xstitch-christina

Works In Progress Update

2010-03-31T11:04:00.008-05:00

So, ok I started 2 new projects. Shame on me! I need more WIPs in my pile, right? One is Mirabilia's "Lady of the Flag" and the other is Twisted Thread's "I Simply Love You". I am working on a current WIP by Country Cottage Needleworks called "Dragonfly".

Here is 'Dragonfly' as it was when I started it in November last year. And here it is now after spending the week on it. It's coming along nicely now.
Here is the start on 'I Simply Love You'. It's being stitched one over one on 32ct light sand linen using GAST. It's tedious to say the least. I needed a break for my poor eyes and that's why I picked up 'Dragonfly'.'Lady of the Flag' is tough! A LOT of color changes and I had to start marking where I was stitching on my pattern! Ack! I can't believe I started such a BAP (Big A$$ Project)! I think I need to grid my fabric until I get some substantial stitching on it. I've never done that before. First time for everything, right?Here's a closer look at my so-called progress. Blah! If any of you have advice on how to stitch this BAP more effectively, PLEASE, by all means share your tips. This is my first huge project so, I'm calling on my stitching friends for their vast knowledge. ;-)That's all for now! I'm off to actually do some housework instead of spending hours on the computer. ;-) Happy Easter to all my friends!

Blog Update

2010-03-22T19:09:00.005-05:00

If you've visited recently you'll notice that I'm trying out various blogger templates. I haven't decided quite yet what I'm looking for really. So just bear with me as I try to update my boring blog to something a little more fun. THANKS!

Stash Shopping

2010-03-14T20:32:00.005-05:00

Since I've been so good about not buying too many charts lately, I decided to reward myself with some purchases.

Here's my list:
PS #160 February,
PS #161 June,
PS #162 Tortoise and the Hare (on order since my LNS sold out),
PS #163 Signs of Spring,
LHN Needle and Thread thread pack and pillow,
LHN Sampler Months: Jan and Feb,
CHS Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow,
Lakeside Linens 36"x27" 36ct Light Examplar,
and 22"x27" 36ct Vintage Examplar.

I'm set for a while I think. Until the next nifty new chart comes out that I HAVE to have. LOL!

Some serious stitching updates...

2010-03-10T12:21:00.009-05:00

Can you believe it? I can't. It's been 4 months since the last update! Ack! I've been trying to stitch more and more lately though. Just for my sanity. Since I finished a small project I rewarded myself by starting a Big A$$ Project. Smart, right? I'm also running again and trying to train for my first half marathon. Stitching and running both relax me but since it's still a wee bit chilly outside for me to run, I've sat inside stitching instead. No complaints though. ;-) Ok... on to the stitching, shall we?

Remember in my last update I hadn't posted the actual piece I stitched of Brightneedle's Little Ones: "Our Souls Entwine"? Well, here it is. Stitched one over one on 28ct cream linen using the called for Week's Dye Works floss. I like how the frame matches so I'm happy it came out great.I finished this a couple days after Valentine's Day. Better late than never, right? L*K "Love" on an unknown 28ct linen from my stash using the called for WDW and GAST.Here we have Blackbird Designs "Easter Parade". It's stitched 2 over 2 on 30 ct. Alabaster from R&R using the called for GAST and WDW floss. Just in time for Easter!
I finished this one sometime last year around Nov. I think, but haven't posted it until now. This is Elizabeth Designs' "Woodland Cottage". It's stitched on 32 count raw Belfast Linen using the called for WDW and DMC floss and Mill Hill beads. I absolutely LOVE all of ED's cottages and hope to stitch all of them someday. I've only stitched "Climbing Rose Cottage" and this one so far.
And last, but not least, ED's "Forest Song". I stitched it on a 28ct unknown linen in my stash. It has some speckles on it so, I thought it'd be neat to try it out. So 2 over 2 using DMC and a skein of Thread Gatherers for the leaves.
That's all folks! I have quite a few other finished projects to post, but I'll get to those some other time. I've run out of time! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my stitching update!

Has it really been 3 months since my last post?

2009-11-01T09:28:00.012-05:00

How lazy am I? Sheesh! Ok, so I hope everyone had a wonderful time with lots of Trick or Treaters last night. I sure did with my boys and nieces and nephew!
I also took part in my first 5k race in over 15 years on the 24th! I had a blast and went with a few friends from work. I even got the medal to prove it! It was awesome!
At work, (remember I work at a Library?) we had a "Be Creative" display and I was able to put up a few of my cross stitched items for 2 months! So many of our patrons were just excited to see that "someone so young" still carries a needle nowadays! What would I do without my stitching for relaxation!?! (Lara and Katla, recognize our friendship pieces? :-))

Believe it or not, I have been stitching. I just haven't been scanning or taking pictures of them like I used to! I finished a Brightneedle "Little Ones" piece for the love of my life called "Our Souls Entwine". Here's the pattern cover pic and as soon as I can, I'll take a pic of the one I finished.
Did you guys see the snow storm we had this week here in Denver? OMG! Almost 2 feet was dumped in 2 days! But, of course, CO weather at it's finest... it's already started melting with the two above 55 degrees days we've had. My boys have been on Fall Break this whole past week so I'm looking forward to them going BACK to school! Here's a pic of my backyard on the first night of snow. The next night was A LOT worse!That does it for me this time around! Hope this blog post finds all my stitching friends happy with life!

I'm baacckk!

2009-07-31T22:37:00.006-05:00

Well, sort of. I've been busy, well, doing everything but STITCHING! So to celebrate my return to the stitching world, I went on a shopping spree. What GREAT retail therapy it was to my soul too!

Ok, in no particular order...
LHN Love One Another,
Be True,
Bee Sampler,
Liberty and Justice,
Coming to America,
Two Roosters,
Colonial Women,
Traveling Stitcher thread pack,
Garden thread pack,
about ten thousand GAST floss (you REALLY don't want me to list all of them do ya?), more LHN & CCN charts that were just released this month, and the new PS Xmas thread pack.

And I think that just about covers it. Whew... that was such hard work! Who knew getting back into the swing of things would be so taxing on my energy! Thank goodness for online shops and PayPal!

Just don't tell my husband. ;-)

May Stitching Update

2009-05-12T10:29:00.005-05:00

Well, I've succeeded in finishing a couple projects. This one is from Trail Creek Farm called 'Liberty Heart'. I opted to not use the big bulky buttons and tacked the stitching into the pillow instead.
And here's a scan of one of the three designs in Just Nan's 'Morning Flower'. It is stitched on 28ct white evenweave using DMC. I can't show you the completely finished item cuz this one and the next two are gifts.
Here's another Just Nan called 'Heart Butterfly' stitched on 28ct ivory linen using DMC and enhanced with Mill Hill beads. You can get this chart for free with the purchase of the butterfly charm.
And the last finish is Just Nan's 'Jump for Joy' stitched on 28ct lavender linen using DMC, Mill Hill beads and a hand painted white rabbit. You get the chart for this design free when you purchase the rabbit charm.
And here's the update on my Works In Progress...

First it's LHN's 'The Bookshelf' that I started in Nov. last year. It's stitched on 32ct R&R 'Espresso' with DMC. This is as far as I've gotten.
Next is my newest start CCN's 'Dragonfly'. It's being stitched on 32ct ivory linen using the called for Crescent Colour floss in the thread pack.
Thanks for checking out my update!! Now that the weather is nicer outside I've been gardening and lately just started riding my new bike I bought for my birthday around town. What a blast! It's a Trek 7100 hybrid. Here's a pic of it:So I've been busy with other hobbies instead of stitching as much. Hopefully, I'll get back to my stitching soon. Until next time!!

Proud Mommy Moment

2009-03-21T20:53:00.017-05:00

Ok, since I haven't shared pictures of my boys in months, I'm going to do so now. It's their school pictures for this year. Here's my youngest boy, L...
And here's my oldest, J...Both have had wonderful grades in school and, well, actually LOVE school! I really hope that they can keep that attitude throughout their future years in school. L had one of his art projects displayed for the entire month of February in downtown Denver. He was one of a handful of students from his elementary school that were chosen to have their work displayed and to be at the Artist Closing Reception. He was beaming! Here is the proud artist himself and his piece way above his head. It's a soft pastel landscape. (Mom apparently needs photography lessons cuz she stinks at taking pictures!)
He's got the eye for it, that's for sure! And here's the piece up close:He also had another piece displayed on George Rodrigue's site where L made his own interpretation of the "Blue Dog". Here's the link to the gallery and L's is the only dog in a tux (img 5734). Again, L's piece was chosen by the school system from K through 8th (over 40,000 children from elementary and middle alone!) and after the school's submissions of the pictures, the artist (George Rodrigue) sorts out the ones he really likes and puts it on his own personal website. It was awesome! L was so excited to have a famous artist put his version on his website.

J hasn't been left in the dust by his little brother, by any means. He was awarded the November Superstar of the month for his middle school (out of 1,185 children) and has been on the Principal's Honor Roll for both semesters so far this year. My 4.0 kid!! Just last week, he was offered to join the National Junior Honor Society. I couldn't believe it! Where did these kids get their smarts from? It sure wasn't me! I'm just bursting with pride with my two little men.

And yet, I still get to cuddle with them and play video games together. My babies...

Two weeks into March already? Yipes!

2009-03-12T10:16:00.011-05:00

Where did the time go? I could've sworn it was just Christmas and New Years! Well, at least, I have done a little bit of stitching and have some updates to share with you.

Here we have my first finish of the year. My CCN Ladybug. I stitched it using 2 strands of the Crescent Colour threads provided in the thread pack and on a piece of 28ct R&R Antique Cotton I had in my stash. I have yet to iron it so, instead, you unfortunately get the wrinkled picture of it.
Next I have pieces I finished just in time for NEXT Christmas! LOL! This one is a Trilogy design called Season's Greetings. It's stitched on a 28ct ecru evenweave using 2 strands of GAST and WDW. It has a variety of stitches including the zigzag, herringbone, pattern darning, tied oblong, rhodes, four-sided and eyelet. You may not see them clearly enough, but for such a small piece it sure has a lot of different stitches!
This ED Winter Band Sampler is simply beautiful. I loved stitching this and will stitch the other seasons as well. I stitched it on another piece of 28ct ecru evenweave 2 strands over 2 threads. As you can imagine with most ED pieces, there were a variety of stitches used. The floss was DMC and Needle Necessities. I think it's my favorite most recent finish right now. Again, I have not ironed this piece so you get the wrinkled version. (If you want to see it closer, just click on the picture.)
Here's my last wee stitching piece. It's from JBW Designs called Let It Snow. Isn't it adorable!? I stitched it using one strand of DMC over 2 threads on a 32ct light blue evenweave. I think it turned out fantastic! I think I'll frame it and hang it up in my hallway for Christmas this year... less than 10 months from now.
There I did it! My first stitching update for 2009! Hopefully, I'll be better at my goal of once a month posting, but we'll see how that goes. Until next time, my friends!

Choosing between two favorites...

2008-12-12T09:39:00.020-05:00

According to a few of my family and friends, you can only have one favorite football team. In our household, we have two. One for the west coast and one for the east coast. Can you guess which teams they are? Since I grew up in Denver, as you can imagine, I am a Denver Broncos fan and so is my husband. Since our boys grew up in Boston, they are New England Patriots fans and so are their parents. Is that so terribly wrong? Whenever Denver played New England, we always rooted for Denver and I think they've always won too! Doesn't that count for something? Apparently not out here! My SIL's husband is threatening to raid our closets and take all Patriots and Red Sox apparel and having a bonfire with them. LOL! I think the only time we'd be in trouble is if they ever got into the fight for the AFC championship to go the Super Bowl. Yikes!
Now if I had to choose between football and stitching... well, you know which one would win out hands down! LOL! I have a few finishes I can share since they were received in their exchanges so here we go!

First up is a Prairie Schooler piece from the Santas & Snowmen chart. I stitched it on 32ct Belfast linen in Ice Blue using DMC.
And here's a "just because" piece for my friend, Robin, who received the above unfinished winter exchange. It's Lizzie*Kate's January Flip-It Block and stitched using DMC on a Charles Craft striped hand towel. Kinda funky, right?
Here is one I stitched for Carole for the second winter exchange. It's Little House Needlework's Season of Rest and it's stitched with DMC on 32ct cream linen.
This one is a part from a Prairie Schooler chart called Winter Wind stitched on 28ct off white evenweave with DMC.
And this one is from a Leisure Arts pattern stitched on a piece of 28ct tan evenweave using DMC as well.
And so concludes my football rant and stitching brag fest. Thanks for checking it out!

I've been tagged... twice!

2008-12-09T09:37:00.005-05:00

Ok, so Milly and Leah both tagged me to post 6 random things about myself.

The rules are:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

So, six random things about me are:
1. Even though I work in a library, I refuse to read every popular new book that comes out.
2. I have NOT read the Stephenie Meyer Twilight series or watched the movie... yet.
3. I love to play first-person shooter games on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
4. I always wear socks to bed. (Wouldn't want to get cold feet, ya know?)
5. I don't have ANY of our Christmas decorations up yet.
6. I neglect to put away clean socks and underwear in drawers and leave them in the basket for my boys to do... on purpose.

Here are my 6 to tag...
Lara
Deb
Sara
Kristina
Kirsten
Holly

Thanks, Milly and Leah!

November already and it's 75 degrees outside!

2008-11-02T09:34:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's November 2nd and we don't have snow here in Denver! In fact, it's supposed to be a record breaking heat wave today of 75 degrees! Usually we have rain or snow on Halloween night, but not this year. I'll enjoy it for now and air the house out one final time.

On a stitching note, I have some updates. Not much. First, I have received my Heart of America exchange piece from Robin on the Only One Ewe Yuku board. It's lovely and I adore it! She stitched 'Freedom' from the Twisted Threads 'Freedom Trio' leaflet. It's stitched on a lovely piece of 28ct 'Heritage' lugana from Silkweaver using her choice of Crescent Colours floss of 'Red Currant', 'Wavy Navy' and 'Queen Bee'. Simply beautiful! I think I'm going to find a nice frame for it and put it right on my desk here to remind me of my birdie friend from Virginia.I did finish a piece for this exchange but my partner hasn't received it yet and I don't want to spoil the surprise for her. I'll add it to my next post.

On that same board, we have started what is called a Saturday Nite Stitch-In. We stitch on Saturday nights and post our progress for support. It's great! This is the 2nd SNS and I started the CCN Ladybug on the first night. I work all day and come home to sit on my bum and stitch so I can relax a bit while watching some TV. It's a perfect end to a long day. Here's my progress after the 2nd SNS using the CC floss provided in the threadpack and a mystery 28ct hand-dyed fabric from my stash.Sadly, here's my wee progress after only a couple hours on LHN's 'The Bookshelf'. I got sidelined with exchange pieces and haven't made it any further than this. I'm stitching it on a gorgeous piece of 32ct R&R 'Espresso' I found in my stash. Did I mention that I love stash diving now especially since most of the fabric I have I've forgotten all about! LOL It's like a whole new store to me!
So that ends my stitching update for the first week of November. With the holidays fast arriving I need to get my butt in gear and STITCH, STITCH, STITCH! Have a wonderful week everyone!

A silly blog quiz... Nerd? Geek? Dork?

2008-10-17T09:00:00.006-05:00

Well who would've guessed?! LOL! I got this off of my friend, Lara's blog.

Your result for The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test...

Joe Normal

30 % Nerd, 35% Geek, 22% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal.

This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.

I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal.

Congratulations!

I've started yet another project... or two...

2008-10-17T07:52:00.009-05:00

Seriously, I need to get a grip! I have a serious case of start-a-new-project-every-month-itis! If that's not a stitching disease of any sort... it ought to be! LOL

So, what did I start? Well... I started this cute little "Ladybug" from Country Cottage Needleworks. It's a thread pack with Crescent Colours. I decided that I'm going to stitch all four of these adorable bugs individually. Aren't they just cute!?! (The picture has these weird lines running through it and I don't know why but it really doesn't come out stitched like that. Honest.)

And, last month, I also started a new project. This time it was "The Bookshelf" by Little House Needleworks. This is my incentive project for one of the Yuku bulletin boards I'm part of. The idea is that you start a piece (or 2!) with a minimum stitch count of 120 x 120 and maximum of 250 x 250, no sooner than Sept. 28th. Then you have about 19 weeks to finish that project... until Feb. 14th, 2009 to be exact. Then you can celebrate having completed your incentive by doing whatever you want. I chose to buy myself a nice piece of Lakeside Linen. I'm thinking a fat quarter of Vintage Light Examplar or Vintage Lentil. Of course, I do have to actually finish this project on or before Valentine's Day in order to 'win' my prize to myself. LOL I have a very small progress on it right now and will share that later when there's actually something worth showing.

But for now, I can show you what I finished for an unfinished Halloween Exchange on that same board though! I stitched the Elizabeth's Designs "Spooky Tree" from the JCS Halloween Magazine using the Weeks Dye Works floss the pattern called for and some unknown 28ct dyed linen I found in my stash. I substituted the bat buttons with stitched bats from Brightneedle's "Hatz Bootique".And, in return, I received a Blackbird Designs "Trix or Treats" piece called "Cats". Donna stitched it on a mystery 28ct orangey/salmony colored linen she found in her stash using WDW Onyx and Caper. I love it! I'll have to send it on to my finisher and see what she comes up with.
And that does it for me! 'Til next time folks!

The Dining Room Remodel.

2008-10-02T20:24:00.015-05:00

The dining room is now completely done! Well, as done as it's going to get for now until I replace the table and floor. We've only lived here for a year and 8 months and it has taken me nearly all that time to do this one room alone! I just couldn't decide on colors and the lights. Sheesh... But it is my hope to get everything I want done in this house sooner or later. Just call me Martha Stewart. LOL

Here it is before painting, lighting and furniture. Here's the progress in between with a new color of paint in 'Dill Weed' and the furniture now in place. I don't like curtains or valances just because of the dust they collect and how they can darken a room. Dust is bad enough out here in Denver so I don't need another surface that will take way too long to clean versus a quick swipe with the vacuum on the blinds. I like bright sunlight for a cheery feel. Call me crazy. The pictures on the wall I bought at a garage sale. It was an awesome find! I love the bright splash of color they add to the room.And here's the final product with my Apothecary chest in the corner, white wooden blinds in the window and my miscellaneous glass bottles and wooden elephants.Then my buffet table that holds the entertaining dishes and stuff on the other side with my star mirror, a few glass bottles and a palm tree for some greenery.The lighting is the biggest change in the room, I think. Getting rid of the brass and glass fixture updated it tremendously as well as putting in the wooden blinds. Someday I want to get a mission style dining room table that holds at least 6 people and get rid of the dated light oak table. I also want to put hardwood floors in... perhaps bamboo. Going green!

This is my favorite room in the house next to my kitchen now. The only problem is that we don't use it nearly enough like we do the kitchen. It's great for when I entertain... and you guys know I love to have parties! LOL! Overall, I'm very happy with the end result of it.

Stitching Update

2008-09-29T21:16:00.001-05:00

Here is a stitching update of sorts for the month of September. First up is Brittercup Designs 'Trick or Kitty Treat' from the JCS October 2008 Halloween Issue. It is stitched over 1 on 28ct cream evenweave using the DMC called for. I stitched another ornament from the Halloween magazine but I can't show it until my exchange partner receives it.
Next is the progress on my LHN 'Always & Forever' WIP. I ran out of the Crescent Colours 'Old Blue Jeans' floss so I'm waiting for a skein to come in before I can finish it up. It'll be a quick finish once I get the floss in for sure.
Now, here's my only other finish I can show you from Just Nan called 'Primrose Path'. It's stitched on 28ct white evenweave 2 over 2 using the called for DMC and Kreinik floss and also Mill Hill beads.Here's the progress on my LHN 'Little House Neighborhood' WIP. I have this one house done only. I need more time to stitch on this one exclusively. It's being stitched on 32ct Lakeside Linen 'Vintage Lentil' 2 over 2 using the called for DMC.And here is the very minimal progress on my LHN 'Brave Hearts' WIP. I have the 2nd floor of the house done . LOL That's it! I'm using the called for CC cotton floss 1 over 2 on 40ct lambswool linen. It looks awesome!And there you have it! My September stitching update is complete. Thanks for stopping by! See you next month!

Which Austen Heroine Are You?

2008-09-16T22:47:00.014-05:00

After reading Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility, I found this quiz online and decided to take it to see which of the sisters I was more like. Apparently I'm most like Keira Knightly's (from Pirates of the Caribbean) character in the movie adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. That was a great movie! I really enjoyed it, but I'm also glad that I read the book prior to watching the movie. Did the same with Sense & Sensibility. In that movie, it was odd to see Alan Rickman, who plays Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies, as Col. Brandon. Also seeing Hugh Laurie from the tv show, House, as Mr. Palmer was interesting. There were many other notable actors and actresses in each of the movies, but those three stood out the most for me. If you haven't seen either of the Austen movie adaptations, you should. I enjoyed them.

You Are... Elizabeth Bennet!

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgment that serves you very ill indeed.

Take the Quiz here!

In Rememberance of September 11, 2001

2008-09-11T09:09:00.002-05:00

It is so hard to believe that it's been 7 years since that awful day. Our family lived in MA at the time of the attacks and my DH, along with several of his coworkers, was supposed to be on one of the flights bound for Los Angeles, CA. The meeting he had out there was canceled the day before and I was spared the anguish of losing my husband in this tragedy. I was very lucky and I thank God for that everyday. We did, however, lose friends. Our youngest son, L, was part of a playgroup in a town nearby called Groton and had a little friend named Christine. Her mom, Sue, was so sweet and we hit it off right away. I never had the chance to meet Christine's dad, Pete. All 3 of them were on United airlines flight 175, which was the second plane that hit the south tower. Christine was the youngest victim on all 3 flights at 2 1/2 years old. A memorial was set up in their honor a month later in their town and it is quite beautiful. Such a peaceful location to remember everyone who was lost on that day.My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones on that tragic day. May they all rest in peace. And may the rest of us never, ever forget.

A Whole Slew of Finished Ornaments

2008-09-09T15:35:00.014-05:00

Since I finally have some time to sit and write up a decent post, I have to show you guys the pieces I got back from my finisher, Deb of Artistic Needle. The woman is an amazing finisher and I am thrilled with my ornaments she just sent back to me last month! I asked to use her pictures that she took for her finishing album because I don't take very good pictures myself. lol

First up is the piece I stitched for my MIL while living in Boston. I stitched this in 2003, mind you, and hadn't finished it into an ornament to give to her for Christmas. She was born and raised in Massachusetts so I knew she'd love it. She'll finally get it 5 years later this Xmas. It's stitched on 28ct lambswool evenweave using DMC. I wish I could remember who the designer was though!Next is another gift for my MIL for her birthday in January. It's a freebie I finished in 2006 from Elizabeth's Designs called 'Flowers for a Friend'. It is stitched on 28ct white jobelan using DMC.Next up is my very first Prairie Schooler Santa from 'A Prairie Year' I had ever stitched. I tried to finish him myself and screwed up royally then packed him away. I was so bummed about messing him up! So I sent him off to Deb and she rescued him. YAY! He's stitched on 28ct lambswool jobelan using DMC.Here's Just Nan's 'Pearl Orchid' limited edition kit I finished last year. It's stitched on 28ct rose cashel linen using DMC and Needle Necessities floss. I absolutely love the ribbon Deb used for the pinkeep she made this into. Beautiful work!In July I finished this LHN freebie called 'Summer House'. It was stitched on 28ct light mocha cashel linen using the Crescent Colour floss used in LHN 'Americana Sampling'. I love how this one turned out! It will be hung out year round for sure. And, last, but not least, a PS piece from 'Winter Wind' I received from an exchange on a PS board last year. Sandy stitched this for me and Deb finished it into a sweet little pillow ornie with dyed ribbon as a hanger. Thank you for looking at my wonderful newly finished ornies! I'm completely thrilled with them and am happy to have a professional finisher to finish my items. I am not a finisher by any means and can only stitch and frame my pieces. Deb is a life saver for me! Thank you, Deb!

Today marks our 10th wedding anniversary.

2008-09-05T09:23:00.013-05:00

This is one of the many engagement pictures we had taken somewhere here in the mountains in Colorado. I honestly can not remember where. We just bought the proofs for these. Back then, and I suppose even now, professional pictures were expensive!!We did buy a few of our wedding pictures though. We were married on the beautiful University of Denver campus in the Evans Memorial Chapel. It's a gorgeous old stone church and this historic structure is the oldest church building still in use in Denver. Built in 1873 in downtown Denver by Governor John Evans, principal founder of the University, it was moved and fully restored at the University campus in 1960 as a place of worship and meditation for students, faculty and visitors. (Click on any picture to enlarge them.)And here we are inside the chapel. You weren't allowed to use candles in the church, for obvious reasons, being historical and all. It was just so quaint and cozy. Perfect for our Victorian themed wedding. As you can imagine, there were a LOT more pictures but I won't bore you with them.Tonight we have reservations for the restaurant we dined at the night DH proposed. I remember the dish I ordered and I'm going to get it again. LOL I love filet mignon wrapped in bacon!!! Simply delicious!

2 Year Blog Anniversary

2008-08-23T23:18:00.012-05:00

I can not believe it. Two years of blogging on the world wide web! Who would've thought? To celebrate this milestone, I'll share a couple blog awards I've received from other blogging friends. The first one was from Christina.The next one was from Milly.
And the last one was from Veronica.Now with these awards you are supposed to give links to other blogs nominating them for the same awards. As much as I'd love to do that, there are just so many out there that I read that already have them! Thank you Christina, Milly and Veronica (and the others who nominated me for the same awards) for thinking of me! It's nice to know that others enjoy reading my blog.

Now on a more serious note, it's time for a little education. Did you know that it is illegal to share cross stitch charts on the internet? Uploading a scanned copy of your purchased chart to a website for others to download is ILLEGAL!! Please help keep the cross stitch industry alive by not participating in this illegal activity. It hurts designers and stitchers (all of us) in the end. If you have questions just click on the S.C.A.N logo below and it will take you to the Little House Needlework's website for more information.

It was bound to happen someday.

2008-08-15T09:51:00.009-05:00

My oldest son is now officially a middle schooler. We checked him in yesterday, stayed for the 6th grade parent forum and then toured the school. Wow! This is so not his parent's middle school! It's huge and technology is abundant! Who knew how far we've come as a society when even the teachers have their own microphone and sound system in their classrooms so that he/she can be heard clearly without raising their voice? Or security cameras in every hallway to monitor the 'traffic flow' of 1,182 children? Or pin codes for your own lunch account without worrying about cash and slowing down the lunch line? It was amazing to me. I was impressed and so was J, our new middle schooler.

Speaking of J... he just turned 11 on Sunday and I'm proud to say that I made his cake from scratch. It's no professional center piece but he loved it and that's all that matters. I can totally bake just fine... decorating... not so much. Here he is making his wish (probably for more video games). Then blowing out his 11 candles.And now I'm the proud mother of an eleven year old boy!

I'll leave you with pictures of my new wall of cross stitch. My DH was kind enough to hang all of my framed pieces up this weekend and now I'm even more excited to finish off a few more of my WIPs!! I have my own space to hang them up! Granted, there aren't many pieces there now, but I'll get more up there sooner or later! You watch! Then he'll have to rearrange it all over again. lolSorry that the pictures aren't very clear. We actually have a thunderstorm going on and don't have any sunshine. (The nerve!! Right when I want to share pictures!!) Here's a couple close ups of the pieces using the flash. On the left from top to bottom: LHN 'Rose in the Morning', La D Da 'Watchful Eye', SB 'Liberty Child', PS 'Songs of the Season', Trilogy 'Wonderland' and Bent Creek 'The Seasons'.From the top: LHN 'Americana Sampling', BOAF 'Bloom Where You are Planted', L*K 'Friendship Needs No Reason', L*K 'Spring Birdhouse' and Trilogy '4 Seasons'.My very first framed piece is the L*K Spring Birdhouse there on the right. The second one is the L*K Friendship piece in the middle. After those two, framing became much easier. I have many more pieces finished, but not yet framed or made into anything. But that's for a future post. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!!

Do you stitch in public?

2008-08-06T10:52:00.005-05:00

Wednesday, September 3, 2008 is the U.S. National Stitch-In-Public Day! Here's the information from the EGA website: EGA invites stitchers of all ages and skill levels to join in a day of community crafting that will celebrate the traditions and trends of needlework, right right where they are. There's no cost - just an effort to encourage community among stitchers. Embroiders, quilters, knitters and who will shine a light on their crafts Sept. 3 by stitching together in public spaces such as coffee shops, parks, malls – anywhere they can be seen. Let EGA Headquarters know about your event so photos, stories and updates can be shared online. Contact Brad at bcape@egausa.org if your chapter or group of stitchers wants to organize an event. Call (502) 589-6956.

Guess I know what I'll be doing that day! That is also my in-law's 42nd anniversary. Our anniversary is the 5th and here in Colorado the weather can be either really hot that week or really cool. I'll hope for something in between.

Pass the word on to all of our stitching friends in the U.S. and let's show the world that we love to stitch... even in public places!

Stitching updates on LHN projects...

2008-07-30T12:52:00.010-05:00

Finally a stitching update!

Here's my start on LHN's 'Little House Neighborhood'. I started it on Monday and this is as far as I got. I'm using a 32ct Lakeside Linen in Vintage Lentil and stitching it as charted with DMC. I absolutely love this color of fabric! Last week I started yet another LHN project!! I only got an hour in on it though. lol This one is called 'Always & Forever'. After seeing Milly's two finishes of this, I knew I just had to start it. I'm stitching it on an unknown 28ct linen from my stash using Crescent Colours 'Old Blue Jeans'.And here's my other LHN WIP. It's called 'Brave Hearts'. This one I'm stitching on a 40ct Permin Lambswool linen using Crescent Colours floss as charted. I am quite enjoying this but sometimes I have to take a break because my eyes start going wonky after a while. And after stitching the two words 'they earn', I found that I was off by one square so I had to go back and frog. That's my cue to leave it and stitch on something else for a bit.
If you want to check out my WIP album to see what other things I've been stitching on, please do! I have a few that hasn't been stitched on in years so I've decided that next year will be finish-my-WIPs year. I think I may even try to finish a couple this year too. If I don't decide to start even more projects in the meantime! LOL! Thanks for dropping by!

We rescued him and now he's here to stay.

2008-07-27T15:39:00.014-05:00

In early May, my youngest son, L, noticed a baby bunny in the well of our basement window. This well is easy over 4 ft deep! So we run out there to 'Save the baby bunny!' and I bring the camera, of course. My husband climbs down in there and very gently picks him up. (Click on the pictures to enlarge them.)Now this adorable baby bunny didn't know what to think of us. So L, after nearly crying over the baby bunny's predicament, holds him and starts talking to him while Daddy climbs out of the window well. Then we start checking to see if he's hurt in any way. Daddy and L give him some gentle encouragement to let him know that he's amongst friends.Then he's off! Bye, bye Baby Bunny... Notice the little patch of tan fur on the back of his neck?Yesterday morning I notice our cat, Oscar, at the back door intently staring at something in our backyard. Well, what do ya know!? Guess who comes to visit for some grub now? His name is now Bunny Bob. Bunny Bob is much bigger than when we last saw him 2 months ago. Get this! He also has a wee little brother and apparently brought him over for breakfast! He, too, has a tan patch of fur on the back of his neck. "They must be brothers!", L exclaims and promptly names him, Bunny Fred."I wonder if Bunny Bob and Bunny Fred have a mommy and daddy?", L asks. "I'm sure they do.", I say to him with confidence. "But I really hope they don't invite them over for dinner!!" The look on L's face said it all... Mommy! How could you say that!? They need to eat too! Let's just hope that Bunny Bob and Fred know enough to just keep eating the dandelions and leave my vegetables and herbs alone!

They're getting bigger and bigger...

2008-07-20T10:59:00.012-05:00

Would you look at that?! Some tomatoes are coming in as well as bell peppers and jalapeño peppers. The herbs are growing too but they still look the same only with more leaves.

As for stitching, here's my small progress on LHN's "Brave Hearts" 1 strand of Crescent Colours floss over 2 threads on 40ct linen.And here's the progress on L*K "Love" that I started yesterday on a piece of an unknown 28ct linen I found in my stash. It is being stitched as charted with GAST and WDW. Almost done too! Very nice switch from 40ct!And I'm really excited since today I sent off 6 of my stitched pieces to be finished into ornaments by Deb H. She's a professional finisher and you guys need to check out her finishing portfolio! WOW! Can't wait to see what she does with my pieces.

Nicole (nevillen) started a Little House Neighborhood SAL blog. If you are stitching the LHN Little House Neighborhood piece, then by all means email Nicole and she'll invite you to post there too. It's nice to see everyone's different choices of colors and fabric not to mention the fact that you get a lot of support by watching everyone's WIP grow.

That's all for now! Thanks for dropping by!

An Independence Day Stitching Update

2008-07-09T11:39:00.010-05:00

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends around the world! I'm only 5 days late in posting this but it's the thought that counts, right? And a big THANK YOU to all the men and women serving in the military for keeping us safe at home and abroad.

Now in the spirit of celebrating the 4th of July, I stitched exclusively on patriotic stuff in June. Here are the final results. First up is Sweetheart Tree's 'The Price of Freedom'. It came in a kit but I just changed out the fabric to a 28ct white evenweave.
After stitching this one, L decided he wanted one too. He asked if I would stitch him one without the beads and stars. He wanted to hang it up in his room. Soooo... after searching through all of my stash for a decent fabric, I found one that he liked. Then I just stitched it (AGAIN) with 2 strands versus 1 strand on the previous one. Makes it look more bold I think.
And the next finish is a wee kit from Shepherd's Bush called "Liberty Child". This kit cost $20 because it came with the fabric, silk, star button AND the hand painted mats. My not-so-LNS had a 50% off sale on frames so I bought the one used in the model. It just looks so nice! And this is my very first SB finish! My picture is not very good but you can see it well enough.
And for the very last finish.. what all of us say one time or another. This is also another one I bought the model frame for for 50% off. I think it's cute! Very easy and quick stitch.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my recent finishes. I need to take a break from stitching because my eyes are hurting. I think my right eye is blurry but my left is fine. I've been frogging more lately and I find myself squinting more just to see it! Not good. Optometrist here I come. bleh

A family reunion of sorts...

2008-06-30T13:33:00.013-05:00

Yesterday we had a get together for my Aunt Virginia who just arrived in the US from the Philippines. My mother is the second oldest out of 5 children... 3 boys and 2 girls. Here's me and my mom last 4th of July. This is Uncle Romel, my mother's youngest brother, Aunt Virginia (Auntie Nining as we call her) who is married to Uncle Romy, the oldest brother and lastly, Aunt Lily, the oldest .Confused yet? Try adding all the distant cousins of other cousins that we call Aunts and Uncles. Let's just say that a Filipino family includes everyone. LOL Here's me with my cousin, Sheila who is Auntie Nining and Uncle Romy's daughter. She's been in the US for 5 years or so and just came to Colorado last month to be close to family. And here's my Auntie Nining. Sweet thing doesn't speak a lick of English yet, but she'll pick it up quick. They all do. The last time I saw Auntie Nining was in the Philippines when I was 5 years old. Let's just say it had been a long time. She's excited to be here and now we only have one more family member to get here from the Philippines... Uncle Rene. I'll leave you with my latest cross stitch finish, Little House Needleworks' Summer House freebie. Very quick stitch on 28ct light mocha cashel linen and I substituted the called for Crescent Colours floss with other CC floss in my stash.

I have a green thumb... I hope!

2008-06-24T11:38:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, I decided that I wanted a vegetable and herb garden. My MIL thought it was an awesome idea and came over to help. Here's how it looked before we tackled our task.You can see all the stuff the previous owner left there. Those two green bunches there on the right are daisies that reseeded itself from my flower garden. I dug everything out of that space and transplanted the daisies to another area that was a little barren in the backyard. Next up is the progress pic during the transformation. (I should say that taking this picture was a nice excuse to take a little break.)I planted some tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, peppers and jalapeños. I put vegetables on the left of my makeshift walkway and herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, cilantro, dill and rosemary) on the right. It was coming along nicely though. It was a lot of work turning over the soil since a lot of it was clay. Put some mulch down...And there you have it! The little walkway is temporary until I find just the right stones to put in. I think I want a birdbath in the corner too. For the most part, it was fun! Now let's see if they actually produce stuff. LOL

What flower are you?

2008-06-18T00:55:00.002-05:00

I am a
Daffodil

What Flower
Are You?

You have a sunny disposition and are normally one of the first to show up for the party. You don't need too much attention from the host once you get there as you are more than capable of making yourself seen and heard.

So, what exactly have I been up to lately you ask?

2008-06-16T18:00:00.005-05:00

Absolutely everything! We'll be closing on our house on the 26th of this month. It's our first home purchase and it's somewhat nerve wracking! The stress of inspections and appraisals... Good grief! What's nice is that we already live in it! So there will be NO moving! Thank goodness!

School ended on June 3rd for our boys and J 'graduated' from 5th grade elementary school. He is now officially a middle schooler. sniff sniff Both boys have been going to 1/2 hour swimming lessons 4 days a week and this will last all summer long. They'll be pros in no time. Also a great release for their energy... so mom can have some quiet stitching moments. lol

For Mother's Day and my birthday, my boys bought a License plate pin to stick on my jacket or where ever. This is what it says. My DH promptly informed me that we will NOT be buying this as personalize plates for my car. (Awww honey... why not?) But he made up for the disappointment by buying me an 1 gig iPod Nano mp3 player as my birthday gift. WOOHOO! I've wanted a decent mp3 player for years! I use it all the time when I'm gardening outside. It's wonderful! The boys also bought me a Hoops and Yoyo "Panic button" for my birthday.After pushing the button it says, "Stay calm... stay calm... On second thought, PANIC!" Hoops and Yoyo scream AHHHH! at the end. I hit every so often and can hear the boys laughing their bums off at it from anywhere in the house. They LOVE it! I think it'd be perfect for work. In a quiet, yet very busy, library. Yep... perfect. LOL

On a stitching note, most of you already know I run two Yuku stitching boards. Both are designer specific and endorsed by each designer. If you have time, drop on by! Prairie Schooler BB and Little House Needleworks BB

The PS BB has been around for a couple years on EZboard but has now been migrated over to Yuku. The LHN BB just started up this weekend and Diane Williams herself is a moderator and vows to post as her time permits. She's busy designing new patterns for us so I doubt any stitcher would complain that she's not posting to every post. ;)

That's all for now. I promise next time there'll be more stitching to show and less jabbering. Til next time...

Time gets me everytime!!

2008-03-10T19:22:00.005-05:00

Where does the time go? I was still in February mentally but now physically I'm near the *middle* of March!! Yikes! I'm losing my short term memory I think. LOL As far as stitching an Easter piece... that was the Trilogy Easter Gingham in my previous post. I did get that done at least. Whew! My friend, Lara, had stitched it a while back and I saw it in her stitching album and just HAD to copy her.

Another friend of mine, Katla, had stitched a piece I just HAD to stitch too a few years ago. I'm desperately working on finishing this UFO "Lo, How a Rose..." by Brightneedle. This is how it looked when I left it as a UFO on Sept. 5th 2006.

Here is what it looks like now after picking it up and stitching exclusively on it for a month.I'm using what the pattern calls for for floss... Weeks Dye Works. So here's a close up so you can see the variegation in the stitching.

Next update coming soon... I hope!

My first stitching update for the year...

2008-02-11T22:30:00.002-05:00

It's been quite busy and I had not stitched nearly enough. Time is a luxury nowadays and stitching relaxes me so I try to make time for it every week.

First the final square of the Designer Round Robin I stitched for Amanda's LHN spot sampler.
Then two Prairie Schooler santas from the Old World santas chart stitched on some scrap fiddler's cloth using DMC 2 over 2.
And last, but not least, my cute little bunny from Twisted Threads called 'Bunny Gingham' stitched with GAST on 28ct gingham linen one strand over one square. Love it! ALthough I think I've lost the use of my eyes for a while stitching over one. LOL!
Thanks for viewing my stitching update! Hopefully there will be another update next month.

A day of rememberance...

2008-01-15T23:29:00.001-05:00

On Friday, Jan. 11th, my husband's 90 year old grandmother passed away quietly in her home with her 3 children by her side. (The above picture is from our wedding here at University of Denver in 1997.) My boys were very lucky to have grown up with their great grandparents nearby in Massachusetts. I keep telling J and L that not everyone was fortunate enough to have grown up with grandparents, much less GREAT grandparents!

We call her Grammy and had lost Grampy three and a half years ago on July 29, 2004. (below is J with Grampy.) That was the first time my boys have ever dealt with a loss of a family member. Grampy and Grammy have 10 great grandchildren, 4 grandchildren and 3 children of their own.

She will be greatly missed by all who knew her growing up in Lunenburg, MA. While we lived out there, we had Thanksgiving every year at their Christmas tree farm. (The first picture below was Thanksgiving 2004 with L.) Then Christmas Eve at one of the grandchildren's houses. (The second picture is Xmas 2004 with J.) Memories to be cherished forever.

Here's to you, Grammy! We love you and we miss you. Rest in peace.

Just for my friends...

2007-12-31T22:54:00.001-05:00

Here's some before pics before all of the holiday decorations!

Here are the stairs to the upstairs area:Next is the dining room off of the living room area:

Closer view:
The living room from the top of the stairs:
Some random other decoration pics from around the house.

The space above the living room closet:
Our new fake Christmas tree. We used to cut a real one every year at DH's Grandparent's Christmas tree farm in Massachusetts while we lived there. So our first Christmas back home here in Colorado and we needed a 'new' tree. Well, now that was fun! Don't ask me how long it's taken me to work on this post. Ack! Uploading pics takes forever sometimes!!
Anyway, it took me 3 days to decorate but only 5 hours to take down. sigh

The kids made out like bandits this Christmas with a load of stuff from Santa and family. Oh to be a kid again! LOL!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Now it's time for the New Year to begin and make 2008 the best one yet. To all my friends around the world: Have an awesome 2008! Don't make too many resolutions this year. Gotta stick with them, right? ;-)

Happy Holidays from mine to yours!

2007-12-26T18:17:00.001-05:00

The family.

My parents and brother.

Me and my bro.
Happy New Year!!

Stitching Update

2007-11-28T21:15:00.001-05:00

I haven't been able to keep up in the online world but I figured that I'm overdue for a stitching update.

Here's the small Prairie Schooler Halloween ornie I stitched for an exchange on the PS EZboard in September. It's stitched on 32ct linen 2 over 2 with DMC floss.

Next up is Bonnie's Little House Needleworks Round Robin from the Cross Stitch Crazy board. We had to choose a house to stitch for her 'neighborhood'. I chose this house from the 'Colonial Homes' chart in October. It's stitched 2 over 2 using DMC on 32ct linen.

Another piece on the LHN RR, this time for Chris H. Her choice for this LHN Designer RR was the 'Wild West' chart. I stitched the 'Gold Rush' to remind her of my home state. I stitched it using DMC on 28ct evenweave 2 over 2 in November.

While each of the above pieces were for other stitcher's RRs, I actually did stitch for me. Both of these were from the LHN/Crescent Colours chart packs. Each were stitched on 32ct linen using Crescent Colours overdyed floss. Still working on another one called 'Acorns'.

That's it for now. Next update will hopefully be next month. I'll leave you with a picture from Halloween with my boys, my nieces and little nephew. Thanks for checking out my stitching update!

Labor Day weekend

2007-09-06T10:16:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone's Labor Day weekend was wonderful! I took a mini vacation by myself and visited friends. First stop was my buddy, Lara's house in Wichita, KS. It took me 8 hours to drive there and during the drive I listened to the latest Harry Potter book on CD. This was my first time listening to an audiobook and I must admit... I'm hooked. That made the time go by so fast!! I did bring my camera but unfortunately the batteries my husband gave me were not charged up. So no pics from my trip!! That sucks huh? LOL! Lara and I stitched and shopped at our favorite stores Hobby Lobby and Target (although the stitch and yarn shops were closed for the holiday weekend). We were shopping for a wedding present through a wedding registry at Target and found some nice stuff! That was fun! I'd never done a registry shop hunt before! LOL! And of course, while stitching we watched the HGTV shows like House Hunters and Sell Your Home or something along those lines. I really need to stop watching shows like these. My house will start losing square footage at the rate I'm painting the walls!

I met up with one of my good friends that I've known for 15 years! It was awesome seeing him and meeting his girlfriend. The last time I saw him and our other friend, I was pregnant with my first born. 10 years later we were able to meet up again although we have kept in touch over the years via email and phone calls. Again, no pictures. Really stinks! I only wish that I could've met up with my cousin and his family as well since they just moved back home to Springfield, MO. Maybe next time. I really want to see their babies!!

Back home in Denver, the boys went out and painted the town! They went to the zoo with Daddy (we have a yearly membership) and had loads of fun without me. heehee
And we have here... random pics. To fill the void of my lack of vacation pics. So here's the first day of school for my 5th grader and 3rd grader.
Next some cuddle pics. Yes, I know they're 8 and 10 years old and no longer babies, but they're MY babies until I say otherwise. LOL!

And last, but not least, my glass bottle collection. I only started collecting these 5 months ago to fill my window sill in the living room. Kinda neat effect with the sunsets, I think. ;-)

Who says we're not old?

2007-08-13T19:37:00.001-05:00

Ok, first things first... after ripping out a portion and restitching it, I've finally finished my part of Tina's Designer RR. I swear my eyes must be going in my old age! LOL! It just had to be perfect otherwise I couldn't have sent it off. I know a few other stitchers who feel the same way. They shall go unnamed... for now. ;-) It's stitched on 28ct evenweave 2 over 2 using my choice of Crescent Colours, GAST and DMC. The design is LHN's 'ABC 123'.

It's now official. I am old. My little boy, J, is no longer little. He turned 10 on the 10th and well... it was golden. He had a blast and, not to mention,was spoiled with money and video games from both sides of the family. I can't believe we're in double digits now! He LOVES video games so, as you can imagine, he's in heaven.

Now for the really good news... I am going to be an aunt again!! This time, my younger brother will be providing the niece or nephew. Daniel is 3 years younger than me and this will be his first child. I'm getting excited! There's just the two of us so my mom is REALLY excited. She's hoping for a granddaughter since I've got the grandson part covered. LOL! Dad wants him to have a boy so that he can carry on the family name. No pressure, right? Dan's girlfriend is a sweetheart and I think this is the beginning of a beautiful thing. They're due on February 29th. Yep, Leap Day. Let's hope he or she is a few days early or late. LOL!

Harry Potter on my mind...

2007-07-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

Find out your Harry Potter personality at LiquidGeneration!

Ok, so that's not too surprising for people who really know me. But yes, I've read the latest book and really enjoyed it too! I also took my boys to see the latest movie and enjoyed that as well. Does that make me weird? I hope not. I loved reading the books and watching the movies! My husband on the other hand... well, let's just say he doesn't care for them.

Thanks to my friend, Lara, for the fun quiz. Would it surprise you that we're both the same as Hermoine? LOL!

Time is NOT on my side...

2007-07-08T22:53:00.001-05:00

I know that I've abandoned my blog and haven't posted in almost 2 months but I just can't seem to find enough time to do it! Plus my notebook keyboard has died 3 times since we've moved! I think I'm using it way too much. It needs a break.

Well I can post a couple pics at the very least. This one is from Memorial Day weekend when we were celebrating my brother's 28th birthday on May 28th at my house.

Next, we have a wee little stitchy update. This is part of a Designer Round Robin I'm part of on the Cross Stitch Crazy board. The designer we chose was Little House Needleworks. This is Elise's RR and she stitched the border and I did the rest you see. The fabric is an evenweave from Silkweaver's I believe. This is part of a Prairie Schooler stitched piece exchange on the Prairie Schooler board. I stitched this for Barbara. It's from Book #88 Old World Santas II and it's stitched one strand of floss over one on 32ct linen. Here is the piece I received from Sandy in this exchange!It's lovely! It's a square from Book #133 Winter Wind. It was stitched 2 strands of floss over 2 on evenweave.

Befores and Afters

2007-04-26T22:12:00.001-05:00

A few of my friends wanted to see the before and after pics of our new house so I thought this would be the easiest way to show a couple of them. So far we've completed 4 rooms. One is in progress and others haven't been touched at all other than putting furniture in.

First we have the Family Room. The previous owner LOVED stencilling and sponge painting. I'm not a big fan of it so we chose solid colors in shades that match the fireplace tiles. My husband is going to build shelves in the bottom open areas. I personally don't like the 'open areas' for entertainment equipment and would rather have had a wall or something. LOL!

Next is the upstairs guest bathroom. And yes, it really was that bright green color when we got the house. We changed it to Tidal Wave blue but I'm not crazy about that color either. Oh well, it's better than neon green!

Our boys love the color so I guess that's a plus in the right direction. Someday I will change it. This was an in progress pic. It's really finished now. I'm just too lazy to take another picture. ;-)

Last room is the kitchen... The original color wasn't bad. I just wanted more color in there since that's where I spend most of my time nowadays. It was very plain and I wanted something to compliment my tastes.

For now, everything is just right. My kitchen is perfect for me and I really enjoy my time in there doing those pesky things we all have to do in the kitchen. LOL! At least for me, the color makes it all that much better to cook and do dishes.

If you've made it this far in the post, THANK YOU! I'm really proud of what was accomplished since our move across the country. Thanks for reading! Next time will be an update on my stitching progress.

Stitchy Update Long Overdue

2007-04-20T14:32:00.001-05:00

Alright here we go. Camera worked so let's see if my WIPs are worthy of my hard work downloading.

First we have the only finish I've had in a long time. It's Just Nan's "Pearl Orchid" stitched on 28ct rose linen with DMC floss, a Needle Necessities silk floss, Mill Hill beads and an orchid charm. It was a limited edition kit I bought a while back. It was a quick stitch too! I'm not sure how I'm going to finish it yet. I think I may keep this one for myself instead of giving it to my niece.
Next we have my Lizzie Kate "Spring Sampler" WIP. It's being stitched on 28ct natural raw linen with Gentle Arts Sampler thread. The last time I worked on this UFO was August of 2004! Haven't gotten much done but I started it in June of 2004 and it turned into an UnFinished Object because of the huge yard with one color. I'll get it done. Don't know if I'll stitch the other 3 seasons after this one though.
And last, but not least, the other UFO of mine: Covered Bridge in Autumn. This one is a Sunset Jiffy kit with aida and crappy floss. But I'm bound and determined to finish it and give it to my MIL this year. I started this one in January of 2003!This is the year my UFOs go bye bye. I really want to start other projects but my WIPs are getting bigger and more complicated so I figured I had better at least finish these 2 UFOs before starting another WIP. Thanks for checking them out!

Just another lovely day in our household.

2007-04-17T22:18:00.001-05:00

I know it's been at least 2 weeks since my last update but I know you'll forgive me. I've started my new job at the city's Public Library and work at least 20 hours a week, if not more. We also adopted a new kitty Easter weekend named Oscar. He is a year and a half old red Maine Coon cat. I've been taking care of him on top of it all. What the heck was I thinking when I added a part time job to my days?!? I come home and I'm exhausted but I still have to get dinner ready, do the laundry, work on the boys' homework, etc.

Next come the pictures. What you've all been waiting for. And, yes, I can now download to my computer with some consistency from my digital camera. That alone is an amazing feat! LOL! The first one is of me and the boys in my living room. You guys know how much of a neat freak I am! There's nothing in my living room! This is the first picture we've taken together since moving. I thought it turned out nice. Unfortunately, I still have those last 3 lbs to lose and then I'll be happy.

Next we have Oscar. He was named that because the previous owner found him emaciated in the dumpster behind her apartment. He's obviously been well loved and taken care of and now I'm glad that we could adopt him and give him a family. The boys LOVE him but sometimes call him Grover. Darn Sesame Street names have us all confused. LOL! Now if I can get Oscar to stop waking me up at 5am to play, I'll have it made! Oh and he plays fetch like a dog with his tiny teddy bear. It's cute as heck and boy does he have a LOT of fur! I brush him everyday and he's no longer shedding because of stress. He's adapted well which makes me happy.

Remember when I said I'd be back with a picture of my nifty Italian glass lamps in my kitchen? Well here they are! In all their glory. Ok, maybe I'm just a wee bit excited about some stupid lights but they're not the ugly brass and glass ones at least! Now I just have to replace those patio doors with French doors. Can you believe it? I'm becoming a regular ol' Martha Stewart! hehe

And last but not least, me and my youngest. He's such a cuddler! How can you not cuddle with this adorable kid? He's so cute! It's hard to believe that he'll be 8 years old next month. My oldest will be 10 in August! I'm getting old. sigh

When does Spring start again?

2007-03-30T02:33:00.001-05:00

So last weekend I spent a lovely day out in my gardens, weeding, pruning my roses, and raking and thatching the lawn. I even have the blisters on my hands to prove it! I felt pretty good about it and finished the front, side, and back yards. The tulips and daffodils are sprouting up like crazy but wouldn't you know it? Colorado weather at it's best! It started SNOWING Wed. night and all day Thurs. after almost 2 weeks of 60 and 70 degree weather! We got a few inches but for Pete's sake already! I'm over the snow since the blizzard we had out here in Dec. and Jan. totally blew all the records away. I'm ranting, aren't I? Sorry.

I'd show you the pictures but alas, I can't get the darn things to download right from my camera! Sometimes computers really frustrate me. I know DH will get it fixed but when I want it right now, he can't work on it until later. Always happens that way and I try to be patient. Arrgghh! Computers!!

As soon as it's working, I'll share pictures. ;-) Then I'll be out of my foul mood. Haha!

It's the year for starting anew...

2007-03-17T00:05:00.001-05:00

Yes, I'm still alive. No, I was not abducted by aliens. I have just officially survived the cross country move from MA to CO. That's a little over 2,500 miles, folks. Here' s the view out of the front bedroom windows. Will you look at those mountains?!? On clear days you can really see them perfectly. I've missed them terribly. Most of Nov. and Dec. 2006 was spent packing our 3 bedroom town home. Oh, and did I mention that I had to do that all by myself? The hubby had to start his new job early and so I was left to pack and hold down the fort until he came back the end of Jan. 2007 to move the family. Yes, me... alone with two boys for the holidays and packing a place we lived in for almost 7 years. Fun fun!

Now check out my nifty craft area in the basement of our new house! How awesome is THAT!?! Of course, DH has taken a few cabinets and drawers for his computer stuff but for the most part... it's all MINE! Bwahahah! I wonder just how much stitching stash I can put in there? If I can't fill it, doesn't that mean I get to go out and buy more to fill ALL of those wonderful cabinets? Me thinks so! LOL!

And here's the last pic for the night. The other nifty room of mine. My domain: the kitchen. DH repainted it in Benjamin Moore's Red Oxide and Brookline Beige. LOVE IT! He also put additional lighting under the cabinets and rope lighting along the top. Love my big kitchen. We bought a counter height table and 4 chairs for the eating area in the kitchen. We've taken out the brass/gold hanging light thing and put up Italian glass lamps. I ought to take a picture of the new lights too.

Next time...

2006-11-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Now see? There are a few people out here in Boston who think that I'm the one with the accent and not them! For Heaven's sake people, I'm from Denver. Can't get any more normal sounding than that. My MIL is from MA and whenever she comes out here to visit from CO her accent comes back strong. Oh well, it was a fun quiz nonetheless. Afterall, I do have a good TV or radio voice it says. LOL!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
The South
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Near Perfect? Hmmm...

2006-11-28T16:42:00.000-05:00

Your Life is 77% Perfect

Your life is pretty darn perfect. You don't have much to complain about.
Of course, your life is occasionally less than perfect. But you're usually too happy to notice.

How Perfect is Your Life?

I think I need to take that quiz over. Something has got to be wrong with that score! Thanks, Lara, for the fun quiz.

Life is full of surprises

2006-11-28T16:22:00.001-05:00

Wow, where do I begin? Since my last post over Labor Day weekend, I've been working full-time as a one-on-one aide at my boy's elementary school. It was a challenge to help teach a child with a learning disability but I prevailed and the child I worked with for the last 3 months left our school a better student and person. It was quite rewarding and I was sad to see him go.

November 21st was my last day due largely to an upcoming move. Yep, that's right. We're moving. Where might you ask? Well, back home to Denver where both sides of our family reside. Now comes the fun part... packing. My husband started looking around online for another job when his current employer said they were going to close down the division he works in within the year. So, he found one that is located in Denver AND is able to get a decent raise out of it. We've been searching online for houses and I think we found one that we both like. It's close to my sister-in-law and her family of 3 (2 girls and a boy). My two boys are ecstatic about moving back to Colorado. While I'm thrilled to be near family again, I'm dreading the process of actually getting there. It's a lot of work and guess who is stuck doing it? Moi. My husband won't be here helping since he starts his new job on the 11th of December. I'll be by myself packing our ENTIRE house alone for 6 weeks. Calgon, take me away. Far away!

Ok, ok Leah... I'm stitching just for you.

2006-09-05T23:26:00.001-05:00

See? I put in stitches on my WIP 'Lo How a Rose' just for YOU! Now are you still disappointed in me for not having stitched in almost 2 weeks? ;) Hmm, you may be on to something here Leah. Yeah, you could help me stitch more but making me feel guilty for NOT stitching. LOL! Well it sure worked this time and I'm grateful to my stitching friend for the extra 'umph' I needed to get in gear.

Happy Labor Day Weekend

2006-09-03T20:22:00.001-05:00

Today is my in-laws 40th anniversary. What a milestone! I can only hope to get that far in my marriage. I thought about stitching something for them but then I decided against it because I don't want the stress of obligation stitching. They would at least enjoy a stitched piece. My effort wouldn't have been in vain.

It's been 2 weeks since I last stitched a single stitch. I've been enjoying the 'lazy days' of the 4 day weekend. I didn't do a thing! I've just been sitting around playing on the computer, playing Bejeweled 2, watching TV, taking little cat naps. In short, sitting on my bum! I have one more day to go before the hubby will be back at work and the boys will be back at school. Then I can catch up in the house without any interruptions. The sweet sound of silence will once again dominate my day. Who knows? I may even get to stitch! :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the Labor Day weekend like I am. Til next time!

Went back to work today...

2006-08-24T15:05:00.001-05:00

After spending 5 and a half HOURS in the elementary school library sorting out the books and reshelving, we decided to move them around. Whew! Talk about some serious work!

Today I think I'm going to work on Brightneedle's 'Lo How a Rose' WIP just to relax. Here's a picture of the work I've done on it as of late. I'll update more later.

Wow, look at me blogging!

2006-08-23T22:50:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it? I'm new to the whole thing but hope to learn fairly quick. Thanks to Leah and Lara, I just HAD to give this a try. I'll have to play around with this more tomorrow and try to upload pictures. How exciting!