Hot and sweaty S.E.X. last night.

My LNS is open til 8 on Thursdays. I have never been. I usually work Thursday evenings, for one thing, and I guess part of me didn't believe they WERE actually open that late, so I never went, but I had a few projects that needed kitted up with specialty floss, and I had an order to pick up, and after working all that overtime, I felt like I needed a treat, so, after work last night, I loaded Someone Small into the car, and we went over to Baltimore.

You forget how crappy traffic is when you don't commute. Even Crazyville traffic isn't really traffic, but I have been in traffic in the two major cities in Maryland in the last week and . . . I don't miss it. Even wtih the AC on, Someone Small was a sweaty mess when we got out at the store.  She was like, "no no no", but warmed up to the idea of the LNS quickly. I put her in her stroller this time--it seems to work a little better for her, I just parked her while I got my threads and talked to her. 

As far as what I bought, the new patterns were:

Cherrywood Design Studios Pumpkin Tree. It was cute  and Halloween-y and I think they went out of business, so I thought I should get it.
PS Rabbit Run--it was on my wishlist.
3 of the Frosty Forest from CCN--I think I am going to hold off on buying anymore of these til I actually start working on this. I haven't decided if I want to do them as ornaments for my Peace of the Wild Things tree, but I should probably decide that soon.
LHN Old Glory-patriotic stuff floats my boat, ya know.
A little Liberty by Lizzie Kate.
And Time for Halloween by Brenda Gervais. I saw the cat one on Prim Stitchers group on Facebook and fell in love with it. My LNS had the chart and the watch fob, which I have not been able to find at Hobby Lobby, so I bought it and I'll try to get it done befor the fall.


I also bought some 32 count natural light linen to do the Just Nan Mouse ornaments on. And some Stone Grey Lugana, because it was pretty.

My LNS also puts together kits for some freebie designs from out on the 'Net, s I bought the kit for July Daisy. The chart is free, they just kid up the materials.


As far as my kit-ups, it was the Halloween Pearls from Samsarah that they put put a few years ago. I think there were 4, I bought 3 of them to do as a bell pull.  They took Crescent Colors floss (I can't call it the new name for some reason). So I'd like to get that done this fall as well. I have to see if I have some 36 count linen in stash, but if not, I'll order some.

I also kitted up the Samsarah ornament from the JCS preview issue. It's a snowman and baby, and I stitched the pregnant snow couple in 2011 for us, so I thought that would be a cute way to match that ornament and move on. It's supposed to be for Left-brain from Someone Small.  We'll see how much she likes this one.

Also, a SS Pearls design, Twinkle. This should go pretty quick.

And Waxing Moon Nuts about Autumn. I have had this for a while. It's time to stitch it.

The other one I kitted up was Cuddle Up to Libearty, a Brittercup Design that I've had since it came out. I loved it from the start, and wanted to do  it. So I figured I might as well bite the bullet and get started.

And my other treat purchase was the chart and beads for Nora Corbett Gigi, as well as a cut of Exotic Orchid linen. We'll see how this goes.


I do plan for this to be the last major shopping spree for the year. I'm going on a money diet starting July 1st and that is my priority now. We're back looking at houses and we have a gameplan, but it won't happen if I continue to spend willfully. Plus, my company is getting sold again. I still get to keep my job, but I don't know how the pay structure will be, and the next few months may be a little strained. Left-brain explained this all to the mortgage guy, and we have a plan, it's just do I have the willpower to stick to it?

BTW, I hope no one views this stash haul as a brag. I don't think these come across in that way, but it's hard to tell. Since Katie was born, I haven't really bought a lot of stash, so this is really 2 years of S.E.X compressed into 2 months. And that is not bad. Plus, I'm paying cash for it, and some of the stuff I bought earlier in the year was with a gift certificate, so it's not a bad thing. I don't know if I'm phrasing that well, but sometimes it feels good to have a little extra money, and not have it eaten up in bills, ya know?

Anyway . . . have a great weekend! We're going to a picnic tomorrow, I can't wait.

S.E.X. in the mail

I did not go to the LNS on Saturday. They were calling for snow, which did not come, and I didn't want to get stuck in that. We also have been slapped with another round of a severe cold. My lips are taking the brunt of it this go-round--they are cracked and bleeding, and Sunday, it was so bad, I woke up with ducklips, they were that battered. I have been scrambling to find something to soothe them, and the only thing which seems to work is Neutrogena Hand Cream (don't worry, it said it's OK for lips, it's even nicely-flavored. Those people think of everything.) I seem to be a bit better, except I am losing my voice, but it's only 3 days til the weekend, and I can rest.

So, Friday morning, I placed an order on 123. Mom gives me GC to there every Christmas, and I still had a little balance on one from last year, plus the one from this year. So I ordered these lovelies. Some other things were on back-order so there will be another package. It's nice to be able to do this for myself every so often. I do admit though, that blue is not what I thought it would be, not sure what I'll stitch on it. I still have not stitched Someone Small a Christmas stocking, but the chart I like for her would go well on that fabric. So, should I use it for that or do the Frosty Forest on it?  Does anyone know how these are supposed to be laid out even? Are they ornaments or a picture? I guess they could be whatever I want them to be, but I'm so indecisive.

Does this winter weather affect your hands? I used to never have dry chapped hands, but the last three winters have been atrocious. I thought it was just my office air for the last two years and kept Gloves in A Bottle at work, but this winter, it's just as bad. This week has been terrible, because I am working on Heatherfield, and the fabric is snagging on my hands. Ugh.The Gloves in A Bottle isn't really working--cue the Neutrogena.  Left-brain says this is all caused by having a heat pump in the house, and we should get a bigger humidifier. I am going to think about this--this winter has been a mess.

Picture post

A little late but here they.

Kitty and Me ornament from JCS 2000 issue. I think it's an amazing gift that she possesses that she can take 3801, which is a bright flourescent shade of red/pink, as un-cardinally a color as I can imagine, and make it work through fairly easy shading to be the perfect color for a winter cardinal. Very few designers, really, have that talent. Stoney Creek is far more intricate, and Teresa Wentzler is in love with tweeding. The only issue I am having with this is that the blackwork leaves are all in that HORRIBLE DMC Light Effects. That stuff pops and snarls worse than the elastic waistband on an ancient pair of underwear and I hate it. I keep using it because I think the Kreinik would have made it thicker, but GOSH, does it irritate me. I keep expecting it to become easier to work with as I get older, but it's like a bad relationship; you keep going back, thinking, it will be different, and it's not, and it irritates you more because you expected better. I'll get through it, and it will be gorgeous, but, it's a waste of floss.



This is a quick stitch project from the Sanman board, the Inky Dinky Snowman SAL. I did this very quickly over the weekend, probably in 5 hours for the whole project. I like blackwork, something about that being all there is to the project makes it OK. and I really do like the challenge of not jumping across the back of the fabric, and figuring out how to minimize the lines on the back. There will be ten more of these little guys over the coming weeks, and I am really looking forward to stitching them.


Here are photos of the 2011 Keepsake calendar. I hope this doesn't violate copyright. It shouldn't; I'm not showing the charts, just a sample of what they have available. It's maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but there are some nice charts here.

The back cover. It's impossible to get a good photo showing everything.


July. I think this would make a pretty pillow.


September. Probably another good pillow, but you really could leave this out all year. It would be a pretty dining-room picture.


October. I would really leave this out all fall. It's pretty.


And December. The December 2010 is a juggling Santa, so this is, I guess, appealing to the elegance of the season, so you bookend the year in elegance and whimsy. But it would be kinda fun to put these out on a table in an entry way or amongst a buffet at a Christmas party.


I'm starting to embrace the idea of easels as a way to display stitchery, not on the wall. I'm sure this will change when we have jostling children, but it's a lot easier to use them to display little seasonal framed pieces than to try to find places to hang them (we have a patriotic piece up on the wall in our living room that is 4X4 and the normal piece is 12X16 and it grates on me to see that tiny little picture on that big expanse of wall) and they do make a pretty presentation.

Hope you are having a good week. Thank you for your kind comments about dealing with change. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who feels this way, and I'm glad people found my comments OK. All we can do, in a changing world, is keep finding humor. And at least I walked out smiling, not crying, and I made Norah smile. I think that girl has a future in puppy blogging, LOL.

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.

Starting to celebrate my birthday early

OK, so it's two weeks from now, BUTTTTT . . . I've been very good the last few months, and all my bills are paid, soooo I decided to do a little birthday shopping for myself this week. I'm so bad, I know. But it was sooo worth it.

I went a little crazy at 123. Ordered Witch Hollow, by the Primitive Needle. I know people are saying that it takes A LOT of specialty thread, but, if there is one thing I have a lot of, much to HTB's chagrin, it's specialty thread. So I decided I'll kit it up out of my stash, and what's left over shouldn't be a heinous expense, right? And I saw BBD Midnight Watch on a few blogs, and fell in love with that--my fetish for black cats rears its head. So that came in my cart along with Pumpkins for Sale, the one Vonna did the beautiful finishing for, and a couple other small charts. I totally blame the twins for this expense. They told me I was a good mummy, especially since I figured out Chancey is a much happier dog when she gets to go for a walk. How did this happen . . . my fiance loves to exercise, my dog loves to exercise and I like to not exercise. Ey yiy. Anywat, since I am so fantastic, and I bring them cookies, they said I could treat myself. They're such good dogs.

And then, when I opened my blog today, there was an intriguing blog entry from Sampler Girl. All day today, a lot of her charts are just . . .$5.00. I have been drooling over several of her charts for a very long time. The Mary Lincoln Sampler, one about hope, and her new Seaside Memories, which I love. To buy them for $5 each was too tempting to pass up. That's three charts for just a little more than 1 chart regular priced. Head over to her website and see what tempts you!

Oops packs

Oops packs can be purchased here . You do have to do a control+F move for them, but they are there, and she had SUPERFAST shipping. I started buying them at the CATS shows a couple years ago, and they really are fun. WAY better than a chart grab bag. And Jo is really nice. I actually got introduced to her at last year's CATS by my friend, Chris. Apparently, a lot of people thought I was invisible, but now I've been introduced, and I am not.

I have yet to use these threads. But, I mean, with all the dyers who aren't in business, and how pretty the threads are, it's more fun to just have them and keep them, LOL. But they will be pretty in my Quaker Seasons. I am picking out what I want to use. And I may break down and mix silks and cottons. This is a huge step for me, LOL.

Look what is coming to me!

I don't know if anyone else notices this, but Secret Needle Nights lately have been really good. Granted I never have time to stitch them, but they've been so good lately. This is the newest one, it debuted last night, but I didn't have time to look at it. Imagine my delight to see it this morning. Especially with my yen for all things summery and beachy. I am definitely gonna stitch this one. Wouldn't it make a sweet no-sew cube? I can even probably find some shells to use for the feet.

I have decided to work on SOHRH at the get-together. I have to get some progress made on it beforehand though. I put it aside because I wasn't really happy with how my reworking of the words was affecting the design, so picked the words out and am putting them back in in a way that doesn't cut off part of the ship's flag.

More Good Stitchy Mail

I have been getting lots of good packages. I got Secretariat in the mail, along with the running horse kit, on Tuesday. My order from Picture This Plus came last night--I love that little cat and dog. Finally, a designer that realizes that our pets do talk to each other, which I have suspected for YEARS. One of the ones I bought was called "Remember" and it's a tribute to the pets that we have lost. It's just the dog and cat looking off to the side. Very peaceful, but so beautiful. It might be kinda cool to frame that with a copy of the Rainbow Bridge poem. Or else a list of the pets that passed through our lives. Hmmm, will have to think on this one.

I am almost finished with the mouse. My father had surgery yesterday and I used the time in the waiting room to finish the tree branches, with a little bit of frogging. I just have to do the backstitch on this little guy now and he's done. I can't believe he took such a large chunk of the month. Oh well, at least I truly did make it Finish It February in that the only project I started was for the Bride's Tree SAL, and I finished that. Along with this, that is two finishes for the month. I promised myself to only work on UFOs and WIPs this month and I am doing really good, despite the fact that the new Cross Stitcher got to the stores, and it's got plenty of really cute small designs. I even found a sweet design of bears that Brea would love. But I can't work on that til March, as much as I want to get it started for you, B!

I will post a review of this magazine. It's one of their better issues, actually. Free Margaret Sherry kit, cute little bears, pretty pillow, nice issue.

Good stitchy mail

I got home last night and these ( http://www.needlecraft-corner.com/dg-withmyneedle.html ) were in my livingroom. Aren't they adorable? I looked the pattern over and it doesn't seem devastatingly hard. The finishing, though, is beyond my skillset, so I am gonna take everything over to my LNS and have them finish everything. I think that is the best idea because why put all that work into the piece and then screw it up in the finishing? It is over one, though, so it might take a while to do.

I also got my box from Lena Rose. Someone on a board mentioned that Designs by Lena Rose was going out of business and was offering grab bags. I am like a fat girl on a Cheetoh about grab bags. I always have been. They were $15. Well, I spend $15 on nonsense, so $15 on stash is nothing! And that was a well-spent $15. There were several good charts I like, plus some I can sell (we are getting closer to a new computer, Dell has them on sale for $600, so I can get selling), but there was ALL KIND of fabric and specialty threads in there, plus little Mill Hill kits. We are talking Kreinek, Rainbow Gallery, Weeks, perle cotton, I mean GORGEOUS stuff. I got a nice big piece of green aida, and not a crappy green. This was a green you could stitch bunnies on or chickens. And a roll of white aida. If nothing else, I can dye that.

I've been itching to dye fabric again ever since I got my box of dyes out the other week. I have to find my instructions, but I want to do some more. I love doing it, it really is creating art. I finally have good dyes now. I was thinking of doing a piece for a beach scene, and maybe a peacock color. And the surprise element too, because you never know how it will turn out til it is finished. So, I plan on doing that really soon. Maybe Wednesday, since I am off that day.

My goodies are shipping, my goodies are shipping

I am starting to get the notices that things are shipping out to me. Yay! I should have my turtles this weekend. Yippee. I love those turtles. They would be so cute in my craft room, in a tiny little basket.

I have decided my craft room/our guest room is going to be decorated in a beach motif. I have not told SO this yet, but he said I could do whatever I want with it, and that is whatever I want. I have some nautical-themed stitching, and Shores of Hawks Run Hollow would go great in there--changing that one square that refers to the dead guy. He has the living room decorated with lighthouses (but not in a tacky way), and we do live in Maryland, and I have always loved the water, so this is a great way to tie it all together, and I am sure I can find a few nice pieces so it doesn't feel like a sewing room for when our guests visit. It would just be a matter of decided if we want to stick with sheers for the window to keep it airy, or try to find something a little heavier. I can see doing both, especially because we have that Dazor lamp, and the room faces west, so I am terrified that the magnifier will start a fire when we aren't there because we didn't put it out of the light far enough (Yes, I am a little paranoid). But wouldn't it be so nice to have a room that is just like the beach, with silvery blues, and sandy beiges, with photos of the seashore, and some stitching to come home to after a crappy day at work? Just like being on the beach, but without the sand flies. I could even put my little box of shark teeth I collected out, since they are one of my treasures.

Even my little turtles would fit in. They aren't sea turtles, but who's gonna know the difference?

Fell so hard off the wagon I think I broke something

I was doing so well, and then I fell off. I blame the cats and dogs, I must have tripped over them.

I keep my shopping cart fairly full at my LNS. The cats advised me that, since I am the most awesome mother EVER, I could get Shores of Hawks Run Hollow for Valentines Day. And it was cheaper at the ONS than I could get elsewhere, so when I put it in the shopping cart, well, I had to buy everything else, because it was all in there and I am too lazy to remove it. But I did make sure I only bought what I really really thought I could stitch. It was still a lot.

And the dogs had decided I need the rest of the dogs and cats from Fire Wing Designs. So I had to buy those this morning--can't shop before Valentines Day! I don't know what I'll stitch them on, that is something we'll decide later.

And then I went on E-bay, but I am not going to kick myself over that. I got a great Roger reinardy kit of horses in the surf for half the price other sellers were charging, and Sporting Masters' Secretariat. I have wanted that forever. And of course that led to a visit to Needlecraft Corner, where I got the new Lizzie Kate LE kit from Nashville and the Quaker turtles. They were actually a really good deal. Everything but scissors for $30 US. Can't beat that! I have scissors, why pay extra for another pair. I like my Dovos--I better, for $40.

So that is all the purchasing I plan to be doing anytime soon. I would like to get the turtles done and made up. Those are adorable.

BTW, Happy Valentine's Day, ladies.

Long time no see, people

I have been on vacation for the past three days. No major jet-setting vacation, this was more like my Christmas vacation. Sunday we watched the Cowboys lose (and I for one see nothing wrong with T.O. crying, they did lose as a team, I would be crying too), and I stitched. It was so cold that I was glad to stay inside.

Monday, I made my promised trip to the LNS. I wasn't really buying anything new, except that horse book by Stoney Creek. I will be stitching from there, though, because the charts look way easy. I just didn't kit anything up yet. But, other than the new Cross Stitch and Needlework, a chart by Kats by Kelly that my mom thought reminded her of our Lily, and a sale chart, that had sheep and watermelons on it (Could you resist a chart with sheep AND watermelons, I ask you?), and the fabric to do my fair project, all I bought were the supplies to make that Hardanger pillow from New Stitches and some beads, treasures, and braids to do some of the projects I have kitted up.

Let me say this. Those freaking treasures are expensive. I had heard people say they were, but you know how it is, you never really believe other people about what's expensive. But $6 for a little STAR!?! If it were not that I needed the star to complete a stocking for my boyfriend, I would have just figured out a work around. And the worst part is, Mill Hill has you on the treasures, because, at least to my knowledge, there isn't a cheaper alternative. But I have it now, I just have to eat sandwiches or crackers at lunch for a while to pay for it. And the stocking will be gorgeous.

Another must have

I must have this. I will have no rest in my bones (and this means a lot since I am dog-tired) til I have this chart. It's new from Stoney Creek. I think I can order it from their website. I wonder if it's out in stores yet. I am going to check on Monday at the Stitching Post. If it's out, it's coming home with me. If it's not, I am going to order it.

Even though I am too chicken to stitch them, I have the other two SC horse books in my collection. These are beautiful. There is even a jockey and a race horse. I told you, I have a thing for racehorse pix and this is so beautiful. I could never own enough charts of galloping racehorses. I can't explain it. Maybe it was because when I was collecting Breyer horses, my favorite model was the Phar Lap model. He looked so trim and neat and proper and free, and I guess I carry that on in my stitching. One thing, the leaflets take up less space than my models, though I would NEVER sell my model horses.

Look at my Ebay wins

I have been spending more time on Ebay than normal lately, and have found some good stuff. I won these this week:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290192807616&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=019

Isn't this so cute? He is such an sweet little crow! I like crows now for some reason.

And this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130184340521&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=003#ebayphotohosting


I paid more for this kit than I really wanted to pay, but I have never seen it before, and for some reason, I MUST own every possible legal horse design. Especially if they are running, which is rather ironic, since (and I am about to share with you the deep dark secret of my life), I am afraid to ride a galloping horse. But this one was SOOO pretty.

You know, since I started back cross stitching, I have come to appreciate the days of yore. I can remember my early days of stitching, in the early 90s, when there was such a plethora of kits available. Once we decided that my 4-H projects for the fair would not be sewing, they would be cross stitch, Daddy used to take me to MJDesigns, later bought out by Michael's, and we would pick out my project. Anyway, it would take at least an hour to pick something out--this was my fair project, so it had to be perfect, you know (BTW, I never won more than a second in 4-H, but I knew the girl who won from 4-H camp, so it was OK)--but the thing was, they had SECTIONS of subject matter, not just a cursory selection of stuff you wouldn't really want to stitch, like now. I always hit the horse designs first, then expanded. The leaflet section was the same way; it took you TIME to look through everything to find the perfect project, and there was always a delightful selection that took several aisles. Not like that now. And a lot of stitchers shun kits. I like them. I think it's a good value for the money. But they were better back then.

Thank God for Ebay--that is the MJDesigns of the 21st century.

Recovering from the Nashville sales

OK, I am not going stash shopping for a while. I have bought quite enough. I spent about $300 between ABC Stitch, Stitching Post, and Needlecraft Corner. And that is too much. So I have to put a moratorium on it. We are going to the Woodlawn show next week, and it will be a challenge to not spend money at In Stitches, but I am trying to learn to differentiate between want and need, and I don't NEED anything.

But I did make a positive change. I requested that Needlecraft Corner not use my Capital One card for when I place an order. Since I cut the card up, and was just using it for them and for Secret Needle Night, that means that I can pay it off. I realize that this does not have anything to do with cross stitch, but I am trying to make changes in my life. now if I order, it has to be paid for with my checking account, so it's a "real" expense now.

Prepping for the Nashville sale

OK, after this, I can not spend excessive amounts of money on cross stitch. I have so much stuff to finish, it is not even funny. But I can't not get anything new when it's the Nashville sale. I did order the new Prairie Schoolers. I look at these as more of an investment than something I will stitch. I like having all the charts I love and I really liked the new one. I have a thing for bunnies!

I didn't get to stitch today. The car developed a vibration yesterday. I was worried that it was a major issue, but it seems to be just a chunk of ice on the axles. Anyway, it was time to get the oil changed in the car, so I took it over. At least one of the chunks of ice dislodged itself on the way over or back, so this is good. I was whacking on that chunk of ice but good. So I didn't get a chance to stitch at lunch.

Had S.E.X. today

Mom went to the Stitching Post today to take a class in Punchneedle. I didn't take the class--I have no interest in Punchneedle, but I had to driver her. Anyway, I ended up having a little bit of S.E.X (stash enhancement experience). I kitted up Waxing Moon's Autumn Nap, Something Old Fashioned's Like Feathered Wings, Kustom Krafts' Ghost Wind (which came last night and which I am stoked about starting) and a chart out of Cross Stitcher from last March of irises. I decided to do the irises on black. I saw a picture of it done like that in the magazine, so this is not exactly my idea, but it looked really pretty, and I thought it would be cool for the fair. Then we went to Frederick, and went to the shop there. I hadn't intended on going there, but it seemed like it would be OK. I found some charts there.

I am really going to try to stop having days like this. I really have to finish some things that I have in my stash. I did kit up 3 charts that I have in my stash, so I guess that is a better than just buying new and kitting up. I am going to customize the colors for Like Feathered Wings because it shows as shades of brown, and I changed it to black, grey and white. I prefer grey horses. I think it will look pretty cool.