Happy Birthday, Evan!

Today is DS2's 17th birthday! We celebrated yesterday since my daughter had the day off from work. We've all been wanting to go to a Texas Rangers game so that seemed like the perfect way to spend the day. Unfortunately the game was postponed due to rain. We still had a bit of fun, sitting in the stands under our ponchos, eating all sorts of tasty things, and soaking up the ball park atmosphere! (Along with the rain!) Our tickets are still good for any home game so we'll just have to plan another game day next month.

We went to Carrabba's for dinner, which is DS2's favorite restaurant. Everything was absolutely delicious, from our calamari appetizer to the creme brulee we shared for dessert! I literally couldn't eat another bite!

So, happy birthday to you, Evan! Thank you for being the source of so many smiles and fits of laughter all these years! You are my sunshine!

Weekend Report

I decided to take it easy this weekend since I'm still not feeling 100% healthy. I spent some time with the kiddos, watched a couple of movies (Little Miss Sunshine - very good, A Good Year - not so good), did as little housework as possible(!), and got a fair amount stitching done. My April Woolly Tyme blanket is finished except for the bunny tails which are done with colonial knots. I need a Dayquil-free brain before I attempt those! I also got a tiny start on the Secret Needle Night kit for April. It's a cute little lady bug and should stitch up pretty quick.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

SBQ

This week’s SBQ as suggested by Danielle:

Are you on “The Wagon?” If so, how long have you been on and how “serious” are you about it? If not, have you considered it?

I hopped on the wagon as soon as I heard about it, which was right after the first of the year. With a major move coming up I don't need to be adding anything else to my closet full of crafty stuff. In fact, as part of my stash reduction effort I started selling things on eBay that I'm no longer interested in stitching. Funny how my tastes have changed over the years! My original goal was to finish an average of one project a week, the idea being that 50 projects would take me roughly a year. My progress has been slower then I'd like as Life has a way of getting in the way of what I'd rather be doing! But I have managed to complete 10/50 projects so far, so not too bad!

It's the FGBB Stitch-a-Thon weekend so I'm off to stitch! Hooray! I want to get my April Woolly Tyme blanket done before the end of the month! ;-)

Bleh!

I've felt positively cruddy the last two days! Either it's allergies or I picked up something on the plane. I did feel a little better this morning and ran to the bank and grocery store, but now I'm back to the stuffy head and scratchy throat thing. Bleh! I'm so glad we have a simple dinner planned for tonight. Steak, mashed potatoes, and Nyquil! Mmmmm! Tomorrow I'm making a pot of chicken soup, for certain!

Is 5:30 too early for PJs?

Michigan Pics

Here are a few pictures from my trip to Michigan.

This is the house as it is today. The inside is completely gutted. This part will become the master bedroom/bathroom plus the kitchen and dining area. We will be building an addition on the left side which will be the living room, plus adding a second story for two more bedrooms. I'm really happy with our plans.

This is the view of the lake from the bottom of our driveway.

And me...

I saw a lot of this white stuff while I was there. Everyone kept telling me it was unusual for them to have that much snow in April. Of course every time someone said that it would start snowing again! We did have some gorgeous, springy days, however. Here is proof...

AWOL!

I slipped out the back when no one was looking and hopped a plane to Michigan to visit my sweetie. I have tons of e-catching up to do but it will have to wait until I've tackled some laundry and housework and figured out where that smell in the kitchen is coming from. My children's standards clearly aren't as high as my own!

So, a big wave to everyone! I'll be making my blog rounds over the next few days, checking in to see what you've all been up to and hopefully firing up my needle soon! I think the FGBB Stitch-a-Thon is this weekend, so YAY! I could use a break after my vacation! ;-)

10/50

I finished the beads and buttons on Spring Bugs Me yesterday afternoon so I now have 10 out of 50 projects done for my challenge! Woohoo! 1/5 of the way there! Gotta love these quick and easy projects! This is the last one I needed to stitch of the (Season) (Blanks) Me series that The Silver Needle did.

I don't watch a lot of television but tonight I'll be tuned in to Lost. According to the preview, we'll find out how John Locke was paralyzed... something I've been wondering about since season one! I'm seriously hoping they don't kill off Charlie... he's way too sweet!

What a Great Weekend!

This past weekend was the FGBB monthly Stitch-a-Thon. I had planned to work on my SB Easter Egg Needleroll on Saturday but picked up Spring Bugs Me instead. It was going so quick I didn't want to put it down. All that's left to do is sewing on a few beads and buttons and it's done. Sunday I worked on Winter Sampler. I didn't get to spend much time on it, but I am finally seeing some progress. The chart is so hard for me to read, I've started shading in the squares that I've stitched and it's helping a TON!

My son gave me a break from cooking dinner this weekend, too! Saturday we had a braided bread stuffed with all sorts of goodies, and Sunday he made a chicken stir fry. Both were delicious!

We made a run to Half Price Books on Sunday and I treated myself to some books on CD. A friend of mine had recommended the Stephanie Plum series of books by Janet Evanovich. So far I'm enjoying the heck out of them, and it's sooo great to be able to stitch while I listen! These are read by Lori Petty. Her voice was familiar but the name wasn't ringing any bells. I looked her up on IMDB and had to scan down the list pretty far before it clicked... she played Kit in A League of Their Own.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

SBQ x 2

This week’s SBQ was once again suggested by Danielle and is:

If you had $500 to spend on stitching-related items, what would you buy?

What a fun question! I could definitely put a dent in my Wish List with $500! I'm still drooling over so many of the new releases from the Nashville Market! And I'd love to add to my Crescent Colours collection! Most of all I'd like to splurge on a nice, sturdy floor stand. And I'd put anything left over (ha ha!) in a "future framing fund"!

And from last week:

Do you use your needle, a seam ripper, or something else when you have to frog stitches? Why do you use the method that you do?

Most of the time I just use my needle because I have it right there, especially if it's only a few stitches. For bigger jobs, I'll grab my "stitch fixer" which is just like a needle, only bent slightly at the end and attached to a wooden handle so you have something a little more "substantial" to hold on to.

Treasure Chest

One of the things my mother left to me was her mother's cedar chest. I remember my grandmother calling it her "hope chest" and the only time it was ever opened was when we were having a special dinner and needed the *good* table cloth. Last month, my sister-in-law and I went through it's contents and did our best to divide things up according to who might like what. My grandmother obviously had an obsession with crocheted doilies because there was probably close to a hundred of them, in all shapes and sizes. Seriously, there was a TON of these! There was also a few *good* table cloths, some lacy dresser scarves, a crib blanket and some baby clothes, a wooden jewelry box, a "granny gown" with a crocheted bodice, and a pair of BLOOMERS! I wish someone had taken a picture of me with them on... quite attractive! So now I have to decide what to do with my share of the "booty". Most of it isn't in very good shape... the tableclothes are stained, the jewelry box lid has a broken hinge. My guess is I'll select a doilie or two to use around the house and the rest I'll tuck back into the chest for it's next owner.

Baa Ram Ewe!

As promised, here is a photo of my finished Wooley Tyme for March. Being a bit "Finishing Challenged", I was happy to discover how simple the blankets are to make.

I was hoping to get outside today to do some spring cleaning in the yard but last night's thunderstorm has left the flower beds a little too soggy for me to work in. I have an extremely low tolerance for wet gardening gloves! I'll just have to find something productive to do indoors!

Thank you for the comments regarding my Spring Zipper. I think I'm going to use it for some finishing practice, and if all goes well I'll gift it to someone. :-)

Done and Done!

A record TWO finishes to share today! The first is the Lizzie Kate Snippet "Happy Hoppy Easter". I actually finished it Sunday but I've been a lazy blogger and haven't posted in FOREVER! This was stitched with trusty ole DMC on 25 count Lemonade Linen from R&R Reproductions. I loved, loved, loved stitching on this delicious shade of yellow!

My second finish is the Spring Zipper from Bent Creek. This has been in my UFO basket for ages!I started it during a very difficult time in my life and every time I picked it up to try to finish it I would get slammed with bad memories. Now that it's done, I'm not sure what I'll do with it! I still love the colors and the design, I just don't want a constant reminder of things I'd rather not think about! Anyone else ever have this issue? I am soooo looking forward to moving on to something else!

SBQ: Smoking Needles

This week’s was suggested by Danielle and is:

Do you find yourself stitching faster when you are getting to the end of a design?

My guess is I do stitch a little faster towards the end, mainly because that's when I tend to make the most mistakes! It's either the speed of my needle or my mind being on that next project!

It's Wooly Tyme!

Another deviation from my official 50 projects, this monthly series began last July but I'm only getting started on them. You finish each stitched piece into a "blanket" which you then display by draping it over the back of a fluffy stuffed sheep. Trust me, it's really cute! I'll be sure to post a photo once I have it all put together properly!

Little Fir Tree - DONE!

Today is my unofficial monthly Christmas stitching day. I've been plodding along on this project for what seems like forever and today I was determined to finally finish it. I need to clean up my messy back and actually stitch the buttons on, but here 'tis.

This was such a quiet weekend! The kids had their own things going on so I was "home alone" most of the time. I forgot how still the house is when no one's home but me. To tell you the truth, I prefer the noise!

Cha Cha Cha!

Woohoo! I can finally call this one DONE!

It's Raining Cats and Dogs from SamSarah Design Studio. Stitched with Caron Collection Watercolors on 10 count Larkspur Tula from R&R Reproductions.

SBQ

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Kathryn and is:

What is the smallest count fabric you have ever used? Did you stitch over one? Conversely, what is the largest count fabric you have ever used?

The smallest count fabric I've ever used is 32 count linen, stitching both over one and over two on it. The largest would have to be 10 count Tula and Betsy Ross linen. As my eyes have aged I find myself opting more for projects that can be done on larger counts, although I still enjoy stitching on the 32 count linen. I just like the feel of it so much more.

Another HD!

Had a rather blah day today. I wasn't in the mood for much but I did manage to do some stitching and finished my latest Secret Needle Night kit. I thought this one was adorable! You can finish it into a picture frame with your cross stitch on one side and a place for photos on the other. Really cute! So, is it time to start a new project or should I work on getting some of those WIPs and UFOs completed? Time to consult my 50 Project Challenge list and see what shouts at me!

This Week's SBQ

Today’s SBQ is:

Do you like to buy “chartpacks” that include charms, buttons, and/or beads or do you prefer to gather all materials yourself?

Chartpack all the way, when it's available and when I think it's reasonably priced. When I look at the price of individual charms and buttons I sometimes go into sticker shock!

Valentine's Day Happy Dance

Woohoo! Another Happy Dance! Love Sampler is DONE! except for two little buttons that need to be added, but at this time remain at large. I swear I just saw them yesterday! In a related story, the piece of chocolate I was nibbling on has also disappeared. Authorities have been notified!

I had to play around with that bottom right corner quite a bit before I was happy with the way it looked. It's a little crowded but I'll give it a few days before I consider redoing anything. I think the buttons will help to fill out the other open areas, once I find the little devils.

So I'm now 3/50 for the 50 Project Challenge! Hooray!