Thursday, March 30, 2006

Total Chaos

Things around my house are in total chaos! Our lives have been turned completely upside down. I had said a while back that some things were happening at my job that were looking positive. That isn't the case now! About 2 months ago my boss told me that the owner was selling the apartments. I was told that if the apartments sold I could either go with the new company or stay with old and transfer to another complex to manage. Either way I would not lose my job and Mike wouldn't lose his job either.

Last Friday I get a phone call from a lady informing me that the take over was going to take place this week or next week. She also informed me that they wanted to do a phone interview with Mike and me on Monday. So for the whole weekend I worried about doing the interview. The interview went fine and we told her we had to think about it. After doing some majoring talking in between Mike and I we decided that it would be better for us just to stay with the old company and transfer across town.

This is where everything started to take a bad turn. We told my boss that we wanted to stay on with him. At that point is when the shoe dropped. That is when I found out that the other property was being sold, too! We had to take a step back and rethink our options. We could either stay here and work for the new company or we could move to NW Arkansas where my husband has a job if he wants it.

We have gone thru and looked at the pros and cons of each job and have decided to move to NW Arkansas. It wasn't a hard choice since my FIL lives in Arkansas. The hard part is getting everything ready to move 500 miles! My stomach is in knots over this whole ordeal. If I make it thru this with all of my hair left on head I will be amazed!

Easter Exchange for Becky

With all the above going on is why I haven't been able to work on my stitching. I did receive word yesterday from Becky that she received my exchange. I stitched the Passione Ricamo freebie on some evenweave that I dyed golden yellow. I made it into a wall hanging and I added some tassels to the corners. I had a wonderful time working on it and only had a few arguements with the tassels. LOL

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Easter Exchange From Laurie

I am sorry I haven't been too chatty this week but I have been dealing with some stressful things which is having a direct result on me stitching. So today when I received my Easter Exchange in the mail from Laurie it really brightened my day up!

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She stitched Bunny's Tail from Twisted Threads and made it into a beautiful pillow for me. I love it!!

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She also included these wonderful goodies for me. Laurie is the sweetest person! She even sent the little treat bags for my kids. Now they think she is the coolest person. Thank you Laurie!! You really spoiled me. :)

Monday, March 27, 2006

It Made It Home!

After the stressful day today I was so happy to see a package in my mailbox. I got my first RR back today! It is really gorgeous! Vash, Jo, Cathy and Renee all did an excellent job on it for me. For my theme I choose the Elemental Dragons freebies from Dragon Dreams. Aren't they adorable?!


I am thinking about having this one framed for myself. :) I just can't get over how beautiful it turned out! Again, thank you ladies for doing such an awesome job for me.

Peace and Quiet

It is Monday and I finally have some peace and quiet time! I was going to work on Laurie's RR yesterday but I decided to work on Our Days some more since I need to have it completely finished and mailed by April 14. (at the very latest!) Tonight I will be working on Woodland Faerie. I am really starting to enjoy working on her now that I am done with the one over one stitching. LOL



Leslie-I used a little of laundry soap and a infants toothbrush with warm water to get the soda stain out of the fabric. When I am finished with a piece (before I add the beads) I also always wash it. Hands get dirty so easy and even if it looks clean to me I still have to wash it.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Things Don't Always Go As Planned

Well, last night didn't go quite as planned. Mac and Allie's friends ended up not being able to come over for the night. Apparently they got into trouble with their mom and got grounded. LOL..I know exactly how that one goes! Krissy did go to the slumber party but this morning before we came to pick her up she sprained her ankle on the trampoline. It's swollen so she is laid up on the couch, foot in the air and controlling the TV.

I forgot to post a progress picture of Deepest Love this week. I am really loving this one and can't wait to see it completed! I am going to work on Our Day some more today. Tomorrow I will be working on Laurie's final square on her RR for the SBEBB.

Friday, March 24, 2006

TGIF

It has been a good but very long day. I had to work at the office all day plus still do my normal running around. It didn't look like it was going to be a good day but it turned out to be a pretty good day. It started with my boss informing me I was staying until close today. Fridays are extremely slow ( I had a total of 2 phone calls) so at least I was going to be able to get some stitching done in peace and quiet. I started working on Our Days until around 1pm when I managed to spill a little of my soda pop on the fabric. I managed to get the spot cleaned but the fabric was wet so I couldn't work on it anymore for the day. This is as far as I got today.

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So, I guess the day didn't turn out too bad.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Report Card Time

My kids brought their report cards home yesterday. As a proud Mom I get to brag! All three of my kids made the honor roll. :D It didn't surprise me that Krissy and Allie made the honor roll as they both have always made excellent grades. On the other hand, Mac struggles in Reading and Math so I was just hoping for C's. I nearly fainted when I opened up his report card to see all A's and B, even in Reading and Math!! Last quarter Mac had a 78 % in Reading and brought it up to 92 %.

It looks like I am going to have a full weekend ahead of me. Krissy is going to a slumber/birthday part for her friend tomorrow night. I don't envy her mom either! There are going to be eight 12 year old pre-teens at the slumber party. Mac and Allie are each having a friend spend tomorrow night so hopefully it will be somewhat peaceful so I can get some stitching done.

With all the excitement of the great grades I didn't get a lot of stitching done on Woodland Faerie but some is better than none. :)

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Wednesday, March 22, 2006

SBQ of the Week

Today's SBQ was suggested by Carol and is:

Have you ever participated in a needlework mystery (i.e., a design that you started before knowing how it will look in the end and by which you receive parts of the design via the internet, magazines, or leaflets at spaced intervals)? If so, why did you decide to do the mystery? What appealed to you about it? Did you enjoy it? If you have not done a mystery, would you ever do one?

I have thought about stitching a mystery series but that is as far as I have gotten.


I was able to get a little more stitching done on A Time For Everything last night. Next week I will be able to start stitching on the winter scarecrow. Tonight I will be stitching on Woodland Faerie. Normally, I would be working on The Fortunate Traveler but I missed working on WF Monday night.

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Tuesday, March 21, 2006

A Great Mail Day!

This week is going really great. I opened my mailbox to discover this wonderful hanging from Joanie for the Lottery Exchange. I love it! It is so pretty. She also sent me a small pattern and a notepad which both will get used. :) I love all of it!! Thank you so much, Joanie!


I have been working on A Time For Everything SAL with Becky today. I haven't got a lot done so far but I am planning on working on it some more tonight.

Monday, March 20, 2006

I did it! I finished Herbs & Spices tonight! I was able to get a lot of stitching in today because the kids went back to school and it was raining all day long. It feels good to finish one of my large projects. :) For the time being I am going to work on Our Days on Fridays.

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Now I am off to look for a new large project for that spot!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

A Glitter Surprise

Friday is my normal day for bill paying, shopping, etc. So when I got to the store I pulled out my shopping list, grabbed a cart, and was ready to deal with the crowds. I needed some body lotion as I had ran out the night before. I go to the usual spot to get it and to my horror there is an empty space with the word "discontinued" on the shelf! Ughh!

I am not one for experimenting on stuff but I decided to ahead and try a new lotion that I have been thinking about trying. Later that night after I took my bath I used the new lotion and was happy with it UNTIL I happened to notice that there is glitter in the lotion!! Double ughh! So it looks like I am going to have to get used to glitter for awhile or just go and buy something else. My girls are hoping I will go and buy some new lotion as they like the glitter lotion.

Yesterday I worked on Herb & Spices and just about done with the backstitching. I still have some straight stitches, lazy daisies, and french knots to do but I should have it done this week. Since I am caught up on my exchanges and RR's I have decided to go ahead and work on HS until it is finished. It shouldn't take me more than a day or two to finish it (I hope ). I am not for sure what I am going to put in the Friday slot yet.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I didn't get a lot of stitching done last night. My boss managed to tick me off so I was in a foul mood last night. What do I do to get myself out of a foul mood? I clean!! When I finished cleaning I finally sat down to do some stitching, I picked up Deepest Love but it just wasn't working so I decided I needed to work on something that is going to help me get in a better mood. I decided since I was so close to finishing Herbs and Spices that I would work on that for the evening.

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I am not for sure what I am going to work on this weekend. I am going work on whatever screams at me this weekend.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

SBQ of the Week

I worked a little on The Fortunate Traveler today. I finished all the one over one cross stitching so now I am working on the one over one backstitching. I was pretty surprised at how fast I am getting the backstitching done in comparison to the full cross stitches.

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Today's SBQ is:

Do you stitch "over one?" If so, describe your experiences. If not,have you considered it?

I have been doing one over one stitching in 2 of my current WIP's (Woodland Faerie and The Fortunate Traveler). I don't mind to stitch over one because the pain is definitely worth the end result. I have found out that if I stitch over one for too long I end up giving myself a headache. So I tend to stitch a lot slower than I normally would.

A Time For Everything

Last night I worked on A Time For Everything SAL with Becky. It doesn't look like I worked on it very much but I actually did! It took me at least an hour to finish the french knots and lazy daisies on the Autumn scarecrow. Then when I was working on the tree I messed up so I ended up ripping most of it out and restitching the tree. Tonight, I will be finishing the one over one stitching on The Fortunate Traveler.

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Tuesday, March 14, 2006

You Are Kermit
Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

She has hair!

I have to say I had a pretty good day of stitching on Woodland Faerie. I got her hair finished and most of her dress done. I didn't want to put her away tonight! I was enjoying stitching on her that I didn't even pick up Our Days. I kept telling myself I can make it up over the weekend. :)

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Monday, March 13, 2006

Good Stitching

I got some good stitching time in this evening. This pattern is stitching pretty fast. Since the kids are on Spring Break this week I am hoping to get a good amount of stitching done. I would like to work on this piece just a little each day so I can get it done and sent off in time for my mom's anniversary.

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Today I will work on Woodland Faerie with Christine D. I am really looking forward to stitching on her this week since I have all the one over one stitching done. I am not for sure how much I will get done as we are supposed to be getting another round of bad storms sometime today.

My heart and prayers go out to the people of Centerton Arkansas whose homes were destroyed in the storm last night. This hits close to home as we used to live in that area. That is the area where my husband's family lives. I have been able to talk to one of my friend's and her house and vehicle were pretty banged up but they were all fine.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Catching Up

I got some good stitching time in Friday night and yesterday afternoon! Friday was my regular day to work on Herbs & Spices. I finished the cinnamon and cloves and started on the dill. That left me with the dill to finish, garlic and chives. When I got ready to stitch yesterday I decided that I wanted to go ahead and finish the stitching on Herb & Spices and I did! :) Now all I have left to do is the backstitching and it will be done.

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After that was done I still had plenty of time to work on Renee's RR. I had started working on this last weekend but I didn't get too far. Isn't this teapot cute? :)

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Today I am going to work on Our Days. I really need to get moving on this one since I need to have it done next month.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

I stitched on Deepest Love last night until I ran out of DMC 503. Looks like a trip to the LNS sometime this weekend. :D


It was an interesting afternoon yesterday. The kids were let out of school early because a bad storm was headed our way. It finally got here about 3:00 pm and made its presence known. Another reason why I am not fond of spring..Tornadoes! The winds were pretty strong. They were bending the tops of trees, shingles were flying everywhere and it was raining so hard that I couldn't see the office across the street! To top it off the sirens start going off. Luckily the storm didn't do any major damage in our town. Although when we did go out later we discovered that a tree branch had fallen and had missed my daughters' window by inches. Whew, that was a close one!

As of right now we don't have any big plans for this weekend. That could change since once the kids get out of school they will be on Spring Break. I have a feeling my house will be full of kids before the weekend it over.

Have a Great Weekend! :)

So Close..

I was feeling better last evening so I went ahead and worked on The Fortunate Traveler. I finished the verse! I am so close to having all the one over one stitching done. All I have left to do is a vine looking thing at the bottom and it will be done.

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Today's SBQ is:

Do you have an organizational system for your patterns? If so, how do you organize them? If not, have you considered organizing them?

Yep, I do but I call it more of an organized chaos. LOL I keep my freebies in 2 binders and right now they are divided by website. However, I am getting ready to re-organize them by their theme. I tend to stitch by season or holiday so it will just be easier for me.

Now my charts I keep them in 2 different file boxes. One box is for already stitched patterns and the other is for new patterns. I find doing it this way has helped me from buying the same pattern twice. I also have the patterns for RR's & Exchanges grouped together by theme. However, on the large patterns I keep them grouped by designer. Like I said, it is an organized chaos but it works for me. :)

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Adopt A Stitcher Package

Well, first off I am sad to sad to say that I didn't get any stitching done yesterday. I woke up feeling awful and within minutes I was headed to the bathroom and it wasn't to clean it either! Nothing I ate or drank would stay down so I spent all day in bed dozing on and off. Around 7 pm I was finally able to keep some water down so I didn't push my luck with food besides I really wasn't hungry anyways. I am feeling a little better today but still have a queasy stomach.

Harsha received her Adopt A Stitcher package so I can finally show a picture. I stitched The Dance of the Bumblebee from Bent Creek on some 28 count evenweave that I dyed. I did change the color of the flower from blue to purple so that it match the fabric I picked to use for the finishing. I finished it into a flatfold by using Kim's instructions.

This was my first attempt at a flatfold so I was quite pleased how it turned out. If I hadn't picked this particular piece to stitch for Harsha I would have kept it myself!

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Tuesday, March 07, 2006

One over is Done!

Last night I finished all the one over one stitching! Yippie!! At 11:30 pm I was dancing around the house because I was so happy. I can't wait to work on her next week!

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The official countdown has begun for Spring Break. My kids officially start their break Friday afternoon. To be exact they will be home from school for 9 days. It not that they will be home but that Spring Break means the end of the 3rd quarter so they only have 9 weeks of school left before Summer Break! Didn't they just start the school year?

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Lazy Day

Yesterday was pretty much a lazy day for me. Which was good since I woke up to a bad sinus headache from allergies. The main thing I did yesterday was a trip to Wal-Mart to pick up some floss and other stuff. Big surprise they didn't have half of the colors I needed. At first I was going to wait till later in the week to make a trip out to the LNS but I changed my mind. I picked up the rest of my floss, 2 packs MH beads for future projects, 2 spools Kreinik BF, box fabric dye, and Dragon of the Summer Sky by Dragon Dreams. I originally only went there for 5 skeins of floss! LOL

I was able to get a good amount done on Our Days.

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Saturday, March 04, 2006

I worked on Herbs & Spices last evening. I started and finished the red pepper. I would have worked on finishing the cinnamon and cloves but I am out of a color that is needed for it. That is twice that has happened to me this week so I guess I will have to make a run to the LNS for some DMC floss.

My plans for this weekend involve stitching and more stitching! I am planning on working on Our Days for a while today. Tomorrow I plan to start on Renee's RR. Since this is the last round in the RR I would like to get her fabric finished and mailed back to her as soon as I can.

Friday, March 03, 2006

I actually got some decent stitching time in yesterday! I didn't think I was going to be able to do a lot of stitching since Mike and Krissy were both home sick again. I was able to work on her veil some and then realized I had made a mistake in the vines so I ended up ripping out about 30 stitches.

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Today I will be working on Herbs & Spices. I am not sure how much time I will get to stitch on her. After I get done at work I have to go to Mac's school and take him to the book fair and buy some new books. After we leave the book fair I am supposed to pick up one of his little friends for a sleep-over. I still have to go do the weekly grocery shopping and clean the house. Looks like it is going to be a busy day for me!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

SBQ of the Week

Today's SBQ was suggested by Cheryl and is:

What cross-stitch magazines or other publications (as opposed to blogs) do you read on a regular basis? What do you like about them?What do you not like? What would your perfect publication include?

When I purchase a stitching magazine I look for at least 2 patterns that I will stitch but if there isn't at least 2 I won't buy it. There are months when I don't purchase any magazine because nothing appealed to me. I love the patterns the most but I also love the finishing ideas/instructions. My "perfect" magazine would be full of patterns with finishing instructions from the front cover to the very last page.

I was all geared up yesterday to finish the verse on The Fortunate Traveler and then I discovered I had ran out of the green I was using! Ugh! I was not making a trip to the store just for one little skein of floss. I did put in a few stitches but nothing really noticeable. I am hoping to work on it some this weekend to make up for yesterday.

Today I will be working on Deepest Love. Yea!! For some reason I find stitching this pattern soothing to stitch. I think it is the combination of the colors that relaxes me so much.

After school was let out the kids and I took our dog outside to play Frisbee when I noticed these flowers on the other side of the fence. Actually, I think they bloomed last week but it was raining most of the time so I couldn't get a good picture.

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Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Spring is Here

Things are starting to look like Spring here in Mississippi. The grass is starting to pop up in patches of green and the trees are starting to get leaves. Out of all the seasons, Spring is my least favorite. There is only one reason why I don't like Spring and it is.....ALLERGIES. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just me dealing with allergies but Mike and the kids have them too!
I had to take Mac to the dr's office yesterday because he has been fighting another ear infection. He has always had problems with his ears ever since he was born. It seems like we get it cleared up only to have it come back worse than before. We have his hearing checked regularly just because he has so many a year. I get to blame Mike's genes on that one! When Mike was growing up he had bad problems with his ears and still does to this day. At one point the dr's put tubes in Mike's ears to help but they didn't help in fact they did more damage than anything. Once the tubes came out Mike had some hearing loss and has never regained his full hearing. So when the dr put the option out for us to have tubes put in Mac's ears Mike said no.
All of this leads to why I didn't get much stitching done yesterday. I backstitched the saying and put in maybe 10 lazy daisies on A Time For Everything. I am planning on at least finishing the verse up tonight on The Fortunate Traveler. :D