Slow and steady progress

I am so sorry for the abysmal quality of this pictures. Long tall designs are hard to photograph and my wrist gets in the way and casts a shadow.



I'm getting there. I need to finish the shovel, so the part at the top and get the buttons, but I'll soon be done with this. I think I'm going to pull out one of the bigger pieces next and work on it.

It's been a smokin' debit card kinda week here. I got a small raise at work, and have my income taxes done, so I celebrated by, what else? Buying some new stash. I swear this will not become a habit, as so often occurs when people get a bit more money to play with. We took a 5% pay cut 2 years ago to keep our jobs, and I promised myself that, if I was ever given the money back, I'd be a better steward of the financial blessing than I had been in the past, and that is my goal, but I figured one time wouldn't hurt. I have been eyeballing the rotary cutter that makes the pretty edges since Vonna of Twisted Stitcher told me who made the one she uses. I figured I could afford it, just this once, particularly because I'd had such a crappy Monday. So it made its way into my basket at Michaels, along with some floss I needed for a small project I want to start (yes, I checked the bins, I didn't have the floss), and some ornaments for the Easter tree I'm starting.

My parents are collectors, and, growing up, we had a massive display of their East German-made wooden bunnies. I just loved setting out the pieces of it, and putting up the "tree", a bunch of pussy willow branches from their first house to hang ornaments on. We were told to be very careful of them, and I just dearly loved them. I want to have that here; I think it's possible, since Caesar doesn't go in the living room unless we're there, so I don't have to worry about a ravaging tail. My parents even still own the house the pussy willows came from, and my mom's OK with me going up and cutting off branches, so I'm going to try this. If I can mix stitched pieces with bought pieces, it ought to be pretty cute. I'll post a picture when I start it.

I also sent my Santa's Bunnies off to be finished by The Twisted Stitcher. She's finished it and it's coming home now. It looks so good in the pictures! I can't wait to see it here at home. I can't wait to enter it in the fair!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. The Nashville show is this weekend. Is anyone else excited to see the new goodies?