Holiday Wishes!

I would just like to wish all my friends a very Merry & Blessed Christmas. May the spirit of the season continue through the new year. God bless us everyone!

A Moment of Panic!

I decided this morning to gather up all five of the projects that I will be working on next year. I wanted to get them all together in one bag so I can just grab it and go when I need it. I easily found three of them (one's on my scroll frame next to my stitching chair.) but I could not find the other two. They weren't where I had left them and I began scrambling to see if I could locate them. After about an hour, I gave up and went out to run a few more errands. In the back of my mind, I knew I had put them in a tote several months ago when I cleaned up my work space. That meant, I had lost a tote! Who knew what else was in there? When I came back home, I began to search for the tote. Imagine what I felt when I realized I was missing not one, not two but three totes! Now the other two totes contain knitting projects but they were still missing. I looked every place that I keep stash. No totes! I looked in my craft room and my bedrooom. No totes! Finally I looked in the closet of the spare bedroom. There resting quietly on the floor were the three missing totes. Just happy to be sitting there in the dark. And when I opened the one containing my cross stitching, there were the two projects I was missing. So I quickly scooped them up before they could escape and put them with the other three projects next to my chair. The tote went back into the closet where it is happily residing with the other two errant totes. Do you think I have too much stuff?

2011 Goals

I've been reading a lot of different cross stitching blogs lately and everyone seems as though they are making stitching goals for next year. So I got to thinking about what I would like to accomplish in 2011. I know a lot of stitchers are going to do the Startitis plan where you start 15
new projects on the first 15 days of the new year. While it sounds intriguing, there's no way I can afford to start 15 new projects. Now I don't mean that money-wise. I mean that I have no idea how many UFO's and WIP's I already have. Adding another 15 to the mix would overwhelm me. Then there's the plan where I could stitch whatever and whenever I like. In other words, the goal is to have no goals. Now I really like that idea. But that's how I got so many UFO's in the first place. I need a little more discipline in my life. So I found a blog that has a plan that I think I can work with. It's http://goldenangelsworks.blogspot.com. You take 5 UFO's or WIP's and work on them and then you add in 2 new projects. This, I think, is manageable. I think the new projects I add in will be freebies or ornaments or just some smaller projects. This way I have seven days and seven different projects to work on. If I work on a different project every day, I'm bound to make some progress on some of them. Now all this being said, I do reserve the right to change my mind at any time about this.

So I think I already know the 5 UFO's that I want to start on in the New Year. I want to stitch:

Cirque des Triangles
Cirque des Carreaux
Windmill by Michael Powell
The Wave (my newest BAP over one)
Autumn Abstract

I haven't decided what freebies I want to stitch yet but there are a few that have been calling my name for a couple of years (BoINK, anyone?)

So I think I'm ready for the new year to start. Anyone else care to join Dawn and I on our journey?

A New Ornament!

This year I decided to do something I haven't done in years. I participated in an ornament exchange organized by Bronny at bronnysbits@blogspot.com. I haven't heard yet if the ornament I stitched found its way to its new owner but I received mine earlier this week. Pauline sent me the lovely Santa ornament you see in the first picture. I am very pleased with it and I really hope Santa brings me the bottom item on the list. The next picture is a very pretty pin pillow she made for me and sent along with the Santa ornament. I really like it as does my kitty. I keep having to move it because she wants to snuggle with it. The third picture are the kits she included with the ornament. They're card kits and I think I'll get an early start on stitching some cards for next year. They are both really cute and I really appreciate them. So thanks you, Pauline for your lovely Christmas presents and thanks to Bronny as well for doing such a fine job of organizing this exchange.

It's That Time Of The Year!

I'm sure you all know what time I mean. Why, it's Christmas, of course. As you can see the tree was put up the day after Thanksgiving. Sherrie insisted that it had to go up then so she actually did most of the work putting it together and decorating it. As we were hanging the ornaments, I got to thinking about them and realized that most of them are homemade. Now, that doesn't mean they are all cross stitch. There are the old fashioned felt ones with sequins. There's beads and sequins stuck in styrofoam. There's even a tiny nativity scene in an eggshell. I've done the cross stitch ones in the little round plastic frames that were so popular in the late '70's and 1980's. I've also done quite a few ornaments on perforated paper. Those are some of my favorites to finish. Cut them out, stick some felt on the back and voila! they're finished. But what's really important is the memories attached to them. Some I made before the kids were born and some when they were little. I have a set of six felt Santas that even now the kids fight over who gets to put them on the tree. Super Santas they always called them and to this day, when I see them, I have to smile. So my tree is not just full of ornaments; it's full of memories as well.

Back On Track

Well, since I finished my NaNoWriMo (Yeah, me! I'm a winner), I'm going to try to get back here more often. And I definitely missed my stitching time. So hopefully I'll be making some real progress on my two projects I've started. As you can see from the pictures, I haven't done a whole lot on either one of them. The top one is an autumn abstract that I got for Christmas last year. I love it with all of its fall colors. The second one is The Wave, a pattern I got off of Artecy. I started the autumn abstract to offset the lack of fun colors that I've been stitching The Wave with. So while I want to do one at a time, I fear the one will get too boring before too long.

I also found this neat list of questions on Andie's Blog (sorry but I can't the link thingy) that I thought I'd post. They've made me think about my stitching and exactly what it means to me. So here goes!

1). What are you stitching at the moment?
At the moment I am stitching The Wave and an Autumn Abstract.

2). How many finishes have you had this year? Small? Medium? Large? Extra Large?
Only three, two Lizzie Kate's and one kit from Maia that was of some really gorgeous poppies. The one Lizzie Kate is small, the other is medium. The poppies could be considered a large project. They did take several months of intense stitching but they're for a very good friend of mine, so they were worth it. I also stitched a Christmas ornament so I guess that makes four projects.

3). Do you think you will finish any more in the next month and a half before the end of the year?
Nope!

4). I could buy one thing for myself what would it be?
A house somewhere on the South Island of New Zealand.

5). What is the best thing you have ever stitched?
That's a hard question. I guess after thinking about it, the Stoney Creek wedding sampler I did for my son Christopher and his wife. They wanted the colors of the roses changed to yellow and wanted their own wording on it as well. So it took me a while to get the colors right and then I had to chart everything from scratch. It was quite an effort but well worth it.

6). Do you like making lists?
Actually I do. I like being able to cross things off them and see what I've accomplished. I also like listing the cross stitch pieces I have done so that I can see how far I've come since I first started.

7). Do you stitch in rotation or OAAT?
For a while I stitched in rotation. Then I realized I didn't want to stop stitching on a certain project just because my time was up. So now I try to stitch OAAT but I occasionally I'll stop and do something else just as a change of pace.

8). What is the next thing you plan to stitch?'
I really haven't thought that far ahead since I just started two new projects.

9). What is your favorite ONS? And why?
Honestly I don't have a favorite ONS because I work at a very well stocked LNS and really have no need to buy online. But when I do, I usually will shop at Stitches N Things or maybe Cross Stitch 123.

10). Do you have a stitching chair?
Yes, it's a Lazy Boy recliner sitting next to DH's chair. I have a storage end table right next to me and my Daylight lamp and can be as happy as a clam there. I also have an Ikea chair in my craft room that I can stitch in when it isn't occupied by Sherrie.

11). Do your children/pets get into your stitching things?
Other than Sherrie wanting to swipe some of my knitting stash, my kids are grown and out of the house. So,no,they don't get into things. Now my kitty, Squeak, is another matter. Everything has to be zipped (and that doesn't make it foolproof) and undercover. She's been known to run off with full skeins of threads and hide them.

12). Do you participate in any stitching forums?
I occasionally post on the MB on Cross Stitch 123. I also posted a couple of time when The Stitcher's Village first opened. But I don't do it very often.

There you have it. It's probably much more info than you wanted but at least you know a little bit more about me.

Just An Update

Okay, I know I have not been here in a while, but I do have a good excuse. I've been doing NaNoWriMO again this year. What is NaNoWriMo you ask? It's National Novel Writing Month. In November if you sign up you commit to writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. I signed up last year and was able to finish despite spending the two days before Thanksgiving in the hospital. So I decided to try again this year. And I do believe I'm going to make it again. So my stitching has been put on the back burner while I write an incredibly bad novel (let's face it, no one writes a good novel in a month). But it has gotten me back into the habit of writing which I have loved since I was a little girl. So this year I vow to spend some time revising and rewriting this godzilla of a novel.

What little stitching time I did have was put to use stitching an ornament for Bronny's ornament exchange. I will post pictures of it when I know my partner has received it. I've also started on The Wave and another more colorful Autumn abstract design and I'll try and post pictures this week.

In the meantime, I've got to brag about Sherrie for a moment. As I've mentioned before, she is graduating from NAU this December. She is currently doing her student teaching and so far the kids seem to love her. This last week we went to NAU where she was one of 20 seniors to receive the Golden Axe award. 20 seniors out of the entire university receive this award. It is for the most outstanding students that are graduating. We are so proud of her. She has turned out to be such a beautiful and capable young woman. It seems like only yesterday when she was going off to college. How soon they grow up. The picture is the one that is published on the university website announcing the winners. I just had to share with everyone how proud I am of my lovely daughter.

10 Things I Like: #3

I thought I'd get back to my series on 10 things that I like. I do have some cross stitching I'm doing but really have nothing to show yet. One is an ornament for an exchange, one is an autumn abstract that has probably no more than 20 stitces in it so far and the final piece is The Wave. You remember that one. It's the one where I had to rip out everything because I had miscounted the grid of the pattern. I did start it again but right now I only have a little beige showing and it's pretty boring to look at.

The third thing(or place if you prefer)that I like is New Zealand. This is one place where I could easily break my rule of not using the word love but I will restrain myself. Dave & I spent 3 weeks there about 6 years ago and really fell in like with the place. It really is a gorgeous country. We went in May/early June and felt like we had it all to ourselves. The scenery is truely spectacular! One of my favorite moments was at a place called Willowbank Reserve near Christchurch. We had planned to see the show and eat there but had arrived a little early. So we got to walk around and see all the animals. They have a kiwi house where you are separated from them by only a knee-high fence. They were fascinating to watch. But the highlight is the picture at the top of this post. I had just rounded a corner when this little guy hopped up to me. I stretched out my hand and well, you can see what happened. It was a very special moment for me. The second picture is from a cruise on Milford Sound and the third is from our crossing of the Transalpine Highway. I would like to go back but Dave says there are too many other places to see especially here in the US. So I remember that trip as truely a special one.

A Few Storm Photos

Last Wednesday we had some tremendous storms here in the Phoenix area. I left work about 15 minutes early because of the warning and made it home in plenty of time for the fireworks to begin. Now it hasn't stormed here in a long time and it doesn't do it very often even in the monsoon season. But when it does, it REALLY storms. We had winds about 35-50 mph and in our area we had hail as big as golf balls. Sherrie's car is parked outside and we were worried about what kind of damage it was taking but God blessed us in that there wasn't a scratch on it. Our guess is that the hail was deflected by the tree next door and the overhang of our roof. Other than a lot of leaves on it, it was fine. The one picture is of the hail in the backyard. The next is the view out our front door. The rain was just gushing off the roof into the front stoop. But the neatest thing we saw was an absolutely perfect rainbow when it was all over. I mean it was a perfect arch in deep, vibrant colors. I couldn't get a picture of the whole thing with my camera so I am only showing a part of it in this picture. But it was gorgeous! The weather has been relatively cool here since then and it feels like fall is right around the corner.

It Wasn't Meant To Be

It's been one of those days. I really wanted to stitch today. I mean I REALLY wanted to sit and spend the day stitching. Well, I started The Wave (my next BAP) over the weekend. And I was really pleased with the progress I had made in that short period of time. Then as I was stitching today, I suddenly noticed that that the first grid, which should have been 10x10 was actually 9x10. So I was going to off by one stitch all the way down the left side of the pattern. Now that wouldn't have been so bad if same color was used. But no, after about the first 10 rows, the colors started changing and I just knew I'd get in trouble down the line. So I started frogging it. Now remember this is being down over 1 with one thread. I managed to get one row out but it's going to have to be ripped out a little at a time or I'm either going to scream or throw it out. So then I decided to work on a Veraco kit that Dave had given me last Christmas. It's the Autumn Abstract which I love. Now it's supposed to have presorted threads. You can see from the picture just what their definition of presorting is. It was 2 strands of thread in each hole and the rest in a lump. Now I suppose you could just pull from the lump after you have finished what was on the card. But how on earth would you know what color they want you to use. So I am somewhat patiently matching all the threads up before I can start stitching on it. At this rate, it will be time to start cooking supper and I'll have done zero, zilch, nada stitching. Somedays it just doesn't pay!

Another Finish

I have another finish to brag about. I am kidding but it's been so long since I've had two finishes in a year, that it does feel a little like a celebration here. I'd been in a stitching slump for so long, it felt like I would never get back to stitching like I had done before. And it wasn't like I was doing anything productive. It was either computer games (which is still a major time waster in my world) or reading (which is NOT a time waster in my mind). I just had a real hard time getting back into the routine of stitching. But with the poppies done, I decided to concentrate on getting the Lizzie Kate I had started several months ago finished. I do think I like sticking to one piece at a time as opposed to a rotation of projects. That way I feel like I've actually accomplished something and not scattered my energies around. I also have so many UFO's stuck in a drawer that I would like to get out and finish. I think maybe next year will be the year of the UFO. Anyway, back to the Lizzie Kate. It's called Time for God and I really like what it says. I stitched it on cognac linen with sampler and Weeks threads. I did change a couple of the colors because we didn't have what the pattern called for. I really like this one. For right now it's going in the FUPPY box in the closet until I save up enough to frame it.

To EvalinaMaria

EvalinaMarie, I realize that you may not have found my email address yet. I left a comment on your blog with it but you may have missed it. So I thought I'd put it here in hopes that you'll see it. It's azxser at aol dot com. I hope you see this cause I would love to send you your package of goodies. The package is all ready except for your address. Hope to hear from you soon.

We Have Another Winner!

Well, it's my birthday and I'm giving away the goodies. We've picked a winner for my birthday giveway and it's... Drum roll please. EvalinaMarie! You are the winner of my birthday giveaway. If you'll email me, I can get your package off to you.

This has been such fun. I've discovered a whole bunch of blogs that I want to follow. There are so many of you doing so many interesting things out there. It's really inspired me to try new things. Hopefuly my winner likes what I'm sending. If not, EvalinaMaria, please feel free to pass what you can't use on to someone else.

Well, it's back to my regularly scheduled programming. I'm in the process of finishing a Lizzie Kate and hope to have the pictures posted this week. I'm also taking the poppies to be framed this Friday so they'll be back soon.

It's My Birthday!

My birthday ia this month (the 20th to be exact) and I've decided it's time for another surprise giveaway. I'm still drowning in stash that needs a new home so I thought this would be the perfect reason for having one. Same rules apply as before. If you comment on this post, you'll receive one entry. If you mention this on your blog, you'll get an extra entry. If you link to my blog, you'll receive a third. And to make it even more fun, if you become a follower, you'll receive another entry. So you can get a total of four entries for this giveaway. I can promise that you'll receive lots of goodies. So come on and help me celebrate. And, no, I won't tell you how old I'm going to be. Some things are better off left unsaid! Oops, I almost forgot. The cutoff date will be September 18 and I'll draw the winner on the 20th. Good luck, everyone.

It's Done All the Way!

It's done, it's done, it's done! The poppies are finished! Even the beading. I was off last Friday and just decided to sit down and get to beading. I decided not the wash the poppies. I had such visions of the reds running and I just couldn't take that chance. So I'm going to steam iron it (not on the poppies though) and get the rest of the wrinkles out. It goes against everything I know not to wash them but better safe than sorry. I really love this piece. I'm almost sorry to be giving it away but Don loves poppies so much and he has none that are counted cross stitch. He does have several that are needlepointed but I think mine are much more realistic looking. Don usually lets me pick out his framing for him and I think I'll suggest a light and a dark green mat with a black shiny frame. Now to get back to Lizzie Kate's Time for God.

My New Obsession!

I have a new obsession. I have always loved jewelry. I especially love vintage looking jewelry. Years ago I learned how to make seed bead earrings but most of what I've done has been self-taught. Well, my favorite bead store recently opened a branch just a mile from my house. So in the last two weeks I've taken 2 different classes. I really would like to learn how to make jewelry the correct way. First I took a bead stringing class. I made the pink bracelet you see here. I made it for myself but when Sherrie saw it, she asked if she could have it. Now she NEVER likes anything I wear. be it shoes, clothes, jewelry or my hair. So I figured if she wanted it, she must like it. A Lot. So I gave it to her and I figured I'd make myself another one. The class I took last night was wire wrapping and we made the earrings and pendant shown in the next picture. Now wire wrapping is a lot like hardanger. It may be easy to learn but you need to practice it in order to do it well. But I'm happy with the results and think more trips need to be made to the bead shop.

10 Things I Like: #2

I like polar bears. In fact, I think polar bears are one of my favorite animals second only to cats. There is something so majestic about polar bears. Yet at the same time, they also look so cuddly and playful. Now I'm sure they would just as soon eat me as look at me but you know what? That's just who they are. And I don't fault them for their natures. If I'm stupid enough to get that close to them,... well, you get what I'm trying to say. I just feel so bad that their habitat and way of life is threatened. What a sadder world this would be if the polar bears go the way of the dinosaurs. I hope my grandkids (should I ever be fortunate enough to have them) will someday be able to see the bears where they live. By the way, the pictures here were taken at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson. Believe it or not, polar bears are very adaptable to different climates. The same fur and skin which keeps them warm up in the Arctic also keeps them cool here in Arizona. At least that's what the sign at the zoo says. There are actually 2 different bears here in the pictures. One is Boris, a larger male and the other is a smaller female (I forgot her name). I could spend hours just watching them. So, yep, I like polar bears.

10 Things I Like: #1

I really like the ocean. I like the way it smells, I like the roar of the waves, I like the way the sand squishes between my toes. I could watch the ever-changing waves forever. I especially like watching a storm roll in off the sea. The clouds roiling in the sky, the waves crashing upon the beach, the wind whipping my hair. It's all so exciting. Now I'm not talking hurricane here. Having lived in Florida and going through Hurricane David in 1979, I understand the devastation a storm like that can cause. But the power in an ordinary storm is so amazing. I really would like to live on the coast but I know that's not going to happen. So I will just continue to visit the sea anytime I can and revel in the vastness of it all.

It's Done!

The poppies are done. Everything except for the beading, that is. I just took it off the q-snaps, hence the wrinkles and creases. The backstitching in the centers is done, that's where the beads are going to go. Now the problems is washing it. I am going to need to test the floss to see how much, if any, it is going to run. I'm not just going to drop it in water without checking. That would be a disaster if it ran. I think I'll check the floss first then if that looks okay, I'll put a wet paper towel on the back and see if the reds run there. Even if they don't run, I may just steam iron it rather than chance it. Once I find out if it runs or not, then I'll do the beading. I'm so glad this is done. Now to go on and pick out my next project. I think it will be the Lizzie Kate that I started earlier this year.

We have a Winner

in my kitty giveaway! It's Meari of Meari's Musings. I loved reading all the comments about everyone's kitty and wish I had a frame for everyone but that's not the case. And, yes, the extra one I have will be in honor of my little demon, Squeak. She is the love of our family and I wouldn't trade her for anything (although Rosie and Bear might disagree with me). So Meari, if you're out there, please email me at azxser@aol.com and I'll get your prize off to you. Thanks for playing, everyone!

the Home Stretch

I can't believe that I'm almost done with the poppies. I had a marathon stitching session today and finished the third large poppy. Now all that remains to stitch is the stem and the final bud and stem. It feels like I've been stitching on them forever. At the same time, it seems like I just started them. It's been a while since I enjoyed stitching anything as much as I've enjoyed stitching on them. Maybe part of that is because I know how much Don will love them. It's so much easier to stitch something when you know it will be appreciated.

I was looking for a project that I knew was kitted up when I stumbled upon a frame and pattern that I had a duplicate of. So I decided this would be a perfect giveaway for any kitty lover. Or maybe you have a friend who loves kitties. No matter whether you have a kitty or two or want to stitch this for the kitty lover in your life, this giveaway is for you. I'm giving away a kitty pattern and the handpainted frame that goes with it. There is NO fabric or threads with this. It's just for the pattern and frame. Now here's what you have to do to win this. Just comment on this post. That's it. That's all you have to do. Now you can get extra entries. If you talk about this giveaway on your blog, you'll get an extra entry. A link to my blog will give you a thrid chance. And for extra fun, you can get a bonus entry. Simply tell me in your comments the name of my kitty. It's here somewhere on my blog. Search the entries and you might get lucky. I'll run the giveaway until next Monday (8/16/10). Let's have some late summer fun!

10 Things I like

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about things I like. Now notice I didn't use the word love. I think that word can be so overused. I love ice cream. I love to read. I love flowers. Now do I really feel the same way about these things as I do about my family & friends? I don't think so. I love my God, my family, friends and my furbabies. So I decided to write about some of the things I like. And I'm gonna try real hard not to use the word love when talking about them. I've tried writing a gratitude journal but it felt artificial to keep saying saying thank you. Not that I'm not grateful for everything I've been blessed with, I just eventually couldn't think of anything new to be thankful for. So I've decided to think about things I like. I like a lot of things but to make it easy I thought I'd stick to 10 of them. So starting tomorrow I'm going to start blogging about things I like. They won't be in any particular order but just as I happen to be thinking about them. So join me tomorrow as I embark on my journey to discover what I like most.

Some Framed Projects

I thought I'd take a break for showing off the poppies and brag about 2 pieces I just picked up from the framer. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about the animal one but I'm not sure if I've ever shown off the other one. It's a counted needlepoint piece that I did as a class project here at the shop. You choose a Watercolor then coordinate your other threads to it. In case you can't tell from the picture, the outer mat is deep purple as is the frame and the inner mat is creamy yellow. I'm not a fan of purple but I thought this worked best with all the colors in the piece. The animal one is a kit I picked up in New Zealand. I substituted some better quality aida (it's also a larger piece of fabric), and all the threads in the kit were DMC so I was happy with them. It reminds me of our great vacation there so I have that one hanging in my hall where I pass by it every day. Unfortunately is was almost impossible to get a picture of them without reflections on the glass so if it looks likes there are marks on the mats, they're just reflections from the glass.

Poppy Update

Well, they're back. I'm talking about the poppies. It's been a week or so since I posted any update so I thought I'd catch you all up on them. I made some progress on them but not quite as much as I would have liked. But I still think I can finish the last main flower this week and possibly the rest next week. Then I need to try and figure out what I will stitch on next.

When I started cross stitching years ago, I was a one-project-at-a-time gal. I'd start and finish one project before I started another one. Then I started stitching in round robins and needed to work on more than one project at a time. Soon I had so many UFO's that I'm not sure how many I have stuffed away. So now I'm thinking of going back to one at a time. Of course, I know I'll have occasions where I need to start and work on something as a gift but I'm liking the idea of actually finishing something in a reasonable amount of time. So I can either start The Wave or finish the Lizzie Kate I started several months ago. Decisions, decisions.

We Have A Winner!

Well, we have a winner for my first ever giveaway. Vanessa, a Stitcher from Upstate New York, was drawn from the list of those who posted a comment. So Vanessa, when you'll email me your name and address, I'll get your package ready and sent out to you. My email address is azxser@aol.com. I've had such fun with this giveaway that I think I'll make this a monthly thing. I have so much stash that needs a new home that I think this is one way to relocate it. So be sure to keep checking back next month so you can see when I post a new giveaway.

Happy Dancing!

I'm happy dancing all over today. So far since I started Weight Watchers in late May, I've lost over 10 pounds! I just reached my 5% goal today. I thought I had gained since we've been eating out so much so I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find out that the scales had gone down this week. Now I don't see much of a difference but other people (including Dave) have said that they can tell. Now I'm even inspired to start working out again. So come on and join me in my happy dance!

Destashing Part 2

So I'm back to trying to finish the job I started a couple of weeks ago. You know the one. Getting my filing cabinet back to a usable state. As you can see from the pictures, I have a long ways to go. Unfortuately I'm discovering just how much being disorganized has cost me. Not so much in a monetary sense (although there is that aspect), but in having so much stuff that I REALLY don't know what I have. I mean I found not 1, not 2 but 3 copies of the same pattern. Now it's out of print so I'm sure I can find a good home for the extra copies but I could have had 2 other patterns for the money and space these 2 cost me. And, honestly, how many patterns of polar bears can you have? They're my favorite wild animal but do I really need 12 charts of polar bears? So I'm really determined to get this mess straightened up so I can actually see what I already have and what I need (nothing really but we know need has nothing to do with it). I'm just so tired of being disorganized and wasting time and money on something that is supposed to be fun.

Poppy Update

My poppies are coming along quite nicely. I was able to sit and focus more this week than I have lately and did manage to stitch quite a bit on them. I think I should be able to finish the flower I'm on in the next week or two, then I'll just have a couple of buds to stitch and it will be done! As much fun as I've had stitching this, I'm ready for it to be finished.

I think I've decided to stitch The Wave as my next big project. I love the almond blossoms but am just not ready to tackle that one. So in anticipation, I've already bought the fabric (25ct antique white lugana) and all the threads. I'm kind of looking forward to stitching this one. I've never stitched one by Artecy so we'll see how easy (or hard) it turns out to be.

There's still time to sign up for my giveaway if you haven't already. I love surprises and hope everyone else does as well.

It's blazing hot here in Phoenix today so it's a perfect day to stay indoors and stitch. Stay cool!

I'm Feeling Generous

I did some more organizing in my craft room this past weekend. When I did my major purge last fall, most of my charts and magazines just got stuffed in a file cabinet in a very random manner. So I really didn't know what I had kept. Well, this made it tough to buy new stuff. But that didn't stop me. I just bought what I wanted. Now when I refiled things this past weekend, I discovered that I had quite a few duplicate charts (some of which were very expensive). So I've decided to have a monthly giveaway. So if you are interested in my stuff, just leave a comment with your email address on this posting. If you post a link to my blog on your blog, then you'll get 2 entries into the giveaway. I don't think you'll be too disappointed in what I'm offering. You'll never know what you'll get. The drawing will be open for 2 weeks so I'll have my daughter pick a winner on July 28. Oh, and I'll ship anywhere so all you overseas gals, please feel free to enter.

We're Back!

Here's an updated photo of the poppies. I couldn't figure out why the last one I posted was so dark. Then I remembered that I usually had a lamp turned on right over them. I didn't do that last time and I wasn't really happy with the picture quality. I just couldn't figure out why. Then it hit me one night in bed (yes, one of those lightning bolt moments). So here's an updated picture. I've made a litle more progress but not as much as I would have liked. My reading has been interfering with my stitching big time. Ever since I got my Kindle 1 1/2 years ago, my reading time has gone way up and stitching has gone way down. I'm hoping to sit down today and stitch on them. I want to spend about an hour in my craft room finishing what I started yesterday then I plan on sitting down with the poppies. But first before anything else I must remove the blackberry cobbler from the oven. Isn't summertime great?

Did You Ever...

see something on TV and think "that would make a great cross stitch chart. Or how about something in your home? I had a floral comforter that had a pattern that I thought would make a neat crewel pattern. Well, I was watching Dr. Who a couple of weeks ago and they did a show on Vincent Van Gogh. Now I'm not usually into art or paintings but they showed some that I had never seen before and I just fell in love with the colors and the style. I checked around and sure enough I found patterns for them on the Cross Stitch Collectibles site. So I just got them yesterday and it's really thrown my planning into chaos. I had decided that my next big project was going to be The Wave. Now I really want to start the Branches of Almond Blossoms. The Van Gogh has about 29 pages and The Wave about 19. Do I do The Wave first or should I start a rotation with both of them? Decisions, decisions!

Next!

Have you ever found yourself anticipating what you'll be stitching next? Silly question, I know. Since I'm on the road home with the poppies (even if I didn't stitch on them at all this week), I've been trying to decide what larger project to start next. There's a Van Gogh that I'm waiting for in the mail (but that's for another post). I had seen The Wave in a catalog but was sure I could find the chart for it. I did, on Cross stitch Collectibles. Using 101 different colors. Now I'm all for realism but come on. The artist probably didn't use 101 colors. Then I found it on Artecy which I have been a member of forever. I've printed off a lot of their patterns but have never stitched one. She only used 43 colors. That I can manage. Then I saw another by the same artist, Mount Fuji in Clear Weather. Now I'm stuck. I like both of them. Which one should I do next? I'm leaning towards The Wave simply because I've liked it longer. How's that for logic? Or I may just wait till the Van Gogh comes in and I see which one I like best then. No matter what I decide, I think I plan on doing it over 1 on 25 count lugana. I just love the look of over one and I think I'm up for the challenge. But first, back to the poppies!

New Grandpuppies!

Okay, most people post pictures of their grandchildren. I'm not so lucky to have any yet. My oldest son and his girlfriend can't afford them and, well, to be honest, neither can my younger son and his wife. And Sherrie has absolutely no interest in children at this time. However we do now have 2 new grandpuppies. Brian and his GF decided they just had to have a dog and then Brian just knew that the first one needed a friend. Their names are, wait for it, Peter and Piper. Yes we have Peter Piper for granddogs. Peter is the one on the left in the pictures and Piper is the one on the right. I have to say they are both very sweet and loving and rambunctious. And, no, I won't make them Christmas stockings.

Weekly Update

Here's another update on the poppies. I've kinda slowed down on stitching them. I want to get them finished and I can see the end but my motivation has waned. Maybe it's the summer heat but I just don't feel like doing much of anything except reading. I plan on working them tomorrow morning and hopefully that will jump start the process again. I do have several other projects I'd like to work on so maybe that can be my motivation to get stitching again.

California Vacation Pictures

Just thought I would post a few of the pictures we took when we went to California last week. The drive down the coast was absolutely amazing. I can sure see the appeal of living there. It did get pretty chilly traveling with the top down but what else do you do with a convertible on the PCH? Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks were also gorgeous. That's where we took the picture of the little deer. I was actually only about 10 feet away from the car.

On the weight loss front, I think I did really well on vacation. I only gained 1 pound in the week. Now I know that's going the wrong way but considering I ate every meal out and counting points was well nigh impossible, I'm pretty happy. We did do a lot (and I do mean a lot) of walking, so I'm sure that helped. Now that I'm home I can keep a better eye on what I'm eating and hopefully start losing again.

WW Update

Well, it's been 2 weeks since I started WW. And I'm proud to say I've lost another 2 lbs. That makes almost 5 since I began. Now I know a lot of people lose much more to begin with than I have but I figure I didn't get this way in one day so it will probably take a lot longer for me to lose it. But I feel really good about my progress. Now if I can stay the course while I'm on vacation!

Sunday Update

Here's my weekly update on the poppies. I seem to have lost steam on stitching them. I didn't get quite as much done on them as I wanted to this week. It seems that Sherrie brought home a bad cold and promptly shared it with me. So I've been fighting a really bad cough. It's been keeping me up at night so I've been real tired and just didn't feel like doing much of anything. I've also decided to stitch exclusively on the poppies till they're done. I'm so close to the end that I want to finish them and get them to Don. We're going on vacation at the end of this week so I know I won't have much to report for the next couple of weeks. We're taking the convertible for a drive to Sequoia National Park and Yosemite then coming home by way of the Pacific Coast Highway. I can't wait for that drive.

Just to Share!

I just thought I'd share a couple of pictures from Sherrie's trip. This was at a lion's perserve next to their hotel. The kids actually got to bottle feed the babies and hold one of them. The lion Sherrie is holding is about 5 months old. She couldn't believe how soft its fur was. I can't believe all the things they got to do.