A Stitch in Time with Jules

WIPocalypse post for February

2012-02-05T15:53:00.001-08:00

And then some….

First, the “then some”. It’s been an emotional week for me. Well, weekend really. It started with some not-so-good news on my dad’s prognosis. His CT scans from Dec and Jan revealed a 25% increase in cancer cells in his liver and it has spread to his lower lungs. We will find out the course of further treatment this coming Friday. I also found out that same day (Thursday) that his brother went back into the hospital after being in post-op rehab for a week. He wound up with a blood transfusion.

This morning, I played traffic director after a major head-on collision in front of our church. There were 3 cars involved, however 2 were destroyed. Of those 2, one had 5 elderly citizens inside – three in the back, not in seatbelts, passed away. The driver and passenger were taken to hospital. I believe they were husband and wife. The other car had only a driver and he was also injured. So, to end my weekend a bit shaken up by all of this…

I turn to my WIPs!

First up is Coming Home for the Holidays, the SAL I am working on with Lana over at A Joyful Stitcher! Yes, the horse finally has a head, LOL!!!

Next is Medallions! I am really loving the darker fabric and hope to have this one finished by early Spring so I can get it on my wall.

And finally is Hope by Imaginating, Inc from the 2009 JCS Ornament issue. I actually finished the stitching portion and will probably finish it next weekend.

And another finish that I can finally share. I found out the Ellen at Cross Stitch Passion received her giveaway win. She told me that she loves everything and that the chocolate didn’t last long (of course)! LOL Anyway, I did finally finish that pin cushion pillow from The Gift of Stitching eZine and sent it in her package:

Quick Post

2012-01-29T14:44:00.001-08:00

I have been stitching on an ornament on-and-off all weekend and I am almost finished with the stitching portion of it. I will post a picture later in the week.

Speaking of the upcoming week, my work hours have changed. I am now working Mon-Thu 7:30am to 6pm. This gives me an extra day to stitch on the weekends, YIPPEE!!!

Of course, this is only temporary until I am either transferred or get my own vehicle. Not going to say much more on that subject.

Have a great week!!!

What a Stash!!!

2012-01-21T13:00:00.001-08:00

No, I haven’t gone shopping again, lol! I received my winnings from Vickie:

Now I have to go through and measure all of the pieces and figure out what I am going to use them for, hehe. Thank you so very much!!!

And, I finally got the package sent out to Ellen this morning. Things have been so crazy at work that it took a little longer than expected.

One of my cousins called me at 5:30 am Thursday. She was on her way to Gainesville for her dad’s surgery. Not the reason she called me though (and lucky for her my alarm already went off). She asked me to do her engagement and wedding photos. So, on April 6th I will be attending her wedding as the official photographer. She’s lucky I don’t charge family! I am happy for her. She deserves a happy ending for a change. Funny thing is, after hanging up I laid back and thought “I want a boyfriend”. Won’t go into details so as not to bore you all.

Oh, and my uncle’s surgery went well and he is recovering.

Working on an ornie this weekend and may pick Medallions up again later.

As always, thanks for hopping by and WELCOME to my newest followers!

~~~Until next time~~~

Medallions, Revisited

2012-01-16T11:19:00.001-08:00

Well, I went to Mt. Dora over the weekend to one of my LNS’s – A Stitcher’s Dream. Part of the reason for going was to finish putting together the giveaway package for Miss Ellen! Rest assured, the package will be on the way to her this week.

Another reason for making that almost 2 hour drive north was to visit my Aunt who has been in the hospital fighting off an infection in her leg; well, partial leg. She lost part of her right leg a few years ago and recently developed an infection around the area where the prosthetic attaches to. She’s doing quite well and enjoyed a little bit of peace, I am sure!

I also made the trek north to pick up a darker fabric so that I could restart this piece:

Remember it from last year? That is where I left off in February (I keep wanting to type “fevrier”, lol, so if you see a “v” where there should be a “b” please forgive. That French is sneaking out on me. Anyhoos, here is where I am currently on Medallions:

Medallions

Rosewood Manor by Karen Kluba

Stitched on 28ct Navy Lugana linen

Floss: Silk’N- Aqua Clouds, DMC- 747 (bs)

Restarted: 14 January 2012

Sad news in Central Florida today. The Senator burned and crashed to his death. Who is “The Senator” you might ask? This was The Senator:

He was a beauty to behold.

His Lady Liberty still standing tall,

saddened by her Senator’s demise.

If you want to know more about Big Tree Park in Longwood, Florida, visit this link. It’s a small park, but very interesting and beautiful.

~~~ Until next time ~~~

WIPocalypse ~ January

2012-01-08T06:53:00.001-08:00

Well, I am off to a slow start on this Challenge. I did manage to put in quite a bit more on Woodrow Wilson’s Birthplace over the New Year Weekend.

I have a little bit more to do in the grassy area on the lower right, the signature portion between the red and blue at the bottom, and I have to purchase another skein of floss to finish off the bottom center (where the white areas are).

I also started an ornament. This one is from the JCS 2009 Ornament Issue: “Hope” by Imaginating, Inc.

This afternoon, I plan to put some quality time in on Coming Home for the Holidays, or CH4TH ~ the SAL I have been working on with Lana over at A Joyful Stitcher. You should check out her blog if you haven’t already! This is where I left off last month:

Yes, the horse is still headless, but I will fix that this afternoon, lol!

~~~Until next time~~~

Woodrow Wilson update

2012-01-02T08:40:00.001-08:00

Well, Wilson and I spent quite a bit of time together this weekend (mainly on Saturday). However, I did not complete him. I finally had to set him aside around 10:30 or 11pm as my eyes were just not focusing anymore. I even tried remarking my working copy with a darker color to follow where I am without success. Here is where we ended 2011:

I am working on him today and now know that either way, I would not have finished him before the end of the year. That is, unless there was a Michael’s or Joann’s nearby that was still open that late, lol! You see, I ran out of one of the colors. D’oh! So he will have to be a 2012 finish and you know I am fine with that.

I did start working on one of the ornaments yesterday. I am only going to show pics of those when they are completely finished. No, not to be picture greedy, but because they are small and I don’t want to bore you to death. The one I started is “Hope” by Imaginating, Inc. from the 2009 JCS Ornament Issue for my youngest grand-niece. It’s the one that I had the most stash-on-hand for at this time.

I hope you are off to a great stitchy start for 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR WINNER!!!

2012-01-01T07:09:00.001-08:00

And the New Year giveaway winner is:

Ellen (at cross stitch passion)!!!!!!!!!!

Here’s what she wrote:

Ellen said...

What a fun way to start a new year! Love to join this giveaway, thank you for the chance. My favorite designers are BBD, PS, LHN, LK. I love overdyed threads and stitch mainly on linen (32ct and above).I am a coffee addict and love any dark chocolate.
Merry Christmas to you!
Hugs,

December 20, 2011 8:01 PM

I used the True Random Generator at Random.org to pick the winner. I had 13 entries and the generator picked #8. The winner has been notified by email.

Again, Congratulations Ellen!!!

Giveaways Galore

2011-12-31T07:36:00.001-08:00

Only a few more hours to enter my GIVEAWAY!!! Spread the word!

Also, there are a few other GREAT giveaways happening right now. Check out my side bar --->

Wilson Update and a Reminder

2011-12-24T17:11:00.001-08:00

I wanted to post a quick update on Woodrow Wilson:

I am still planning to finish this piece by year’s end! I really don’t have much more to go.

I want to also extend a BIG WELCOME to my newest followers!!! I hope you enjoy your visit to my blog.

Don't forget to enter my Giveaway. I will be drawing the winner’s name on January 1st. And please feel free to spread the word!

I leave you with a couple of pictures. The first one is of what my kitten, Abu, did to me yesterday when he took a flying leap toward my desk:

Yeah, that hurt a little bit!

And finally:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Ariel's Christmas Solo - The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting...)

2011-12-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

I have to give my 13 year old niece props for singing a solo for her Christmas concert this year. She really does have a great voice. Be kind, she was so very nervous so she sang off a little bit in spots. Plus, I noticed the pianist was off in a couple of spots. Overall, I am so proud of her!!!

A New Year, A New Giveaway

2011-12-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

For a couple of days now, I have been toying with the idea of starting off 2012 with a Giveaway! I have a few ideas in mind, but thought I would make this one extra special (seeing that I haven’t hosted a giveaway in quite some time). I won’t bore you with any mundane rules as this will be open to ALL of my followers! I am going to call this “A Few of My Favorite Things” Giveaway. There is a reason and it is the song of the same name, lol.

So, tell me, what are a few of your favorite things? Do you have a favorite designer? A favorite style? How about a favorite fabric or floss? I know you have a favorite candy and I am willing to bet it is chocolate, but can you be more specific??

Now, the above questions are just to get the ball rolling. I will draw the winner’s name on January 1, 2012!

Good Luck~~~

Woodrow Wilson and illness

2011-12-16T12:30:00.001-08:00

Well, I spent a little time with Mr. Wilson last weekend and thought I would share my progress:

I have been sick all week and finally went to the doc yesterday. I have an upper respiratory infection. No big surprise! I seem to get one every year, lol!! I have been ordered to rest for a few days so I think I will be spending some quality time with Wilson again this weekend. It would be great to finish this piece over the next couple days.

Next week we find out how the chemo treatments worked on my dad. He has his follow up CT Scan on Tuesday and results on Friday.

Hope y’all are ready for the big holiday celebration next weekend! I know I’m not…

~~~ Until next time ~~~

EVERYTHING!

2011-12-07T15:29:00.001-08:00

That’s what I want to stitch out of the latest issue of JCS! Especially Naomi Elizabeth. The first page I opened to was the one showing this design and I F-E-L-L I-N L-O-V-E!!! I love blackwork to begin with. The first piece I did was so fun. But seeing this design (p42) got the gears in my brain rolling around with color schemes, LOL! I definitely will stitch this a few times I think.

So, for 2012, I may start a couple of large projects:

Naomi Elizabeth
Sampler of Psalms

and maybe 1 other.

We’ll see how it plays out.

I do know that I have 36 ornies to stitch during the year too. I made a list of how many per niece/nephew. That’s a lot of ornaments! I had my sis look through the older ornament issues to mark those that she thinks appropriate for each of her grands.

No stitching so far this week. I am trying to come up with an idea to stitch for one of my cousins who recently was permanently placed in a nursing home. I want to do something kinda small and cheerful!

Stay tuned…

A Christmas Story

2011-12-02T17:31:00.001-08:00

Christmas in Michigan tends to be interesting. What with the snow and ice covering the ground, trees, houses, and anything else in sight! One particular Christmas, however, was especially interesting. I am reminded by a fellow blogger about a Christmas season where a cat found himself enveloped by a Christmas tree:

Now, while Chris’s cat may have been causing mischief, my mom’s cat, Casper (name is rather fitting), decided he would nestle down for a nap. I woke up one morning to find him in the tree. I wasn’t looking for him. I just happened to see that white spot surrounded by green and ornaments, LOL! I mean, can you imagine?!?! And would you believe that he got into the tree, very near to the top, and out of it without harming a single ornament!? Now that is one smart cat!!!

He was quite content, I might add!

On the stitchy front, this being the first weekend of December, it is time to once again pick up the CH4TH SAL with Lana over at A Joyful Stitcher. For those who are not familiar with the acronym (thanks to Lana!!) it stands for Coming Home for the Holidays. We both found that we are stitching it and she suggested the SAL. Of course I said yes! And we are now on our 5th or 6th SAL weekend. I will be spending Saturday and part of Sunday with my sister, but I plan to take it along with me and put a handful of stitches into it. I don’t think that I will finish it for dad this year, but plan to early in 2012. This is where I left off last month:

I am not sure how Lana would feel, but if anyone reading this is also working on this piece, please feel free to join us in our SAL. We are mainly doing it as an encouragement SAL. No time frame to complete it. No pressure. Just put a little bit of time on the 1st weekend of each month and see how you progress!!!

Forgotten Finish?!

2011-11-29T16:27:00.001-08:00

I was uploading some finished projects on Stitcher’s Showcase and realised that I didn’t share a finish from last month. Without further ado, here is my finish of Pincushion Pillow from the October 2011 issue of the Gift of Stitching:

I don’t know how I forgot to post this photo on my blog, lol! Some of you have seen it on Facebook and have helped me pick the backing fabric. For those of you who missed it, the overwhelming choice was that shown in the upper left corner!

I still have to finish it into a pincushion pillow. I may spend Christmas weekend working on some finishing in my stash.

Haven’t done any stitching this week mainly because I am too tired. My job is keeping me soooo busy and I am loving it. I might pick something up this evening and do a few stitches. We’ll see…

On the DAD front, he finished chemo last week and has his CAT scan on the 20th of December. We will find out shortly after that if the cancer has spread or went into remission. The oncologist has been optimistic all along they can get it into remission. They do have him tentatively scheduled for more chemo if needed. Otherwise, he will have to take the chemo pill form for the remainder of his life. If you remember, back in April he was diagnosed. They were able to remove the cancer cells from his colon/intestines but not the liver.

~~~Until next time~~~

A Finish and a park

2011-11-26T10:45:00.001-08:00

A Big WELCOME to my newest followers!

I finally finished Married This Day!!! I am very pleased with how it looks and can’t wait to get a frame for it so I can finish-finish it and send it to my best friend. Here is the finished product:

Married This Day by Ursula Michael

Started: February 27, 2011

Finished: November 26, 2011

I kept with a French theme as my best friend is from Nantes, France. I used “Marie ce Jour” instead of “Married This Day”. I also used the non-American way of placing the date: DD-MM-YY. I am sure she will treasure this piece.

Now, the only question I have on this piece is: to Matte or Not to matte? I think I will need to use an Ivory or Cream color matte to separate the fabric from the frame itself. Plus, there is a tiny smudge near the lower left corner that I need to hide.

My cousin came over yesterday afternoon for a few hours. We are very close and haven’t been able to spend much time together this year, even though we only live about and hour apart. Anyway, we went over to Zephyr Park and walked around Zephyr Lake. Here are some pics of our walk:

Zephyr Park

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I am the one with glasses on. Patty is my favorite cousin on my dad’s side of the family. We are the same age. I also snapped a pic of her and my dad right before she left:

Now on to the next finish!

~~~~~Until next time ~~~~~

A Married Update

2011-11-25T08:17:00.001-08:00

I have put quite a bit more detail into this piece and WILL finish it this weekend.

Not much, but some Fall Foliage as promised!

2011-11-17T15:56:00.001-08:00

Not a lot of stitching this week. But I can say that I am soooo close to finishing Married This Day! I am gonna park my butt this weekend and finish it even if it kills me, lol! Well, it won't actually kill me, but it will be somewhat consuming.I will leave you with that Fall Foliage I promised you all last time:

Oh, and for those of you who haven't visited yet, or even if you have, I do keep a photo blog of sorts. Click here for more images like this one!

And as always, WELCOME to my newest followers!!!

Ooh la, la! C’est un autre fou fini !

2011-11-12T05:56:00.001-08:00

But First, a big WELCOME to my newest followers!

Oui, j’ai finis Week-end à Paris!

Ok, that’s enough French for now, LOL! I did put the final stitches into Week-end last night. Here are the results (excuse the blurriness of the close-ups please):

Week-end à Paris

Conçu par: Fabrice de Villeneuve

Dimensions Gold Collection Petites

18 ct Ivory Aida with included Floss

I am also almost finished with Married This Day. I know, I keep saying that, but it is so true!!! It’s the detail work that is so time consuming, LOL!

Later this afternoon, I am going to my little cousin’s 3rd birthday party. I also found some FALL FOLIAGE here in Florida yesterday while by my grandma’s yesterday so I will take some pics and share later!

Until then ~~~

A "Coming Home" weekend

2011-11-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

Not much going on around my place this weekend. I went to a Tupperware party that my stepmom hosted on Saturday afternoon and church this morning. Put a few stitches into Coming Home for the Holidays. I haven't taken a picture yet, but will have one up Monday evening. I mainly wanted to post a quick note for tonight. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Been a long day

2011-10-28T16:22:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my newest followers!!!

I have been up since 5am EST and I am tired. I had a 2 hour drive to Orlando for orientation this morning. That was actually the most entertaining orientation I have ever been to, lol! I start at my work site on Monday morning. I am excited and still a bit intimidated. I will be working at a female prison about an hour away. The drive is not bad, really. I have never worked at a prison before, so it’s kinda scary. I know all will be well though. I am a secretary there. Yeah, I have a M.A. degree but there are just no jobs in education around here right now. Besides, this new job is a State of FL position which means benefits such as retirement!!! YAY!!!

I plan to enjoy the rest of the weekend finishing up a couple of projects. And I will throw in a couple hours for church on Sunday (or as one of my cousin’s likes to call it: sun-dee, ha) of course! Here are a couple of progress pics on Week-end a Paris:

Before detailing

Partial detailing

It is official! I have found another stitch I don’t care for ~ couching! UGH!!! It looks nice, but it is time consuming and confusing trying to use 2 needles at once. Maybe with time and practice I will grow to like it. For now, it’s almost up there with the dreaded French knot.

Another Blogger is hosting a new Challenge for the year 2012. This challenge coincides with the dates of the Full Moon and makes us accountable for our WIPs! I only have a handful at this point, but they are quite large. Look for my “Page” tab for the 2012 WIPocalypse coming soon. Since I only have about 4 or 5 WIPs at this time, and quite possibly into 2012, I plan to spend much of the year on smalls. I really want to do some ornaments for my nieces and nephews. I have 3 nephews, 2 nieces, 2 grand-nephews, and 3 grand-nieces. That’s a lot of ornaments. Plus, I want to stitch one for each year since their birth. That amounts to somewhere in the vicinity of 24 ornaments, LMAO! We’ll see…

I am not sure how often I will update my blog between now and the end of the year. With the start of the new job, Mon – Fri 8am to 5pm and an hour each way, I may wind up only doing a weekly post for a while. At least until I get acclimated to the hours.

Until next time…

Abu and an update

2011-10-24T19:04:00.001-07:00

I will start with the update! I stitched all weekend on Married This Day and can happily say that I am so very near a finish!!!

Here is where I left off last night:

And a little while ago, I added some detail and almost the rest of the cross stitches:

ABU is such a stinker! He gets into everything!!! And I mean EVERYTHING. He has grown accustomed to stealing my socks and taking them off to parts unknown for his pleasure. He thinks he’s a dog because he loves to play with socks, LOL. He’s also been knocking one of my stuffed kitties off the top of my TV at night while I am asleep. It’s now in a “hiding” place by my bed. I know, I know…party pooper!

Well, tonight he decided he wanted to watch the tele with me:

Well, only a few more days until I start my new job.

Until next time…

Tick-Tock…Tick-Tock

2011-10-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

The clock is ticking! I have to get as MUCH stitching done as I can by next Thursday evening. You see, I HAVE A JOB!!! I start next Friday with Orientation. Wa-Hooooooooooooo!

For now, I will show you a little more on Married This Day:

This picture shows how the roses progress.

Have a great weekend all! Mine will be filled with stitchy fun and hopefully a finish or two.

Until next time…

#300 ~ Married This Day update

2011-10-20T09:20:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update to share my progress on Married This Day:

I am almost finished with the cross stitch portion. Then I will finish up the backstitching and detail work.
The weather has turned quite cool here in Central Florida. We are sitting in the mid-60s at the moment with a slim chance of reaching 70’F. Yeah, I know! There are many north of here that are much colder and seeing snow, especially in the mountains and Alaska. However, in this part of the world, when temps go below 70’F, that’s long shirt and jacket season, lol!
Bundle up…Until next time…

Crazy Week-end update

2011-10-17T10:47:00.001-07:00

I have been trying like crazy to not get bored with my stitching projects. I especially want to get some of the smaller pieces done; as well as those near completion. You see, I may have a job by month’s end! I went on an interview Friday morning and later in the afternoon received a call that they want to process my paperwork for hire. Fingers crossed! Will tell more about it when I hear from them again – and hopefully with a start date!

Now for the Week-end:

I am still putting some stitches into this piece. I am working down the left side and could possibly be finished with it tonight or tomorrow. A lot depends on my motivation.

Until next time…

the Latest JCS is here!!!

2011-10-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

I got my issue of the Nov/Dec JCS in the mail today! I have to say that there is at least 1 design I am totally in love with: Sampler of Psalms!!! I have been wanting to stitch a Sampler of the 23rd Psalm specifically, it’s my fave in the entire Bible, but haven’t found one to my liking. I asked my dad to draw some motifs for me, but haven’t been able to convert to a pattern. Then I saw this issue and I really want to stitch the Sampler in it! Sooo, I am gonna ask Santa for the floss and fabric needed to stitch it and I may have a new start in January.

In other stitchy news, I have been doing a little stitching here and there. I have no pics to show yet, mainly because I haven’t loaded them into my laptop. I do, however, have some pics of my Sandy. She has been spending more time with me lately. Saturday night, I decided to take some snapshots of her:

the Latest JCS is here!!!

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Another year gone by

2011-10-04T16:07:00.001-07:00

Wow! I can’t believe I have blogged another year away. Yup! I missed my own blogoversary on the 1st but that’s OK. I did spend some of that day stitching. Here are some pics of what I have worked on:

Progress on Coming Home for the Holidays

A Christmas Ornie from the insert that came with the 2010 A Cross Stitch Christmas book

Pincushion Pillow from the October 2011 issue of Gift of Stitching.

I will probably finish up the GoS piece and put more work into the ornie tonight.

I also need to show an update on Week-end a Paris:

Until next time…

Another post!

2011-09-23T13:26:00.001-07:00

Thought I would share a couple more pics of CdC! Page 2 is now complete!!!

A close up view

And a view of the whole piece:

Cirque des Carreaux and a Birthday!

2011-09-23T09:59:00.001-07:00

First of all, I want to wish (yet again) my mom a

VERY HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY!

I have almost finished page 2 of CdC and so far I like the way it is turning out. Here are some progress pictures:

Cirque des Carreaux

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Not sure what I will be working on this weekend.

On the job front: I had an interview yesterday morning for a really good position. It is a State job and I really want it! I won’t know anything for a week or so, but am hoping to get the offer and will start late October. In the mean time, I will continue to apply for jobs and see what comes of it.

Until next time ~~~

A Start & Finish, Progress, and stuff

2011-09-20T07:37:00.001-07:00

Sunday, my sister called and asked if I would come down for the night. Of course, I went! Since she is still getting settled she doesn’t have cable yet so I had to take a bunch of movies with me. I also took a couple of projects with me to work on. One of them was The First Day by Plum Street Samplers (from the JCS Christmas Preview issue):

Since I didn’t have all of the ~~necessary~~ recommended floss and fabric, I improvised. I used WDW Williamsburg and Loden and stitched on 28ct Antique White Evenweave by MCG Textiles. I think it looks beautiful!

Remember this piece (JBW French Heart):

Well, I finally finished it and it’s on it’s way to my mom as this:

She turns 60 on Friday and I thought this would be perfect since I can’t do what I originally planned on at this time.

A progress picture from last week that I forgot about…I did put some stitches into the second vase. I am still not too keen on metallics, but I am finding some going through the fabric easier than others. Hopefully I will have enough to finish the project:

I will be happy when this one is finished, LOL!!!

And finally, Ink Circles Cirques des Carreaux:

I am about halfway finished with page 2! I may just continue working on it this week until Page 2 is done.

And the stuff is really a cool picture of my sister’s dog Sheppo:

I took this yesterday afternoon while at her house. We were waiting for her to come home from work. Doesn’t his face look pitiful?!

As promised…

2011-09-17T17:27:00.001-07:00

I just put the final stitches into Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace Sampler and took a picture:

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace Sampler

By: Barbara Bangser for The Posy Collection

14ct Charles Craft Ivory Aida

DMC Floss Included in kit

And this is what it looked like when I visited the National Historic Site in 2005:

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace

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Because this building is so old, the Historic Society has preserved it within a concrete structure to keep the weather and other elements out. Unfortunately, I only have the one picture of the actual house, but it gives you a view into the history of the Sampler!

The other part of this NHS is his boyhood home in Knob Creek:

Lincoln’s Boyhood Home

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Of course, you can’t just visit one part of this park and not the other, so I made a day of it and visited both locations. They are approximately 10 miles apart, but well worth the visit!

Until next time…

I feel another finish coming!

2011-09-17T08:43:00.001-07:00

I am almost done with Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln Sampler

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I think my motivation to get projects finished is not so much in keeping up with the Crazy Challenge and finishing that goal, but that I may not have all this free time in a few months. I am determined to have a full-time job by the end of the year, first of 2012.

I’ll post my finish on this later tonight or tomorrow sometime, unless I wind up staying the weekend at my sister’s. Then it will have to wait until Monday.

Have a great Saturday!

Go Green! Go White!! Go STATE!!!

Lincoln, Fabric and giveaways!

2011-09-15T14:32:00.001-07:00

There are several great giveaways going on right now. Check out my <--- left sidebar for links!

I have been working on the Abraham Lincoln Sampler for the past couple of days. I am a little more than halfway:

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace Sampler

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I have to admit that I was hesitant about the detail back stitches in the roof. But after doing a couple of rows I am quite pleased with the effect. I think it helps that the chart calls for 2 strands of floss. I included a close-up of the roof detail.

And my sister brought me some fabrics she had stashed away. Since she has moved into her own place, she has cleaned out a lot of junk. This was just a little something she set aside for me:

And the job search continues! I am determined to find something full time and hopefully before year’s end. I am also contemplating going back to school for a second Master’s degree. This time it would be an M.S. in Homeland Security or something related.

Oh, and speaking of year’s end, I received the Christmas issue of JCS the other day. There are a handful of designs that I really like, but not many. Alas, they will just have to keep until I am better able to support my habit, LOL! I will update my “Future Projects” page soon.

Until next time…

Halloween is Finished

2011-09-12T19:13:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have another Crazy finish! I made myself sit and finish stitching that blasted border today. It took me about 5 hours on and off. Here is a picture of the final product:

If I never have to stitch another border like this one again it wouldn’t be soon enough! LOL Guess this means I have to be more careful of the charts I choose. Yeah, right!

I also promised an update on The Gardeners, et voila:

Not sure what I will work on the rest of this week. Maybe I will try to finish the second vase in Vibrant Vases.

Until next time…

WOW!

2011-09-10T11:05:00.001-07:00

That’s how my day has been. Just, WOW! Been watching movies and working on The Gardeners. Here is where I left off last night:

I’ve gotten a bit more done this morning/afternoon and will post another update on it tomorrow sometime. I am hoping to get page 2 completed, which is the section I am working on currently (the top, right side). Should be doable! LOL

Now for the WOW!!!

My favoritest niece in the whole wide world called me a little while ago. If you know the history you’d know that she hasn’t really been speaking to me for some time now and my heart has been broken over that. It’s partly my fault, but I don’t take full responsibility (nor will I go into details). Anyway, she really made my day with the phone call (she’s 13 years old by the way). I miss her like crazy and wished we lived closer together. Since moving to Florida in 2006, Michigan seems like a lifetime away, and we aren’t as close as we once were. Well, she’s in 8th grade this year and made the VOLLEYBALL TEAM!!! I am sooooo proud of her! I need to stitch something special for her, that is volleyball related. The picture of her is from my trip to Michigan last Christmas and she is holding an afghan her great-grandma gave her.

Until next time…

Week-end a Paris

2011-09-08T17:52:00.001-07:00

I spent a couple of days in Paris! Well, not the real Paris, but the Week-end a Paris piece I have been working on as part of the Crazy Challenge. I am about halfway complete now:

Today, I picked up The Gardeners and put some stitches into it. I will work a little more tonight and tomorrow on that piece, then switch to something else for the weekend.

Until next time…

Weekend Stitching and other things

2011-09-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

A BIG WELCOME to my newest followers!

I have had a few requests on my historical pieces specifically asking for designer information. The designers on those pieces vary, but I picked up the kits at the historical sites I have visited (i.e. The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Sampler was purchased at the gift shop at that National Historical Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky). They are distributed by The Posy Collection. Their website lists a handful of the cross stitch items they have. I also linked “historical sites” above to the National Park Service website. I encourage you to visit your local National Parks or any along the way if ever on a road trip!

Now on to the stitching bit…

I spent Saturday through this morning with my sister in Plant City (FL). While there, I managed to put in a meager few stitches on Coming Home. Here is where I left things before the weekend:

And here is where things stand now (no pun intended):

I also took a pic of this in the “Pop Art” function on my camera:

I LOVE how the colors pop in this mode!!!

Until next time…

Woodrow Wilson’s Birthplace…

2011-09-01T11:11:00.001-07:00

…progress!
I spent much of the last couple days stitching on Wilson’s Birthplace. I have the house nearly complete, including backstitches! Here are some pics:

This is where I left off in May

And this is where it stands as of last night!

Going to try to get back on the Crazy rotation. I am also going to put some time in on the Coming Home for the Holidays SAL with Lana over the weekend. In addition to all of this, I am still looking for a full time job (and I absolutely hate trying to write a resume) and spending the weekend helping my sister move. I may wind up staying with her most of the weekend.

Oh, and here is a picture of my baby, Abu, trying to assist me in my stitching efforts:

And, I changed my Blog Title to "A Stitch in Time with Jules".

Until next time…

Washington Monument

2011-08-29T13:50:00.001-07:00

This National Monument has been in the news quite a bit recently. Between the earthquake and the Irene, I believe it may have seen more action than General Washington himself! Well…maybe not, but it certainly has seen it’s fair share as of late.

I put the final stitches into this piece yesterday. Here is a picture of my version of Washington Monument:

and a photo I took while on a visit to DC in June 2009:

I am toying with the idea of adding some iridescent metallic floss throughout the monument portion of this design to give it some shimmer. I am planning on framing it in a double frame alongside one of my favorite pictures from the October 2009 trip:

I am going to work on Woodrow Wilson this week, maybe a little bit on Week-end a Paris too. We’ll see how the week plays out.

On the first weekend of each month, a fellow blogger, Lana, and I are doing a SAL on Coming Home for the Holidays. While I am much farther along on my piece than she is, we are hoping to motivate one another on completing it. I would really like to complete it and frame it for my dad for Christmas this year.

I am also in the process of looking for a new job. I am hoping something will turn up before year’s end.

Until next time…

Crazy Mabry Mill Finish

2011-08-23T18:22:00.001-07:00

Yes, I finally have another Crazy Finish!!! I put the last stitch into Mabry Mill a few moments ago and took a picture:

Looking to finish Halloween tomorrow. Today was a crazy day. Spent part of the morning at my grandma’s then went back a couple hours ago to find her nebulizer. It takes around 20 minutes to get to her house as she lives in the middle of nowhere, lol! But it’s all good. She’ll be 86 in October and not sure how many more years she’ll be with us so when she needs me, if I can, I am there!

To all of my blogging friends who were affected by this afternoon’s earthquake, stay safe! Hopefully the aftershocks won’t be nearly as bad as the quake itself!

Until next time…

Mabry Mill, almost finished

2011-08-21T17:47:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am pleased to say that I have put quite a few stitches into Mabry Mill this weekend. Here is where things stood last time you saw it:

As of last Thursday:

And as of today:

I should have it completely stitched tomorrow and am also hoping to finish Halloween.

I am looking forward to the day when I am able to take a decent vacation through the Blue Ridge Mountains and actually stop at Mabry Mill. I have heard that it is really beautiful to see in person.

Until next time…

More Kitty Progress

2011-08-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

I didn’t accomplish much more beyond the last update, but the face is almost complete:

I am going to try to work on Mabry Mill a little this week. Just kinda vegging out trying to decide what to do with my life. Lost my job last Friday. No biggie – was kinda tired of the b.s. going on there and being called a liar.

Dad has 4 treatments left. This week was a doozy for him. Took him to the hospital Monday morning to get him admitted for treatment. They processed him in and sent us to the surgery unit. We were confused so the admin rep verified that’s where we were to go. So, we went up to the 2nd floor surgery unit and was told he wasn’t on their list. We knew there was a mistake in admissions, lol! Soooo, dad waited there while one of the nurses waited on another person to get back to her with what to do. I went to take my Aunt to a doctor’s appointment. When I got back to the hospital, I was told by the nurse at the surgery desk he was admitted to a room. We also learned that the pharm is out of 5-FU (5-Fluorouracil). This is one of the main drugs and is a 22-hour IV bag. Needless to say, this week’s visit was cut short by a day and his cancer doc is still trying to get the drug in stock. Between Florida Hospital, the cancer doc, Moffit Cancer Ctr and another facility, I think the pharmaceutical plant that distributes this drugs is being inundated!

And, Abu has been farting ALL FRIGGIN DAY! He is a stinker!!! LOL

Cream for Kitty update

2011-08-11T15:12:00.001-07:00

I have spent the past week putting some stitches into Cream for Kitty. Here is where I left off the other day:

I have more of the face filled in and will post another update in a few days.

A Crazy Bit o’Progress

2011-08-05T16:14:00.001-07:00

Well, I am slowly getting back into my stitching projects. Still not completely feeling it, but I am forcing myself. Dealing with this depressive episode this summer has been a bear – and I mean A BEAR! I haven’t been this low since my divorce in 1998. However, therapy every other week is helping in spite of the change in doctors. And I am going to church again (just wish there were some singles in my age group there, lol!). All in God’s time!

Onto the stitching…

I finally finished Lincoln’s roof and started on some of the tree to the top right.

I am so near completion of Washington’s Monument that I can almost taste it.

Last, but not least, I framed Try to Relax and gave it to a friend of mine the other day.

He asked why and I said “I told you I was gonna do this!”. I think he appreciates it. It’s not the only piece I am giving him. He is a history buff like me and I figured he was the perfect person to give the Civil War piece I finished a couple years ago. I plan to finish it into a throw pillow. I know he will really enjoy it.

I need to put some serious work into the larger projects in my Crazy rotation, so I may wind up working on them quite a bit this month, so long as my mojo picks up!! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer wind down!

‘til next time…

A Cra-a-a-azy Finish!

2011-07-31T17:20:00.001-07:00

I finally finished another piece from the Crazy Challenge! I haven’t felt much like stitching lately, but I decided to force myself to stitch on something this weekend. May I present Try to Relax:

I plan to frame this piece and I may wind up giving it to a friend of mine. It’s cute, but I must admit that I am not fond of the stem stitches. My first attempt at those. Time will tell and maybe trying them in other projects, lol!

Lost it…

2011-07-24T12:32:00.001-07:00

My stitching mojo that is! Haven’t felt like stitching. Have tried to put some stitches into Washington Monument. Not very successful. Definitely not enough to share, lol! Anyhoo, I decided to give it up until the 1st of the month. For now, I am just playing stupid Facebook games, watching stupid TV shows (well, except for Big Brother – It’s AWESOME! – and the only reality show I do watch), and trying to get caught up in my Janet Evanovich reading since #18 is due out in November instead of next summer, WOOO HOOOO!!
Been kinda busy at work too, covering for vacations. Lost my cool 2 Saturdays ago cause I get sick of getting screwed over on that day every single week. Yeah, I work every Saturday and while we are only open for a couple hours (830-12) it sucks having to stay late for people who can’t seem to call in their orders early enough. So, if you are one of those who waits until the last possible minute to order flowers for your friends or loved ones, keep in mind that the drivers do get irritated having to stay late, especially on a Saturday when hours are cut in half, LOL! Seriously though, I do enjoy my job and wouldn’t trade it for anything right now.
Oh, and can you believe that summer is almost over! Whew!! This one sure did fly by; or am I just getting o-l-d?!

~~Don’t know what the name of this flower is but it sure is pretty~~!

Found out it's name: gentiana!

Try to Relax is almost finished

2011-07-16T13:16:00.001-07:00

Just have a little more detail to fill in at this point. I haven’t been too motivated to stitch the past couple nights. It’s been a long boring, yet tiring week at work. Here are some pics of my progress:

Hopefully I can get back on track soon! I have so many pieces I want to finish by the end of the year!

Try to Relax

2011-07-09T14:26:00.001-07:00

Almost complete! I finally finished the cross stitches. Now I have to finish the detail stitches (i.e. back and stem stitches). Here is where things stand:

I plan to fill in the detail this evening. Not sure what I will work on next. Maybe I will finish up Washington’s Monument.

Until next time…

Giveaways

2011-07-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know there are a few great giveaways happening! Check out the links in my sidebar (to the left)!!!

May I present…

2011-07-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

…Abu!

Yeah, it took a few days, but I finally came up with the ~~perfect~~ purrrr-fect name for new kitty. For those of you Disney fans out there, you may recognize it from the movie Aladdin.

Here he is getting some motherly (well, she’s not really his momma) love from Sandy:

I spent much of last night stitching away on Try to Relax. Here’s my progress before stitching:

And after last night:

I plan to put a little more work into it this evening as soon as this post is up!

Until next time…

Washington Progress and a New Buddy

2011-06-27T09:33:00.001-07:00

First for my new buddy! Since Sandy is still missing, I put my foot down last night with my dad and told him I was picking up a kitten from grandma’s today. And when Sandy does decide to show up, we will be a 2 cat household! He didn’t object and asked that I get the newest black kitten instead of Ebenezer. Now for the dilemma: a NAME! My sis is coming over after work to help me with that. So, for now, I present my new little buddy:

Yeah, his eyes are still matted and he has fleas. All will be remedied soon enough! But ain’t he a cutie pie!!!

And progress on Washington Monument:

Until next time…

Crazy Update and a New Book!

2011-06-22T12:36:00.001-07:00

First the new book! I received the latest Cross-Stitch Christmas book in the mail today!! I have only browsed through it briefly and there does not seem to be many that peeked my interest to stitch, unlike the past couple of years’ books. I thought I would share a pic of the cover with you.

The design on the cover is one that I will probably stitch in the future. There are a few designs for cards that I will also stitch, quite possibly for this year since there is still plenty of time.

Speaking of time, we are halfway through the Crazy Challenge that began on January 1st! I joined this endeavor as an opportunity to clear out some older kits that I had lying around collecting dust. I have made a tiny dent in them and am nearing a finish on a couple pieces. Hopefully I will be able to get more work into them during the summer.

Anyway, here’s the latest progress on Week-end a Paris:

I have nearly completed l’Arc de Triomphe. As you can see, there is a LOT of gold colored floss in this monument, and it’s ALL half crosses!!! With the Palsy, it’s been difficult to see out of the right eye, BUT GOOD NEWS…I finally have movement on the right side of my face!

And speaking of Paris, my best friend is getting ready to head home to France for a short visit! I so wish I could go with her this trip, but alas I have no funds. I’m gonna miss her while she’s gone, pretty much miss her all the time, but that’s because she lives in Michigan and I live in Florida! C’est la vie!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.

Until next time…

Progress Pics…

2011-06-19T15:07:00.001-07:00

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all of the dads out there!

********************

What little I have been able to stitch I will share with you now.

I put some stitches into Married This Day.

The bottom left corner is coming along nicely so long as the frog stays away!

I also FINALLY found Tobacco Road (WDW) floss and started the outer border on Halloween.

I found that I am having to restitch this as well. I miss counted somewhere along the way, so Senor Frog is paying another visit. Oh well! Once this palsy starts to clear up, my right eye will work a little better and I won’t have to strain so much, lol! I found that if I pull the eyelids apart a little, I can see quite clearly from that eye.

I spent last night on Week-end a Paris, but not enough to share yet. I will work on it some tonight while watching The Glades!

Until next time…

Progress

2011-06-18T19:26:00.001-07:00

Will show some pics Sunday afternoon. Been doing a little more stitching, as my right eye permits. Still dealing with the Bell’s Palsy, but seems to be slowly improving.

Until then…

Welcome!

2011-06-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

I know I don't say this nearly enough! So I thought I would stop in for a moment to say:

to all of my newest Followers!

Stitchy Pics

2011-06-12T04:47:00.001-07:00

Just gonna post some pics this time. Not much to say other than I am doing a little bit of stitching right now. Still dealing with the Bell’s Palsy, so it makes stitching difficult at times. Here are the few that I did put needle and thread to:

Clarity after Chaos

2011-06-11T09:40:00.001-07:00

**I decided to publish this post on both my stitchy blog and my writing blog. So if it seems like a duplicate to you (that is, if you read both blogs), sorry for the confusion.

Have you ever had one of those moments when the light bulb just clicked on and you think to yourself, “You know, he’s absolutely right!”? Well, that happened for me this morning shortly after 8am. I have spent the past few weeks dealing with a lot of old hurts and emotions, stuff that I buried so deep down that I never thought it would surface. You may have noticed this in my posts as of late. This is a GOOD thing, mind you, as I need to feel this stuff and let go of it once and for all. I guess it’s a healing process long overdue so that I may move on with my life and finally find that happiness I am looking so hard for.

So what was he right about, you may be wondering. Well, the other night, a friend of mine was visiting and we were going to watch another episode of “The Pacific” together. Being that I was in an emotional state and really needed to talk more than anything, I shut the DVD off and just let it all out. A little background: I really like this man, as a friend, and find myself feeling comfortable enough to talk to him about anything. I don’t have many friends like that, so when I find one I tend to latch on…HARD! I don’t love this man in any other way than a friend and still think of him as a cousin (his mom and my uncle were married until 1993 when my uncle passed away). Heck, I still call his mom “Aunt ___” at times. We have a good time together talking about mutual interests and family and it’s all good. But what he said to me was “You are clinging to the first man to show you some affection” (something along those lines).

Ding, ding, ding! The light bulb clicked on this morning and I thought “Man, he’s right about that! And I don’t even love him – at least not in that way!! LOL”. In the midst of this emotional chaos, I had been trying to figure out my feelings for him too. NIGHTMARE! I admit that I am more ready than ever to be in a relationship with a man, however I know what I deserve in a man and what I need. Most importantly, there has got to be mutual feelings, right?! So, as I got ready for work, that comment just really clicked in my brain. And I finally began to have some clarity after the chaos of the past few weeks.

Now, if this darn Bell’s Palsy would just go away already, all would be right in my world! I sure hope everyone is having a good weekend and I thank you so much for just reading my blog posts as of late. I know they have probably been difficult, boring, or just plain sad, but it helps to get some of this junk out of my system. And, I have been doing a little bit of stitching and will have pics to share very soon!

MARCO!

2011-05-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

Marco Polo with Seasons of My Mind

This should be fun and interesting! Care to join in? Just follow the above link for instructions!

Some Stitching…FINALLY

2011-05-30T17:26:00.001-07:00

I finally felt like doing some stitching yesterday and today. I filled in more of the sky on Washington Monument:

Somewhere along the way, I lost a row. However, when I count the rows on the trees, they seem to be correct. I will have to just adjust because I will be damned if I frog ALL of that blue, LOL!!!

I began the bottom half of Married This Day:

I will have to figure out how to do the lettering on this one as I am reworking it in French and this means less space is needed.

And I made a special bookmark for a friend of mine:

This has a significant meaning to the recipient. I am sure he will enjoy it!

Crazy Update

2011-05-24T18:22:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post to show the latest on Washington Monument:

Been dealing with a lot of buried emotions. Not doing a lot of stitching right now. Will be back in a few days…

Emotional Week

2011-05-21T10:03:00.001-07:00

Haven’t done any stitching the past week, until last night. Just been dealing with a lot of old emotions, plus changes at work. Will post an update soon though on Washington’s Monument.

Crazy Challenge updates

2011-05-15T14:16:00.001-07:00

I have been busily working on some of the pieces this past week. My schedule at work has changed, so I may have more free time to stitch during the summer. This is the time of year when things really die down at the shop ~ especially because the snowbirds head north. Anyway, here are some pictures:

The Gardeners has been fun to stitch, actually. I did decide to use 3 strands on the purple flowers (see close-up in 2nd pic). I am hoping to give it a little depth by adding the strand.

Try to Relax is coming along and is nearly finished. One of the specialty stitches is the stem stitch, so I will be adding another one to my arsenal of learned stitches before long!

I spent the past couple days on Washington Monument and plan to finish Halloween tonight during Desperate Housewives.

Dad goes in for Round #2 in the morning so I will have at least 1 day of peace. The other 2 will be at work, so not so peaceful, lol!

Until next time…

Crazy days and updates!

2011-05-08T14:26:00.001-07:00

Well, last week turned out to be quite a crazy one in the shop. I put in over 55 hours in a 6-day period and the check is gonna be oh so worth it! I’ll be able to get caught up…AGAIN, lol. And maybe I will have a little left to get some darker fabric so I can finally go back to stitching on Medallions. For now, the Crazy rotation continues. I put in some work on Lincoln’s Birthplace (and unfortunately he doesn’t have a complete roof yet), Cream for Kitty, and Mabry Mill. Here are some pictures:

I hope all of the mother’s out here in blogland are enjoying their special day today! Last night, after getting off work at nearly 6:30pm, dad and I made the 45 minute trip to my Aunt and Uncle’s house to deliver flowers to her from one of my cousins. And today, we made the 30 minute trip north to my grandma’s to take her some flowers. I also got to see the newest furbabies. There are 4 white with some blackish splotches on their heads and one gray tabby. They are soooo cute! But not as cute as my Ebony – well, I will officially call him Ebenezer. I am gonna have to figure out how to get him fixed and his shots over the next couple months.

Dad’s first round of chemo went well, and he has not had too much side-effects, other than tiring easily, so far. He goes for a check up this week and start round 2 in another week.

Until next time…

Stitchy update…

2011-05-02T16:04:00.001-07:00

Well, I spent the last couple of evenings in April working on Wilson’s Birthplace. I am almost finished with the house and then I can finish the rest of the stuff on it. Here’s where I left it as of 30 April:

The most difficult part about this piece is the white and the light grey portions. I found that I had mixed them up somehow the other night and had to let Monsieur Frog visit a little bit. Oh well, that’s what happens when two colors are sooo very close in shade and the lighting is less than perfect for the moment. I am just thankful only a handful of stitches had to come out and not an entire section. LOL

Last night and this evening, I plan to work on Lincoln’s some more. His birthplace almost has a roof! Woo Woo!! I will be glad to have that part done because stitching the same 2 colors over and over is getting mundane.

Dad’s first round of chemo started shortly before 6pm this evening. He will be in the hospital until Wednesday, and then we repeat in 2 weeks.

Until next time…

May Day, May Day

2011-05-01T17:41:00.001-07:00

It’s the first day of May so do you know what that means?! It’s May Day!! My second favorite date of the year (after my birthday, of course, which falls in the month of MAY). In a few short days, I will be 1 year away from turning 4-0! Oh My God!!! I am thankful for the last 38 years, and 344 days I have spent on this Earth and I am looking forward to many more years, God Willing!

I will be back for a stitchy update on Monday evening. For now, be sure to check my left sidebar for the latest Giveaways! I know there must be more than what I have listed, but I haven’t run across them…YET.

Until next time…

What a week!

2011-04-29T10:13:00.001-07:00

So many storms! I am sending good thoughts out to all of you who have had to deal with the wicked weather to the north of us (the Midwest and the Southern states that is). I hope you all come out unscathed.

Easter is behind us, praise Jesus, and Mother’s Day is fast approaching. This means another extremely busy week for us in the floral industry! So if I disappear again, for only a short time, you know why.

Dad is doing well and begins chemo on Monday morning. Since he’s only on Medicare, he will be admitted to the local hospital for treatments every other week for at least the next 6 months. This way, he has no out of pocket for that portion. Whew!

I have been keeping busy in my stitching over the past several days. Here is what I have been working on:

more of Married This Day

I am hoping to have the stitching finished before the end of May so I can send it to my mom to get framed and then give to my friend on or before her birthday.

and a couple of progress pics of Halloween

As you can see, I am almost done with Halloween and hope to finish it in May. I am thinking about trying my hand at making this one into a roll. I am just not sure how to finish the ends. I do know there are several great tutorials out here in blogland and I will be looking to them for guidance.

Today and tomorrow, I will work on Wilson’s Birthplace for a bit and then the Crazy rotation begins again on Sunday!

By the way, I hope you have read all the way to this point, there is a special blogoversary coming up for one of our friends! So with that, I will close by saying

Happy 4th Blogoversary, Edgar!!!

HOPPY EASTER!

2011-04-24T16:17:00.001-07:00

Yea, it’s a bit late in the day here in not-so-sunny Central Florida, but it’s been a nice day all the same. Spent the afternoon with my family, helped hide Easter eggs for the kiddos to hunt, and then watched:

Easter 2011

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

Hope yours was just as joyous!!

I promised an update on my stitching projects, so here goes! I managed to get a bit done on Week-end a Paris:

I picked up the Butterfly Shamrock Wreath piece and stitched a bit on that:

And now I am working on Married This Day:

I may or may not continue with this piece during the week. I am also thinking I need to put a little time in on Woodrow Wilson and Halloween, but we’ll see what strikes my mood during the week.

I am still a bit drained from the past week between dad’s appointments and the holiday and I don’t see an end in sight for a couple more weeks. Over here in the US (for those of you abroad), we celebrate our Administrative Professionals this Wednesday. Then it’s only a short week and a half until Mother’s Day, so we will pick up a bit more near the end of this week. Not to mention PROMS! I am looking forward to the break after Mother’s Day, but not the little bit of money I will be making at that point (when my schedule goes back down to 2 days per week). Soooo, gotta pay as many bills up as I can over the next couple checks.

Christ has risen and we are saved!

Until next time…

I haven’t disappeared

2011-04-20T14:47:00.001-07:00

Although I feel like I want to at times. I have been working on some pieces over the past week. However, I don’t have pics to share with you yet. I will get them posted as soon as I can catch my breath. Between dad’s doctor appointments this week, taking care of household chores I normally don’t do (like cook meals, clean kitchen, and dad’s laundry) and working everyday for the Easter holiday, I am pretty tired. Now, I am not saying that I am a terrible cook or housekeeper. I just choose not to do those things if I don’t have to, lol! Dad enjoys cooking, and he’s a fantastic cook on top of it, so I gladly let him. He asks me or I choose to from time to time, but for now I have been told that I am wearing the cooks hat. Fair enough! As for the housework, you can’t tell it’s even been done for more than a day, so I kinda gave up on it a long time ago (like 6 months after moving in here). The carpet is disgusting and so old it needs replacing. The kitchen floor never stays clean enough. Let’s not even start on the walls and cabinets. I think I need to do a super good spring-type cleaning when my dad goes in for his first chemo treatment.

Speaking of, dad’s chemo will be inpatient over a 2-3 day period. That’s the only way Medicare will cover it. This means I get to take him to the hospital and pick him up every other week for 12 cycles of chemo. That’s why the first treatment will be the perfect opportunity to do this. I am also contemplating asking my sis to come over and help me. Let me just say that my dad is SOOOOO worth all of this right now. I can’t stand the thought of losing him yet. It’s just too soon. So I will suck it up and act like a grown up while he goes through treatments (which should begin the week of Mother’s Day or the week after).

By the way, I went to the store earlier and brought home some cupcakes. Dad said "Alright!!!" Guess he wanted some too.

Until next time…with progress pics…

Nee ner Nee ner Neeee Neeeeer!

Crazy Days 13 & 14

2011-04-15T11:14:00.001-07:00

I think I am catching up finally! Last couple of evenings I worked on Washington Monument. Here is a picture:

I think I have about half of the blue sky completed on this one. It’s kinda dragging because of the sky, but I am enjoying how it’s coming out. And, I am thinking of adding backstitch to accent the monument. I am not sure if I will use iridescent or silver Kreinik, but one of them will pull it out a bit. I am leaning toward the first option.

Tonight I will work on Halloween for a bit and over the weekend I plan to catch up on Married this Day.

***

Isn’t this cute?

I just love Winnie the Pooh and especially Tigger and Eeyore, and Piglet too! I found this kit and purchased it thinking it would make a great New Baby gift. After some contemplating, I decided to use it over and over and over again as a Newborn sampler-type and give one to each of my grandnieces and nephews, as well as one for my niece. I plan to stitch their names above the cloud and the date of birth and weight in the cloud. I think it’s gonna look beautiful. The first one will be started sometime after Mother’s Day. PLUS, it’s almost entirely backstitch, so they should stitch up fairly quick!

Crazy Days 8-12

2011-04-14T07:35:00.001-07:00

There are some wonderful giveaways going on right now. Do be sure to check them out through the links on my left sidebar!

I decided to switch it up a little bit and worked only on a couple of my Crazy pieces over the past few days. Last night I worked on Washington Monument and will post about that later. For now, here is what I worked on during days 8-12:

My dad was finally discharged late Tuesday morning and is happy to be home. I think his cat is happy too as she is spending a lot of time with him right now, LOL! We go to his first oncology appointment on Monday morning. Hopefully we will know more about what is going on and what to expect.

I would like to take a moment to first thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time and second welcome all of my newest followers. I have finally broke through 100 and am so happy to have you visiting from time to time. I hope we can learn from one another through posts to come!

Until next time…

Crazy Days 4-7

2011-04-08T16:22:00.001-07:00

First an update on my dad. He has been officially diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer, mainly because it has spread to the liver. There was only 1 tumor removed from the colon and some spots on his liver. It is not curable, as I believe almost all cancers are not, but the doctors are optimistic that it is treatable. We will begin the chemotherapy in a few weeks. They want him to heal from the surgery and build his strength up a bit through eating before the next phase. The oncologist did tell me that there is a possibility it could go into remission. We’ll know more in the coming days. For now, dad is still in the hospital trying to fart – yes, I said fart – so he can come home. I told him to just let it rip when he feels it and make sure the nurses hear it at the nurses station! Hey, I gotta keep his spirits up somehow. His abdominal area is still somewhat swollen and paralyzed from the surgery last Saturday. I may not post that often, as you can see, and may not comment on yours for a while but rest assured, I will be stitching and reading as much as possible.

Anyway, I am sure I will banter on this from time to time. For now, let’s get down to some stitchy business. I spent a few days working on Mabry Mill and one day on Cream for Kitty. Here are where they stand today:

I will be working on The Gardeners next.

Until next time...

Crazy Day 1-3 Update

2011-04-03T16:47:00.001-07:00

Well, I spent the past couple days working on Abraham Lincoln. Here is where I left off on Friday evening:

I spent much of yesterday and today working on it while at the hospital. Here is where it stands today:

You can see the roof is starting to take form. After this I still have the trees to stitch, finish the bottoms of the house and bushes, the lawn and the lettering. I would say it’s about halfway finished. With any luck, I will complete it next month or June.

Next up is Cream for Kitty. I will work on that piece for a bit this evening and tomorrow.

Coming Home…

2011-04-02T12:37:00.001-07:00

Well, I spent much of the past week working on Coming Home for the Holidays. Here is where things stand as of March 31st:

Coming Home…

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I really like the 3-D effect this house gives off!!! I am determined to finish it in the next month or so (you’ll understand why after reading all the way through this post).

I have since picked up Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace and will work on it today while visiting my dad at the hospital. I’ll share pics tomorrow!

Speaking of…he had his surgery this morning finally. They removed a tumor from his colon and strongly feel it is colon cancer. They also biopsied some spots on his liver. My world feels like it’s crashing down, but I am hoping we caught it early enough that he will recover. I’ve been kinda preparing myself for this news but hoped it wouldn’t be. We will know the test results mid-week.

A Non-Stitchy Post

2011-03-30T16:20:00.001-07:00

Yea, I read a couple of blogs this evening and thought I would share my little toe too! Parsley and Emily are just too funny in having this competition! I can’t say that my little toe is ugly, but the nail is disgusting, to me anyway (because of the skin over growth near the cuticle). So, here is my little toe:

Thanks ladies! I needed that laugh!!!

This has been a crappy week so far. It started with my taking dad to the hospital at 3am Monday morning. After about 30 minutes, the doctor decided he had pneumonia and admitted him. Later, when the floor doctor saw him, she told him it’s not pneumonia, but wanted to look at his gall bladder, appendix, and kidneys. Nope, not there either, so this morning they decided to do a colonoscopy. Well, there was a mass found in an area that couldn’t be removed during that procedure so he will be having surgery in the next day or so to remove it for biopsy. Praying it’s not the big “C”, but prepared mentally either way. To top it off we have had two days of storms/severe weather (Monday and today). I shouldn’t mind this weather since most of the country is recovering from massive snow this winter, but I am not keen on delivering flowers in the rain, which I had to do on Monday. Anyway, I was exhausted by the afternoon on Monday and before leaving for the day I took some photos of a flower that lost it’s stem:

A Non-Stitchy Post

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Yeah, I was bored and tired, lol!

I will have an update on Coming Home over the weekend, plus some of the Challenge pieces.

Until then…

Coming Home progress

2011-03-26T12:51:00.001-07:00

Well, I decided to work on Coming Home for the Holidays this week and will continue working on it until the end of the month. I found a groove and don’t want to put it down yet. Here is a picture of where I last left things:

And this is what it looked like yesterday before I picked it up for the evening:

And this is what it looks like now:

What’s really cool about this piece is you can really see the dimension in it. I noticed this last night while speaking with my mom on the phone. The small room on this side of the house just popped out at me. It’s not something I have really noticed before, but WOW!

I will update you all on this again at the end of the month!

I do have a question to pose to all of you stitchers: What is the best way to stretch a piece before framing? If you look at some of the pictures, you can see where it is warped because silly me didn’t know to take it off the hoop/q-snaps when not working on it. I know it will need to be straightened somehow for framing, but not sure how to go about it. Thanks for any/all answers.

Until then…

Colonial Finish

2011-03-20T11:22:00.001-07:00

Well, I could have said “Another Crazy Finish” for the title but I opted to do something different. “ACF” seems a bit redundant at this point, LOL!

Anyway, I finished stitching Colonial Williamsburg Gardens Sampler last night and I am quite happy with it. Here are a couple of pics:

This is where I left off on Friday night when I finally stopped. I was sooo close, but getting tired and had to be to work early in the morning. With that said, as I was putting things away and taking my nighttime medication (cholesterol) I dropped my cup of tea. What I thought was going to be a before midnight bedtime turned into an after midnight bedtime. I spent about a half hour cleaning the spill on the floor (iced tea in a tumbler cup), changing out of the wet clothing I had on (most of the tea hit me or the floor), and then going through ALL of my WIPs and cleaning them or laying them to dry. Fortunately, those that were hit in the fabric were hit in areas that are not going to be visible so I didn’t have to take much preventative action right away. I will clean them with Woolite when the time comes and call it good.

This is the finished piece! I am not sure how I will finish it yet. I am thinking some kind of bell pull or banner. Of course this means my sewing skills will have to be honed a bit more on the machine. I do love the border on this one. There are only a couple of spots that I think could be different. The first is on the uppercase “M” and “N”. The instructions call for that extra “X” on the top right corners of each but if you look at the lower case, they don’t have it. I could have left it out, but went with the instructions thinking maybe it’s more authentic. I don’t know?!?! The other area of concern, ever so slight, is in the little house. There is a grey color used in it but it blends in too much with the white. The instructions called for that particular grey, but I think maybe the next shade darker (as in the fencing to the left) would have been better. Well, it’s done now and I am not going to change anything. But this gives me something to consider whenever I stitch it again!

I did make some subtle changes in the stitching of the yellow and red flowers. I added 1 or 2 strands to give them some depth. I think it added a nice touch! (please disregard the cat hairs you may see in this picture. My cat’s hair is flying everywhere from shedding and it’s hard to keep it off of things. I don’t let her on or near my floss/fabrics and probably should brush her more often if she’d let me, lol.)

After finishing this piece I turned my attention to Married This Day. I plan to work on it more today and then we’ll see what the week has in store.

Until next time…

A Partial Crazy Finish

2011-03-19T13:10:00.001-07:00

I say partial because this particular piece is 1 of 2. The first Vibrant Vase is completely stitched:

I am going to pick up the Light Effects floss for the 2nd Vase so there is a nice contrast between the two.

I also received word that the giveaway winner has received her package and she is extremely pleased with it, especially the Godiva I included. Here is a pic of her winnings (courtesy of KimberlyR ~ no blog):

Included (from top left): Pins, Gold Beading strand, Christmas Card stitching kit, Postcard of the town I live in, Godiva Chocolate, Flamingo Needle Minder, Scissors, Bee Happy piece, and Beaded Scissors Fob I made.

Here is a picture of the completed stitched piece I included:

Bee Happy (aka Let’s Be Friends) by Margaret Sherry from Cross Stitcher #226. Kitted as an add-on with purchase of magazine.

After stitching this piece, I have officially decided that Margaret Sherry is my favorite designer (thus far)!

I gave Kim the option of finishing into a style of her choosing, so I look forward to seeing what she comes up with!

I will have another Crazy finish tomorrow, so until then…

Crazy Days 14 & 15–Finally

2011-03-18T08:30:00.001-07:00

I promised an update today and am pleased that I can make good on it. Here is the progress on Paris and Halloween, respectively:

As you can see, I restitched the motifs that I had to frog the last time. I have also stitched some more of the motifs and the second “L”. I would say this is just about halfway to completion now. Whew!

I am not sure what I want to work on for the remainder of the month. My other WIPs aren’t calling to me like they usually do. I believe I have one piece from the Crazy Challenge that I mentioned will be finished this month, so I may continue on with that and then pick up either Coming Home or Cirque.

Until next time…

What is your Celtic Sign?!

2011-03-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

Two posts in 1 day! Wow!!! I saw this on the AOL news scroll when I checked my email and thought I would share it.

Hawthorn (May 13 - June 9)

A multi-talented person like you has no trouble making friends. That will likely be especially true this St. Patrick's Day if you attend a wild party. Your social circle can expand in exciting ways. Granted, most of your new pals might be extremely unconventional, but that's what you love about them. It's fun being surrounded by people who are eager to try extreme sports, experiment with different artistic techniques and explore radical ideas. This is your big chance to explore uncharted territory.

(May 21st)

What is your sign? Check it out here! I’d be curious to see how many Hawthorns read my blog!!

Until next time…

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!!!

2011-03-17T09:16:00.001-07:00

Image borrowed from Tampa Bay Spartans Club.

and…

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

Borrowed from: http://www.irishsayings.org/may-the-irish-hills-caress-you/116

Crazy Challenge Updates

2011-03-16T16:00:00.001-07:00

I spent the last few days working on different things. The first thing I worked on was the piece for my recent giveaway. I am happy to say that the package is on it’s way to the winner, therefore I cannot show that stitched piece. Here’s the box I sent:

I also got some more stitching

in on Washington Monument:

And Woodrow Wilson:

I am a couple days behind this month and plan to work on Paris tonight for a little while and Halloween tomorrow. I will share pics on Friday of those two pieces.

Until next time…

Another Crazy Finish (for now)

2011-03-12T09:59:00.001-08:00

I managed to finish up The Siesta last night, well all but the French Knots. You may or may not notice where I placed my signature, but if you look closely at the lower left side of the bird cage you should find the year and my initials. Here is the completed (for now) piece:

I also took some pics of my Sandy sleeping:

She is so adorable – when she’s asleep! LOL…Seriously, I love my cat and she knows it, but she tends to go a bit overboard with the biting and scratching STILL. I hope she outgrows it soon because I don’t think I could stand to lose any more skin, haha.

And the winner is…

2011-03-11T08:19:00.001-08:00

…But first, a word from our sponsor! Last night found me working on Crazy Day 10, Try to Relax. Here is where I left things:

As you can see, the facial features are beginning to pop out. They are mainly backstitched, but I like the effect of the crosses around them.

And now for the winner! Thank you to everyone who entered and, again, WELCOME to my Newbies!! I truly welcome and appreciate all of the comments you make on my blog posts. Now, let’s get down to business.

I had 17 people enter my giveaway this time. I used a Random Generator to choose the winner:

#1 KIMBERLY R

Kimberly, I will be sending you an email shortly to get your snail mail info.

Again, a big Thank You to all who entered!!!

Until next time…

Crazy Days 7, 8, and 9…

2011-03-10T14:47:00.001-08:00

And a BIG WELCOME to my newest followers!

And boy have they been CrAzY! I picked up a couple of days at the shop this week and I am tired and sore, lol! But it’s all good. I spent most of the day yesterday individually wrapping 250 roses for a local hospital. That job took over 6 hours! Today was more of a quiet day at the shop doing my normal stuff when I am not delivering floral arrangements. Enough of that!

I spend Days 7 and 8 working on The Gardeners. Here is where I left things on the 7th:

and on the 8th:

This piece is coming together beautifully if I do say so myself!

Last night I worked on Vibrant Vases. I have one of them almost finished (remember, there are two):

I was in a groove while stitching last night. I ordered up Burlesque on PPV. Temptation got the best of me. I just need to pick up a copy of the DVD sometime soon! I plan to frame them together when they are completed.

I will be drawing the winner of my Giveaway tomorrow morning! There’s still a few hours left to enter. I will officially close sign-ups at 11:59pm EST.

Until then…

Crazy Days 5 & 6

2011-03-07T13:58:00.001-08:00

Well, I planned to get some good stitching in on Saturday, but found out that my Aunt was in the hospital. Apparently she fell and broke her hip. Anyway, she was scheduled to have surgery on it yesterday. Of course, her husband hasn’t updated us on her condition, so I guess she’s alright. Here is the little bit that I did get in on Cream for Kitty on Saturday evening:

The hair got filled in a bit more!

Yesterday I spent much of the day on Mabry Mill. I would say I am about halfway done with this one. Here is where I left it last night:

Other than that not much else happening. I am supposed to work on Medallions tonight, but since my fabric hasn’t arrived (remember I am switching to a darker color so the floss will show better) I will skip over it for now and continue on to The Gardeners.

Just a reminder to sign up for my Giveaway (click image on left sidebar)! Only a few days left until I draw the winner!!!

Crazy Days 3 & 4…

2011-03-05T16:48:00.001-08:00

I worked on, and almost completed, Colonial Williamsburg Sampler. Here is where I left off on Day 3:

and Day 4:

I will be finishing it this month! Tonight, I plan to put a little time into Cream for Kitty.

Don’t forget to sign up for my giveaway! Drawing in March 11th!!!

Crazy Days 1 & 2…

2011-03-03T07:16:00.001-08:00

…found me working on the Abraham Lincoln piece. Here is where I left things last night:

I needed to add some more color to the design so I started some of the greenery and started the roof. The colors are quite dreary looking, but I think that is just to give it a more authentic look. This is one of the pieces that I will share not only the finished picture but a photo from when I visited the National Park when all the stitching is done! Stay tuned…

I want to take a moment to WELCOME my newest followers! I hope you enjoy watching my stitching progress as I am sure I will yours.

I also want to give a BIG shout out to Emily over at Emmie’s Ramblings! She doesn’t just blog about stitchy stuff, but also about other adventures in her life. Do be sure to visit her blog!

Don’t forget to sign up for my Spring Giveaway! Drawing will be on March 11th, which means I will close sign-ups at 11:59 p.m. on the 10th. Just click on the link to the left of this post!!

Until next time…

2011-03-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

I am constantly amazed at how tight-knit the needlework community is! In the recent tragedy of one of our fellow stitchers/designers, Lisa Roswell's untimely death, the community has come together to honor her. Follow this link to find out more!!

Mother Nature can be so cruel at times, so let's take this time to remember and be thankful for all of the beautiful designs Lisa created and shared with us as well as her the words she shared either through our blogs or in person at markets (for those of you who attend markets to bring us your beautiful treasures).

May God lift Lisa's family up during this time of grief and anguish and help them to heal in time.

Happy March and a Spring Giveaway!

2011-03-01T07:55:00.001-08:00

Well, I mentioned a few posts back that I am getting ready to host another GIVEAWAY and here it is:

The giveaway will include all of these goodies and a special stitched piece by me! The rules are simple:

Be a Follower (yes, NEW one’s are welcome)
Post a Link or Blog about this giveaway
And most importantly: leave a way for me to contact you if you WIN!

Who will win? I don’t know. But I will let a random generator pick the winner on March 11th!!!
Now that the 1st of the month has rolled around, I will be working on the Crazy Challenge pieces that I have not yet completed. Since there are some finishes (or as finished as I can get them for now – sans French Knots), I will be spending those extra days working on some of the larger WIPs.

A Finish (for now), A Near Finish…

2011-02-27T13:49:00.001-08:00

…and a Start! First the start. I found out that my best friend is getting married on March 11th. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend the ceremony, so I decided to make something to commemorate the occasion (which I would have done anyway). I knew that I had a kitted chart in my stash just waiting for someone to get married so that I could stitch it up, et voila! The design is “Married this Day” from the Janlynn collection (no, those aren’t the names and date in the image shown – they will change to hers and her soon-to-be’s and the correct date). It’s something I picked up at Wal-Mart way back when they still believed in carrying different types of crafts and supplies. I plan to personalize it in her native language (francais). She won’t receive the finished item until later in the Spring, but I know she will like it!

I do have a for now finish and a near finish to share with you. Cat in Chair is the for now finish:

I changed out the color on the backstitch for the white part at the top of the chair to a darker purple. Everything is stitched except for the French Knots! I am going to practice those before I actually place them on the design.

The near finish is The Siesta:

I still have 1 color of DMC to purchase as nothing in my stash is close enough match. I also have to finish the back-stitches. For now, I am setting it aside until I can make a trip out to Michael’s or Joann’s to pick up that floss (maybe Tuesday).

Hope everyone has enjoyed their week-ends!

Until next time…

Cat in Chair…

2011-02-23T17:15:00.001-08:00

…nearing a finish! I just have to finish filling in the chair, stitch the lettering, and finish the backstitch/french knots. Yes, I am really gonna try to do the knots on this one. I don’t think the beads would look right for the cats eyes, lol! Anyway, here are some progress pics:

I plan to have this one finished for sure tomorrow (Thursday) and I am hoping to finish The Siesta by the end of the month.

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe, especially those of you up north dealing with all of the latest snowy weather!

Until next time…

A Bunch of Great Giveaways!

2011-02-19T17:16:00.001-08:00

Check out my left side bar for opportunities to enter some fantastic giveaways. Some are ending soon so act fast!!

Some Crazy Updates and an upcoming Giveaway

2011-02-18T15:31:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally found some time to work on the last 3 pieces for the Crazy Challenge (this month’s round). Here are Woodrow Wilson’s Birthplace, Week-end a Paris, and Halloween:

Monsieur Frog spent some time with me this past week as well! If you take a look at Halloween (this post and last) you will see that I had to frog and restitch. The “H” was one row off and that alone was enough to throw off all of the other letters and the designs below the word. In Paris, if you’ll notice the darkest red portions, I had to actually restitch those using that darker color. I accidentally used a lighter shade that blended right in. OOPS! Not too annoyed with it personally, but could have gotten a bit more stitched otherwise, LOL.

I decided that for the remainder of the month (the little over a week left) that I will finish a couple of the pieces that are nearing completion! I should be able to share with you a couple of finishes by the end of the weekend. Time permitting, I plan to work on one of my other WIPs.

I did make a stash purchase with my refund (thanks Uncle Sam!), although I won’t bore you with a picture (as I am sure you all have seen floss many times over, LOL), I purchased Brittercup Designs Britty Kitties I, several skeins of floss from Weeks Dye Works, Silk’N, and Valdani, Ink Circles Croakworth (which is on backorder – of course, because it’s the frog one! LOL), and a different piece of darker fabric for Medallions (also on b/o). There is one other item I purchased, but it is going into the next giveaway pile! Yup, I am getting ready to host another giveaway so stay tuned for more details!!

Dad and I spent yesterday at Silver Springs in Ocala (FL). It was nice to spend the day outdoors, but SS sure has changed in the 30 some years since I last visited. I remember there being monkeys hanging from the trees all along the river:

This time, there were NONE! Plus, 2 of the rides were closed that I wanted to go on: the Jeep Tour and the Lost River Cruise. Back when I went, all those years ago, there was only 1 river cruise – the Glass Bottom Boats – and it lasted a lot longer than 15 minutes! I did manage to get some nice pictures. BTW, the first set of pics from 1983 were taken with a Kodak Instamatic 110 camera.

Thought I would stop in …

2011-02-13T16:30:00.001-08:00

…and give a little update on my Crazy Progress!

So, without further ado, I give you The Siesta, Try to Relax, Washington’s Monument, Vibrant Vases, The Gardeners, and Medallions:

I have decided to switch Medallions to a darker fabric and have placed an order for some through 123 Stitch. I think the lighter floss will show up better on the color I chose! I am starting to feel the same way about Washington’s Monument as the colors are really faint against the fabric so far. Time will tell!

That’s it for now! I have been busy as a bee in a honeycomb the past few days at the shop. Valentine’s is one of our busiest holidays and this year proves to be no exception! I will be back in a few days with the last couple of Crazy Updates.

Oh, I almost forgot! I made my sister a special Valentine! Can’t wait to give it to her!! I will post a picture of her receiving it in my next post. For now, here is what I made:

Until next time…

Crazy Weekend!

2011-02-06T17:59:00.001-08:00

Yup, I worked on Days 5 and 6 over the weekend and made a bit of progress on each. First up is Cream for Kitty:

As you can see, I started working my way ~~back to you babe~~ up to the top and then over to the top of the hair. After all of that really light colored floss, I needed the colorful diversion, LOL!

Today was spent on Mabry Mill:

I have the wheel of the mill nearly complete and decided to add some other color to it as well.

That’s all for now…until next time…

Crazy Day 4 and a Snowman

2011-02-05T11:47:00.001-08:00

Ok, so it’s a stitcher’s prerogative to change her or his mind! I did just that when I decided to finish the Caroling Snowman into it's frame. Here is the final, FINAL picture of him:

For the hanging bit, I used a piece of red and green twisted cording that I got from Cindy Mae Designs. I think it is cute!

I spent quite a bit of time on Colonial Williamsburg yesterday as well. I almost have the bottom half finished, as you can see:

That is a LOT of green stitching in there, LOL! I never thought I would see the end of that color. Next month, I will fill in the flowers, the house, and hopefully finish the alphabet portion at the top (there are two more sets). Whew!!!

I am going to spend a little bit of time this evening working on Crazy Day 5 and see how far I can get. I will post my update on that tomorrow and then probably not again for a few days (may not be until the 16th). Don’t forget to order your sweetie a valentine’s arrangement! Here are a few to entice you to call your local florist:

Teleflora’s Valentines Specials

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Oh, I almost forgot! I finally gave my step-mom her Christmas present. She absolutely loves it! I would have taken a picture of her with it, but she had just woken up (slept in). In case you forgot, this is what I made for her:

Until next time…

Crazy Day 3

2011-02-04T09:08:00.001-08:00

Well, as I predicted, I was able to get all of the stitching done on Cat in Chair, sans the colors I don’t have. Here are a couple of pictures:

I also decided to do another small JBW Designs piece. It is half finished. Here is French Country – Amour:

I posted a new poem in honor of my dear grandma here. She was an amazing woman who played a big role in my growing years. She still influences me today, at least in my photography. I have some slides of pictures she took of me when I modeled for her that I am planning to get developed into photos very soon! I will share when I do that.

Until next time…

Crazy Day 2 and WELCOME!!!

2011-02-03T14:05:00.001-08:00

First of all, I want to extend a warm WELCOME to my newest followers!

WELCOME!!!

With any kind of luck, and word of mouth, maybe I will reach 100 Followers by the end of 2011.

I finished the backstitching on Caroling Snowman yesterday. Here is a picture of the finished design:

The only thing left to do is put it in its frame, but I may hold off on that until later in the year.

I also got some stitching on Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace last night. Here is a picture of that:

It’s a bit off-center, on purpose. This gives you a general idea of the position I am at on the chart (center, top, right).

As you can see, I have a long way to go. It is very monotonous right now as I am using only 2 or 3 of the colors so far. Once I get into the surrounding greenery and flora it will be nicer to work on!

Today, I have been stitching on Cat in Chair. I am finding it frustrating as I am missing 4 colors (need to go to Michael’s or JoAnn’s to pick up DMC). For now, I will stitch everything I can and leave it until next month when I may be able to finish it. I also re-worked my blog a bit (if you haven’t already noticed). I wanted to make it more Valentine-y, if you will. I am also trying to catch up on blog reading, so I may have commented on yours in the last couple of days. Next week is gonna be busy with the holiday approaching. I know that I will be working everyday starting Monday until the 14th (and that includes Sunday). It is the floral business after all and Valentine’s is one of our biggest holidays!

Until next time…

Crazy Day 1

2011-02-02T09:12:00.001-08:00

Well, I managed to finish almost the entire Caroling Snowman design last night. I started the backstitching, which is all I have left. This is where I finally put it down:

I will probably finish the backstitching today, so I am calling this my first finish of the year as well! Yay!!!!

I spent a little time on Butterfly Shamrock Wreath on Sunday and this is where I left off:

I reported for Jury Duty on Monday morning. We went through the orientation process. One panel was called (my name was not on that list). The next panel was called (again not me). Then around 10am, the Jury Room Supervisor announced that if you weren’t called for either panel or filled out the form you were excused for the year!!! Yay!!!!!!!! I was sooooo happy.

Oh, when I went to Barnes & Noble Saturday evening to get my magazines, I also picked up this little fella:

He was yummy! Until next time…

What a week!

2011-01-29T19:14:00.001-08:00

I’ve been moody, busy, quiet, lazy, angry, sad, and just plain tired! And it’s not even Valentine’s week yet!!! Not to mention that I have had a sinus headache for several days and my left eye has been a bit on the twitchy side! UGH…I would say thank God it’s the weekend, but Monday morning I get to haul my ~~ass~~ butt out of bed at o’dark thirty to get dressed up and be at the courthouse in Dade City, a mere 10 mile north, for JURY DUTY!!!! I have never, ever had the desire to serve and the last time (only 2 times) I was called I was exempt due to being active duty military! What I would give to still be in the Navy, LOL. Hopefully I will be able to get out of it. Now, how did I realize that I received a summons?! It’s only been sitting in my house since the first of the month. Well, I put it aside with other mail stuff, placed all of it in a box, and decided mid-week I better clean it out. I was looking for what I thought was a 1099 from school so I could do my taxes. What it really was was a stupid summons to go sit on a jury. Not a happy camper about this at all.

I know, some of you might think me a wee bit petty complaining about it, but I really don’t want to do this civic duty. Not even for the measly $15.00 per day! I guess it could be worse. Read this article. Since I am only a seasonal, part-time employee and we are going into our busy week, I may be able to squeak out again. Wish me luck!!!

In stitchy news, I have updated my “Future” page to include more recent magazines. Last night, I spent some time with my nose buried in my stitchy mags making a list of the ones I want to stitch, someday, LOL. Then I went and purchased 4 more mags this evening so there will be another update later in the week (I HOPE). Tomorrow, I plan to do some kind of stitching. Just not sure what I want to work on yet.

Until next time…