Happy 2012!!

Happy New Year to all my readers! I'm looking forward to another great year of stitching and Blogging!

Stitching goals for this year:

-Finish "Howling at The Moon"

-Finish "The Abby"

-Finish "Patchwork Bears"

-Finish "SnowValley Express"

-Work on Coming Home for the Holidays

Yup, just those 5! If I get other things done too, great! But I think that is quite enough for now! I am not sure how much stitching I am going to get in, as I am starting the P90X workout system this year, so if it works, I will probably find myself with too much energy to sit and stitch much, as always seems to happen when I do extensive workouts. We shall see!

I hope you all have a wonderful 2012 filled with lots of stitching and good health for you and your families!

Patchwork Bears- My "New" old WIP...

This is the project that I was talking about that will take place of my Christmas cards that will be for Alyssa you can find the rest of progress from this project here.

I am really hoping to finish this one in 2012, as it has been a WIP/UFO for waaaay tooo long! And now I have a wonderful person to give this to, so why not finish it?

Although I have been toying with the idea of working Christmas smalls all during the year next year, but then would I have time to put into larger more detailed pieces like I want? We shall see. I never know what will happen when it comes to my stitching! I just never know what will fit my fancy at any given time!

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and a glorious New Year! See yah for lots more stitching in 2012!!!

Howling at the Moon-Progress! Page 8 Done!

I know this is not a great photo...I'm sorry! It's very wrinkled, as I stitch in hand so...BUT! I finished page 8...almost! All I have left is white fill in. Now onto page 9! I am so close to a finish! Just one more page and fill in holes here and there, and I'm DONE!!! This will be my biggest finish EVER! In the 17 years that I have been stitching, this is The Largest project I have ever done! I have really been enjoying it! Thank you all of you who have left comments throughout the years that I have been working on this, to encourage me while working on this! Wow...just one more page.....

Alyssa says "Hello Santa!"

Soooo cute! I love it! She was so curious about his beard that she didn't even cry!! Infact she almost took it with her when her daddy lifted her off his lap! Ooops...we almost had a "great reveal" issue! That woulda been bad! Well, I am just about finished with page 8 of Howling at the Moon! I am trying like mad to get it totally done up before posting a photo of it here! Then just one more page to go and some fill in here and there and wa-la! My huge piece will be done! I have also been working on another piece for Alyssa which I will share here soon, I had to get something else out since I'm done with my Cards, something a bit easy on the eyes for when it's late and I wanna stitch but don't wanna put the concentration in that is required for Howling!

Oh yeah, has everyone else's posting options gone to HTML? Just curious! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas if I don't make it back here before then! But I'm gonna try to!

Where is time going? It was just the 1st yesterday...wasn't it?!?!

Wow!~ I don't know how it got to be the 13th without my posting a photo of my SAL piece that was worked on the first weekend of the month! The days are just going too fast!!! So without further ado here is Coming Home For the Holidays after working on it the first weekend of December...

Not bad! I think I got about 3 hours in on it. It is really coming along!

Lately I have been working on Howling at the Moon, now that I'm pretty much done with Christmas Card stitching, so that is my main project now! I want to look through my WIP's and see if there is another project I can work on so I don't bore you with lots of Howling at the Moon...I like to rotate my projects (loosely) to keep things fresh! A nice small project would be nice! But we'll see what I turn up...I will share Howling at the Moon in my next post. Page 8 is more than half way finished!! I can't wait! A finish on that big ole' honkin' thing is very near...probably a few months away yet, but the end is near....then comes the task of what BAP Iwanna work on next! I probably should go back and try to finish The Abbey, but I have been toying with the idea of starting a brand new one...we'll see....

Bad blogger!

Yup, thats me! See? I think of blogging as a two part system! There's the "Posting to my own blog" part, and then there's the "Commenting and visiting your blog" part...I suppose I'm doing ok on the first part but horribly on the second! (If my overfull google reader is any indication!) Please forgive me wonderful fellow bloggers and followers! I just enjoy SOOO many blogs that to comment on every one all the time...well I would never post to my blog cause I wouldn't have any time to stitch,therefore nothing to blog about! So, this morning I did try to go around and visit and say hello to some of you! There is soooooo much stitchy beauty out there!! =) I will be back with a post of Coming Home for the Holidays soon...maybe even later today!!

I hope you're all having a great day! And although it is already the 8th here,I pray that my fellow Americans will keep in remembrance those who lost lives at Pearl Harbor 70 years ago!

Christmas Card Craziness!! And a bit of Cuteness

Well, first up is a photo of Alyssa, just cause she adds a sense of cuteness to my blog that stitching just doesn't cover! She was hiding behind the curtains! And here are some of my Christmas Cards completed! I thought I had taken photos of the stitching for the last two that I finished just on their own, but apparently not, so here are 5 of the ten that will be going out to select close family and friends. I originally wanted to get more stitched up, but I couldn't do it! Oh well, better luck next time!

and this is what the inside looks like:

Is it corny? I mean I know it's not professional quality by any means, but my mom used to help us kids make all our Valentines for our class Valentine parties, while other people were handing out store bought ones, my mother instilled in us the special-ness of something hand made! So, even though it may not be perfect, I enjoyed making them, and so I hope those who recieve them enjoy them too.

Well, this past weekend, I worked on Coming Home for The Holidays, as it was SAL weekend with Juls, so I will be sharing a photo of that here soon!

Thank you all for reading! I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season so far, and I will post again soon!

I need some suggestions/help/advice!

today as I sat on my couch happily stitching away on my Christmas Cards, which I have started assembling and I think they are looking really nice, I realized that my parents 50th wedding anniversary is coming up in the summer of 2013! I would LOVE to do a beautiful large piece of stitching to commemorate the occasion, and to gift them with. Do any of my readers have any ideas of something that would be a good idea for a piece for this? I sorta wanna do a sampler, but larger than that...something that says "Wow! She put some TIME into that!!" Something along the lines of my wolves, but that may have to do with love, or a 50th wedding anniversary...? I need some suggestions!

And I promise I will be sharing stitchy photos soon!!!

Howling at the Moon update and Marine Ball photo

I am well into page 8 on this. I really wanted to be finished with this page by Nov. 15th but that didn't happen, so I guess my goal to finish this entire piece by Years End is not gonna happen! Oh well. And especially now with all the holiday hooplah going on...it's not gonna get done! So, I guess I will make a new goal: to have it finished by Valentines day 2012! That gives me plenty of time!


And now I will share a photo of me and my handsome hubby at the Marine Corps ball!

This isn't the greatest photo, as one of my eyes wouldn't adjust when I tried to fix red eye, so I have one red eye and one whatever-color-they-use-to-fix-red-eye-with eye. You can't see it, but the bottom of my dress has that dark blue sashing along the bottom as well. This is actually my wedding dress! I got it especially for the fact that it was sorta plain but would match his uniform, that way I could wear it on more than one occasion. I have now worn it three times, once to formal night on a cruise we went on, and once to The Air Force Ball, and now to this ball. I think for our next ball, I'm gonna buy a new dress. I am getting sick of this one! We'll see!

Well, incase I don't post before then, I hope that all my American readers have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday!! I pray it is filled with lots of good food, and friends and family!

Some finishes and Birthday celebration! (heavy photo post!)

First up I would like to share my recent finishes:
This one I JUST finished half an hour ago!
Here is "Christmas Blessings" Finished:

And now I want to share some photos from my birthday celebration. Note there will be no photos of me here, as my hair was a mess and the hubs wouldn't let me go brush it, so there! LOL

Here's the birthday loot...some of it anyway...I got more books with that gift card. My Father In Law got me all those beautiful shells, and the little green Shi shi dogs (The little statues right in front of the gift card) don't know if I spelled it right. I got also the boxed set of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. Ever since I saw the first one back when I worked in the book section of Sams club, over 3 years ago, I have thought these looked cute, and they were! I finished all 5 within two days I think! They were something that I woulda loved as a child...it sorta took me back to my childhood reading days. There in the lower right hand corner are two "More adult" books: "Joy comes in the morning" by Betty Smith (Author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn") and "The Plot Against America" which is on a list I am currently trying to read through "Dr. Boxall's 1001 Books you must read before you die" Which I am sure I will never get through all 1001 titles, especially since he releases a new edition every year, so it's more like 1020 books you must read..." And I was looking for some fun TV shows to watch, so hubby got me the first two seasons of Cougar Town, which I'm about half way through the second season, it is FUNNY!

Here is my hubby and Alyssa right before I blew out the candles...

Here's the cake!

WHAT?!

Aaaahhh, now THAT's better!

After presents we went out to dinner then came home to eat cake and watch a few episodes of my new show.

So, it was small, but a nice day. I also got 5 more books with the gift card, plus a book, a coffee mug and a ton of Victoria's Secret body stuff from a dear friend!

All in all a very nice 34th celebration!!

And now you probably can see by the inscription on the cake why the name of my blog is what it is! But you can call me Lana! =)

Yay for 34!

I had an amazing birthday!! My hubby spoiled me like crazy! As most of you know who read this blog and know me my other passion besides stitching is reading, I made out BIG in that area! I got 12 new books!!! SCORE!!!

I didn't get any stitchy things, but I am still waiting for my parents gift (they usually send money) so maybe I can use the money for some stitchy stuff....maybe a new pattern by Ink Circles?...hmmm...

Along with my stitching and reading, I have decided to revert back to an old love of mine, when I was a kid, I used to LOVE to write and recieve letters...and I have found some great pen paling groups on FB (yeah sometimes that page isn't totally evil!) and so I have decided to try my hand at letter writing again!

If any of you want to pen pal with me, I would love it! You can put your e-mail address in the comments section, my comments are on moderator approval so if you put it in the comments and ask me not to I won't post it, or/and you can just put your addee down and I won't post it in comments. Up to you! =) I used to have some stitchy pen pals, it's fun, because then you can talk all about your love of Cross stitch...

So, that is what has been up with me here...just enjoying my birthday and a long Veterans day weekend! Been so busy with pen paling and reading my new books no stitching in for a few days now. But right after i post this I am gonna go remedy that!!

Thank you to you all who left such wonderful comments wishing me a happy birthday! and my headache DID infact flee the scene before my day! Ok, off to work some more on the Christmas Card I am working on. I think I might be able to finish it today! Wish me luck!

Coming Home for the Holidays SAL progress...

Worked on this a few hours this weekend, wasn't sure I was gonna get to it. It was a busy weekend. Had to get up early Saturday to take guest to the Airport, then came home went back to bed for a bit, then got up, went to the store, then came home worked out, took my shower, made dinner, then our friend came over for dinner, and I had a headache so went to bed early. Sunday was church, then out to lunch with church people, and had a headache again, so rested. I wasn't sure I wanted to stitch with my head hurting like that, but took some meds and felt better so got some work in on this in the evening! It's coming along. All the blue on the lower right hand side? My hubby did that sometime earlier in October....lol...Hope you're having a great week! I'm doing ok, I still have my headache, it's rainy and tomorrow I turn 34 years old...Happy Birthday to me and the US Marine Corps! Joyful stitching!

Wow! busy busy busy!

The past week we have had a house guest, so we have been busy! I got a little stitching in which I will share soon! I finished the "Christmas Blessings" card and am now working on "Three Candy canes" I am a little under half way finished with page 8 of Howling at the Moon. And this weekend I am working on "Coming Home for the Holidays" my SAL with Julie. So I've been busy, just not much time for posting here. But I wanted to share this picture of Alyssa. She was a little lion for Halloween...I thought she was adorable! She didn't like the head piece very much, and the costume was very warm, which was horrible, since it is still in the 80's here, with high humidity! I wish Fall would get here sometime soon! Or winter....I am sick of the heat! Well that's it for me here I will post progress on my other projects soon!

Christmas cards update...a finish and some progress!

So, the christmas cards are just coming along. I was hoping to have 20 stitched up by Christmas. (Well, before then, actually, since I still have to have them assembled and ready to be mailed out in time!) Here is the one I am currently working on. All I have left is to finish stitching in the bird, and backstitch!

And here is my latest finish!

I have actually been trying to turn off the computer and get more reading and stitching in to finish up the year strong, since I have goals to finish 20 Christmas cards and finish Howling at the Moon by years end. And! I am in a 75 book challenge, which I have pretty much given up on, but have decided to make it a page challenge, of 22,500, and I am currently at 20,158. So I think I will make that! I just to read too many HUGE books this year! Oops...

I just got done reading David Baldacci's newest, which was awesome! You can find my review for it here: http://shandord.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-one-summer-by-david.html

If you enjoy books, which is my other passion, follow me there, and see what I'm reading! Love to see yah there!

Howling at the Moon-Page 8 Progress

Here is the little bit of progress I've put into Howling! I wanted to post all last week, but that just didn't happen! I have started doing a pretty good workout every day Mon-Fri, to help with the depression AND to fit in my dress for the Marine Ball, so trying to find time to stitch enough to post something postworthy has been a bit hard. Though I HAVE been reading quite a bit!! and I have been working on my Christmas Cards. Infact I have another one finished and another started, which I will share on Thursday! So, that's what has been going on here, a little stitching, a little working out, a little reading, and hanging out with the daughter lots too! Thank you all for your lovely comments!! I love them all!

A finish!

Here is my latest finish! A Halloween card. I only got 2 finished this year. I wanted to get more done, but that just didn't happen. This is a freebie I found at cyberstitchers.com. I did change a few things, Well, one thing...I gave the snail a smile. He looked really creepy with just eyes! So, I guess I do have time to try to finish one more card, but I should probably not, and just get these two finished and sent off, or they won't get there in time.

Thank you to those who laft me such nice, encouraging comments on my last post. Things are getting better, I think maybe I was just really tired. But even though I have not been feeling great lately I have made myself get up every day and do my workout! I think this might be helping my mood a bit!

Well, I started on page 8 of Howling on the Moon, but there really isn't enough progress to share yet. So, maybe next time. I am having a hard time finding time to stitch lately. Especially with trying to get a good work out in every day. I really need to just turn off this computer for a week and try to catch up on some things! =) As if! Ha ha!

Thank you for reading, and I will try to get some good stitching in and post some more photos of Howling here soon! I am also really close to a finish on my "Joy to the World" christmas card, so maybe I will be able to finish it soon and share photos of it as well. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

The blahs...

Ok, this has very little to do with stitching, what I want to say, so if you want to just skip this post that is fine, I understand. I will start of with the stitch portion of this post so you can read and move on if you like! But I feel like I just want to "talk" about how I feel. I know, I know, you're probably saying "Get a therapist already!" LOL

so, stitch-wise things are...sloooow...mostly all I have worked on this entire past week has been one halloween card. I wanted to try to finish it this weekend, and just have not had the energy to pull it out and work on it anymore than a few minutes at a time. I have wanted to work on Howling, I have wanted to work on "Joy to the World" card, but I just can't find the energy...

Which brings me to the non-stitchy portion of this post.

So, Friday I went to the doctor to get a refill on my prescription for my Birth control, however, they won't give it to me because my blood pressure is too high. I understand this, and it makes sense. It's not the first time this happened. It happened in 06 also, and I learned to live with it.

I do have blood pressure meds that I take, or am supposed to...ahem. I am horrible about taking pills, and being on top of that. I forget them, or whatnot, so I am sure this has contributed to my blood pressure being so high. I had it under control when I was pregnant, and now it is all out of whack again.

So, in order to try to lower the BP I have decided no more coffee, until I get this straightened out. I have also decided to try to be better about taking my BP pills. Yeaaaah...There is a label on the pill bottle...something to the affect of "This medicine may cause drowsiness...blah blah and so on..." so, the whole "No coffee, AND taking of drowsy medicines"?....Naaaaaaap....zzzz....

I feel so out of it! I am tired, and due to the no hormones in the BC I am also cranky, and sad, and irritable, and I'm just a mess....I have no energy to do anything, I took a three hour nap today and though I just woke up a few hours ago I feel ready to go back to bed. I hate feeling this way!!

I'm sorry for the rant, but I just needed to talk to someone, and I appreciate it if you read all this drivel, I do. Anyway, I think I am gonna go curl up in bed and just go to sleep. Why fight it? I will try to get a stitchy/photo post up this week! Thank yo uagain for listening to me!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to my blog!! Today it turns 6 years old!

My how time flies!! Thank you to all you wonderful stitchers who inspire me daily and encourage my love of cross stitch! I have found some great people here!

Coming Home for the Holidays

I worked on this last weekend, and I think I got about 3 hours of work in on it, as me and the hubs were busy, it being payday weekend, we had date night, and grocery shopping to do, and we went out to dinner with a friend on Saturday. It is s-l-o-w-l-y coming along!! But I find that I am enjoying working on this one again!

WHERE is time going?!

They tell me there are 24 hours in a day, but I'm not sure I believe it!! It is already October and there is less than 3 months left of the year!

Which reminds me....although I've been steadily working on Christmas Cards, I only have ONE Halloween card stitched up yet!! And there are only 26 days left until that holiday!! I better get busy, huh?

Well, I HAVE been busy, but just not on those cards...My daughter is now 7 months old, and she seems to want my undivided attention more than ever lately!! So, been busy with that. And I am trying to work out a bit more, as the Marine Ball is in a month and if I wanna fit in my dress I gotta loose some weight! UGH! I've been trying to read more as I am in a 75 book challenge at Goodreads, and I just finished book 54 last night...got a ways to go, and I don't see that happening! I am,obviously, not going to complete my "Up for a Challenge" goals either! Of course then I sit and try to read all your lovely blogs, and comment on every one! That takes up alot of time, but I LOVE it!!

Time just slips through our fingers like sand!! Hope the month of October is treating you well so far! I will share photos in my next post! I promise!

Progress photo Friday and a finish!

Well, i have been working pretty steadily on Howling at the Moon, and am almost finished with page 9!! which means just about only 2 more pages to go until a finish on this one! I figure, there are three months left of the year that gives me 1.5 months to finish each page. I think I can do it! Here is just the work on page 9:

and here is the whole thing...sooooo close now!! I really think I can finish it this year!!

And I have also been working on my Christmas cards as well. Here is card #6. It says Joy to the World, and has two angels with trumpets. (Or it will, when it is finished!)

And here is my finish on card #5! I like this one, I think it is really pretty! Sorry about the shadow in the lower right hand corner.

Well, that is about it for me here. Thank you to those of you who hopped over to my new blog to check out my story. I hope to be able to keep up with it. It is so weird, me and my hubby are both kind of hermits, we don't have a lot of friends, and don't go out alot, but I keep finding myself VERY busy!! I have soooo many hobbies!! sometimes I am actually overwhelmed with the things I have to do. not as in obligation "have to do" but as in they're there, so why not do them? LOL....Oh well, it makes life fun and full, right?

This weekend is my SAL with Juls from A Stitch in Time With Julie on "Coming Home For the Holidays"...so I will be busy with that, and the hubs wants to go on a date this weekend as well, so that will be nice,, to get out and away from the baby. I love the little tyke, but sometimes it is so nice to go out and not have to worry about her.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

A new blog for those romance readers out there!

I don't know if you remember in June I had tried to revamp my blog here to include some of my other love, besides just stitching, then my life got a bit hectic and it all went to...well lets just say south...but! I have made a new blog for my fictional piece.

Here's a little peak at what will be there:


Breaking Away
When Dicia's long time boyfriend decides to break it off for another girl, she decides it's time to move on. Hang out with her for awhile and see how she mends her broken heart, by returning to her first true love-Cross stitch! Using plenty of Cross stitch floss and love from her true friends, she is able to break away from the pain and start to heal. And is that...? Yes! Maybe even a new love?


Please come on over and visit! I'm really excited about this new writing endeavor!

http://c79603.blogspot.com/

If you've stitched an Ink Circles "Cirque" piece, please help!

This will be a short post, as I have been having the itch to start a project by Ink Circles, I have not decided yet which one...I'm probably gonna eventually try to do all three in the "Cirque" series, I think they are absolutely beautiful!!

Anyway, I have a question, for those of you who have finished one of these pieces, can you tell me how many skeins of overdyed floss I will need (or there abouts) so that when I order my materials, I know about how many I should get? That would be so helpful!! I am so excited about this. I have been wanting to do one of these for a long time, ever since I finished BoInk in 2009. And now that I am soooo close to finishing that monster "Howling at the Moon", I have been thinking that ordering and stitching one of these would be a great reward for my accomplishment! =)

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my found project, and my Christmas Cards!! You are all so wonderful!!

A Finish and some Progress...

Here is progress on my latest Christmas card. I just have to finish stitching in the ornaments and finish the back stitching on this and this one is done!!
And here is my finished Christmas Card that was in progress the last time I showed a picture. I like this one! i think it is very pretty!

Oh yes! And my lost project is found...right where it should be!! I'm just a doink head sometimes! all this time it has been in with my stitching stash, since up until now it has basically been a stitching project. but now that the squares have been stitched it's a quilting project! So, guess where I found it?! In the Quilting stash!!!! Gee, go figure! Thank you all who crossed your fingers for me!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and thank you to my new followers!!! It's always so nice to know that people are enjoying your passion along with you!!

Devastated...=(

I can't find my lamb quilt project for Alyssa!!!! The last time I remember seeing it was when we moved in April....I have looked all over. I thought I'd put it in the special pile that I moved over to the house, but it is not with that pile (obviously, as "Howling at the moon was in the pile and I have it!)...I don't know what to do!! I am still looking. Tearing though everything, and looking every place I can think it can be! Please cross your fingers that I find it!

Will post a photo update soon!

Crazy busy!!

Last week was insanely busy for me! We were babysitting a friends 7 month old son, while she traveled for work. Wow! It was almost like having twins! My daughter and the little boy are only 3 weeks apart in age! Throw in Separation anxiety and we had ourselves quite a busy week!! The poor little guy was so sad, as he'd not been away from his mom that long since he's been born. He would cry at night time, and just bury his little teary face into my shoulder and hang onto me for dear life.

She returned this evening and I had to sort of admit, that while it was quite a challenge and a test of my patience and motherly love, I was sorta sad to see him go. But I know he will be so much more happy with his momma.

this being said I was SOOOO exhausted every evening from the tearful tirades that being able to read or stitch after we would get the babies to sleep was just not happenin'. I was too exhausted and just fell into bed and often right to sleep pretty much as soon as I got both little tykes to sleep.

I am looking forward to some stitching and reading time this week! I have missed it sooooo much!! I do have some progress on Howling to share, that I had gotten done before the crazy week, and I have some progress on one of my christmas cards as well! So I will share them probably tomorrow! Boy this month has not been productive at all, and definitely not blog-filled. I can't believe this month is more than half way over with and I have only posted once so far!! We gotta remedy that soon!!

Ok, I'm off to curl up in bed with my book, it's late, but I need to get back into my routine. Tomorrow? I stitch!!! Good night everyone!!

SAL post #1...

I know you LOVE my title!! Very original, and creative! Haha! So, today is the day I think we are supposed to share our progress that I am doing with Jules of "A Stitch in time with Jules" (Who recently changed her blog name, and used to be "Julies Creations".) Anyway, no matter the name of the blog, it is still the same great person writing about their lovely stitchiness!

We are both working on a project called Coming Home for the Holidays. I think the last time I worked on this one was in November and you can see what it looked like then here.

So, our SAL will take place the first weekend of every month and then we will share our progress the following week. This being a long weekend, it gave us a little extra time! So, here is my progress. for the most part I work on the big long line of brown and a little more blue and white in the roof of the house. (If you can tell that is a house)

I am sooo excited to be working on this project with Julie, and when you see how far she is don't laugh at me ok? She is WAY further along than I but I still wanted some motivation to get some work in on this!

Well, I wanted to let you know, that my weekend didn't get a whole lot better, the best day was Monday and nothing happened that day, on friday I was treated like garbage by someone I thought was a friend, then Saturday I fought with the hubs (but no worries we made up!) Sunday my daughter was a grumpy pants, because she is teething now! Poor little girl. And yesterday (Monday) was ok.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! and here before I close out, I want to share a video of Alyssa! Who doesn't like baby laughter?! I personally think it is the greatest thing in the world. It is so carefree and contagious! I can't help but to laugh right along with her when she giggles! So, enjoy!!!

Blue Christmas

No, I don't plan on having a Blue Christmas, I'm just stitching Blue Christmas designs. For some reason, I really enjoy getting away from the traditional red,green, gold, etc. colors of Christmas. Here are two more cards. The first one isn't finished yet, the second one is!

That's about it here for me. It's a long weekend here, and it started off really badly for me, yesterday, but I'm hoping it gets better! Joyful stitching!!

Wow! I just looked and realized just how blurry these photos are!! I'm sorry! The lighting here is really bad!!

What the Huh?!

Ok, I am mildly irritated!! Ok maybe a little more than mildly....I have always been able to order my DMC floss from a certain retailer on line, since I have moved to Japan. I am not going to name the retailer, because I don't want to give them a bad name, however, right now I am NOT very happy with them at all!! I tried to place an order for DMC on Saturday from this retailer, but I couldn't figure out HOW, I thought that is weird there is no place to put things "in my cart", then I notice at the bottom of the page a note in red that says "We're sorry we are unable to deliver this item outside North America". So I wrote them an e-mail telling them that I have an APO address and so my mailing address IS in the US, just that I AM in Japan. She wrote me back pretty quickly and said "Yes, but the product will still end up in Japan, so we can't make your order, I'm sorry."

So, I sent another e-mail saying "Well, just out of curiosity, why not? I have never had problems with it in the past." I mean, do the silk worms have cooties or something? I mean, I know the Japanese are huge germaphobes but come on now!! (No offense intended, it's actually a good thing!) And I have not heard back from them yet! They promise responses within 24 hours and it's been nearly 35 hours since I last sent it. (I didn't write the cootie part in the e-mail, just the fact that I wondered why not since I have never had problems in the past)

So I was actually thinking that I could get around it, by just having it shipped to my parents, and then just have them forward the package to me, but if I don't get an answer then forget it, I'm not gonna reward bad customer service!!

So now I'm scouting around to see if anyone else does shipping outside the US, it looks like "1-2-3 Stitch" does, and their prices look pretty reasonable...can anyone tell me if they have used this retailer before and if they got good/timely customer service? Or! If I can pay someone to be my "Floss Fairy"...lol...I could send you money to buy it and send it, if you are in the US it is just like mailing with in the US, there are no airmail fees or anything....I'm just sooo frustrated!! The craft store here, although they carry a good amount of DMC, for some reason NEVER have the color(s) I need! GAH!

Anyway, so that is what I am dealing with on the stitchy front right now!
I wanted to thank all the wonderful people who left me comments wishing me safety in our next typhoon! It actually went the other way!!! So, we have just had a little bit of rain, but that is it!

Also I am super excited for this upcoming weekend, it is my first weekend working on an SAL with Jules from http://julies-creations.blogspot.com/. We are both working on a piece called "coming home for the holidays" and although she is quite a bit further along in the project than I, I suggested we do a SAL, in hopes that it would motivate me to work on this project a bit!! So, we will be sharing our progress next week on that!

Well, I finished another Christmas Card but this is already a really long post, so I will be posting it in my next post!
Thank you all for stoppin' in to say hello, I love all your comments!! and I am also enjoying hitting up your blogs and leaving notes here and there as well! And Also a friendly Hello to my new followers!!!

Til next time: Joyful Stitching!!

Hiding...

From all your blog rolls, that is!! Stop it, I tell you! Stop blog rolling all this wonderful stitchy blogginess! Don't you know, there are only 24 hours in a day?! And everytime I look at someones blog, I try not to, but sometimes, I can't help myself, I take a peek at their blog roll to see if there is someone I HAVE to keep tabs on, and my google reader is just getting FAT!! It needs to go on a diet! So for the love of my sanity!!! STOP posting all those lovely blogs! I don't have time to check them all out and that makes me sad! What if I miss something?!

I'm soooo kidding, of course!! This blogging thing is just about as addictive as the hobby itself! LOL...I love reading new (to me) blogs, and I keep finding more! It's a never ending journey!! LOL

Well, I wanted to also say I hope everyone out there on the east coast are doing all they can to stay safe from Irene! Don't try to be a hero, EVACUATE if they tell you to!! Do whatever you can to stay safe!!!

And while you are all batteling with Irene, we have a(nother) Typhoon on it's way here to our tiny Japanese island as well, slotted to hit on Tuesday or/and Wednesday...so we'll see what this one does! The last one took over 53 hours to pass through. During which we were all house bound....obviously since what idiot would really be out and about in 115+ mph winds? Hopefully no one!

I am going to be anxiously checking my google reader to hear from those of you on the East Coast, and knowing you're all ok!! Now go be safe!!

So much to do, so little time to do it all in!!

While I have not been blogging, (writing posts or many comments) I HAVE been stitching! Here is a finish on my first Halloween piece that will become a Card for some lucky person! Ha ha! This was fun and pretty easy to do!


And here is progress on Howling at the Moon:

Sorry for the uncropped picture! I don't know what happened, I edited it when I downloaded it but when I went to put it up only this one was in my pictures. I also took one of the whole thing with the additional part, but it is sideways, so I will just wait until next post to share it...

I have been really busy. I am trying to get more reading and stitching in, and with my daughter, who as she is getting older is harder to keep happy...she seems to want momma's undivided attention every minute she's awake...soooo...I can normally only stitch or read during her sleeping hours, which it's great that she sleeps all night, but I gotta sleep then! So it leaves me with about 6 hours to myself, between naps, and her bedtime at 8 pm, to do anything I want/need to do, and I have been trying to work out more now too, so I gotta get that crammed in there somewhere, and this past weekend, it seemed that everyone and their brother wanted to hang out with us! So, stitching and reading has gotten set aside, but I am still getting a bit done, but I just have been not on the computer as much, as when I sit at the comp, I get that itchy, naggy feeling that I should be doing something else with my time! So, I haven't really taken the time to write many comments, or here blogging, haven't hardly been on FB at all, just to answer direct inbox messages, or respond to stuff people leave for me. I'm seriously thinking that next year I'm gonna get rid of my FB account all together, but I'm conflicted in that that is basically the only way I am able to share my daughter with my family back home.

Oh well, if what I hear is true, a hacker is supposedly gonna "kill Facebook" on Guy Fawkes day anyway! (we'll see about that!) Then I'll be free to stitch and read with out guilt! LOL Hope you are all having a wonderful week! Thank you all for your encouraging comments, and for my new followers: Welcome!!

A Finish and some Progress!

Here's my progress on page 9 of Howling at the Moon. This is a close up of JUST what I've done on 9. And here is the whole thing with the new part on page 9. This page is really coming along pretty quickly. There are alot of large sections of the same color, so not alot of confetti stitching here, which I would guess attributes to it being so quick to stitch!

Here is my snowman piece finished. This is going to be a Christmas card, I love snowmen and think this is sooo cute!

So, that is all here for today. I have been so good in turning off the computer and really putting time in my stitching and reading this month.

So far I have

- Finished reading three books

- Finished stitching Page 6 of Howling at the Moon
- Finished stitching 2 cards

So, not bad so far, for it only being barely in the double digits of the month!! I wonder if I can finish page 9 this month? I don't want to get my hopes up... I have been battling depression alot lately so I spend hours a day doing absolutely nothing, laying in bed, because I just don't have the energy or the care to do anything at all. Well, that's it for me for now, I will post again soon!
I started my first Halloween card today so maybe I'll have a finish on it next time I post!

A Finish!

I finished the card for my parents! Look at the little bride's necklace! I made it out of a string of seed beads! The pattern originally called for French knots, but I totally suck at those, so I thought why not just use a string of beads. I think it came out cute!

Yay! We made it through Typhoon Muifa without a scratch! It lasted 52 hours long! During which we were house bound! But! We were some of the lucky ones...some people we know were without electricity (and still are) for HOURS! And we only lost power for about ten minutes this morning at around 7:30. Some people have flooding, we had none. We were very lucky! Thank you again to everyone who sent us good thoughts and prayers!

Category 2...

Our super Typhoon is loosing it's super powers...it went from a Category 4 to a 3, and now we are at a steady 2! The last one we had was a 2 also and while there was destruction, the lower the Category number, the happier, and safer I'll be!

And I still need to share progress on Howling at the Moon! I will, I promise! Just things are kinda crazy right now with this storm coming, whenever I go on the computer I'm just looking at the weather and tracking this storm. Plus I don't know if you've ever been in a situation like this, but if you have you know there is a certain amount of nervous energy that gets stored up.So, I find that I have not been able to settle to do much of anything, can't read, or stitch, I just pace alot or dabble in mundane house chores, and then check the computer again. But now that it doesn't seem like it's gonna be so bad, maybe I'll be able to get some things done.

Thank you again for all your good thoughts and prayers! They are greatly appreciated!

Typhoon update

Our Typhoon HAS infact calmed down...now at a cat 3 by the time it hits land...which is still pretty strong, but there are still a few days yet, it may be a cat 2 or 1 by the time it gets here...prayers up! I'll be logging in later to share a stitchy update on Howling...I got a little work in on it this weekend, and am doing well on page 9! Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts for our tiny island!

ANOTHER ONE?! Come oooon!!!

Super Typhoon Muifa : 5 Day Forecast Map : Weather Underground



This isn't a stitchy update, but just wanted to ask my readers if they could keep us in prayer/good thoughts? There is a HUGE typhoon to hit our island direct this week, (A category 4 which is 131-155 mph winds!) It isn't slotted to hit the island until Thursday, so by then it may calm down a bit, or it may change direction...but the last one we had was pretty bad, and I think it was only a cat.3 (111-130 mph winds) I'm a little freaked!

Anyway. Thank you all! And if you dont' hear from me, my electricity probably got knocked out or something!! I don't know...Oh well, the good thing about being a stitcher/reader is I can easily amuse myself for hours with no electricity! =)

And I'll See You in Your Comment Box!

Wow! This has been a very good bloggy week for me, not so much in the fact of MY posting so much as how much I am truly enjoying reading all your blogs! See here? Here is my google reader...to the right you see those words "No Unread items"....I'm so proud of myself! For the past three days (four? Hmm...don't remember...) I have read and commented on every entry that has been in my googlereader! I started thinking about life, and about the things I am passionate about, which are 1)family 2) Stitching 3)reading...so, I decided that life is too short not to do the things I love! How many times have you heard friends or loved ones say "I love to read, but I don't have time for it anymore?" Or "I used to love doing needlework/crafts, but I don't have time anymore." In my opinion they didn't "love it" they might have enjoyed it, and liked it, but if you love something I would think you'd invest some time in it! Even when I was working practically full time I would get up an hour and a half earlier just so I could do some reading and stitching before heading off to work! THAT is loving something. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy! Anyway, all this tangent to say that this whole blogging experience is so wonderful! I have met some lovely people, who are so creative and inspire me in that love of my life, and then all I do is sit on the computer and go on FB....which don't get me wrong, to a military spouse who is stationed on the other side of the world from friends and family, I am grateful for FB and the easy chance to stay in touch with friends and family back home. But many of them do not understand or share my love of reading and stitching, those people who are nuts about fabric and floss I have found here, in blogland. So, why would I spend hours a day looking at FB, and yet allow my googlereader to overflow with months of backlog? I miss so much! So, I have vowed to spend my computer time more wisely, investing in my passions, even whilst on the computer! So, thank you,dear fellow bloggers! For encouraging me in my passion for stitching and for just being such wonderful people! Stitchers are the friendliest people around!!

Ok, now that that tirade is off my chest, here is a progress photo of the card I am stitching up for my parents wedding anniversary!
I think this is their 48th(?) anniversary! So I thought I would stitch up a cute little card for them. I have been so busy with the new baby that my card sending has gone to pot this year! I don't think I've even sent one yet this year! ::hanging head in shame:: Not even a store bought one! So! I thought to make up for it, I would try to finish off the year with hand made ones instead! They can't balk at that, right? (I hope) Anyway, I love these little bears!! They come from a book called "101 Bears with Personality" I got it YEARS ago, infact I think I got it the same summer I started stitching which was 17 years ago! I've used this book to make other cards in the past as well. They are just sooooo cute! As you can see, I am just about finished with the little bride, all I have left is to finish backstitching her and her flowers. This photo doesn't show it, but the blue I used to backstitch her veil and garter is shiney sparkly blue! And then of course you can see I have quite a bit to finish up on the little groom! But it shouldn't take too long.

So, anyway, that's what has been up in my neighborhood! A little stitching and enjoying your blogs! See yah in your comment box!!

A "finish", and a "start"

I did it! I finished page 6 on Howling at the Moon, and am now working on page 9! Now I only have 3 more pages and some fill in to work on (you can probably see holes here and there where I skipped...Ooops...anyway....I am so excited! 1 more "project" crossed off my "Up for a Challenge" challenge!

Here's the whole thing:

And here is JUST the part I finished and the start on page 9...quite a bit done!! I haven't worked on this on in forever It feels like, I never pick it up, thinking "I don't have enough time to work on it, I won't get enough put in to matter", but when I do, I find that it actually stitches up pretty quickly! Well, that is all for today! I worked a tiny bit on my parents Anniversary card, but I would rather wait until I finish it to share here. Hope you have a great week! The last week in this month! Wow!! It always seems like the second half of the year goes faster than the first...I don't know why that is...is it just me? Or is it like that for everyone? Hmmm...Ok, off to read or stitch while the baby is taking her morning nap!

Thank u! Thank you! thank u!

I took all your advice and it worked!!! sometimes I can be such a dork! Love technology, but sometimes it just doesn't love me back!! LOL...Thank you all so much!!

So frustrated!! UGH!

Ok, so what is going on with this new blogger thing?! I'm not having problems with blogger per se, but I am having problems leaving comments! Is anyone else having these issues? It's frustrating me! I'm so sorry to my friends who I couldn't leave comments to...=( I tried, I really did! But it keeps telling me to sign into my google account, about a million times, so I give up! I think it's Wordpress users I'm having troubles with...SAD!!

Finish #2 for the year!! I'm on a roll!

This is a really dark photo of my second card finish for the year!! It stitched up pretty quickly. If I'd just concentrated on it and not been playing on the computer I'd have had it finished sooner!

I am still working on the snowmen, but not much progress on them, so decided to wait until it's finished to share them! I really think that I need to set the Christmas ones aside and work on the anniversary one for my parents that is due next month! So, probably in my next post I will share that...hopefully it will be a finish.

Still no finishes but there is progress!

Snowmen: I have been working on my cards this week! Here are two of the Christmas ones! They are still in progress! The "Joy" one is closer to a finish than the snowmen one! All I have left of the Joy one is to do the shaded outline of the letter, finish the christmas tree that is in the middle of the "O", and backstitch. I was hoping to get a finish on it yesterday, but the tiny tot, cute as she is, would not let me stitch! She wouldn't nap!!! And boy is she whiney when she doesn't nap!

Well, that is about it here, I am also working on an anniversary card for my parents! I was gonna make a wedding one for my sis in law who is getting married today but I don't think she'd really appreciate it! So, eh, forget it, I'll buy her one at the store! Afterall I sent her an e-mail telling her congratulations and wish we could be there and we are sad that we can't be and told her I bet she'll be abeautiful bride and can't wait to see pics. Then I asked her a non- wedding question about someone I thought she might know. I got an e-mail back asking only about the person I asked about! No thank you for the congratulations or any sorrow for our not being able to be there- Nothing!!! I was like I am NOT wasting my time, energy, materials and talent on someone like that! Oh well, no biggie! Just more time to work on my other cards. I am thinking that once I finish one of these Christmas ones I'll get started on a Halloween one! I am soooooo excited! I know Summer is only half over but I can't wait for fall! We don't really have fall here...ok we DON'T have fall here at all, but I can still stitch in fall, and that is fine with me!

My very first Finish of the year! And Alyssa all ready for July 4th!

I did it! I did it!! I actaully finished a piece of stitching!!! Amazingly enough the year is half over and I stitched this up in 2 days flat. I have decided to start stitching cards: Christmas, friendship, birthday, Halloween, Thankgiving, etc, etc....as I enjoy having a quick finish now and then, plus, like last year I had monthly finish goals with my monthly smalls, and I really enjoyed having a monthly goal. And small finishes. This one isn't a monthly goal sort of project, but I have my list of recipients and their birthdates and anniversaries, and of course all the holidays as well. And I'm just gonna work on cards and see how many I can get done and sent out this year, andit will probably go into next year as well. So now that this "friendship piece" is finished I wil probably put it in a letter for a pen pal...since I have a few, and my next card endeavor are two "wedding type cards"...one is for an actual wedding, and one is for my parents anniversary, which is next month, then I have my FIL's birthday in September, and then of course October: Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and then start in on Birthday ones for the following year, and St. PAtty's Day, Easter, and so on and so on...it'll keep me busy, I'm sure!

And this is not a stitchy pic, but here is Little Alyssa in her Red White and Blue, and ready to celebrate the fourth. Which ended up as a flop for us, but that is alright. Those people my hubby invited never showed! (After we spent all morning running around going to the store getting enough food for an army,and trying to get the house cleaned up!) they call an hour AFTER the time we'd invited them for, and told us they weren't coming!! So, while I was ticked at that, I was also relieved and glad they didn't come! So...it all ended up fine, but now I have an over abundance of Macaroni salad!! Oh well.

Ok, well I am off to get started on my next coupla cards, which I hope to share here soon! Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far!

A bit more progress!!

I am so almost done with page 6 now!!! It is coming along! Just one more color to fill in on this page then it's down to page #9! (right below page 6) And the color I have to fill in here is white, so what you see here is basically as it will look after I have put in the last color! I am still lovin' this one!!

I wanted to say thank you to everyone who sent me sites on Christmas stuff!! Thank you all soooo much!! I actually looked in the one 4 drawer cabinet I DO have access to, which is mostly filled with WIP's and projects that are kitted up and ready to go, and finishes that need to be "finished-finished", and I found a few books in there with some holiday stuff I am thinking of doing...so between your suggestions, and the few books I found, I think I'm good!! Thank you sooo much!!

And! I wanted to share another cute photo of my girl, she's 4 months old now!! And weighs over 13 pounds!! More than double her birth weight!!

Here she is in her little Baby Gap jeans and her little monkey hoodie! SOOOOO cute!!!

Well, happy Fourth of July to all my American readers!!! I have to go clean up the house, as my wonderful husband invited people over for a BBQ without consulting me first, so now I have to go crazy trying to get the house in some sort of order, which will probably be torn apart anyway by the people's, who he invited, 5 year old animal...er...kid...who they don't discipline, so he runs wild like a savage! I hate it when parents don't do their job! Not like I'm a great mother or up for Mother of the Year Award or anything, but when you tell your kid no five times and then just decide to ignore them, when they ignore you, and not discipline them for not obeying you the FIRST time you said no, there is a problem! They don't enforce their word! Anyway, I am sincerely hoping they decline our offer to come over...keep your fingers crossed for me! Maybe I will get through the day with my house (and sanity) intact! ::rant over::

Christmas in July...help?

For some reason lately I have been wanting to stitch small christmas designs fit for Christmas cards. I've never stitched my own cards before, because I was always so busy stitching other HUGE projects for myself or someone else.

Well, I am sorta getting tired of stitching on Howling at the Moon, actually, that's not true, I am still loving it like crazy, and am almost finished with page 6 but I want to work on something other than that allll the time! Just some small things to break up the monotony of that big ole' thing.

So, my question is, does anyone know of any sites that feature cute smallish free patterns that would be suitable for Christmas cards? I have plenty in my stash, but when we moved, my wonderful hubby didn't check with me first and put my huge box of sittching patterns at the bottom in the back of the storage closet!!! (I'm so mad!) So, if any of you could help, I'd appreciate it!! Thank you!!

Doing a bit better....

Thank you to those of you who took the time to send me some virtual hugs and well wishes! I truly appreciate it! I am starting to feel a bit better. I guess I was just having a bummer coupla days there.

Well, I have been thinking about it, and I think I'm gonna go back to the way my blog was before...just stitchy stuff, just whenever I feel like posting...I still am going to write bookish posts you can find them here:http://shandord.blogspot.com/ , and I will also continue with my "book" which I will be putting in a new blog...I will post the link there in a bit, once I get it down.

I have finally found some time to work on Howling at the Moon a bit this week, so I will share that in my next post.

Tomorrow my husbands work is supposed to be having a "beach day" but the forecast is calling for another tropical storm, though it doesn't look like it will come too close to us, we will probably still get some outlying residual rain and wind from it, so the beach day may be cancelled!

But my hubby did get us tickets to a comedy show, featuring "Sinbad"....remember him? lol...So, tomorrow I get to leave my daughter with a sitter for the first time...I'm a bit nervous! We are going over to meet the sitter today, before we actually leave her there. but this lady is certified and has many charges so I'm guessing she must be pretty good. It'll only be for a few hours.

Also, I want to send out hearty thanks to a few wonderful bloggers in blogland. I was noticing that alot of people have been hitting up my blog lately and looked at my stats, alot of them came via these blogs, who have me on their blogroll....so I thank you for the extra traffic!

~Edgar at:http://blacksheepsite.blogspot.com/
~ Trina athttp://stitchingoz.blogspot.com/
~Sharon at http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/
~Sandy at http://smalltownstitchin.blogspot.com/
~Meredith at http://merrystitching.blogspot.com/
~ Dawn at http://goldenangelsworks.blogspot.com/
~Blu at http://blustitcher.blogspot.com/
~Deborah at http://cranberrysamplings.blogspot.com/

If you don't or have not read these blogs, go give them some love!! They are encredible people and also amazingly creative!!

Well, I am off to get my day started, and watch the rain....hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you at "A Joyful Reader" (my book blog) and at my fictioanl blog (once I get it up and running!) I will let you know the addee soon!

'Til then, Happy stitching!

Down in the Dumps...life-ugh! Who needs it?!

I am sorry to report that I don't have an update this week, as me and Alyssa have both been sick and under the weather this past week, so I haven't had much of a chance to stitch at all, plus,being sick, I just haven't had the energy or the want to to stitch, when I do have free time I usually sack out on the couch with the TV on or with a book...I am not sure when I will feel up to posting again.

I am also going through a slight depression right now, I usually do about this time of the year, so I don't really feel like being among the living, I just really wanna hide my head and wish that I were never born! So, maybe after I emerge from this emeotional funk, I will feel more like posting, but for now, I'm takin' a break. I'm sorry, dear readers, I hope you understand!

Tree Branch Thursday!

So, last week while Lyssa was asleep, I was able to get some work in on this one! I am almost to the end of the outline of the green on top, if that makes sence, then once I'm done filling in the outline, which is the hardest part, trying to follow the pattern, then all I have to do is fill in and backstitch, on that part. My goal for this piece was to finish Tigger and that green up top there, I am not sure that will happen. I have not had a chance to stitch the past two days. And after dinner I always think "I'll stitch in the evening, but I'm so tired in the evenings I've been going to bed early (8-ish), by the time I'm done cleaning up after dinner, and getting the baby fed and down for the night, I am just too tired to do any serious stitching. I hate stitching when I'm so tired because I know I will probably mess up and then end up having to frog it all and so what's the point?

Anyway, I also wanted to share this photo of Lyssa and her daddy:

I thought it was so cute!! All you can see are her eyes and her feet!! LOL!!

Well, tune in again tomorrow for chapter two of "Breaking Away"....And just so you know! YES! There will be "Stitching" involved in my story...what do yah know? But that Dicia is a stitchaholic just like us!!! See yah all tomorrow!!