Holiday Weekend

I hope that everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend.  Did you take some time to thank a soldier for keeping our beloved country free?  I don't know about you, but we had quite a few celebrations in our neck of the woods.   In celebration, I have my LHN's Heart of America hanging above my fireplace.  I will keep it up through the 4th of July weekend and on into the early summer.  It is a great way to celebrate the USA and our soldiers.

Hubby and I went to another Estate Sale on Saturday morning.  It was not as great as the first one we went to, but I still found a couple of frames.  Hubby found the fishing lures at a Yard Sale that was down the street from the Estate Sale.  We spent less than $10 for the lot!  Can't beat those prices!

What was really neat is that the bigger frame had some cross stitching in it.  I was talking to the guy running the sale and he said that the person who lived there loved music and had an addition put on the house just for their baby grand piano!  I'm not real sure what I'm going to do with this piece just yet.  I feel so bad getting rid of it.  I know about all the time and effort that was put into this piece.  You can tell that there was a lot of care put into each stitch.  I just really liked the frame, but I don't want the stitching to just get thrown away either.  Maybe once I take it apart I will give away the stitching on my blog or on a message board.  However, if you know someone that might like it, drop me a line!

Sometimes, things just fall into place.  When I purchased the smaller frame I thought that it would be great for some exchange stitching or a giveaway.  Then, I had a thought (yes, that is smoke you smell!).  I rummaged through my finished pile and I have the perfect little piece of stitching for this frame.  It is a sampler reproduced by Blackbird Designs called Now I Know My ABC's which was a freebie on their blog not too long ago.  (You can find it here.)  I think that the frame is just perfect for this, don't you?

Well, I guess I've been procrastinating long enough.  (You read my last entry, right?)  I made a decision on my next project.  I decided to go ahead and start Blackbird Design's Seaside Retreat. 

If I hadn't spent this weekend shopping the Memorial Day sales at AC Moore, Jo-Ann's and Michael's....... 
If I hadn't spent so much time Estate Sale shopping........
If I hadn't spent all day at the beach yesterday with MIL and Hubby......

.......I would have been able to finish and then I would be stuck at deciding what to start next!  Here's Seaside Retreat as it stood on Saturday afternoon.  All I have left now are a few motifs, my initials and the fish swimming in the ocean.

I'm really hoping that Hubby fixes dinner tonight so that I can try to finish it up before bedtime.

Happy Stitching!

What's in the bag?

After reading Anna and Coni's blogs I've decided to play along. Not only that, but it was high time I went through my bag and cleaned it out. So, here goes........

This is my bag. It's a Vera Bradley. I was introduced to these in the past year and I just love, love, love them. This one is a Vera in Purple Punch. It is the perfect size for all my stuff. I carry it with me everywhere I go.

Come take a look inside with me........

Here are the projects that I am currently carrying. On the top left is Charland's Necessarie from the Harvest of Friendship Retreat. I'm almost at the halfway point with this project. I think this will be the first project from the retreat that I will finish. In the center is "To Light the Way" and "Seaside Beauty". These lovely Blackbird Designs stockings were retreat exclusives. However, I'm giving this one away as a Christmas gift to one of my best friends. (I don't think she reads the blog, so she should be surprised.) To the right of the stockings are some JABCO pins and some WDW thread for the Erica Michaels' Hanukkah Bits that I picked up at Market in St. Charles. This will be my first venture into silk gauze, but I'm sure that I can handle it. On the upper right is LHN's "Traveling Stitcher" and the pouch from Impie, Hattie & Bea. (Thanks for the pouch Sharon!) Usually all my projects are in mesh bags that were created by a fellow stitcher at my LNS, but they are all full with other projects at the moment.


I also have a clip board that holds working copies of projects that I am currently working on. The working copy showing is HAED's "Little Bo Peep". (I'm working on that one at home, but it is still on my clipboard.) There were also several papers scattered in the bag, including a profit sharing memo from work, my dog's license renewal, an invitation to a baby shower, a Starbucks gold pamphlet (along with a Starbucks straw) and my temporary vehicle registration. (I had some trash too, but I threw that out.) And, most importantly, my stitching journal. It's filled with all the necessary information on all the projects that I have started and finished this year. It also has a few letters and notes from friends regarding the projects I have stitched.

I also have lots of stitching accessories. I love my magnetic case and it always has needles and a pair of scissors in it. There is a pencil box that hold assorted items such as more scissors, highlighters, more needles, a sheep tape measure and a nail file. I also have a wonderful needle keep made by another lovely lady at my LNS.

Then there is also this lovely dolollie. It's not a true dolollie, but it works just the same. Isn't it cute? I got it at The Attic in Mesa, AZ while on my honeymoon last year.

Of course, there are also the necessary packages of Tylenol. The little bottle has Excedrin Migraine in it as well as an antacid or two. And, there are my vitamins. See, I told you I take my bag everywhere. I even have a small medicine cabinet in there!

And now for meals and entertainment......there's my ipod and of course my camera with all of its accessories. I even have my thumb drives which contain my issues of on online stitching magazine. There are even a few rogue candy canes from last year that got lost in one of the pockets of my bag if you are hungry!

And last, but not least, my new trusty umbrella. (Can you tell there is a purple theme here?)

Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing what is currently in my stitching bag. So, play along.....what's in your bag?

Happy Stitching!

Time...

.....where does it go? I've been so busy the past two weeks! I've got so much to say and so much to show, but I just don't have the time to tell about it. So, this is just a quick note. I do intend to write more later. (And no, I haven't forgotten about all those pictures from the Outer Banks....they are still in my camera and have yet to get downloaded to the computer!)

Two weekends ago I was lucky enough to go to my first TNNA Market in St. Charles. It was a blast! I met so many great people. (It didn't hurt to have a stash boost either!)

This past weekend I spent at the "Harvest of Friendship" retreat in Virginia Beach. This was the third retreat I've ever attended and the second with this group. Wait until you see all the great stuff! Again, I met some really great people from all over.........from Virginia to Colorado, to Minnesota and even one from Alaska!

Unfortunately, the real world and work calls so I have to go. I really need a vacation from my time off so that I can catch up here!

Happy Stitching!