Book Club

I finished "Escape" sometime ago and I also read "True Colors" by Kristen Hannah in between postings. I've got tons of books in line, but right now I'm fascinated with the True Blood series. I'm now on the third book:

And I've got the fourth book waiting in the wings:

Don't ask why I have this fascianation with these books. I really don't know. Maybe it stems from reading all that Harry Potter and Twilight.

Another book that is on my list is:

This book was purely an impulse buy. It was sitting on the "B&N Recommends" table and I usually like the books that they recommend. The sysopisis on www.barnesandnoble.com says that this book is "A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history -- the Salem witch trials." See what I mean? Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Maybe I'll have to take a break from the Sookie Stackhouse novels to read this....

GO KEMPSVILLE!!!!

.....um......I mean "yea, Bayside". (If you don't understand, read this post.)

So, here is the finished "Bayside Bungalows" (by Country Cottage Needleworks) in all its glory:

I'm sure I mentioned this before, but I stitched it on 28ct Virginia Beach Blend by R&R Reproductions. This isn't the greatest picture and I didn't have the greatest light. So....I promise to get a better picture once I've had it framed. I should be receiving the frame from "The Family Tree" (a division of Crescent Colours), so I'll repost then.

Speaking of Crescent Colours, have you seen the use of "Wild Berries" in the latest Loose Feathers from Blackbird Designs? Number 37 is called "It's Berry Time".

Of course, I had to start it right away........well, almost right away! I did manage to finish "Bayside Bungalows" before making this start. (So much for starting Mirabilia's Letter H!) I'm stitching it on 40ct Iced Capp by R&R Reproductions.

Again, the picture is not the greatest and it doesn't do the thread or fabric any justice, but I thought I'd show it anyway. I guess I'll just have to start bringing out my good camera instead of the point & shoot. It sure does make a difference when you are trying to show the details.

In other news, the weekend was fabulous! I was delighted to find hubby waiting for me when I arrived home from work on Friday. He was supposed to work a double shift, but they were slow, so he volunteered to go home. His coming home early meant a nice dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant. Saturday morning was spent at the bike shop while the afternoon turned into a nap for me. (I'm still trying to get over this sinus stuff!) Sunday was nice and relaxing as well. We were even able to clean up the back yard (if you can call our little fenced in area a yard) and set up the new patio chairs. Finally I can feel comfortable about sitting outside! I don't know that I will take my stitching out there, I'm just too anal about keeping everything "just so". But, I can definitely take a book out there for a nice reading session. Now, if only the summer weather will cooperate and keep the humidity to a low level......HA!!

Out on a "school night"

Ok, I know it is summer break......and I haven't been to school for many years, but I went out with Hubby last night and I felt like a school girl breaking all the rules!

My evening started out nice and calm. I've been having sinus trouble the last few days and I finally got tired of it. I gave in and found (real) Sudafed in the medicine cabinet and took some around 8pm. Sudafed tends to "wind me up", so I was finally able to put a few good hours into "Bayside Bungalows" last night while watching "Taken" on DVD.




All of a sudden at 10:30pm Hubby comes in and says "Oh, I forgot....can you take me up to the Mexican restaurant by Sam's Club? One of my co-workers is performing there tonight. I know you don't feel good so you can just drop me off and I'll get a ride home." Well, I know my husband and I wasn't about to let him free in a bar with money in his pocket! So, next thing I know, I'm changing out of my comfy pj's and into street clothes. I became DD and we didn't get home until 1am!

I'm sure paying for last night. There was no drinking on my part (other than a virgin soda), but between staying out late and the Sudafed keeping me up, I only had about two hours of sleep. The best hours came between 4am and the alarm clock going off at 6. Oh....what a night! I hope this doesn't become a habit! I'm just getting too old for this!

Summer Cold??

I haven't been feeling well for the past few days. At first I thought I was coming down with a summer cold. But after last night, I know that I have a summer sinus infection instead. The pressure in my sinuses were so painful last night that I could feel it in my teeth! Since I feel a little better today, I'm going to wait it out for another day or two. Sometimes they go away with a little rest and extra vitamin C. If not, I will head out to see the "Doc in a box" since I know I won't be able to get an appointment at my real doctor's office on such short notice.

With all that pressure, I've given up on stitching for the last few days. So, unless I have a marathon session this weekend, it looks like "Bayside Bungalow" will just have to have a July finish instead of a June finish. Sew goes the needle! (Ha, ha!)

What's worse right now is that things are real slow at work. So slow in fact, that I have been cruising the Internet looking at all things stitchy. In the 12 years that I have been working here, I have never had this problem. Yet, I shouldn't complain.....there are others that have no job at all! I'm just hoping that my clients will respond to all my phone calls and hurry up with sending in their information. I can see it now.....one second with nothing to do and then the next second I will end up overwhelmed and begging for help! It always seems to work that way.

So, have you seen the latest from Little House Needleworks? I just love her newest "Love One Another".

I've already placed my order at the LNS. I wonder how this will look on 40ct. Then again, maybe I'll go bigger and make it into a pillow. Decisions, decisions!

Speaking of decisions, I have to decide what my next start will be. I've been putting off my Mirabilia's lately so maybe I'll have to start Letter "H".....

I have the pattern and the threads. I just need to look through my stash and see if I have any good fabric for this. Otherwise I will just have to bring it with me to the LNS tomorrow night for a floss toss.

Well, I guess I should try to get back to work. If only my boss had something for me to do.............

Finish #19

Here it is, my 19th finish for 2009........

"Trustworthy and True" by Little House Needleworks stitched on 32ct Water Lily. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I stitched this as a model for Crescent Colours.

I had started this on Wichelt's 28ct Star Saphire, but as you can see, the Petticoat Blue blended in too much.


I'm so proud that I'm halfway to the same number of finishes that I had in 2008. The ultimate goal is to always enjoy my stitching, but it is fun to compare what I have done from year to year.

'Bayside Bungalows' is still at the top of my wip list and my goal is to have it finished before the end of the month. Wish me luck!!!!

"Trustworthy and True"

It is amazing to me that the people whom you look up to and trust are the people who end up hurting you the most. I'm not speaking of a blood relation, but of a friend or someone you thought was your friend. I won't go into specifics and I won't really explain. It is just that every time I think about it, I'm so sad and disappointed about the whole episode. The truth just came out about the friendships I thought I had and the 'two faced' falseness of others came out as well. It hurts me even more to find out that the same people are treating my other friends in this same manner. It would be one thing if I did something horrible to cause this to happen, but being caught up in the middle does not constitute causing the issue. I'm trying not to let it 'stew', so I'm just getting it off of my chest for the time being.

In happier news, I'm currently working on a model called "Trustworthy and True" by Little House Needleworks. This is what it should look like when I'm finished (courtesy of www.littlehouseneedleworks.com):

I will be stitching it on the recommended Water Lilly, but I'm using 32ct instead of the recommended 28ct. I'm also changing the dress color and the words. This model is for Crescent Colors, but I will also be stitching this for myself on 35ct 'Ann'tique Hydrangea using one thread.

Speaking of models, here's another one that I finished for Crescent Colors and Country Cottage Needleworks.

It's called "Winter Wonderland". It is a Thread Pack series that will be issued in five separate releases. Now here it is framed:

All the details for this pattern are at www.countrycottageneedleworks.com

In other work in process news, I'm still plugging along on "Bayside Bungalows". I've reached the bottom half of the design. Time has also been spent on "Bo Peep" and she's really coming along! I'm now past the halfway mark on that piece as well. Now, if I can only get one of these finished so that I can start on something else........

Boom, Boom, Pow

While this is the name of the first track of The Black Eyed Peas new sound track, it must be Mother Nature's current song as well. While I sit here downloading my new CD, the lighting is flashing and the thunder is really booming! The poor dog! He is so anxious to get in my lap, but I'm in the recliner and my lap is occupied by the laptop and my Ipod. I've managed to spend the whole evening on iTunes.

My lovely and thoughtful husband brought me a gift of a Pink CD and a $25 gift card to iTunes. So far I have purchased an additional song from The Black Eyed Peas, the Lady GaGa CD, the newest Keith Urban CD and the "Home Sweet Home" single from Carrie Underwood. I still have a little over $2.00 left to spend! I wonder what genre I will decide to get next?!? I'm just so electlic when it comes to music. I think the only thing I will really turn down is Rap!

I have been surfing the other blogs and boards tonight while waiting for my music downloads. Mirabilla has come out with a new mermaid, but there are no pictures available yet. I can't wait to see what she looks like. I have all of the mermaids that she has done, so this one will be added to my stash as well. It will just be a matter of time and eventually I will start working on them again.

I'm also debating about the new free sampler from Needleprints. I know I want to do it and someone on the Legacy board posted a beautiful conversion with CC, WDW & GAST. Then there is the newest Ink Circles that is really calling my name. Do I buy that kit I saw, or do I change the count and the color? So many decisions....and here I am playing on the computer instead of stitching! What's wrong with me?????

My Bonnie lies over the ocean....

....my Bonnie lies over the sea, oh bring back my Bonnie to me.....

Ok, so this is really a silly ploy to show off another of my wips. I currently have "The Shores of Hawk Run Hollow" by Carriage House Samplings in my rotation. It is a very large project and I don't anticipate on having it finished anytime soon. I started it in 2008 and I have two of the eleven blocks finished. I'm currently working on Block 3.

Block one:


Block ten:


Here is the whole piece without my block three start. I'm stitching it on 40ct Lucky Penny by R&R Reproductions.


I've also been working hard (or maybe hardly working) on Bayside Bungalows for the last two days. I should have a picture soon. My plan is to work on it more tonight. If I'm satisfied, I'll show it off soon. I have a feeling that this one may end up as a gift for my MIL if I can't finish the one I had intended for her. I guess I will just have to wait and see how fast the needle flies!

Saturday SAL

Today was supposed to be my SAL with my good friend Sharon. We had been talking about it for sometime and for Christmas this past year she gave me everything I would need to start. It took awhile for me to pick the floss color and then tax season started. After that I was busy with some model stitching. Now I have no excuse other than pure laziness.

We will be stitching this:


It is Mouline Rouge by Long Dog Samplers. I will be stitching it on Lakeside Linens Vintage Examplar 40ct and Crescent Colors Belle Soie "Rose of Sharon".


Speaking of being lazy, this is my current progress on Bayside Bungalows. It is not as far I as would like to be, but this is what happens when you fall asleep in front of the TV in the middle of the afternoon!

Book Club

I'm currenty reading "Escape" by Carolyn Jessup. It was loaned to me by Vanessa.



Check it out here at Barnes & Noble.

I'm about halfway through so far. It is an interesting look into the life of the FLDS. Thanks Vanessa!

New Start

Yes, I'm sure living up to my nickname of serial starter! After eating dinner, washing dishes and folding a load of clothes, I decided to treat myself to another new start. Ok, so technically I started it on June 1st, but I only put about 10 stitches in it and then gave up. I guess I had a mini slump......

My new start is called "Bayside Bungalows" by Country Cottage Needleworks. I'm using 28ct Virginia Beach Blend by R&R Reproductions. The count is bigger than I normally stitch on, but sometimes an easy project is a good project. Hopefully this will be a fast finish and will pull me out of my mini slump.

There is one thing that bothers me about this project....."Bayside" was the name of a rival high school back in the day. I keep thinking about it and my mind just keeps screaming "GO KEMPSVILLE!!!" I've been trying to relate "Bayside" to being on the Chesapeake "Bay". We'll see how this goes. Who knows, the MIL may get this project after it is finished. After all, she does live at the Bay!

Here's my progress so far:


This is what it supposed to look like: (Photo from www.countrycottageneedleworks.com)

Hopefully I can convince my dear friend Sharon to work me a frame deal! ;)

Oh, here's a new one from CCN that will definately fall into the must have category since I am a lover of all things mermaid:


TTFN!

Here we go

Ok, I've been sucked in. I'm finally blogging. I can't promise that I will be consistent, or funny, or informative, but I can promise to be myself.

Sooooooo.........here goes!

As you can see from by blog name, I'm a serial starter. The first time I stepped into the LNS Thursday night stitch I professed to stitch "one project at a time". Now that is a thing of the past. Don't get me wrong, I do finish projects. In fact, I finished 39 projects in 2008 and I'm well on my way to matching that number this year. (I have 18 finishes so far this year.) It's just that sometimes I get bored with what I'm working on. Or, there is this insane calling from one of the other projects sitting in my bag. Then there is also the draw of seeing the projects that my friends are working on. (Oh Sheryl, you culprit, I really want to start the one you are working on right now!)

Right now I have a few that are in progress, but the one getting the most attention is "Bo Peep" by Heaven & Earth Designs. I started this on May 11th and here's my progress so far: