Just a Virginia Girl

Happy Fall Y'all!

2011-10-24T20:49:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it's already the last week of October! I have not even bought a pumpkin yet! Now it's time to start thinking about Christmas shopping!! Only two months until the big day!
I have been working on my Red House Sampler. I really must finish it this year. I want to start something new!

Red House Sampler started Dec. 30, 2009

I managed to get a little sewing accomplished this weekend. I worked on a quilt for my niece which is long overdue to her. I've had the fabric since February. Tonight I finished the quilt top. I hope to complete it this weekend. I have enough fabric leftover to make a matching quilt for her Bitty Baby. I sure wish I would have made this sooner so her Mom could have seen it. I'm such a procrastinator!!

My niece loves ladybugs and flowers

Last but far from least........the picture you are really here to see! :)

Baby Matthew - Oct. 19, 2011 - 9 lb. 10.5 oz. 22.5 in.

We are so happy to welcome baby Matthew in our family. He is such a sweet baby. I now have two grandsons and two granddaughters! I thank God for these wonderful blessings! I am truly amazed at how quickly time is flying by! Two of my three daughters are grown, married, and each have two children of their own. Wow!
Thanks so much for your comments and emails regarding my SIL. She was truly an amazing person!
Thanks for visiting! Have a great week!

Autumn

2011-10-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

Greetings! I am so happy to welcome the arrival of fall! It is my favorite time of the year. This has been a year filled with joy and sorrow. In March I was able to go to Olympia, WA for the birth of my granddaughter, my 3rd grandchild. Also in March, I was informed by my oldest DD that my 4th grand child will be arriving in October. It's October now, come on baby! We had a fun summer filled with a lot of family time. My mother, while no better, is also no worse. Joy! The sorrow arrived on Labor Day. My brother's wife was killed in a car accident. My 4 yo niece miraculously survived with no major injuries. She and her two brothers must now grow up in a world without their beautiful, wonderful, extraordinary mother. A tribute to Elizabeth was written in our local paper Virginian Pilot. She was more than a sister in law to me, she was my dear friend. We met in high school and she and my brother have been together since 1987. I've mentioned her before on this blog two years ago (here) and when she brought me stitchy gifts from Paris.

I have not touched my stitching in many, many months. I'm sad to say that I am falling victim to old age loss of eyesight. I have bought readers. I am close to the end of Red House Sampler, on the border now. It will be dedicated to my sister in law.

Some sewing has been accomplished:

Candle Mats

Tiny Treat Bag

My adventure in knitting has had highs and lows.


Hat for baby Matthew - knitted in the round using the Magic Loop method. Yarn is Merino 5 from Crystal Palace Yarns. Colorway is 2302. Pattern was free with yarn purchase.

Magic Loop Baby Socks - Pattern purchased on Ravelry. Yarn is Bernat Baby. I tried these in the Merino 5 but I kept ripping and restarting so I thought I should practice before trying again with the good stuff.

I also knitted another baby afghan which I gave to my cousin in law as a shower gift (forgot to snap a pic). I have been struggling with this knitting thing! Seems I lack concentration skills, must be the ADD. My husband says I have too many things going on and it's true....I do love to multi-task!

In August, my laptop suddenly would not turn on. This was devastating because I ~~am totally addicted to blogs, Facebook, Ravelry, etc.~~ had not backed up my photos in a long time. I had lost all of 2011 and most of 2010. Even if I were able to run out and replace the thing, I could not replace all of my lost photos. A tech guy at work told me to bring him the hard drive and he would try to get the pictures for me. My DD told me to take out the hard drive and put it back in. I took out the hard drive and that was all that had been done for almost 8 weeks. I put it back together Monday to take it to the "big box electronic store" to see if they could salvage my photos. For the heck of it, I decided to try to turn it on and guess what? "Shut Up!" you say? I'm not kidding, it came on and has worked fine since. I'm told maybe it overheated when I was using it under a blanket so I wouldn't disturb my sleeping hubby? Who knows, but it works and Yes, I have backed up the photos!
August also brought us a visit from "Irene".

We lost one tree, tons of limbs, and power for 3 days! It could have been much worse!

Oh and another joy I almost forgot to mention.....I have a new job!! I left the Dept. of Corrections to ride down the road of the Dept. of Transportation. I am so happy at my new job! Less gas, less stress, less work, less drama, and more money!! Does it get any better than that?
I will leave you with this family photo taken in July while my DD and her children were here for the entire month! After all, family is the most important part of our lives. Cherish them!

I love my family!!

Hello from the West Coast!

2011-03-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

I am currently in the state of Washington. A LONG way from Virginia and I have not posted in forever!!! What have I been up to?? Besides the usual "this time of year" paperwork, I have been readying my life for a two week trip to visit my daughter, K, in Olympia, WA. Her second child, my third grandbaby, was due on March 26 and my plan was to arrive here on the 23rd. While working, planning, and waiting, I have been sewing and stitching fervently for my new granddaughter. Since my last post, I have learned to knit! The last thing I need in my life is another hobby, but since it's yarn related I'd say it doesn't really count as a new hobby. K is a crochet queen so I had to make something for the new baby that was different than what she could make herself. I still need a lot of practice, but here is the finished blanket:

I can't wait to make another one. I have several opportunities this year including another grandbaby. My daughter, H, is expecting her second child in October.
K is not very fond of traditional quilts. She does not find them warm and snuggly. Last month, I attended the Mid-Atlantic quilt show in Hampton, Va and I found an idea for the perfect quilt for her:

I used flannel for the quilt top and did a tossed up nine patch. It was fairly easy. I used a minkee like fabric for the back, no batting, and I tied the top to the bottom. K loved it!! I knew she would!

I brought so many things here for her, for my grandson, and for the baby. Some from me, some from her sister, some things she had left at my house. I have plenty of room in my baggage for the trip home. We're going to find a quilt shop or two, cross stitch store, yarn store...for me to check out while I am here. If you know of any I should check out in the Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle area, please comment!! I'll be here until April 4. I arrived late on the 23rd. On the 24th after my K's doctor appointment, we ventured to downtown Seattle so I could see the Space Needle and we could try to walk K into labor.

We walked.......

and walked......................

and walked.......

and the very next day at 2:45 pm..........

Kiley Olivia arrived!!! Thanks for visiting!!!!

TUSAL #1

2011-01-04T21:05:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone~
Today is the first new moon of 2011 which means it's time for my first Totally Useless Stitch A Long post. The TUSAL is hosted by Daffycat. I'm so glad I discovered Daffycat and this stitch a long. This is a stitch a long that I can actually keep up with!

It's not too late to join in the fun. Just visit Daffycat's blog to sign up...but don't wait too long, sign ups will end soon. All you have to do is fill your ort jar and post a pic of it on your blog on new moon dates. I have the dates posted on the sidebar of this blog. I have not found the perfect ort jar yet but in the spirit of creativity, I photographed my ort jar with my skiing penguin to represent January. So, I 'm not super creative but sometimes I try, lol!
In an effort to "meet" more people and find new blogs to follow, I plan to visit all the bloggers who leave a comment on Daffycat's new moon posts AND leave a comment! Now that is going to be a challenge! So if you are here because of that, thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment and let me know you were here! Happy Stitching!

Year End Summary

2010-12-31T11:22:00.000-05:00

One year ago I posted my goals for 2010 on the sidebar of this blog. How did I do?
1)My Cross Stitch goals were: Red House Sampler and Christmas ornaments. I did not finish RHS but here is a pic of where I am on it. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo!

I had hoped to finish this in 2010 but other projects distracted me. I at least wanted to finish everything but the border before I go back to work on Monday but that's not going to happen. I did not stitch any Christmas ornaments but I did stitch one Blackbird Designs Halloween stocking.

Unfortunately the haunted house bit the dust. It was accidentally knocked off the mantle.

2)My Quilting goals were: Finish Washtub Scrappy....This project was my very first attempt at a quilt. It has been quilted but needs to be binded. I am waiting for a binding lesson from my daughter, Heather.

Denim Quilt for grandson.....easy and finished the same day it was started.

Quilts for Hubby or youngest daughter.....not accomplished. DD says she doesn't want one but she'll get one eventually despite herself! lol I made another quilt top. It too has been quilted but needs binding.

I made a Christmas table runner top. I'll have to plan to quilt and bind it in the coming year.

I also made several tote bags, treat bags, pillowcases, and 12 quilt squares for my Underground Railroad Sampler quilt.

3)My Crochet goals were: Black and gray scarf for youngest daughter...done!

Baby afghan for a coworker.....done!

I wanted to make baby doll afghans for my granddaughter and my niece but I didn't.
I did finish this afghan which was started in 2009 as a "take-a-long" project. I worked on it this summer while driving to, from, and around PA. It was so close to being finished that I continued with it until it was done. I love this stitch pattern. This fall I found some green yarn on clearance and bought it to make another. It will become my 2011 "take-a-long" project.

4)My Scrapbooking goals were: Finish 2009 family album, finish family Christmas album, finish grandson's first year album, and finish granddaughter's first year album. Despite a day crop and two weekend crops, I did not meet any of these goals. The only time I really devoted to scrapbooking this year was at the crops I attended.
I guess I got a lot accomplished this year. I'm working on posting my 2011 goals to my sidebar. Like I always say.....so many hobbies, so little time! I am ringing in the new year as I always do....watching the Twilight Zone marathon on the SyFy channel, with one exception this year. We are going down the road to Heather's house to ring in the new year. The last time I left home on NYE was to ring in 2000! Not as much stitching going on this year end but something better! I am so thankful to bring in the new year with all of my family together. Happy New Year! I wish you health and happiness, and lots of time for your hobbies!
Ciao!

Williamsburg Christmas

2010-12-30T12:19:00.003-05:00

Happy Thursday! I love taking this week off each year. I call it my holiday "stay-cation"! It's even better this year since my daughter and her family are here with us. Yesterday was my birthday and as usual I wanted to spend the day in Colonial Williamsburg so off we went. Thank goodness it wasn't as cold as last year but there was snow and slush everywhere. I love seeing Colonial Williamsburg decorated for Christmas but I knew I couldn't wait to see the snow and the decorations together, so 18th century!!


The Governor's mansion. People were building snowmen on the lawn.

Icicles were everywhere!


DH and me...the birthday girl

My daughter Kristin and her husband and son.....with baby girl on the way!

Nice patriotic touch!

This was on the same house as the flag wreath. Patriots for sure!

Walking.......

Painting.......

So cute! The door is nice too.

The blue ribbon winner


Pretty wreaths on all of the doors and windows

Less than two days left in 2010, I've got to get busy stitching Red House sampler. It was started one year ago today! Ciao!

Christmas 2010!

2010-12-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. The best gift of all was having all of my family here with me! I hope yours was wonderful too!
and speaking of wonderful.........look what we woke up to here in Va:

It started last night so we had snow on Christmas Day, but for the second time in 6 years we have a white day after Christmas! It is supposed to snow all day. 6-10 inches are expected but we already have 10!! I am so glad I am off this week and my daughter and her family are here so we have everything we need right here! Movies, stitching, Monopoly, food, and family! We are praying we won't lose power!
I'm going to find a warm place on the couch now and pick up my stitching. It's been a week or two!
Stay warm! Merry Christmas! Happy Stitching! Ciao!

New Blogger on the Block

2010-12-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

Check out this new blog by a very crafty little chick who happens to be one of my daughters. :)

On the Creative Side

A Totally Useless SAL?????

2010-12-06T22:05:00.001-05:00

Absolutely! This has got to be, hands down, the most awesome SAL I have ever joined. It's called The Totally Useless SAL You can sign up and see the "rules" by clicking the link. I'm in!! I'm SO in......finally something I can actually feel comfortable participating in! I am so excited. I have to go find the perfect jar now. Ciao!

Yes, Virginia......

2010-12-05T23:17:00.001-05:00

......there is snow on the ground! This morning we woke up to a dusting of snow, 1/3 inch to be exact.

Big deal? Yeah, kind of, especially in December. The nicest thing about snow in Virginia is that it doesn't hang around for very long! Virginian's do not own snow blowers and rarely have to touch a snow shovel.

I took this pic as we were leaving for church this morning because I knew the snow would not wait for me to get back home.

I've made a little more progress on Red House Sampler. I've struggled a bit with frog visits on this project. I am ready to get this one behind me and have smaller projects in 2011!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. It's back to the grind tomorrow! Ciao!

Christmas Table Runner

2010-11-28T08:36:00.002-05:00

No Black Friday shopping for me this year, nothing I needed for gifts was on sale. Instead, Heather and I went to see what two local quilt shops had on sale for Black Friday. We had fun, bought a few things, and didn't have to fight the crowds.
Saturday was spent sewing!! This fabric was purchased last week at one shop's open house.

Put it all together and this is what you get:

I need to add the border fabric today but I couldn't wait to share! This is my best piecing work so far.

I hope to have it quilted and on the table by next weekend!

Edited....I added the border fabric this afternoon. Now to the quilting! I will use a simple stitch in the ditch quilting job to finish this up, hopefully one night this week.

That's all for now. Ciao!

Quilting Giveaway!

2010-11-14T20:57:00.000-05:00

Check out this giveaway at a LQS Virginia Beach, VA!

What's Your Stitch 'n Stuff

Good Grief!

2010-11-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

She has a give-a-way then drops off the face of blogland!! It sure seems that way! October was a very busy month for me so nothing much was accomplished in the way of stitching or quilting! I made a few mini tote bags that I sold to coworkers but forgot to take pictures of them.
The give-a-way safely arrived at the home of Christine on the other side of the ocean. I'm glad she took pictures of the stitchy stuff because I sure forgot to do it.......sorry! You can see it here: Christine @ Whilst Iris Naps
Today is Veteran's Day...a holiday for me, but not a holiday for our men and women in the armed forces who are serving us today at home and abroad! I am very thankful to all of the veterans who have served our country, especially my Dad who is a WWII vet and a former POW. Thanks Dad!
I hope to get some sewing in today. As always....so much I want to do...so little time!!
Even though I haven't posted in a while, I have been reading and Sheila @ The Second Twin Sews is having a give away. Go check it out. She's giving away a quick quilt project book and I want it!!! =)
That's all for now! Ciao!

And the Winner is......................

2010-09-26T21:59:00.000-05:00

Christine!
The hubby had the honor of drawing the winner. Thanks to all who entered my give a way!! Thanks for all of the wonderful compliments on the bag. It was fairly easy to make once I understood the instructions! Christine asked for stitchy goodies so the bag will be filled and on it's way to her soon!
That's all for now. I am tired! It's been another busy weekend. Ciao!

Giveaway Time!

2010-09-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

Hey there! It's Giveaway time! Thank you so much for all the wonderful supportive comments and to my newest followers who joined to help me get to 30! Thanks also to those who follow with google reader or anonymously! I appreciate each and everyone of you for visiting me and taking the time to comment! I had such a busy, family oriented weekend when I finally sat down to post last nigh.....our internet connection was down! So, without further ado...I announce my first give a way!

I have a special item in my giveaway. It's a reversible tote bag that I made just for this giveaway! The photos are of the front and back of the bag. The reversible interior is the red button print. The fabric is from Red Rooster. I hope the winner will like it. It will be filled with "goodies". Here's what you have to do to win: leave a comment on this post and say whether you want stitchy goodies, quilty goodies, or a combo. It doesn't matter where you live, everyone is welcome to enter. I will draw the winner on Sunday, 9/26/10. It's that simple! Ciao!

How about a Give-a-way????

2010-09-11T09:45:00.001-05:00

9/11/01. For all those who lost their lives, all those who lost loved ones, all the heroes who gave all, I remember you and I will never forget.

This past July marked five years of blogging for me. My blog is not "out there" like many blogs. It's a quiet, not well known blog, without a lot of followers......kind of representative of my real life. I enjoy blogging. I can look back over my posts of the last 5 years and be reminded of things I had forgotten. It's like a journal. So I enjoy blogging, with or without readers/followers. That said.....I am so honored and amazed that I have 29 followers! Thank you so much for taking the time to be interested in what I have to say. In the 5 years that I have been blogging I have never had a giveaway. It seemed kind of silly to do so if you didn't think you'd have anyone enter. I also struggled with what to "give a way". I think it's time for me to give it a try. I'm going to put together something and have a giveway! I'll announce the giveaway when follower number 30 arrives. I'm really going out on a limb here, self esteem wise, because I still fear I'll have no entries. Please prove me wrong ok??? =)

On a stitching note, I set aside RHS briefly. Not because of the HUGE mistake but because last year I bought the booklet "Tis Halloween by Blackbird Designs. It's filled with charts of Halloween stockings. I had to break my vow of not starting anything until RHS is done. Seasonal stuff doesn't count, right?
Here's what I whipped up in just two nights:

Do you like my haunted house votive candle holder from Yankee Candle? It has a twirly thing with dangling bats above the candle that spins from the heat of the candle. It's so freakin' cute! Oh, I was showing you the Halloween stocking. I didn't have the called for fabric so I grabbed a small piece of 28ct from my stash. Later today or tomorrow I am going to soak it in coffee and see what happens. I bet you are supposed to try dyeing the fabric BEFORE you do the stitching? Well, I'm a little backwards. It's just DMC so I'll give it a go.

Today is the Nascar race at Richmond. DH and I are always at that event. This year we decided not to go and to put the money towards a return trip to PA for some furniture we saw in an Amish shop. It was handcrafted and reasonably priced, VERY reasonably priced. I'll watch the race on tv for the first time in several years. The last two races at RIR have stunk anyway.

I HAVE to finish RHS soon!!! I swore it would be my last large project but that was until LHN came out with Family Sampler. I also joined the LHN Yahoo group so I could be a part of the SAL which will begin soon. Even if I don't start right away, I can be a part of the discussion so when I do start I'll have some insight of the project.
Well, that's all for now. I'm thinking about what I'll do/where I'll go today. I have new tires on my Yukon so I need to test them out! CIAO!

Happy Sunday!

2010-09-05T22:07:00.000-05:00

I hope you are enjoying this long weekend as much as I am, although it's flying by! Earl was just a "drive by". If you have ever lived in hurricane territory you're familiar with the hype: it's coming, it's not coming, it's coming; Walmart and Food Lion sell out of bread and milk, batteries and bottled water too. I decided to be daring and try to survive without extra bread and milk. We ended up getting a little wind and rain for just a few hours, even the Outer Banks dodged the bullet. I live less than two hours from the outer banks. It is one of my favorite vacation spots so I am glad there wasn't any serious damage there.
Stitching Progress
I couldn't decide what I wanted to work on this weekend....quilting, stitching, or scrapbooking. I chose stitching even though I am woefully behind with scrapbooking. I've been struggling with handling this large project so I decided to pull out the old Rocky Giraffe floor stand. After dusting off the cobwebs, this old baby is back in commission. I don't think I have used a floor stand in 7+ years! It has taken a few hours to accustomed to using it but I think you really can't beat it for large projects. What helps me the most is having a place for my chart. It really slows down the stitching when you are constantly picking up the chart and trying to figure out what to do next.

Yeah, I know my crocheted lapghan doesn't match the furniture but it keeps my legs warm. lol A new one is on my to do list.

This is where I stitch, with or without the floor stand. Where do you stitch?
On my restitch, I am back to the letter O. Thank you so much for all of your words of encouragement regarding my huge boo boo!! I appreciate your taking the time to boost my spirits and share your similar experiences.
Jersey Anyone?
I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to talk about "The Real Housewives of New Jersey". Do you watch it? I am addicted to the Jersey girls and their drama, although I can't imagine having that much drama in my life. Well.....I take that back. I can imagine it but I don't want it. I hate drama unless it's someone elses. So......my favorite girl would have to be Teresa, I recently bought her cookbook "The Skinny Italian". I thought it would be nice to help her out since she kept me entertained for the past year or so. Danielle~ Now that woman is a piece of work! She thrives on drama and playing the victim. Although I think the girls egged her on most of the time, she's definitely certifiable. My DH likes Caroline....he says she's the only one with any sense. Jacqueline is sweet, but clueless. She has her hands full with "I can do whatever I want to do" Ashley. I wonder if they will be back for another season? I'm not sure if they should be. The same drama over and over will get old. I'm now watching "The Real Housewives of DC". Sometimes I feel like my life revolves around the tv. I have a tv in my playroom but it does not have satellite and is older so it doesn't get the new signal. So what does that mean? That means I will be stitching on nights my shows are on and sewing or scrapbooking on the nights my shows are not on. Wow, maybe my life does revolve around the tv. I hope there will be a play room night! If not...I'll have to make one or two by using the Tivo.
Yum Yum
Tonight I tried a new dessert recipe, brownie pie. It was so Yummy! 100% chocolatey goodness.

The recipe called for chopped walnuts but Ashlyn wanted me to leave them out. I'll have to make two next time, one with nuts and one without.
That's all for now y'all! Enjoy your day tomorrow no matter where you are and make it count!

Watching and Waiting.......

2010-09-01T21:07:00.001-05:00

......to see what Earl is going to do. Virginia is under a hurricane watch. It's been 7 years since we took a hit here in Virginia. Isabel was her name. Wait and watch is about all we can do right now. I dread the thought of losing power for any length of time. We have a couple of generators but they are not large enough to power the A/C and I can't live without A/C.
By the way, Happy September! Can you believe it's the 9th month of the year already? I am so ready for fall. I love fall....the colors, the holidays, the crispness of the air! Ah, autumn!

Red House Sampler update: SO, either (a) no one noticed , or, (b) anyone who noticed was too polite to mention it. I'll choose A. I made some progress recently and everything seemed to be hunky dorry until I couldn't squeeze in the rabbit on the right side of the sampler. I counted once, I counted twice....everything seemed to be where it was supposed to be so I put it down for the night. Monday night I took a harder look at my work and there it was! Oh, Emm, Gee! The mistake. A biggie! Take a look....look closely at the alphabet, repeat after me: Aay, Bee, Cee, Dee, Eff.

That's right.....A, B, C, D, F! Good grief! My first thought was to throw this project in the trash! I was so frustrated. How could I make such a huge mistake? This pic is from Aug. 4. I had completed more on the right side...the grass, the tree, the deer.

So, it all had to come out.
At least I was able to leave the F and turn it into an E.
Oh, woe is me. Maybe my cross stitching days are behind me.

2010-08-17T20:45:00.000-05:00

This is my third attempt at a new post since my last one. I get started then I can't seem to finish before something comes up that I need to do. Not much stitching or quilting in the past few weeks. I have been busy with wedding preps. My daughter Kristin was married Saturday. It was a beautiful ceremony and a wonderful reception. I'm sad it's over but glad at the same time. We had a wonderful time planning, shopping, and decorating. I love my new son-in-law and we're very happy to have him join our family. Sadly though, my new son-in-law has been stationed in the Seattle area and they are leaving in the morning. They will be here for two weeks at Christmas. I hope I can make it until then. I told her I'll take good care of my grandson and she can come visit him anytime. She just laughed. We're all sad but happy for them to start their life together as a new family! Being a Mom is the hardest job ever! Here's a pic of the bride:

I have made a little progress on Red House Sampler. I've taken it out of my lap frame and have been stitching in hand. There's just so much fabric to keep up with. I've looked at a couple of options. Putting it in q-snaps is one option. Larger rods for my lap frame is another. The rods I'm currently using are wooden but they have plastic clamp thingies similar to q-snap but they do not like multiple layers of fabric. Of course I cannot find my standard rods that you baste the fabric on to. I'm looking forward to my stitching time returning however I did manage to stitch a little in the evenings prior to the wedding. Here's my progress:

I started this post yesterday and today I added this picture and in 24 hours blogger has changed the photo upload process. Weird!
I'm going to wrap up this post now so it will actually get posted, LOL, but soon I need to blog about the following:

Underground Railroad Sampler quilt
Amigurumi
Jersey housewives
5 year blog-a-versary

I'm sure I'll also boo-hoo a lot, too! I can't imagine my life with two of the most important people 3000 miles away from me!!

Thanks for visiting! 'Til next time...happy stitching, quilting, crocheting! Peace out!

Home Again!

2010-07-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

I remember from my childhood whenever we returned home from vacation, my Mom would announce "home again" as we pulled into our driveway. Well, I'm "home again" from my vacation. We spent a week in Hershey, PA. We also visited Gettysburg and Lancaster. We managed to squeeze a lot of sites into one week! Chocolate World, Indian Echo Caverns, Antique Auto Museum, Gettysburg, Lancaster, Strasburg, Intercourse, Hershey Park.....

We had a great time! The Antique Auto Museum was a spontaneous stop. They had a muscle car exhibit and having owned a couple of muscle cars in the past, it was a must see. A big surprise in the museum was this:

The actual bus used in one of my all-time favorite movies.....Forrest Gump!!

This signature card was displayed in the side window of the bus:

I read about this shop in a recent issue of Quilt Samper magazine. Fortunately I have a very ~~perturbed~~ tolerant family and I was able to steal a few moments there:


Quiltmaker's Cottage on Chocolate Ave in Hershey, PA

I should have snapped the pic from the other side of the sign so the actual shop would have been included. But like I said.....the family was being very ~~perturbed~~ patient with me!
I also managed to steal a few ~~hours~~ minutes in this shop in Intercourse, PA:


The Old Country Store, Intercourse PA

Look Inside:

They sell fabric online at The Old Country Store Great prices! It was fabric heaven. If you are ever in PA, these two shops are definitely worth a visit! Above this shop is a quilt museum with lots of beautiful quilts on display. I want to go back to PA on a quilt shop hop!
I'm still working on my Underground Railroad Sampler quilt and Red House Sampler. I need to snap pics of the quilt squares I have completed and my progress on RHS, so that update will come soon.
I'll close with a photo of DH, DD, and I at Gettysburg. Til next time, Happy Stitching!

Stash Reduction

2010-06-30T22:10:00.002-05:00

I need to reduce the stash a bit. My tastes have changed over time and I'm in dire need of a stash overhaul.
I'll spread out the items over several posts. Pictures can be sent upon request. Shipping cost is US. Happy to ship out of country but for actual postage cost.

Blackbird Designs (all brand new) $50 plus $5 shipping ($99 value)
Beneath the Sunlit Sky LF26
Keepsake Box and Pinkeep LF33
Blessings and Kind Wishes LF31
Peace on Earth LF28
Bluebird's Message LF23
Autumn Song LF27
Awake the Dawning Day LF25
Their Song LF24
Secret Garden LF20
Strawberry Garden LF18
Beyond My Heart LF32
Rites of Spring LF30

Lizzie Kate - $35 plus $5 shipping ($73 value)
Home-work!
Fall Fanatic
Easter Blessings
My Grandma
Plant Kindness, Reap Love
All Things Bright & Beautiful
All Things Christmas
Santa's Wish List w/buttons from Just Another Button Co.
Turkey Time (original design that was recalled)
Friendship
Tiny Tidings
Tiny Tidings II
Tiny Tidings IV

Lizzie Kate - 12 Blessings of Christmas - $20 plus $4 shipping
12 ornament charts with charms and bonus charts

Calico Crossroads - Mini Kats $15 plus $4 shipping ($51 value)
January- December 12 charts

Underground Railroad Sampler

2010-06-15T21:25:00.001-05:00

Heather and I attended our first class/workshop to complete the quilt Underground Railroad Sampler by Eleanor Burns & Sue Bouchard. Our instructor was an older gentleman named Ken. He has been quilting since the 90's and really seemed to know his stuff. I definitely learned a few new things. You may know a little history of the Underground Railroad...how runaway slaves risked their lives for freedom and how other risked their lives helping them. Did you know that quilts were used to relay hidden messages to runaways to get ready for escape and to guide them on the journey to freedom? According to one woman's family history, there were ten quilts used to direct slaves. There were also a few secondary patterns. Each block has a different meaning and part to play in the code. The quilts would be hung one at a time on a fence or cabin door, left to "air out" while communicating a specific action or step in the journey. I didn't know this and find it very fascinating. This project is designed to complete fifteen blocks.
We only completed two blocks in class. It took a little while for everyone to get going. We'll have to pick up the pace at our next session. I only completed one block and got a start on the second which I finished tonight. I've been having a little trouble with my seam allowances......but I'll save that for another post.
As I progress on this quilt, I'd like to share the story with you. Here's block one, Underground Railroad (aka Jacob's Ladder)

This block is used to symbolize the story of the Underground Railroad.

Block 2 Monkey Wrench - The monkey wrench turns the wagon wheel toward Canada.
Stay tuned for the next block in the story...the wagon wheel. Oh what fun that block is going to be!!

On Your Mark......

2010-06-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

Get set......GO!

I picked it up at the LQS last night. Got a great deal! I played with it for a few minutes last night. It's really neat. Tomorrow Heather and I have our class at LQS and we'll get the rest of our dies then, four I think.
Personal pics later this weekend.

Today is my daughter Kristin's birthday. She's 23! Wow, time sure flies! Happy Birthday Poochie Baby!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-06-09T22:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday!
Last night we drove to Norfolk to see the Norfolk Tides baseball game. The Tides are the minor league team affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles. Kristin won 10 free tickets from a local radio station. We had a great time but Christopher had the best time! He loved the music, especially "charge". A friend of Kristin's who came along caught one of the balls that Rip Tide (the mascot) shot into the stands. He gave it to Christopher, who's first reaction was to throw it....we had to stop him real quick and tell him he would not get it back if he threw it.

Believe it or not....at 2 1/2 years old, he actually paid attention to the game, closely watched the pitcher and the batter. We will definitely take him to another game soon.

It's getting closer to the weekend and my first class for the Underground Railroad Sampler quilt Heather and I are taking on Saturday. Tonight I finished cutting the squares. What a job! I started last Saturday, maybe Friday night, 15 squares in all. I sure hope I cut them right!

Remember last week Heather and I were going to the LQS to get guidance in cutting our squares, and I mentioned "test driving" a potential investment? Well.......we made the investment but it had to be ordered. Hopefully it will be at the shop Saturday when we get there for class. Anyone want to guess what it might be?

RHS - I've put a few stitches in here and there but nothing worthy of a new pic. I've also completed a little bit of organizing in the play room.

That's all I've got for now! Happy Everything!

Another Quilt Top Finish

2010-06-03T13:55:00.005-05:00

It's called Diamonds at Large, but I like to call it....."How to Waste a Moda Layer Cake". Ok, I'll give myself a break. We all have to start somewhere, right? I'm sure even the most talented quilters have "early disasters" tucked away in their closets. The Diamonds at Large design is from the book Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls and Charm Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott.

The Layer Cake I used is Cotton Blossoms. I absolutely adore the majority of the fabrics in this line, but my mistakes with this project were many:
1. Wrong color scheme....The instructions said to use darks and lights. This layer cake had more darks than lights.
2. Seams were sewn wonky. I really need to work on my accuracy. LQS owner showed me a trick. Put two squares (or rectangles) right sides together. On the wrong side of your square, draw a pencil line from corner to corner. Sew your scant 1/4" seam on each side of the pencil line. Once you have sewn a seam on each side of the pencil line, cut along the pencil line. Another LQS owner said to put painters tape on my machine so I will have a line to follow (even though I use a piecing foot with a guide?)
3. Is squaring up your squares really that important? Sheesh!
4. I should have planned which pieces would create the diamonds instead of leaving it up to randomness.

Oh well, I am not giving up. I still have to quilt my two quilt tops which I will be doing myself with Lucy. If I think they are a mess now, they'll probably be a hot mess by the time I finish machine quilting them. Wish me luck!

I am home today taking care of my little grandson who is not feeling well. This evening Heather and I are going to LQS to start cutting our fabric for our next project, Underground Railroad Sampler. It's going to be a three day class. I really should have passed on this but it is a beautiful project and I love the fabric being used....Moda Butterfly Garden. Because Heather and I are new to quilting, our LQS owner offered to help us cut our fabric. She should have offered to help me stitch it so I don't screw it up! LOL Just kidding. While we are at the LQS tonight we are going to test drive a potential investment. That's all I am going to say about that for now!

Back Again!

2010-05-31T15:31:00.000-05:00

I spent Sat. afternoon with my daughters. Sewing with Heather, while Kristin scrapbooked, and Ashlyn drew. The grandbabies were acting like hyper chipmunks on crack, but I still managed to finish my quilt top!!! Loved every minute of it!

(in case you're wondering, that's a wrinkle in the pinwheel near the top)

Lucy.......

I've been trying to come up with a name for my sewing machine. Heather named hers Bella, that was easy...she named it for the shop she bought it at, Bella Fabrics. Ideas I had were Vicki (because it's a viking), Tabitha or Samantha (because I can work magic with it), yada yada but nothing I thought of hit the spot (or I know people with those names!) After a lot of ~~obsessing~~ thought, I decided on Lucy. One of Heather's suggestions was lucky....lucky I got a good deal, lucky Dad let me by it (ROFLOL at that one). As a life long fan of Lucille Ball, I thought Lucy! So Lucy it is!

coming soon!!!!
I began this blog in the summer of 2005. We had just completed our adventure of selling our house in Portsmouth (6/03) and building this house in Southampton County (finished 1/05). I must have deleted my initial posts because the oldest one (7/21/05) does not have the sound of an introductory post. Anyway, I am coming up on 5 years!! Wow!!! It's fun to go back and read old posts. Kind of like having kept a journal. So.........stay tuned. I'm going to have a giveaway to celebrate my blogiversary! TBA sometime in June.
Off to cook out with the daughters, men folk, and the chipmunks! Happy everything to you!

***NOTE: This post was edited by none other than... my amazing daughter, ASHLYN ! (:

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-30T08:20:00.001-05:00

I hope you are enjoying a fabulous weekend with family, good weather, and time to stitch, quilt, knit, whatever your heart desires! I am on day three of a four day weekend. Friday I was home because of a forced furlough day. State employees day off with no pay to help fix Virginia's budget crisis. I can think of a lot of other ways they could help the budget but what heck...it's a day off! I spent the day sewing with my oldest daughter, Heather. I took my machine and supplies to her house and we had a very productive day.

Despite a disastrous first attempt, I managed to finish this pillowcase for my grandson. I used the "sausage method" people were commenting about on Jackie's blog.. It is the way my LQS owner showed me. I read a tutorial and then watched a YouTube video and figured it out. Now that I know how to do this I plan to make many more! I just have to watch the fabric I choose because of the directional issue.
Well, that's all for now. I have lots more to share but it's time to get ready for church then having a family day. I have been behind in my blogging due to life getting in the way. I'll catch up soon! Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend Sunday!!!

Well, duh!!

2010-05-10T21:36:00.002-05:00

Three posts and not one comment...kind of sad. I usually get at least one comment on my little, not very well known blog. Well......it appears that I somehow turned off the comment feature. I hope that's the case anyway. Thank you so much Faye for emailing me and letting me know that you couldn't post a comment. I think I have fixed the problem. I don't know when or how I changed it but it just goes to show that I need to leave well enough alone and stop trying to spice up the blog when I don't know what in the heck I am doing!
Nothing else to post about today. If someone doesn't mind, please leave me a comment so i can see if i fixed it. Thanks! Have a great week!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

2010-05-08T12:11:00.001-05:00

OR, can I please get be on an episode of "Hoarders" and get some help!! Welcome to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. My play room, that's the good. When we planned to build our house, DH promised me a room of my own to do all my "playing in". Scrapbooking, stamping, sewing, Wii playing, movie watching, all go on in this room. I've had to share it from time to time and unfortunately, sometimes it becomes a messy catch all room.

My play room is over our garage. It is a very large room. In this photo, my scrapbooking area is on the left, work space for me and company is in the middle, and my sewing area is on the right. The window was free so DH used it in this room. It is huge and in dire need of some kind of treatment other than just mini blinds.

This is the scrapbooking side of the room. The cabinets are bathroom sink cabinets purchased at Lowes on clearance. The counter is 10, maybe 12 foot counter top. Total cost less than $300. DH installed shelving above the counter and cabinets and I hung a bulletin board in the center. I never sit and work at the counter. I use it mostly for storage and work at the table.

There are drawers on the bottoms of the cabinets which are perfect for storing my rubber stamp sets. The doors above also store stamp sets and idea books. With too many hobbies and not enough time, I have pretty much given up stamping. I'm considering trying to sell my stamping collection.

The counter is the perfect place for using my Cricut. The shelves above still have some stamping supplies on them.

Now, moving along to the bad. This is the area under the window. I bought the cubes at Target and they are currently storing scrapbook page refills and albums. It's a messy area and I don't like it. Scrapbook bags for when I go on weekend retreats and boxes of photos and memorabilia make the space look clutered. We have a climate controlled storage closet in the upstairs of the main part of the house. It is currently being used to store junk...stuff we don't use. The intended purpose for the closet is to store things we do use. A yard sale next Saturday is going to take care of that problem. Once I clear out that closet of the "hoarding", I should be able to store some of this stuff in there.

The right side of the room is my sewing area. Not too fancy, it just recently became my sewing area with the purchase of my most awesome sewing machine. The wooden chairs you see were saved from the kitchen table I replaced last summer. The table went to the dump but I saved the chairs. They are in decent condition and are more comfortable than the folding chairs I had before. The cabinet you see is a computer cabinet. It contains a desktop pc that no one uses anymore. The table to the left in the photo has a scanner and printer on it. They have to be moved when someone comes over to play with me. I need to find a way to get them into that cabinet! Far right of photo, you see the stereo on the floor.....something needs to be done with that. I don't use it. All of my cd's are on my ipod and I have a docking station up there that I use for listening to music. Another "hoarding" issue. I am afraid to get rid of it because that will leave me with no way to play cd's except on a pc.

Close up of my sewing area. Dull and boring! To the left in the photo is more clutter! Personal and business paperwork, some in the rubbermaid containers, some not. This is something else that needs to be organized and stored in the upstairs closet. To the far right in the photo you will see more clutter. Just beyond the clutter is my DD's air hockey table, DH's dartboard cabinet, DVD shelves, and the staircase. Also more clutter that has to be dealt with. AKA, stuff that does not belong in my playroom!

My bookcase. It doesn't look quite as messy in person as it does in this photo. This bookcase is very sentimental. DH made it for me in his high school wood shop class when we were dating! In case of fire, everything on it and including the bookcase must be taken out!! Top shelf is my collection of Monopoly games and an old Christmas quilt that was done completely by hand. My mother found it at a yard sale years ago for about a buck. She gave it to me a year or two ago before she got too bad off. I take good care of it in honor of the person who put so much love and work into it only to have it sold at a yard sale! On the bottom shelf are scrapbooks I have completed.

You've seen the good and the bad, now for the ugly! What a mess! This is the front of the room. We used to have a full size couch here and an exercise machine but both have since gone to new homes. Still have the tv for watching movies and playing the Wii. Do I have a problem with tote bags?? I should be ashamed to even post this photo! This is where I keep my cross stitch fabric, threads, charts, crochet patterns (yarn is in the aforementioned closet). Each tote bag has a project of some kind in it, as do the baskets and there is a pile of empty tote bags too. More photo storage boxes and cd storage boxes. They all need to be stored in the closet once it is rid of the hoarded junk. I think a nice antique dresser or small cabinet of some kind would be a nice replacement for the white plastic drawer thing. Ok, so maybe it's not as bad as you see on hoarders.....but to me it is an overwhelming mess. I need simple, inexpensive ideas to help me get my play room to be the best room it can be!!!!
Dinner and a movie tonight with DH and DD, something yummy and Iron Man 2. Spending tomorrow with the rest of the family and going around visiting our Mom's. I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Race Day in Richmond

2010-05-02T20:36:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday Everyone! Once again the weekend has come and gone! Yesterday was the Nascar race at Richmond Raceway. DH and I go to both races there each year and this time we decided to bring our youngest daughter along. I think I have ~~brainwashed~~ recruited a new Dale Jr. fan!

We left home at 7 am and arrived at the track around 9 am for a day of tailgating and fun. The tailgating was a little too much for DD. Our neighbors on one side may have been auditioning for a new episode of "Adults Behaving Badly". They really plucked her last nerve. She said she would go again only if we arrived at the track at race time and skipped the tailgating.

Junior did not do very well......so, what's new? He finished around 29th or somewhere close. I switched my scanner frequency to Jeff Gordon and listened to him for a while. He's my #2 guy so I was really pulling for him to win. He didn't and I will not put the name of the winner on my blog, Ugh! It was a pretty boring race for the most part. It finally got a little exciting at the end.

No stitching pics, although I have made some progress on RHS. I do have a small project that I have been taking with me to work on. I actually worked a little on it yesterday. I bet I was the only one in the sea of the thousands of people there who was cross stitching!

Mom and RHS

2010-04-19T21:51:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the kind and thoughtful comments regarding my mom and RHS! They are so very appreciated!!

Things are going well with my mom right now. We have moved her to a place where she can get 24 hour care. She's been there for one week now. My siblings and I decided that 24 hour care is the only option. Ideally we'd love to find someone who could move in with them but that is easier said than done. There are so many issues with that, finding the right person will be very difficult. Our solution for now is a private home in which the owner is a caregiver and keeps up to 4 residents at a time. I relate it to childcare....do you choose a private home setting or a day care center? The woman who does this comes highly recommended by someone we trust. My mom is doing well there although she is confused about why she is there, how she got there, who the lady is, etc. but hopefully she will adjust soon and fall into a good routine. It's hard on my dad too. Just like when she was in the nursing care center after her stay in the hospital, he sees her improving, thinks she's better, and should come home.

Wowza!! My little blog has 13 followers now! Yay! I see so many blogs that have 50 plus followers. I don't think 13 is too bad considering I do not belong to any groups or message boards. I did long ago before blogs became the thing but eventually I left them all due to lack of time to properly participate. I am very grateful for all 13 of you and to all of you who take the time to visit here.

Here's a pic of my RHS progress. I haven't worked on it since Thursday. I had a very busy, on the go weekend.

Big @$$ projects can become boring. Do you agree? I've never been diagnosed but I am so sure I have ADD. I can't stay focused on one task for very long. The great thing about RHS (and many other samplers) is that you can change it up simply but jumping over to another part of the chart. Of course that requires very careful counting, but it helps to break up the monotony. I am really enjoying working on this project but I am always looking forward to the next one. One thing is for sure.....my next several projects will be much smaller!

Thanks for visiting! 'Til next time......happy stitching, quilting, blogging, etc.!

2010-04-06T22:06:00.001-05:00

I knew it wouldn't be long before I'd be saying "when's it going to cool off?" but I sure didn't think I'd be saying it this soon! It was 89 degrees today! It's supposed to go back to normal by the weekend. I'm not ready for 89 degrees yet! And.......by the way....I'm over the yellow dust!
Stitching Progress - I have devoted every spare second to Red House Sampler. It's such a large project. I sure hope I can meet my goal of finishing it this year. I could have stitched two small projects by now and be working on a third, lol. RHS had to come off the scrolls last night to be repositioned so I took a progress pic.

The fabric is a bit wonky. It wanted to roll back up since it has been on stretcher bars so I had to use nearby objects to hold down the corners. The poor red house looks like it has settled a bit. This sampler is definitely a fun stitch, but a big @$$ project.....for me anyway!

Update on my Mom - She has recovered from the pneumonia. After 5 days in the hospital, she spent 20 days in a nursing care center then they abruptly sent her home. I realize the 100% medicare coverage was up, but we were willing to pay the 20% out of pocket for her to stay there a little longer. They sent an 84 yo woman with dementia home to be taken care of by an 87 yo man. I think they're on crack! Since she has been home everything has gone back to the way it was before. She refuses to do anything for herself. She's going downhill fast. We've interviewed a couple of in home care providers but we're also having to consider other options. If anyone is going through a similar experience, I'd love to form a support group blog. Seriously.......dealing with aging, ill parents is tough.
Finally, here's a pic of me and my hubby taken recently on the first warm spring day we had. It was a great day for a picnic by the river.

Check this out!

2010-03-31T21:41:00.000-05:00

Hi All! Thanks for the comments and emails regarding my Mom. I appreciate them all. I promise an update is coming soon on my Mom and my stitching progress but I just had to make a quick post and share a new blog with you. My eldest daughter has really taken off with quilting. She's also a cross stitcher (yay!) and a scrapbooker. I've been ~~twisting her arm~~ encouraging her to start a blog or else I was going to have to post all her wonderful works on my blog. I am happy to announce that she has started her own blog.
Abby J's Quilting Mommy Check it out if you get a chance!

Gradually.....then Suddenly

2010-03-14T08:04:00.001-05:00

a large dose of reality arrived on March 2nd. My wonderful, sweet, generous, caring mother has dementia and mild Alzheimers. On that day, my brother called me at work to tell me that Mom had an accident during the night but that everything was under control. He and my sister had taken care of everything and settled Mom on the couch before leaving her house. When I got off work, I called and my Dad said she asleep and had been sleeping on the couch all day. He couldn't wake her to talk to me. So I called my DH and said hurry home, we are heading to Portsmouth. One hour later I find my Mom semi-conscious on the couch where she had been all day. I called an ambulance and get her to the ER where she was admitted for dehydration and pneumonia. She was in bad shape and was even experiencing some kidney dysfunction. She's a fighter though and after two days of antibiotics, she had improved greatly.
Mom has been released from the hospital and is now at a nursing care center for rehabilitation therapy for at least 21 days. On day two of all this my siblings and I, along with our father, decided that Mom will not be able to go back home. Dad is 87 and cannot properly take care of Mom (although he thinks he can). Now that Mom is getting proper care and her daily meds regularly, she is looking better than she has in a long time. That said...now my brother and Dad are back stepping thinking that Mom may go back home and it was the pneumonia that was keeping her from being herself! I have left out tons of details for various reasons. I am completely and totally stressed out. My life is consumed right now with visiting my Mom as often as possible (one hour drive each way) and worrying about her future. I'm trying to take one day a time.

Another Fabulous Weekend

2010-02-28T23:11:00.001-05:00

I couldn't let another day go by without sharing my fun weekend with you. My last 4-5 weekends have been jam packed and this one was no exception. Yesterday my oldest DD and I went to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest in Hampton, VA. Wow! I can't even begin to describe the awesomeness of this event. It was a first for us. I have always wanted to learn to quilt and I wanted to go to this event last year but it was happening the same time as my scrapbooking weekend. In the 90's, my Mom and I used to travel to Winston-Salem, NC to the Spirit of Cross Stitch Festivals so I have experience at devising a plan of attack. Tote bag for purchases, wallet..no purse, pen to mark the map of booths we want to revisit. I told DD we don't purchase on the first go round. We look, check prices, then go back for the things we can't live without. She said "unless it's the last one"! You go girl! I raised you good! lol
Here's what I came home with:

Details of my haul, I got: four Moda charm packs....Civil War Homefront, L'Amour, Verna, and Boutique . I am really digging the Civil War fabrics and patterns. A yard of red Moda to match a pattern in the Amor charm pack. A yard of flip flop fabric and 3 coordinating fat quarters. A pair of quilting gloves, with a nice tight fit. DD bought a pair at the quilt store a few weeks ago and she said the fit is too loose. She almost caught a finger with the sewing machine needle. I got a pattern for a cool tote bag made from charm pack squares. A new foot for my machine and several packs of needles. One of my best finds was a 2 year pocket planner with a quilting cover. I would have opted for a cross stitch cover but this is a close second. My final purchase was a little kit by Bareroots. It's a wool felt candle mat. Possible a new addiction here! I'm dying to stitch this....I have until October, maybe I should make it my summer vacation project. DD brought home a nice haul too! I can't wait to start playing with my quilting goodies! I just about have the "real life" stuff done. I finished my crochet projects (see previous post). This coming weekend is my scrapbooking weekend. I'm looking so forward to this, more than usual since my oldest DD will be going with me! I should be able to play quilting on the following Saturday.
This afternoon was spent with my grandson while his Mommy and Auntie went to the movies. Later my oldest DD and grand daughter came over and we had a nice family dinner. I'll close this post with some cuteness! I can't get enough of it!!! Take a good look at my grand daughters t-shirt. Thanks for visiting!

Yes, Virginia......

2010-02-25T22:47:00.004-05:00

......there really is snow in your forecast! I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a month. I've been plenty busy! What a wild winter we are having here in Virginia. It seems like it's either raining or snowing and it's always cold!! I am finally ready for some warm weather.

This is the view from my front porch on January 29th. We got about 8 inches of this white stuff.

First significant snowfall since 2004.

View from my deck

Ok, enough with the snow. We Virginians tend to make a big deal out of a little bit of snow. You should have seen Walmart or Food Lion the night before this storm. Good grief!

I have been steady working on RHS but sorry no new pics to share. The frogs have been by for another visit. Once they come......they never leave! Pics next post, I promise.

I have also been crocheting. I had a couple of projects with deadlines. The first one was a scarf for my youngest DD. She wanted to be able to use it before the end of this winter.

She wanted fringe on the ends but no matter how I attached the fringe, she didn't like it. She opted to go with no fringe. It's just a simple double crochet pattern using Lion Brand wool-ease yarn. It's supposed to be right cold tomorrow so hopefully she will get good use of it.

My next finish is a baby afghan for a coworker who is expect her first child, a boy, in April. Her shower is on March 6 so I met this deadline!

Now.....for my future plans: get tax info to accountant by 3/1. Scrapbooking weekend March 5-7. Can't wait! My oldest daughter is going on this one with me. Her first weekend crop!! Back to work on RHS. Get back to quilting! My oldest DD and I are going to a quilt festival Saturday. I am looking forward to this. Neither of us has ever been to a quilt festival.

I hope all is well in your part of the world. Thanks for visiting!

RHS Progress Update

2010-01-27T06:34:00.001-05:00

Hey Y'all! It's been a while since I posted because I have spent every spare moment working on Red House Sampler. It's also that time of year when I have a lot of bookkeeping work for my DH's business.
Here is a pic of my progress:

Take a close look at the bottom left of the house and you will see that I had a visit from the frogs last night! First visit they have made to this project. I hated to do it, I am so over this house and ready to move on to the rest of the project. But it had to be done, I was one too wide on all four rows.

I've also started a baby afghan for a coworker who is expecting a baby boy in April.

Back to work on the red house. I hope you have a stitchy day!

First Quilt Finish!

2010-01-10T21:11:00.001-05:00

I have finished my first quilt. It's a denim rag quilt and it was so easy it almost shouldn't count as a "quilt", but it's finished and my grandson loves it. He took his nap with it today.
Here's the finished product:

The squares are 6" and the quilt is 6 squares by 9 squares. Here is a closeup of the squares:

I used flannel for the backing:

Here is a close up of the flannel:

I am happy with the finished product, however, there are a few things I will do differently next time.
I also spent a little bit of time this weekend cleaning and continuing to organize my play room. I bought some neat cubes today at Target. They only had 3 white ones left. I'll post pics soon of my play room progress.
Not much stitching time this weekend so no progress pic on RHS. DD school had a two hour delay Friday morning because of ice on the road so I stitched while waiting to take her to the bus stop and head on in to work. Friday night we took her to see Avatar. Second time for DH and myself. It is a very good movie!
Saturday was spent working on the denim quilt and organizing, then DD and grandson came over for dinner and spent the night. Today was church, grocery shopping, and visiting the parents. Busy weekend and over to quickly! Hope you are staying warm, and Happy Stitching and/or Quilting!!

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-05T22:58:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! My first post of 2010! It sure was rough going back to work after 11 days off! I'm looking forward to the four day weekend coming up soon. During my Christmas vacation I started a denim rag quilt.

I cut the squares 6 1/4 inches. The denim is actually from my old jeans and the quilt is for my grandson. I have a problem and I am hoping someone can advise me. How do you sew the seams? Should they be sewn open? Below is a close up seam:

Very ugly seam intersections!! I know that once you wash the quilt, the seams will and are supposed to fray. I'm wondering if after that happens the seam will look better. It looks terrible. All advice appreciated!

I've been getting a little stitching time in the evenings. Here's a Red House Sampler progress pic:

I'll be so glad when this house is done!!! I keep telling myself "push, push"!
Thanks for the wonderful comments and birthday wishes! Happy Stitching, Quilting, Scrapping...or whatever you are working on next!

New Years Eve Stitching

2009-12-31T13:56:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year's Eve! Thanks for the wonderful birthday wishes! I had a great day! We did go to LNS and Williamsburg. The decorations were beautiful but it was COLD! I also made it to the D&B outlet and got a purse for $98, regular price $210. It has the pattern I wanted but it is a different style bag. For a savings of $100, I can live with that!
I'm spending New Year's Eve as I have for the last several years: stitching and watching the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sy-Fy channel. I started Red House Sampler last night while watching two of my favorite new year's eve movies: The Posideon Adventure and When Harry Met Sally (caught them both after they had started so not 4 hours of stitching here...just a disclaimer) Here is the progress I made:

The best advice I have ever received is that when you are faced with tasks, tackle the most difficult or the one you are dreading the most first and the rest will be a piece of cake. That said...I started the house. It is the largest single item on the chart and once it's complete, the rest should go quickly.
I used my new sewing machine to stitch an overcast stitch on the edges of the linen. Nice!

LNS didn't have the fabric I wanted for RHS so I chose 32 ct Lambs Wool. I think it will be fine.

I have been stitching on it all morning and will post progress pics later this evening. We're spending NYE at home as usual and I'll be making my family's favorite party appetizers for dinner. Til then, I'll leave you with some pics from Christmastime at Colonial Williamburg. Have a great day!

Edited to add photo of today's stitching progress. Doesn't look like much but I stitched pretty steady today working in meals and playtime with the grandbaby. I've put my last stitch in for 2009. Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-12-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

I was born 44 years ago today. Wow, I can't believe I am in my forties! DH took the day off from hunting and said we can do whatever I want today. Hmmm....with a 13 yo and a 2yo grandson, I can guarantee they would rather stay home but here's the plan. I would like to go to Colonial Williamsburg and see the Christmas decorations, maybe shop a little. But first I want to go to LNS in Virginia Beach (which is totally in the opposite direction) and get fabric for my new project, Red House Sampler. Then after Colonial Williamsburg I want to go to the outlets and get a new purse. I really want a Dooney & Bourke but the budget may only allow for new Vera Bradley instead. Have you seen the bargains you can get on the Vera Bradley website if you are interested in retired colors or styles? Next stop will be the Yankee Candle store, not that I need anything there but, hey...he said whatever I want to do! =). Last stop will be dinner at Carrabas. I am most excited about starting my new project. Oh, there's nothing like the high of starting a new project. I guess that is how we stitchers end up with so many unfinished projects. I have so many UFO's, most of which were started as a class project, on a whim, or as a SAL and they will never see the light of finishedhood. I have resolved to be a one at a time stitcher (ornaments excluded, of course). I've actually had some practice at it this past year. So that is my goal for the next decade. I'd love to choose a chart, purchase the necessary supplies, stitch it, frame it, then start another. Like most stitchers, I have an enormous stash. I'm not a fast stitcher so how am I going to stitch from my stash AND stitch new designs? That is the question of the century! I have to think of my stash as a collection. It will not all get stitched. It is much easier to add to the stash than it is to deplete it. Maybe a solution would be to rotate....one new project, one from the stash, one new project, one from the stash. Another solution would be to spend more time stitching and less time staring idly at the tv most evenings! I hope you have a great day!!

2009-12-26T17:24:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends! I am always sad when it's over. So much work and planning for the big day, then it's over in a flash. I enjoy taking the week after Christmas off so that I can really feel the season!

Several posts ago I mentioned that my SIL was in Paris. I hinted to her that she might stumble upon a cross stitch shop there that I read about on Blackbird Designs blog back in May. Hey, I don't get around so why not live vicariously through someone else! Well, guess what? She found it and that is where she purchased my Christmas gift! Some might think it difficult to purchase xs items for a gift if they themselves do not stitch, but not my SIL! With a few hints from me (love samplers, esp. ones with red houses), she purchased the following:

She thought is was a lovely shop and the owner was very friendly. She saw models of the Christmas charts and thought they were adorable.....and they are! She also picked out this piece of linen with a preprinted design on it. I love it too! I'm not the only one good at hinting.....lol.......she hinted that an ornament from the Noel chart pack would look nice on her tree next year! She told me that she was concerned about my ability to get the appropriate threads for these charts but the shop owner assured her that DMC is DMC. The charts are all European designs and the instructions on the two Christmas chart are entirely in French! No problem! Who reads instructions anyway? Least I say that I was thrilled and believe it or not, this is the very first Christmas that I have received cross stitch supplies as a gift!!! Very special!!

DH has never been big on giving me hobby related gifts. Last year he really surprised me by giving me some scrapbooking supplies. He had a little push from my oldest DD who is a Creative Memories consultant. This year my gift was my new Viking sewing machine but he did have a few things for me to open on Christmas morning, including this big surprise:

I'm all set now to start AND finish a quilt!

Another special gift I received was an addition to my Monopoly game collection:

My dear youngest daughter looked out for her Mama! I've wanted this one for a couple of years now!

My oldest daughter gave me a beautiful silver photo tree from Things Remembered. She filled a few of the hearts with photos and I will fill the rest this week. I know me! If I don't get it done this week, it will be this time next year and still not done! My middle DD gave me a Vera Bradley tote bag and as a gag gift, a VB eyeglass case to keep my stitching/reading glasses in. Ha Ha that I now need reading glasses to see to stitch on linen! She also made me a photo calendar! I am certainly blessed with three wonderful daughters!

I am on vacation next week and looking very forward to working on my quilting project and stitching during the New Year's Eve Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi channel! One of my favorite new year's traditions! I do have another project on my plate beginning today. I have my grandson until Jan. 1. My DD left this afternoon to visit a friend out of state. This will be an adventure for me in and of itself! Changing diapers, naps, mealtime, and playing toys for the next 5 days. I am so out of practice! lol He's up from his nap now so time for me to go. Thanks for visiting!

It's almost here....

2009-12-16T21:51:00.002-05:00

Are you ready? I have almost all of my shopping finished. I need a couple of gift cards and stocking stuffers, that's it. I get to spend Saturday baking and wrapping.....not at the malls! I hate when I have to shop EVERY Saturday in December.

On Black Friday, my daughter bought us each a pair of miniature trees for out porches. They are indoor/outdoor trees and since you can't see my porch well from the road or even from my driveway, I decided to bring them in and decorate them. I'm using one in my family room adorned with my stitched ornaments. The other is in my dining room with gingerbread type ornaments. I have so many stitched ornaments that if I took the time to finish them into actual ornaments, they wouldn't all fit on the tree! The Santa at the top of the tree was made by me when I was in the third grade. My Mom saved it for all these years! I love that she noted on the back when it was made.

I have noticed a few bloggers are already posting their goals for 2010. I'll post mine before the 31st. 5 more working days then I am on vacation until Jan. 4. I will have my grandson from the 26th thru the 2nd. His Mommy is going to visit a friend on the west coast. It should be very interesting. It's been 11 years since I have cared for a 2 year old for a week straight!!

I have finished another ornament. I'll post a picture on my next post! Thanks for visiting!

I see the moon......

2009-12-03T20:47:00.001-05:00

and the moon sees me. God bless the moon and God bless me......and all who stop by and visit my blog. My Mom used to say this to me when I was small.

The moon as seen in Virginia - 12/1/09.

Another Black Friday Conquered

2009-12-01T19:48:00.001-05:00

I started this post on Friday but I was tired and didn't finish so I will just keep the title and finish it now. Yes, another Black Friday has come and gone and once again, I conquered it! DH and I left home at 1 am and made the 45 minute ride to Chesapeake. First stop...Toys R Us. They opened at midnight and had a few things we wanted for the grandbabies. We were in and out in 10 minutes! Empty handed! That store was TOO crazy. They were already out of the two big items we wanted, there must have been 1000 people in there......well beyond fire code I would say......and it was an oven! We left and headed over to Walmart. They were open all night but the sale wasn't starting until 5 am. Some of the items were already out, others were on pallets in the aisles and were covered with black plastic. We got a bunch of $2 dvd's, few other things, scoped out were the other items were, then I took my spot at the Cricut display (I was after the $30 cartridges) At ten minutes to 5 someone must have said go for it because it all broke loose. I grabbed the two cartridges I wanted, DH grabbed an 8" digital photo frame for $29 and a toy for our grandson. Next stop Target, got what I wanted there. Next Michael's, got another Cricut cartridge. Next stop, Office Max where I got this:

I've played with it a little this weekend. I think it is a keeper. I hate spending a lot of money on stuff without playing with it first. It's one of those risky investments. I have suffered from buyer's remorse more than once in my life. I took a picture of my ornament finish I showed in my last post. I think this is a better picture. Then again....it could be the person behind the camera and not necessarily the camera!

I have another ornament in the works and it's almost finished. I hope to post it soon!

My SIL is in Paris with a group of friends celebrating their 40th's. I dropped her a hint on Facebook for a Christmas idea for me. I learned of a neat little shop in Paris that Barb & Alma of Blackbird Designs went to when they were there and told my SIL...if you can find it...think of me...I love samplers! I won't hold my breath, she may only be posting to fb from there and not reading comments, but I thought it was worth a shot!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and if you were ~~crazy~~ brave like me on Black Friday, I hope you got every bargain you went after!

Happy Stitching!

A Finish!

2009-11-16T19:35:00.000-05:00

Last night while watching ~~the Dallas Cowboys get their butts kicked~~ football and Nascar, I finished this ornament for my grandson. He went fishing with his PaPa for the first time this past summer so I thought this design was appropriate. It's from the Prairie Schooler leaflet St. Nicholas II. Stitched on good 'ol natural aida with DMC thread. Sorry for the blurry pic but with my old camera, I guess that's as good as it get.

What Have I Been Up To?

2009-11-11T12:37:00.010-05:00

A lot! I have been up to quite a bit in the past six weeks. The long awaited date of October 1st finally arrived and my 20 year dream of seeing U2 live was realized! It was an amazing, awesome, unforgettable event. DH and I drove up to Charlottesville with our camper in tow and stayed the night at a KOA campground near the stadium. Traffic after the show was a nightmare but you wouldn't have heard me complain. The show was well worth any inconveniences we encountered!

This is me before the show wearing my souvenir jacket. Our seats were very close to the stage. The 360 stage was massive! Yes, the pic is blurry. We need a new camera....I look distorted, lol.

The anticipation was overwhelming as the show began. The stadium lit up and smoke billowed out of the stage, while the speakers blasted David Bowie's Space Oddity. The stage looked like some kind of alien spacecraft. It reminded me of the movie "War of the Worlds"

It's Bono! It's really Bono!! Be still my beating heart!
On the way home from Charlottesville I asked DH to stop at the big Joann's in Midlothian so I could look at Halloween fabric and other fun stuff. Guess what I discovered? They had a Husqavarna Viking dealership located inside the store. I told DH he just had to see these machines. I used one in my quilting class and had raved about it ever since. DH liked what he saw, asked the dealer a lot of questions, then took me to lunch and told me he wanted me to have the sewing machine as my Christmas present. What a great guy! I've already been back for my first class to learn how to use all of the cool features it is equipped with. I have two more classes to attend. Unfortunately, the store is almost 1 1/2 hours drive. I found two HV dealers closer to me but one is such a small shop I would hesitate to purchase there and the other is 1 to 1/2 hours depending on the timing of the ferry to cross the river. I'm happy with our decision to purchase it where we did. What a super cool DH I have!

Here is my first quilting endeavor. It's called Wash Tub Scrappy and it's actually a bit tedious for a first quilt but DD figures if we start hard, everything else will seem easy. DD and I have been to two shop classes so far and once we get these squares done, we will go back for our next lesson.

I have also been busy with my scrapbooking. I have been scrapbooking since 2000 but I still have tons of pictures from prior to 2000 that need to be organized. I have been working on that task on and off for years and just about have it done. I also have been organizing photos for specific album projects. The weekend after the U2 concert we took a quick camping trip to the mountains up near Staunton. We like to camp in the fall and see the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. The weekend after the camping trip I went on a scrapbooking weekend retreat but unfortunately, I went with a bad head cold and didn't get much accomplished.

I was off today for the Veteran's Day holiday and I worked on several projects....my quilting, organizing my scrapbook area, and organizing negatives. Negatives? Yes, remember those brown strips that used to come back from the developer with your photos. I need to get reprints for some of my album projects.

One of which is my family Christmas album project. I bought this album several years back and have finally began working on it. I am doing a two page layout for each Christmas we have celebrated since '83 when DH and I were dating.
This past weekend I attended another scrapbooking weekend retreat. This one was in Virginia Beach on the ocean front. I got a great discount on this one for having attended two previous retreats this year. I needed to go and make up for the one I attended in Oct. when I was sick. I spent both days working on the Christmas album. This is a pic of Christmas 1992 layout.
Stitching.....I have been working on a Christmas ornament. A Prairie Schooler Santa. It's small and most stitchers could probably whip it up in a day or two, but I'm not most stitchers. I'm slow!!
We're getting battered here with wind a rain from a Nor'easter. Tomorrow the remnants of TS Ida will be here and mix with what is already here and we're going to have high wind and heavy rain. We're expected to have two more days of this! I wish I was going to be home again tomorrow. Hope you are warm and dry where you are! Happy Stitching!

A Happy Mail Day

2009-09-15T20:19:00.005-05:00

I had a package waiting for me in the mailbox today. I big yellow envelope with a few stitchy goodies in it!!

Oh la la! Finally!! I look so forward to this issue each year. There are several "must stitch" designs in this years issue. A few of my favorites are: Blackbird Designs-Peace, Blue Ribbon Designs -Merry Wishes, Little House Needleworks - Winter Sampler, Casey Buonaugurio Designs - Purple Penguin. I just love penguins!! I was so excited to see a penguin in this issue! But....that's not all I got.

The 2009 Prairie Schooler Santa!

Festive Redbird from Homespun Elegance. Being a Virginia girl, I just adore cardinals.

Last but not least, a Ned Kelly Kitty scissor fob chart. This little guy is such a cutie! I should have ordered the recommended thread along with it. I'm really wanting to stitch up this kitty.

Well, that's all for now! I was going to talk about my current project but Kanye just grabbed my keyboard! Happy Stitching!

Finally Some Finishes!

2009-09-06T15:04:00.003-05:00

First, please forgive my poor photography. I have so little time to stitch, I have even less time to attempt to take awesome photos of my work. My first finish is this freebie from Blackbird Designs, Petites Lettres Rouges. I used a linen I had on hand and DMC threads. The directions stated to stitch a family name into the sampler. I chose instead to honor my three children by stitching in their initials and birth years.

My next finish is a Christmas ornament for my grand-daughter. It's a Lizzie Kate snippet "1st Christmas". A year late but better than never.

Another ornament finish. Same design as above. I think I have previously posted this finish but when I compared it with my most recent finish, I realized that I had not stitched the red thingies. This one is for my grand-son. Only two years late! Now I have to get these pieces finished up as actual ornaments or they still won't have them for this coming Christmas.
My last finish is a design I started last year then put down and forgot about. It's Faith, Hope, Love from Cedar Hill Designs. I saw it on display at the old LNS a few years ago and bought it on a whim.

I'm so glad to finally have some finishes. Now I am working on another Christmas ornament by Prairies Schooler. I haven't decided yet what my next large project will be. I should probably work on an old WIP but they are old and outdated and new starts are much more fun!

I'm enjoying my much needed three day weekend despite the fact that I have spent today taking care of a sick child. I sure hope she is better by Tuesday. It would just be awful to miss the first day of school. Happy Stitches!

Back to Reality

2009-08-16T16:30:00.005-05:00

I returned home from vacation yesterday. My family and I spent a week at our favorite campground, North Bend Park at Kerr Dam. A full week of living in a ponytail and flip flops! It's back to the real world tomorrow, so depressing! I took my stitching and my crochet but never touched either. It's too hot outside and dirty of course. My stitching is reserved for rainy days stuck in the camper, of which we had none. I did however take my tackle box of beads and hemp. This is one craft I can do outside and vacation seems to be the only time of the year that I indulge in that craft. Here are a few pics from my vacation:

This is our campsite, site 86 in B. One of our favorites. We have stayed on this site before. The lake and beach area are just down a path from our site. We like to be close to the water so we can leave our boat tied up all week. Taking it in and out everyday is no fun!
View of our campsite from the path that leads to the beach. That's my DH cooking our breakfast. He does most of the cooking when we camp. Lucky me!

This is the path that goes down to the lake where there is a sandy beach and where we keep our boat tied. This is also my view from the picnic table where I played with my beads and hemp in the mornings and evenings.

My tackle box of beads and hemp. Are you wondering why I am showing you a pic of my tackle box on the picnic table? It's because I really enjoy playing with beads and hemp when I am on vacation. And I wanted you to see where.............................

these were made. They are my first attempt at scissor fobs. I was addicted to making them and managed to make about four per day. I'm not too thrilled with the lanyard clips, they're not as fancy as I would like but this was my first attempt and I tried to work with what I had in my box. I certainly can't use all of these fobs and I really enjoyed making them so I would like to give them away. They are free for the asking until they are gone. I don't know if my blog has any regular readers. I certainly don't manage to post regularly, but if you are reading this and you want one just ask in the comments then email me your postal address. I enjoyed making these so much that I am not going to wait until my next vacation to make more of them.

I do have a stitching finish to report. I completed a project before I left for vacation but I need to initial and date it then take a pic. I'll post it soon.

I read one book while at the lake. I usually read two and last year they were both James Patterson novels. This year I tried a new author and I am very pleased! I read "The Postcard" by Beverly Lewis. I have been wanting to read a novel by this author for a few years now and last fall at the GreenValleyBookFair I bought two of her books for $4 each. Speaking of the book fair.......if you are a book lover and are ever in the area of Harrisonburg, VA, you just can't miss this event! Be sure to check the days and hours as they are only open six times per year. So anyway, back to the book I read...I thoroughly enjoyed it although the ending left me hanging and wanting more! Most of Beverly Lewis' novels are set in Lancaster County, PA and the characters are Amish. I will definitely seek out more of these fun reads!

I'll close this post now. I hope you have a wonderful week!!

My Answers to Melissa's Questions

2009-08-01T20:55:00.004-05:00

1)Why do you stitch? Because it is what makes me...me. It's as essential to my life as air, food, and water. It makes me happy. I have been stitching since I was about age 13. Not too much during high school but die hard since I was 18.
2) On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being least important and 10 being most important what is your cross stitch passion level? It's a 10 but some days you would think it's lower. But whether I stitch every day or have weeks that I don't touch it, it's always on my mind and my number one passion.
3)If you're only option for cross stitch supplies and patterns happened to be the major chain craft stores would you just walk away from the little X? Kiss it goodbye? No way! Those stores were all I knew in the beginning and if they were all I had, I'd make do.
4)Also are you so passionate about cross stitch that if indeed your only option was the major chain craft stores, would that inspire you to create your own cross stitch pieces because you have to stitch and you've stitched your way through the whole of Dimensions catalog--because you must stitch and the thought of life without a relationship with the little X leaves you feeling empty? There have been times where I have contemplated designing my own work. It would always be an option.
5)Finally what do the cross stitch magazines on the market offer you? Do they relate to you as a cross stitcher? Do you look at them and think to yourself, who do they think buys this magazine? I guess what I'm asking, when you see the current cross stitch magazines do they make you feel like they know their readers or do you find it's more of the same? What could they do to be ambassadors for the art of cross stitch other than putting a sampler on the cover with "F-U" on it? What are we missing on a PR level that could change the opinion of cross stitch itself?
Hmmm.........complicated question. First off, I would never stitch a sampler that said F-U. Those words are best spoken, lol! There are only a select few stores near me that carry any xs mags. (near meaning closest is 45 miles away) They do not impress me, not one bit. I don't know who the publishers think are reading them. They do not appeal to me like they did in the 80's and early to mid 90's. My tastes have changed far more than the magazines have. I remember the days when Leisure Arts was my favorite designer! I don't have any suggestions for the PR of cross stitch. I have three daughters and all three have grown up having a mother who is totally addicted to cross stitch and only one of them is interested in the art. They have all stitched a bit. I was hoping to put three addicted stitchers out in to the world but alas, only produced one (and she has trouble with carpal tunnel so it's hard for her to stitch as much as she wants to).
6) Do you do other crafts and if so what are they and why do they pull you away from cross stitch? Yes, I do. I love to crochet. I just love the finished product. Small to medium size afghans are my favorite. I love scrapbooking....again, I love the finished product. I don't' get too fancy, I just get the job done. I have lots of friends who scrapbook and NONE who stitch. I love going to weekend crops, I get lots of pages done AND I get social time with friends. Two of my daughters have the scrapbooking bug. I wish I had local friends who stitch. I wish I could go on a weekend stitching retreat. My only contact with other stitchers is on the internet. I was into stamping/card making but too many hobbies, not enough time....makes me an unhappy girl. I want to learn to quilt. I dabble in sewing. I used to paint ceramics. I used to paint shirts and sweatshirts. Some crafts come and go, others remain a constant obsession.
I do other crafts I guess because I am just a "crafty" person, but cross stitch is number one, always has been and always will be.

July 25th!

2009-07-26T01:30:00.000-05:00

Today is a great day! My granddaughter Abby is one today! Happy Birthday dear, sweet, baby girl!
Now I hate to mention it, but Christmas is five months from today! I have to get busy stitching Chistmas ornaments! I have vowed to give each grandbaby a hand stitched ornament every Christmas and I am already behind! As much as I want to start a sampler when I finish my current project ( a Blackbird freebie), I am going to have to work on ornaments. I hope to finish my current project this weekend, lol. We shall see.
I'm going to play movie reviewer. I've seen quite a few lately on DVD and at the theater so here goes:
At the theather:
My Sister's Keeper - I read the book so I had an insight of what to expect. Good movie...have a box of tissues with you. If you read the book, be prepared for the movie to not stay true to the book.
Public Enemies - wait for the DVD. Long movie, not Johnny Depp or Christian Bale's best work. Gets a little slow in the middle. Seeing this movie at 10:05 was not the best idea. I got sleepy. I will say I liked it but not for the $20 we paid to see it. (Geesh, movies have gotten SO expensive!)
Harry Potter - I didn't see it but DH and DD did. Just mentioning it to show how much Regal cinemas has profited off my family in the past 8 days! ;)
On DVD:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - excellent movie if you are into WWII history. This is poignant portryal of one family dealing with the Hollocaust. It was DD's suggestion. She had heard about it in history class at school.
Knowing - Nicholas Cage...what more do I need to say? This movie held my interest. Reminded us a little of National Treasure, however, the ending caught me by surprise. Come on!!
That's it for now!

2009-07-25T15:08:00.002-05:00

Isn't this a beautiful house? Can you guess who's house it is? Yes, it is Monticello the home of Thomas Jefferson. For those of you who are not from Virginia, it is pronounced Mon-tuh-chello. In French, that translates "little mountain". Congrats on your correct answer Suz! =) (a fellow Virginian!)
DH, DD, and I went to visit Monticello a couple of weeks ago. DD3 has been wanting to go there since we first took DD2 to UVA and she learned the history of the school. You can actually see the university from the lawn of Monticello. I would LOVE to have a house there on the top of that little mountain! The blue ridge mountains of Virginia are just breathtaking! I love living so close to the mountains AND to the ocean! It's the best of both worlds. We had a great day for this little day trip, low 80's and almost no humidity. It was fun learning new things about TJ. He was a visionary and would truly be amazed at life today. He was also a hypocrite, sadly enough. He was the author our Constitution and wrote "all men are created equal" yet he owned many slaves. He felt it was wrong but knew that the end to slavery would not come in his lifetime. Yet upon his death, he only freed five of his slaves in his will. Why did he not free them all if he felt slavery was wrong? That aside, he was a brilliant man and he is one of the reasons we have the way of life we have today. If you're ever in the area, it's definitely worth the visit.

DD and I with TJ.

2009-05-31T20:18:00.002-05:00

There is a wonderful giveaway going on at YukosBlog. She is celebrating her 3 year stitching anniversary. Yuko has a wonderful blog and her stitching is so lovely. I have been quietly following her blog for about a year. Check it out!
On my stitching front, I have been diligently working a a free sampler chart from BlackbirdDesigns. No pics yet. I would have finished it this weekend or last week even but between a little bit of frogging and helping my daughter and her family move into their first home (yay!) I didn't have time to work on it. I've spent a lot of time with the grandbabies this weekend as well! My grandson is 19 mos old now and he really knows how to work his grandma! He spent the night with me Friday night so Mommy could go to the beach. Saturday evening.....he made it clear he wanted to stay with me again, and you know I couldn't say no. Unfortunately, at 5:30 this morning he decided it was time to get up!!! My grand daughter is 10 mos old now and she is such a beautiful little girl! I am so excited that I will be spending a lot more time with her now that she is living less than 3 miles away!!!
Back to work tomorrow :( I'd really rather stay home and stitch!

2009-05-06T19:51:00.001-05:00

I've entered a blogiversary drawing at Edgars blog. He's celebrating his 2nd blogiversary. I hope I win! His stitching is awesome!

FINISHES!

2009-04-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

My photography skills suck, but something beats nothing. I finished these two ornaments recently. The deer ornament was finished on March 30. Baby's 1st Christmas was finished on April 2 thanks to a very boring three day training class I had to attend at work. Too many breaks and extended lunch periods gave me plenty of stitching time!

That's one down for the grandson and two to go. I need to stitch his 2008 and 2009 ornaments and he will be caught up. For the grand daughter, I have 2008 and 2009 to do. I'm starting to rethink this cross stitch ornament idea for the grandbabies. If my girls ever have more children, I'll stay behind all the time or never stitch anything other than Christmas ornaments.

Thursday a coworker and I are stopping by a new quilt store that has opened near our workplace. Can you believe it? A quilt store in the middle of nowhere! I am especially interested in classes. My first project is going to be a t-shirt quilt for my (K) made from sports t-shirts from her youth. I am very excited about the prospect of quilting! I have several books on the subject, LOL!, but have never made an attempt. Cross Stitching, Scrapbooking, Crochet, the list goes on and on......too many hobbies, not enough time!!!

HAPPY DAY!!!

2009-03-31T21:44:00.001-05:00

I HAVE TICKETS TO U2 BABY!!!! CHARLOTTESVILLE, OCT. 1ST!! SECTION 116!!!
WAHOO!!!!!

What is RSVP?

2009-03-25T20:23:00.002-05:00

"RSVP may refer to:
"Répondez s'il vous plaît", a French phrase that translates to "please respond" and word for word means "respond if you please"[1]. It is with this meaning that invitation cards and similar documents are often marked with "R.S.V.P." It is standard practice to reply to an RSVP request whether confirming attendance or declining." I need to send this to MANY people, some of whom claim to be "very good friends of mine". Why do so many people fail to RSVP?

These things are evil:
Facebook (or computer in general)
Guitar Hero
Laundry
Dusting
Vacuuming
Work

They all keep me from having quality stitching time. I'm not going to add scrapbooking to that list....I just can't call that evil. If i spent half the time stitching that I spend on this computer, I'd have so many finished projects. I spend a lot of time thinking about stitching or staring at my stitching bag. Maybe I am bored with my projects. I was on a nice roll with Scarlet until I got nauseous in the "sea of green". Maybe I need a new project to motivate me. Hmmmm, I'll have to take that under serious consideration.

If I have never mentioned it before, I am a HUGE U2 fan. I purchased their new CD No Line on the Horizon on March 3rd, the day it was released. I love it!!! Every song is good but my favorites so far are: Moment of Surrender, No Line on the Horizon, I'll Go Crazy..., and Get on Your Boots. I've never seen U2 live. The closest I have come is seeing them on the Imax screen in the movie U2-3D. Absolutely Awesome! I knew a new CD meant a tour and I am so excited that U2 will be in the states beginning in September. They are supposed to perform in Charlottesville VA this fall and I am SO going to be there...no matter what it takes!! All of their performances are going to be in stadiums so I am praying that means plenty of tickets. They have always sold out here in the arenas and I've never been fortunate enough to get tickets. But I am VERY psyched that I may actually have the opportunity for a dream come true!!! See ya soon Bono!

My work environment has become so juvenile. You would not believe the dynamics of the building I work in. I had a very rough week last week worrying about it all and letting it get to me. Thanks to good advice from my hubby and an article I read in the newspaper the other day, I have developed a new "me" for the workplace. #1 - If it can't be fixed in 5 minutes and with the materials you have readily available to you....don't go there. #2 - If you are not part of the problem or part of the solution....walk away! To help me improve my thought process/mental state, I am creating a "happy" book. It's just a blank journal and I am filling the pages with articles, clippings, quotations, all kinds of things that remind me to be the kind of person I am meant to be and not the kind of person others want me to be.

Melissa at Musingsfroma3bedroomranch has created a new blog for creating a family history sampler. My first thought was......more power to you. But I was thinking about her plans as I was falling asleep last night then it hit me today.....I want to design one too. What am I thinking? Clearly I do not have time for anything else. I am a scrapbooker (after a stitcher). I am preserving my family history through scrapbooking. BUT, this sampler idea is intriguing.
I will be pursuing this idea.

Happy 8 month b-day to my beautiful, darling, sweet, lovable, adorable grand daughter Abby!

Alrightie, time to get off of this computer and try that thing called stitching....but first I have a couple of blogs to catch up on. ;-) P/S: I love my hubby. He's a great guy!

Plans

2009-02-05T21:50:00.002-05:00

I've decided I better stitch the firescreen or I will live to regret it! I haven't worked on Scarlet in the past week. I've been working on a Christmas ornament instead since it is portable and I have been doing a lot of running around. Hopefully I will finish it soon and can post a pic.
The weather here is cold, but no snow!! Everyone wants to see some snow especially my daughters!! I'm looking forward to date night tomorrow night with the DH. We have dinner and movie plans. We've decided to see Taken. Can't wait!! Last movie we saw was Gran Torino. Excellent movie and classic Clint Eastwood. Saturday I plan to do a little housework, a little tax work, and a little stitching, and take a trip to Portsmouth with DH to visit his soon to be 90yo grandmother. Sunday is church, volleyball practice, and my Dad's 86th birthday.
I hope you have a great weekend too!!

2009-01-29T22:39:00.003-05:00

Scarlet O'Hara is a beautiful project. And it's a BAP! I started her in the early 90's and it's no secret that I want her done!!! I am a few stitches away from having the right side of her skirt finished. Here's where I need opinions. I am considering NOT stitching the firescreen. Have you ever not stitched part of a project because of laziness? Ok......maybe laziness is a little harsh. I know people make changes to charts all the time, but in my case I would be leaving out the firescreen just to be finished with this project. How do you think she would look without the firescreen? Will I regret leaving it off every time I look at her hanging on my wall? Should I just see her through to the bitter end? What would you do?

Sorry about my horrible photography. I was in a hurry!

Here It Is!

2009-01-25T21:13:00.003-05:00

Find Your Happy Place - Blue Ribbon Designs. Back from the framers. I love it! The frame really compliments the thread although the photo doesn't reflect that very well.

I really enjoyed stitching this piece.

The photo below is my current project....my largest UFO. I started this project back in the early 90's and my family is constantly bugging me about it..."when are you going to finish Scarlet?"

I am SO sick of stitching green! My goal for this project was to finish her skirt on the right side by Jan 31. It's not looking good at this point because I have not had as much stitching time in the past week as I have had in the last few weeks. Once I reach that goal, I am planning to put her down for a week or two and finish up a couple of Christmas ornaments. Then it will be back to Scarlet. I plan to set another goal, then upon reaching that goal I'll take another small break. If I don't take breaks from her, I'll lose my mind. TOO much green!!!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great week with lots of stitchy time!

Sad Day

2009-01-09T19:55:00.002-05:00

This morning, at the school where DD2 is doing her student teaching, a 4 yo boy was run over by a school bus and killed. It's just horrible and everyone in my community is in complete and total shock. The child's mother is also a teacher at the school, she taught DD3 two years ago, and this is the second child she has lost to an accidental death. The bus driver who ran over the child is a wonderful, kind lady who was DD3's afternoon bus driver for 3 years. This is a new school that just opened in Sept. to replace the school DD3 attended for elementary school and DD2 said she does not like the way the buses park to load/unload students. DD3 is very upset. She said the teacher used to bring her son into their class on occasion and she would read to him and play with him and she really cares about the bus driver too. The bus driver nominated DD3 for an award sponsored by her women's club and DD3 was the winner of the award. Please keep these families in your prayers. I can't imagine the pain and agony they are experiencing.

First Finish of 2009

2009-01-03T22:37:00.004-05:00

Actually, it's my first cross stitch finish since sometime in 2007! I did not have any cross stitch finishes in '08! How sad!! However....I sure spent a lot of time with my grandson!

Anyway.......this morning I finished "Find Your Happy Place" by Blue Ribbon Designs. Unfortunately I do not have a pic to post until I get it back from the framers. DD3 had a three hour volleyball clinic in VA Beach today, just five minutes from my (not so local) LNS. I took my stitching with me. I only had a little bit of the border left to stitch so I finished it there and then dropped it off at LNS for framing. I can't wait to get it back. My DH picked out this project earlier in 08 and thought it would be a nice piece to hang in our bedroom.

While at the LNS, I picked up a couple of charts I have been longing for with some of my leftover birthday money. I got "Home is Where you Hang Your Needlework" by Homespun Elegance and Two Fine Houses" by Hands to Work. I am looking forward to stitching both of these in the near future, especially "Home is...."
One more day off then back to the real world, I have been off since 12/23. 12 days off! I haven't had that many days home since I went back to work five years ago. I need 12 more days , please!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-30T21:27:00.003-05:00

I am planning to spend my New Year's Eve the same way as I have for many years past. Cross stitching while watching the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi channel. I look forward to this each year. My project is Find Your Happy Place and my goal is to finish it. I have so many projects I would like to stitch in 2009, but.......my family insists that I finish Scarlet O'hara. My husband told me that if I will finish it, he will immediately take it to the framers and get it hung on our wall. He, and my daughters, think I will never finish Scarlet so I think I will have to prove them wrong.
Christmas has once again come and gone. I had a great Christmas and I hope you did too. The best part was being with my family and seeing my grand babies enjoy the magic of Christmas.
My oldest DD and her baby spent the night here (her hubby is deployed) and I remarked to my DH that this is probably the last Christmas morning when all of our children will wake up in the house together. DD2 will begin her teaching career in the fall and she plans to get her own place then. DD3 was very excited to receive a Wii for Christmas and we are all quite sore from playing the sports games. You really get a workout playing a Wii. I hosted Christmas dinner here and my parents and my brother's family came over and it was just wonderful to be with family.

On a crafty note, I made these treat bags to give to my co-workers.

It's snowman soup! The tag reads: "Was told you've been real good this year, always glad to hear it. With freezing weather drawing near, you'll need to warm the spirit. So here's a little snowman soup, complete with stirring stick. Add hot water, sip it slow, it's sure to do the trick." It's not my original idea.....it's from Papercrafts magazine, Nov. 2004 issue. It was a big hit!

And last but not least, our biggest Christmas surprise, our chocolate lab became a mother! She gave birth to 5 puppies on the night of the 23rd and DH discovered them on Christmas Eve morning when he went out to feed the dogs. We didn't even know she was pregnant. DH noticed she had "gained some weight" but he attributed it to winter weight. I guess she and our male chocolate lab "got together" when no one was looking!

I hoe you have a happy and safe New Year's Eve! Thanks for stopping by!

FINISHES!

2008-12-10T23:08:00.006-05:00

I have a couple of finishes I am excited about.

This is the Christmas baby afghan I made for my 5 month old grand-daughter to keep her warm while she is out Christmas shopping with her Mommy. It's large enough that she will be able to use it for many years to come. My wish is that it will become her tradition to sleep with it on Christmas Eve. I'm sure her Mommy will see that I get my wish! :-)
My next finish is also for my grand-daughter. It's a crocheted cape. It's a very easy pattern! Although my grand-daughter is my "little monkey" that's not her in the photo, LOL! My grand-son's Curious George was kind enough to model the cape for me until I can get a picture of Abigail wearing it.
I have to get two of these Lizzie Kate ornaments finished by Christmas!! One will be late and the other on time if I can accomplish this goal. I actually need to stitch a second ornament for my grand-son since this is his second Christmas. My plan is to give each of my grandchildren a cross stitched ornament each year.
I'm working on my 2009 stitching/crochet goals. I'm learning how to make lists and set goals to help me accomplish things, hobby and non-hobby as well. I am a master procrastinator and procrastination leads to stress and anxiety for me so I am working to change that. Learning new skillz!!

Friday Morning Surprise!

2008-11-23T20:53:00.003-05:00

Snow in Virginia! I can't recall that I have ever seen it snow in Virginia before Thanksgiving. But as is "par for the course" for this beautiful state, it was completely gone by the afternoon.

We're really having a cold spell right now. That's not going to be very condusive for black friday shopping! We need another heat wave!

If there's an award for longest neglected blog.....I could possibly win!

2008-11-03T20:46:00.001-05:00

News from the home front
I have a new grand daughter!
Abigail was born to my oldest daughter and her hubby in July. She is a most precious princess and she looks just like her mommy (although her mommy thinks she looks like her daddy).
My grandson just celebrated his first birthday last month. I can't believe a year has gone by so quickly!!
Stitching News

Here is my current project: Find your happy place. I am stitching it on 32 count lambs wool linen with bandana Crescent Colours thread.
Crocheting News

My current crochet project is a Christmas baby afghan for Abby

4:33 PM

2008-01-19T16:39:00.000-05:00

It's Snowing!

2008-01-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

4:06 PM

The rain has finally changed over to snow!! Oh, it's coming down! Not sticking yet but if it keeps up, it will. The time stamped on the pics is wrong. I'll have to fix that. DD is so excited! We've got plenty of good food to eat and DVD's to watch so......LET IT SNOW!!!!

Saturday Update

2008-01-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday afternoon and it's lightly raining, been raining all day. DD keeps talking about playing in the snow. What snow dear?? We're still waiting for the change over. Yesterday I got a little organizing done in my playroom. I worked on photos and scrapbook supplies. I also got my Christmas photos uploaded to Walmart for printing. DD aka "The Mommy" was off last night so we all went to the mall for dinner in the food court (because no one could agree on what we wanted) and then we saw "National Treasure - The Book of Secrets". GOOD movie! The baby slept through most of the movie only waking to nurse. His first movie, ahhhhhhh.
He has been good so far today. We'll continue to hang out in the playroom until Mommy gets home at 4 then we'll go downstairs to watch movies with her and the stitching will commence. I'm a little nervous, LOL! I haven't stitched in over 6 months. Will I still remember how to do it? LOL
Hopefully I'll have pics to post later of either snow or stitching, or both!

Long Weekend Plans

2008-01-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited! It's the eve of a 4 day weekend! Tomorrow is a state holiday and Monday is ML King day! We're supposed to get snow Saturday, haha! That means "everyone run to Walmart and stock up and we will get nothing but rain"!
Today was a wash out. It rained SO much! Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and in the 50's. Saturday is rain turning to snow with 1-5 inches expected. Welcome to VA. If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it will change!
I plan to do some stitching over the long weekend. I am going to start my grandson's Baby's First Christmas ornament. It's just a little late! This will be my first needle to thread since I finished Evergreen last spring. For me, stitching is kind of like a drug. If I get off of it I'm ok for a while, but when I start up again....I'm hooked! Here's to getting hooked!!! I want the stitching bug back!! There's babysitting in the forecast for the weekend too. That might inhibit the stitching plans a bit.
Oh and while I am stitching the ornament, I better make 2 of them. My oldest DD has announced that she is expecting her first in July. I'm going to be a Grandma X2.

I'm Back!!! And with LOTS of news!

2007-10-12T09:03:00.000-05:00

I'm a GRANDMA!!! My grandson, Christopher Mark, was born Tuesday morning at 4:57 am after only 5 1/2 hours of labor, which to my daughter felt like an eternity. She did a great job!! I'm so proud of her and I feel so blessed to be there with her when he came into this world. He is a beautiful baby. A healthy 9 lbs. 1 oz.

We've made so many things for him this summer. I'll try to get some pics posted soon.

2007-05-15T21:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks for stopping by! I'm taking a break from blogging until I actually have something stitchy to report. On a non-stitchy note, YOU GO DALE JR! YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHTER THAN EVER!!

8 Random Things

2007-05-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

Melissa tagged anyone interested for the 8 Random Things Meme going around.
Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves
People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules
At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names
Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Did you know:
1. I work at a prison.
2. I went through a 4 year apprenticeship at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. I graduated and became a Marine Machinery Mechanic. I repaired valves on submarines.('86-'93)
3. People at work think I have weird eating habits. I read labels ok? Something wrong with that?? Or could it be that I have an apple and a Slimfast for lunch most every day? (on days that I don't eat prison food)
4. I'm always cold!
5. I have a sister who is 13 years older than me and a niece who is only 7 years younger than me.
6. When we were children, I accidentally cut my brother's finger in half with a pair of hedge clippers. (it was stitched back together, but he has an awful scar!)
7. I can't swim.
8. I love diet Dr. Pepper.

2007-05-05T22:17:00.000-05:00

I got my two pieces back from the framer and I love them! I'm not thrilled with the mats I chose for Evergreen and in hindsight, I would not have matted it at all. The photo on the pattern leaflet is not matted and I like it but I didn't look at it BEFORE I went to the framer.

A History Lesson

2007-04-20T20:58:00.000-05:00

America's First Settlement, Jamestown, VA. Virginia is rich in history and living less than 45 minutes from historic Jamestown means lots of educational outings. I went there as a child, have taken the kids, and this week went as a chaperone for DD's fifth grade gifted class trip. Since this year is the 400th anniversary of the settlers arrival at Jamestown, I thought I'd share a few pics from the orginal settlement location.
This is the site where they allegedly parked the boat.

The archeological dig is ongoing. They are finding new artifacts everyday and even found a door handle while we were watching them dig.

A lot of graves have been found during the dig. The area of shells is where a large building once stood. The early settlers would bury their dead inside the buildings or at night so the Indians would not know that their numbers were reduced.
Capt. John Smith overlooks the James River.
Until 1994, researchers assumed that the original fort was under water, that erosion had long since destroyed it. Then came a new researcher guy who concluded that based on the location of the churches, the fort would have been further inland and he was right. In the last 13 years they have discovered the location of the orignal fort and over a million artifacts which tell so much about those early settlers. It's all so interesting that I had to buy the book by that researcher guy titled "Jamestown, The Buried Secrets". I hope you enjoyed your mini tour of Jamestown.

Sending Prayers to VA Tech Families

2007-04-16T19:39:00.000-05:00

My heart goes out to all the families of students who were injured or killed today at VA Tech. I am praying for them all. I have a child at UVA and I thank God that this did not happen at her school. I can't imagine what these families are going through. Several of my coworkers and many in my community have children at Tech and so far they are all okay. Haven't heard any bad news yet.

On a happier note, here's DD3 with the afghan she crocheted for her new baby cousin:

And here she is with baby cousin and the blankie gift:

And last picture for this post, my progress on my "java" granny squares:

DD2 calculated that I need 128 squares and that I can accomplish that with no two being alike. What a challenge that will be!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Your thoughts are always welcome!

2007-04-12T19:00:00.000-05:00

You paid attention during 69% of high school!

68-84% Pretty good, you know that there are libraries and newspapers, and you remember what you've read. You were a child that wasn't left behind!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Not too bad considering I have been out of high school for 22 years!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLYN

2007-04-10T07:39:00.000-05:00

Today is my baby's 11th birthday. She was born at 7:37 am. She is just as sweet today as she was 11 years ago. Happy Birthday Darling! Momma loves You!

My Latest Creative Endeavor

2007-04-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

This is one of my purses. I just love Vera Bradley!! I currently have three favorite patterns and this is one of them, it's java blue. I just love the colors.

This is yarn.

This is my purse with the yarn. My next afghan was inspired by my purse. I was looking at it the other day and the thought occurred to me that it would make a cool afghan. Granny squares will be the only way to go with this. The teal yarn on the left doesn't look like it's in the purse but it is. Can't wait to get my first square made!! I have another inspiration I'll share later.

Last picture for this post:

My new niece. She's three weeks old now.

Today at work I tried to access my blog as I do from time to time and SMACK! all I got was "access denied". I am so bummed! The state is constantly identifying websites to block and now they have added any type of blog/social networking sites! I don't usually have time at work to bother with blogs but it still stinks.

Next post I'll share pictures of my current crochet project that I am about o finish up. Tata for now.

2007-04-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your sweet comment Kathy! It's nice to be missed.

I'm trying to stay in the posting groove but I have a busy week/spring ahead of me. Gotta take DD shopping for an Easter dress tonight. Her birthday is next week and we're taking her and 3 or 4 friends to Busch Gardens on Saturday. Sunday is Easter. I want to do some Easter baking, but when?? Thursday night is DD's dance class. Now we can add softball to the agenda. Practice on Monday's and games on Friday's and Sunday's. Stamping group on Tuesday's. Too busy!!
Shopping for the Easter dress is an ordeal since we have to go 40 miles to get to the mall. There's only a Walmart and a Belk in my area and with last minute shopping, it's best to head to the mall. While I am there, I plan to run in Michael's and get yarn for my next 2 crochet projects. I can't wait to share those ideas with you!! I have visions for my next two/ten projects. Cross stitch is on the back burner for a little while. I have crochet fever again!
Got some news a while back from DD2.....she's expecting. She's going to come home from school at the end of the semester and finish her education closer to home. She's been wanting to come home from school for a long time now. She says she is miserable there. This is definitely unexpected but we will deal with it. It's in God's plan for her/us.
DD1 has cancelled her June wedding and her and fiance are broke up for good.
This is about all I can handle. I hope He agrees.

I'm Still Here

2007-04-01T21:41:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe how long it has been since I last posted! It's going to be so difficult to play catch up but I'll try to, in small doses. I'll start with today. I took DD to a cival war reenactment. It was so educational. Very interesting. DD loves history. Yesterday we went clothes shopping. She got a bunch of new outfits and accessories. It so good for little girl's to get a shopping spree every now and then.
Cross Stitch - haven't done much lately. I've been crocheting again I still haven't gotten my framing back yet. I called and the man lost his help so he's behind. No new stash to report either.
More later!

2007-02-25T23:08:00.000-05:00

It's late so I have to be brief. Saturday I took two pieces to a local frame shop to have them framed. DH told me about the place. This shop is located behind the man's house. He does great work. He spent over an hour with me. I had so much trouble picking mats and in hindsight I would have use no mats. Less decisions and when I got home and looked at the pic one the chart, I noticed the model picture used no mats. Oh well. Mats aren't that expensive. I found out it's the frame. I'll probably get more pieces done but I'll be more careful selecting my frames. At $9 a foot it gets expensive!! They should be ready in two weeks. I can't wait to post pics.

Monday Holiday

2007-02-19T12:05:00.000-05:00

Here's Evergreen! My first 2007 finish. Later today I am going to try to find a frame. There's a sale at Michael's on frames so I'm taking several finished pieces with me. DD only has 1/2 day of school so DH decided to come home early and take us "to town".

I've started a new project. A quickie. It's called Faith, Hope, Love by Cedar Hill.

First 2007 Finish

2007-02-18T23:01:00.000-05:00

I am very happy to announce that I finished Evergreen tonight (I'll post a pic tomorrow).
I started a new project too. Something quick and easy. Evergreen should have been quick and easy but I'm a slow stitcher with limited stitching time and trouble staying focused. I need to go back to my archive to check for sure but I think I started it in August. I have not worked on it completely since starting it. I've worked on ornaments and I have crocheted an afghan.

I've had a tough weekend. My nerves are tore up. Can't talk about it now but I will eventually (maybe). I could use some prayers for strength and wisdom.

This is a three day weekend, last one until Memorial Day except for using a vacation day. DD has a half day of school tomorrow. I'll spend the morning working on figures to give to our accountant. DH owns his own business so tax time is a little more complicated. I'll make time to stitch too!

2007-02-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

I'm pulling for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.!!! I've got a pot of beef stew simmering, fixings for nacho dip and banana pudding, and my stitching chair is ready. They're ready to race. Check back later!

2007-02-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

Snow Report: Not one flake of snow! Another chance coming up early this week but I doubt it will happen. Sadly we haven't seen a good snow fall in 2 years!!
Stitching: Finished the border on Evergreen. Now back to work on the rest of the design.
Stamping: I got some new stamps the other day. I ordered a few sets from Close to My Heart. They are acrylic stamps. Not sure how I am going to like them but in theory they seem like they will be great.
TV Viewing: Criminal Minds was good but I didn't like the ending. Please do not tell me that they are going to give Reed a drug problem or turn him into an "unsub".
Survivor was good. Poor Sheila got screwed.
Lost, well like I said: it better get better!
Grey's Anatomy: Off the hook! I couldn't believe the ending. She'll be fine though, afterall the show is named for her!
The Young & the Restless, yes, I work full time and still keep up with this show. We have a tv in our employee lunch room and you better believe it is on CBS at lunchtime. I also Tivo Y&R in case I want to watch to see what I missed in the first half. I only get 30 mins for lunch. Anyway.......who do you think Lauren shot? Phyllis or Sheila?? If she shot Sheila, then my theory is that Sheila is not really dead and when they go to the morgue to get the body it will be... gone!
NASCAR: The BUD shoot out is on right now. GO JR, GO JR, GO JR! Oh boo, Stewart just won. Boo, Boo, Boo!
Desperate Housewives returns tomorrow night. Can't wait!

My Week at a Glance

2007-02-06T22:54:00.000-05:00

This morning when I left for work it was 14 degrees! The high today was 32.
Tonight was stamping night. Got together with my local group and we did the 13 quick cards project. I'll post pics later.
Last night CSI Miami was great. Can't wait til next Monday!
Tomorrow night is Criminal Minds and Lost. I am so glad they are showing Lost at ten because I have really gotten into Criminal Minds. It's a little gruesome at times but that just makes me snuggle DH so I don't have bad dreams!! ;-)
Lost better get better. This past fall sucked!
Thursday night is SURVIVOR!! 'Nuff said. I'm a Survivor addict!
Friday night DD3 has a sleep over so DH and I have a DATE NIGHT!!
Saturday DD2 is coming home from school and we're going to cook dinner for my Dad to celebrate his 84th birthday which is the 8th.
On the stitching front, I put a few stitches in the Evergreen border yesterday morning and nothing since. There's a snow storm predicted for tonight. I hope it snows enough to close school and keep me home from work. Here in VA, we only need and inch or 2 to shut down. However prisons don't close for anything so I'd have to use a vacation day. Will it? Won't it? I'll let you know!
Happy Stitching!!

Border Stitching Plan

2007-02-05T19:39:00.000-05:00

Here's my plan for future border stitching:
On my working copy of the chart, I am going to mark at least 12 points on the border. That's at least 3 points on each side. I'm sure I will mark more than 12. By "marking points" I mean I am going to take a highlighter and highlight an area of the border AND an area of stitching so that while I am stitching the border as I come to one of the highlighted areas I can make sure I am still on track. This way if I miscount I'll catch it a lot sooner!
On Evergeen, I noticed about half way that my border was a bit off. It was near a flower and I assumed that the flower must be off instead of checking to see if my border was off.
I can't tell you how many times I have stitched a border that didn't meet up at the end. Actually I'm not sure that I have ever stitched a border that matched up the first time. OK, maybe on an ornament. LOL!
If anyone has any border stitching pointers, I 'd love to hear them.
Happy Stitching!

Monday Madness/Mutterings

2007-02-05T19:28:00.000-05:00

1. What is your favorite main course to prepare? There are so many dishes that I love to prepare for my family.
2. What is your favorite side dish to prepare?
3. Do you like to bake? If so, what is your favorite? I love to bake cookies
4. What one dish would you like to learn to cook?
5. What is your worst cooking disaster? anything chinese

More answers later. Gotta give it some thought and I'm to tired to think.

I say ... and you think ... ?

Plaster :: cast
Cabbage :: soup
Jazz :: music
Darts :: Tim
Poke :: slow
Bribe :: money
Whale :: big
Receipt :: paper
Answer :: question
Dentist teeth

Evergreen Progress

2007-02-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

This was my progress on Evergreen. Along the right border near the top of the X is where the border did NOT MEET!! ARG!! I was so frustrated. I quickly found my screw up but it was made so early on. DH suggested I fudge a bit but NO CAN DO. I frogged the whole border.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday so I'm planning to stitch during the game. This is the progress I have made on restitching the border. I have a new method of stitching borders from now on. No more borders that don't match up at the end of the stitching!!

2007-01-30T18:11:00.000-05:00

I say ... and you think ... ?
Limit :: spending
Voice :: loud
Change :: bad
Expression :: smile
Tailor :: made
Lemonade :: tart
Thought :: blank
Phoebe :: Forrester
Impression :: first
Sister :: Marcia

Monday Madness

2007-01-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

I never remember to do this until I see it posted on Mearis blog.

1. Do you make New Year's resolutions? If so, what is your most important one? I don't make them because I can't keep them. I have, however, vowed to make small improvements each year in various areas of my life and I've done good with that. When I quit smoking in 1997 I did it cold turkey in Nov. I had tried on more than one new year to quit and it never lasted more than a few hours/days!
2. Easter is coming. Many Christians give up something for Lent. Do you give something up for any reason (or season)? What is it this year? I observe Lent and I ALWAYS give up chocolate.
3. Do you watch the Super Bowl? If so, do you watch it with a group? If not, what do you do while the game is on? Anything special? YES, I watch the Super Bowl. Usually it's just DH and I but if we get invited to his brothers we go. I usually stitch and I love the commercials!
4. Would you miss Monday Madness if it stopped permanently? I will say yes.
5. Name at least one theme for MM questions. Share at least one question for that theme.
Food. Do you consider yourself a picky eater or do others consider you a picky eater?

Weirdness Meme

2007-01-24T19:56:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged!
THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Thanks Sonia!! I didn't really need to anounce my weirdness, but here goes! :=)

1. When I stay in a hotel, I HAVE to have the bed farthest from the door.
2. I alphabetize EVERYTHING!
3. I am ALWAYS cold!
4. Everything on TV makes me cry! I am SO sensitive.
5. I have actually frantically searched for my keys only to find them in my hand.
6. I cannot make a decision I can live with. I always second guess every decision I make.

Okay, I am tagging: Meari, Carina, Janice, Melissa, Chris, Barb

George Strait & Stash Acquisition

2007-01-22T22:46:00.000-05:00

I'll sum up the George Strait concert in one word.....Awesome! I'm not a big country music fan but I can't help but like George Strait. The JPJ arena was sold out. 14,000 in attendance. We got to our car pretty quickly when the show was over. We parked on the top (5th)floor of a parking garage. We pulled approx. 6 ft. out of the parking space and there we sat for one solid hour!! We made it to our hotel by 1 am.
Saturday we took a different route home since littlest DD stayed with MIL and came home through Williamsburg where there is a (drumroll please) cross stitch shop!! I got the threads I needed to finish Evergreen, a Country Cottage Needleworks chart My Beloved, another Words of Praise sampler Creation Sampler (these are charted locally and makes about 4 I have now. They are no longer produced so I try to get one or two each time I'm there but sadly my favorite one is on display but no more charts). I also got Prairie Schooler 2000 Santa (have all the others), and two Lizzie Kate snippets Santa '06 and Birthday Blessings. This is a small shop and she didn't have everythig I was looking for but she had plenty I wanted!! I've yet to check out the new LNS in Va Beach that has opened since my favorite one closed. If I don't get there soon, I'll have to order online.
I'm getting ready to start SAL project with Carina. We're stitching Bee Pinkeep from Little House Needleworks & Country Cottage Needleworks. It's a pattern in the online magazine TheGiftofStitching, January issue. We don't have a start date yet. Carina, I'm getting ready to e-mail you about that.

I'm Away

2007-01-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

Heading to Charlottesville for an overnight retreat with DH. We're meeting DD and going to the George Strait concert. See you when I get back!!!

My Walls

2007-01-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

My Walls

2007-01-12T07:58:00.000-05:00

Today begins another 4 day weekend!! Gotta love working for the state!! In case you're not a "suth'ner", today's holiday is Lee/Jackson Day. Gotta love the South!!

Melissa is blogging about a subject that is often brought up in my home.....the walls. To put it in a nutshell, they are bare. Here's my family room wall:

This is basically the first wall you see when you enter my family room. DH is constantly on me to decorate the walls. Our house doesn't feel as homey as it should. Our house is brand new. DH built it. Of course he contracted out a lot of the work but he did a HUGE amount of the work himself. I did my share too. We had no life but house building for a year. Anyway, the 21st of this month we will be in our new house for 2 years. 2 years!!! And look at my walls!!!

I could go room to room and photograph my walls for you but I won't, it's just not necessary. Bare is bare, right? You can picture bare can't you?
I keep telling myself that when I get my new family room furniture, I'll decorate the walls. We bought new dining room furniture and the walls are decorated in there (but I'm not sure I like them). We bought new bedroom furniture, but the walls in the bedroom are still bare. So........why are my walls bare?
Like Melissa, I used to have walls that looked like I had stock in Home Interiors. I still have most of those pictures stored upstairs in the storage closet. I'm just not into them anymore. I guess I don't know what I'm into. Cross stitch, yes, I am into cross stitch. How much cross stitch is on my walls in my house? None! That is so pathetic!! To be so passionate about cross stitch and have NO cross stitch on my walls. Add that to websters as the next definition of pathetic!
I buy decorating magazines from time to time but they don't help much. My theory is either you got it or you don't. By "got it" I am referring to a sense of style. The ability to know what looks good and what doesn't. My SIL has "got it". She decided she liked old stained glass windows. She has collected about a half dozen of them and arranged them on one of her walls. They look great! I'd like to do that. Copy cat? So what! But, I lack style.
One without style could hire an interior decorator but I probably wouldn't like what she'd suggest. So for now, they will remain bare until I find my sense of style. If I do, I'll be sure to post photos.

Remembering W.P.E

2007-01-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

3 years ago today a beautiful little boy went to be with Jesus. He was just 4 years and 22 days old. Will was a very special part of my family for 3 years. I was his "Miss Carol". I took care of him during the day while his Mom worked.
Will is greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. We look forward to seeing him again someday.
If you care to, please say a prayer for Will's parents. Today is a tough day for them and lifting them up in prayer will help get them through.

We Now Return To Our Regularly Scheduled Reason For Blogging

2007-01-02T19:21:00.000-05:00

CROSS STITCH!
Look at all of these ornaments.
Some were received in swaps but I stitched most of them. They were not all stitched this past year. Some are several years old. I need to have a ornament finishing marathon. I had hoped that they would have been hanging on my 2006 Christmas tree. One of my goals for 2007 is to get these pieces "ornamentized".