I'm not dead, just a bit disconnected

I've been off for the past 5 days, 2 for the holiday, two for the weekend, and today as a "use or lose" day at work. I don't like to waste things, particularly not LEAVE, LOL. I didn't do a lot of out of the family interaction, except at my part-time job yesterday, but did go out tonight to Walmart and Jo-ann's. It was a bit overwhelming.

Although a slight vent is due. I love Jo-ann's ETC. They have nice holiday decorations. I looked at a little bench, since I'm always looking for something to display my Bearington Bears on under the tree. They were having a 50% off sale. They had these benches marked at $34.99, so it was $17.50 on sale. Problem was, it was really probably worth $17.50 to begin with. I left it there. A lot of their stuff was overpriced, so I'm figuring closer to Christmas, it will be more reasonable. And if it's not there, I'll probably find something as cute in the thrift stores over the next few months. These bears have been sitting on the floor or the back of the sofabed this long, they're not picky! It just seems funny to expect people to pay pre-recession prices, when people just don't have it. Anyway, vent off!


I didn't get any ornaments finished. I moped around on Friday, but I did work on Boo Club. I've decided that I have to put this away for the holidays as it did seem vaguely wrong to stitch a Frankenstein while watching Christmas shows on HGTV. So I'm done with it for now. All December will be holiday stuff! But I wanted to post a photo. It's coming along.

A Blessed Thanksgiving

I don't know how much I'll be around the next couple of days. HTB decided that he's gone meatless long enough--2 days, to be exact--so we're going out to dinner tonight--yay! And we're going to both houses tomorrow for dinner; before you ask, I'll be doing some pre-emptive ellipticalling, just so I can guiltlessly devour butter beans and stuffing. I hope that everyone has a restful, thankful Thursday.

This is the time of year to stop and think about the blessings of the year, our harvest of life! I am so blessed, mainly in that, most of the time, I get what I want, and not what I deserve. I have a good family, both birth and soon-to-be. I have a warm bed to sleep in, clean clothes to wear, there's usually food in the house, though, arguably, I don't know what to make for dinner when the meat is frozen, bread is too, and all I can lay my hands on are 7 bags of butterscotch morsels (for the record, I don't know why I have that many, it's a sensitive subject) and Rice a Roni, and I go to a job. I'm not sick, I'm not dying, I drive to work every morning and get to see the sun rise. And that is worth being thankful for.

And maybe this Thanksgiving is a bit more joyous, because the year was so hard. I don't know about anyone else, but I've learned the value of a dollar this year. I've stood in Safeway and told HTB that there is not enough difference in taste between store-brand pasta and name brand pasta to warrant spending 25 cents a box more on the name brand. I've learned I don't need new clothes all the time, and having a gym with low rates isn't a bargain if you never use it. And I can see the difference. Cash is a wonderful teaching tool, since I no longer spend thoughtlessly. My credit card balances are dropping--I've HALVED the balance on one of them--since, when you have to pay cash, having the perfect shade of red lipstick or a new outfit once a month isn't that important. They're now the treats they were supposed to be all along, and are appreciated as such. I had an appointment at the dentist yesterday to fix a broken filling and it hurt so bad that I went to CVS and treated myself to a gift set from E.L.F. $2.99 for 4 lipglosses--AWESOME, and I am getting as much pleasure from them as I did from the more expensive ones. So, there is teaching an old dog new tricks.

Enjoy your holiday. Eat plenty of stuffing. Forget that there is butter in the butterbeans. We can exercise in January.

Go Cowboys!

Ornaments

I have two to show you.

This was made for me by Riona, who writes a wonderful blog. She read my post bemoaning the lack of pinecone charts and made this for us, as an engagement gift. I am so blessed! I love the ornie. So gorgeous! Thank you, Regina!





I almost feel ashamed to post this along with hers, but this is the ornament I have been finishing all week. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of it, although it's nowhere near perfect. I'm learning a lot of the fine-tuning of ornament making, and sucking in all the knowledge that I can get, and it's starting to pay off. At least I think so!

Something's missing here . . .

Oh, yeah, photos.

Sorry I've been so lax in posting photos. It's been a busy weekend.

HTB brought home an elliptical machine. His buddy was getting rid of it, and asked if he wanted it. I've finally realized I don't like lifting weights, and our neighborhood is not exactly fit for cardio exercise (I actually made myself physically ill for an hour riding my bike one day--talk about embarrassing), and I've been toying with rejoining a gym just to get cardio. I don't know about anyone else, but there's something rather satisfying about finishing a cardio session and seeing how many calories I've expended. And I was losing weight like crazy when I was doing 25 minutes of elliptical, 20 minutes of weights, and then another round of cardio work. So I was more than overjoyed to have this new piece of equipment, and I had to test it out yesterday. I'm a bit out of shape, but I figure, give me two weeks or so, and I'll start seeing some progress.

Last night was the family birthday for me. I had a great time. We had a wonderful dinner, followed by cake with cream cheese mousse filling. My parents came over, too; it was a nice way for our families to meet, considering we have to start really planning the wedding now.

Today, I've been working. I finished another ornament today, an old freebie from Homespun Elegance called "Peace"--I don't even know where the chart is anymore, that's how old it is. I backed it with the same fabric I used for the ornament exchange ornament--I thought it would look good. And it does. I even bought invisible thread to sew the cording on--my first reaction to that was that it was like stitching with strands of hair, LOL.

I will try to post photos when I get home.

Placed an order . . .

for Fa-la-la, the first of the ornaments in the LHN SAL Vonna started--link is in my profile for anyone interested. I've recommitted to Bride's Tree and am planning on stitching the angel ornie over the next week, and also this SAL. Part of me is a little bit, "Do you really want to commit to SAL when you are also planning the year of stitching freebily?", but, I mean, it's not like I've committed to stitching something big. These aren't that large, the bride's tree ornaments are not large, and, when it comes down to it, neither are most freebies. So I figure it'll be OK. As long as she doesn't use any funky, unobtainable fibers--I don't have time in 2010 to take a slowboat to Tibet, sweet-talk a yak into letting me comb fibers from his back, hand-dye them and spin them into floss. Plain DMC for me please. Thanks!

In other news, The Busy Needle is having their annual Diabetes Tree fundraiser. For a donation, you get a freebie packet and a handmade ornament. My goodies came in the mail last night. My ornament was made by Ozark Sampler and it's beautiful. The freebies are going to be a lot of fun to stitch and I can't help but think they'll be on our tree next year. Plus, you can design your own ornament for next year and they have some fantastic Ebay auctions. It's a worthwhile cause.

Heaven and Earth Cross Stitch Designs is now carrying House Mouse charts. Do you know how happy that makes my little mouse hoarding heart? They're a bit pricey right now, but if they ever release this one , I'm getting it. LOVE THEM MICE.

I'm hoping to post some update photos this evening. I am working late tonight. The theatre just opened our Christmas musical, and so I'm seeing it this evening. If not tonight, tomorrow morning.

Contest

http://be-stitched.blogspot.com/2009/11/ok-stitchersare-you-ready-for-some-fun.html

Erynne is having a contest! Head on over to her blog!

I had a revelation

I am sick and tired of being disorganized.

One of the things I am trying to do in my life, now that I am starting a family and hopefully becoming a role model for a young person is to stop the destructive habits of my misspent youth. Disorganization, and the resulting overshopping and chaos, is my biggest bad habit. I've fought it for years.

Some of it I can't fix. There isn't enough room in the house to have a beautiful sewing room with plenty of neat storage. As much as I would love to have the closet entirely devoted to stitching, it must also house my clothes. And some of my holiday decorations. This is life.

But, after I spent Tuesday night scrambling around the house, looking for thread to sew my ornament together, and then couldn't find it, I had to go to Joann's last night and buy more. And, of course, being of weak resolve, I bought some more Christmas fabric. And a votive candle holder. I am so annoyed with myself.

This happens quite frequently. I misplace things all the time. I think I own 3 Xacto knives, but I have no idea where two of them are, and barely keep track of the third one--it's in a candy dish in the family room, I know that much, but it was temporarily housed with a WIP til I realized how stupid an idea THAT was. And I'm forever misplacing ribbon, and beads and things of that nature. I know I can always buy more, but, really, it makes no sense. It's wasteful, and financially detrimental--at some point, the supplies start adding up, and I'd rather spend money on other things than a stupid Xacto knife because I just can't put it away.

Maybe this is why finishing anything is such an arduous, unwelcome process. Why would anyone want to risk dealing with stuff sliding, missing supplies, trips to Joann's, and general disarray. And then have to glue or sew things together? Would you?

But the question is, where to put all the goodies? I tried to put everything in the cupboard, but that doesn't work too well. Somehow, it's just not in me to open the sliding door (maybe because I put other stuff in there and it starts coming out, and I hate when that happens). But it has to be put away. Neatly.

My solution?

I'm cleaning out one of my large tins--the ones they put popcorn or Danish butter cookies in at the holidays, appropriate since I'm usually doing holiday ornaments--and putting all my finishing stuff in there. And I mean all of it. Knife, ribbons, glues, pins. ALL OF IT. (I say this like I have lots of this stuff, it's really not that much) I think this will work a lot better than shoving it in tiny tins and then trying to keep track of it all. At least it will look neater.

This is a small start. It's a good start.

Pumpkin is finished

Woo hoo. I think I am back on track and that feels great.

I just have 5 more little charts to muddle my way through! Woo hoo!

I've decided I'm spending next Friday making ornaments. I will have the time, I need to do it. I have no excuses. I must have at least 10 ornaments all stitched and ready to go. I found all my supplies. I bought invisible thread. At least get done what I can get done--I know I'll end up at Joann's at some point next weekend, looking for fabric, but it would be a lot better to come home and just have to put the back on and sew the cording on than to keep staring at the finishes, waiting for the finishing fairy to come to my sewing room--I been wishing and she ain't come yet, LOL. Maybe if I leave her scissors and needles?

The frog is BANISHED

Dear frog,

I am ridding you from my stitching. I spent all day fixing the mistakes you brought with you. I apologize for commenting on the floss that made your buddy, Eek, up. It wasn't personal. I know he had no say in the colors he was born of! There was no need to make me pick out an entire word. Not this week at least. Can't we all just get along?

I know my house is inviting, being next to the marsh/swamp/drainage pond thingy. The wetland thingy IS inviting. My house, not so much. After all, we have dogs here. Big dogs. Dogs who are smart, yet have undiscerning palates. Trust me, I've pulled straw out of their mouths and watched them eat a marshmellow covered in dirt. They wouldn't hesitate to eat a frog, even a floss frog. And I don't want to put you in that situation. It pains me.

So I'm asking you, til I'm at least done with this specialty floss project, can you stay away from my house? I've got this fixed, but I can't take many more of these little incidents. Not after the great mis-count of Black Cat. I'll keep the boy-os sated with dirty marshmellows and straw, and we'll be good.

Your friend

Rachel

The EEK frog brought his friends

And I told that little bugger he was cute. BLAST IT. BLAST HIM. BLAST THIS CHART.

Do designers not understand that, when they mark center, that's SACRED? That they should check 4 times and then mark it once? The center line is different on the first three charts than it is on the second three. The way the charts are designed, when you stitch them in a row, the only way you have to center them is off that center line, and now I find out that's not right?

I am stitching the Pumpkin chart. I'm almost finished. I was proud of myself for managing to get such fast progress on it, since I started it last night. I got to the outer part of the P and realized it didn't line up right with Creepy and it's not three blocks in from the yellow border. I counted and triangulated off the other stitching, and that was fine. All it is is that center got moved one block to the left.

So now I'm frogging out all the lettering. I know, I should probably leave it alone because no one but me will really notice it's not right. But it's not right. And so I have to frog it out.

I guess the major reason I'm so upset is that this is going to waste floss. I can salvage some it (I know, we're not supposed to, but I don't have money to fling at floss, not to mention the dye lots differ), but it annoys me. Plus, all that time wasted . . . Sheesh.

Friday night Illustrated post

I promised some photos yesterday, didn't I? I might be a day late, hopefully not a dollar short.

First, an older finish. I think from early this year? Not exactly sure. I found this today. Since the engagement, my mother has finally decided I'm probably never moving back home and is boxing up and giving me various things of mine she finds around the house (this has caused a wee bit of tension, as she keeps asking me if I will wear things I wore when I was 14. And was a size 7. And had big bangs. I'm 33. I'm not a seven. I only accidentally end up with big bangs when I go to sleep with slightly damp hair and sleep on my face. No, I don't need that rocking 90210-inspired jacket. Thanks, Mom!) This was a good find. I think this was stuck in a drawer, LOL. It's a limited edition Lizzie Kate. I need to put the buttons on, but the stitching's done! Cute, no?





I've been working on this. I don't know why I've been flitting back and forth on projects. Perhaps I need to stop having 100 projects going at one time. That would stop the flitting. I love this little funky frog. He's so cute, although, since he lacks eyes right now, he looks a bit like an alien. I figure if I get one little chart done a week, this will be done by Christmas.


And my little animal ornaments from the December 2007 issue of Cross Stitch Gold. I haven't made good progress yet because all the colors I forgot to get are the ones in the area I am working on. Booger. I have them at the house, I just keep forgetting to stick them in the project bag. I also added a picture of the finished ornaments, just to show what they may look like if I get them all finished.






HTB is out pit-crewing tonight in Richmond. Hopefully the weather holds out and they can run the race. The Mid-Atlantic has been getting hammered this week due to another coastal system hitting up the remains of Ida. It's very scary stuff--a barge loaded with chemicals ran aground in Virginia Beach, and they are talking major beach erosion. I am thinking of the people who are affected this, and a bit of me worries about the wild ponies and hopes they'll be OK. I imagine they are, though, they'll just be a bit damp and sandy when this is done. HTB'll be home tomorrow night. So, that means tonight is all about the ice cream and cheesy TV! Woo hoo.

Have a fantastic weekend. If you are in the storm affected area, stay safe.

Thank for humoring me

I appreciate all the comments about my post yesterday. I admit, it's not my normal way to share stories like that, and I wasn't sure that anyone would want to read it, but it was something I needed to say. Especially, since back when I was going through all the bad times, I didn't think it was right to let my personal life intrude that much on this blog. I know better now.

Anyway . . . my fiance forgot it was our anniversary. He claims I forgot to tell him. I guess when I said, "Hey, our anniversary is next Wednesday, will you be OK if I don't get you a gift?", that wasn't precise enough. It's OK, he's had a lot on his mind lately, and I forgot til after I had gone to the store that I needed a card for him. He seemed much more upset by forgetting it than I was. He said he'd get me a card and we'd open them together. To be honest, it's just a holding anniversary. As long as he doesn't forget the REAL one next October, we're good. And, even then, as long as he shows up to the church and says "I do," and I get to dance with him, the other stuff is cake.

I have been stitching this week, but nothing very substantial. I keep jumping around on projects and putting a few stitches in each. I've worked on Summer Ball a bit, but I kept getting to places I needed the colors that I robbed back to finish the Forever Friends bears, having stolen them in the first place. And then I jumped to Boo Club. I'm working on EEK! right now. My frog looks a bit odd, since my skein of Forest Glade has a lot of brown in it. He's not ugly, just motley. But he's cute. And I also started another new project, though, in my defense, it's a Christmas ornament set and therefore seasonal. They are animal ornaments from the December 2007issue of Cross Stitch Gold. They're very cute, groups of animals--woodland, farm, housepets, and arctic animals--watching Santa fly over. So cute! I'll try to post photos, if not today then tomorrow night. I broke out a piece of Silkweavear Smoky Blue fabric from my second to last Secret Sister to stitch them on. I figure a set ought to go on the same fabric, right? I'll probably back them a bit differently, more in line with what's on the front, but the color makes it look like dusk is falling when Santa flies over. A good thing!

Today is . . .

our anniversary.

Two years ago, HTB went out on our first date. We'd known each other for a while, and reconnected in a more romantic way. I often think how funny life is. I'd finally started recovering from a truly devastating series of events between losing my grandmother, almost losing my father, leaving a job that was thoroughly abusive, having a relationship end, and having to rebuild my life. I spent the first few months curled in a ball, only emerging to cut my hair (because, as a woman, we get back at our exes by cutting our hair), and then not cutting it again for almost two years. I couldn't believe this had happened to me. My life had seemed to be so set. We were discussing marriage. He'd bought the ring. I felt like all I had was him. How could he leave me when I NEEDED HIM.

Although I never really blogged much about it, I spent the early spring of 2007 fighting to regain my dignity, and failing miserably. I went on a trip to see Brea, who, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, is a saint for tolerating my meltdowns, and we went to North Carolina to gem hunt. I had fun, but my heart was hurting. And it culminated in a meltdown in the airport in Nashville. I'm sure you've had those, they start out just being sad and a bit teary, and then you get mad because you're sad and teary and you don't want to be, and that just makes the tears worse, plus your face gets ugly, and before you know it, your best friend is looking at you like, "You are being so un-Southern. I don't know you." She was blunt with me. She was firm. He wasn't coming back, and all my hissyfits, and whys and what ifs weren't bringing him back. And I could spend the rest of my life asking why and wasting the precious time I'd been given, or I could start living my life. She was right. Besides, who the hell would want a girl with a broken spirit?

My grandmother gave me a similar speech when I was 22, and lying on the kitchen floor, crying over some man (I'm a tad melodramatic at times). She told me to get my (pardon my French) ass up off the floor and stop crying.

Brea is a lot like my grandmother. She's short, cute and incredibly wise.

So I picked my ass up off the airport floor, and started to live. I'd given so much time up to grieving that I just wanted to do EVERYTHING. I drove places by myself, I got myself the dog I always wanted, and went to Texas to get him. We went dancing at a singles club one night. None of the men there were men who I wanted to date, but it felt so good to just dance and feel pretty. I started to get my spark back.

I'd resigned myself to being single, and was starting to look for land to build a house for me. I already picked out its name--Peaceful Hill, with a pretty house on a wooded lot with a huge garden patch and place for my dogs to play. They'd have their own room, and we'd have gladiolas everywhere. I just needed to find the piece of land I saw in my head. But, late in the summer, I visited my gramma's grave. I've related that I still feel her and I know she watches over me. And so, after I sent my mother away, I sat by her headstone and I talked to her. "I am ready, and I want you to send someone to me," I asked her.

And she sent me HTB.

HTB had known her from a while ago. She liked him. He liked her. He tells me that he started feeling a push to reconnect with me from right about that point. It just took him a while to realize what was happening. To listen to Gramma, LOL.

We went to the movies and dinner on a Sunday night in November. I had no real hopes. I just wanted to see if this was for real or just another momentary diversion on my way to having my own home. When your heart is battered, you hold back. Even my trusting heart held back. He said he was surprised I agreed to the date. I'm surprised I agreed to the date.

I'm glad I agreed to the date. How different would my life be if I hadn't?

I'm not really sure why I posted this. I've told the story of my summer of me a couple times, to women who were in the place of darkness I spent so much time in. I would like to hope they got something out of it. Sometimes I start to forget that I existed before HTB came in the picture. Sometimes, when I'm exhausted, or depressed, and I think I don't have the strength to pull through one more day of BS, I remind myself, I did it before. It wasn't easy, and I cried plenty of days in my car, but I did it. With the help of a good strong friend, and a determination to not fail, I made it through. And I am better for the struggle.

And so, on my anniversary, I am celebrating. Tonight, I'll bring HTB a card that tells him that I love him. In someone else's prose, I'll let him know he makes my heart race, and my life happier, but, for a few minutes, I'll reflect on how far I've come. I'll have my Peaceful Hill someday, hopefully soon, and I'll sit in my vegetable garden, with my dogs, or my children, and enjoy the sweetness of it all.

Another finish

My needle is fairly flying! I must say that. I finished Winter Grows on You this morning. I'm pretty pleased with it. Now to figure out how to finish it. If I can find the frame I have pictured in my head, that would work, but I'm a realist and so I'm open to finishing it as a tiny cube, or as an ornament. I don't know yet.

The cats bought me the most amazing thing for my birthday this year: this. They are such good cats. So thoughtful. I don't know how they order the most perfect thing for me every year, especially since they no longer have a computer, or money, or thumbs for that matter, but they are felines with an innate sense of what I need. And this is perfection with a hook on it. I can now make cord for my finishes. I am truly stoked. I was a bit dubious at first, because tools and I have not the best working relationship, but this is fairly simple to use, and I made actual cording that did not look horrible. I do, however, need HTB here to use it, as I can not identify a suitable object to anchor the ends to, other than his fingers (plus, since he started growing a goatee for the winter, he is just cute as a bug and I like looking at him, it makes doing this more pleasant.) And I like having this. With Joanne's being a bit of a jaunt away, and the nearest one not having the best selection of cording, and this being so easy to use, it should pay for itself in a few months. And I can get some finishing done. I honestly did not like making cording by hand because it was not even, and this means that I can get some ornaments finished that I had been holding out on. Especially now that I also bought some invisible thread so that won't show. I am good to go.

Friday Thank you!

thank you for all the kind words about my WIPs and my ornament!


I had a couple people ask about the issue of Cross Stitch! (yes, there's an exclamation point, LOL. I always get a bit of a laugh from the name, like it's an order. "Needles up, ladies! Cross Stitch! Use your jazz hands!" I know there is something seriously wrong with me!) It's Issue 37. I'm putting a picture of it up so that anyone who wants to find it on Ebay can at least see the cover.

It's a good issue. The cover design is a Waxing Moon. I thought it was a Sue Hillis, but it's Waxing Moon. That alone makes it worth a decent bid. I stupidly passed up a chance to buy the post card this is based on, which I kick myself over. Wouldn't that be an awesome thing to frame with it?

I also finished my ornament last night, so I thought I would share. All in all, this is probably one of the best finishing jobs I've done. I think I still have a lot of room for improvement, but I'm getting there.



I'm on my birthday festival now. We started celebrating early. I met one of my good friends for lunch at our most favorite deli, which has been on the Food Network, and has the BEST matzoh ball soup. I had that and a steak and blue cheese salad; they make their own blue cheese dressing, so worth the funk breath. Then went over to Mom's and picked up the twins so we could take friend Samantha home. The twins liked Samantha right off the bat; they sensed she was a skilled belly-itcher and so were competing for her attention. I also discovered there is a weight limit where the car feels whatever is in the passenger seat requires a seat belt and the twins have surpassed that weight limit when they are together. So I had to buckle Robbie into the seatbelt. Perhaps I should have told them to go the back or at least given Chancey the seatbelt, since she's already survived one airbag deployment, but instead, I just told them to lie down so I could pay attention to the road and not get in an accident. I have a beautifully-wrapped gift from my mom in the dining room; I can't open it til tomorrow, and it's deliciously heavy, LOL. I can't wait to open it!

An illustrated post!

See, I keep my promises, just a bit late! Better to be a low show than a no-show! LOL

I thought I would share my WIPs.

First is Halloween Chorus from an old issue of Cross Stitch! Someone posted their finish of this on 123 two years ago and I just loved it. I found the magazine on Ebay and kitted it up and it's sat there for two years. I hope to get it finished quickly. I don't know what I'll do with it. Too cute for just a pillow, right?





And my finishing WIP of the PS Santa and Friends for Dalene. I chose this just because the deer are so prevalent here in the country and I wanted her to have a bit of Maryland on her tree. I feel very honored my humble little stitching will be going to South Africa. But on a sad note, keep her in your prayers tonight, she has sustained a loss in her family.



Lastly is my Waxing Moon Winter Grows on You. It's probably not easy to see the snow elements of the design in the picture, but there isn't anything else I can do. I am enjoying it, though the frog has come visiting a bit more than I'd like.


See, I'm still stitching. I will say, I like seeing all this progress on these smalls. I love my massive projects, but there's something about the short-term nature of a small project. It's like a spring fling that ends before the shine wears off, but in a good way, LOL. Anyway, once I get the finishing of the ornie out of the way, I will pick up my big projects.

Another one for the wishlist

I saw this today. It's beautiful.

Can I just admit this now? I learned Hardanger so that I could do Victoria Sampler patterns.

And, yet, I have yet to actually stitch any of the ones I have. I look at them quite frequently with looks of love, knowing that my life would not be so rich and complete if they were not in my sewing room, waiting for their turn to shine. They just intimidate me--maybe it's the cost of the threads?

And I want this. It's gorgeous. It's a Christmas carol, and I love anything Christmas carol-y. I guess this is going on my wishlist.

Start-itis has struck . . .

I guess it's not as bad as the flu . . . or even allergies, but I have start-itis.

I was looking for something in my closet yesterday, and found Waxing Moon's Winter Grows on You, all kitted up from some time back when I was flush with cash. So I decided to start it. And then me little brain thought, "Hey, it's Monaco, that's pretty stable fabric, you could stitch this over one and make it really sweet and cute." So . . . . guess who's stitching over one? And enjoying it? I do have to swap out the Oatmeal I'm using for their cute little faces, since, as luck would have it, it doesn't show up against the tea-dyed Monaco. Whoda thunk, right?

And I'm choosing my ornament for the November Bride's Tree SAL. It's an angel this month. I think I found one I like in an old issue of JCS, and, since I dream of having my stitched ornament tree to have a theme of Christmas carols and animals, the fact that it says, "Glory to God in the Highest," which I know I've sung in choir at Christmas, works well. I'll have to see how far I can go keeping the ornaments in theme with that. If not, it's fine. They will be stitched with love, and I want to have the last one done by our wedding day!

And I've still got to stitch a square for Lovely Lee's quilt. I am taking a half-day on Friday, and, other than lunch at Parkway Deli with my friend and bridesmaid Samantha for my birthday, and working on Sunday for a bit, I'm open from 12 Friday to 9AM Tuesday. What shall I do with myself? Stitch and bake cookies, maybe make a nice dinner and greet HTB at the door in heels and lipstick? Too much? Maybe I'll just stick to stitching.

After all the excitement

of Halloween, it's kind of quiet here.

I actually have put more work in Sleepy Hollow. Since the time changed and I'm up at 6AM (and OK with it!), I was up this morning and filled in part of the grey around the angel's wings. It went a lot faster than I remember, but, then again, I was doing some heavy thinking, and sometimes, while doing that, I stitch as fast as I think. I do think I'm going to re-do Ichabod's eye. It's a fantastic French knot, it just looks too big, and I'm anal about doing things right.

I started a new project on Sunday. I just . . . I haven't started a good new project in a while, and I had a really cute Halloween design from an old issue of Cross Stitch! of a . . . what else . . . black cat leading a pumpkin chorus. I have been wanting to do this design for two years, so I decided, it's my birthday week, and I'm gonna start me a new design. So I started it. It's going good so far, but I think they changed the dyelots on a lot of floss between then and now. It will all come together though.

I have to finish my ornament for my exchange partner. I went to Joanne's on Friday night and walked around the quilting section. I was looking for something in a red and black plaid, preferably a flannel, and had hopes of finding thin velvet ribbon. I don't know, it just seemed like the texture of the velvet and the flannel would be elegant together. But . . . they had no flannel. At least not black and red plaid. Heck they had no black and red plaid anything, and the flannel was all monkeys and jammie flannel. I guess the black and red tartan is not "in" this year. But I found a really pretty red, green and navy homespun that looks good with it. I am using hemp cord as a hanger. It has a more simple, rustic feel than my other idea, but it works.

I'll try to post some photos tonight, but I make no promises.

The final update

This is as far as I got yesterday. really not as far as I wanted, but I think I set rather too grand goals. I did enjoy what I got to do. I'm a bit worried about Ichabod's eye, he looks a bit bug-eyed with three wraps of the needle, but two was not nearly good enough coverage. And I guess, too, if I were being chased by a headless horseman holding a flaming death pumpkin, my eyes would be a bit buggish as well.

This is definitely in my stitching rotation now. I think, once I get the tombstone road thing done, it will be a much faster stitch. Have you noticed that Cricket Collection charts don't look as detailed as they usually end up being? They're beautiful, they just aren't simple. And this is a big project. I was thinking that it ranks up there as definitely one of the big ones in my portfolio of work.