Thursday, March 30, 2006

Photos, finally!



Yay! I did it! I got a picture to upload, so this is the second piece I did for my mom at the beginning of last year that she had bought the kits for and I did for her. She loved both these pieces, the God Bless America one and this one.

Blogger has been acting so weird lately. The other night, Monday, I tired to post the previous post, but it kept saying 0% files uploaded whenever I would hit the publish post button. So, I didn't figure it had gone through, and yesterday when I logged on I didn't see the post and here it is now.

Well, I haven't posted for a few days, because I have been busy. I now have cable, as I wrote about in a previous post, and I have "Fit T.V" I LOVE IT!!! I have decided to work out three hours a day! Right now though I am trying to get into the groove, goodness my muscles are killing me! So,this morning I did one workout for an hour, and that is all I can hack. I'm afraid if I keep pushing myself that I will end up injuring myself, and that wouldn't be too good, at all. but I can already tell there's a difference in my energy level. yesterday I felt high as a kite! I have always loved working out, but I hate running, (I mean who wants to run in a circle, or around the block? some people don't mind it, but I can't stay motivated if it isn't something I enjoy doing.) So, I have tried to do aerobic workouts on my own, as I had taken aerobics in the past and remembered some of the moves and exercises, but I got bored without trying to follow someone, it is hard to have your own routine and stick to it. so, now I can go turn on Fit T.V and get any sort of work out during the day, there is one I really like that has dance moves as aerobic workout, and there's a step aerobic class, and everyday they change it up, one day they may work on weights and muscle training and then the other do a hard core aerobic work out. It is so nice! I am wondering if 3 hours a day is a bit much though? It probably is. 1 hour should suffice, but two would be better. I would be working out right now, except that I am so sore from working out so much the past two days. I did one hour already, so I guess I'm good to go.

Also there is the fact that I haven't been stitching much either. I worked on Patchwork Bears last night for a bit. But in reality I really have not been much in a stitching mood, even though while watching my afternoon shows(E.R. and Judging Amy) I have been trying to work on "Easter". So, lets see if blogger will be nice and allow me to post a picture of that...

I'm impressed! It did it! It is starting to get too long for the scanner, so you can see the little bit of gray at the very bottom is the start of the Easter Bunny. I counted it out and I am pretty sure it should all fit...JUST BARELY but I should get it all in. I have more than what is shown here, but just a little bit.

Oh! I still also need to write about my stash inhancement! As I told you all a few weeks ago,t hat my bonus check would be coming in, and I wanted to spend a good chunk on stash, well, last sunday DH took me to Micheals and I spent my good chunk!

I got:

KITS:

-Call of the wilderness (Dimensions)

-The Pack(Janlyn)

-Call of the wolf (Dimensions)

-Honey bear (Sunset)

-TW's Tapestry Cat (Liesure Arts)

PATTERNS:

-Quilted Heaven (Cross my heart)

-Precious moment book with 16 different patterns in it

FABRICS:

-Three rolls of 30x36 aida 18 count on in cream, one in natural, one in white

-one cut of 32 cnt natural linen

-one cut of 28 cnt eavenweave in "mushroom"

-one cut of 25 cnt evenweave in white

-one cut of 18 cnt aida in baby pink

And My hubby wasn't smiling when we got home! =P

Monday, March 27, 2006

the picture that wouldn't load

Well, lets see if blogger will be nice and upload my photo tonight. It is the one that I tried to upload the last post but it didn't happen. ....nope! sorry.

I will try in the morning, as I think it was Kim who mentioned that Blogger photos seems to have problems int he evening. Today I stitched on Easter, I am almost done. I am down to the "R" I have the whole outline of it finished and I started the inside checkered pattern, and then I went ahead and started on the bunny as well, but only got a few stitches inon his ear, and the outline of his face. I think it should probably be done by next week.

Nothing else really got done stitching wise. I need to be working on Nov. Quilt. maybe tomorrow!

For now, though I am pretty tired, and think I will go to bed. sorry abou tthe picture!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Cable box fixed! And H.D. pics

Well, happy Saturday! I am happy to report that my cable box is fixed! My husband said all he did was unplug it and plug it back in...boy do I feel dumb! Oh well. I still don't have a microwave! The guy came out to fix it, but instead my husband opted to just get a new one installed, we are waiting for it to arrive so we can call the guy back here to install it for us.

Well, I was just over at Cyberstitchers.com, I enjoy looking at all the prettys! Very inspiring, almost as much so as reading Blogs. And I was digging through my desk drawer, and found some pictures of some finishes that I did for my mom, who is the recipient of much of my work. So, here they are, I wanted to share them.

This is my very favorite! This is a kit that my mom got for me to do for her, and I don't know about you but I find it really hard to stitch things that other people have gotten for me to do. However, I plodded my way through it, and wa-la! I finished this in January of last year. It took me about 60 hours to complete.

And At the same time as she got me that one she also got me this kit as well, but it was stamped cross stitch, and so I just swapped out the fabric for a piece of my favorite 18 cnt aida. This took me 45 hours to do, and again, not my favorite to do, and I had to PLOD through this one also, but I knew she loved them, and it's funny, because she would always mention them in a teasing way, when I would talk about buying new stuff for stitching, saying "What do you need new stitching things for you still have those two projects I bought you two years ago, do you think they'll be done by the day before I pass on, so I can at least look at them for a day?" So! As soon as I finished college and had way too much time on my hands, out they came, and I made a devout PROMISE to have them done by her birthday for last year, and I did!

Ok, where is it?! I just downloaded it twice, and each time it acted like it brought the pic over, and it is not here! I hate it when blogger does this crap. I guess I will have to share them with you later! GRRRRRRR!!!!!! oh well, at least you got to see at least one of my finishes, and I proved that I can finish things. I still have some more pictures to share that my mom sent to me, of things I have done for her. And two baby things I did for my friend, Emily that I still have not gotten to her. But then again, I haven't heard from her for well, since August of last year a few weeks after her twins were born, so maybe I shouldn't send them to her. I am not sure how good a friends we really are now. Hmmm...? Well, I am going ot go watch some T.V. with my cable box that works, when you unplug it and plug it back in. I hope this isn't going to be an on going habit with this thing.

Friday, March 24, 2006

aaahhh...Friday!

Friday usually means something special to most people, it is the day that ends the work week for them and at the end of the day they can look forward to two days of relaxation and sleeping in, and fun stuff. Not so for those of us in retail. Stores are open everyday of the week. So, it is Friday but I still have two more days to work until I get a day off. And mind you I only get ONE day off, then I work four more days and then get another day off. Oh well, it's not so bad, I had all of last weekend off, and then had to work 6 days in a row to make up for it.

But! Enough grumbling and griping. I have another gripe to gripe about now...my cable box! I just got cable, my hubby got the box last night and hooked it up, I enjoyed watching the Cosby Show and Prince of Bel Air last night, and was looking forward to a nice day of QVC and home make over shows today, and maybe some fun Disney kiddie shows! hey! Who's not a fan of the Bear and the Big Blue Bouse! (Tutter is the BEST!... sorry for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about! Those with kids, you know.) I love sacking in front of the telly with non -thinking things on and being able to stitch to them. But! Alas! this morning after reading blogs, I got myself and my coffee all settled in snug with the blankies, and aimed the remote....aimed the remote!.... and pressed power...power...POWER!...Threw the remote on the floor! The dumb cable box wouldn't turn on!!!! So, now I have to wait to see if Hubby can figure it out, or we may have a bad box, we noticed that there are scratches on it like the person before us didn't take good care of it. so, hopefully hubby can fix it, if not I think I will have to wait until Monday to get a new box. POOEY! No Saturday Morning cartoons for hubby....or me. =(

Well, despite my disappointments with the cable box, I still got some stitching in, on Easter. It is almost there. I have the whole word "happy" done and alot of "Easter" I still have not touched my mom's piece for a few days now, I really should do just that. After stitching while wacthing Miss Congeniality, I worked out. I might as well, since I can't be a channel surfing couch potato, and I just got out of the shower, and I think I may sit and read my book for a bit now, then have some lunch,then, maybe do some more stitching and then it will once again be time to get ready for work. So, thank you everyone for listening to my sad sob story, and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will post pictures later.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Welcome Spring!

I am starting to think that people are sick of seeing my progress on Nov. Quilt. You know? Well, so am I! I am in a major slump on that piece right now, it started yesterday morning, when I tried to get some work in on it, I had to put it down half an hour later. So, since it is Spring, I think I need to work more on my Easter bellpull today. I haven't brought that one out since before Friday, well, actually before that because I was trying ot finish up my little bear for half of last week.

I am so excited! In a mere forty eight hours, I will have my bonus check money in my account, and I already looked up the amount on the website...and I am quite happy with it. Can you say Stash enhancement?! it feels like it has been forever since I have bought anything for stitching-splurging anyway. I have gotten a few things here and there, but no big splurges! Now I just have to go through my wish list and figure out what I want to get. I make that sound like such a chore, don't I? =P

Well, gee, just my luck. I saw on Carol's blog the new "Cross Stitchers World" magazine, which has a new name now and it looks awesome! Of course I stopped my subscription to it already. Oh well, I can always go to Hastings and get it. But anyway. Not much to report stitching wise. Yesterday I didn't do much, as I was in my slump, but today I think I will work on Easter bellpull. Maybe that will help me get through this slump.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Good Monday to yah!


Well, I did do quite a bit of work on November Quilt this weekend. So, here is a progress picture. This is at 58 hours!

I basically have just a bit to do on the wagon wheel, to the left, both of them, as well as the ground under the wagon, and the pumpkins, and finish the blue of the sky, and I will be onto backstitching. I think it is looking pretty good, what do you think?

I am sorry to say,t hough I am feeling a slump coming on, though. This morning I tried to pick up my needle, however, after just 30 minutes, I had to put it away. I think this project wore out it's welcome this past weekend. I shall set it aside and work on something else for today and maybe tomorrow I will have the want to to work ont his again, lets hope, as my mom's birthday is a month away, and it still needs to be stretched and framed and mailed to her! not to mention get the stitching finished! UGH! I can do it, I know I can!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Rain Rain Rain

Today was a nice rainy day, I thought it was nice only because I didn't have to go out in it. I have the entire weekend off, and so today was spent mostly stitching, I got three hours in on Nov. Quilt, while watching Episodes 1-3 of Star Wars. I came up with the idea to watch all the Star War movies this weekend. My DH is a Star Wars NUT! and so, him and I had the whole weekend to do whatever so I came up with that idea. We both got quite a bit of stitching in while watching. I worked mostly on the sky above the wagon, and a bit of the wheel farthest to the left and some of the grass. The more work I put in on it the slower it seems to go. Oh well. Well, I am going to go lay in bed and enjoy the thunderstorm. Good night!

Friday, March 17, 2006

A perfect day

Wow! Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day, in all senses of the word! It was a dreamy day, roamntic and beautiful, and perfect!

Let me explain. My hubby has decided to take a four day weekend, so yesterday morning we woke up around 9-ish, and he went on the computer to do some stuff while I did some housework and took a shower and read and stitched, then around 1:00 in the afternoon we took off. We drove all around exploring. We have lived in this town a little over a year and I still don't think we have seen the whole thing, not that it is that big, but most of the places we frequent are just in our immediate area, and so we never go to the corners of our little town, as we have no need to, really. So, we go exploring, and we were looking for a different type of an eating place. Well, we found this cool steakhouse, and it was wonderful, I loved the decor and the food was out of this world. so, then we drove out of town, and ended up in the next town over, which is an old historic-monument to the civil war type of old town. It was so cute, and they had a few antique stores which we looked in and I found some milk glass pieces for my mom, who loves this stuff, she has collected it for as long as I could remember. then we came home and watched Proof, which was an ok movie. It was one of those flashback type of movies where they back to the past to explain the present, but the flashbacks are not always apparent right away, so you keep wondering "Is this the past or the right now"? Anyway. It wasn't bad. then we just hung around the house until it was bedtime.

The weather was perfect, and hubby and I didn't bicker or anything at all, all day! And I felt like a silly- in- love school girl again. It was wonderful. Not much stitching got done, but! I did finish the wagon in nov. Quilt. All the stitching is done, except...2 tiny stitches of which I need to get the thread for. And I have been working on the blue/gray of the sky which is going pretty quickly as it is all half stitches! Well, people have sure been updating blogs quite a bit this week, I just read blogs for an hour, and now I'm really itching to get some stitching done myself, before It is off to work for the evening.

So much for the perfect weather we had yesterday, today is cold cloudy rainy and thunderstormy. The perfect weather for a "sit in and stitch".

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!!!!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Dang it!


Sorry guys, the spammers hit me, so I had to put word verification on my comments!. Those jerks! Well, anyway, just wanted to show you an update photo on Nov. Quilt. I worked on it for three solid hours this morning while watching Smallville on DVD.
Here it is!
I worked more on the fill in of the wagon itself, as well, as a bit of the blue above the seat of the wagon, and I worked on the pumpkin in the seat of the wagon. I tend to jump around alot when I stitch, so sometimes my progress isn't that apparent. But I hope you can see a little bit of what I worked ont oday. oh I also worked a bit ont he wagon wheel, farthest to the left. Well, thank you all for the comments on my lil' bear! I framed him in a small frame and hung him on one of my kitchen cabinets, nothing too fancy since it is just a tiny item, and it will only be up for a few more days! Talk about cutting it short! Oh well, I am just glad I got something else done. Sometimes I get discouraged, because all these bloggers I read seem to get things done and here it is the third month of the year and I have finished TWO Small items. Big whoop! Well, I am well on my way to my first large-ish finish of the year with the way this November Quilt is coming along. And I have Easter coming along as well, even though it isn't that big. I wonder if I hadn't put my Love Joy Home sampler away, if it would be finished by now? Well, thank you again for the comments. I love it!

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

A happy dance


Well, I have my second Happy Dance for the year 2006! here is my St. Patrick's day Bear. I think he is very cute! I finished him just in time!


Sunday, March 12, 2006

A stitchy weekend

Well, i did some stitching this weekend. I mostly worked on St. Patty bear. I have everything done, I just have to do the little bag of gold that he is holding one paw, that is holding the four leaf clover and some backstitch, and he is done. I will have to post a picture tomorrow as hubby is on his computer! And I am going nuts, as I wanted to stitch the few pieces of gold in metallic DMC and do you think I can find it? I guess I will just have to keep looking.

Well, today I had the day off, and hubby and I got to hang out. I enjoy having weekend days off, that way I can spend time with him. We watched some highlander while we did some stitching, and then we went to my owrk and bought some groceries, and then we went to the library and got some books. Gosh! It had been FOREVER since I have been in a library, and I forgot how much I miss it! All those books, and the quiet atmosphere. The best part is you can "get" books to read for free! Which I really should take advantage of, as I love to read, but I think the prices of books has become pretty crazy, 8$ for a paperback novel now days! and I usually only read them once! I usually buy them at my work where you can get them for about half price. But still. Now, if there was such a thing as a cross stitch pattern library, it'd be great! Actually they had a few cross stitch books there, and I may check them out at a later time.

Well,this evening I tried to settle in with Patchwork Bears, however...it just is not inspiring me. When I sit down to work on it, I may get about ten or fifteen minutes in on it, before I am bored, and set it down. Why is that?! I don't get it, because I love the pattern! It is so cute, and I love the colors, but stitching it is driving me banarkers! Does anyone else have this problem? You get a great project, or a new pattern that you fall in love with, then you sit down to get to work and your "love affair" goes sour? What is up with this? I wonder if I should try to work it on another fabric? I think I have it started on 16 cnt aida. That could be the problem! It may even be 14 count. Whcih feels huge to me! I don't know. I just can't seem to get into it!

Oh well. I really shouldn't be working on it anyway, as I have obligation stitching to get done first! Which I put a few hours into Nov. Quilt yesterday and it is coming along. Well, i am off to put my jammies on and settle in with one of my new library books! bye!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Pictures...


I know I already posted this morning, but I sat and worked on the Easter Bellpull for a few hours this morning, and so I thought I would post a picture. This morning I finished the outline of the A and some of the fill in on it, as well as all the work you see on the E and above the E is a blue blob which is the start of the word "Happy" And I have decided that I will omitt a flower fromt he original pattern that was in between the words "happy" and "Easter" But I plan on keeping the heart and the two flowers on either side of the heart above the word Happy. And now I still have to pray that I have room enough for the entire Bunny at the bottom! Oh why didn't I measure it correctly? Oh well.

New Magazines!

Last night me and DH went out to eat, and since we were so close to the mall, I asked him to drop in so I could spend the gift card he got me for the book store there for Valentines day.

So! I got the latest issues of The Cross Stitcher and Stoney Creek, lately I haven't liked what I see in the magazines but they had some adorable Easter and Spring things in them so I got them. There are at least 3 or 4 projects I would do in these each, so those are good odds, since lately I haven't been interested in the stuff they have been publishing in these Mags.

Well, I just had my two days off, and now it is back to work today. But, not for a few hours yet, and I rented the latest disc from Gilmore Girls season 5, so I plan to sit and stitch on my Easter Bellpull while watching. Or maybe work on St. Patty bear...oh the possibilities are endless!

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

THESE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING ME INSANE!!!!!

Which people are these?! The ones from the student loan consolidation center, they call my house every half hour, and when I answer the phone they hang up, and they won't leave a message! Last night they called every 20 minutes.

Well, I just spoke to someone, and told them to take me off their list, I have spoken with people there, and I have told them I do not want to consolidate, and they continue to harrass me. It is driving me nuts.

Anyway, this morning I worked on Easter and my little St. Patrick day guy. He is coming along nicely. The Easter one hasn't come along quite as well, yet, but I plan on putting some more time into it later this afternoon! Just as soon as I calm down from these dumb phone calls. I don't know why I let things like this bug me so. It just does. I am just glad that I have caller i.d.

o.k. I am going to go eat lunch and relax and try to forget about the telephone harrassers! I need to read some good blogs!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

A nice day off

Well, today has been a pretty nice day off from work. I have had lots of stitching time. I worked on Nov. Quilt for about an hour and a half this morning. Which is really good. So, I promised progress pictures, and here it goes:
Here is Nov. Quilt, and the newest in my rotation (if it can truly be called a "rotation") My lil' St. Patty bear, who looks a tad bit freaky as he has no face yet.

So, as you can see, things are getting stitched up here, it just doesn't really feel like it, because I haven't really been able to sit and put a big chunk of time in on these until today.

I wonder if it is just me, but sometimes I think I haven't made a bit of progress because I may only pick up a piece every so often for a few minutes here or there but then I guess all those
couple of minutes add up, because before you know it-wa-la! A bunch of your project is stitched and you don't know how, or when it got done.

It happens to me all the time.
Well, I think I will go get back to my stitching. I was going to show you progress on easter bell pull, there was just one tiny problem...there isn't any progress on it! =) So, maybe I will work on that one tomorrow and then show it off tomorrow night.

Monday, March 06, 2006

reading, reading and more reading!

But! It is good reading! I am actually on my own computer right now, and able to read some blogs that I was not able to read on hubby's computer. It is so nice to catch up with people, however, I can't read everything that I have missed! I would be on this machine for a year! So, I am reading about the last week of everyone's and that is all I can handle.

Well, today will be a Nov. Quilt kind of day, I think. I have been working mostly on St. Patty's bear the past few days and he is coming a long, should be done soon. I haven't picked up NQ in what feels like forever! and it is already March 6th! I want to send it off in about a month! And so I need to finish it SOON, so I can still get it stretched and framed, and everything! Oh why do I procrastinate?! Well, I just have so much other stitching going on, I think. Well, I guess I will get to it. I have really enjoyed catching up with everyone! It has been fun!

I will try to post progress pictures either later today or within the next few days as I have the next couple days off from work. Bye!

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Go away yucky germs!

Well, I have had this nasty cold/sorethroat/ yucky stuff for the past few days. It has knocked me for a loop. but I am proud of myself, I actually made myself go to work even though I felt horrible. No one could hear a word I said because I had lost my voice, and as a result of me spreading my germs I bet a bunch of people will have to call out now, but that's their problem! I got in trouble a few weeks ago for calling out sick. So, I made a vow not to ever call out sick and if I go into work throwing up my guts I will not leave! They want me there, I'll go! I'll share my germs, and have half the store called out, but me? I will be there! Basically just venting here that I think my company's policies on calling out a certain number of times within a 6 month period is ludicrous. But, whatever, and moving on...

So, the past few days I have done nothing, but sleep, so no blog reading got done, and no stitching got done either. But today I feel o.k. not completely back to normal, but I am drinking coffee again. (When I am sick I only drink tea, water, or Gatorade)

So, anyway, I have a few hours until I have to head off to work and so I plan on stitching, and trying to catch up a bit with that. I started a small new piece for St. Patty's day. It is the St. Patrick Bear from Liesure Arts 101 Bear personalities. Just something small for the holiday. I am stitching it on 11 count Aida, using three strands of DMC. I have had this horrid piece of 11 count forever and I wanted to use it, and since this is a rather small piece I thought if I used a smaller count aida then the design would appear larger. I hope so. well, I am going to get back to it. It feels good to be back among the living again!

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

A blah nothingness day

Well, today feels like it was an absolute waste! I sat and watched 8 episodes of Gilmore Girls! I did some stitching on November Quilt while I watched, but I just had no motivation to do much of anything but eat and watch T.V. I am becoming a couch potato!

No, the whole reason behind this is because I am getting sick. My head hurts, my nose is a little stuffy, but my throat hurts, and so I think I just don't feel like doing much.

Last night I went to that "Creative Memories" party. It was so much fun, and i had planned to do some serious scrapbooking today but I just told you I sat infront of the boob toob and did nothing. I pulled out all my scrapbooking stuff, and then got sidetracked when DH got home from work and there it lay in a pile on the floor!

Today is one of those days where you have no idea how it got to be after 8 pm.
The only remotely thing productive I have done today was sweep the bathroom floor, and empty the dishwasher. And here it is 8:15 at night and i feel like just going to bed. But I am afraid to go to bed too early, because then I will wake in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep. Maybe I will go take a nice bubble bath and then lay in bed with another cup of tea and read for a while. Yes, I think that is a good idea. Bye!

oh and thank you to all who left a note about my poor microwave, yes, quite unfortunate! Oh well, I can probably find me a cheap one somewhere to get us by until the repair guy can come fix this one. It is part of the cabinetry of our house, it's built into the wall, so the home owners warranty will cover it. But what shall I do until someone can come out and hopefully fix the thing?