, Mel in Dubai, Kathy, and Holly

Congrats, ladies! I will send these out to you as soon as I have your snail mail addresses. Please send them to me at nfdemtp74 @ gmail . com. (Remove the spaces, of course.)

Thank you to all of the readers who entered the drawing. I'm sure there will be more...maybe Christmas. I do so enjoy making the fobs. (It's easier than finishing my stitching. LOL.)

29 steps to a Perfect Pillow Finish...

2008-10-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

...or how to spend 1.5 hours saying things that require asterisks and other symbols when printed.

1. Get the bright idea that you simply MUST finish something from the pile of shame.

2. Feel really ambitious and iron up a bunch of pieces of backing fabric.

3. Realize you can't find your rotary cutter anywhere (probably because you haven't actually used it in seven or eight years since that time when you thought you might take up quilting but realized you couldn't cut straight and didn't own a sewing machine.)

4. Drive to Fred Meyer only to find they don't have it.

5. Drive to Bimart and find that they do, so you buy it, knowing your other one at home will magically appear to taunt you for spending another $12.99.

6. Drag out all of your Halloween pieces and choose the biggest one.

7. Cut the fabric, which doesn't go too badly even if the cuts still aren't perfectly straight.

8. Lay the pieces all together and drag out the sewing machine.

9. Try to figure out exactly how to get a running stitch out of this machine you've only ever used to zig-zag stitch the edges of your cross-stitch fabric.

10. Carefully holding the pieces together just so, attempt to use the machine only to have it make crazy noises and ball up a bunch of thread.

11. Realize you didn't have the foot down, grimace, take apart the machinery where the bobbin is housed and clean out all of the thread. Meanwhile the bobbin falls out of the holder and unwinds so you have to put this back together again.

12. Forget to pull up the bobbin thread which, you discover you put in backward anyway. No stitches are made.

13. Get the bobbin in right (you hope) and attempt to make the machine work again. Forget to put the foot down again...thread snarl AND your needle becomes unthreaded.

14. Shake your fist at the machine, mutter dark threats, unsnarl the thread, rethread the needle and attempt to sew, this time finally remembering to put the foot down.

15. Successfully sew the two little end pieces on the stitched piece. YAY!

16. Feel good about yourself and attempt to sew one of the long seams.

17. Make a very crooked line and get out the seam ripper.

18. Fuss with trying to hold the pieces together when you remember that pins are not just for pinkeeps.

19. Pin the thing together and attempt to sew, forgetting to put the foot down again.

20. Yep, you guessed it. Unsnarling and trying to fit the machinery pieces back together correctly while swearing that they are deliberately trying NOT to fit back together correctly.

21. Finally remember to put the foot down and successfully sew a semi-straight long seam, only to find out that you forgot to press those end pieces down in the right direction and now you've got to rip your nicely sewn seam out. Unmentionable comments ensue. Realize you've got more strings than you'd find in a complete orchestra laying at your feet.

22. Get the end pieces pressed down so they are facing the correct direction and attempt to sew, only to have the needle come unthreaded again.

23. Finally sew the long seams correctly and mostly straight.

24. Close off one end.

25. Turn it all right side out which seems to take forever because the piece is so darn long.

26. Stuff it with fiberfill and try not to make it lumpy.

27. Spend 1/2 an hour trying to figure out how to close the other end off with some sort of hidden seam.

28. Sigh with relief and admire your finished product.

29. Realize this is why your pile of shame is so tall.

Still with me? Well, I'm too worn out to happy dance, but I'm pretty pleased with this little pillow that is about 15 inches long. The backing fabric is behind it.

A Very Pink Giveaway...

2008-10-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

I found the little charms at JoAnns the other day and thought to myself that they would make nice little fobs. So I made a couple for myself and then made these five for a giveaway in honor of Breast Cancer victims and survivors everywhere.

All you have to do is leave a comment by October 31, midnight PST, if you would like to be entered into the drawing to win one. I will draw names over the weekend and five lucky folks will win one for their very own. (If you don't have a blog, make sure to leave me your email address.) Good luck.

Long Awaited Pics part one

2008-10-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to The Other Boleyn Girl on audio book. I'm very much enjoying it and it is definitely better than the movie. I got my first D on a math test in 20+ years. I'm not proud of it and I'll readily admit that I did not study. I stitched instead. Here's a little of what I stitched over the past few weeks:

Happy Dance with me, if you would, because I finally completed my LK Monthly Stamp blocks. Here are November and December with the appropriate buttons. I got the rest of the buttons stitched on last night, but I will wait to give you a full pic until I have it all ironed and the bellpull ends on.

I also started and finished up a couple of Just Nan Whimzi designs. Here are Scream Girls and Merry Old Elf. They are stitched as charted, but on a neutral 28ct. and using different Kreinik braid than what was called for.

Then, there are these three Trilogy trees that I have been working on here and there for a month or so. They worked up pretty quickly, but since i stitched them all on one piece, I had to wait until the end to put the buttons on because the q-snaps kept moving.
I have stitched a little on my Shepherd's Bush Oh Beautiful, but I'll save that pic for later. No real progress on any of my other big WIPS. A little stitching on a HIH Santa, and a couple of other JN Whimsys. I am in a small mood right now. I am catching up on blog reading and it is nice to see what everyone else is doing. Now I'm off to a little more statistics homework before work. Happy Stitching!

Oh and stay tuned, I may have a little giveaway at the end of the month.

Coming up for breath...

2008-10-23T00:56:00.000-07:00

...and I've already used my 2 year old voice twice. Tomorrow was easy, because I have class. Saturday was a little harder. I could have worked. But I said no. I could have gone out of town with some other ladies and had time to myself. But I said no. This weekend I will not miss game night and I might actually have a chance to just chat with DH. And I might actually get some real studying done. Friday night I will participate in the SAL with the Let's Stitch group.

I hope to have some pics for you this weekend. I've done a bit of stitching here and there. I finally got my Autumn Round squares off to Michele. I've started on her PIF. I now need to pick out my charts for the upcoming exchanges.

The problem with stitching right now is two-fold:

1) Remember my hand injury from last month? My trip, fall and strain/bruise? Well, frankly, I was a fool not to have put a splint on it as was suggested when I finally had it xrayed. All the stitching and typing and writing and everything else that I do with my dominant right hand during the past month is not allowing for it to heal that fast. I need to cut back wherever possible and stitching is not a necessity, except for my remaining commitments for exchanges and such.

2) I'm so "addicted" to stitching that I don't do enough of the other things like housework or homework or working out or anything that I should be doing instead. I've been on a binge akin to overeating and I'm going to have to do a little less of it. Balance...that is the key that I need to focus on.

Aside from that, I spent some time catching up on blog reading tonight. I think I got through at least a third of the posts in my reader. And I commented on quite a few. I hope to have another third done tomorrow. It has been so lovely to see what people are working on. And all of the finishes. Part of what has held me back from finishing some of my smalls is that I'm so unpracticed at it, that it takes forever. But a simple pillow-finish ornament is not that difficult. And I did treat myself to a Kreinik corder for my birthday. Perhaps this next month, I will take a little time to focus on finishing rather than stitching. Maybe I'll even do some of that hand-dyeing of fabric that I had wanted to do.

Ah well, we'll see, I guess. More this weekend, I promise. Thanks for sticking with me.

Now you see me, now you don't.

2008-10-17T01:55:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's almost 2am and I am frantically trying to get a few more things done, before I disappear for another way too long weekend.

Tomorrow, I have to work on last minute preparations for the fire department open house on Saturday. Then at 1pm, I go to work until 1:30am because the gal that normally works that shift begged me to. On Saturday, I will be at the Open House from 9am-ish until 3pm-ish. Then I work 7p-7a for another gal who "really needed the day off". On Sunday, I will sleep all day (hopefully), so that I can work again 7p-7a and sleep all of Monday, then pull my ambulance shift Monday night.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the midst of that I have to study and take care of family concerns.

OK, I know...I really need to learn how to use my 2 year old voice and say "NO!" For the most part, I bring this on myself.

Do you ever lay awake in bed and feel the weight of everything that needs to be done and everything that isn't done just pressing in on you as if you might suffocate under it all? I always seem to feel better in the morning, but in the dark of night it is overwhelming.

Next week, I am doing nothing. Well, except for family and studying. No extra shifts. No taking on any extra commitments between now and Halloween, when the boys are having a party.

Maybe, just maybe I'll get some real posts in between now and then. But if you don't see me for another week or so, (here or on your own blog,) just envision that I'm trying to get this horse stall of my life mucked out a bit, so that there's room for the lovely thoroughbred to move around and breathe again.

I Love You, Mr. Postman

2008-10-07T16:59:00.001-07:00

So today brought me some lovely gifties in the mail. First of all, I received my Thanksgiving squares from Margit in Germany! They are a Prairie Schooler design from the Spring & Fall leaflet. Aren't they just wonderful???

Next up was a big box from Cindy in Illinois! She sent me all of these Fall-y things for the Stitching Bloggers Birthday Club exchange. Look at this pillow! I love it!

I also love Mr. Postman because he safely delivered my HOE Halloween exchange to Wendy Jo. I took a few motifs from The Sampler Girl's Quaker Boo sampler and made her a pinkeep and a scissor fob. This was only my second pinkeep finished and the octagonal shape was a little challenging. The front came out just right, but the back is a little wonky. Nonetheless, she really liked it and I'm pleased with that!

A little rearranging...

2008-10-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

You might notice (or you might not) that I've deleted my list of 2008 completions from the sidebar and I've moved my links to my Wish List/Trade List.

I've started a companion blog with the intention of it functioning as my Stitching Journal. After posting my UFO/WIP list on Let's Stitch, I realized that maybe I should have kept track of when I started some of these. Let's face it, I don't keep my WebShots albums up-to-date. How much uploading of photos can someone do???

For the rest of 2008, my completions will simply be listed in a single post. My larger UFOs and WIPs are in a couple of other posts. However, starting in 2009, I plan to keep track of WIPs, starts and finishes in separate posts with links back to the pics on my blog.

I realize going into it, that this may prove to be too much work in the end. It just seems like all of the info. might get lost in my regular blog among all of the other stuff. So, we'll see. Luckily, I have very few qualms about abandoning bad ideas... LOL

Still more to show...

2008-10-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

...yep, I got an some squares to show. These were stitched by Diane M and aren't they just great! I love them!! And the fob she made is adorable, too. (My confession is that the fob is the first finished Halloween stitched thing I own. All of my completed stitching is still waiting to be finished...bad me!)

It's my 34th birthday on Monday and I received a couple packages already through the Birthday Club that I joined on one of the Yahoo! groups. Taryn sent me 3 charts (2 off my wishlist) and Nickie from South Africa sent me the other bunch of goodies, also off my wishlist. Thank you very much ladies...

Yes, I made it...

2008-10-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

...three 7pm-7am shifts in a row followed by four in a row the next weekend and I'm still alive. I was blessed by DH and the boys because they were almost unheard this weekend when I slept until 2:30p on Saturday and Sunday. Because I was able to get 7 hours of sleep each day after, I am actually doing pretty well. And since the Emergency Dept. was very slow after 3am, I got a little stitching done when my paperwork was all caught up. I was the unit secretary all 7 of those days and that is definitely the hot seat when things are busy. I was almost in tears on Monday night, because everyone wanted something "right now" and despite my best efforts, I am only human. Thankfully, there's only one gal who makes me feel incompetent and I honestly dread working with her. (However, she is like that with everyone, so I have to remind myself that she must be unhappy for circumstances that have very little to do with me personally.)

I heard from Diane and Keane that they received my squares, so I can finally show some of my exchange work off. The post office must have teleported these squares to their destinations, they got there so fast. (You won't hear me complaining 'bout that!) Diane's are the Halloween ones which are Just Nan patterns "Poor Jack" (a freebie) and "Scream Girls". Keane's are stitched in red as that is her favorite color and they came from a freebie quaker sampler that I found on the internet. I wish I could find where. I made both the fobs, as usual.

Look at ToT!!! I also finished designing the wings for her, but you'll have to wait awhile to see those, as I haven't stitched them yet. (And, I'm not really designing the wings, anyway. It's more a merging of two designs, as I'm using the wings off the February fairy from Vermillion Stitchery's Birthstone Fairies.) I'm very excited to see if I can pull it off.

I have another couple of small finishes as well, as I took a break from stitching on other people's smalls to do a little for myself. One is a jumpstart on my focus on Christmas stitching next month: Bent Creek's Merry Christmas snapper. The other one is my (finally!!) stitched up LK If the Broom Fits. Unfortunately, I haven't taken a pic of that and I'm waiting for the charms to arrive for it.

Here also is the focus of my stitching this past week: It's my monthly LK Stamp blocks bellpull. September I finished a couple weeks ago, but October just last night. I joined in the SAT on Becky's Let's Stitch website and made some progress on the November block as well as some more progress today. I'm almost done with these!!! It will be so nice to be done as this was started over a year ago, I believe, if not 2 years ago! These charts were used when they came to me, so I have to order the buttons for them, but that's easy through Laurel's Stitchery. They should come in late next week.

Last but not least, I don't think I've mentioned and publicly thanked Sara for sending me her LK Santa chart. I received it a few weeks ago now, but it slipped out of mind.

Oh, and lest I forget...THANK YOU all for your kind, kind thoughts and online {{hugs}} after my post about Pumpkin. It's so nice to receive love from so many people during tough times. We're all doing a bit better now and I haven't seen the boys cry about it. Connor had an especially hard time the next day. So did I, really, I just felt no energy for anything, but I am doing better, too.

Goals, goals...

2008-10-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

September in Review...

--Stitch 3 motifs on Quaker Christmas...nope no time or interest
--~~Finish big middle band on Oh Beautiful!~~ Got this done on the 1st day!
--~~Put some stitches in on Celtic Spring~~ Yes, a few.
--~~Put some stitches in on ToT Fairy~~ Oh yeah! Yay me! Yay me!
--Put some stitches in on Waiting...ditto the above excuse
--~~Put some stitches in on one other big WIP~~ I made some major progress on my LK stamps bellpull.
--~~Stitch and finish HOE Halloween exchange~~ Well, technically finished Oct. 1, but close enough.
--~~Stitch F&S Round 9~~ These were fun to stitch!
--~~Finish stitching F&S Halloween round~~ I really liked these squares
--Stitch & finish 2 PIFs...not quite yet
--Finish stitching animal charity square....sadly, not a stitch
--Stitch up 2 patriotic minis for Q4OC...not this last month, no
--~~Stitch up special charity square~~ 3 days and done!
--~~Kit up 10 ornaments for next months stitching~~ Yes, we're ready to roll!
--~~Finish stitching If the Broom Fits~~ Yay! Just need the charm & googly eyes!

October's Goals are fairly simple:

--Finish stitching Autumn squares for Michele
--Stitch up Thanksgiving squares for Margit
--Stitch up patriotic minis for Q4OC
--Finish stitching animal charity square
--Stitch & finish 2 PIFs
--Put some stitches in on Celtic Spring
--Finish stitching last 2 blocks of LK bellpull
--Put buttons on bellpull
--Put some stitches in on SB Oh Beautiful
--Put some stitches in on Quaker Christmas
--Stitch up five ornaments or Xmas designs

Goodbye, Pumpkin...

2008-10-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

Well, today we put our cat Pumpkin to sleep. He wasn't eating much of the special K/D food. My attempts to give him sub-Q fluids were fairly disastrous and resulted in him being afraid of me picking him up. He wouldn't touch the medicine-laced food. This morning, he yowled and/or paced the house from 3am until we left for school at 8:45am.

This is pretty much how he was the last time he got seriously dehydrated and when he was first diagnosed with kidney failure. After dropping the boys off at school, I debated back and forth about whether I should wait a few more days or what. Finally, I called the vet and made the appt. for 3pm. At 1pm, I was torn. Maybe I should just call and cancel. After all, he was acting a little better. Maybe I was just jumping the gun. But I didn't cancel.

I picked the boys up early for school so that they could say goodbye. I hadn't told them that morning because I didn't want them thinking about it all day at school. It was bad enough that I was thinking about it all day. Of course, they started crying immediately. My younger son was mad at me because he thought we shouldn't do it. He wanted to know what they would do with the body.

We took a couple pictures of the boys with Pumpkin and loaded him into the crate. He didn't want to get in, but at the vet, he didn't want to get out. It was all I could do not to cry...The vet tech was very nice and reiterated to the boys that we didn't want Pumpkin to suffer anymore. They took him out of the room to get an sedative/painkiller shot, but brought him back to lay on my lap while the sedative took effect. Then, when it was time for the final shot, my older son stayed in with me to pet Pumpkin, but the younger one stepped out. It was over in 30 seconds.
The last thing Pumpkin saw was my face and hopefully he felt Connor's hand petting him. I couldn't stay in the room any longer and I was crying right along with the boys when we left.

You know that horrible moment when you do something that you know is irreversible?? Yep, I was there today. What-ifs are a terrible thing. Anyway, we miss him terribly. What else is there to say?

I'm sorry that I haven't been around much lately. I know I'm missing out on all of your stories and stitching progress. I worked four 12 hour shifts in a row this weekend and classes have started. I hope to catch up soon, but I'm afraid today's events have put me in a bit of a funk.

I plan to stitch along with Becky's Friday night stitch-a-thon. Perhaps I'll have a long-overdue update by this weekend. Until then, thank you for all of your comments and well wishes.

Just a quick note between shifts.

2008-09-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

Two down, one to go. Many blogs to read and many comments overdue. But I must share these things while I'm checking in:

--A RAK from Tracy at Passion of my Needle. She gave away several charts and I was lucky enough to be the recipient of this one.

--Squares received from Keane for Round 8 of Fair & Square. She doesn't have a blog, unfortunately!

--Two exchanges posted out on Friday...Diane's Halloween squares and Keane's Round 8 squares.

--I've made some more progress on ToT. As you can see, I've got her skirt finished, Trick or Treat words finished, and her legs finished. I've begun some of the bottom beading and the metallic stitching. I'm so excited that she's coming along so well. Most of the DMC cross-stitching is done (except for wings and the pumpkin) and so a lot of the remaining stuff is metallic stitches, backstitching and beading. I'm just so pleased.

--Progress on Celtic Spring...well I have some, but the pic wouldn't turn out well, so I'm not going to show it. I'm still plugging away at the borders, but it is slow going, and truthfully, ToT has stolen my attention.

--In other exchange news, I've only got the signature block left on my Autumn F&S round to do. I've still got finishing to do on my HOE Halloween round. I hope to do that this week, because the due date is approaching.

Can't think of anymore news. Hope to visit all of your blogs this week and catch up on your latest.

Here is my fairy progress...

2008-09-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

...as of last Saturday. I am so pleased with the progress. Once I reach the bottom, I will start beading my way back up. I have delayed backstitching her face as I have "grand plans" to add wings. Still haven't actually looked for any, but I will...someday...

Stitching overall has ground to a halt as I have worked 12 hour shifts the past 2 days and I got wrangled into picking up some more hours tonight. It's going to be a loooong week.

Thanks for all of the comments about my new "catty" look and well-wishes for Pumpkin. Wish I had more to say or to show, but I promised myself that I would give the living/dining room a good go-through today and now that my day got suddenly shorter, I must be off.

Time for a change...

2008-09-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

Presenting the new blog look. OK, so it isn't really stitchy-looking, but I just couldn't resist that cat face. I don't like the white text and most colored text is hard to read, but I don't have much choice. Anyway, I'm satisfied enough for the present.

On the stitching front, I finished up my squares for Keane (F&S Round 9). I also started on my Autumn Round squares for Michele in WA. To recap, that means that by next week (assuming I do the finishing on my HOE Halloween exchange) I will have completed all of my current obligatory exchange stitching!! Early!! Way early!! I'm so excited at the prospect that I can't type straight! Then I can work on my PIFs and a couple last charity squares. I wish I could show off all of this productivity, but you all know better.

I also put some time in on ToT last night. This stitching went much better than the last couple of attempts. I hope to put a few stitches in on her tonight and then I promise a pic tomorrow...or sometime...LOL.

Question for the technologically capable...

2008-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

...I want to change my layout and I've figured out how to keep all of my side bars. How do I keep all of the hyperlinks from disappearing? Help, please...thanks.

Not gone, but in hiding...

2008-09-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

Hmmph. Mr. Frog apparently wasn't done yet. I pulled out my TOT fairy to give her some more body and realized in disgust that I'd made an error in the bottom part of the skirt. You can see where I was the last time I posted here and then see this:

Now, obviously, I did make some progress...the moon, some of the word "treat", etc. But it was just so frustrating as everyone knows, to find an error.

I will confess I have been indulging in some envious blog reading. Those lovely ladies who are stitching up their fairies on different (and wonderful) fabrics are making me green because I just love their choices more than mine. Cathey is one of them and Missy is another. There's probably more, but I can't remember them now. I told Cathey I hated mine now, but that's just drama-queen talk. I don't really hate it so much as not like it as much as theirs. Ya know?

Has this ever happened to you? You pick out something and then see how somebody else stitched it and you like theirs so much better but you don't want to start all over on yours yet it depresses you enough to stuff yours back in the basket for awhile? (Run-on sentences are fun btw.)

Anyway, after I gave up in disgust, I worked some more on my HOE Halloween exchange. Almost done with the stitching on it. Then comes the finishing. I also started on my F&S Round 9 for Keane (who has no blog at this time.) I think she'll like what I chose for her.

I am very pleased to say that I am making good progress on my goals this month, which were so full of stitching for others. I start classes (Ethics, Microbiology and Statistics) on Sept. 29th, so I'm expecting that my time will be even more in demand than it is now. It feels good to be finishing up on some of my committments early.

Two little finishes...

2008-09-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

...I finished up my F&S Halloween squares, but those can't be shown until the recipient gets them. I also have about 1/2 of my HOE Halloween exchange stitched. My F&S Round 9 is all picked out, just have to stitch them.

I can show this little finish. It is a square for a special quilt and the lady likes cats. I stitched the Stitchy Kitty freebie "Meow Spoken Here" with a combination of regular DMC and variations DMC since those are color fast and the squares will be washed. I do like the ability to use a variegated thread that is color fast on these squares every so often.

We went camping this weekend overnight at a local private campground. 3 other families went with us for a total of 5 kids and it was wonderful. The weather was sunny and pleasant with a nice breeze...we were right next to a very shallow creek/river full of crawdads for the kids to catch. My boys had never spent an afternoon catching crawdads (catch & release, of course...AKA crawdad terrorization). They had such a good time and the kids all got along so well together. All of the adults agreed that we needed to repeat the experience next year. I wish I had a pic, but I forgot my camera, of course. Another gal brought hers, so I should have some pics someday.

I did find out something really neat on the trip. One of the ladies cross-stitches! I never knew that and so we are excited to get together some time soon for an afternoon of cross-stitching and listening to an audio book before school gets out.

The somewhat sad news that I got last week is that my kitty cat Pumpkin does have chronic renal failure. His blood levels were off at his recheck, indicating that his kidneys have decreased functioning. The good news is that the vet says Pumpkin will not have to spend another 3 days at the vet. I will be giving him subcutaneous fluids & vitamins twice a week, and he will be eating a special diet. Once he stops eating, the vet says it is time to put him to sleep. He didn't say how long, but it could be quite awhile if Pumpkin responds to the treatment and stays hydrated with the fluids. It's rather sad, but I also like and trust our vet quite a bit. I really appreciated that he gave me an endpoint to gauge when it is worth continuing to treat Pumpkin aggressively and when it is time to give him a humane and loving end. This cat had such a hard time recovering from the trauma of being at the vet for 3 days. And then I was gone for 6 days not too long after that. It was harder on him than I expected, so I am grateful that I will not be putting him through this again. The subcutaneous fluids will be given by my loving hands and he will not have to leave the house except for rechecks every 3 months (but those are short visits where he spends the majority of the time with me stroking him and holding him.)

Anyway, sorry this is a long and mournful post, but I appreciate all of you pet owners out there who know and understand what responsibility and joy that owning a pet brings.

I survived...

2008-09-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

...the first day of school! Thank you for all the well wishes and sympathy. It was a little ego-bruising, however, when my younger son stepped off the bus in the afternoon and exclaimed, "It was AWESOME!!" Well, what were all of these homeschooling times, then?? Not that I'm not thrilled that he likes school. And, I'm not too surprised. We did mostly unschooling, rather than a school-at-home type of thing. Unless we were going to classes, or on a field trip, I didn't do a lot of "teaching" or projects. We read a lot, listened to audio books, and just lived. They learned more than one would think, but it appears that this busyness of public school is what they want right now. Here is a pic of them on their first day of school:

Connor wanted his hair dyed again, so we dyed it black (more of a dark brown). I decided last year, when we dyed it for Halloween, that I would support this form of individual expression as long as he chose *normal* hair colors and paid for the hair color out of his allowance. No tattoos or piercings, though, until they are 18.

On the stitching front, I received some stash from Needlecraft Corner. Mostly I restocked my WDW and GAST threads, but I also got some charts and 4 new Q-snaps. I'll try to remember to take a pic of the charts. I already put the thread away, like a good little stitcher. One of the Q-snaps was a large one, so I brought out L&L Angel of Summer again. Hopefully, I'll get some stitches in on her at some point this month.

In the charity and exchanges dept., I'm just about done with my F&S Halloween squares and I've picked out the supplies for my HOE Halloween exchange. I'm in the process of narrowing down my choices for F&S Round 9. I've put some more stitches in my wolf charity square.

I have finally finished stitching Trilogy Secret Snowdrift. I got hung up on it, because I realized that I had skipped a stitch on the tree on the bottom right. This left me with the whole thing being one square too short and I got frustrated. However, I was committed to getting it finished this last month, and I did.

Last but not least, two progress pics on a couple of big WIPs. I wanted to finish up the big center band on SB O Beautiful because after that, the other bands should move fairly quickly. Ta Da!! I did it. I did discover after looking closely at the pictures, that the flowers in the red blackwork band were supposed to have eyelets in the middle of them instead of plain Xs. Unfortunately, I would have to carry the thread quite a bit to go back and redo, so I will be leaving them as is. I think I would have prefered the eyelets, so I'm a bit disappointed.

Here also is my L&L Celtic Spring. I worked on her quite a bit last night and have made quite a bit of progress on the border. Since I was working on that so faithfully, I let myself do just a little of the skirt. Unfortunately, Mr. Frog hopped by and I realized that I had miscounted by one stitch and had to rip out about 70 stitches. Luckily, it was only 70 stitches. So I was thankful that I recognized my visitor so quickly.

Well, it's about time to start my housework...so many projects, so little time...thanks for stopping by.

School is here...

2008-09-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

...today is the first day that my boys have rode the school bus to a public school. It's their first day of school at all. For the last 10.5 years, I have had my kids with me every day unless I was at work or school. They are going to school because I will be going to school and I plan to bring them back home when I'm done, but that's 2 years away.

I'm a little sad because I already miss them. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I'm a little bit happy to have the days to myself for awhile. I've got an 8 year backlog of stuff to do around the house (and we've only lived here for 4!) and it will definitely be nice to make the annual checkup appt. without having to figure out what to do with the boys.

But I wasn't anxiously looking forward to school being in session like many parents do. I like spending time with my boys even when we're not doing anything rather exciting. I have enjoyed their enthusiasm and the fresh eyes with which they see the world. The house is quieter, yes, but I don't know if that's a good thing...

September Goals...August not so great

2008-08-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, well about those August goals....ahem, cough cough guilty eyes a-shifting...yeah...

--Stitch 3 motifs on Quaker Christmas --nope

--Stitch 3 bands on Oh Beautiful! --lots of progress on a great big one
--~~Put some stitches in on Celtic Spring~~ --Did get some good stuff done!
--~~Stitch F&S Round #8~~ YAY! --Stitch F&S Round #9 --not started yet, but soon
--Stitch F&S Halloween Round --Can't say yes, but I'm just about done with these
--Complete Monthly Finishing Challenge --Fell short here...
--Finish stitching Trick or Treat Fairy --did I really say "finish"???hahahahahahaha
--~~Finish stitching Secret Snowdrift~~ --Yes, thank goodness...boy it took forever!
--~~Start LK September block~~ --Here's where I said "finish", right? 'Cause I did!
--Stitch at least one Patriotic Mini for Q4OC --Nope
--~~Choose designs for PIFs~~ --Now, onto the kitting up!

--Kit up 4 small Christmas charts --Sort of, but not quite.
--Finish stitching If The Broom Fits --Nope

Ah well, not really sweating the small stuff. The month went a little wonky stitching-wise. It happens.

September is going to be a little more focused. I've got several exchanges and PIFS and charity squares to finish up. I'd like to get those done, so that I can focus on some Christmas ornaments in October and November. So this is what I hope to accomplish next month:

--Stitch 3 motifs on Quaker Christmas
--Finish big middle band on Oh Beautiful!
--Put some stitches in on Celtic Spring
--Put some stitches in on ToT Fairy
--Put some stitches in on Waiting
--Put some stitches in on one other big WIP
--Stitch and finish HOE Halloween exchange
--Stitch F&S Round 9
--Finish stitching F&S Halloween round
--Stitch & finish 2 PIFs
--Finish stitching animal charity square
--Stitch up 2 patriotic minis for Q4OC
--Stitch up special charity square
--Kit up 10 ornaments for next months stitching
--Finish stitching If the Broom Fits

Answer to Movie Meme

2008-08-26T20:43:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all who played...these are the only 3 that were not guessed. I knew some of them would be easy and I'm not surprised that these 3 were left.

5. I'm scared. I can't sleep. I keep having that dream about the red car turning up in front of the house when you don't come home. (Ladder 49)

11. Now it isn't that I don't like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I'm strangely drawn toward you, but - well, there haven't been any quiet moments. (Bringing Up Baby with Cary Grant and Kathryn Hepburn)

14. What she said, it was like a curse. This power I had, this belief in myself, I could actually feel it draining away. I could feel myself becoming ordinary. All the secrets I once saw, I couldn't see them anymore. All I could see was, were my mistakes, my weaknesses. The best part of me just disappeared. But I can't put it all on my mother. I did it to myself. I never played chess again. (The Joy Luck Club)

Movie Meme ala Sonda

2008-08-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

Got this meme off of Susan's blog and thought it might be fun.

1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.

2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.

3. Post them here for everyone to guess.

4. NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search functions.

5. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.

Here they are:

1. ~~I am determined that nothing but the deepest love could ever induce me into matrimony.~~ Sharon -- Pride and Prejudice

2. ~~No, thank you. We don't want any more visitors, well-wishers, or distant relations.~~ Sharon -- The Fellowship of the Ring

3. I saw my whole life as if I had already lived it. An endless parade of parties and cotillions, yachts and polo matches. Always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back, no one who cared... or even noticed. Tina in Tx -- Titanic

4. The police are here. I am with them. I am a police officer. I just want to talk with you. We know all about the hoax. We already took some of your friends downtown in a paddy wagon. Just tell us your name and why you did it, and we'll give you the same deal we gave the others. Don't throw your life away, son. Sharon/Daffycat -- Signs

5. I'm scared. I can't sleep. I keep having that dream about the red car turning up in front of the house when you don't come home.

6. ~~Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?~~ Heather -- O Brother Where Art Thou?

7. ~~Don't like her? What's wrong with her? She's beautiful, she's rich, she's got huge... tracts of land.~~ Jennifer -- Monty Python & The Holy Grail

8. Last week, Japanese scientists explaced... placed explosive detonators at the bottom of Lake Loch Ness to blow Nessie out of the water. Sir Cort Godfrey of the Nessie Alliance summoned the help of Scotland's local wizards to cast a protective spell over the lake and its local residents and all those who seek for the peaceful existence of our underwater ally. Heather -- Napoleon Dynamite

9. ~~Can he love her? Can the soul be really be satisfied with such polite affections? To love is to burn - to be on fire, like Juliet or Guinevere or Eloise...~~ Heather -- Sense and Sensibility

10. I bet you've had a hard time walking into a room full of people on your own, right? Yeah. I know that. I know what it is not to feel like your in the room until he looks at you or touches your hand or even makes a joke at your expense, just to let everyone know... you're with him. You're his. Jennifer -- P.S. I Love You

11. Now it isn't that I don't like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I'm strangely drawn toward you, but - well, there haven't been any quiet moments.

12. ~~Negative. There are no restraining harnesses in the cargo area. We'll be much safer in the cockpit.~~ Sharon -- Toy Story

13. Or a car, if they could have a desk set as wonderful as this one? I mean, if I were ever going to buy a desk set... twice... I would probably buy this one. Both times! In fact, its shape... it's rather aerodynamic, isn't it? Jennifer -- Dead Poets' Society

14. What she said, it was like a curse. This power I had, this belief in myself, I could actually feel it draining away. I could feel myself becoming ordinary. All the secrets I once saw, I couldn't see them anymore. All I could see was, were my mistakes, my weaknesses. The best part of me just disappeared. But I can't put it all on my mother. I did it to myself. I never played chess again.

15. ~~Yeah, sir, you might want to send a maintenance man over to that office across the way. The lights are off, and they must be looking for a fuse box, 'cause them flashlights, they keep me awake.~~ Kendra & Heather -- Forrest Gump