And That's All I Have To Say About That

Happy Dance x2!

2012-01-11T10:04:00.001-06:00

I finished something. Two somethings, even. Admittedly, neither is a very large project. BUT, my WIP count now goes from 10 to 8. Quite satisfying.

Here's Autumn Leaves (by From Nancy's Needle), the counted canvas work project I referred to in yesterday's post. Belinda has definitely enabled me. I think I'm glad.

I did change the Overture overdyed fiber to Caron's Wildflowers in Fiesta because I wanted more of an autumn palette. I did follow the directions so that each of the leaves show near identical color changes, but I did not do so for the rest of the design. I wanted a more random look.

My other finish is Block B2 of Celtic Quilt by Chatelaine Designs.

Stitched on 32ct Silkweaver solo to match the other blocks. Stitched as charted except for subbing Eterna minitwist silk for the NPI solid color silks (which regular readers know I dislike in texture, sheen and expense). I'm stitching these as individual blocks and then will make them into an actual quilt rather than stitching this as one huge design. I now have six of sixteen blocks completed.

As I said, I now have 8 WIPs. One I can probably finish in an evening, should I be so motivated. I'm trying to tell myself I have to finish it before I can start the preparatory stitching on the DebBee's Designs class project I signed up for yesterday. Three finishes in one month are definitely worth a new start, don't you think?

New Obsession

2012-01-10T15:12:00.000-06:00

And, this one is not my fault. It's Belinda's. After seeing her wonderful finish of Autumn Leaves designed by From Nancy's Needle (scroll down her blog page to see it), I *had* to stitch it. If all goes according to plan, you will see a HD of my rendition of the same design tomorrow. I just couldn't stay awake long enough to finish last night. LSU's dismal performance just sucked the energy out of me.

Autumn Leaves is my first real venture into counted canvas work. I'd wanted to try it for a while, and just never made the leap. I've really enjoyed this piece. It's a good first one. But, in typical Cheryl style, I find myself wanting the next canvas work project to be more challenging. So, today, I found myself signing up for this class to be taught at my LNS that specializes in needlepoint:

Isn't it fabulous? It's Diamond Delight 9 by DebBee's Designs. The LNS owner is going to help me change the colors to more autumn tones as the purple really isn't my style. However, I really love the different techniques and stitches. And, I'll be using a wide variety of fibers, some of which I've never used before. I should get the supplies to do the prestitching sometime next week. I'm super excited!!!

Thus, a new obsession is born. :-)

2011 Stitching Goals - EPIC FAIL; 2012???

2012-01-04T17:39:00.000-06:00

So, the only 2011 goal I managed to achieve was to attend 4 Moonlight Stitching events at my LNS. The rest? Well, let's call it a "rebuilding year". After all, that's what the NFL teams say when they have a disappointing season, right? Yeah.

Of course, a status report on 2011 goals brings the question of what to do for 2012 to the fore. I can honestly say I have no real idea. There, I said it. I have no real stitching goals. With so many of my friends participating in various WIPocalypse and other SALs and posting lofty goals (on which they are likely to make excellent progress), I feel woefully inadequate.

I've never made so little progress on my goals as I did in 2011. Most of them I never touched on. I realize this is my hobby and it's about the fun. I've never met all of my goals, but I usually bat at least .500 if not better. But, in the vein of "if you first do not succeed, try, try again", here goes nothing.

2012 Stitching/Crafting Goals

~ Make a t-shirt quilt for Diva as a graduation gift.
~ Finish Egypt Garden for DH.
~ Stitch and finish some smalls, new starts and current WIPs.
~ Net reduction in WIPs by year end.
~ Attend bi-monthly Moonlight Stitching at the LNS at least 4 times.

That's all I'm committing to. ;-) The quilt project should be interesting. I'm sort of a newbie quilter. I've been sewing since I was a teenager, but never quilted really. An awesome stitching friend, who also is an amazing quilter, helped me find the t-shirt quilt instructions. They seem easy to follow and fairly simple, so I think I can handle it. And, if I get stuck, I just might know someone who can give me some helpful hints. LOL.

Here's to a more successful stitching year in 2012. I hope it is for all of you, too!

Honey, They're Home!

2011-12-01T15:58:00.003-06:00

My new framer had a nice surprise for me today. It's an overcast day, so I had to use flash and the colors are not quite as true as I'd like (esp. MTM) but I just could not wait to share!

Chatelaine's Medieval Towne Mandala: Mat is linen silk that reflects the light and so picks up all the turquios-y colors in the design. The frame and filet are from the mouldings created for the Biltmore restoration. Will hang in my office at home - the walls are a medium violet/lavender shade.

And Chatelaine's Hanging Gardens of Semiramis: Mat is suede. Will hang in the hall right outside my office at home.

And finally, Chatelaine's Medieval Times. No mat because I love this fabric so very much. Hard to see in this pic how well the reds pop on the fabric. This will either hang in my bedroom or my office. Need to see where I like it best.

Yeah, I stitch.

2011-10-05T18:17:00.003-05:00

And, here's the proof:

First a Happy Dance - Celtic Quilt, Block A4 by Chatelaine Designs

And a progress picture of Egypt Garden, also by Chatelaine Designs

Not so much progress on EG since last photo. Eh, whatever.

Actually, there hasn't been a whole lot of stitching the past few months due to Diva's senior volleyball season. That's winding down, so I'm starting to think about my stitching for the remainder of fall and winter.

I pretty much punted goals for this year. Just didn't happen. As a result, I've felt the lack of direction. Part of my problem is that Nativity Story Table Runner took so much longer to finish than I expected. I've also reached the portion of EG where I get bogged down. Feeling slightly burned out on it. This happened at the same stage when I stitched it before. I need to put it down for a while, but I feel guilty about it. I just need to finish the darn thing already.

There are so many things I want to start!!! Like yesterday. But, I have seven WIP slots, and that is still too many on an ongoing basis. At least for my comfort level.

I need ideas. So, I'm asking for opinions. My current WIPs:

- Egypt Garden by Chatelaine Designs (approx 60% complete)
- Evening in the Park by Chatelaine Designs (approx 60% complete) see a trend here? yeah, the 60% mark is where I tend to get bogged down in just about any BAP. And, I have to confess that I don't really love this design. I like it, and want to finish it. But, I'm not in love.
- Misty Morning Vineyard by Chatelaine Designs (less than 10% complete)
- Celtic Quilt by Chatelaine Designs (5 of 16 blocks complete)
- Elizabethan Sweete Bag by Chatelaine Designs ( 80% complete) Another project I like but no longer love. Hard to get motivated to finish as all that remains is one over one ON BLACK FABRIC.
- English Garden Sampler by Teresa Wentzler (less than 10% complete) I love this. But I hate the slow progress of the confetti stitches. Zaps my motivation. But, I do love the project and the fabric.
- Various Christmas Ornaments - I have several in various stages of completion. I will probably always have an ornament going as they are good travel projects. I just need to be better about actually finishing them.

Things I want to start sooner rather than later:

- I want to stitch the other three seasonal arbor designs by The Drawn Thread. I stitched Autumn Arbor earlier this year and loved it. Took me about 10 days of my stitching time.

- I want to stitch Halloween ornaments/smalls.

- Of course, there is my Stitching Bucket List. It is in need of some revision. But a bit of a moot point right now as I don't want another large or BAP project until I finish at least one more WIP.

So, stitching friends, please help me with ideas. I'm feeling like a sailboat in a calm sea.

2011 Chatelaine Smalls Exchange - PHOTOS!!!!!!!!

2011-08-03T17:59:00.005-05:00

I got a package from Australia!!! Wanna SEEEEE? Silly question. Of COURSE you do!

Yes, I'm a tease. But really, I got a Golden Ticket (apologies to Charlie in the Chocolate Factory)!

There are two, actually. The paper is so shiny. Makes my inner crow positively giddy. :D But, yes, I will open them. Look what Wendy sent me!

And look! There is stitching inside, too!

Excuse my not so stellar photography!

Now you HAVE to see the close up!

Isn't that needlebook to die for?! Wendy's stitching and finishing are just perfect! And, I love the extra goodies she included. A true Chatelaine stitcher, she included a skein of SNC Coastal Seaweed. How many Chatelaine's use that one? And, of course, the needles are much needed and appreciated. I went hunting an #28 just the other day.

The design is the Strawberry freebie recently released by Chatelaine Designs. So fresh and fun! I just love it! AND, I get to claim the honor of posting the first pictures to the Chatelaine BB for the exchange! BONUS!

Thank you SO much, Wendy. I already treasure this needlebook. :D

HUGE Finish!!!!!

2011-07-24T11:41:00.005-05:00

It is done. My daughters are already fighting over who gets it when I die. One had the nerve to ask me to stitch another so they would each have one. I laughed in her face. Told them I'm keeping it until I die, and then I won't care if they fight over it. LOL!

I think if you click the photo, you can see a bigger size on flickr. For the record: By Blackberry Lane Designs. Stitched on Relic 32 ct Belfast Linen by Picture This Plus. Used DMC 780 and PTB PH01 as fibers. Stitched two over two. Finished runner measures 55.5 inches by 18.25 inches. Started January 2010 and completed July 19, 2011 (as part of my rotation; so not stitched exclusively). Oh, and it is COMPLETELY washable (as in the washing machine, washable - yes, I tested that theory).

The finishing was all done by hand using the antique hem stitch. While I've done the regular hem stitch on many occasions, I'd never worked with the antique version before. I really enjoyed it. However, the instructions in the pattern were kind sketchy. I had to find some instructions with diagrams on-line to be able to do it. Even then, I practiced on a scrap of linen first. Mitering the corners was a challenge, too. I'm really glad I practiced that first as I screwed it up the first two times I tried.

I'm damn happy to have this done and ready to grace my dining room table this Christmas!

After finishing one BAP in my rotation, I've given another BAP some love. Here's my most recent progress on Egypt Garden by Chatelaine Designs (stitched on Shortbread Belfast by Country Stitch). The pic doesn't show the light yellow of the fabric, but the fibers are pretty true to color.

I'd been rotating the two projects for the past several months. Now I think I'm going to give EG a bit of a rest. Yes, I got bored. You know how frequently that happens with me. So, as a reward for such a big Happy Dance, I decided I deserved a new start. I've been wanting to stitch some smaller designs, you know, so I actually finish things. I chose Autumn Arbor by The Drawn Thread (stitched on Lemon Meringue 32ct Belfast by Country Stitch using silks as designed).

That's just one night's progress, so I think it will be a pretty quick stitch. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. LOL One thing I'm not sure makes me happy is that the design is stitched with one strand of floss over two threads. I get the delicate look, but I'm used to more coverage than that. Since I am using the silk accessory pack that came with the chart, I decided to stitch as designed so I'd be sure to have enough silk to finish it. I think maybe the look will grow on me.

I do have other stitching and finishes to share, but not yet. Last month, I stitched and finished a lovely piece for the Chatelaine Smalls Exchange. Since it won't be mailed until next week and it needs to be a secret until received by my partner, I can't show you that, yet. You'll have to wait. I also learned a wonderful new-to-me box finishing technique last month from Susan. That finish will be fodder for a future blog post.

More Finishing

2011-06-22T17:09:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, I finished two of the three pieces of Snow Queen's Slipper and Accessories by Carolina House Designs, the slipper itself and the fob. Just have the scissor sheath left to do.

I used the linen and fiber that came with the chart (32ct white linen and Gloriana Summer Sky is the fiber). I will probably give the set to my mother-in-law as either a birthday or Christmas gift this year. She's a stitcher, and she sews. So, I know she'll put them to use.

Thus far, my finishing frenzy seems to be working well. This coming weekend, I will be boxifying Teresa Wentzler's Elf and Flower. Should be an interesting adventure. I'm not making the box from scratch (though learning how is on my to-do list), and it's not a wooden box, either. It is a technique I've not done before. Stay tuned!

Mission Accomplished!

2011-06-06T13:36:00.004-05:00

The first of the "Finish-it Fridays" was a success! My mission was to boxify Vintage Stitches. This is the Olde Colonial Box called for in the pattern. I pinned it using silk pins. And I used acid-free artist tape to secure the excess fabric on the back. I used corner points to mount it in place in the box and then created a dust cover on the back using brown craft paper (just like traditional framers use on the backs of their finished product).

I actually took a half-decent photo. The colors are pretty true on my monitor. Project details: By Jeannette Douglas Designs. Stitched on 32 ct Limestone belfast linen by Country Stitch. All materials as charted. Stitching completed November 2008. Boxification completed June 2011.

I did have one glitch. Initially, I put the paper on the back having forgotten the corner points. I debated leaving them off as it seemed to be holding in place securely. Then one of my daughters decided to slam the lid down. Yeah, it moved out of place. So, I had to rip off the paper, insert the corner points, and re-do the paper backing. At least now, I know it isn't going anywhere.

No idea what this week's finishing project will be. You'll have to stay tuned!

Hello, World!

2011-05-18T16:59:00.003-05:00

I'll spare you the excuses and promises. Life happened. It will happen again. Meanwhile, there will be blog posts. So, without further ado:

I have a finish to share! I stitched this earlier in the year for my cousin and her new husband as a wedding gift. The design is based on JBW Designs' Golden Hearts which I personalized with a random font I liked. I also changed all the colors to match the Mardi Gras theme of their wedding (awesomely fun reception, I might add). It's stitched on 32 ct. cream belfast linen (which was supposed to be 36 ct, but the LNS had it mislabeled, so I couldn't add all the personalization I wanted to). I laced it and mounted it in this box.

I have another finish and some WIP progress to share, too. But, I need fodder for other blog entries, so you don't get those today!

I'm also going to start a new venture soon. I have lots of projects laying around for which the stitching has been finished, but the project hasn't been "finished" (i.e. made into it's final form). There used to be a thread on The Wagon BB called "Finish-it Fridays" in which we would post about finishing plans for the weekend, and then come back with photos of what we accomplished. I found that thread very inspirational, and I'd like to revive that theme. I'm still working out the details, as well a compiling my list of projects to finish. But, Finish-it Fridays will be returning in some form in the not too distant future! Get ready to ornamentify and observe my attempts at boxification, among other endeavors.

As if I've not got enough on my plate, I am also hosting the Second Annual Chatelaine Smalls Exchange on the Chatelaine BB. Check it out, if you have an interest.

I'm DANCIN'!!!!!!!

2010-12-23T21:15:00.002-06:00

Medieval Town Mandala is FINISHED!!! I put on the last bead at 10:57 pm last night (12/22/10). I think I've been working on this for about four years. Guestimate I spent 350-400 hours stitching this one. Those towns are some pretty dense stitching. Fabric is 32ct belfast linen in Oyster by Country Stitch. As usual, I converted the NPI's to Eterna minitwist silk for all of the solid shades. Otherwise stitched as designed.

I am so unbelievably HAPPY!!!! Now on to NSTR!

What to do, what to do?

2010-12-17T10:31:00.009-06:00

As I near completion of two BAP happy dances, my thoughts have inevitably turned to which projects should be my next focus and stitching/crafting goals for next year. I do view year-long goals as somewhat-changeable entities, recognizing that shit happens and sometimes you just want to change your mind. My 2010 goals and their related progress evidenced this quite well:

2010 Stitching Goals
Finish Hanging Gardens of Semiramis - Completed 5/28/10
Start Nativity Story Table Runner and stitch on it every month with the goal of finishing by year end - Stitched on it every month except May
Finish Medieval Town Mandala - On track to finish by Christmas!
Stitch Dragon Dreams' Fantasy Wedding Blessing for my cousin - nope! Decided not to do this
Start one project from my Stitching Bucket List - decided to postpone this until I finish NSTR.
Stitch three ornaments Changing this to three "smalls" - completed one in May - others in process!
Stitch as much from stash as possible If I buy it, then it is part of my stash
Attend Quilt Festival in Houston - Mission accomplished!
Attend bi-monthly Moonlight Stitching 4 of 6 sessions attended Jan. and July. All the other months I had conflicts.

When MTM and NSTR are completed, I will have 8 WIPs remaining. I'd really love to have that number to 5 or less by the end of 2011. But then, there are new things I really want to stitch (that age old dilemma). And, of course, there is the unknown entity of how much client work I will have in 2011, because I finally figured out how to get over my guilt feelings for crafting during the weekday daytime. Yada, yada, yada...

So take a look at the box to the right, and you will see my thoughts for 2011. DH really, really, really wants me to finish Egypt Garden (remember this is a gift for him and take 2 for me as the first one was victim to...well, that occurrence I refuse to remember). I'm going to try to make Egypt my focus. Elizabethan Sweete Bag just has 1 over 1 bugs remaining. I just need to get on it and finish the darn thing already. I don't have a plan for bag-ification, but "I'll think about that tomorrow". I have several ornaments in various stages of completion (lumped them together as one WIP) none of which need much effort (except to overcome inertia) to complete. I've finished 3 of the 16 blocks for Celtic Quilt with a 4th block well underway. I WANT to make progress on this. My other WIPs are languishing. They need some love. Some haven't been touched in the last two years!!! And then, of course, are the new things I want to do. I am listing a few of the big things, but I think there is room in my plan for some smaller projects, too. We shall see. Look for an update to the Stitching Bucket list coming soon.

Sorry for the lack of photos in this post, but if you really want to see my WIPs, click the link to the album in the upper right of this blog. That's the best I can do today. ;)

A Thing of Beauty...

2010-12-08T08:07:00.003-06:00

...Is a Joy Forever

My very happy-making scissors frog filled with my collection of scissors. :D It holds my entire collection and still has THREE slots empty! However, it definitely appears that I suffer from a lack of scissor fobs. Will need to remedy that. Meanwhile, I am enjoying the display which sits on the table next to my stitching chair in my office.

And, there has been progress on Medieval Town since my last blog post.

It's now about 90% complete. If stitching time happens according to plan, I expect to finish before Christmas. Then I plan to pick up Nativity Story Table Runner and finish it, hopefully by the first of the year. I'd like to start a new rotation with existing WIPs and some new ornament/small starts for 2011. But I'm not ready to think about that just yet.

Remember my last post about taking time off? Well, literally the day after that post, I got a HUGE new client (divorce financial planning) unexpectedly. I think I've worked more in the past three weeks than I have in the past three months! I'm still hoping to be able to take off the week between Christmas and New Year's. But we've got some deadlines looming, so that may not happen. We'll see how efficient I can be.

Let's Make a Deal

2010-11-17T08:52:00.003-06:00

I think I've written before that I like to make deals with myself. It's one of the ways I trick myself into productivity rather than just looking at my never-ending to-do list and thinking of procrastination techniques. I'm very good at that last bit. I can even rationalize my behavior quite well. But, I digress. The deal. I've got a boat load of professional tasks needing to be accomplished by the end of the calendar year - annual portfolio reviews, continuing education courses, regulatory filings, etc. All are time consuming, but are required. I need to buckle down and "just do it". So, the deal I'm making with myself is to work as hard as I can to accomplish all of these activities, and then I can take the rest of the calendar year free of professional responsibilities and use that time to stitch/craft! Doesn't that sound like good motivation? I think so. I've already made some progress as of yesterday. If I keep working steadily, I might get to take most of December off. Which means I could really do some crafting damage before the end of the year.

Lest you think I'd post without a pic to share, here is the latest on Medieval Town Mandala. I finished the last town, FINALLY!!!! Go me! Looks like I'm in good shape to finish by the end of the year. :D

Quilt Festival Stash Report

2010-11-10T16:01:00.006-06:00

Might as well call it what it is. lol. And so, it begins. There were saved stash monies. There were saved birthday monies (from June even!). There was much retail therapy in which to indulge. And, I even came home with money in my pocket. OK, so my enabling friends (I'm looking at you, Melissa, Annette, and Amanda!) have seen to it that I've spent some of that since I came home. But as of this writing, I still have money in my pocket! Let us forget that I don't actually quilt. Completely beside the point. I do, however, do many other crafty things with small needles (though Annette is trying to teach me to make crochet button trim with an actual crochet hook and everything) and fabric. And, I confess to have been toying with the idea of making a quilt-like project for some time (my enabling friends are most definitely to blame). So all of that led to all of this:

These are wool felt applique. You can't see me, but I'm smiling. Cause the colors are *my* colors (autumn palette). The kits make the table runner and table topper from the pattern on the right. It's acorns and oak leaves. Click here for a bigger picture. They were sold out of the Gourdy's Gang kit. But that's OK, because I ordered it from the shop today . I told Annette the shop had one left, so I think I'm directly and indirectly responsible for the shop making their rent for the month. Just doin' my bit for the economy. Gotta keep those small businesses in business!

Lots of fun in this pic. Fun trims, including some Halloween themed; a wool felt cupcake pincushion kit; a quilted bat ornament; various lampwork beads; old keys to use for embellishments; buttons for button trim; and a cool cabochon to make into a needle minder. And, why yes, those are skull beads in the center. You will probably be seeing those again at some point in the not terribly distant future.

Y'all know I can't go anywhere without buying scissors. It's an addiction. BUT, these scissors each have a unique purpose (no, really, I mean it. You can stop laughing). The solid black pair Melissa swears are the bestest applique scissors in the world. Bonus, they are great for metallic fibers. So, I needed them. Cause I do work with metallics, and I plan to do some applique, eventually. The other two pair are from Bohin. I don't have any Bohin scissors. The larger pair is the perfect size for cutting smaller pieces of fabric. At least that's what Annette says. I bought her story and the scissors. The embroidery scissors? See (above) the fact that I didn't own any Bohin embroidery scissors. Really, that's a problem that needed remedied. And the needles just jumped in the bag for the ride.

The scissor purchases led to a later discussion about the scissor frogs that Melissa and Annette have (converted use flower frogs). I've had scissor frog envy for quite some time but have never found a suitable contraption locally. Annette to the rescue with some Bay of Evil links that led me to some Etsy links that led me to this:

You know what is so completely awesome about this? Not only does the frog (the clear part) have 16 holes for scissors, but there are another 13 loops around the outside I can use to also display scissors. I'm so excited if I were I puppy I'd've pee'd the carpet. The Etsy seller, bless her heart, shipped it today. Definitely stalking the postie. Of course, now I have an Etsy account. Danger, Will Robinson!!!

There was actually one cross stitch booth, The Silver Needle. The Halloween chart needed to come home with me. Yes, I'm participating in the Halloween giveaway next year. Hence there were some Halloween fabric purchases as well as some dupioni silk. And, isn't that key fabric awesome? I'm going to age it.

Evidence that I actually do plan to make a quilt. Yeah, I know I don't need another hobby. It's a small quilt, really, I promise. Aren't those fabrics festive and fun? The book actually has five different variations of the same basic quilt. Some of the others would make great graduation gifts for nieces and nephews (beginning with 2012, there are one or two graduating each year for the next 5 or 6 years). Perfect size for a college dorm room throw. See, I was practical. And the holiday quilt will be a good practice/warm up version.

Finally, some additional fabric purchase to finish a variety of completed (and future) stitching projects. The black is hand dyed kohl wool felt for a couple of planned projects.

That's it for the stash report. I may be back tomorrow with a report on the whole Festival.

More New Stuff & Sundry Ramblings

2010-11-03T10:09:00.004-05:00

I'm so creative with post titles. Really, it takes too much energy.

I had another happy yesterday. MONTHS ago I ordered new bedding - a quilt and matching shams from L.L.Bean. I fell in love with them and decided after 10 years of the same comforter, I was entitled to new. But, apparently I was not the only one to feel this way. Despite ordering within days of receiving the catalog, it was back ordered, and then back ordered again. You know, to the point they send you that postcard asking if you want to cancel. I decided to let it ride and see what happened. Well, here's what happened:

It's overcast and raining here, so not the best photo (always have an excuse, don't I? HA!). The throw pillows and dust ruffle are not new. One of the ways I rationalized the new purchase was that I could use some of what I have, thus minimizing the cash outlay. I'm super happy with it, and it was a really nice surprise when I got home last night to see that it had finally arrived. The matelasse bed cover at the foot is old, too. I may put it on the bed underneath the new quilt so the new quilt shows better. We only use the matelasse in the winter time.

Watched the election results last night. I have some mixed feelings here. I should state up front that I tend to the liberal side on social issues, but I'm definitely a fiscal conservative (no surprise to those who know me well). So, neither major party really represents me. Thus, I'm never quite satisfied. The only victory I'm claiming after last night is that I (personally) will not have to put up with Nancy Pelosi in the news regularly. I'll leave it at that so as not to promote any flaming.

So here's where the mixed feelings come in. Why is the media claiming such a victory for the Republican Party? They've managed to gain control of one half of one third of the federal government. As a CPA, I'm pretty good at math, and I calculate that's control of one sixth of the government. Exactly what do they think that's gonna get them? Yes, they can be a big stumbling block for Obama. But I don't see that gives the Republicans the ability to ram through any important legislation.

I started to post some of my thoughts about political issues but thought better of it. Not the purpose of this blog. And, I don't want to encourage vitriol.

Meanwhile, I am off to Houston to the Quilt Festival tomorrow! Get to play with Missy Ann, Annette, Amanda, and Annette's mom Pat! And, I get to meet an new partner in crime, Marie. Much happiness, crafty goodness, stash wagon burning, evil plotting, and general girls' trip troublemaking will occur. Watch for a report next week. But, it won't be a full report. Some things that happen in Houston will need to stay in Houston. Just sayin'.

A Shopping Excursion

2010-11-02T14:36:00.003-05:00

OK, so I lost 40 pounds (and have successfully kept it off for two months thankyouverymuch). Clothes shopping should now be a happy occasion, yes? Well, not so much. See, nothing fits. Or rather, very few things fit. Specifically, pants. After weeks and weeks of trying on countless pairs of jeans and pants, I managed to find two pairs of jeans. The happy part is that I like them a lot. However two pairs of jeans and an ancient pair of yoga pants will not see me through the winter.

So, today I set out with a mission. I. WOULD. FIND. PANTS. THAT. FIT. Don't mess with a woman on a mission. She will be successful! And...I was! I scored four pairs of pants. Go, me! The store websites won't let me swipe the images, so I'll have to link. Sorry.

These from Banana Republic http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=26496&vid=1&pid=762409 in new trench. Need hemmed, but I love them! Yay for on sale (marked down another 10% in the store).

From Talbots:
These in a brown color not on the website: http://www.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi25055&rootCategory=cat70010&catId=cat1030039&sortKey=Default&section=Regular&conceptIdUnderSale=cat70010
These are the most incredible feeling pants ever. I think I could live in them. Which is a good thing because they cost a fortune. More than I normally spend, but hey, I was on a mission! Bought the dark green color http://http://www.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi25273&rootCategory=cat70010&catId=cat1030039&sortKey=Default&section=Regular&conceptIdUnderSale=cat70010
And finally, I found black dress slacks on the sale rack that don't seem to be on the website.

I had to post because this is such a victory for me. I was on a mission and didn't get derailed! Only the Banana Republic pants need hemmed, so the others are ready to wear. I have pants!!!!!! Celebrate with me!

I'm a Winner!

2010-10-28T15:20:00.005-05:00

OK, probably NOT the post title you are expecting given my absence from blogland the past couple of months. Nonetheless, I am indeed a winner. Of multiple things, even. It's been a good month. :D

In the early part of October, I won the door prize from my LNS's Market Day. It's a "Pamper Me" basket:

I was really surprised, because I never win anything. Apparently, Lady Luck decided I should be a liar.

On the 19th of October, I won Annette's 19th Day of Halloween Giveaway. SO MUCH FUN!

Annette's very talented daughter made the bookmark! Isn't it awesome? And, the equally talented Annette stitched and finished the spooky house mattress pincushion, which now takes place of pride in my collection! I love seeing what Annette and Missy Ann put together each day of the giveaway.

I thought my lucky streak had ended because I quick bought a lottery ticket and didn't win. Boo Hiss! But, I was proven wrong by Madam Luck yet again this week. Holly messaged me to say I'd won the fall scissor fob giveaway on her blog! Yipee!!!! You'll have to admire it on her blog for now, as she's just now mailing it to me. Which means, I get to stalk the postie again! lol.

So there you have it, I'm a winner. Just in case you were wondering.

Other things I've been up to: well, mostly high school volleyball and cheerleading with the girls. Volleyball ended last weekend as Diva's team lost in the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Not to worry volleyball fans. Club volleyball tryouts begin THIS weekend. And the fun continues. Friday night is the last regular season football game. But then there are playoff games and basketball season begins before Thanksgiving (Perfectionist Child cheers for football and basketball games). When we are not on the go to a game of some sort somewhere, it seems that my house is a revolving door of teenage girl athletes. Most of whom have taken to calling me "Mom" regardless of biology. The grocery store loves me almost as much as the girls love to be fed. I like to think the girls would love me even if the groceries ran out. Let's not think about that too hard.

There has been very sporadic stitching. If you visit the Chatelaine BB, you know about the WIP-kill Contest I am running there (if you don't and you are a stitcher, check it out). My entry for the contest is Medieval Town Mandala. My progress as of 10/15/2010:

As usual, I can't take a decent photo of my stitching to save my life. One day....

I also worked on Nativity Story Table Runner a bit. I'm about 75% done with this and have finished the entire length across the bottom, which is the most stitching intensive portion.

And finally, I went shopping. If you poke around Missy Ann's blog, you will find her scissor crypt instructions. I'm making one. Actually, I'm making several, and a large tool-keeper crypt, too. I needed a few more supplies for my first boxification attempt (which WILL happen before the end of the year). And, I had so much fun making cosmetic bags for the volleyball team senior night (oops, need to share that photo eventually), that I decided I needed to make one to hold my GPS (pronounced gee-pus in this household). The photographic evidence:

A close up of the larger crypt and the bats I found that must live nearby:

In the photo of the whole, you can also see some crochet trim and buttons. Annette is going to teach me how to make button trim while we're in Houston next week! WOOT!!!!

I'm sure I'm forgetting to tell you something, but I'm all tapped out for today. That's all I Have to Say......

THIS!

2010-10-08T13:06:00.003-05:00

Not for those sensitive to f-bombs. But, oh so very much THIS!!!

Goals? What are those?

2010-08-30T10:47:00.004-05:00

OK well, I've been partially derailed this month. Most of you know DH was injured in a bicycle accident on the 22nd. Since then, there has been little accomplished in this household that didn't revolve around him. While certainly he didn't do this on purpose and cannot change the fact that he has needed a great deal of help to do everyday things as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, he has still been...well, I'll be kind...a typical male patient. Let's just say that my going on Diva's volleyball trip to Memphis has a lot to do with DH still being alive. I do want to know how I can do every load of laundry in the house on Thursday, be away for two days, and come home to EIGHT loads of laundry that needed to be done before going to bed on Sunday. I recognize one load was Diva's volleyball clothes, but STILL.

So, you get a partial goal vacation this month. To summarize: I did some stuff. Didn't get to other stuff. Completely punted a few stuffs. My life is so exciting.

What you really want: pictures of stuff. :-D

Earlier this month, I took two very amazing classes through my LNS with designer/teacher Susan Greening-Davis. Susan KNOWS STUFF. I learned tons about finishing and textiles. What I really like about her is that she shows you the technically "right" way to do things, explains the logic/reasoning, then tells you when it's really needed and when you can get away with cheating. She's all about the end result. I also like that her designs and kits are focused on finished items. Her stuff isn't available through LNSs, only through her trunk shows. Most are limited editions and include everything you need to finish the project. Here's what I bought:
Spooktacular Stitching:

Celebrations of needlework 15th Anniversary Spot Sampler:

Starry Night Hanging Ornament:

The class projects were a stitching seat cushion with pockets for your stitching supplies (very handy for Moonlight Stitching at the LNS) and a discontinued Longaberger basket with doo-dads for holding supplies. There are not photos of the finished product, but here are pics of the kits and my progress:

Really, the best part of the classes was just talking to Susan. Worth the cost of the classes. She's traveled all over and studied needlework and textiles. Font of knowledge. My dream is to take one of her needlework trips abroad. I think she's working on one to Ireland for 2011 or 2012.

Later this week, I will post updated pics of MTM and NSTR. Those are the only projects to see any stitching progress this month. I'm hoping September will be more productive!

I did buy boxification supplies to further my ambition to be Melissa. I bought The Book with the fabulous instructions, and Fabrics.com had a silk dupioni sale, so I indulged a bit.

Don't know when I'll actually make one, but my hope is to make at least one before the end of this year.

August Goals/ July Progress

2010-08-04T13:35:00.001-05:00

That's right, time for goals again.

Stitching Goals for July

Stitch two small projects while at the lake (Red Dragon Bookmark by Dracolair and Oh Christmas Tree by Charlotte's Web Needlework in the 2009 JCS Ornament Issue). Not really. Red Dragon is half finished. Didn't have as much stitching time at the lake as I expected.

Complete the finishing for the slipper portion of Snow Queen's Slipper.Nope. I have all the supplies, but I seem to be suffering from finish-finishing anxiety.

Stitch 10 hours on Nativity Story Table Runner. YEP and then some!

Stitch 10 hours on Medieval Town Mandala (hoping that will finish the current town).YEP, see post below for photographic evidence.

Make a master list of all the projects hiding in my closet that have been stitched but are in need of finishing and determine finishing requirements. Nope. Still living in denial. See #2 above.

Attend Moonlight Stitching at the LNS on July 24. YES! Had an absolute blast!

Non-stitching Goals for July

Stick to eating plan - lose 4 pounds (I said it would be a tough month)YES - officially lost 5.5 lbs for a total of 35 lost to date!

Exercise at least 14 days, including 3 body pump classes.YEP - lost track of exact number but roughly 19 days and five body pump classes

Order new sofa. Yes, current delivery date is 8/31, but I'm not holding my breath.

Attend ADFP meeting for professional development. Meeting post-poned until August, but unfortunately, I will be unable to attend on the rescheduled date.

Determine CPE requirements for the remainder of year and decide which classes to take. NOPE. Really need to do this.

Update professional profile and begin to develop marketing plan.NOPE. Total fail.

Yeah, so July was only so-so. Eh. Whatever. In the words of one of my favorite heroines, Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day!" You can stop laughing at/with me.

So what will happen in August? With the start of Diva's volleyball season and Perfectionist Child's football cheering season, who knows! But, in my perfect dream world, here's what I hope will happen:

August Stitching Goals

Finish current page on NSTR. Probably about 20 hours.
Stitch one of the over-one bugs on Elizabethan Sweete Bag.
Stitch 10 hours on MTM
Finish THE SLIPPER (really, somebody hold a gun to my head and make me, PLEASE!)

August Non-stitching Goals

Stick to eating plan -lose 5 pounds. Will be tough as I am getting closer to my goal which means slower progress.
Exercise at least 22 days (see #1 above).
Map out CPE requirements for the rest of the year.
Update professional profile and begin to develop marketing plan.
Figure out new daily/weekly routine now that kids are back to school.

Sorry the formatting for this post is not consistent. Blogger apparently does not like me today and will not let me make the formatting uniform.

So we'll see how it goes. In other life notes: I had Diva's entire volleyball team, varsity and JV (21 teenage girls) spend the night at our house last weekend. I lived and my house is still standing. Judging by the shrieks and giggles into the wee hours, I'm reasonably certain a good time was had by all. Everybody wins. :-D I did have to send DH out for a long bike ride the next morning as he was suffering from estrogen overload. Perfectionist Child had, and lived through her cheerleading initiation (involving much humiliation in front of the football team). I hated it for her, but she took it pretty good-naturedly. Today is/was PC's first day of high school. She was a nervous wreck this morning despite (or maybe because of) the cute boy who hugged her at book day yesterday telling her he hoped she'd hang out with him today. Diva was jealous. Diva still has the boyfriend and the boyfriend-drama. I'm gonna be shocked if he lasts through half of volleyball season. And that's really all I have to say about that!

But I Have Pictures!

2010-07-28T13:46:00.005-05:00

So you need to forgive the lack of blogging this month. Seriously, I blinked and July happened. However, I have managed some stitching. Thus, there are pictures which are of greater interest to you than anything I might say, I'm sure! lol

First up: my July progress on Nativity Story Table Runner

And the full view of the 38.5 inches of stitching thus far:

Another big milestone was completing the south town on Medieval Town Mandala. Here's the south town (upside down):

And the obligatory full view:

Kind of excited that I only have one more town to stitch. I love this design, but the towns are SO stitching intensive. I'll be glad to get the last one behind me so I can finish the corner motifs.

I brought out an old friend this month, Elizabethan Sweete Bag. Haven't stitched on it in two years! Stitched the leaves this round. The only stitching remaining are the 8 over one bugs. Seriously wondering what I was thinking to plan to stitch over one on black linen.

Needed something smaller and not on black to stitch on at Moonlight Stitching last weekend at the LNS. So I started block A2 (a Celtic heart motif) of Celtic Quilt. I actually got a fair amount completed despite all the visiting with stitching friends!

Amazingly, my photography doesn't completely suck this month. Moon must be out of phase.

I do need to say that Moonlight Stitching was LOTS of fun! Wendy, Dana, and Melissa were all there, along with several other stitchers with whom I've become acquainted the past several visits. We closed the place down! Not sure I'm gonna make the next one in September. Diva's volleyball team hosts a tournament that weekend. We'll see.

June Progress/ July Goals

2010-07-01T07:07:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's that time of the month again, Dear Readers. So how did I fare this month?

Stitching Goals for June:

Finish "duckie" band on Egypt Garden Score! All done.
Stitch 10 hours on Nativity Story Table Runner Another one bites the dust - see post below for photographic evidence.
Start stitching Snow Queen's Slipper Started AND finished the stitching. Minimal progress on the finish-finishing, though.
Post final sign-ups for the Chatelaine Smalls Exchange, assign partners, etc. DONE!
Mail my own entry for the Chatelaine Exchange Mailed and received by my victim. :-)
Take Hanging Gardens to the framer Sadly, no. Just didn't get there.
Make hotel reservations for the Houston Quilt Festival YESYESYESYES!!! Hotel AND Airlines booked!! WOOOHOOO!

Non-stitching goals for June:

Stick with eating plan - lose 6 pounds Great with eating plan. Just barely made weight goal - but I did make it.
Exercise at least 16 days Made 19 days! Go, me!
Do the Body Pump class every Thursday Yep. Even convinced Diva to go with me.
Buy some shorts that fit Bought two pair then guilt set in.
Bite the bullet and buy a new bathing suit (UGH!) Changed my mind after trying on what I have and deciding it would work for the 3 days I have to wear one.
Buy some new summer shoes Fail. Didn't even get to the shoe store.
Let go of guilt over spending money on items 4.-6. I am SO not good at this.

July will be really challenging. We are headed to Lake Oconee, GA tomorrow to meet up with DH's family for a reunion of sorts. I'll spare you all the reasons I'm not looking forward to the trip and just say this is absolutely NOT a vacation for me and is the source of much stress. The day after we get home, I have to babysit my grandmother so my mother and her fiance can get away for a few days. Gram is in the early stages of dementia and doesn't do well out of her habitat, so I will be spending nights there. Mom hasn't been away from Gram in almost 16 years, so I'm glad to do this for her. But, it does mean more days of little/no exercise for me. With both of these events, it will be July 12th before I am able to resume a "normal" schedule. I'm worried not just about failure to lose weight, but actually gaining weight as a result. Yes, I have been discussing it with my doctor. She's concerned, too. Mostly about the effect of stress hormones on my body. Just have to do the best I can and then deal with the aftermath.

On the other hand, stitching time should be in abundance. Or at least, that is my expectation. Let's see what I can accomplish.

Stitching Goals for July

Stitch two small projects while at the lake (Red Dragon Bookmark by Dracolair and Oh Christmas Tree by Charlotte's Web Needlework in the 2009 JCS Ornament Issue).
Complete the finishing for the slipper portion of Snow Queen's Slipper.
Stitch 10 hours on Nativity Story Table Runner.
Stitch 10 hours on Medieval Town Mandala (hoping that will finish the current town).
Make a master list of all the projects hiding in my closet that have been stitched but are in need of finishing and determine finishing requirements.
Attend Moonlight Stitching at the LNS on July 24.

Non-stitching Goals for July

Stick to eating plan - lose 4 pounds (I said it would be a tough month)
Exercise at least 14 days, including 3 body pump classes.
Order new sofa.
Attend ADFP meeting for professional development.
Determine CPE requirements for the remainder of year and decide which classes to take.
Update professional profile and begin to develop marketing plan.

As you might gather from the non-stitching goals, I am gearing up for a big marketing push for my financial planning/divorce financial planning practice. Now that both DDs are in high school and my volunteer days are minimal, it's time. There is also the realization that slammed me upside the head yesterday when Diva got her ACT scores (very good, BTW), that I have to pay for college in two years time. EEEEKKKK!!!! The need to generate some income has really hit home.

Stitching to share!

2010-06-27T11:09:00.004-05:00

First, yes, I have been playing with the new blogger templates, which also means a new background. I'm not quite satisfied, so there will be more tinkering. But, I've reached my limit for today. :-) I can only play with technology for so long before I hit overload.

And there has been stitching! Pics of my June rotation on Nativity Story Table Runner:

Close up of what I stitched this month (The Holy Family):

As always, my photographic skills are lacking. The second pic shows the fabric color more closely, but the floss is more accurate in the first pic. Oh well. I figure I'm past the halfway point with stitching on this. Really, the Holy Family is the most intense stitching. Definitely on track to finish by year end.

Picked up Medieval Town Mandala for a while. Started on the 6 o'clock town. Again, full shot and close up views:

Colors on the full view are really off. I couldn't fix it no matter how I played around. I really am lacking in the photo editing abilities. These towns take an eternity to stitch. Really, if I can push through the last two, the end would really be in sight. But I do seem to get bogged down by them. Will continue with MTM this week.

Oh, and I received my Chatelaine Smalls Exchange for 2010 from Val!

It's the pincushion from Nantucket Violets Basket finished as a biscornu. The fabric is Silkweavers Parkside opalescent belfast linen. Val did a wonderful job with the finishing! I really love it - particularly because it is from a Chatelaine Design I do not currently own. And the colors are so perfect for my office/hobby room which is painted a medium violet shade! The SNC is Vintage Violets, a color used in several Chatelaine Designs. I don't have a local source for SNC, so I am really happy to receive it! Thank you, again, Val!

No word from my recipient yet, but that's as expected. My exchange has a bit far to travel....

I have started the finishing for Snow Queen's Slipper. As soon as I get this posted, I plan to make a bit more progress on it, so maybe there will be photos soon-ish (don't hold your breath, though).

Walk Like an Egyptian...

2010-06-10T09:18:00.004-05:00

Yeah, that's kinda lame, I know. But I was a teenager in the early 80's. That's my excuse.

I finished the duckie layer/border on Egypt Garden. I thought it was going to be a quick rotation to stitch. And, well, the stitching part was fairly quick. But, apparently, I completely forgot (or maybe blocked) how much beading is involved in this particular part, and how much fudging has to be done to fit those beads on 32ct fabric. More brain power than I anticipated. For those playing at home, this is my SECOND time to stitch Egypt following the Very Sad Demise (tm) of my first completed Egypt. Anyway, you are much more interested in photographic evidence, so here it is:

And so you can see some of the sparklies:

I do love beading. It's the fudging and planning for the fudging that wear me out. I think that's the last place on this project that fudging must occur. So it's all good.

And, what have I started now? Why Snow Queen's Slipper (by Carolina House), of course. I've gridded the fabric and started backstitching the outlines. Just have one more heart shape and the sole of the slipper to outline yet. Here's a pic:

The linen is actually white. But it was laying on my dark brown table, and as it is a Permin linen (generally thought by me to be evil stuff) which means loose weave, the table color shows through. Fortunately, it seems the silk floss blooms nicely. My feelings about Permin linen have to do with how crappy my tension usually is on it and the stiffness of the fabric. Because of the loose weave, if the fabric wasn't stiff (i.e. if you wash out the sizing) it would be really limp and nearly impossible to stitch on. I know this for fact. But, as I stitch largely in-hand, the feel of the fabric matters to me. I just don't like really stiff fabric. And then there is the issue of my tension. The loose weave and my tension just generally don't get along well, so I typically do not like how my stitching looks on Permin linen. I once threw out a project that was two-thirds complete because I hated how it looked on the Permin linen so much. I knew I could never stand to look at it if I completed it, so why bother to finish. Anyway, I decided since this was the fabric that came with the project kit, I would give it a try. My thought being that the stiff linen might actually work to the advantage of the finishing of the slipper and accessories. So far, I don't want to throw it out the window, so we'll consider that an initial victory. More photos as progress happens.

Help me! My WIPs are screaming!

2010-05-31T10:15:00.004-05:00

Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to think about what to work on beyond my stint on Egypt Garden and then Snow Queen's Slipper. But, my WIPs have other ideas. Lots of them. I'm hearing more voices in my head than usual.

Now that Hanging Gardens is finished, I am once again in single-digit WIP territory. I realize that the Slipper represents number 10, but as I think it's quick from the actual stitching perspective, I am not counting it. Don't you love my logic? I confess that finishing HG is a really, really good feeling. I do have one other project that is pretty close, in terms of hours, to being finished - Elizabethan Sweete Bag. Well, at least the front of the bag is nearly completed. I still haven't decided what, if anything I am going to stitch on the back of the bag. Even so, it's not that large a piece, and so probably represents the closest to another HD. So, ESB has been screaming.

Then there is Medieval Town Mandala. MTM is reminding me that I did make finishing her one of my goals for 2010. I have 2 of the 4 towns complete. It's not a hard stitch, just VERY time intensive. The towns are very densely stitched, which is partly why I get bored quickly when I pick this up. I love the design so very much. And, I know once the towns are completed, I can finish the corners in short order. I'm just having difficulty making myself pick this up again, but MTM is definitely making me feel some guilt.

Evening in the Park is saying, "Hey, you just need to finish me. I've been a WIP forever. You just need to get me done and gone." She's right. Honestly, I'm not as crazy about her as I once was, but she's still beautiful. I like working on her because I'm over the really intensive parts and moving on to the easier bits to stitch. I'm considering giving this one to my mom when finished. I do think mom will like her. So there is the double bonus of not only finishing a WIP but also finishing a gift that could be a Christmas gift.

Nativity Story Table Runner will continue to get attention every month as it has been this year. So he's not so demanding at the moment. But, I am itching to spend a little time on him because he's a nice break from the complicated Chatelaine Designs.

Misty Morning Vineyard and English Garden Sampler are used to my benign neglect. They get a rotation once a year and are content with that for now. They know that once MTM and EP are finished, I have in my head the thought that I will have a "Year of the Peacock" theme. So, for now, they are actually encouraging me to finish my other WIPs. They want my full attention, eventually.

Pineapple Stitches is a great travel project. So it will probably go to the lake with me next month. It (not far enough along to have gender yet) knows that's what I have in mind, so it's only whimpering softly.

Celtic Quilt is flat out mad. They haven't seen any attention in more than a year. In years past, I used these beautiful squares as a travel project while waiting for Diva at volleyball practice/lessons. But now that she drives herself, I don't have so much need for this. Melissa G brought her Waterlilly Pond Quilt squares to show at the GTG. GORGEOUS! But, they made my CQ squares give me "the look". They are just flat out mad at me. I kinda feel like I should stitch one just to appease them. Forget that I have 3 squares finished and 13 to go. How sad am I?

Egypt Garden is, of course, happy right now as I am working on the duckie band. He knows he gets that band finished and then goes back into the closet for a while. It's all good. Actually, I'm making good progress and may have the ducks quacking merrily along by the weekend. We shall see.

So what do you all think? I should mention that my VERY LONG-TERM goal is to get back to 4 or 5 WIPs of various sizes/designers. Is that laughter I hear? I KNOW. OK, maybe it's more of a dream than an actual goal, but it wasn't all that long ago that I had 12 WIPs. I am making some progress. What do you think I should focus on next? I can use all the help I can get. Oh, click the link at the top left of the page to see my album of WIP pictures, if you want to see how far along they are at present.

June Goals

2010-05-31T08:47:00.002-05:00

Thought I'd given up on goals? Ha ha ha! No, May was just the month that got away beginning with Nashville's Great Flood and then all of the girls' end of the school year stuff. So actual planning sort of got thrown out the window. But that's OK because I actually accomplished stuff. Sometimes I think it's easier to get stuff done when you are insanely busy. Murphy's law of time management, or some such. The more time you have, the more you waste.

So, now to think about June and what I want to accomplish this month.

Stitching Goals for June:

Finish "duckie" band on Egypt Garden
Stitch 10 hours on Nativity Story Table Runner
Start stitching Snow Queen's Slipper
Post final sign-ups for the Chatelaine Smalls Exchange, assign partners, etc.
Mail my own entry for the Chatelaine Exchange
Take Hanging Gardens to the framer
Make hotel reservations for the Houston Quilt Festival

Non-stitching goals for June:

Stick with eating plan - lose 6 pounds
Exercise at least 16 days
Do the Body Pump class every Thursday
Buy some shorts that fit
Bite the bullet and buy a new bathing suit (UGH!)
Buy some new summer shoes
Let go of guilt over spending money on items 4.-6.

All do-able goals. We'll see how it goes.

Puttin' on my Dancin' Shoes!!

2010-05-28T14:28:00.005-05:00

Yep! Hanging Gardens of Semiramis is FINISHED!!!! I punted all household responsibilities today just to finish the beading. Perfectly reasonable thing to do, right? I mean, I was thisclose to a happy dance. Can't let little things like laundry and shopping get in the way. Without further ado, the photo essay (as always, click for biggification):

The color of the fabric even comes close this time. I am SO excited to have this finished. I have no real idea how I want this framed yet. There is a really wonderful framer in town that Melissa has used to great success, so I might try that out. My LNS is great for basic framing, and they did a decent job on my Indian Summer Reflections, but I want this to be really spectacular. I did think about Jill Rensel, and may still consider her. I'm just nervous about sending her something that took a gazillion man hours to stitch for fear it would disappear.

So what's next? Well, tomorrow is a stitching GTG with Melissa, Dana, and Wendy (no blog, or she's holding out on me). I think I may do a stint on Egypt Garden whilst visiting with them. It will appease the DH, plus I'm up to the duckie band which is a fairly easy stitch. Then, I'm going to start on Snow Queen's Slipper which will be a stitch/finish-a-long with MissyAnn. Beyond that, I'm not planning. Many of my WIPs are vying for attention. We'll just see which one screams loudest!

Yes, we have a graduate!

2010-05-26T12:12:00.003-05:00

Last night was Perfectionist Child's 8th Grade Graduation Mass and Ceremony. Because I am a proud mom and this IS my blog, I am about to gush about my youngling. You have been warned.

First, the pictures. I happen to think she looked beautiful and oh-so-grown-up! Here is PC in her finery:

And then a photo of my two gals - because Diva can't stand being left out!

For the record, yes, Diva is wearing 4.5 inch heels. PC's are 4 inches, and PC is STILL taller than her older sister. Neither of them yet tops five feet tall, though PC has high hopes of reaching such a lofty height.

In Diva's words, PC "wrecked shop" on the academic awards presented following Mass. She was awarded the highest GPA in the following classes: science, social studies, English, Spanish, algebra I, and religion. And, the natural progression - she had the highest overall GPA in the class (for the combined three years of junior high as well as her eighth grade year). For her participation in the National Spanish Exam, she earned a bronze medal. She also took third place in the MathFacts competition. DH's favorite award is the one she received, along with one other classmate, for attending this school for the full 11 years (from prek-3 through 8th grade). DH calls it the "endurance award" and said it really should have been given to me. LOL! They also gave the Presidential Awards, which are given on a national basis (90% cumulative average in your classes, plus scoring in the 85 percentile or higher on the standardized tests). PC and about half of her classmates received that award which makes sense as the school is very academically challenging.

After the awards were presented, PC gave the graduation speech. Again, remember this IS my blog. I have included the video of PC's speech for any who wish to listen. It runs a little over five minutes. I am so proud of her! She wrote it herself. She was INCREDIBLY nervous. But she did well and many people commented favorably afterward which made her feel good. She said what made her happiest is that people laughed when they were supposed to!

Afterward there was dinner and a DJ at a local club. The graduates had LOTS of fun. The class moms had this really cool t-shirt made that has on it where each graduate thinks they will be in five years. Quite interesting. LOL. For the record, PC said she will complete her nursing degree at Notre Dame and become an emergency room Nurse Practitioner. I believe her.

A funny from one of the moms - she said it has been many years since she'd closed down a party, kinda sad that it had to be her daughter's graduation party! LOL. Yeah, we stayed to the bitter end. It was PC's last hurrah with her buddies. She's going to a different high school than the vast majority of her classmates. Some she will probably never see again. Others are going to the same high school. Her very closest friend is going to another HS. They have vowed to stay close, and I think they will. They share a first name and have always said they have "twin telepathy". They don't even speak to each other in complete sentences. Very entertaining. These girls are really good together, and I think will always be close in spirit.

So, thus ends a chapter in the history of the Panther family. We have graduated and are now 100% high school focused. Kinda sad to end 11 years at this school, but I'm sure exciting "adventures" await!

Drive-by Post

2010-05-25T11:58:00.003-05:00

Today is Perfectionist Child's 8th grade graduation. It's a big deal because she's been at this school for 11 years - since she was three!! And, she has been selected to give the graduation speech (yes, proud mom moment). Pictures and such will follow, hopefully tomorrow. I am hoping to get a decent video of her speech and figure out how to upload to flickr so I can share. That may be beyond my expertise, but we will see. Meanwhile, today is all about PC.

My other piece of news for the day is that I am officially in ALL of my skinny clothes! Weight loss is just a tad over 21 pounds by the unofficial scale. Clearly, I'm doing OK with the dinner meal thing. Mostly, I think the new gym is just really whipping my sorry butt into better shape.

On the stitching front, Hanging Gardens continues to hum along. I'm down to the specialty stitches in the three remaining corner ornaments and then on to beading. I *think* I will be dancin' by the weekend.

I ate food and it didn't kill me

2010-05-21T13:25:00.004-05:00

LOL. I finished my six full weeks on the liquid diet with my doctor. Lost 19 pounds officially. Go me. So, I now get to eat real food for dinner. I am quaking in my boots. I can eat either a lean protein (chicken, fish or turkey which can be grilled, broiled, or baked) and two vegetables, one of which must be a dark green veggie OR I can eat a bottomless spinach, mixed greens or romaine salad with fresh veggies and the lean protein on it. White carbs are to be completely avoided at this point. Sounds easy, right? Yeah well, when I asked "how much is a portion?" I got nothing but a smile from the doc. See, her theory is that when she's all done with me and turns me completely loose, I won't be weighing and measuring anything. So, she doesn't want me to start out doing that. Instead, I am supposed to alternate bites of everything and stop eating when I first begin to feel full - no matter how much is still on my plate. For someone raised in the "you better clean your plate because there are starving children in Africa" generation, this is no small thing. I did pretty well last night even though I went out to eat with the ladies from my old investment club. I ordered a small mixed greens salad, trout (broiled), and steamed asparagus. I brought home a little more than half of the trout and half of the asparagus, which with another veggie will make dinner for tonight, too.

Intellectually I know this is the right way for me to progress even though I have another 20-25 pounds to lose. But I am so afraid of reversing my good progress. I just want to be healthy and feel good about how I look again.

On a positive note, I started at a new to me gym this week since mine is still closed from the flooding. Getting back into weight training is kicking my butt. Which is a good thing. I went four days this week, which is good for me because I hurt so much. I'm considering doing a body pump class with a friend of mine next week. I'm a little intimidated by it though.

Interestingly, though I've lost 19 pounds and lots of inches everywhere, I still have not gone down a full clothing size yet. I started out in size 12's - admittedly snug size 12's. But I cannot yet get into all of my size 10's that I wore a few short years ago. I can wear some, but not all. Size 8's are still laughing at me tauntingly. Someone on one of my stitching boards posted about being able to lose two pounds and be in a smaller size while someone else she knew had to lose like 15 pounds to decrease clothing size. I guess this goes in the category of things that make you scratch your head. For me, the biggest size changing issue is my waist measurement. I lose weight there last. So, while I am wearing small and medium tops, my bottom can't quite keep up. Clearly, you don't lose weight evenly throughout your body. Weird, huh?

Well, those size 8's can laugh all they want. I'll be wearing them at some point in the not too distant future. My dream is to be comfortable in size 6's, but honestly, I could be content to be a size 8 for the rest of my natural life, provided my body fat percentage is in the healthy range. That's really the key. I want to be healthy again.

Hanging Gardens Progress

2010-05-20T12:43:00.004-05:00

I am so motivated to finish this! Progress is happening. I am finishing the backstitching at the bottom center of the design. I have to do the little bit of greenery to the outside of each side of the arch still, as well as the repeat of the corner motif on the three corners I've not yet done. Then I'll add the beads and crystals and Voila! Here's the progress pics!

And the close up of where I'm working now.

I can feel the HD anticipation building. :D No time estimates, but it is conceivable it will happen by the end of the month.

Stitching Bucket List Revisited

2010-05-14T10:48:00.006-05:00

In my old blog home on Yuku, I created a Stitching Bucket List - a list of designs I really want to stitch before I die. Reasons why these designs have not been started yet range from substantial conversion or design changes I want to make to the project intimidates me for some reason (technique, inadequate instructions, sheer size, etc.) to the fact that my current number of WIPs is waaaay to out of control for me to even contemplate new starts of any magnitude until I have a few actual finishes. But I really do want to stitch these designs. Actually, I want to stitch everything in my stash, but if you've ever been to visit my stash closet, you'd know that I'd need to consume an immortality potion to make that happen. So, the designs on my bucket list are those that I'd be most bummed about if I never got to stitch them. The one stipulation I gave myself in creating the list was that I have to currently own the design. Also, allowing for the fluid nature of stash enhancement and the fickle nature I possess, I reserved the right to change my mind. Just so we've got it preserved on blogger for the sake of future reference, here's the list reproduced as originally documented:

Secret Victorian Garden Mandala by Chatelaine Designs - I adore Victorian houses and gardens. This design has BOTH! I have all the fibers, but no fabric yet.
Queene Besse's Chesse Boarde by Leon Conrad - I've loved this design forever! I want to do it in sepia tones for a very antique look and finish it in a glass top table so you can actually use it to play chess.
Celtic Letters and Heart by M Designs - I want to do this as a wedding or anniversary sampler for DH and me. I saw a pic someone else stitched years ago and have loved the idea ever since. I have the floss I want to use. I just need fabric and a backstitched lettering font I like for the names and date.
Tuscany Town Mandala by Chatelaine Designs - DH and I went to Tuscany for our 15th anniversary. It was a really special trip for us for many reasons. We visited all the places depicted in the design. Much sentiment involved here.
The Nativity by Mar Bek - I've had these charts and intended to stitch this forever. I am undecided about stitching them as one or as individual pieces. I think this would be the sort of heirloom piece my kids will fight over for ages (which makes me smile). Everytime I see someone post about fabric choices for this, I want to play, too.
Velveteen Rabbit by Lynne Nicoletti - This will be for my dear aunt, who is really much like an older sister to me. She gave me the book when I was young. We were poor and I did not own many books, so I read this about a thousand times. She gave it to me for a special reason. I know if I stitch this for her, she will treasure it.
The Desiderata Sampler by Indigo Rose - I have always loved this, but a few years ago, someone on the Chatelaine BB posted pics of a friend's finished Desiderata. This stitcher had replaced many of the bands with intricate beading and additional specialty stitches. I had her send me the pics. They are SO drool-worthy - one of the few things that have ever honestly left me speechless! I want to do my own adaptation of a similar nature. So this will take some planning. I have the resource books to do it. I just need to plan it out.
Deep Peace by Forget-Me-Nots-In-Stitches - Um, I love a challenge? Actually, the sucky directions are why I haven't stitched this already. But, I really want to. Awesome design and gorgeous sentiment.
Peacock Footstool by Jill Gordon - I think the only reason I haven't stitched this yet is because it's in a magazine and I forget about it. Yeah, I have that peacock *thing*. And, the fact that this can be displayed in a non-traditional finished way appeals to me.
And They Sinned by Exampler Dames Design Co. - Missy Ann, are you LYAO? You should be because this is 110% YOUR FAULT! Honestly, I never thought much about this before, but Missy Ann's pictures are beyond enabling. And yes, I must make my own specialty stitch adaptations just like MA. I am so easily lead astray....

And so there you have it. As I read through what I wrote more than a year ago, I can't think of what I'd change about the list. I did establish a goal of starting at least one of these projects each year beginning this year. Once I get Hanging Gardens finished, I am going to choose one of these designs to add to my rotation. Not saying it will get lots of attention, just that it will, in fact, get started. After all, if I don't start them, I can't ever finish them.

An Actual Stitching-related Post!

2010-05-10T12:08:00.003-05:00

I've been stitching. Yes, I have. And, I am about to show you proof. Well, I will show what I can. I can't show you my Chatelaine Smalls Exchange piece, which is not only finished, but finish-finished (for the few non-stitchers, that means I finished stitching, AND successfully made it into a...well, I can't tell what I made it into. :p ). That finishing happened on Saturday after a trip to JoAnn's for finishing necessities. However, I CAN show you my progress on Hanging Gardens, which has been considerable since I last shared with you.

And the full-view, just because I can:

Fabric color looks wonky in that shot, but it's a cloudy, rainy day in Nashville, so it's the best I can do.

I am making such great progress on this. I am seriously considering pushing through to the finish on it. With the girls in exams this week and next, I will probably have some good stitching time. At least, I think so. If I don't get distracted by another WIP, a finish by the end of the month is a possibility. Wouldn't that be something?

What's that you say about goals? The flood washed them all away. Really. I mean, the month is one third over. A bit late to document anything meaningful. And, of course, it is exam time. Which means my teenagers turn into something that defies explanation even by hormones, and Robot runs through my house shouting, "Danger, Will Robinson!!!" whenever one of them is sighted in the common areas of the house. This would be the clue for DH and me to run for cover. I have explained to DH that not only should he avoid conversation with Perfectionist Child and Diva for the next two weeks, but even eye contact can be deadly. He's been told, so any injuries he sustains are entirely his own fault. I'll be making the trip to the grocery for the necessary chocolate and caffienated supplies today.

Oh, I have another happy to share! Saturday's mail yielded some long-awaited stash!

I've been waiting for this about a month because some stuff was backordered. There was a bit more, but it's a surprise for someone, so no photo. ;) I really cannot wait to stitch that Just Nan peacock needle thingie! The cutest useful thing EVER! You know, me and my peacock thang!

I lived through the flood and I have internet

2010-05-08T16:45:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard, we had a 1,000 year flood in Nashville. In my area, we got almost 14 inches of rain in about 36 hours, which more than doubled the previous record rainfall for the same time period since they began keeping records sometime in the 1800's. Unbelievable. I won't recount all the tales and stories, but the devastation is pretty horrific. So many people have lost everything and have no flood insurance. In this area, you only get flood insurance if your home/business is in the 100 year flood plain.

My family was extremely lucky in all of this. No damage to our home or the homes of our mothers. The only casualty was my car. As I was crossing the front entrance to our subdivision on the first day of the rains (when we had no idea how bad it was/would be) my engine intake sucked water into the engine. The car stalled, and when we attempted to restart later, a rod bent. The engine block has to be replaced (MAJOR $$$). Insurance company is now deciding whether to repair my car (2006 Toyota Avalon) or total it. They've waffled so much on it this week, I really don't have a feel for what they'll do. Meanwhile, I have a rental car, so I'm good. We lost internet service Sunday - Thursday. I felt so cut off from the world! On the other hand, I was incredibly productive, which, I suppose, speaks to how much time I spend/waste on the computer. Anyway, I'm back and slowly catching up with all the things I do on the 'net.

I have a fair amount of survivor's guilt for getting off so easy when so many are suffering. DH and I have made financial contributions and helped where we can. Neither of us is able to physically able to help a great deal other than carting supplies around. We both have pretty extreme reactions to mold. If I'm sick, I'm no good to anyone. So, though I know why I can't do more, I still feel guilty about it.

On to some happier thoughts (I'm not insensitive. I just can't dwell on bad stuff for too long or I become very depressed). My weight loss is going well. The doc said I was her only patient on Thursday who had actually lost weight during our disaster. I've officially lost more than 15 pounds! I am pretty much in to my skinny clothes, which is a good feeling. I'm not yet up for new clothes shopping as I am really concerned about keeping it off. I have another week and a half of the pure liquid diet and then will begin the transition to real food. The thought of real food scares me to death. But it looks like I am on track to be down 20 pounds by the time I transition, which was my goal.

I do have stitching stuff to share. Hanging Gardens is coming along very well, and I got a stash order in the mail today that I'd been waiting on for about a month. No pics today. Maybe tomorrow when I have more time. Sorry. Oh, and I finish-finished my Chatelaine Smalls Exchange project!!! Of course, I can't show pictures until the actual exchange takes place in June. I used a new-to-me finishing technique I found on the internet. It worked pretty well. There are a few things I would do differently next time. But overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out. It would be something I'd be happy to receive, so I hope it's future recipient will feel the same.

I Have ANKLES!!

2010-04-29T13:24:00.002-05:00

Who knew?!?! They are even pointy! Ha! I can resume wearing cute shoes. And, I once again have something to shop for that doesn't make me cringe for fear of rejection. :-)

Offical weight loss at today's appointment was 3.5 pounds for the week, for a total of 12.5 pounds!!!!! It finally feels real. This doctor is my hero.

Sorry for the drive-by post, but I'm off to the dentist with Diva!

Stitching Update April 22

2010-04-23T12:34:00.006-05:00

Thought you might like to see what three wise men actually look like since I know it's an image from fantasy. :-D Click to biggify and see whole image.

I'm about a third of the way finished with this and still enjoying the stitch! I'm finished with it for this month though. I stitched a bit on Hanging Gardens the other night, but no real progress to show. So, that will be a pic for another post.

Today, my friend W came over to play (I don't use real names without permission in the blog). W assisted in the very important task of selecting fabric for the design I am stitching for the Chatelaine Exchange. I think we did a good job! No photo as it is a surprise exchange.

W is my hero right now. I may be a clueless wonder. I had no idea you could switch a dryer door to hinge on the other side! W "fixed" my dryer and completely changed my life. It may make me completely pitiful to confess that I almost want to do a load of laundry right now, just to have my dryer open on the correct side. It's really the little things that make me happy.

Oh, and yes, I did have a doctor's appointment yesterday. After two weeks on the liquid diet, I have lost a total of 9.5 pounds. My home scale shows 9.8, but I am not quibbling over three tenths of a pound! I am so thrilled with my progress. The doc did explain that my weight loss will slow some as I lose weight because as you lose weight it takes fewer calories to maintain the new, lower weight. I can handle that. At least the scale is finally going in the right direction! I've gone from clothes that were a tad snug to clothes that are a bit loose. Another 3-5 pounds should see me back in my "skinny" clothes. At least, that's what I'm hoping. Thanks everyone who has been cheering me on. I really appreciate the support!

Yikes! It's Been a While!

2010-04-21T10:39:00.002-05:00

And I've had more adventures than I care for thankyouverymuch. Went to Atlanta for Diva's volleyball tournament. It was freaknik weekend. Lots of interesting individuals and happenings (let's leave it at that). Raced home early Sunday morning to attend Perfectionist Child's Confirmation, leaving Diva in the capable hands of Busy Mom (Diva still had volleyball obligations). Flat tire in Chattanooga. Of the complete tire blow-out flavor. Thank GOD for the AAA Roadside Assistance people. While I am capable of changing a tire, I happened to be dressed in a silk skirt and heels. Not so much equipped for the job. Parachuted in for Confirmation just in the nick of time. Survived MIL meeting Mom's "gentleman friend". While it did make the family news broadcast, I haven't heard about it on the local six o'clock news - yet. And, I am pretty sure the in depth "interview" is coming on Friday when I have to spend several hours captive with MIL. Oh, and somewhere in there, I helped a good friend with a hair disaster (at least I hope I did).

Saturday was also the one year anniversary of Dad's passing. I miss him. I felt guilty that I wasn't home to go to the cemetery with Mom. The day wasn't as difficult for me as I thought it would be. Mostly because it was filled with volleyball "stuff". Not so much time to think. And, Sunday was weird to see my Mom at a family occasion with another man. But you know, this *friend* of Mom's has to be a special guy if he can sit next to her at a family occasion and listen to her tell me about visiting the cemetery the day before. Or is that just totally messed up?

I spent Monday with my much-loved cousin who was Perfectionist Child's Confirmation Sponsor and made the trip from Florida. Monday also was an unnecessary trip for Perfectionist Child's dress fitting that wasn't. They hadn't even started on the alterations and, of course, they didn't call me to cancel the appointment. Joy. Now they are having to expedite the process - at their expense and my insistence. More joy. Tuesday's project was new tire purchase/installation at Sam's. Let's not mention how much that set me back, OK. I've managed not to cry about it.

Today is a lost day for reasons I'll not go into except to say we may have survived the Great Plumbing Disaster just so we can face the HVAC from Hades. I really do love my house, but some days I contemplate arson at least momentarily.

Stitching?!?! You want a stitching picture? I'm supposed to stitch to relieve stress, right? HA! There has been some stitching. Some. I've managed about 20 hours on NSTR this month. But I'm not up for photos right now. This month just has not been conducive to stitching progress. I have looked at stuff to stitch for the Chatelaine Exchange. But, I need to make a final decision and pull stuff for it. That's on the agenda for tomorrow. Maybe I'll post a NSTR pic, too.

Enough rambling for today.

Procrastination and Diet Adventures

2010-04-13T11:06:00.005-05:00

I'm experiencing motivational difficulties today. It's almost lunchtime, and I've successfully avoided my to-do list in its entirety. But, I'm running out of procrastination ideas, so you get a meaningless blog post! Don't you feel lucky?

If I were a better blogger, you'd get an updated photo of NSTR, which is looking wonderful, if I do say so myself. Another day or two of typical stitching time, and I will have the second major page completed! The chart is organized so that four of the eight pages have about 75% of the stitching, while the other four pages contain border and some stray stars in the sky. So finishing this page will put me at more than a third complete! I will post a pic when I finish this rotation. Promise.

If I were a more creative blogger, you'd get some lovely spring pictures from my yard. However, that would mean I have to dig out the camera and go outdoors. We have an air quality warning today for excessive pollen. It's such a wonderful thing to live in the Great Basin in the South during allergy season (not). So, in the interest of not wanting to inhale more than my fair share of the pollen in the air, I will remain indoors until I must provide Perfectionist Child with chauffeur services this afternoon.

I'm still nursing battle wounds from the latest round of teenage hormones in my house. Some days I wonder why I bother speaking to Diva. There is nothing that could come out of my mouth that would result in a happy outcome no matter how hard I try. Last night's explosion stared with, "Goodnight. I love you." Kid you not. Thankfully, Perfectionist Child is not similarly full of hormones - today. Tomorrow who knows. It's kinda like spinning the roulette wheel - you never know which personality you will get at any given moment. Times two.

In further randomness and trivia, I started a new weight loss program four days ago. For those who haven't heard the very boring and whiney story of the last four years, allow me to summarize: Yours truly has been on virtually every "healthy" eating plan known to mankind and exercises quite faithfully, yet cannot lose weight. Rather, the reverse seems to occur. I swear I absorb calories from the air. Been to a bajillion doctors/medical professionals all of whom know less about metabolism/weight loss/etc. than do I. So, after really not doing anything special the past few months (but continuing to exercise faithfully and trying to eat relatively healthy meals), I decided to begin researching the less-than-healthy weight loss alternatives.

After lots of research, I found an OB/GYN locally who has recently started a women's wellness component to her practice. After meeting with her, we decided I would commit to a six-week liquid diet plan. The plan consists of four specially-formulated shakes and a protein bar each day, plus 32 oz of water. I still get to drink my coffee with my low fat creamer, and I can drink diet drinks as long as they are not carbonated. I did have to give up my wine with dinner (and, well, any other time the teenage hormones might drive me to drink). Let me say that this doc seems to understand a great many things about women's health that no one else I have seen in the last four years has even come close to, which is why I decided to give it a shot.

I've lost almost six pounds in four days. I know that a good bit of that is water weight. But, I'm seeing a number on the scale that I haven't seen in almost a year (before I started on the beta blockers). That has me pretty motivated and excited at the moment. The idea, should it come to fruition, is to lose about 25 pounds, maintain that for six to nine months, and then resume the liquid diet to lose the approximately 20 additional pounds I need to lose (for a total weight loss of 45-ish pounds). The number of pounds is my estimation. This doctor is much more concerned with body fat percentage versus pounds, so that's the number she's concentrating on. Oh, and she *hates* BMI as an indicator of pretty much anything. Love her.

I expect the weight loss to slow down after I hit about the 10 day mark. Supposedly to to three pounds per week is considered more normal at that point. Still, that's more movement downward than my scale has seen in a long time. We shall see what happens!

What I'd Rant About if I Had the Time

2010-04-10T16:20:00.006-05:00

POLITICAL STUPIDITY.

Sorry, I realize that was redundant. But, in brief, let me tell you what has my knickers in a twist at the moment. Health care reform and stupid federal income tax tricks. Between the two, my 2013 federal tax burden will be about 25% more than it was in 2009 assuming our gross income stays constant (thus take home pay will be substantially reduced). My oldest child starts college in 2012. My youngest begins college in 2014. We are not eligible for any need-based financial aid. According to Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party, we are in the income bracket that can afford to pay higher taxes which will pay for the health care programs and economic stimulus crap.

But let me point out just a few things. If you take away my income deemed "disposable" here are just a few things I will have to eliminate from my household spending to still have the funds I need to send my kids to college: the lawn care guy, the cleaning lady, eating out, travel, entertainment, hobby spending, etc. In short, I will spend less money in the elements of the economy which employ lower income workers. These unskilled folks will then need additional government support just to survive.

I understand the Democratic Party and Mr. Obama feel they can allocate my money better than can I. But, really, wouldn't our country be a better place if these people were actually EMPLOYED versus remaining on the various government programs? Hm, they would have jobs, and I would have the money to educate my children (so they would then be SKILLED workers rather than part of the unskilled masses).

Obviously, such logic is foreign in politics.

Allow me to add one more rant: If you want to reform health care, should you not start with cost control and fraud? I'm just sayin'.

Monthly Goal Stuff - April Edition

2010-04-06T09:01:00.005-05:00

Most of March was dedicated to Diva's volleyball tournaments and shopping with Perfectionist Child. Many lost hours. Little stitching. Crabby me. Not sure April gets better as I just returned from yet another out-of-town volleyball weekend followed by an eight-hour shopping excursion with Perfectionist Child. Let's see how I fared:

Stitching Goals for March
1. Stitch 10 hours on NSTR (bit of a cheat goal as I already have almost 6 hours done). Yep. Actually put in around 15 hours, I think.
2. Stitch 20 hours on Hanging Gardens. Yes, just barely. Making quite excellent progress.
3. Visit LNS to buy more floss for NSTR without buying more than $25 in additional stash (quit with the manic laughter, people). Not quite sure how to address this. I did get the floss. And, that's all I'm sayin'. lol.
4. Lace Vintage Stitches to foam core (really, I am going to do it this time). Sadly, no. Didn't even think about it.
5. Create guidelines for smalls exchange on the Chatelaine message board. YES!!!!! I did this! See here.

Non-stitching Goals for March
1. Take Perfectionist Child clothes shopping with the express purpose of buying a dress for Confirmation. Avoid shooting her, if possible. Any clothing purchased after dress acquisition achieves bonus points. Shopping accomplished and she's still living. Let's just say that I've already experienced purgatory.
2. Dig out the black pit my office has become. This is becoming mission critical. Some progress, but then more accumulation of "stuff". I get points for trying.
3. Exercise at least 16 days this month. The Great Plumbing Disaster in my home sucked away two days of exercise, so I only made it 14 days.
4. Do the financial statements/tax forms for my business (can you say procrastination? Um, yeah.) Not only did I do them, but I even mailed them with the appropriate checks. Have also done the draft version of the personal return. Just need to review it.

Not such a great effort, I think. Some things beyond my control, but still. Oh, I am giving myself a bonus point for scheduling a dental appointment for April. That was on my Jan. and Feb. goals and was never accomplished until March.

April is another busy month with two out-of-town volleyball tournaments (just got home from Atlanta) and Perfectionist Child's Confirmation, not to mention the continuing saga of the Great Plumbing Disaster and the Unknown Ailment of Diva's car (which, of course, becomes my problem when I have to provide transportation in lieu of her self-sufficiency.). So, let's see what's possible:

Stitching Goals for April:
1. Stitch 15 hours on NSTR.
2. Stitch 15 hours on Hanging Gardens.
3. Plan, kit, and start project for the Chatelaine Exchange.
4. Join the Chatelaine Designs Peacock Garden group before the end of the raffle period on April 15th.

Non-stitching Goals for April:
1. Organize office (yes, again).
2. Exercise at least 16 days.
3. Work through household "to-do" list backlog so that May starts with a clean slate.

I really don't think anything more is possible.

DH asked me this morning what I wanted for Mother's Day other than to do nothing. He has no idea how much I wish I could do nothing. But, no, Mother's Day will be spent catering to his mother and my mother. In the 16 years that I have been a mother, only once did I get to do what I wanted to do that day. At the time, my mother lived 2,000 miles away, and my MIL was out-of-town. I've asked to celebrate my mother's day on an alternate date, but somehow, it never seems to happen. I won't be holding my breath this year, either.

Miscellaney and Stuff

2010-03-25T15:03:00.007-05:00

Such a creative title, lol. I've been laughing at myself and the random wonderings (or should that be wanderings?) of my mind lately. Thought I'd give you all a chance to laugh at/with me.

Apparently the sun is only allowed to shine for one day during Nashville springtime before the spring rainstorms hit. This bears out with the 10-day forecast. I may have to keep track just for the sake of amusement. Yeah, I don't get out much.

Whilst searching the volleyball tournament venue for a beverage that was not carbonated and was not water and did not contain copious amounts of sugar, I discovered I am in LOVE with SOBE Lifewater 0. Which, of course, means that it will probably give me cancer or have some other horrible side effect. Don't tell me. I don't want to know. I found some locally on sale (10/$10) at Publix. Bliss.

Why is it that smart girls are attracted to really stupid bad boys? I thought Diva might break the trend. Apparently not. I know from personal experience that one does grow out of it. But, I think Perfectionist Child's take on boys (they are all inherently flawed and mostly just good for making fun of) is much easier to deal with in the short term. Meanwhile, there is much drama over stupid bad boys at our house.

Pondering what DH is going to have to do to make it up to me: I have to give up Moonlight Stitching in May for his annual firm dinner (which neither of us really enjoy, but feel obligated to attend). I think I deserve something really wonderful. Feel free to offer excellent suggestions to stimulate my creativity.

I hate growing out my bangs. I can't remember why I thought this would be a good idea. What was I thinking?!?! They are now about an inch short of my chin. Too short to tuck behind the ear. Too long to look decent just hanging there. Pinning the bangs back makes me look like I am trying to be too young. Have a hair appointment on Tuesday, which cannot come soon enough. I hope Jan's creative juices are flowing. Otherwise, I may just tell her to cut it all off! I really hate it when I can't make my hair look decent no matter how hard I try.

My daffodils are really pretty this year. I love daffodils in that rainbows, butterflies, and puppy dogs sort of way. If the sun shines again (rumor is that it will appear again on Saturday), I may just take some photos.

Are teenagers too stupid to realize that the parent need only log on to the online account to see all the texting history (dates, time, to/from)? Yes, female children in my house, I do mean you. I know EXACTLY who you are texting and when. Do not attempt to out fox a former auditor.

After being gone much of the past two weeks, I have a HUUUUUGE to-do list. I was really productive Monday and Tuesday. Then my motivation decided to go on vacation. I *need* it to come back, but can't say I really want it to. I'd be a much happier person if I could just spend a couple of days stitching (guilt-free, of course). I've said this before, but I need a wife rather than being the wife all the time. If you know where my motivation went on vacation, will you tell me so I can join it?

My MIL is "not speaking" to me because I don't call her anymore. Not sure whether to laugh hysterically or throw a party. However, she is still baking cookies for DH regularly (as in whenever he runs out, she bakes more). How many 45 year old men still have their mommy bake them cookies? Cue more manic laughter.

Cheerleading is the most expensive sport ever invented. Just ask my bleeding checkbook. And that's all I have to say about that.

So, I'm in St. Louis with Diva. DH decides to do the grocery shopping. He normally does this chore, but I give him a written list. He has no list. He calls me (remember, I am in St. Louis) asking me to dictate a shopping list. Umm, how exactly am I supposed to know what you and Perfectionist Child have eaten (and thus we are out of/low on) the past week? Does he think my Super Wife powers include a real-time inventory of the refrigerator and pantry in my head? Damn, I'm more powerful than I thought I was!

That's all you get today. I'm done. Pretty sure it's time to stitch. After all, I'm Super Wife! Wonder if that means dinner will cook itself...

We Three Kings of Orient are...

2010-03-24T12:53:00.003-05:00

Progress through March's rotation (about another 20ish hours). Don't my kings look good? I refuse to use the oxymoron "wise men". Just can't do it. I still love stitching this so much.

Right now, Hanging Gardens is getting some attention:

The pomegranites are supposed to be backstitched in black with a black bead in the center. I'm debating whether to backstitch or not. I kinda like it the way it is. I might test one and see how it looks.

Feels good to be stitching again after a week and a half of enforced hiatus due to Diva's volleyball travel schedule. Get to be home the rest of the month, then gone again.

One thing this last trip really brought home is how much my close vision has deteriorated just since the first of the year. I really need to be wearing readers more than I do. Time to buy multiple pair so I don't have the excuse of "can't find them". Really, it's embarrassing to have your teenager read the menu to you. I promise.

Many bloggable tidbits of nothingness have flitted through my mind while I was out of town. Maybe tomorrow I'll share some.

OH, NEWS FLASH: It's actually SPRING in Nashville. With sunshine and everything! Yipeeee!

Could you hear my shout of joy?

2010-03-08T11:45:00.003-06:00

Got a beautiful letter from my insurance company confirming that they pre-authorized my CT scan last week. Today, I love my insurance company. I will only have to pay my normal deductible for the CT scan (which I expected).

With this news and the warm sunshine coming in my window, it's a GOOD day!

Yes, I will still be talking with the surgeon about office person. And, I will be changing my care to another surgeon - preferably a vascular surgeon rather than the general surgeon I've been seeing. I haven't changed my mind about that. I'm just celebrating the good news!

Monthly Goal Stuff

2010-03-07T12:45:00.004-06:00

Lest you think my brain has exploded from the rant (thanks for hanging with me while I did that - you have no idea how much better it made me feel), here's an update on my goal status from February:

Stitching Goals for February
1. Stitch on Nativity Story Table Runner for 10 hours. YES! Actually, I managed a bit more than 10 hours.
2. Stitch on Hanging Gardens for 10 hours. YES!! Did better than 20 hours and it is looking amazing.
3. Lace Vintage Stitches to foam core. Sadly, no. (hangs head in shame as this really needs to be done)

Non-stitching Goals for February
1. Finish organizing my office. Not only not accomplished, but I've added to the chaos. Don't ask.
2. Exercise at least 15 days this month (this will be tough to accomplish). YES!
3. Make appointment for self for dental check-up. sigh, No.
4. Have a serious conversation with Diva about the need to actually get a summer job this year (wish me luck - it won't be pleasant). Did it and lived to tell the tale. Not that Diva will actually take action....

I'll give myself a "C+" for February. Part of my lack of goal achievement was due to out-of-town travel for Perfectionist Child's cheer competitions. But, I could have done better if I was really motivated.

March is another month with out-of-town travel. This time with Diva for volleyball tournaments (Louisville and St. Louis). So, we'll see if I can find more motivation this month. On a positive note, this big yellowish ball of light has appeared in my sky a few times over the past week. AND, I actually left my house without a heavy coat yesterday! Could this be a sign that the weather gods have not totally abandoned me? Dare I think it?

Stitching Goals for March
1. Stitch 10 hours on NSTR (bit of a cheat goal as I already have almost 6 hours done).
2. Stitch 20 hours on Hanging Gardens.
3. Visit LNS to buy more floss for NSTR without buying more than $25 in additional stash (quit with the manic laughter, people).
4. Lace Vintage Stitches to foam core (really, I am going to do it this time).
5. Create guidelines for smalls exchange on the Chatelaine message board.

Non-stitching Goals for March
1. Take Perfectionist Child clothes shopping with the express purpose of buying a dress for Confirmation. Avoid shooting her, if possible. Any clothing purchased after dress acquisition achieves bonus points.
2. Dig out the black pit my office has become. This is becoming mission critical.
3. Exercise at least 16 days this month.
4. Do the financial statements/tax forms for my business (can you say procrastination? Um, yeah.)

Oh, and while not exactly a goal, I think I will give myself bonus points if I manage to leave the surgeon's office on Wednesday without going postal. For those playing at home, the CT scan itself, went just fine. I don't get the results until I see the surgeon, of course. And, I was not able to talk with anyone who could access the part of the computer system where insurance authorization information would be found. I'm told that the claim is submitted electronically, so I should be able to see it on my insurance company's website this week. Here's hoping.

Sorry, I Need a Rant

2010-03-02T12:25:00.002-06:00

Really, if I don't get this out, I might just explode. It's about this person in my surgeon's office. I have a condition that has to be monitored via CT scans every six months. Well, the past two times I've had the CT scan, this office person neglected to get pre-authorization from the insurance company. Insurance company was relatively nice about it, saying once they received the proper paperwork from the surgeon's office person, they would "post-certify" the procedure so it would be covered. After they did this the second time, I received a tersely worded letter from said insurance company saying that any future procedures NOT pre-authorized, would NOT be covered. Period. Got it. Really this should not be an issue as I am pretty sure most US insurance companies require this in some form or fashion.

So, I call office person (this is December-ish) and ask what needs to happen to be sure my next CT scan is pre-authorized because I do not have $3,000 to pay for this out-of-pocket. She assures me that she will get the pre-authorization and not to worry. OK, but I am going to worry because you didn't do this the previous two times, and I do not have $3,000. Well, I can call her a week before the CT scan. I can do that.

And, so I called last week. Office person informs me that it is February and my procedure isn't until March. She works March procedures when it is March. I comment that my procedure is March 3rd and my insurance company (via letter to me) indicated it would take 48 hours to get the pre-authorization. Oh, but it never takes that long, office person assures me. Umm, yeah. Office person generously allows that I can call her the day before my procedure. I hang up the phone grumbling many unkind words under my breath, but I put a note on my calendar for March 2nd to call office person.

Oh well, lookie! Today is March 2nd. Yes, I called office person (I refuse to dignify her with an actual human name) at 11:00 am today (my CT scan is 8:00 am tomorrow). OK so she'll call my insurance company and call me right back. WHAT?!?!!?! I remind her that the letter I have from the insurance company says that they need 48 hours to approve. She tells me that it never takes that long and hangs up. OK, I'm over the fact that you hung up on me because I figured out how rude you are the last time we spoke. But, it is quite obvious that had I not called you today, you had absolutely no intention of getting my pre-authorization. I'm actually proud of myself for not snarkily reminding you that it is indeed March now, and my procedure is scheduled for March. That should meet your criteria for action, but apparently not so much.

I will give office person a half point for actually calling me back (but I do think she realized I'd be calling her back had she not) an hour later to tell me she was able to get the pre-authorization on the phone and had faxed the number to the hospital. Oh, there is a number? Can I have the number? You don't need the number, the hospital does. I realize this. (Pardon my extreme paranoia, but I DON'T HAVE $3,000!!!! I DON'T TRUST THAT YOU DID WHAT YOU SAID, AND I WANT TO BE CERTAIN I WILL NOT HAVE TO FORK OUT $3,000. ) I do not say out loud what I am shouting in my head as I am trying to take the nice approach. But clearly, office person does not get it. She tells me she does not understand why I am so persistent about this. Well, because had I not called, you would not have done your job, and it's really important to me both because I need insurance to cover this procedure, and because I have a potentially fatal condition that has no symptoms and can only be monitored via this procedure. According to "assistant doctor" office person (apparently she got promoted while on the phone with me) because it's been six months since my last CT scan, my condition cannot be very serious and it would not be a big deal if the procedure had to be canceled. Therefore, I have no reason to feel there is an issue. Really. What planet does she live on, and will they please take her back?

I tried once more to explain why this is important to me (I don't have $3,000, and I'd like to make sure my aneurysm doesn't burst and kill me. Really pretty simple.). I ask again if I can have the pre-authorization number. She again tells the hospital already has it so I don't need it. She further tells me that it is all my fault anyway for having the insurance company I do. Apparently this insurance company never used to need the pre-auth., but now they do. She rattled off to me the list of insurance companies needing pre-auths. I was so impressed. Office person goes on to tell me she sees no further problem and hangs up on me. Gotta love that efficiency. I bet she passed the third grade.

No one at the hospital seems to know who is the keeper of pre-authorization information. I did call to see if they have it. Insurance company couldn't get past that I am not a doctor calling for a pre-authorization. They just couldn't grasp the idea of a patient calling to see if a pre-authorization had been obtained. I'll try asking in person tomorrow before they actually do the procedure, but I think I am just going to have to take it on faith and see what happens.

Next week, when I see the surgeon for the test results, I plan to let her know what happened. I also plan to tell her that I want my medical file to take with me when I leave as I will be finding another surgeon to be responsible for my care. While I don't feel strongly one way or the other about the surgeon herself, I won't be treated this way by her office staff. I see them as a reflection of the surgeon. If the office staff does not think patient care is important, then perhaps the surgeon does not either. I live in a city with one of the best teaching hospitals in the US. I promise there are lots of competent surgeons from which to choose. I plan to find one who also hires nice office people.

If you read all of this, thanks for sticking with me. I'll get over it. I am sure part of the reason this beyotch got to me is because I'm a little sensitive right now. I mostly don't think about my aneurysm except when it comes time for the CT scan. It's disconcerting to think you have a time bomb ticking inside of you and there is no way to know when it will go off, if ever. But, if it does, your dead. I do realize that there are people who live with this condition most or all of their lives without issue. But, the medical profession has no clue what causes this type of aneurysm, what makes it worse, or what makes it better. No clue. So, karma should really cut me a break when I'm forced to think about it.

Enjoying the Garden

2010-02-17T11:58:00.003-06:00

As promised, Hanging Gardens of Semarimis photos.

Full view:

And the closer up:
OK, so I didn't say they'd be great photos. I probably did closer to 11 hours this rotation. Since I've kinda found a groove with this project and none of my other WIPs are shouting at me today, I think I am just going to continue on a while. I'll probably take HG to Louisville this weekend. Maybe I'll change projects next week. Then again, maybe not. You know me.

AAAAAA!!! Help me I'm melting!

2010-02-16T18:42:00.002-06:00

Been checking out the Nashville releases - or what's been previewed thus far. Ready for a shock? I like THIS. I KNOW! It's so not me. But, I'm in love. Actually, it's the witch I love most of all. I so want to be her. Definite broom-envy.

I'm telling myself that if I am a very good girl and NSTR gets finished this year that AaHRH can be my monthly project for 2011. Yeah. Any bets on how long I'll hold out?

Tonight I should finish up my 10 hour rotation on Hanging Gardens. So, if the light is decent tomorrow, you will get a photo. I'm debating what to stitch for the remainder of the month. Whatever I choose will have to travel out of town both weekends. That rules out NSTR as it is just too much fabric with which to deal/manipulate outside of my normal stitching space. I might just stick with HG. But then, Medieval Town Mandala has been asking for love, too....

Ramblings of My Mind - Stitching and Not

2010-02-11T13:33:00.003-06:00

There has been no stitching since Sunday.

Yeah, I'm not so pleasant to be around. Life has conspired against my stitching. Here's a photo of where I ended up on NSTR after my 10 hours in February (total hours approx 20, however, 3 were spent frogging and re-stitching).

So, yes, we have a wise man. I'm sure somewhere in the background is a wise woman we just can't see.

Assuming I get to stitch tonight, I will start my 10 hour rotation on Hanging Gardens. I confess to be anxious to get back to HG. As nice a break as mono color has been, I am itching to return to the silks.

On a completely unrelated note, have you ever read something in a work of fiction which starts a discussion in your head you just cannot turn off? Well, that's what's happened to me this week, so I thought I'd share. The idea in question was that women care whether other women have bust enhancements, but men could care less if they are real or plastic. Men just like big boobs. This started me thinking (always dangerous). I can virtually always spot the fake ones and usually feel compelled to point it out to my DH, if he's with me. I have this feeling that it doesn't *count* if you've got fake ones. But, then I think about it, and the book is right. Men really do not seem to care. They enjoy the scenery regardless (which says I'm pretty stupid for directing DH's attention to said plastic). Thus the question in my mind: Does it really matter if it's live or if it's Memorex?

Lest you think I suggest all who enhance are lesser creatures, let me say that I know a lovely woman who had been completely flat chested her entire life. All she wished for was a modest B cup. She promised herself that her reward for raising her children and seeing them through college was a boob job. She earned her reward, and looks wonderful. There is nothing abnormal looking about her proportions. Yes, they don't move like real girls, so most of us ladies could probably tell the difference. But, she feels so good about herself and is now wearing lots of stylish clothing she never felt comfortable doing before. This, I think, is an example of using such powers for good. However, I do think perhaps my acquaintance is a minority among the breast enhanced.

Discuss among yourselves, please.

Not Much Stitching

2010-02-02T11:02:00.005-06:00

Haven't stitched since Friday. Spent Saturday and Sunday shoveling and recovering from shoveling. Last night I was dealing with quite a bit of numbness in my right hand (the result of aggravating the bone spurs in my neck whilst shoveling) and really could not grip the needle. And, to be honest, I was distracted by the last 200 pages of the most recent Wheel of Time book, The Gathering Storm. Tonight, I hope to stitch, but there will be kid schlepping to do because there is NO WAY Diva is driving with the current road conditions. My drive to the respective schools this morning was an adventure. I'll leave it at that having already ranted on one of the stitching boards upon my arrival home.

I did say I would share a pic of NSTR. Here it is:

I'd say I've got about 10-ish hours in it now. Happy with the color choices, still, which is good. I have determined that I will definitely need to run by the LNS and buy more floss. This much stitching took about a half skein of DMC, and I'm only about 25% complete with page 1 of 8. Granted, this is one of the most stitching intense pages. But I think I need to pick up a few more skeins as I *know* the four I bought will not be enough.

Not much else going on right now. The long range forecast suggests there may be more snow on the way Friday night/Saturday morning. I am not amused. But, apparently, the weather gods think snow in THE SOUTH is hilarious. Hope they are enjoying themselves.

January Goals Status Report/ February Goal Setting

2010-02-01T12:17:00.000-06:00

Close counts in horse shoes, hand grenades and goal achievement. So, how'd I do this month?

Stitching Goals for January:

1. Select and purchase DMC for Nativity Story Table Runner, cut and serge fabric, and stitch on the piece for at least 8 hours. - I actually did this!! Yay me! I really love how it is turning out.

2. Finish part 7 of Medieval Town Mandala - Did this one too. Not too much of a stretch as I was really close at the beginning of the month.

3. Take Crabby All Year for framing. - Yep. It's hanging on the wall already. See previous post.

4. Attend Moonlight Stitching at the LNS. Yes!! It was much fun!

5. Stitch on Hanging Gardens of Semiramis for at least 10 hours. - Did this one, too.

Non-stitching Goals for January:

1. Recover my office from the holiday explosion. Sort of. Made a good start, but still have work to do.

2. Make appointment for self for dental check-up - oops.

3. Exercise at least 18 days this month. - thanks to the very invonvenient snow (see previous entry), I made 19 days, which includes three days of heavy snow shoveling. I will personally hurt anyone who hints that this does not count as exercise. I absolutely cannot raise my arms above my head right now!

4. Wipe hard drives on old PCs so they can be donated and removed from the house. YES! And, DH is much happy with me for it!

5. Organize storage room - Did this one, too! I was on a cleaning binge for a while. Kinda over it now.

So, I'd give myself an A- overall for January. Could have accomplished more stitching wise, but I had a couple of book distractions.

Now, what can I accomplish in February? OK, short month, plus Diva has three volleyball tournaments (two out of town) and DD#2 (I still need a blogname for her) has two out of town cheer competitions - not to mention a number of appointments scheduled for various sundry stuff - equals limited productivity. Here's what I think possible:

Stitching Goals for February

1. Stitch on Nativity Story Table Runner for 10 hours.

2. Stitch on Hanging Gardens for 10 hours.

3. Lace Vintage Stitches to foam core.

Non-stitching Goals for February

1. Finish organizing my office.

2. Exercise at least 15 days this month (this will be tough to accomplish).

3. Make appointment for self for dental check-up.

4. Have a serious conversation with Diva about the need to actually get a summer job this year (wish me luck - it won't be pleasant).

As I said, I'm keeping it reasonable given all that's going on in such a short time frame.

Meanwhile, I've been working on uploading all my stitching photos to flickr, complete with descriptions and details. When I make a little more progress, I'll post a link to the albums for WIPs and finishes on my sidebar. I always feel like I stitch and stitch and stitch but rarely finish anything. Going through all of my old photos and documenting the details has been really good for my ego in that respect. I've finished more than I've credited myself with. It just doesn't seem that way because some of what I've stitched is finished but not finish-finished (hence, the drawer of finished ornaments awaiting ornamentification) or, I've given them away. Anyway, photos to come soonish.

I know I owe you a progress picture on NSTR. Again, coming soon. Maybe even today if I get it together.

OMG I Hurt!

2010-01-30T16:37:00.002-06:00

THREE HOURS spent shoveling snow. And, we're not finished yet. Still have about a third of the driveway left to do. My body just gave out. I am SO counting this as two workouts!

The weather gods have forgotten I live in the South. My blood is thin. 40 degrees Fahrenheit is as cold as I can handle without whining. And, I. DON'T. DO. SNOW.

I can be Crabby All Year now!

2010-01-29T13:01:00.011-06:00

Very excited me! I picked up my finished/framed Crabby All Year from the LNS this week. Details for posterity: Design by Raise the Roof Designs. Stitched on 28 ct. linen Silkweaver Solo. Completed in 2009 - stitched a block each month. As charted except: signed name on check and used year for check number. Also added frog bead in Weeds block to commemorate "frogging" issues. Frog is cross-eyed.

It's hanging on the wall in my laundry room. You might think that an odd location, but it's really not. Because I have two teenage daughters who, by sheer virtue of existing, create mountains of laundry, I spend more time than I would like in my laundry room. It's a fairly large room with a big storage/hanging closet, an extra fridge, and a large sink in addition to the actual laundry facilities. Laundry processing is not my most favorite chore. So, I *need* something to make me laugh, or at least smile, since I spend so much time on said chore in said room. I love the humor in this design so much. It's one of the few pieces I've finished in recent history that was just for me.

So, I've now moved to Blogger for real. I am still learning how to set stuff up. So be patient. I did decide to use flickr for my photos. Reviving my old website was just proving too difficult for my technology challenged brain. As I am able, I will slowly be adding all my old HDs and WIPs (Happy Dances, i.e. finished projects, and Works In Progress for those who don't speak stiticher) to flickr. We'll see how that goes.

The teenagers got a hibernation day today, otherwise known as a snow day. As of the time of this post, I think we have almost two inches on the ground, and it's still coming down. I know those of you in the cold weather regions of the world are laughing, but this is enough to bring Nashville to a complete stand-still. The teenagers did wake in the 11:00 am - noon time frame for the purpose of consuming some calories and relocating to the vegatizing center (couch in front of the TV). Well, at least one of them has. I think I guilted the younger one into working on her research paper. Egads!!! Homework on a snow day! I am such the evil mother. And, I can live with that.

Some progress!

2010-01-21T18:38:00.003-06:00

Well, it seems I've learned how to make the blogger-hosted photos larger. I also figured out how to upload a new background. I played with new templates, too. But I really didn't like the one I chose so much.

For my next trick, I am going to attempt to increase the blog width - then I could post even bigger pics! Hmm. Wonder if that will mess up the background? Think maybe I'll save stuff before I try.

Giving it a try

2010-01-18T10:36:00.008-06:00

I'm going to play around with Blogger a bit to see if I like it. This is my first post. I'm going to try to insert a photo. We'll see how I do.

I wonder if there is a way to make the photo larger. Hmm. I can drag one side to make it larger, but not keep it proportional. Wonder how you do this if you host your own pics.