Pheromones! Who Knew?

First of all I need to thank Anna over at Stitch Bitch for the article about dogs, fireworks and thunderstorms.  Anna, your comment regarding Melatonin started this whole thing!  If not for you, we might not have gotten to this point so quickly.  Thanks again!!!!

Anyway.............go in your way back machine to this post where I mentioned my pup's fear of thunderstorms.  He was a wreck that night and after reading this article on the Animal Coalition of Delaware's Blog I really got to thinking.  I hate watching my puppy suffer!  In the past the vet never really put much stock in the t-storm anxiety.  But, it has been so much worse lately and now is "boomer season" in our neck of the woods.  So, I called my vet. 

Hubby and I took the Pupster up to the vet last night for a 15 minute meeting that turned into almost an hour.  He sat with us and went over everything from behavior modification (which I have been trying), to natural drugs, to anti-anxiety drugs like zanex and prosaic.  One of the things that he recommended to try first, along with behavior modification, was a D.A.P. Diffuser that contains dog pheromones.  What?  Pheromones?  Seriously?  Well, I must have had SUCKER written on my forehead because I walked out of the office $80 poorer.  But, I had that diffuser and a refill!

We got home and I plugged it in.  Would this thing really work or would I have just pissed away my last $80 until payday?  Well, about a half hour later a batch of t-storms blew thru and some were on the violent side.  We had the ultimate testing grounds! Normally the dog would be all up in my lap while shaking his little brains into jelly and panting until he could barely breathe.  This time when the thunder boomed he sat up and took notice like he normally would.  He also got as close to me as he could get, but he didn't try to get in my lap or walk all over me.  He only gave two minor shakes during the whole storm.  Eventually, in the middle of the storm, I got him to calmly lay down beside me instead of sitting right up against me.  What a difference!  It was amazing!  I can't wait for the next thunderstorm to come our way because I want to make sure it wasn't a one time thing.  I promise to keep you all updated......

Oh, by the way, if you want to try it for yourself, DO NOT buy it at your vet's office.  I found it for half the cost at Amazon.com.  So, if this thing really does work I'll be buying refills next payday!

Happy Stitching!

What a Breeze!

Just thought I should tell you that the adjuster arrived on time.  He was very nice and apologetic for the phone number mix up.  He did his job quickly and professionally.  I now have the estimate and the check.  I'm just waiting for a call back from the body shop so that I can make arrangements to take the car in to be fixed and pick up a rental.  (Would you believe that little bit of damage amounts to over $900????)

Woo Hoo!

Happy Stitching!

Shopping Makes Me Feel Better

Thanks for all the "car condolences".  I really shouldn't feel bad about the little scratches on my car when I know there are others who's vehicle went missing.  (I won't say who for privacy reasons, but this person reads the blog from time to time........I sure do hope they find it intact and it isn't on its way to Mexico after all!)  It is just the inconvenience of it and the incompetency of the insurance company. 

Perfect example....they are supposed to come out to look at my car.  First of all, let me just say that I had to fight for that.  They wanted me to take time off from work and take it "their" shop for an estimate.  Needless to say, I nipped that right in the bud and I will be taking it back to the place I purchased it from.  Anyway, they were supposed to call me on my cell phone yesterday.  I waited patiently all day.  No call!  But, when I got home, I found a message that the adjuster left at 9am that morning.  Um.......hellooooooooo!!!!  Didn't I tell you that I worked?  Didn't I ask you to call me on my cell phone?  I called the adjuster back twice (once last night and once this morning) and didn't hear back.  I ended up calling the insurance company instead and they got in touch with the adjuster.  He's supposed to look at the car this afternoon.  With his track record of returning calls, I'm wondering if he will show up!

Anyway............

I left work a little early yesterday afternoon as I had planned and I made a stop at my favorite LQS.  There are a few in the area, but this one carries the Blackbird line.......and you know how I love BBD!  I ended up with a bunch of FQ's that are all Blackbird.

I also picked up something a little patriotic since I was in the mood.

I needed some fabric for a particular finish, and I was torn between these three.  I think I'm going to let Hubby make the final call on which fabric to use.

And, just because I liked these two, I picked them up as well. Come to think of it, the one on the right might be a BBD.  No wonder I liked it!

Amazingly enough, I also got in a little bit of stitching time last night.  Since I didn't have the urge to start anything new (yes, I'm feeling fine), I picked up my SoHRH and started Block 5.  Does that count as a new start?

That does it for lunchtime today!  Hopefully that adjuster will show up soon! *grumble, grumble*

Happy Stitching!

Surprises, Finds and Finishes

Happy Monday!  I hope that you had a wonderful weekend!  I don't know about your weekend, but mine was full of all kinds of surprises. To boot, our weekend was hot, hot, HOT with temperatures up to 100 degrees and heat indexes of 105 and up.  The temperatures make me think of my Arizona friends.  (HI Karen! HI Sharon!  Miss you guys!!!!!)  It is hot again today, but we should have a cool down to the upper 80's later in the week......

During the week I gathered information on local estate sales and I had a list full of sales to visit on Saturday morning.  The first house was way in the back of a picturesque neighborhood. The master bedroom had a fabulous view of a local inlet.  What a picture to wake up to in the morning!  There were lots of great antique pieces that I couldn't afford.  But, I did find a small glass flower frog and bowl set for $2.00.  The frog has a small chip in it, but I can live with that.  Since the frog sits in the bottom of the bowl I think I'm going to try and raise it with some Styrofoam and then I will hide the Styrofoam with shells or marbles or something of the like.  That way my scissor tips will be protected and I will have a nice dish too.

I went to the second sale only to find that it was really a garage sale and the people were asking outrageous prices for junk!  So, I left that one in a hurry and moved on to number three.  The third one had some really great stuff, but nothing that screamed "Buy Me!".  But, as I was leaving the sale I did get a lovely surprise...............(can you read the sarcasm?????)

She might have been a sweet little old lady, but she still sideswiped my car while it was legally parked on the street.  All I could do was stand there and watch her do it!  What a nightmare!  I seriously wonder if she should be driving!  I know the street had cars on both sides and I know that it was a tight squeeze, but there were Suburbans driving by with no problem and all she had was a 2001 Dodge Stratus.  It's not like she was driving a "boat".  At least her insurance company is going to cover the damages.........that is, if I ever get a call from the adjuster!

After the drama, I did manage to go to two more out of three estate sales.  I didn't find anything that was either worthwhile or affordable or both.  Why is it that some people think the words "estate sale" mean "price things really high"?  There were some great old frames at one of the sales, but I wasn't about to pay $80 for one frame when it was approximately 5x7.  Sheesh!

Anyway, Saturday evening I got to spend time stitching with my BFF.  I love being able to spend time with her on the weekends.  We talk, laugh and eat.  Sometimes we even stitch!  Like this past Saturday, I think that we spent more time in silence because we were both concentrating so hard on what we were stitching.  Actually, we were both working on the same project.  It's called Desert Sunset by Fireside Originals.  It is the piece that I'm going to surprise Hubby with, so I had to really concentrate while I had the chance.  I got a fair amount done on it, but I still have a long way to go.  With the exception of the light fabric peaking through on the cactus, I'm very pleased with my progress.  The light fabric is quite noticeable in the picture, but not so much when you are standing back a little.  I'm just going to say that the light parts are the prickly spines of the cactus!

Sunday we went to a cookout at a friend of Hubby's.  There was so much good food and we made some new friends.  We even played a game of Horseshoes (my first ever) and we fought hard to win.  But, the other team got a ringer in the end and that won it for them.  Let me tell you, even though it seems easy, horseshoes is hard!  And, boy do they hurt when you get hit with them.  I've got a small knot on my shin where I got hit.  OUCH!

Whew.....what a weekend!  Well, I guess I will leave you with one last picture.  I did get a little start and finish on Sunday.  I worked on SamSarah's Heart Tin.  It was a real quick stitch.  Now I will just have to really "finish" it sometime this week.  I've got a boatload of "finishing" now that I have also finished the stitching for my Blackbird Designs Exchange.  Guess I will have to call it an early day at work and stop by the quilt store on the way home.  Fabric, here I come!!!!

Happy Stitching!

Is it Saturday Yet?

Someone turned off my internal alarm clock today.  Either that or they stole it and replaced it with a cheap imitation! 

I vaguely remember hearing the first alarm (the radio) go off around 6am.  Typically, 20 minutes later the second alarm (the buzzing one) sounds and I'm up and out of bed.  However, this morning I awoke to Hubby shaking me and saying "Aren't you going to get up, it's 7:15."  I stared blankly at him and started to roll over while thinking to myself "So what!  If it is only 7:15 I can sleep for another 45 minutes.  After all, it is Satur..........OH CRAP, IT'S THURSDAY AND I HAVE TO GET TO WORK!"

I guess I'm going to have to drink a cup o'joe this morning!  Seriously folks.......Is is Saturday yet?

Happy Stitching!

Vampires, Werewolves and Hell's Kitchen

Sounds like a pretty scary night, huh?  Actually, last night was quite calm.  I spent the early part of the evening with my Blackbird Exchange stitching (sorry....no pics!). Then, while Hubby was cooking dinner I watched a DVR'd episode of ABC's new series The Gates (hence the vampires and the werewolves).  It was pretty tame compared to HBO's True Blood (one of my favorites), but what do you expect for 9pm on Sunday nights?  If you ask me, it was a little too obvious, but like I said that is just my opinion.  However I will reserve my full judgement and continue to watch for a few more episodes.

Later, while hubby was still cooking I flipped channels and landed on Hell's Kitchen.  Boy, does that chef have a potty mouth!  But, it was still fun to watch while I waited for this..........

...........Hubby called it his Vegetable Lasagna Bake.  And boy was it YUMMY!  For the "noodles" he sliced the fresh Zucchini (that we purchased at the farmers market) in long strips.  He layered the "noodles", grilled chicken, squash, diced tomatoes, red peppers, black olives, shredded cheddar cheese, spices, blue cheese crumbles and who knows what else.  I can't stop raving about it!  This is one of the best things that he has come up with!  I can't wait to have leftovers tonight! 

Hubby will be out for the early part of the evening, so I should be able to have some quality time with my four-legged son and my stitching.  I hope you all have a great evening too!

Happy Stitching!

I Stand Corrected and I'm Gonna Keep 'Em!

Many thanks to Nataly and Vonna for whipping me back into shape.  I knew I had seen that pattern somewhere!  Here's the link to the "Ole Pincushion" on Theresa's blog (aka Shakespeare's Peddler).  Theresa is a very sweet lady and she has some really great patterns to boot.  I would be doing her a disservice to not mention them.  So, if you get a chance, check out her blog and her online shop.

As for the Ball jars I picked up at the Estate Sale, I think I'm just going to leave them be and use them as decorative items around the house.  I'm sure that I'll find something to put in them.  After all, as the man said, they are worth so much more with the lids!  Hmmmm, I wonder which aisle in the grocery store would have some lids that I could use for the pincushions........

There wasn't any stitching last night, so there are no pictures today.  Instead Hubby and I met some friends for dinner.  It was a "couples night out" that we had been planning for sometime.  By chance, all of us finally had the same night off.  Mexican food is even better when you can share it with friends!

Hopefully there will be time for exchange stitching tonight since Hubby has cooking duty.

Happy Stitching!

Finding, Finishing and a Father's Day Start

I hope everyone had a great Father's Day weekend.  It sure did go by fast, didn't it?  I know mine did since I was quite busy as usual........

Saturday morning I had the honor of attending my nephew's 8th birthday at a local movie theater.  It was one of those theaters were you can sit at tables and have a real meal while watching a movie.  Neat concept, don't you think?  This was the first time I had ever been to this particular theater since it had been converted from the old style theater.  We had pizza, ice cream and cupcakes......yummy, but a little much at 10:30 am!  We saw Toy Story 3 and it was a cute movie.  The kids were so wrapped up in it the adults had to remind them that they had ice cream melting in front of them. 

After the movie I set out to find a few estate sale bargains.  I had several stops on my list, but due to the earlier party I had to settle for two out of four.  I found one that was close to the theater and hit that first.  There wasn't much there, but I did find some Ball jars with lids in great condition.  I took the smaller one and walked around while deciding if I should scoop up a second one.  When I told the man that I only wanted it for the lid so that I could make a pin cushion, he thought I was crazy.  (You have seen Vonna's tutorial on making a pin cushion, haven't you?  You didn't think I came up with that idea on my own, did you???)  Of course he proceeded to tell me that the jars were worth more if they had the lids.  Men.......they don't get it!  But, after serious consideration, I thought that I may want to keep one jar fully intact.  So, off I went and got them 2 for a $1!  Not to shabby!!!  And, to boot, they both washed up beautifully.  (The tall one isn't cloudy now, it just wasn't dry when I took the picture last night.)

Feeling successful I headed towards home to hit another estate sale.  Can you say BIG BUST?  Yup, nothing, nada, zero and zilch.  It was horrible!  It was a bad imitation of a yard sale too boot.  I guess you never know what you are going to find.  So, since I had time before meeting my BFF for stitch night I decided to make one last stop.  I went to a local "mom & pop" sewing & vacuum shop not far from the house and I looked at this:

Janome 3160QDC

That's right, a new sewing machine!  Don't you remember that Hubby gave me the "green light" to start quilting?  And this machine would really help me with my "finishing" too!  It was a real nice machine and was comparable to the Bernina activa 220 that I looked at previously.  I just don't know what to do!  I don't know what machine I should go with!  They are both so nice.  Does anyone have any experience with either of these machines?????  HELP!!!!

Speaking of finishing, I did have one small stitchy finish this weekend.  I finally finished the second coverlet for Needle and Thread by LHN.  I really should have finished the second fob to go along with it, but in true "Serial Starter" fashion I picked up another new start on Sunday instead.  It is for the Blackbird Exchange so no snaps anytime soon.  But, I will say, I'm having fun stitching on it and I think it is going to be a quick stitch.  I'm sure that means that there will be another serial start soon enough!

Happy Stitching!

And the Winner is.......

.........K-G Knitter!!!!  Congrats!!!!  You can visit her blog here.  Claudia, please send me your snail mail address so that I can send you your winnings.  (You will find my email address in my profile.)

Happy Stitching!

Lunch Break and Giveaway Reminder

I am sitting here on lunch break and thanking the Lord above that today is Friday.  It has just been one crazy week.  I went from dragging myself into and out of each workday to being a jittery caffeinated mess!  I just don't know how all of you drink coffee first thing in the morning like that!  I never have that reaction when I get my usual Saturday tax season Starbucks Vanilla Latte.  Then again, now that I think about it, I'm so "done" by the time Saturday is here during tax season the coffee just sets me back to normal!

Last night brought a little bit more stitching on LHN's Needle and Thread.  There is not significant progress, so I didn't capture it on digital film this morning before I left for work.  I may pick it up and throw a few stitches into it after I finish my homemade chicken salad sandwich from the local lunch place across the street.  But, then again, taking a short lunch and leaving work early sounds so much more fun!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's Day weekend!  Oh, and don't forget, my contest ends on Sunday and I will be drawing a name from the entries on Monday. (I guess that means this will be a "finishing" weekend for me.)  Best of luck to you all!

Happy Stitching!

Best Laid Plans and a Coffee Buzz

Last night definitely did not go as planned.  Best laid plans and all that mess, right?

I got home around 5:30pm last night and sat down with my book (Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah).  The thunderstorms were rolling in so I figured that it was easier to calm down my 15 pound four legged son while reading instead of  while stitching.  He is just a hot mess during thunderstorms these days (he's 9) and that doesn't go well with a needle and thread.  Anyway, just when the storm's biggest deluge arrived, Hubby walked in the door.  It seemed that his 6pm meeting got cancelled at the last minute.  So much for my quiet time!  At least he cooked dinner even if it was only a Red Barron frozen pizza.

After dinner I pulled out Needle and Thread by LHN since Hubby was around.  I managed very little in the way of progression.  I got the owl, part of the bed and part of the scissors done before I gave up and gave into a cat nap.  By 8pm I was asleep on the couch and by 9pm Hubby woke me up to send me to bed.  I guess things finally caught up to me as I slept the whole night through and didn't wake up until the alarm went off at 6am.  I even hit the snooze button a few times this morning after it went off.

Still sleepy this morning, I thought I should give myself a real wake up.  (First of all, I should tell you that I'm not really a coffee person.  Don't get me wrong, I love my Starbucks Vanilla Latte or Frauppccino.  But, I'm not an every morning, multiple cup during the day coffee drinker.)  I dug a Newman's Own Extra Bold Blend K-cup out of our coffee bowl and put it in the Keurig machine.  I put a spoonful of sugar in the bottom of the cup and hit BREW.  While it was brewing, I fixed myself one of those thin sliced "Everything" bagels from Thomas' and slathered it with Philly cream cheese.  Yum, yum!  When the coffee was ready I grabbed the Vanilla flavored creamer and poured a healthy dose of it into the coffee.  Then I sat down to GMA (Good Morning America for those of you who don't know) and had a nice, quiet and peaceful breakfast.  Well, here I am..........HOURS and HOURS later.  Wouldn't you know it, I'm still jittery from that coffee this morning!  I sure do hope that I will be able to sleep tonight.  With the luck I've been having lately I'll be back up on the "up all night" wagon. 

Sheesh!

Happy Stitching!

Not My Friend

That's right, time hasn't been my friend at all so far this week.  Lately, my days at work have been the longest 8 hour days ever.  Then, when I get home, I'm so tired it is all I can do to sit myself on the couch and try to concentrate on the television.  When bedtime rolls around I drag myself upstairs and attempt to catch the sleep that has been eluding me these last few nights.  It takes forever to finally fall asleep and then I keep waking up during the night.  Once morning arrives I feel like I haven't slept at all.  UGH!  (I sincerely hope I haven't lost my mojo because of this!!!)

So, I'm hoping to break the cycle a little this afternoon.  I have a prior commitment that will allow me to leave work a little early this afternoon.  I'm hoping that it will also mean that I am able to get home a little earlier than normal.  Hubby will be out of the house for the evening, so maybe I will get some well needed quiet time with my needle, thread and fabric tonight.  I will post progress pictures tomorrow if I get anywhere.....

Happy Stitching!

Another Giveaway!

Looks like I'm not the only one in giveaway mode.  Check out Dixie Samplar Designs giveaway for her Blogoversary.....




.......And don't forget to sign up here for my giveaway.  I will take comments on my 1st Annual Bash post unitl midnight on June 20th with the name to be drawn on June 21st, the first day of Summer!

Shopping, Stitching and a New Start

Whew! Where did this weekend go? Just yesterday it was Thursday and I was getting permission from the boss to play hokey on Friday! I guess that's what happens when you have fun weekends.....they just go by so fast!

First on Friday I had to decide if I was going to call out or not. I've really been good at saving all of my comp time this year and work full 40 hour weeks whenever possible. However, with nothing to do at work it is so easy to skip a day or two.  So, early in the morning I sent a text message saying "See you Monday!  Have a great weekend!".  (I'm so lucky to have such a great boss!!!) 

With that done, Hubby and I spent the morning together exploring.  I found an estate sale that ran Thursday - Saturday (they usually go Friday - Sunday in our neck of the woods), so off we went.  It was one of the better sales that we have found so far.  I found a great frame with this odd looking sand sculpture in it.  I pulled out the piece only to find that it is a thin layer of sand on plywood.  I'm not too sure about it, but I know that as much I love southwestern type stuff, this is not my cup of tea.  I think that this "sculpture" may end up the in Goodwill pile!

Saturday found us at a few more estate sales in neighboring cities.  Both of them were busts.  (It made me so happy that I found the great frame the day before!)  On the way home I remembered that the local Farmers Market was having its opening weekend at our city park so we stopped by.  We were on the late side, so much of the good stuff had already been sold, but we did manage to get a few ears of local Silver Queen Corn, a huge Zucchini, some Peaches (grown out of the area) and two Sweet Potatoes.  Oh those Peaches were good.  Nice and juicy!  Next time I will have to remember to bring my camera.....

Saturday night was spent stitching with my BFF.  I decided that I wasn't in the mood to stitch anything that was in my bag and that I needed a new start.  I think that this was fueled by my earlier purchase of the frame.  You see, I found a great stitchy piece of a desert sunset two years ago while on my honeymoon in Arizona.  I thought that this piece would fit perfectly in the frame and boy was I right.  I was going to stitch it on 36ct instead of the called for 32ct, but then I noticed that it was full of blended threads........36 would be a bust!  So, I spent much of the evening looking through BFF's Crescent Colours stash and I came up with an alternative.  Then after some discussion on the piece I decided not to start it until I went home and measured the inside frame dimensions.  Again.......BUST!  Instead I spent the rest of the evening working on my second (yes, second) Needle and Thread by LHN.  I'm almost done!

Sunday morning after some measuring, thread pulling and more measuring, I decided to dump the 36ct on my new start Desert Sunset by Fireside Originals.  Using the 32ct will work so much better.  It will be a perfect fit for the frame that I bought on Friday.  That means that all the work that I did with choosing thread color is out of the window since I'm going to go back to the original plans.  Even with the original plans, I didn't get very far with it this weekend.  My intention is to make it a surprise for my husband, so I can't work on it when he is around.

Whew!  What a weekend!  In closing, I'm going to leave you with the best find that I made all weekend.......at another local farm stand.......and boy did they taste as good as they looked!!!!

Happy Stitching!

 

Exchange Time!

Do you absolutely love exchanging?  Do you love Blackbird Designs?  Well, combine the two and you have the Blackbird Designs Exchange Blog!  Sign ups for Round 5 end June 12th, so there are still a few days left!  Come join in on the fun!

I can't wait to find out who my partner is since I already have a design in mind.  I just hope that person doesn't have it all stitched up yet.

Happy Stitching!

Just Following Along.....

First of all, I just want to welcome all of my new followers! **just imagine me waving at you with a big grin on my face**  I'm so glad that you decided to stop by and join in the fun.  The more the merrier, that's what I say!

I know that many of you have blogs and I have been trying to make sure that I am a follower on your blog as well.  So, if I'm not currently following you, please drop me a line or put a link to your blog in the comment section.  What better way to make friends and get inspiration than following a great stitchy blog?

Happy Stitching!

Heat Wave and Promised Pictures

It was really hot this weekend.  Temperatures were in the upper 90's and with the humidity the heat index was well above 100 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.  Hubby and I went to one estate sale Saturday morning, but it was an absolute dud.  Then we headed over to a local festival celebrating Native American Indians.  It may have been me, but I think the festival was smaller this year than last year.  That was a good thing for us since it was way too hot to be walking around the festival grounds.  Instead of staying in the heat and eating junk food we opted for our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch.  Yummy!

Saturday night was filled with "stitchy time" with my BFF.  I started on a new piece where I changed up all the colors.  Originally the colors were very dark and drab IMHO.  So, you know I had to spruce it up a bit!  I really haven't been one to experiment with colors on my own, so I'm considering this an adventure.  I figure that the more I try color changes, the better I will get. 

A great big THANK YOU! goes out to all of you who commented on my Color Woes.  And, just in case you were wondering, I went with the darker Ye Olde Gold instead of the lighter Queen Bee.  It looks so much better!  (I think I knew that while I was posting it, but I still needed some reassurance.......)

As promised, here are some better pictures of my latest finish.  The pattern from Blackbird Designs and it is called Seaside Retreat.  I stitched it on 40 count Vintage Autumn Gold by Lakeside Linen.  For the color I used a Limited Edition Belle Soie by Crescent Colours.  Isn't it just the yummiest varigated blue?  I picked it up at market last fall while while I was working in the Crescent Colours booth.  I know that The Attic in Mesa, Arizona also carries lots of Belle Soie Limited Edition silks.  I believe that they they come in hanks.  (Give Jean and her girls a call if you are so inclined, I'm sure that they will be happy to tell you what colors they have on hand.) I used less than two yards since each yard is 12 ply.  I know the silk is on the expensive side, but if you are a 40 count stitcher, it sure does go a long way and it is well worth the price!

Many people have asked me where they can get this pattern.  Well, I'm sorry to say this, but Barb & Alma have yet to publish it.  They created it for a retreat that I attended in the Fall of 2009. I also have the greatest stockings that they created for this retreat.  I guess I'll have to dig those out and get them started sometime soon.  They always have such fabulous classes and I do wish that I could become a "Blackbird Groupie".  That way I could fly around the U.S. to all of the classes that they teach. That way I would never miss one of their patterns!

Of course, we could always gang up on them and convince them to release a booklet of all their class projects.  Now, wouldn't that be cool?  I know that I would buy it!  How about you?

Happy Stitching!

Color Woes

Today I'm playing with color. I wish was better with it, but practice makes perfect. So which yellow do you like best? The window and flower on the left (Ye Olde Gold) or the one on the right (Queen Bee)? I initially picked Queen Bee, but now I'm having second thoughts. HELP!!!!

Happy Stitching!

Eta: Oops,sorry! I'm posting from my phone again and the picture is sideways!!!! So, the darker color is Ye Olde Gold and the lighter is Queen Bee.

Seaside Finish

Just a quick crappy phone snappy of my finish. In fact, it's so crappy that it ended up sideways! I hope to have better pics soon.

Happy Stitching!

Don't Count Out the "Lurkers"

Remember when I posted about my latest Estate Sale find? You know, about this stitched piece?  I asked if there was anyone who might want it....  Well, I am happy to announce that this piece will have a wonderful home with a lovely couple who not only enjoy the fine art of stitched pieces, but the art of music as well.  It just so happens that a "lurker" stopped by the blog on that very same evening as my post and sent me an email offering this piece a good home.  I'm so very glad that I picked this up last Saturday!  Not only do I have a great frame, but this piece will be finding a new life in a new home.  I'm so thankful to my "lurker" for rescuing and adopting this great piece.  I will try to gently remove it from the frame this weekend so that I can get it in the mail soon.

In other stitchy news.........

I'm sorry to report that there were no grand finishes on BBD's Seaside Retreat last night. (And no pictures either!)  I still have one motif left.  I've also decided to pull out the date and restitch it in a slightly different manner.  In answer to some of the questions/comments, this BBD piece has not been released yet, so don't go looking for it in any of their books.  It was a piece that they designed for a retreat that I went to last fall.  Personally, I think that we should all gang up on Barb & Alma and get them to release a book of their class pieces.  What do you think?

I just thought I'd let you know that I'm working hard deciding on what to do for the giveaway.  I dug through the ever increasing baskets 'o stash and came up with a design that I hope you will like.  I have several from this designer in my stash, but this will be the first time I've actually stitched one of her designs.  Hopefully I will have enough time tonight for some quality time in the floss box(es) and fabric drawer.

Happy Stitching!

Giveaway Clarification

Since I'm using a random number generator to determine the winner of the giveaway, please be sure to comment a second time (here) if you were kind enough to share my giveaway on your own blog. 

Sorry for any confusion!

Happy Stitching!

1st Annual Bash!

I can't believe it, I've been blogging for a whole year.  It's amazing how quickly time flies when you are having fun! 

I've met some really great people in blogland this past year and I hope to meet many more of you in the coming years.  Many thanks to all of my readers and especially to those of you who comment. I do love hearing from you!

In honor of my first blogoversary, I've decided to have another giveaway.  Just like last time, this one will be a surprise (code for: I don't know exactly what I want to give away yet).  I picked up a special thing or two to put in the giveaway this past weekend, but you never know what else I may find between now and mailing time!  I will draw the name using the random number generator June 21st.....the first day of SUMMER!!!

Please comment on this post only if you want to join in the festivities.  You must be a follower to win.  You will get a second entry into the give away if you tell others about my giveaway on your blog.  Just come back and comment that you have done so.

Best of luck to everyone!

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!