Rocky River Ramblings

Block One: Done!

2012-01-27T13:22:00.004-05:00

Village of Hawk Run Hollow - Block One
stitched on 40-ct. Pearled Barley linen
with Vikki Clayton hand-dyed fibers
At long last! It's done! Well... with the exception of one fish eye but for now I'm pretending he blinked when I snapped the picture.

Here's the whole she-bang so far:
Three down, nine to go! I've actually convinced myself I can have all twelve blocks completed by the end of the year. You'd think I'm positively delusional since it's taken me three years to finish these three, but, my dearest bloggy buddies, the model was stitched in 49 days! Crazy but true! 49 days! The least I can hope for is to finish it in 49 months, right?

Next in the Q-snaps is The Riddle by The Drawn Thread. I've been skipping all the specialty stitches because I'm a total wimp, I can't do french knots, and my queen's stitches looked like merde. This is most likely a huge mistake because all that will be left when I'm done with the Xs is the "hard stuff" and I won't want to finish it.

The weekend is upon us which means Phil and I will be off on yet another excursion to make selections for the house. Last weekend was countertops for the kitchens (yes, plural) and bathrooms which found us standing in a freezing cold workshop for over an hour, staring at slabs of granite and saying, "Eh... I don't know... what do you think?" about a thousand times. This weekend takes us back to the fireplace shop to choose mantles and hearth stones. More head shaking and nose wrinkling but at least it'll be warmer!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous weekend!

Two Wrongs

2012-01-25T13:40:00.003-05:00

I thought I was on track to finish Block 1 of my Village last night but somewhere in middle of the river I made a mistake. After much futzing and fudging, I decided I'd just frog the mess and do it right. In the process of correcting Mistake One, I discovered Mistake Two. More futzing. More fudging. And then I realized it probably would have been faster if I'd just frogged everything and restitched it instead of spending two frustrating hours trying to work around the mistakes. Doh!! So I am pulling up my big girl panties, frogging the remaining mess, and I am determined to finish this tonight! Even if I have to stay up past my bedtime!

A Quickie Post

2012-01-18T12:44:00.004-05:00

I'm still plugging away on Block 1, still trying to get over that river and to the village. I better get some water in that river, pronto! My poor little fish can't swim! (Not to mention he's missing his eye, but when have I ever stitched a critter and remembered to leave a space for the eye?)

2012-01-11T10:25:00.003-05:00

Alas, I've made minimal progress on my Village. I was having severe frogging issues yesterday. Not because of mistakes but because I wasn't happy with the way my stitching looked. On the back. I was on the verge of re-stitching an area for the fourth time when I finally decided I needed to get a grip.

If only they made pills for this sort of thing!

Our mild winter weather is coming to an end. Snow is in transit and the forecast is for up to 10 inches. I'll be at the grocery store tonight buying toilet paper and extra batteries along with every other person in the blast radius of this storm.

WIProgress Report

2012-01-09T14:32:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the January Edition of the Paisley Stitching WIPocolypse Progress Report!

A mere four days into the year I was able to scratch Lizzie Kate's Christmas Is Forever off my WIP list! (Check out my last post for a photo of the finished piece!) Since then I've been trying to put some Xs into a couple of bigger projects that have been haunting my WIP basket for a few years.

First up was Peppermint Twist from Blue Ribbon Designs. This one needed some serious de-cat-hairing because my furry friends think a basket full of linen is the most comfortable place to sleep in the house. (Apparently the only thing better is a basket full of clean laundry. Dirty laundry? Not so much.)
My goal is to get all the Garnet stitching finished on this one page. The 40-ct. linen I'm working on makes me cross-eyed so I'll probably take a break from it once I get this part finished.

Last night I parked my butt in my stitching chair while I watched Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic (Come back, Mr. Bates!). My Village of Hawk Run Hollow has been so neglected! I decided I just can't ignore it any longer!
I finished stitching some more of the letters on Block 1, and started filling in the big O. It was this first block that made me want to stitch this BAP to begin with. I love the river with its little fishies! I'm planning to stick with this one a while longer. Maybe even finish the block? We'll see!

That's about it for now! I'd mention the gorgeous weather we've been having over the last several days but I don't want to jinx it! Somewhere out there is a couple of feet of snow with my name on it, I just know it!

First Finish of 2012

2012-01-05T11:56:00.004-05:00

Christmas Is Forever
2008 Special Edition Kit from Lizzie Kate
Stitched with Crescent Colours and DMC on 28-ct. linen
Woohoo! My first official Happy Dance of 2012 and my first WIPocolypse finish! Now it's time to decide what my next project will be. Something big and scary that will take me forever? Or a teeny tiny project I can actually finish this month? I've considered writing each WIP down on its own index card and having a random drawing but who am I kidding... I'd only keep drawing cards until I picked one I wanted to work on!

The sun is shining here in southwestern Michigan, the streets are snow-free, and I still have Christmas cash burning a hole in my wallet so I think we might be heading up to the big city to do a little shopping today. If I don't do it soon I'm going to end up spending this money on gas and groceries like I do every other year, and where's the fun in that?

That's all my news for now! Thanks for visiting and have a happy Thursday!

(P.S. A reminder to those of you in the states who got hooked on Downton Abbey last year: Season two starts Sunday on Masterpiece Classic!)

My WIPocolypse List

2012-01-04T16:16:00.003-05:00

I dug through my baskets and bins today and came up with a list of WIPs/UFOs for the WIPocolypse challenge. This is by no means every project I've ever started and failed to finish, but I did try to stick to designs that still float my butter.

Without further ado, I give you my official (yet subject to change!) WIPocolypse list!

1. Christmas is Forever - Lizzie Kate (I only need to finish the border on this one!)
2. The Riddle (aka Phil's Sampler) - The Drawn Thread (must must MUST finish!)
3. VoHRH - Carriage House Samplings (I'm on the third of twelve blocks)
4. Peppermint Twist - Blue Ribbon Designs (in need of some frogging which is why it languishes)
5. Better Not Pout - Shepherd's Bush (CJC fail!)
6. A Winter's Tale - Shepherd's Bush (another CJC fail...)
7. Big Blizzard Sampler - Heart in Hand (ditto...)
8. Sweet Treats - Country Cottage Needleworks (...)
9. Cupcake - Country Cottage Needleworks (...)
10. Cake - Country Cottage Needleworks (...)
11. Tart - Country Cottage Needleworks (...)
12. Pie - Country Cottage Needleworks (...)
13. Joyful Summer - Country Cottage Needleworks (...)
14. Create - Lizzie Kate (Living With Charm Double Flips started in 2008)
15. Live - Lizzie Kate (last one and this will be finished!)
16. St. Nicholas Needleroll - Shepherd's Bush (not sure if that's what it's called... need to find pattern which explains why I never finished it)
17. Into The Night - Shepherd's Bush (started in 2008 I believe)
18. Wee Autumn - Heart in Hand (last part of a bell pull I started back in the 90s)
19. Gentle Hearts Pillow - Shepherd's Bush (started back in the 80s... oy!)
20. Acorn Hill - Little House Needleworks (got buried in basket or it'd be finished by now)(yeah, right!)
21. Spring Has Come - Prairie Schooler (started in 2008?)
22. Summer Snapperlands - (only found the patterns and threads so I'm not sure how much I have left to do on this one... still have high hopes to complete the whole Snapperland series)(don't laugh!)

See? That's not so bad! Everything's been started so it should be easy peasy to finish each and every one of them, right? In fact, this list is so short, I think I'll make another list of projects I want to start in 2012!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-03T13:25:00.008-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone, and best wishes for 2012!

My 2011 stitching quite literally ended in mid-stitch. Phil called to tell me he'd been side-swiped on the interstate so I dropped everything. Luckily, he'd been able to get his car back under control and wasn't hurt in the accident. The guy who hit him had rolled his SUV, landed on all four tires, and for some utterly insane reason kept going. We're just very thankful the only damage was to Phil's car.

Anyway, here is my progress on Christmas is Forever...
I am so close to finishing! I only have a little of the blue in the top motif, four more letters, and the border left to stitch. This will definitely be my first WIPocolypse project! (Which for me will basically be The Great 2011 Crazy January Challenge Do-Over of 2012!)

And speaking of the CJC, I've been doing some catching up on my blog reading and see it is in full swing for 2012. At my pace I can only allow myself to participate once every three years! I do hope to sneak in a few new starts in the months to come, but for the most part my stitching will be WIPs, WIPs, and more WIPs! I have at least four baskets full of them, although I think most might be considered UFOs. I'll just dub them WIPUFOs and that way I can quit scratching my head about the difference between the two and get on with the stitching! Woohoo!

A couple more pictures before I go...

We have most of the deck finished on the house, and they've started hanging the siding. They've also started hanging the drywall inside which is super exciting! The rooms are starting to look like rooms! Phil and I got down with our DIY bad self's on Sunday and sound insulated the downstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. I don't think we could have picked a more perfect way to start the new year than working on a project like that together. And Phil couldn't have put it more aptly: It's his house, but it's going to be our home.

So Happy 2012! Let's live every week like it's Shark Week!

A Little More Christmas Stitching

2011-12-26T13:27:00.007-05:00

I am determined to finish Christmas is Forever before the end of the year. Only one more "moteef" left and then the rest of the verse. Highly doable, even at my slow pace, as long as I don't get too fussy about the umpteen thousand letters I have to stitch. I counted them all when I started working on it last night and realized I wasn't even halfway done. I also found a mistake so I'll be frogging two of them. I know that doesn't sound bad but I turn into Rain Man when I'm stitching a lot of letters like this, obsessively counting them over and over, adding and subtracting so I know how many I've done and how many I have left to do. If it wasn't for all my counting and re-counting, I might actually be done!

I really need to find a support group.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:49:00.003-05:00

White Chicken Chili

2011-12-23T13:37:00.005-05:00

Ah yes! Another post about food! But 'tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry and, by gum, I plan to do all three!

At the risk of repeating myself I have to say this stuff is gooo-oood! My sister-in-law, Tammey, introduced me to white chili a couple of years ago and, well, it had me at hello. Our "go to" recipe comes from Cook's Country magazine, and we pretty much follow it verbatim except for substituting chicken breasts for the thighs. I have an extremely low tolerance for dark meat chicken. We also leave out the fresh cilantro which I have an even lower tolerance for after having a job that required me to chop mountains of the stuff. One whiff of cilantro and I'm on the floor in a fetal position sucking my thumb. Luckily I don't have the same reaction to the dried, flakey variety so we use that instead. Now, this recipe has a secret ingredient that really sets it apart from any other recipe we tried: a can of white hominy, drained, rinsed, and pureed. It smells gross (oh ye of the sensitive nose) and pureed beans look exactly how you'd think they'd look (ick!), but it really does add a lot of flavor and helps to thicken the chili. Plus it's easy to deal with the hominy when the recipe also includes this:

Four chopped jalapenos! Hoo doggie! These bad boys should come with a warning label: Do not touch any part of your body for 24 hours after handling! No amount of hand washing seems to help, either. You just have to let it wear off.

Anyhoosie, if you're tired of the same ol' same ol' and want to mix it up a bit, give this white chicken chili a try! The recipe can be found online right here:

White Chicken Chili

Enjoy!

Peppermint Bark

2011-12-22T12:39:00.005-05:00

Let me tell you, this stuff is goooo-ooood! Bordering on addictive! And it's so amazingly simple to make, I just have to share the recipe with you:

Peppermint Bark (courtesy of Miss Paula Deen)

1 cup crushed candy canes
2 pounds white chocolate
Peppermint flavoring, optional

Place candy canes in a plastic bag and crush into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. (I smacked mine with a rolling pin. Quite satisfying if you're feeling a little Bah Humbug-ish!)) Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with melted chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired). Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces.

Notes: I didn't want to mess with the whole double boiler thing so I just zapped my chocolate in the microwave, 15 seconds at a time, stirring until it was smoothy smooth. I also added enough peppermint flavoring to make my eyes burn but can't say that it made a huge difference in the final product.

And what would a stitchy blog be without some stitching! It's not much but here is my progress on Christmas Is Forever:

Good thing Christmas is forever because there's no way I'll have this finished before the 25th!

That's about it for me! Wishing everyone holiday cheer!

Holy Cow!

2011-12-15T12:16:00.006-05:00

It is my honest belief that the cows that give the milk used to make Bluebell Ice Cream must truly come from heaven. It's that good! But how did this Texas girl end up with two half gallons of "Little Creamery" yumminess in her Michigan freezer?? I'll tell you how!! My boyfriend Phil (also heaven-sent!) made a secret trip down to Kokomo, IN (the nearest place to buy Bluebell) in order to surprise me for my birthday. He also brought back five different pints along with the two half gallons. It's like having my own Bluebell Ice Cream parlor! (One that doesn't bother with bowls... I confess to eating it straight from the carton!)

The ice cream was not the biggest surprise, however! Phil also gave me a traditional Claddagh ring he had made especially for me in Ireland!
It's not quite an engagement ring but it does symbolize our commitment to each other. The hands represent friendship, the heart love, and the crown loyalty. I feel so blessed to be the person Phil chose to wear this ring!

In stitchy news, I've been working on Lizzie Kate's Christmas Is Forever.
This is the special edition kit from 2008 so I figure it's about time I got 'er done. It's also one of my Crazy January Challenge projects, but we don't talk about that particular failure!

My son left me a note on the fridge reminding me that Christmas is 10 days away. I've done minimal shopping and decorating so it looks like it's time to push it into hyperdrive. My daughter's last final is today so I'm hoping we can meet her for a quick celebratory lunch before she has to go to work, and then get some shopping done.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit, and I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:15:00.002-05:00

Friday Friday

2011-11-18T12:55:00.004-05:00

Instead of pulling something wintery out of my Crazy January Challenge basket, I decided to start a new project. Fancy that! This is a freebie from Plum Street Samplers called Give Thanks. I went with an olive green linen so I'm having to tweek the thread colors just a tad. I really do love fall colors so I'm happy to hold off on the whole winter thing just a little longer.

Phil and I had our six month anniversary yesterday. He sent me this beautiful flower arrangement and tonight we're going out to dinner. I can't tell you what a blessing this man has been in my life. I'm looking forward to so much more with him.

One last picture... Egg found the only spot of sunshine in the house this morning. I almost hated to wake her up, but kitty on the kitchen counter is a big no-no!

Hope everyone has something fun to look forward to this weekend! With dinner out tonight and a potluck on Saturday, I should be as stuffed as any Thanksgiving turkey!

All Done!

2011-11-17T11:39:00.004-05:00

Season of Growth
Little House Needleworks
stitched with DMC on 28-count Antique Ivory linen
At long last, all four seasons are stitched! What a joy it was to work on these! And, hooray! I can scratch another Crazy January Challenge project off my list! There's no way I'll get the rest of them done before the end of the year, but as I mentioned earlier, I'll be rolling them over to the WIPocolypse Challenge! All is well in my Stitchy Universe!

Alas, I totally blew NaBloPoMo this year. My laptop decided to be super uncooperative on a day when I was feeling a mite bit cranky. Not the best combination for posting, so I didn't. And then I didn't some more. It's not every year one gets to fail at two challenges, right!? I'm back into BWO mode, Blogging Without Obligation, which is more my style anyway.

Nothing but gray skies here today, along with some snow flurries. As much as I hate the cold and wet mess that comes with the snow, I do enjoy watching the flakes drift down from the sky. Very relaxing. We've about lost all the leaves off our trees in this area so it's looking a lot like winter outside. My next project is definitely going to be something winter-themed!

Thanks for stopping by!

In Appreciation

2011-11-11T17:37:00.000-05:00

It's Raining, It's Snowing

2011-11-10T13:05:00.003-05:00

Our first snow of the season. It's coming down in big chunks but mixed with rain so it's way too wet for it to stick. Still pretty darn cold out there. Just the sort of day for staying inside and stitching!

Here I Go Again

2011-11-09T11:54:00.003-05:00

After what will most certainly be my utter failure at successfully completing the Crazy January Challenge, you would think I would swear off this sort of thing. But today I learned of a new challenge for 2012. The WIPocalypse, brought to us by Measi at Measi's Musings. So the way I see it, all those projects leftover from the CJC can now be WIPocalypse projects and I don't have to worry one bit about what didn't get finished! It's all very encouraging! It reminds me a little of Pug Dog Economics!

Season of Growth Progress

2011-11-08T14:57:00.003-05:00

Won't be much longer 'til this one goes in the Fuppie Box!

Who Moved My Zeitgebers?

2011-11-07T10:26:00.004-05:00

Not sure if it's the time change or the fact that I had to drag my butt out of bed at 6:00 this morning, but I am totally ready for a nap.

Progress on Season of Growth has been slow (quelle surprise!) so I won't even bother with the blurry picture. I do have high hopes of finishing it this week, though, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I better find some toothpicks to prop open my eyelids if I expect to get anything accomplished today! (And on a rather bizarre note, I have actually had my eyelids held open with long Q-Tippy things during some very uncomfortable surgery. Best not to revisit that memory!)

Dream House Update

2011-11-06T17:31:00.007-05:00

Not many changes to be seen from the outside. All of the windows have been installed and we have shingles on the roof. Inside, they have finished most of the framing, installed the HVAC systems, and plumbing and electrical are underway.

This is going to be the shower in the master bathroom. It's almost big enough to need it's own zip code!

You'll have to take my word for it, but we'll have a beautiful view of the lake from the windows in the great room.

The back patio was poured this past week. I wish I'd been able to get a picture of it before the sun set because it really is quite impressive.

The woman behind all these stunning photos, haha!

Ding Dong Class of '66

2011-11-05T12:48:00.004-04:00

That's me, front row, second from right. Proof positive that I am a genuine Ding Dong!

Another LHN Season

2011-11-04T11:42:00.003-04:00

There are two things I won't be remembered for: my lightning fast stitching, and my faaaaabulous photography skills. I hate to admit that this is the best out of 26 pictures I took. Sheesh!

Anyhoosie, this is my latest project, Season of Growth from Little House Needleworks. Now, if you do want to remember something about me it's that I love all things LHN! I can't think of a more relaxing way to spend an evenening than working on one of Diane's designs. I'm sure many of you agree, they are an absolute joy to stitch. This is the last of the four "Season of..."s I have left to do. Woohoo! Nothing like feeling that sense of accomplishment before you've actually accomplished something!

Looks like we're in for a pleasant weekend here in southwest Michigan. Maybe our last for a while? People keep mentioning the S-word that comes with that W-thing. Here on the Rocky River, we're keeping it Summer just a little longer!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Time Out

2011-11-03T14:06:00.003-04:00

Today is being one of those days.

Laptop is completely buggered.

Camera won't stay turned on long enough to take a picture. (Which, yesterday, I couldn't get it to turn off... quelle ironie.)

Even my rechargeable toothbrush seems to have given up on me.

I had stitching to show you, honest Injun, but it will have to wait until the various components of my life decide to cooperate with me.

Until then they'll all be sitting in Time Out. (And with the way this day is going, I'll be starting my own version of Time Out at precisely 5:01pm.)

What's In Your Q-Snaps?

2011-11-02T11:34:00.004-04:00

I fell in love with The Riddle by The Drawn Thread the second I layed eyes on it. Much like my darling Phil who, on our 5th date, drove me to House of Stitches in LaPorte, IN to purchase the pattern and fabric. (If that's not love, I don't know what is!) I have since dubbed this Phil's Sampler. The verse describes him to a tee. He is the most generous man I have ever met, always putting other's needs before his own. He is such a blessing in my life and I love him dearly. My goal is to have this sampler finished by the time the construction of his new home is complete. That should be sometime in January so I need to get my needle in gear!

Blogging For Blogging's Sake

2011-11-01T11:00:00.003-04:00

Is it November already?? Fall is having a party and I haven't even bothered to open my invitation!!

National Blog Posting Month is upon us and, even though my blogging has been sporadic of late, I will do my very best to post every day this month. My laptop has been informed of my intention and for it's part has promised not to flake out on me during the next thirty days. I've had to practically give it CPR every morning for the past two weeks so confidence is fairly low!

Click on the badge above if you're interested in coming along for the ride!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:19:00.002-04:00

Fall Classic

2011-10-17T12:03:00.002-04:00

My boys have once again done me proud!

Game One is Wednesday! I get all giggly thinking about it!

(Have I mentioned I love baseball?)

Squirrel!

2011-10-06T08:46:00.005-04:00

I love baseball!

Eat Your Heart Out, Barbie!

2011-09-27T14:16:00.004-04:00

With every dream man comes a dream house, right?

Midwest Stash Exchange

2011-08-12T11:03:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is the 5th annual Midwest Stash Exchange at House of Stitches in LaPorte, IN from 10am - 2pm central time. There will also be a block party with fun and games for the kids, so bring the whole family! Have your scissors sharpened while you shop, shop, shop! You just might find that elusive pattern you've been searching for for years!

Their Song... Framed!

2011-08-10T11:25:00.003-04:00

I have been horribly remiss in sharing my Mother's Day gift with everyone! My sweet (and totally generous!) children had Their Song framed for me! I'm positively thrilled with how it turned out! The last time I had something professionally framed was back in a year that began with 19... so it's been a while! They couldn't have picked a more perfect gift for me!

So Happy Together

2011-08-03T13:26:00.004-04:00

Obviously there's a reason why my blog posts have been so sporadic as of late, and that reason can be seen in the photo above. There is a new man in my life and I have been completely smitten with him since the day we met. I feel so blessed to have him in my life, and wanted to share my happiness here.

If you need me, I'll be staring into two gorgeous blue eyes. :-)

Ladies Only

2011-07-25T16:41:00.003-04:00

On a recent trip to Chicago we took a slightly scary but very fast elevator ride up to the 96th floor of the John Hancock building to check out what is rumored to be one of the best views of the city.

Not from the observatory or the lounge...

...but from the ladies' restroom!

What do the men get?

Zilch!!

Hot Diggity Dog!

2011-07-23T10:13:00.003-04:00

Today is National Hot Dog Day! Pictured above is the popular Chicago style hot dog, which I have to admit to never trying and had never even heard of until moving up north. You know me, I'm a chili cheese kind of girl! We are headed to the Elkhart County Fair this afternoon so maybe I'll get a chance to try a Chicago dog. We have tickets to the REO Speedwagon concert this evening so I'm hoping the rain holds off. We've been having quite a heat wave here so it's nice to have a bit of a break, but can it wait until after the concert? Please?

Much to talk about but unfortunately it's time for me to fly! (Get it?)

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

It's a Happy Bunny Day!

2011-04-09T12:54:00.003-04:00

Happy Bunny Bunny Day
by The Trilogy
stitched on 32-count Dirty Belfast Linen with DMC
Long time, no post, right? Can you tell I got the job I applied for? My days of leisure are over! I did find a little free time and managed to finish up this cute little bunny. It's one of my Crazy January Challenge projects so I can cross another one off my list. I think that's three now, so twelve more to go.

In other bunny news, I saw one hopping through our yard today. He made a bee-line for a couple of mourning doves and sent them fluttering up in the air. It was pretty funny! A very playful bunny and two annoyed birds! Our inside bunny is a picky eater and what she leaves in her food bowl we empty out in the yard for the outside critters. I'd like to think this bun found some tasty bits to nibble on.

With all the birds and critters running around the yard, I guess spring has finally arrived. We're still not seeing any leaves popping out on the trees, but the grass is starting to green up and there are a few things sprouting out of the ground. I might actually take a stab at a garden this year. I'd love some fresh peppers and herbs to cook with!

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend and don't have to work like me, haha!

A Happy Pillow

2011-03-17T16:22:00.004-04:00

This little singing bluebird is from a chart by SamSarah called Sing to Me. I stitched it waaaay back in 2007 on a bit of stitch band that I had gobs and gobs of. I'd always planned to make it into a sort of wrap-around pillow thingy, and finally got around to it today.

I think it's pretty cute in all it's un-perfect-ness. It makes me happy to look at it, too. :-)

I really am thrilled to have my sewing machine up and running. :-)

At Last! Some Stitching!

2011-03-16T12:58:00.005-04:00

And a finish, no less!

God Bless Those
by Shakespeare's Peddler
stitched on 32 count Vintage Exemplar linen
with Gentle Arts Sampler Threads
This was designed by Theresa to commemorate Egypt's recent struggle for freedom, and sold at the Nashville Market as a limited edition kit. My photo does not do the thread colors justice. They are truly gorgeous.

Theresa finished her's into a small pillow with a chenille trim that suits it to a tee. I'll need to make a trip into town for the trim and some stuffing but I'm hoping to duplicate her finish. I did finally find my sewing machine yesterday, but for some crazy reason I didn't pack the foot pedal in the same box. After spending half the day yesterday digging through boxes and cussing whoever did the packing (that would be me...), I finally gave up and tried to find a replacement online. The only one I found was going to cost me $56! I think of purchases like this in terms of how much stash I could buy with the money, so that just wasn't going to cut it!

This morning I remembered how my Mom used to recite "Baby Jesus, lost and found" when she was looking for something. So I sat down and concentrated on where I thought the foot pedal could be. Baby Jesus, lost and found... Baby Jesus, lost and found... and POOF! it came to me! I knew exactly where it was! I'd stored it in a plastic bin which is why it wasn't in the box with the machine! It didn't take me long to find the bin, and sure enough, inside was the foot pedal! Of course, I'm totally on the hook to actually use the machine now!

No word on the job still. Do you think they found out about the sit-in I staged at my high school back in 1977? Those were good times!

That's about all I have to report today from the hovel. Hope this week has been treating you well!

Treasures from Staci

2011-03-11T12:01:00.002-05:00

I recently won Staci's (of Snippets and Stash fame) blogoversary giveaway and was tickled pink to receive these gorgeous stitching accessories, beautifully stitched on what must be Staci-dyed linen. Thanks to Staci, I am no longer a pin cushion-less, floss tag-less stitcher! I will treasure them always! She also sent a collection of 360 DMC flosses, so I am now the best outfitted stitcher in MI! Thank you so much, Staci! You made my week!

There hasn't been much stitching to speak of here. The days have been grey and dreary and positively dull. Spring is taking it's dear sweet time on getting here and I am in the stitching doldrums. Help!

In other news, I took it upon myself to interview for a part-time job earlier this week and, barring them digging up something nasty in my past, I should be gainfully employed soon.

[Incidentally, the illustration in the background of my photo is from a book by Kit Williams, Masquerade, which contained elaborate clues to a real live treasure (a golden filagree hare pendant) which he had buried somewhere in England. It unfortunately ended in a bit of a scandal when the treasure finder was discovered to have cheated.]

The Cake

2011-03-09T10:29:00.003-05:00

I admit it's more of a 'cake wreck' but we did have fun making this traditional King Cake for Mardi Gras.

And it tasted so much better than it looked!

Les bons moments, mes amis!

It's Fat Tuesday!

2011-03-08T11:41:00.004-05:00

Time to sing and dance and eat cake!

Tree Frog

2011-03-01T12:33:00.007-05:00

Block 2 of my Village is now complete! As the title of this post suggests, I did end up frogging the willow trees. (See the little pile of gold fuzz?) It wasn't because of a stitching mistake but because I still haven't learned to read and follow directions. I was perfectly happy to leave the trees 'as stitched' and carry on with the remainder of the backstitching. So I'm reading, "Backstitch the tree branches in 315/830." Check! Then I read, "Backstitch the tree leaves in 156/500." Tree leaves? What tree leaves?? I'd just backstitched every tree part in 315! I didn't realize those little diagonal stitches were actually supposed to be leaves and should be stitched in a different color! Oh, the words that flew out of my mouth! They too were of a different color!

Anyhoosie, the story ends well because I do like the trees sooo much better with green leaves and not the monotone gold they were. I also stitched the forgotten 'a' in Isaiah. St. Peter's Church is complete and I can't wait to get started on the next block!

We are going to be heading up to Portage today to run some errands and, as luck would have it, today is also National Pancake Day so we'll be stopping in at IHOP for their annual Children's Miracle Network fundraiser. Short stacks for everyone!

Happy Dancing to Their Song

2011-02-24T13:31:00.004-05:00

Their Song
by Blackbird Designs
stitched on 28 ct. Apple Brown Bindy by R&R Reproductions
with WDW fibers
Yes! It is finally done! I had to look back through my blog archives to see when I started this one and I discovered it was my first new start of 2009. Now it gets to be my third finish for 2011. I'd have to do some more checking but I believe this is also my third Blackbird Designs finish. I only wish I'd discovered them sooner as the prices for some of the out of print charts are more than I can afford. I'll keep hoping to find a deal on Ebay!

Next in the Q-Snaps will be my Village of Hawk Run Hollow. I got the first willow tree done on Block 2 easy peasy, but for some reason I'm going cross eyed with the second one. I'm having so much trouble I'm starting to doubt I stitched the first one correctly! But if it is wrong I'm not about to restitch that thing! So why do I keep looking for a mistake? It's like some sort of stitchy psychosis!

Still no sign of spring here. We're stuck in an infinite loop of snow, melt, refreeze, snow, melt, refreeze. My daughter took this picture of a cedar waxwing in a tree near her apartment trying to eat the frozen berries.

We've been refilling our feeder daily, trying to keep up with the appetites of our local sparrows and cardinals. It was getting a little expensive so we started feeding them the bulk sunflower seeds from the grocery store instead of the fancy cherry-flavored blend. Luckily our guys are not picky eaters. In fact, I've noticed quite a few more finches than we had before and they are some of my favorites, along with the little chickadees.

Today is Thursday and that means it's spaghetti night! (Missy, if you read this, I still use the sauce recipe you sent me so many years ago!) I must be getting ready for a second hiberation or something because my appetite has been out of control this last week. A sure sign that winter isn't over yet... darn!

Thank you all for stopping by! Here's hoping you have your own finish to report soon!

For Lack of Some Moss

2011-02-21T13:59:00.004-05:00

I worked on Their Song over the weekend but it remains unfinished for the time being. That single length of WDW Moss is all I have left and it isn't going to be enough. When I bought the fibers for this chart I didn't realize I would need two skeins of Moss and Havana. Luckily I had the Havana in my stash so I was able to finish up all of those bits. And I could swear I'd bought some Moss knowing I was going to need it, but I couldn't find it in any of the usual places. Today might be the day I actually do some organizing around here!

We've been thrown face first back into winter here in SW Michigan. Yesterday started with snow, which then turned to snow and sleet, which then turned to rain and ice. We're back to snow today and it's a mess out there. There are reportedly 85,000 homes in the area without power. I know ours went out at some point during the night because all the digital clocks were flashing this morning. I am counting my blessings because this old house gets pretty darn cold when the furnace isn't running.

Have y'all checked out the new releases from the Nashville market? ABC Stitch has a nice list of them here. My wishy-wanty list has been growing over the last couple of days!

Hope everyone is staying warm, especially if you're in the midst of this latest wintry mess! Thanks for stopping by!

The Great Backyard Bird Count

2011-02-19T10:10:00.003-05:00

I know how much we stitchers love to count, so if you have a spare 15 minutes this weekend, consider participating in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count.

Black-capped Chickadee
(Photo from the GBBC website)

Their Song Progress

2011-02-16T11:51:00.003-05:00

I pulled Their Song out of my UFO basket on Friday and immediately discovered why I stopped working on it. Somewhere among the leaves and cherries was a mistake. It turned out to be one of those things that fudging would only make worse, so I did some frogging and restitching and now everything is as right as rain. My goal over the weekend was to get the tree and blackbird finished which I happlily accomplished except for the cherry stems which are backstitched. I don't know about you guys but backstitching? I need to be in the right mood for it!

Since Monday was Valentine's Day I celebrated by stitching some of the red bits. I am officially on the second page now and was thinking I'd finish this up by the end of the week. I know that sounds crazy for slow stitchin' me but anything's possible!

We've had temps above freezing this week and the snow is melting everywhere. We can finally see over the mountains of snow at the foot of the driveway when we're backing out! Is spring arriving early this year?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T11:31:00.001-05:00

Happily Dancing!

2011-02-10T13:32:00.003-05:00

Green Snowman
by Shepherd's Bush
stitched on 30-count Weeks Guacamole Linen
with Au Ver a Soie and Overdyed Silk Threads
This is my second finish for the Crazy January Challenge and, I must say, it almost stitched itself! Gotta love those silk threads!

I haven't decided what to work on next but I'm thinking I might dig out Their Song from Blackbird Designs and try to get that one finished. It's been buried at the bottom of my basket for too long!

Snow Day!

2011-02-02T14:42:00.003-05:00

This winter we have had snow showers, steady snow, lingering snow, blowing snow, on and off snow, light snow, occaisional snow, and drifting snow. Meh. Then we get news of The Blizzard! The Storm of the Century! Let me tell you, I was glued to the Weather Channel yesterday for hours! (And no, Jim Cantore had absolutely nothing to do with it even though I had the strongest urge to hop in the car and drive to Chicago with a Thermos full of coffee for my favorite hunka hunka burnin' weatherman.) I had big plans to stay up through the night and watch the storm's progress but by 10:00 I was sawing toothpicks. I fully expected to wake up this morning and find two feet of snow on my porch but it doesn't look like we got more than 8-10 inches. That doesn't sound like much until you have to shovel it off your front steps! I have reached the conclusion there is no such thing as 'light snow'!

In stitchy news, here is my progress on Green Snowman.

Can you see the big holes on the top half of the snowman? I switched from completing my stitches one at a time to doing a whole row one way and then back for the bottom half and it seems to have made a difference. If I have enough of the white thread leftover after stitching the hill, I'll rip out the top half and try to wiggle the fabric threads back into place and re-stitch it. I think it'll be worth it in the long run. Those holes are too much of a distraction the way it is.

I hope everyone survived the storm! And if you're having a Snow Day off from work, I hope you get to spend it inside with your stitching!

First Finish of 2011

2011-01-31T10:36:00.003-05:00

Woodland Sampling
Little House Needleworks
stitched on 32-count Antique Tan linen with DMC

Woohoo! My first finish for 2011 and my first Crazy January Challenge finish! I've actually had it done for a few days now, but for some reason getting the iron out and de-wrinkling this thing and then taking a picture of it ended up at the bottom of my to do list. Must remember to make that type of thing a priority in the future!

I've been working on Green Snowman from Shepherd's Bush the last couple of nights. I'm filling in the snowman and feel like I've crossed a few thousand white stitches. Not 100% thrilled with the way it's looking. I don't know if it's the fabric (30-count Weeks) or my crappy stitching but my poor snowman is looking like Swiss cheese. I'm being careful not to pull my thread too tight but I'm still ending up with huge holes between all my stitches. Really hoping it will relax a little once I'm done.

Looks like we have a big winter storm heading this way so I'll be making a run to the grocery store to stock up on provisions. We were treated to a little sun yesterday, the first in what seems like forever. It's a wonder we don't all have rickets!

Here's a shot of Spitz helping me try to get an un-blurry shot of my Woodland Sampling...

"Am I in your light?"

Crazy January Challenge Start #15

2011-01-18T11:58:00.003-05:00

I couldn't seem to take an unblurry picture to save my soul, but this is my 15th start for the CJC, Woodland Sampling by Little House Needleworks. I'm totally in love with this design, it's so very "me"! I keep telling myself the house looks just like mine (if you rearrange the windows and add a porch, that is). But we do have pine trees and cardinals and squirrels and bunnies and (unfortunately) snow, so that part is completely accurate.

The weather today is positively dreary, wet and cold and the sky is a gloomy shade of grey. But the house is clean, the shopping's done, and my darling daughter is coming for dinner tonight so I'm just as chipper and a... um... chipper thing!

Have a happy Tuesday, y'all, and thanks for visiting!

Crazy January Challenge Start #14

2011-01-15T14:49:00.002-05:00

Had a slight change of plans last night and decided to start Joyful Summer from Country Cottage Needleworks instead of LHN's Woodland Sampling. I know I'll want to keep working on WS so may as well leave it to last and just keep it out. Not that I've been putting any of these projects away as I go. I have a nice pile of starts on the sofa table next to where I've been taking my pictures, along with fibers and patterns scattered here, there, and everywhere. I do need to work on my organizational skills! (My next challenge? Maybe...)

So here we are on the last day of the Crazy January Challenge! It has gone by a lot faster than I thought it would, and amazingly, I've managed to keep up with my starts. I say last day but that's not quite true. There's more fun to come as we all attempt to finish our 15 projects! No problem! Right?

Crazy January Challenge Start #13

2011-01-14T12:06:00.002-05:00

Saving the best for almost last, my next start is Season of Growth from Little House Needleworks. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that they could stitch LHN designs all day, every day! Love love love them all! In fact, tonight's start will be another LHN, Woodland Sampling. Can't wait!

Crazy January Challenge Starts 11 & 12

2011-01-13T12:57:00.003-05:00

The crazinesss continues with more Sweet Treats! Here we have Pie (start #11) and Cake (start #12). Harmien will be happy that these are the last two! And my chocolate cravings should finally subside!

Only three more starts to go for the CJC! Then it's on to completing them! Woohoo!

Crazy January Challenge Start #10

2011-01-11T13:31:00.004-05:00

Last night's start (number ten!) was the fourth of Country Cottage Needleworks Sweet Treats designs. This one is Ice Cream, a personal favorite treat, especially when it's covered in chocolate syrup! Maybe that's why I couldn't stop stitching until I had the whole bowl done! Complete with the cherry on top! Dig in!

CJC Starts 7, 8, & 9

2011-01-10T11:31:00.004-05:00

*** The title of this post reminds me of a riddle: Why is six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine! (Seven ate nine... get it?) ***

My next three starts for the Crazy January Challenge are from the Sweet Treats series by Country Cottage Needleworks.

Here we have Sweet Treats, Cupcake, and Tart. They don't look very appetizing right now but once I get some of the pinks and purples in there they will look positively delicious! I'm stitching them individually so I can finish them as ornaments to hang from a 'shabby chic' ornament tree I bought a couple of years ago, right before I packed everything up and moved northwards. I realize for this to happen I will have to find both my sewing machine and the ornament tree in the mountain of my boxed possessions. They've actually been divided into four hills now, so there is hope!

I had planned to do some blog visiting over the weekend but it just didn't happen. I'm afraid I've gotten woefully behind on my reading and commenting. I do want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has stopped by to visit my little spot on the web, and I do appreciate the comments you leave. I promise to make my rounds soon!

Crazy January Challenge Start #6

2011-01-07T15:09:00.002-05:00

My next start is Happy Bunny Bunny Day by The Trilogy. I've had this one kitted up in my stash for some time, and, being the year of the rabbit, now's the perfect time to stitch it!

We had a few inches of snow last night which my son and I promptly cleared off the walks earlier... only to have it start snowing again. Exasperated sigh!

Today is my lovely daughter Sarah's birthday! We will be venturing up north to the 'big city' to have dinner with her this evening and do a little celebrating. She picked Carrabba's for dinner so I'm looking forward to some yummy Italian. (Food, ladies! I meant food!)

Crazy January Challenge Start #5

2011-01-06T14:40:00.002-05:00

Last night's start was A Winter's Tale by Shepherd's Bush. As you can see from the photo the colors are very subtle. (I swear, there's more stitching there than it looks like!) I had a heck of time sorting the fibers that came with the kit. Is this one pale pink or rose? Is that one light tan or dusty peach? Anyhoosie, the border for this one looks like it'll be fun to stitch. There's an inner border with a bazillion Rhodes stitches in different colors and an outer border that you weave a pattern of hearts into. Should be gorgeous!

We are having a bit of snow today. As pretty as it is when it's falling, I do hate the 'upkeep'. It looked like it was letting up so I went out to clear the sidewalks. No sooner did I get started when it started snowing heavily again. I was all bundled up with my boots on so I decided to at least finish the walkway. Shoveling snow while it's snowing? Complete lunacy! But then it is Crazy January, right!

Crazy January Challenge Starts 3 & 4

2011-01-05T11:39:00.003-05:00

I completely forgot to post my third start yesterday so today I'll be showing you two.

Monday night I started the first of the three Shepherd's Bush kits I have chosen, Better Not Pout. I managed to finish the pudgie person and most of one of the sheep. I still need to add his antlers to turn him into a reindeer. (The sheep, not the pudgie!)

Last night I started another SB kit, Green Snowman. This one is going to have a ton of white stitching which I'm not looking forward to. But he's an adorable snowman so I will persevere!

Tonight I plan to start my last SB kit which is A Winter's Tale. Then I will officially be 1/3 of the way through my starts and well on my way to crazy! Woohoo!

Crazy January Challenge Start #2

2011-01-03T14:16:00.003-05:00

My second start for the CJC is a limited edition kit from Lizzie Kate called Christmas is Forever. I bought this in 2008 but never started it since my Christmas stitching is usually limited to a quick ornament or two, if that. December is just one of those months that is so jam-packed with activity that I rarely get much stitching done. I usually choose my stitching projects according to the seasons so I was afraid I might feel a little off kilter starting a Christmas design in January. Maybe it was the simply devine Crescent Colours fibers that came with the kit, or possibly it was that scrumptious shade of pink (Carrie Berry! Yum!) but I didn't experience a single obsessive compulsive twitch while I was working on this project. Christmas stitching! In January! Whodathunkit!

Tonight's start will most likely be one of the Shepherd's Bush kits I have on my list. Stay tuned!

Crazy January Challenge Start #1

2011-01-02T12:54:00.006-05:00

My first start for the CJC is Big Blizzard Sampler from Heart in Hand. I had wanted to finish the snowman but my short attention span kicked in and, as you can see, he still needs a little work.

Such is the case with our real life snowmen, too. Here we have attempt number one:

This guy's body was shaped out of a pile of snow (and dried grass and dead leaves...) with a big snowball plopped on top for the head. The sunglasses give him a little personality, don't you think? He was only about 18 inches tall so not very impressive.

For our second attempt we decided to go with the traditional rolling of the snowballs until they were the right size. Unfortunately we over-rolled the middle part and the result was a disproportionate, lopsided stack of snow(dirtgrassleaf)balls.

He was, at least, a respectible snowman height. And I have to admit it was a little sad watching him slowly melt... leaning, leaning... until one day I looked outside and saw his head had fallen off! I'm still recovering from the shock!

She's Making A List

2010-12-31T13:34:00.003-05:00

A little late to the party perhaps, but I've decided to join the Crazy January Challenge 2011. It didn't take me long to find fifteen projects to work on. I stuck with smallish projects that I know I can finish during the year, and since this is so last minute, I chose ones that were already kitted up or I knew I had thread and fabric for. So, without further ado, here is my list:

1. A Winter's Tale (Shepherd's Bush)
2. Better Not Pout (Shepherd's Bush)
3. Green Snowman (Shepherd's Bush)
4. The Big Blizzard (Heart in Hand)
5. Christmas is Forever (Lizzie Kate)
6. Woodland Sampling (Little House Needleworks)
7. Season of Growth (Little House Needleworks)
8. Happy Bunny Bunny Day (The Trilogy)
9. Joyful Summer (Country Cottage Needleworks)
10. Sweet Treats (Country Cottage Needleworks)
11. Cupcake (Country Cottage Needleworks)
12. Tart (Country Cottage Needleworks)
13. Ice Cream (Country Cottage Needleworks)
14. Pie (Country Cottage Needleworks)
15. Cake (Country Cottage Needleworks)

These have all been in my To Do basket for a couple of years, so I'm really looking forward to finally getting them done. I am commited! Or is that I should be commited??

Everyone be safe this New Year's Eve!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T15:34:00.003-05:00

However you are spending the holidays, I hope it is with those you love!

Birthdays are good for you...

2010-12-11T10:17:00.002-05:00

Statistics show that people who have the most live the longest!

Have a cupcake!

Today is my 50th birthday!

(But remember, that's only 10 Celsius!)

Woohoo!

2010-11-30T12:38:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to all the NaBloPoMo survivors out there!

Acorn Hill Cont.

2010-11-29T23:38:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick pic to show my progress on Acorn Hill. As you can see, I've been working on the house. The roof was done by blending two different colors and I think it turned out pretty nifty.

Discombobulated

2010-11-28T17:13:00.002-05:00

That about sums up how I'm feeling right now. I've been going through my various boxes of stash and I can't find a single thing I'm looking for. I know I have a bunch of charts from Homespun Elegance somewhere, including the annual Christmas ornaments Sandra does every year. I had the charms and fabric and even the fuzzy stuff for Santa's beard and now it's nowhere to be found. And what about the All Dolled Up series of ornaments from Little House Needleworks? Nope. Those are missing too.

I've also managed to misplace a 7.5 foot prelit Christmas tree. Either that or we gave it away because we didn't want to move it which makes me want to cry because have you seen the prices of these things?!?!?

I know 'tis the season to be stressed out, but I think some serious re-combobulating needs to be done around this house!

Acorn Hill Progress

2010-11-27T23:39:00.003-05:00

Finally had a chance to sit down and work on Acorn Hill a little tonight, but all I kept thinking about was how I need to start working on some Christmas projects. It's been pretty cold here lately so it may just be time to pack up the fall stitching and pull out my winter projects.

Crazy January Challenge

2010-11-26T17:05:00.002-05:00

Have you heard about the Crazy January Challenge 2011?? The idea is to start stitching a new project every day from January 1st to January 15th, and then finish each of those 15 new projects before the end of the year. I'll need to go through my stash and see what I can come up with before committing, but it does sound like my kind of fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T11:30:00.002-05:00

The First Thanksgiving
Jean Leon Gerome Ferris

P is for...

2010-11-24T21:06:00.004-05:00

Pizza, Puzzles, Pictionary and Plenty of laughter with People I love.

Hope everyone is staying warm on this Thanksgiving Eve.

I Found My Thrill...

2010-11-23T21:30:00.004-05:00

...on Acorn Hill!

Good to Go!

2010-11-22T18:15:00.002-05:00

Hooray! My thread and fabric arrived for Acorn Hill! I can't wait to get started!

The Village

2010-11-21T13:47:00.004-05:00

Thought I should share a picture of my VoHRH since I mentioned yesterday that I'd be working on it while I oh so patiently (not!) await the thread and fabric for my next project. It's not much of a village yet with only a church (missing it's windows!) and a city hall, but I have plans for a blacksmith's shop and a gristmill, and I hope to start on a boarding house soon.

We have beef and barley soup simmering in the crock pot (I finally found it!) and Chex Mix toasting in the oven so it's smelling very fall-y here in our little home. Nice to have such a cozy feeling on an overcast day. We've been working on our menu and grocery list for Thanksgiving, and I can't wait for the turkey and stuffing!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday as much as I am! Thanks for stopping by!

Next Up

2010-11-20T19:21:00.003-05:00

I've decided my next project will be another from Little House Needleworks. This time it's Acorn Hill. I've ordered the thread and fabric I need and with any luck they'll be here before Thanksgiving. In the meantime I think I'll resurrect my Village of Hawk Run Hollow and see if I can't finish up the block I started so long ago.

A Friday Night Finish

2010-11-19T22:42:00.004-05:00

Season of Plenty

Little House Needleworks

stitched on 28 count Antique Ivory linen with DMC

And here is a group shot of the three seasons I have completed so far.

One House Short of a Finish

2010-11-18T23:29:00.004-05:00

Still plugging away on Season of Plenty. It'll almost be a shame to finish this one, I'm enjoying it so much. I'll have to go through my stash and see what other Little House Needleworks fall-ish patterns I might have.

One more week until Thanksgiving! Can you believe it? And I'm so happy I'll be able to celebrate it in my own home!

Thanks for visiting! I'll be back tomorrow with a finish!

Quick Progress Post

2010-11-17T23:50:00.003-05:00

Whew! Cutting it close tonight to get my post in before midnight, so here's a quick pic of my progress on Season of Plenty. Shouldn't be too long before this one goes in the Fuppie Box!

Roti

2010-11-16T14:54:00.012-05:00

I had a request from Staci for our flatbread recipe so today's blog post is brought to you by my son, Evan. Enjoy!

This is a recipe for Indian-style flat-bread called roti. roti is a lot like naan, however roti is chemically leavened and naan is leavened with yeast. This makes roti much quicker to get on the table, however some time should still be set aside and work out your schedule before starting your meal.

Ingredients:

12 & 3/4 ounces (3 cups) unbleached, all-purpose flour (if you have a kitchen scale USE IT! it's much more accurate and efficient than measuring flour by volume)

1 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

6 to 8 ounces (3/4 to 1 cup) water (start at 6 ounces and work your way up to achieve a proper dough consistency)

-In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add oil and water. mix on low using dough hook, or by hand with a wooden spoon or your bare hands to create a soft, but not sticky dough, adding water as needed (your dough will feel dry and be crumbly if you need more water.)

Crumbly:

Good:

-Let dough rest for 30 minutes, then cut into 8 equal pieces (scale helps again here too) and cover with a clean towel and let rest again for 5 minutes (don't skip this part, it allows the dough to relax so it rolls out easier)

-Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, roll the dough balls out into 6-8 inch circles (helps to have a helper do this while you cook the roti... but that's just me)

Brush or spray griddle or skillet with oil (brush dough with oil too if desired) then place roti on the griddle or skillet and cook until the top begins to blister.

Flip and cook roughly one minute more, then remove to plate. Repeat with remaining dough.

(Don't take these instructions at face value, you may need to play with the heat or cook the roti a little shorter. It doesn't take long, and may be better to just go by sight. nice dark spots and a bumpy blistered texture are what you're going for.)

I like to have my roti with curry, but they're also very good for sandwiches too. The roti will stay warm if stacked on a plate and tented with foil for about 30 minutes, but they can be kept in a warm oven too, and re-heat in the microwave nicely. You're lucky if they make it to the table at all though, I'm always catching myself tearing off bits and snacking as the remaining ones cook.

And that's lunch!

Thank you, Evan, for being my very first guest blogger! I hope you all enjoyed his recipe and give it a try sometime soon!

Dryer DIY

2010-11-15T23:20:00.004-05:00

We haven't been working on many projects around the house since we moved in, mainly just unpacking boxes and clearing a trailer full of brush out of the yard while the weather held out. But there was one Miss Fix-It project I wanted to share with you that I'm particularly proud of.

Meet Frank (short for Frankenstein):

He is an electric dryer we bought off Craigslist because the one we had was gas, and I've done the whole clothes line thing before and didn't want to go that route again. (First gravy and chili dogs, and now this non-green behavior! Whatever are you gonna do with me!)

Frank used to be known as the Mean Green Machine, but Frank had issues. You know what it sounds like when you're drying tennis shoes? Well, that's how Frank sounded all the time. A quick examination with a flashlight revealed the problem to be a busted drum roller. Now luckily our old dryer is also a vintage Kenmore, so it has become our Donor Dryer. The part we needed was extracted from our donor (may he rest) and skillfully transplanted into Frank. I am happy to report that after a short period of recuperation Frank is back to work and operating at 100%.

Here's a photo of the offending drum roller (center). The real problem turned out to be a broken tri clip (that triangle thing) which allowed the roller to slip and wobble and eventually wear down. Bonus: I found exactly $1 in change when I cleaned out the dryer's insides, plus a guitar pick. Woohoo! The two washers and nut were what was leftover once we had the machine put back together, but we're not going to talk about that!

(Doesn't everyone have leftover parts after putting something back together??)

The Sigh Heard 'Round the World

2010-11-14T23:29:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd made some decent progress on Season Of Plenty tonight. And then I realized I'd used the wrong color green for the top part. Siiiiigggghhh! I sat there for a good 15 minutes contemplating ripping it all out and re-stitching it, but ultimately decided no one would ever know. Until I posted it on my blog of course, but then I know you guys will never tell, right? Mum's the word!

Daughter Sarah came for dinner and a movie tonight, so son Evan whipped up a delicious chicken curry. I'm glad he has the patience to follow one of those multi-stage recipes, otherwise we'd be eating one dish casseroles every night. He even made flatbread which I had to eat hot out of pan to the point where I was burning my fingers, but I swear that's when it's best!

My Next Project

2010-11-13T21:21:00.003-05:00

I got started on Season of Plenty from Little House Needleworks tonight. I've already stitched Season of Hope (Spring) and Season of Rest (Winter) so after this one is finished I'll only have one more to go. I'm stitching with DMC on 28-count Antique Ivory linen and it's such a nice change from the 35-count Weeks linen I'd used for my last project. I tell you, I'm loving every stitch!

Pumpkin Patch Finish

2010-11-12T22:57:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin Patch
by Knotted Tree Needle Art
stitched on 35-count Weeks Straw linen with WDW fibers

Down By the Riverside

2010-11-11T16:28:00.006-05:00

We've been enjoying some unseasonably warm weather here this week. It's been great for getting the last of the yard work done, but everyone knows all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So we put away our tools, grabbed the camera and took a walk down to the river. During the summer it's too overgrown with grass and bullrushes for it to be a happy little ramble, but this time of year it's easy to just follow the critter trails on down. Unfortunately, it doesn't make for very pretty pictures.

Speaking of critters, we found this chewed up tree close to the river. It looks like the work of beavers but I don't think there are any in this area. Groundhogs or squirrels maybe?

Once the weather gets cold and snowy here I'll take another excursion down to the river for some winter pictures to share. And if I wimp out I'll at least take some from the bridge or down at the park.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a couple hundred burrs to pick out of my shoelaces.

Dinner Time

2010-11-10T19:42:00.003-05:00

We pulled out our copy of America's Best Lost Recipes and made runsas for dinner tonight. It's a slightly sweet bun stuffed with a filling made of beef, cabbage, and onions. Not much to 'em but, boy, are they delicious. I doused mine with brown gravy because I do find them to be a little on the dry side and, hey, any excuse for gravy is a good one!

Pumpkin Progress

2010-11-09T19:26:00.005-05:00

I've made some decent progress on Pumpkin Patch. There will be a third pumpkin on the left so I'm hoping it helps to make the one in the middle look less like a blob.

I grabbed a picture of the finished piece from the Silver Needle site:
I must confess to losing my initial enthusiasm for this piece. The fabric is a 35 count linen from Weeks and I'm not finding it to be very stitcher friendly. I know I should have started over on another fabric but, doggone it, I paid too much for the kit to be tossing it's bits and pieces. Silly me, pulled in by those pretty fall colors and gosh! I love pumpkins, but I swear I will never buy another overpriced kit!

Hot Diggity Dog

2010-11-08T23:34:00.004-05:00

I've been obsessing about the Tex-Mex foot longs they have at Sonic, but that monster weighs in with a little more fat, calories, and sodium than I feel I should consume in one sitting. So I did the next best thing and made my own abbreviated version. It was quite delicious, and I didn't end up in the emergency room.

I've been busy working on Pumpkin Patch so I'll have a progress picture to share tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Fall Back

2010-11-07T09:18:00.002-05:00

Just a friendly reminder to set your clocks back if you haven't already! What are you going to do with your extra hour?

Pumpkin Patch Start

2010-11-06T23:45:00.005-04:00

I bought this kit from the Silver Needle in Tulsa, OK a couple of years ago. They did a conversion for the chart using Weeks Dye Works and I'm a sucker for those fall colors. I don't have a good picture of what the completed project looks like so you'll just have to stay tuned here, haha!

It's a Finish!

2010-11-05T22:48:00.004-04:00

Witch Hazel

from Tis Hallowe'en by Blackbird Designs

I Must Be Crazy

2010-11-04T23:40:00.002-04:00

But I really want one of these...

It's the Tex-Mex Footlong Quarter Pound Coney from Sonic. A foot long hot dog with chili, cheese, Fritos, onions, and jalapenos.

And 1130 calories!

Witch Hazel

2010-11-03T22:27:00.004-04:00

As proof that I still stitch...
I was hoping to finish this little stocking tonight but as usual I overestimated the speed at which I stitch. I am a pokey little puppy. With way too many distractions. But I did finish my leafy labor today so that's one big job I can cross off my to do list. Our weather is supposed to be cold and rainy the next couple of days so I'm happy we got it done while it was still relatively nice outside. Tomorrow we'll be back to unpacking boxes and looking for things like the remote for the DVD player and my crock pot. Cold rainy weather demands that something be cooked in a crock pot!

I'm off to Bedfordshire! Good night and may God bless!

All the Leaves Are Brown

2010-11-02T22:12:00.006-04:00

One benefit of last week's windstorm was that it blew most of the leaves out of the trees in our yard. We spent today raking and hauling and piling them along the curb for the city to come by and pick up. Definitely not my favorite part of fall!

NaBloPoMo

2010-11-01T10:49:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again! Time for the daily extravaganza that is National Blog Posting Month! The last time I participated was two years ago when I was foiled by an internet outage. This year I have Comcast on speed dial and I won't sit around until 11:00 at night going, "Gee whiz! The internet's still out?"

Not much has been happening around the ole homestead this past week. I spent a couple of days in bed with a perfectly lovely sinus infection, had one semi-good day of unpacking boxes, then back in bed for two more days with one of my brain crushing migraines.

Despite feeling like crud, we did manage to have a fun and festive Halloween. Sarah came over and we carved Texas Rangers pumpkins and made a 'Yankees Graveyard' to set up in the front yard. (I think we were a little premature in adding a few Giants to the headstones.)

Trick or Treating was on Saturday here. I've never lived somewhere where the city decides when you can take your kids door to door, but from 5:30-7:30 it was an absolute mob scene on our street. We ran out of candy twice, and I was on the verge of handing out cough drops and marshmallows on toothpicks before we finally called it quits. We hauled in the pumpkins, unplugged the lights, and hid in the dark for the last 15 minutes (along with half our neighbors, I'm sure!).

We're still root root rooting for the Rangers in the World Series. They're down three games to one, and it's not looking very good for our team. Tonight is Game 5, and potentially the last game of the series. I'm not quite the ball of nerves I was when they were playing the Yankees, but that may be due to the Cherry NyQuil I sip from a cordial glass every evening. I tell ya, we're livin' large here!

I don't have much to share of the stitchy nature. I've worked on one of the little BBD stockings here and there but not enough to warrant posting a picture. In the midst of my migraine delirium I kept muttering that I was missing Fall, so today's agenda must include some stash diving! What a tragedy it would be to miss an entire season of stitching!

Have a great Monday, y'all! (And say a little prayer for the Rangers!)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T13:09:00.001-04:00

(A little chuckle courtesy of Bizarro.)

The Wind Doth Blow

2010-10-26T13:38:00.002-04:00

A good day to stay inside, dontcha think? Hope everyone who is under this gusty mess is safe!

Sweet Victory!

2010-10-23T00:24:00.005-04:00

ALCS Champs!
World Series Bound!

Baseball and Boxes

2010-10-20T10:34:00.005-04:00

He says he didn't touch Nelson Cruz's glove.
He says he didn't reach over the wall.

He also denies making obscene gestures towards Cruz afterwards but I won't post that picture.

Rangers went on to wallop the Yankees, 10-3, but I'm still livid about this call and will probably need a Valium to get through today's game. We lead the series, 3-1, so this could potentially be the last game and Texas will be heading to the World Series.

So my life has been taken over by baseball and boxes since we unloaded the big truck last week. Every day I unpack more stuff and find that I've grossly overestimated the size of this house. I also underestimated the size of my furniture and my armoire now sits outside my bedroom instead of inside where its supposed to be. There's no room for my desk and we can't sit at the dining room table to eat because the china cabinet is in the way. We've managed to redefine 'cozy'.

I haven't picked up any stitching since we've been back unless you count pawing through boxes of stash I haven't seen in over a year. It's quite a distraction when I should be doing more productive things. Like looking for the silverware. And hangers. And something to drink out of other than a coffee mug.

Eventually I will have everything sorted through and things will get back to normal, or as close to normal as we can muster in this household. In the meantime I'll keep tearing open boxes and unwrapping the contents like it's Christmas and shouting things like "Woohoo! A stapler!"

Have a great day, y'all, and LET'S GO RANGERS!