The Best of Intentions

I have had the best of intentions regarding my blogging, but, it just has not happened.  But, after several LONG months I am finally back!  I at least have a few things to show you for my long absense.  :-)
First I have two ornaments I stitched for my RR friends:

Designer:  The Prairie Schooler

Title:  St. Nicholas II (Book No. 36)

Fabric:  Stitched over 1 on a scrap of blueish gray 32 ct linen

Color changes: 

B5200 in place of white

304 in place of 221

758 in place of 356

754 in place of 407

367 in place of 501

369 in place of 503

739 in place of 738

839 in place of 844

630 in place of 869

Title:  Nordic Holiday (Book No. 191)

Designer:  The Prairie Schooler

Fabric:  Stitched over 1 on a scrap of white 32 ct linen

I also managed to get a few pieces "finished" that had been hanging in my back closet for quite some time.  

First up, 3 RR pieces:

2009 RR piece

Title:  Quaker Style Friendship Sampler

Designer:  Samplers and Such

Fabric:  32 ct Heather by Picture This Plus

Thread:  Aged Plum by Silk 'n Colors

Stitched with: Clare, Marti, Deb, Lynda & Sharyn

Finishing:  Pillow by my friend Sherri

2010 RR piece

Title:  The Hunt

Designer:  Homespun Samplar

Fabric:  coffee dyed 28 ct monaco

Threads:  Carrie's Creations 

Grid - Navy Blues

Medallions in Grid - Pacific Blue

Wreath - Sea Mist

Ribbon - Ocean Blue

Alphabet - Teal Mist

Diamonds Between Letters - Baja Blue

Initials & Year - Navy

Stitched with: Clare & Lynda

Finishing:  Pillow by my friend Sherri (I need to find larger pillow form for this)

2012 RR piece(2012-2014)

Title:  Beneath the Sunlit Sky

Designer:  Blackbird Designs - Loose Feathers

Fabric:  28 ct Celadon

The frame is a golden color (like the star bursts), but has blueish/gray in it as well.  

This did not photograph well.  It is much prettier in person.

Now, for a fun stitch that is not an RR piece:

Title:  Warm Water Wash

Designer:  Raise the Roof

Fabric:  28 ct Zephyr by Picture This Plus

Changes:  

• Several Color Changes (sand, basket, bucket, center of sun & clothesline)
• Made bucket & shovel smaller (shovel is stitched over one)
• Used a free pattern for the sandcastle (with a couple minor changes there)
• Added some different buttons & changed placement of others

What I am currently stitching on:

• Country Cottage Needleworks Santa's Village - doing 5 of these for stockings (they will be on the cuff of the stocking) for my niece and her family.  I am on the 2nd one of the 5.
• RR with my friend Clare - stitching Pumpkin Farm by Blackbird Designs. 
• First few stitches on Christmas Wishes by Mirabilia.  (my new big project)
• Thine is the Trick and the Treat SAL w/my friend Sharon.  Very little done on this.  

I have gone on a bit of a stash haul over the last year and am trying to put the brakes on that.  I don't know when I will ever have the time to stitch all that I have.  I think it is beyond time to weed out some very old patterns that I know I will never stitch.  That is on my To Do List for this summer/fall.  

I am WAY late doing this, but, here are my end of year movie thoughts from 2014:

Year End Movie Thoughts 2014:

Favorites:

• Hunger Games - Mockingjay - Part I
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Captain America: Winter Soldier
• Big Hero 6
• The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
• X-Men:  Days of Future Past
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2
• How to Train Your Dragon 2
• The Fault in Our Stars
• Unbroken

Honorable Mentions:

• Divergent
• If I Stay
• The Giver
• Planes: Fire & Rescue
• When The Game Stands Tall

Disappointments:

• Penguins of Madagascar

Movie thoughts thus far in 2015:

• Cinderella - I LOVED this movie!  I loved the colors, the costumes, the casting, the beauty of it,  just ALL of it!  Plus, I felt there were definite nods to the classic animated Cinderella as well.  I have already purchased Cinderella Sampler and will use colors from this movie as my inspiration on it.  
• Avengers: Age of Ultron - really enjoyed this!  If you enjoy the Marvel movies, then you will enjoy this one.  
• The Divergent Series: Insergent - I did not like this movie at all!!!  It was sooooooo different from the book.  I felt like there was a narrative being driven based on something the author posted after the last book that was completely different from the books themselves.  I already knew that I would not be seeing the last movie (movies, since they are dividing it in two) based on my dislike of the last book (not just the ending, but, the book as an entirety), but, this absolutely confirmed it.  
• The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - enjoyable.  I can't say I liked it as much as the first, but, I did really like it.  The ending was good, but, was sadder than I was expecting.

Movies I am looking forward to in the remainder of 2015:

• Jurassic World
• Inside Out
• Paper Towns
• Maze Runner:  The Scorch Trials
• Hotel Transylvania 2
• Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Until next time!

  

Summertime!

Well, here it is summertime and I haven't posted in months!  Where did the time go?!  I wish I could say I had tons of stitching to show you, but, I don't.  Sad, I know.

I have been busily slowly stitching on a birth sampler type piece for my niece's 2nd baby (she turns a year in August).  I am about 3/4 of the way through it and hope to have it done before long. Here is a pic of my progress:

Designer:  Passione Ricamo

Design:  Letter "A" (used to be a free chart, but, no longer on their website)

Fabric:  28 ct White linen

Thread:  Silk 'n Colors Fairy Rose (using 1 strand)

I did get back my RR piece (that I posted about in May of 2012) in December.  I only had to finish the side flower border and do the fan type flowers and I was done.  It took me a few months to get to it, but, here it is:  

Designer:  Blackbird Designs - Loose Feathers

Design:  Beneath the Sunlit Sky

Fabric:  28 ct Celadon 

Changes:   changed the area around the year a bit.  That's it, I think

This year seems to be full of obligation stitching.  That is not necessarily a complaint, but, I definitely look forward to getting back to more relaxing stitching for me.  I have already kitted up my next "big" project.  It is not as daunting as my train project, but, I will surprise you with the reveal at the beginning of next year.

Speaking of my train...it is being sent off to the fabulous Jill Rensel for framing this month.  I hope to have it back by Thanksgiving.  We have been in email communication and I am very excited about it.   I will be sending the aforementioned birth sampler with it, so I better get on a move on with that  project!

Recent Movie Thoughts

• Captain America:  The Winter Soldier - Loved it!!!  Enough said.
• The Amazing Spider Man 2 - Really enjoyed it.  I can't say I liked it as much as the 1st one, but, I love Peter and Gwen's relationship and just the tone, pacing and acting of these Spider Man movies better than the previous Tobey Maguire ones.  (though I enjoyed those as well)
• X-Men:  Days of Future Past - Loved it!  I have had a few say they got a little lost with the time travel and trying to match the consistency with the other movies, but, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  You just can't over analyze it all.  Thought the ending was great, we saw some old favorites.
• Divergent - I really enjoyed this and thought it was fairly faithful to the book.  However, having read the rest of the series and being very unhappy with the last book as a whole and the ending entirely, I am not sure if I will see the rest of the series.  Still debating on that.
• How to Train Your Dragon 2 - I loved this movie!  This is a great series.
• The Fault in Our Stars - this movie was so, so good!  I thought it was one of the best book to film adaptations.  Yes, there were a couple things left out and a minor change here or there, but, just fabulous book to movie adaptation here.  (that is not always easy to do, some things have to go)  I boo-hooed through this movie.  Like seriously! 

 So, that is what is happening in my corner of the world.  Hope to be back before too long.

A Little Late...

It looks like we are well into 2014 and I have been very late in welcoming in the new year.  2013 was a year full of stress and change and new beginnings.  2014, while off to a somewhat rough start, seems to hold the hope of good things ahead and new adventures.

I am also late in posting 3 ornaments that I finally "finished" just in time for Christmas.  I finished stitching all of them around 2008, but, they have long sat in my box of "finishing" and I had just never gotten around to the task of making them complete.  Finished just in time for Christmas!

Santa Claus

By:  Sekas & Co. (free design on back of an old needlework shop newsletter)

Used called for fabric & threads, ceramic train button and small blue beads for eyes

 Snow Bunny

By:  Hobb Nobb (no longer in business - loved their buttons & cute designs)

Stitched on Blue Heatherfield - cannot remember threads used

2004 Christmas Ornament

By:  Blackbird Designs

2004 Just Cross-stitch Christmas Ornament Issue

Stitched over 1 on scrap hand-dyed linen w/called for threads

Projects to work on/finish up this year (we'll see what gets finished):

• Birth Announcement for niece's 2nd daughter (born in Aug 2013, still not finished)
• SAL piece w/Sharon - Prairie Moon's Thine is the Trick and the Treat (very slow on progress here)
• RR piece w/Clare & Lynda - Blackbird's Beneath the Sunlit Sky (got it back, need to finish tiny bit of my stitching)
• Start new RR piece w/Clare & Lynda - Blackbird's Pumpkin Farm
• Alphabet Blocks by Carriage House Samplings - started by a friend and "gifted" to me
• Some random ornaments
• My Winter Olympic Project - Winter Snapperland by Bent Creek
• Nautical Fence by Raise the Roof

Year End Movie Thoughts:

Favorites of 2013:

• Hunger Games:  Catching Fire
• Iron Man 3
• Thor:  The Dark World
• The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug (what great computer animation on the dragon!!!)
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Now You See Me 
• Saving Mr Banks
• Frozen
• Monsters University
• Planes

Honorable Mentions:

• Safe Haven
• Warm Bodies
• Despicable Me 2
• The Wolverine

Worth Noting:

• The Host - was really surprised I liked this

Disappointments:

• Oz The Great and Powerful - while I somewhat enjoyed this movie, I left the theater with mixed feelings on it and felt ultimately disappointed
• The Lone Ranger - same comments as Oz
• The Incredible Burt Wonderstone - this was beyond a disaster, it was downright awful!

 Movies I am looking forward to in 2014:

• Divergent 
• Captain America:  The Winter Soldier
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2
• X-Men:  Days of Future Past
• The Fault in Our Stars (I'm packing tissues already!)
• How to Train Your Dragon 2
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• The Maze Runner
• Hunger Games:  Mockingjay, Part 1
• The Hobbit:  There and Back Again

Start of Summer Finish

Well, everyone, it is summer!  And here in Florida it means a lot of sun & fun.  But, it also means one other thing...it is HOT!!!  I have lived in Florida most of my life and cannot imagine not living near the water, seeing pine trees, having all the greenery, but, I just don't know if one can get used to the heat.  Where the humidity stays in the 80-100% range,  where you break a sweat walking to the store from the car, where you can forget about your hair looking decent.  But, I guess compared to having a horrible, bitterly cold and icy winters of the north...I'll take the hot summers.


Life here has been super busy.  My son graduated from high school last month and is all in preparation to start college.  He goes to orientation next week and starts classes in late August.  But, boy was May a whirlwind!

I did manage, since my last posting, to complete a piece.  Here it is....

Design:  Promise Me

Designer:  Lizzie Kate

Fabric:  a scrap piece of 28ct ivory linen

Color Changes:  

Called for                    My color choice                 Location

GAST Wood Trail        CC Portabella          Lines 1 & 3

WDW Cocoa      GAST Mountain Mist    Lines 2 & 4

WDW Whiskey         GAST Gold Leaf         all gold/yellow

GAST Antique Rose       WDW Red Pear           all pink

GAST Endive        WDW Scuppernong        all green

WDW Cocoa           GAST Nutmeg       owl & bird branch

GAST Wood Trail    GAST Toasted Barley    owl branch

WDW Blue Heron        GAST Blue Jay                bird

WDW Pecan          WDW Pelican Gray         basket

Other Changes:

• Used my initials & small hearts in place of large heart - upper right corner
• Did not stitch the called for blue stitches on the green clovers - lower right 
• Stitched some small hearts to "fill in"  - lower right
• Added date - lower right

This was a great, fun piece to stitch.  It might be a while before I get it framed, but, I love it!  It is one of my favorite quotes from Winnie the Pooh.

I started stitching on Raise the Roof's Nautical Fence during our "Graduation Trip".  I didn't get much accomplished, so I will not bore you with a shot of that.  We were much too busy and when I did sit down, I was much too tired to pick up a needle.

I am still stitching away on my train project.  I am hoping to have it done this year.  One stitch at a time, right?!!!

Here are my latest movie thoughts:

• Iron Man 3 - The first time I saw this movie, I wasn't sure what to think.  It went in such a different direction than I thought it would, that I just really needed to sit back and process it for a while.  Upon second viewing, I must say that I really, really enjoyed it tremendously.  Let me just say...the trailers misled me completely.
• Star Trek Into Darkness - I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A great sequel to the first movie.  

Well, off to do some stitching or enjoy the summer or catch a movie.  So, grab a glass of sweet tea, or a margarita or whatever tickles your fancy and enjoy your summer!!!

Now It's Spring!

I know, I know!  I promised an update soon and here it is almost 8 months later and I am just now updating!  All I can say is that life has been challenging.  But, on to better things!

I think I have back most of my stitching mojo!!!  YAY!!!  Or at least a good bit of it.  Despite all the craziness that has been going on in my life in the last 8 months or so, I have managed to get some stitching done! 

I finished stitching my niece's wedding piece and then stitched a birth announcement for the beautiful baby girl she had born the following year, but, did I take a picture before I mailed them?!  No!!!  So, unfortunately I can't show those 2 pieces to you.  If I ever remember when I am down visiting her, I will take a picture to post here.

Here is my long overdue Olympic Finish:

Design:  Warm Water Wash

Designer:  Raise the Roof

Fabric: 28 ct Zephyr by Picture This Plus

Changes:

• Several color changes (sand, basket, bucket, center of sun, clothesline)
• Made bucket & shovel smaller
• Used a free pattern for sandcastle (with a couple very tiny changes)
• Added some different buttons and rearranged placement of others

Another piece I finished around Halloween:

Design:  Vlad's Vash Day

Designer:  Raise the Roof

Fabric:  28 ct Heather by Picture This Plus *

Changes:

• A couple color changes (words, ribbon for medal, colored zig-zag in undies)
• Did not add flower, bat or heart buttons
• Changed placement of some buttons

*The piece of fabric was purchased several years ago and looks quite different from the Heather I have seen recently.  My piece is gray with purple places in it.  The ones I have seen more recently are darker gray with larger, darker purple places in them.

 I have been continuing to work on my large train project and am coming closer to finishing it with each stitch.  I have also been working on Promise Me by Lizzie Kate (with some color changes), my SAL with Sharon of Prairie Moon's Thine is the Trick and the Treat (not much progress there) and starting a new baby sampler for the above mentioned niece as she is expecting (surprise!) another baby in late summer this year (only in very beginning stages here with fabric choice and design, no stitching started).  

Here are my latest movie thoughts.

 Favorite Movies of 2012:  

 

The Avengers
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Hunger Games
Wreck-It Ralph
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Rise of the Guardians
The Lucky One

The Dark Knight Rises

Honorable Mention:

  

The Woman in Black

The Vow

Hotel Transylvania

Silver Linings Playbook

Disappointments of the Year:

Brave - beautiful animation & enjoyable, but, least favorite of Pixar movies.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - somewhat enjoyable, but, least favorite of series probably

Dark Shadows - just disappointing all around!

Movies thus far in 2013:

•  Oz The Great and Powerful - somewhat enjoyable, but, left feeling overall somewhat disappointed.  Makes me want to read all the original books and see how true the movies are.
• Safe Haven - really enjoyed it.  Wish it had done better at the box office.  I think a lot of people missed out on this one.  If you like other Nicholas Sparks movies, you should enjoy this one by him as well.
• Warm Bodies - my son drug me to this one and I must say I enjoyed it.  Surprisingly.
• Beautiful Creatures - enjoyable, if you like supernatural type movies.  I had not read the book before I went to movie (a friend wanted me to go), but, since reading the book, they changed quite a lot.  So, I guess it was probably disappointing for a lover of the books.  I was surprised it didn't do better with the teenage/preteen set, especially those that loved Twilight.  Go figure!
• The Incredible Burt Wonderstone - Just disappointing on so many levels.  I enjoy Steve Carrel and Jim Carrey can really surprise me at times, but, this was just so not good.  Though I will admit I liked the illusion they did at the end.
• The Host - I really enjoyed this, but, it is a very slow, cerebral type movie with a lot of inner monologue going on, so it can be boring to those that want action.  Never could get past the first chapter of the book, but, this has made me want to try & read it again.

 Movies I am looking forward to in the rest of 2013:

• Iron Man 3
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Monsters University
• Man of Steel
• The Wolverine
• Thor: The Dark World
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Well, off to possibly work on some stitching.  I will do my best to post again soon.  ;-)

It's already Spring!

I can't believe that winter has gone and that spring is here.  Where did the time go?!!

I have actually been a hair productive lately.  I finished my first box!  I think it turned out quite nicely for the first time.  I did this for a friend of mine who's mother passed away.  I made all the pins for the box top as well.

 Design:  Freebie pattern by Blackbird Designs

Fabric:  28 ct evenweave scrap in a very pale taupy pink
Thread:  Gentle Arts Sampler Thread - cannot find label for color name

 Inside of box 

Magnetic area on lid for pins

pocket inside bottom holds a stitch ruler

Scissor fob I made to go with it

I also have finished up my stitching for my new RR.  Will post pics of that next time.  

Recent Movie Thoughts:  

• The Vow - really enjoyed it - had seen interview about 10 yrs ago with the "real" couple this movie is based on.  Very interesting and thought it stayed true to what I remembered of the interview.
• The Woman in Black - Great little haunted house/ghost movie.  No gore, just scare!  Of course, it has been keeping me awake at night.
• The Descendants - hmmmmmm...not sure what to say here.  The movie was interesting, but, in a dull/daily life type way.  George Clooney gave a very understated performance that definitely fit the role, but, I can't say I thought it was Oscar worthy, nor did I think the movie was.  I thought the girl that played his daughter (Shailene Woodley) deserved more the Oscar credit than the movie or GC, but, again...can't overly say that she deserved a nomination either.
• The Hunger Games - Loved it!!!  These books swept me away fairly recently and it has become my second favorite series after Harry Potter.  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and thought the did a great job with it.  If you have not read this series and you enjoyed HP, then go out and get these books and read them!!!

Oscar thoughts:

•  Was glad that Octavia Spencer won for Supporting Acress
•  While I like Meryl Streep and think she is a fine actress, I wanted Viola Davis to win Best Actress since I thought she was the true heart of The Help

Until next time.

Hello, 2012!!!

The New Year is already under way and so far off to a decent start.  The sickness that has plagued my family since Christmas finally seems to be going away, though the cough is still wanting to linger a bit.

I have finally started packing away the Christmas stuff, but, still have a few things left on that chore.

Stitching Goals for 2012

I can't say I have any lofty goals for 2012.  My main goal is to try & finish some WIPs I have.  So, hopefully I will finish one thing a month.  That sounds slightly reasonable.  We'll see how it goes.  :-)

Here is my RR that was finished up last year (please excuse wrinkles, I did not press it) by my friends Lynda & Clare:

The Hunt

Designer:  Homespun Samplar
Fabric: 28 ct monaco dyed in coffee
Threads: All Carrie's Creations
Grid - Navy Blues
Medallions in grid - Pacific Blue
Wreath - Sea Mist
Ribbon - Ocean Blue
Alphabet - Teal Mist
Diamonds between letters - Baja Blue
Initials and Year - Navy

There is one error in the piece...can any of you tell what it is?  I am trying to decide if I need to fix it or not.  Note:  It is not the date saying 2010, it was started at that point.

Year End Movie Thoughts:

Favorites of 2011:

• Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II
• Captain America
• Thor
• The Help
• X-Men: First Class
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Honorable Mentions:

• We Bought a Zoo
• War Horse
• Water for Elephants
• The Lincoln Lawyer
• Super 8

Worth Noting:

• Larry Crowne
• Footloose (better than I expected)

Least Favorite (by far!!!):

• Friends with Benefits

I guess I will end for now.  Hope to possibly have a small finish to show you soon.  Take care!!!

Goodbye 2010!

It's time to say goodbye to 2010.  I was hoping for a good year, but, I can't overly say it has been one.  That's about all I will say about it.  Let's hope 2011 is much, much better.

I have not done much stitching this year and am not making any stitching resolutions for the new year.  Hopefully there will be more finishes in the new year.  My main goal of the new year is to just enjoy stitching again.

Here is my last finish of 2010:

Bedford Falls

by:  The Sampler Girl

Stitched on scrap of 28 ct unknown dyed fabric

Threads:  GAST Evergreen, Holly Berry, Nutmeg, Deep Sea & CC Cloud

Finished as a flat ornament and backed with shown fabric

Trimmed with a bell for Clarence  :-)

2009 End of Year Movie Thoughts

Definite Top 5 of 2010 in no particular order:

Toy Story 3

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part I

Iron Man 2

The Young Victoria

Inception

Other Movies Worth Noting:

Letters to Juliet

How to Train Your Dragon

Tangled

The Town

The Last Song

Dear John

Honorable Mention:

Charlie St. Cloud

Unstoppable

Secretariat

Knight & Day

Edge of Darkness

A Little Disappointed, but Didn't Dislike It:

Twilight:  Eclipse

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Valentine's Day

Biggest Disappointments of the Year:

The Back-Up Plan
The Bounty Hunter

Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2011:

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part II

Captain America

Thor

Water for Elephants

Winnie the Pooh

Well, that wraps up things for now.  Hope all of you are doing well.  Until next time. 

My Stitching Mojo is MIA

I don't know what has happened to my stitching mojo. I thought it was taking a vacation of sorts, but, now I think it is just completely MIA. It has been this way for a while. A long while. Oh, when will it come back?!!!

I started this ornament in December for my son, finished stitching it in April and finally "finished" it about 2 weeks ago.


Mickey Mouse
Leisure Arts Disney Christmas book
Stitched on 28 ct opalescent white fabric



My son only has a couple more days of school left. He is ready for his summer vacation and I must confess that I am ready for this school year to be over. There is one particular teacher that has been a thorn in my flesh all year. Will be so glad to have him out of her class.

Latest Movie Thoughts:
I haven't done this since the beginning of the year, so some of the movies might be out on DVD already.

Extraordinary Measures - seemed more like a "made for TV" movie than a big screen movie, but I enjoyed it.
The Young Victoria - I loved this period piece movie of Queen Victoria!
Edge of Darkness - a good action/suspense movie
Valentine's Day - good, but not great. With this cast I expected more.
Dear John - good Nicholas Sparks movie. A little different than book, but in a good way.
The Bounty Hunter - sooooooooooooo disappointing!!!
The Back-Up Plan - while there were some parts that were down right hilarious (especially if you have been pregnant/given birth), other parts just weren't. Overall I was disappointed.
Iron Man 2 - liked it a lot!!! But, I wouldn't say it was as good as the first one. Make sure to stay for the scene after all the credits if you are a fan of the Avengers/Shield Initiative, etc.
The Last Song - I loved this Nicholas Sparks movie! A little different than book, but, again, in a good way. Bring tissues.
Letters to Juliet - very enjoyable. Beautiful scenery of Italy.

Hope everyone is doing well. That's all I got right now. :-)

Hello 2010!

It is with great joy that I bid adios to 2009!!! It was not a very good year and I am glad to see it gone. I am fully hoping that 2010 will be a much better year with wonderful things in store for me!

I started off 2010 by "finishing" this piece that I stitched a couple of years ago and never put the finishing touches on. I know it is somewhat of an odd finish, but I wanted something festive and this sparkly trim just spoke to me. Of course, I could just be losing my mind. :-) Anyhow, here it is and I am pleased with it.

Happy New Year
Lizzie Kate
Called for Threads
Scrap of Lavendar/Grey 28 ct linen

I have not set any major stitching goals except for this: finish the train project!!! I haven't started stitching on it again yet, but I promise that it will get done!!! I also want to finish up some other projects I have started and put to the side. I still have a few ornaments that I want to get finished up as well. So, I guess this year it will be a finish up WIPs year! :-) Now, I'm not completely promising not to start anything new, but, it will be something from my stash and not a new purchase.

The only new thing that I will be working on for sure is this:

The Hunt
by: Homespun Samplar
Threads: Different shades of blue by Carrie's Threads
Fabric: 28 ct coffee dyed evenweave

This is the piece we have chose for our Round Robin group this year. I am really liking it thus far and can't wait to see how it turns out.

If you remember from last post I did a personal Christmas exchange with Hannah. Well, this is the gorgeous red work Prairie Schooler Santa she sent me. Isn't it great?!!! She knows I love Santas and this was just perfect!

From Hannah
Prairie Schooler Santa

Recent Movie Thoughts:

Leap Year - Great chic flick!!! Better than I thought it would be. Cute, funny & enjoyable!
Sherlock Holmes - Enjoyable, but it is definitely a movie that you need to pay attention. Can seem somewhat slow, but, I love Robert Downey, Jr. I really liked how the movie seemed to focus on the friendship between Holmes & Watson.
The Blind Side - Excellent movie!!! Even if you don't like sports, you will like this movie!
Avatar - A really good movie, but not mind blowing like it is hyped to be. I really liked the scenery, especially at night. Beautiful!
The Princess & The Frog - Enjoyable. I loved the old style animation.
Old Dogs - Disappointing
A Christmas Carol - Enjoyed it. However, it is a dark movie and more true to the book than some of the other versions that we have seen. Might be frightening to younger children.
Did You Hear About the Morgans? - I love Hugh Grant, but this was disappointing.

Year End Movie Thoughts:

Top 10 of 2009 in no particular order:

Star Trek
Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince
Twilight Saga: New Moon
Up!
Wolverine
The Proposal
The Blind Side
Band Slam
Julie & Julia
Toy Story I & II in 3D (I know they aren't new, but I just love these movies!)

Other movies from year worth noting:

17 Again
A Christmas Carol
The Princess & The Frog
The Time Traveler's Wife
Fame
Couples Retreat

Biggest disappointments of the year:

The Ugly Truth
All About Steve
Pink Panther 2
The Box

Movie notes: I didn't see as many movies this year as I have in times past. There were a couple I really wanted to see and just didn't get to: Amelia & The Soloist

Movies I am looking forward to in 2010:

Dear John (really enjoyed the book)
Iron Man 2
Letters to Juliet
Toy Story 3
Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part I


Everyone take care & stay warm! I look forward to, as always, your lovely comments.

Don't Faint!

I know, I know...you can't believe it! I actually have a finish. Well, actually 3!!!
I think it is my first for 2009. It's October and I'm just now having my first finish for the year. UGH!!!
These little ornies are for Donna's Stitching for a Cure project. I signed up for this last October and it has taken me the entire year to get them done.

What a year this has been!
To make a long story short and not bore you with the details...the last year and a half has been extremely stressful time. I've been working waaaayyyyy more than expected at work. So, after talking with my boss several times about it, I decided to turn in my resignation. This was a tough decision, especially given the current economic climate, but for the sake of my sanity and health it was time to go. This week was my last official week at work. I have my resume out at several places and pray that eventually the right job will come along.
I think there will be a lot of homemade gifts for Christmas this year. While there are family members that don't seem to really appreciate the time and effort put into homemade gifts, they will just have to get over it!!!
I plan on taking the next week or so and just relaxing and trying to get refocused a little bit. Then I plan on working on projects around the house and getting some Christmas stitching done. I truly hope to finish my Train project. It has been so neglected.
As for my PIF friends...fear not! I am almost done. Hope to have them in the mail very soon!

MOVIE THOUGHTS:
I haven't been to the movies as much lately since I knew the job was going to end and need to watch those pennies. But, I did see the following over the last few months:

The Informant - This was an interesting movie. I don't think many people will enjoy it, but I found it fascinating from a legal aspect. My husband works for the Federal Court and I worked in the legal field years ago, so we both understood what was going on and were fascinated by it. The movie had a quirky humor that some might not get and it would probably be boring to some. So...while I enjoyed it, others might not. Really like Scott Bakula!
Toy Story I & II in 3D - I LOVE these movies. It was so great to see them on the big screen again. Pixar is just great! Disney/Pixar made this a fun experience with the characters being involved before the movie and during an intermission trivia time. Just plain fun!
Fame - Great movie!

Looking forward to the following movies over the Holidays:

• A Christmas Carol
• Amelia
• Old Dogs
• The Princess & The Frog
• Did You Hear About the Morgans?

A special thanks to those that have left such sweet comments and sent me emails. It has given me great support during these difficult months.

PIF, Summer Movie Thoughts, Last of Summer Vaca Pics & Life

Well, I can't believe over a month has passed since my last post. Life here has been sooooo busy. I feel like I have been saying that for over a year now. But, I am still waiting for things to slow down.

First off...here is the beautiful PIF I received from Janaina. Isn't this towel pretty? You should see the back. Her stitching is flawless!!!

Speaking of PIFs...Deb, Leigh & Ann...please, don't give up on me. I am almost finished with my gifts for you 3 and hope to mail them out before long. One is completely ready to be mailed, one is stiched, but not completed and the last one I am about 1/2 way through stitching. So...please, know that I am working on it and will mail them all hopefully by Oct. 1st at the lastest.

Update on my boss...she is doing remarkably well and if you didn't know she had had this surgery done, you wouldn't know. She went on a trip this week with her sister and will be gone most of next week as well. This brings up things with my work...I am still pretty swamped there and also in the process of trying to find a new job. My boss is wanting to retire and sell her business, so....

Summer Movie Thoughts:
Bandslam...I really enjoyed this movie. Great music!
GI Joe...enjoyed it more than I thought I would, an enjoyable action movie
Post Grad...really cute
My Sister's Keeper...good, but sad. Different ending from book
Ice Age 3...cute, but not as good as first one
The Ugly Truth...I cannot tell you how disappointed I was in this movie. Very disappointed.
District 9...much more violent than I like...walked out after 20 minutes and went to see Julie & Julia
Transformers 2...not bad. Thought the first one was better.

Top picks from summer...no particular order:

Star Trek...loved it! I especially loved Spock!
Harry Potter...always great!
The Proposal...great summer comedy/romance
UP!...such a sweet, wonderful movie!
X-Men Origins: Wolverine...really liked this alot. Much better than X-Men 3
Julie & Julia...Meryl Streep was great as Julia. Loved the relationship between Julia & her husband.
Time Traveler's Wife...sad, but good


Last of the Vaca Pics:

Glacier National Park...Montana

Red Canyon...Glacier National Park...Alberta, Canada

A moose!...near Red Canyon...GNP...Canada

Grinnell Lake...GNP...Montana

Hidden Falls...on hike to Grinnell Lake...GNP...Montana

Old Faithful...Yellowstone National Park...Wyoming

Hot Spring...Midway Geyser Basin...YNP...Wyoming

Buffalo!...near Canyon Village area...YNP...Wyoming

My favorite area of Yellowstone...the pools of West Thumb Geyser Basin...YNP

A float trip down the Snake River...Grand Teton National Park...Wyoming

The Grand Teton Mountain Range...Grand Teton National Park...Wyoming

Craters of the Moon National Monument...Idaho

Oregon Trail...Oregon Trail Interpretive Center...near Baker City, Oregon

Multnomah Falls...Columbia River Gorge, near Portland, Oregon
Twilight Trivia Note: This particular Falls can be seen in the background of the Vampire Baseball scene. It can also be seen briefly when Bella & Edward are talking near the river.

Is it May already?!!!

Well...it's May! Can you believe it?! A part of me can't believe it's here already. Where did the first part of the year go? And another part of me...the very tired, worn out part...thinks it has taken forever for this month to finally arrive. I somehow survived tax season, which really doesn't end until April 30th. Quarterly taxes are also due in April...on the 30th, so, unfortunately, the craziness of tax season doesn't end on the 15th, it carried through until the end of the month. Anyhow...I survived tax season and have almost survived my commitment to this committee at my son's school. By Memorial Day weekend I will feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted from me and I can finally breath again. I am also hoping that my desire to cross-stitch will return. I guess I can't say the "desire" to cross-stitch has left me. I've just been too worn out to get beyond getting the stitching stuff out and staring at it. Oh, well. Not much longer now.

My "desire" to go to the movies hasn't left me during this time. It has been such a great relaxation thing for me, when I could/can find the time. Here are my latest thoughts:

Race to Witch Mountain - really enjoyed this. Much more than I thought I would. For any "fans" of the old movie...the 2 kids from the original are in this new one. The girl is the waitress at the restaurant and the boy is the sheriff in the same little town.
17 Again - liked this alot. There were a few sexual references I could have done without, but, overall I liked it. Zac E. is a cutie!
Hannah Montana - I actually enjoyed it. The cowboy guy she likes is a cutie as well and I love his deep voice.
Wolverine - loved it! Can't get enough Hugh Jackman!
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - not bad, could have been better.

Want to see Star Trek and The Soloist soon.

Well...hope everyone is doing well and getting a lot of stitching done. Thanks for all the comments and messages. It's great to hear from everyone! Hope to have some stitching to post before too long.

Happy New Year!

December is always a crazy month with the holidays and 5 B-days within the month, but this year you add prolonged sickness and a dog recovering from emergency surgery and life just completely goes nuts! Stitching has been very scarce this month, but I have been trying to stitch on my train when I can the last week to finish it by year end, but, alas, it is not going to happen! By the end of January for sure! I've been trying not to get down on myself about it. It was my one big goal of the year, but when you have 2 1/2 weeks of sickness and a major holiday thrown in at the last minute, what do you do? I feel like I am trying to have a relapse on my cold and trying not to stress on things like finances. Needless to say the dog's surgery, especially at the holidays, really has put a major wrinkle in my budget. It will definitely take me a couple of months to recover from that.

Anyhow...enough of the sickness and stresses.

My beautiful son turns 14 today! Hard to believe it has been that many years! He is such a joy in my life and everytime I hear "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon I cry. Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Boy!


I did a personal Christmas ornament exchange with Hannah earlier in December. I received this beautiful ornament and all these other wonderful goodies from her! The button looking things are magnets that Hannah made. They are so cute! I forgot to take a picture of what I sent her and she hasn't posted it on her blog yet, but hopefully she will before long. She told me she is doing a woodland theme on her tree and I stitched the La-D-Da's Snow Bird from the 2004 Just Cross-Stitch Ornament Issue.



Year End Movie Thoughts:

Here are my top 10 movie choices of 2008 in no particular order:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wall-E
Bolt
Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk
The Express
The Other Boleyn Girl
Twilight
Kung Fu Panda
Get Smart!

Other Movies I enjoyed and that are worth noting:

Horton Hears a Who
Mamma Mia!
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Eagle Eye
Cloverfield
Nim's Island
Fireproof
Night's in Rodanthe
Kitt Kittredge
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
The Longshots


Biggest disappointments of the year:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Speed Racer
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - I enjoyed this one, but was still ultimately disappointed

Absolute Worst Movie of the year!:

Don't Mess With the Zohan!

Special Movie Note:

I don't usually do this, but...I wanted to comment on "The Dark Knight". This was an excellent movie as far as plot, acting, directing, etc. I did not include it on my top 10 or other list due to the fact that the violence, though not gory, disturbed me. Heath Ledger's performance was phenomenal.


Happy New Year to all of you! Hope you have a wonderful year full of good friends, good memories, lots of laughter, tons of love and some stitching, too!

Here's what I picked out!

Here are the two patterns I picked out from Tanya's drawing:

The Mrs. Lincoln Sampler &

Return to the Sea with Jane Austen


It was a hard choice. I had several patterns on my "wish list". I knew right off that I would choose the Mrs. Lincoln Sampler. After going to DC last year and touring Ford Theater and doing a Lincoln Assasination tour, plus visiting Lincoln's birthplace and boyhood home this summer, not to mention Mt. Rushmore, it was an easy choice. The second choice, however, was much harder. I finally narrowed it down to "Return to the Sea" and it's companion piece "At Home with Jane Austen". "At Home" has been on my list for ages, but I let my hubby make the final choice and he chose the sea one.

I think I have linen for the Mrs. Lincoln Sampler, but need to dig through my stash to find out for certain. There are several threads I need to get for it as well. So, it won't be started anytime soon. Maybe after the first of the year.

Thank you so very much, Tanya!


Here is a Halloween finish:

Design: Trick or Treat (book 112)
Designer: Cross-Eyed Cricket
Changes made:

1. used glow in the dark blending filament for face of jack-o-lantern and on ghost


2. added some beads for falling leaves


3. used MH star charm haning from moon


4. used MH ghost charm on haunted house


5. used black MH bead for spider on broken window


6. used small MH bat charm to hang from witch's hat

I have been working on this for about 3 or more years! It was so nice to finally finish it and be able to decorate with it this Halloween.

Recent movie recommendation: "The Express" - great movie

I WON!!!

Oh, my gosh! I won! I won! I won! I can't believe it! Tanya of The Sampler Girl had a drawing on her blog for anyone that stitched her freebie design "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" and sent her a picture by Oct. 8th. And...I actually won! I was able to pick 2 designs of hers for winning! I can't wait for them to arrive. I will post a picture of my choices once they arrive! :-)

I signed up for a PIF on Janaina's blog and so I am Paying it Forward to the first 3 people that comment they are interested on this post. I will send you something stitched by me within the next 365 days, but you have to make the same offer on your blog and continuing Paying it Forward!

I haven't done much stitching the past week because I have been painting my son's bathroom and new bedroom. He has decided to move from his old room into one of the other rooms in the house. The old room had a large picture window in it and since Hurricane Ivan took out the large oak tree in front of it the sun has been beating into that room each morning waking him bright and early and making his room about 10 degrees warmer than the other rooms in the house. So...time for a change. I will post pictures once he gets his room set up the way he wants. Be prepared though...he picked orange for the color!!! But, really, it's not as bad as you might think. It's a dark pumpkin color, not a bright orange.

Recent movie thoughts:

• Beverly Hills Chihuahua - Cute
• Fireproof - a very good movie with a strong Christian basis. Deals with love and the difficulties of marriage and trying to continue to make it work. Made by the same people that made "Facing the Giants"
• Ghost Town - OK, not great. Parts were very funny, but I expected more. No chemistry between two main characters. At least in my opinion.
• The Longshots - Good family movie. Based on a true story.
• Nights in Rodanthe - Very good. Of course, it's Nicholas Sparks, so bring the tissues. Quite a few differences from the book, but still very good.
• Eagle Eye - Very good political thriller!

2 New Finishes!!!

I actually have 2 new small finishes!


I have had the fabric and threads ready for this first piece for almost 2 years, but just got down to stitching it about 2 weeks ago. I changed all the colors and I love how it turned out. Very tropical and fun!


Design: Flip Flop Days
Designer: Just Another Button Company
Fabric: R&R 32 ct. turquoise scrap
Threads Used: Crescent Colours
Sun: Crushed Pineapple
Flip: Pink Champagne
Flop: Tangerine
Days: Blooming Crocus
Flowers: Cloud & Ripe Melon
Bucket: Crushed Pineapple & Frozen Margarita
Water: WDW Icicle, Morris Blue & Blue Bonnet
Other Changes Made: Moved "Days" over to left a little, moved where bird went, didn't stitch small sail boat, added turtle button



For Bride's Tree Stitch Along - May ornament of 2nd set


Design: Joy & Peace combined

from Blessings of Christmas series
Designer: Lizzie Kate
Fabric: 28 ct. Platinum
Changes made: changed border from white to black and word from green to red



Recent Movie Thoughts:

Wall E - Love it! Very sweet. Great music. Lots of Star Wars and 2001 references.
Journey To The Center Of The Earth - Very enjoyable! Families should really enjoy this.
Space Chimps - Cute
Get Smart - Very funny! Love Steve Carell
Kit Kittredge - I really liked it. I think it came out at a very bad time. Should possibly have waited until Christmas time. I think it just got lost in the shuffle.
The Dark Knight - This movie will take some explaining. I thought the script was very well done, the shooting in Chicago was great, it was very well acted and more true to the old comics than the old tv show and the old movies. However, this is a very dark, intense and violent movie. I spent most of the movie with my face covered and barely touched my popcorn and soda due to the intenseness of it all. While I wouldn't describe the violence as profoundly gory, it is just a deep sort of violence. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was phenomenal! Very much Oscar worthy. And I'm not saying that because he died. But, be forewarned. You will leave this movie almost burdened. There is not a ray of light in this movie. The violence could really have gotten an R in my opinion.