Keep forgetting.....

to update this thing!!!

Here's the latest on Circle of Friends. I haven't stitched on it in a couple of weeks. Need to get this one back in the rotation.


Circle of Friends by Mirabilia

And here's a finish!!!! Three more letters to go!!! YEAH!!!!

W is for Welcome by Prairie Schooler
Started on 5/10/10, finished on 6/5/10
Stitched on 28 ct evenweave fiddlers cloth

W is for Welcome

We had a rainy, crappy weekend!! And as rainy and crappy as it was, I didn't get anywhere near the amount of stitching done as I thought I would.

I did see Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys". As much as I like his movies, this one left me wanting more. It was choppy and the characters didn't seem as developed as they should've been. I was almost bored with this movie.



Took yesterday off to bring my mom to the orthopedic doctor to get her MRI results on her knee. She's going to need a knee arthroscopy. So, we've scheduled that for June 1st. Her doctor said this treatment works on about 80% of the patients. I'm hoping mom's in that number!!! She's not a spring chicken anymore so I'm kinda worried about her recovery time, but she's a strong and stubborn woman. So, I'm sure that will help her!!

Could not help myself!!!!

I started off with great intentions when I decided to start working on my UFO/WIP projects, but I fell off the wagon barely 3 weeks into it :( I worked on The Phoenix for a couple of days and BoINK maybe once and I was done! I felt "startitis" rearing its head. And y'all know once that happens, there's no ignoring the voice. So, I started W is for Welcome by Prairie Schooler. I've only got 4 letters to go to finish the alphabet! That was all the push I needed to start W!! So, here's where I left off Sunday.

Has anyone seen the musical "Nine" with Daniel Day-Lewis, Kate Hudson and a slew of other actresses?? I was just amazed at the pipes these women had! And who knew that Judi Dench could sing?? It was a fantastic, ensemble cast and an enjoyable movie.

I read like a mad dog last week. I read Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. Now this was one crazy read! What an imagination!! If you like ghosts/paranormal type reads, you may want to read this. I also read Blinding Mirror by Shelley Halima. Very fast paced! Some parts were highly disturbing, but what I enjoyed most was how much I detested one of the main characters!! I don't think I'd ever say that, but Shelley wrote it very well. She needs to hurry so I can delve into the sequel. Now I'm reading Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. I'm thoroughly enjoying this one, but how can I not?? It's Jodi Picoult after all!!!

Progress!!!!

This has been one of my stitchiest weekends by far!!! I basically did nothing but stitch and watch movies for 2 days. Loved it!!!

I saw The Lovely Bones....very sad and poignant movie. I didn't read the book (could NOT get into it!!). I think I got through maybe 3 chapters and put it away. So I don't know how closely the movie followed. The ending sort of had me confused though. I saw I Could Never Be Your Woman with Michelle Pfieffer and Paul Rudd (who I adore!!!). It was directed by the same lady that made Clueless (which I LOVE!!!). The movie was very silly and had some laugh out loud parts, but I couldn't help but finish watching it....LOL Then I got sucked into The Pacific, the mini-series on HBO. Wow!!! What an intense, beautifully done show. I'm not a big war type movie watching gal so I was very surprised how much I enjoyed it. I got through the first 6 parts and stayed up late Saturday and Sunday to watch it.

Here's the latest on Circle of Friends. I'm really enjoying this one!!!



Circle of Friends by Mirabilia


And here's the 6th part of the 7 Chakras. One more to go!!!!


7 Chakras

This week I plan on working on The Phoenix. It's so close to being done. Let's see how far I get this week on it.

Present to me!!!!

Isn't it just purty???? I LOVE it!!!! And I've got it hanging now. I left work for a few minutes today to go pick it up.....couldn't wait till I got off to pick it up!! I think my framer at Acadian Corner did a fantabulous job!! Michelle always does though :)

Circle of Friends....

Really think this one's finally looking like something...like a dress!!!! LOL Being put on the side till next weekend.

What shall I stitch on this week????

Quiltmaker update....

I was a good girl and worked on the Quiltmaker UFO/WIP all last week. Once I started stitching on it, I didn't want to stop....LOL I think I made great progress. You can see the last update of her here.

Baby stashing.....

I went to my LNS Saturday afternoon to get "Whatever" framed. I cannot wait to see it framed!! It's going to look soooo cute!!! While she was figuring out what my totals were, I wandered around and this chart happened to catch my eye and just had to buy it...Mississippi Riverboat. Don't know when I'll get around to actually stitching it though.

I was a good girl and stitched some on Circle of Friends. I don't think I stitched the 20x20 section, but I was itching to get to Quiltmaker. What I think I'm going to try to do is dedicate a week to each of my UFOs (do we still call them UFOs when they're getting worked on??) and see how far I get before I HAVE to start something new or go crazy....whichever comes first!!!

Whatever...........

So, when gathering up my UFOs to show to y'all yesterday, I ran across this cute freebie. For those of you that know me KNOW that it's totally me! I couldn't resist stitching it up! This one will be getting framed ASAP and I'm putting it on top of my hutch at work. It'll come in handy on those days when people start aggravating the crap out of me. I'm sure it'll be flashed OFTEN!!!!


Whatever by Lizzie Kate
Stitched on 32 ct Natural Belfast Linen
Started on 4/15/10, finished on 4/16/10

UFOs

So, TDee "motivated" us in her group to show our UFOs and actually (maybe!) work on them!! Ha! Well, here are mine....


Yin Yang by Cross-Stitch Art


Quiltmaker by Lavender & Lace



The Phoenix by Landmark Tapestries

This is an MSAL by Book of Ink Circles

Angel of Summer by Lavender & Lace

7 Chakras by Cross-Stitch Art

I do hope to make some kind of headway on these by year's end. I don't think it's my fault that I have startitis and no finishitis!!!!

Quilting........

is DONE!!!!!! Forgive the picture....again...too lazy to do it in proper lighting. Sue me...I'm wayyyyy lazy!!!! LOL

So, what should I work on next??? I suppose I should be a good girl and work on all the UFOs I've got circulating around me.....




Quilting by LHN
Stitched on 28 ct cream quaker linen
Started on 3/2/10, finished on 4/14/10

Nouveau flowers I.....

Forgive the picture quality....took it with my BlackBerry. But I wanted to take a picture of it before I shipped it off and I forgot to do it when I was home. Box is all packed up and ready to go. Of course, I haven't made it to the post office yet! LOL It's been packed up for about a week.

I think my framer did an excellent job as always!! I'd love to get everything I stitched framed, but I haven't won the lottery yet....dammit!!!!!

New WIP & SAL

My cross stitch group decided to start an SAL....not like I don't have enough projects going now! LOL We're doing Circle of Friends by Mirabilia. It's a sweet piece and just right for our group, since we're all such good friends :) We're doing 20x20 sections each week. So, I should be just about right for this week. I'm stitching it on 28 ct linen and the color is star sapphire. It's a very pale greenish/grayish/blue colored fabric. Of course, you can't tell in the picture below...LOL




I also did some gardening last week. I had well established rosebushes and hibuscus that I'd planted when I first moved into my house over two years ago. But the harsh winter we had did them in. Or so I thought. I just yanked everything out except for one rosebush. It wasn't till everything was pulled out and in the trash that my mom decides to mention that maybe I should've waited to see if they would've come back :( Anyways I bought more rosebushes and hibuscus. I find those the easiest to grow and take care of....just water and go! LOL


I did prune this one though. It was wild and out of control!!!

Cosmos...can't wait to see what these do!!!!

Hibuscus

I do need to buy one more rosebush and a couple more hibuscus to even the garden out. Other than that, my garden is done!!!!

Easter Weekend update....

Well, I can honestly say that I didn't do not one thing Easter-ish this weekend. I honestly didn't do much of anything besides stitch and porch time! And it was wonderful!!

I did finish River Plantation. I loved the way it turned out!!! A friend pulled out her UFOs and got me thinking about mine (thanks, TDee....LOL). So, I pulled out Angel of Summer. Put one string in it and had enough....LOL!!! I will try to be a bit more conscientous of those poor, deprived souls and get some strings in them and see how far I get.



River Plantation by 2010 Cross Stitch Pattern a Day Calendar
Stitched on 28 ct jobelan
Started on 3/10/10, finished 4/4/10

So, then I pulled out Quilting by LHN. I love these projects! So fun and and they finish so fast!! Hopefully, this will be done by this week.

Quilting by LHN

I did do some movie watching yesterday. I saw Twilight: New Moon. I actually liked the first one much better. Bella's getting to that whiny stage that aggravated me throughout all the books. Reading about it and actually seeing it.....two totally different things! LOL But Jacob??? Wow!! He was just GORGEOUS!!! So, that made the movie worthwhile for me :) I also saw District 9. Ehhhh....did NOT like "interview style" of the movie at all!! I was sooo rooting for those aliens, too. Humans were just horrible to those poor things!!!

Weekend update.....

Sometimes being a woman sucks major ass!!!!! I've been having pretty bad cramps the past couple of months right around that lovely time of the month. Well, week before last it left me doubled over in pain. So, I go to the "lady doctor" last Thursday. She does her exam and says, "Well, I don't feel anything". I'm thinking, "Of course, YOU don't!" So, she tells me that I need to get a transvaginal ultrasound to get a "better picture". Yay!!! Sigh....

I was able to my results the next day by my doctor's nurse. The doctor, of course, is off on Fridays (nice, right???) And those results.....2 cysts on my left ovary about 2 cm big. I sort of immediately freak out. So, I ask the nurse what my options are. She advises me that I can either get on the pill (NOT!!!) or they can be surgically removed. Not really happy with either of those choices so I tell the nurse to have the doctor call me Monday, which would be today.

I tried not to have that crap weigh me down too much this weekend. Which I've got to tell you is kinda hard because the "C" word flashes through my head with regularity especially when I was in major pain most of yesterday. I did, on the other hand, manage to get lots of stitching done as you can see below....

I also saw "Men Who Stare at Goats" with George Clooney. What an oddball film that had me rolling!!! Those of you that know me know that I LOVE GC. He can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. And this movie showed how truly versatile he is!!! See this film, peeps! Promise you won't regret it. I'm also way in love with The Tudors! What a despicable, decadent, sexy fun show to watch. I've got 2 more seasons to catch up to this season. Any of y'all fans?

My doctor does call me bright and early this morning. She tells me that I've got simple cysts that are very common and nothing to be too concerned about. They form and for the most part go away on their own. So, she told me to call later in the week to let her know how I'm feeling. And if I'm still in pain, we'll go from there. In the meantime, I just get to suffer, I guess :( I've been using those Thermacare heat patches faithfully for the past couple of days. And they do help, but then you get those sucker punches and you're like, "Good God Almighty!!" I just hope that these two intruders disappear quickly!!

Update........

Forgive the horrendous picture, but I wasn't in the mood to retake it! LOL There is no pink in the khaki fabric. I'm so glad to have the house finished. And I think those trees look pretty cute even though I had to frog each one twice! Why does that happen on the most simplest of designs????

I had a pretty lazy weekend. I mostly just watched movies and stitched. I saw 2012. Ehhh...wasn't too impressed. I still think Day After Tomorrow rules for disaster movies. I also saw Love Happens with Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. I really like both actors, but there didn't seem to be much chemistry between them. I did like the story line though. What good movies have y'all seen lately that you might want to recommend? I'm always on the lookout for new movies to add to my Netflix queue.

River Plantation....

When I started this project, I didn't think of all the WHITE in the damn house!! LOL Well, the white is done and now onto the cream...sigh.... Having said that, I have to admit that I am enjoying stitching it!

Monday night we FINALLY closed in the refinance. This has only been a 10 month ordeal. Between Countrywide selling my loan to Bank of America, BoA tossed my file to 3 different loan processors within a 6 month period. Really?!?!?!?! To say that I was beyond pissed is putting it very mildly!! But it's done and over with and I don't have to make a payment till May!! And I was told to not pay March. So, I plan on paying off at least 3 credit cards between now and then. Time to get out from under that choke hold!!!





I did make it to to my LNS on Saturday. I brought in the project below to get matted and framed. Mom wanted it for a birthday present for a dear friend of hers. So, while there I was perusing their sale items and bought Piecekeepers I. And the only other thing I bought was 3 skeins of DMC thread. Not bad, right???

Another one.....

So, this was yesterday's pattern of the day. Bad picture, I know, but you get the gist. It's called River Plantation and I couldn't resist starting it yesterday. Yes, I've got about 20 WIP coming out of the yin yang, but I had a moment of weakness. So, sue me :)


Here's what I've got done so far from yesterday. I was hoping to stitch it on a blue/gray colored fabric, but I didn't have any. So, I chose this khaki color instead. What do y'all think??

Quilting.....

So, today's Wednesday and it seems like the week's never going to end!!! Do not like weeks like this.

I've started Quilting by LHN. I'm sooo loving these patterns. Again I don't have the CC threads that came with the kit. So, the colors don't actually match, but I think they're OK. Not fond of that yellow in the middle of the quilt, but I'm so not frogging all of that! LOL

Spring is in the air......

I am soooooooooooo over this damn winter! I know we southerners don't get anywhere as bad as you northern birds, but this has been a very cold winter for us. But I do believe that spring is finally upon us! It's actually supposed to get up in the 70s this weekend. I cannot wait!!!! Not getting here fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

As you see, I finished V is for Vineyard....finished it last night. I can see the light at the end of this alphabetic tunnel!!! LOL

I started Quilting by LHN. I don't have the Crescent Colour Threads that go with it, but a friend gave me great estimations. I'm sure this will be a quick stitch. Then onto W is for Welcome.


V is for Vineyard by Prairie Schooler
Stitched on 28 ct evenweave fiddlers cloth
Started on 1/31/10....finished on 3/2/10

V is for Vineyard....

Here's my latest WIP...of course, the pic's about a week old...LOL. I just can't get seem to update this damn blog on a timely basis!!! I also want to get in the groove of reading your blogs on a regular basis like I was doing. I'm gonna try my damndest to do just that :) I want you to know that I read all your comments and I appreciate every single one of them!!



V is for Vineyard by Prairie Schooler
Stitched on 28 ct eveneweave
Started on 1/30/10

3rd finish of the year

Managed to finish one more for the month of January. I loved stitching this one....so easy...almost like it was stitching itself.

I'm hoping to start V tomorrow while watching season 5 of Weeds. I LOVE this show...so whacky and wonderfully written!!




Gentleness by Little House Needleworks

Stitched on 28 ct hand dyed jobelan clay

Stitched with Crescent Color Floss

Started on 1/20/10, finished on 1/30/10

Stash shopping and 2nd finish.....

I went on vacation to Arizona last week to see one of my BFFs. Although the trip wasn't nearly long enough, we had a great time!! She was able to take Wednesday off and we had a girly day. We were able to her LNS, Needlers Nest, and I walked out with these patterns/kits. The kits were 15% off, too. I think all of these fit me to a "T". After that we hit her favorite place, The Olive Garden, which was delish. I can gorge myself on the salad and breadsticks and never get sick of it!! LOL

Gentle Heart

2007 Collector's Heart

Sunburst

Tiffany Poppies


I had every intention of finishing "U" while I was out there, but I didn't bring any 3371 with me and it just happened that TDee didn't have any either. So, I finished it earlier this week.

I would've finished it Sunday, but I couldn't while watching the Saints/Vikings game. That game was so damn intense. No way in hell that I was able to stitch!!! It was a nail biter and I can't tell you how thrilled I am that the boys pulled it off! We are going to make our first Super Bowl appearance EVER!!!! This city was on fire after winning the NFC Championship Sunday night. People were hooting and hollering in the street, fireworks going off and "Who Dat?" chants everywhere. It was just amazing!! This city is totally pumped and we can hardly wait for February 7th!!!

First finish for 2010

My first finish for 2010! And barely 3 weeks in! LOL

A friend of mine sent me this LHN pattern, but no Crescent Colours thread because, of course, she had used them. So, I had a friend of mine help me with substituting DMC for the CC threads. It's not as bright as the original colors are, but I think it came out pretty good. There was a bit of frogging to do because the color we originally picked was all wrong for the hair and arms. So, a substitution was made and there you have it.

Gardening by Little House Needleworks
Stitched on 28 ct off white linen with DMC thread
Started on 1/10/10, finished on 1/17/10.




I've been officially on vacation since yesterday, Saturday, and I'm leaving tomorrow to fly to AZ to visit with her. Hopefully, I'll come back with another finish :) I've packed U is for Unlocked and another LHN project to work on during the week.

I'll be coming home just in time to see the Saints kick some Viking ass! Watching the game last night was sooooooooo much fun. To see the Saints so pumped and playing so damn well does a heart good. After the game, my neighbors were shooting fireworks to celebrate the win. One more game and we'll be Super Bowl bound! Miami better roll out the red carpet for my boys :)

First 2010 update!!!!

Happy 2010, folks!!!! I hope y'all have a happy and healthy upcoming year!!! Did anyone make any resolutions?? I don't make any cuz I never stick to them! LOL

Here's the latest on U is for Unlocked.

I haven't stitched in over a week because I decided to crochet a blanket. It's navy blue and done in all double crochet. And that's cuz I don't remember any of the other stitches!! I had to go to youtube to remind me how to do a damn slipknot! LOL I'll take a picture of it when it's further along.