It's That Time Again - An Update

Yes, it's Monday, already. I could swear we just HAD a Monday... At least I only have 3 days this week - leaving for Ohio on Thursday afternoon, for my niece's wedding in Columbus on Saturday :) I have to get my pre-registration form into the fair today - I'm kinda feeling a little indifferent about it, actually. So if I don't actually get to it and make my final decisions (on photos), I don't think I'll care that much; it just feels good to get a few things framed. We'll see; it's just not a high priority at the moment...


In stitching news, I worked on a few things this week, though I am now pretty sure I will NOT get BoaF done before I leave Thursday; too many leaves! Not to mention, the hill the house sits on in Part 3 looks like it's going to be tedious - gorgeous when done, but slow going to get there. I am looking forward to adding the sheep :) Here is where it stands right now:


I also put the first stitches into the small piece I am doing for the Stitcher's Village Sampler Project (it's in the Forum, if you are a member - and if you aren't, check it out!) It's one of the colorways for Patricia Ann's Rose for Every Season, done on 32ct linen banding, with the DMC floss and perle, and Kreinik braid called for - except I negated one of the floss colors by adding beads instead :) Because that's just how I roll, baby! But you probably already knew that...:


And lastly, at the Tuesday Night IHOP, I couldn't decide what to work on - since I finished Tanglewood, my project bag is strangely light on Projects for Less Than Optimum Light. But in the end, Mary Wigham came out, and I got one motif done, and better than half on a second one - and after it was full dark outside, then the yellow lights over the tables killed me, so I stopped before 9:30. But I got more of that Old Maid of the Aubergine in - I LOVE that color :)


So this week, I will keep working on BoaF until I leave; I haven't decided yet if I am going to the stitch night tomorrow, or if I have too much to do. I want to, just don't know what will pile up if I'm gone before being gone, know what I mean? This small Patricia Ann project will go with me to OH, whether or not I have time or inclination to work on it is another story. Might drag an ornie with me, too, since I have 6 of those kitted and ready to go, as well; Tree of Stitches from The Stitch Specialists group is also kitted - yes, I caved - but I haven't put in ANY stitches on it, so I only partially caved :) I don't expect I'll get an update in next week, or if I do, it'll probably be late. So until whenever that is, Happy Stitching, everyone - and come on October!!!!

And I'll just leave you with this little bit of eye candy - not usually a big fan of dreads, but in this case, I might be willing to make an exception. Because, you know, he's a barbarian :)

In Case You Were Looking For It...

...Dixie Samplar is BACK in the blogosphere - and she's doing a little giveaway to celebrate the joys of technology :) You can read her post here: http://dixiesamplar.blogspot.com/2011/08/giveaway-blog-autumn-challenge-at.html

Ain't technology great? I guess I shouldn't say anything, since, you know, I am employed in a tech environment, but you know, sometimes, you just gotta wonder if it's really worth the aggravation :)

Strangely Cool - An Update

It was ONLY 70 this morning!!! And I was just thinking the other day, you know it's been too damn hot when 95 feels pretty good... Of course, it's just a brief respite, we'll be back to sweltering in a couple of days.But wow, 70 was positively refreshing as I was being drug down the street by the Sled Dog this morning...

we've had GREAT clouds the last couple of weeks....

As predicted, last week was a circus, just like the week before. Got a lot of things done, but I think that combined with the smog has actually been slightly detrimental. I've got a serious case of fatigue going on, coupled with headaches which I KNOW are because of the dirty air. Still can't believe I live somewhere with smog - what happened to the crystal clear days of Clovis, NM? Oh, yeah, I moved here to the navel of the US... So hopefully this next day or two of cooler weather will help me out; if not, some clean air in my lungs up in OH next week might do the trick - assuming I don't get ebola or Marburg or anything like that from the lovely recycled air on the plane. Did I mention I really don't like flying? I was GROUND CREW for a reason...

one disadvantage to living in the mountains - trying to find a clear view of THE SKY. Since I don't seem to have access to many rooftops, trying to get a clear panorama just isn't going to happen from any place I can actually get to.

BUT, I do have stuff to show for my pooped state :) I have another FINISH!!! I am currently down to 16 WIPs - yes, ONLY 16 :) I finished the chickens on Thursday! I had to play around with the lettering a good bit to get it spaced correctly, once I picked the font (with help from the PINS ladies - thank you!).


I am glad to have this done - partly because I really didn't think it was going to take quite that long, which was due in part to the top being repeated at the bottom (albeit flipped) - repetition slows it down a bit. But mainly, this was the stiffest piece of Monaco I've ever gotten hold of, and since all this blackwork was done with 2 strands instead of 1, it was a bit more "work" than I thought it would be going in. And it didn't soften up as I worked it. Strange. But in the end, I think it's pretty cool - and I am glad I subbed the red they had charted for this rustier color - that bright red just wouldn't have worked, IMO.

cloud photos - lots & lots that look like repeats, but if you look CLOSE, you can see the subtle movements - start here.

So when I got that done, I got out my Birds of a Feather SAL and got a decent bit of progress on Part 2 over the weekend. I hope to have this done before I go to OH, but if not, the week I get back - it's not going with, because I know I won't have light sufficient for working on 35ct, even if I have time to work on anything, which I highly doubt.


Also, in prep for getting things ready for the fair, I, as usual, have framing to do. I ordered 4 frames from my favorite OFS (online frame shop), Frames By Mail. I will only be able to submit 2 of the 4 for judging (one is too big inside dimension, but fits the outer dimension - how stupid is that rule?), and the other, well, it's a pair, and you can only enter one per class, soooo....

Here are Dream & Imagine, in silver frames, with no glass, and a light layer of batting:


One of these, Dream, I think, is what I will enter in the 14-16 ct class (they are both on 32ct). And then I framed White Christmas. The mat I chose is a hair greyer than I thought it would be - but you know what? I think I have done a pretty good job picking these mats online when all I have to go by is a little tiny thumbnail that's about 2mm x 2mm on various monitors that never show them the same. This is too big on the inside, by 1 1/8", to go to the fair, though the outside dimensions fit their dumb criteria. This frame is really cool in person - the picture doesn't really show it very well, but it's gold that has been whitewashed, I guess is the best way to describe it, though it's actually ivory over the gold.


I also have a frame for Starry Nights, but I just didn't get to it yet - it's purple metallic, it's going to be cool. Trust me :) That'll get done one night this week; it will get glass in it, but since I haven't gotten glass cut yet for this or WC, you'll get a photo without (unlike my BoINK photo last December, glare & all).

So that's the progress for the week. I will keep on with BoaF this week, get Starry Nights framed, pick the photos I am submitting - I gotta pre-register all of this by the 22nd. I am also waiting for a couple of DMC perles to show up for the small project I am doing for The Stitcher's Village Sampler project - we are assembling a HUGE sampler from pieces done by as many members as can; so, if you are a member of the Stitcher's Village, consider participating - see the forum for details! If you aren't a member of the Stitcher's Village, check it out! There are links to lots of shops, and lots going on in the social area!

I think this small project will be what I take to OH with me, though it depends on how full the book bag is by the time I get all the electronics in it and how many TSA alarms I'll set off :)

Until next week, Happy Stitching, everyone!!

Back To School - An Update

Yes, it's that time again, here, but this year, only one did I have to get up this morning. And for his first day of high school no less, without his brother there to oversee his getting on the bus and everything. So I was informed, when I called to remind him to get off at the high school and not the middle school, that he's NOT 7 and he KNOWS which school to go to. Jeez, sorry, man - if you look up my job description, it clearly states that as part of my duties, the First Day of School, in a new school, is one of my allotted Worry Days. Just for the record, he gets that crabby shit from his DAD. And considering his brother called from wherever he ended up last night to make sure his little brother got off okay, clearly there might be a little cause for concern. The 18 yo was up at 7:30 to see how his brother was doing??? Well, besides telling me he was off to Six Flags today with one of his women.


And for the record, I am pretty sure you CAN'T wear your Pantera Cowboys From Hell shirt to school; great choice there, Dad. Pretty sure the word "hell", in a non-biblical sense, is a NO in the No Tolerance policies. But also maybe a great way to ensure this child never has a girlfriend. Because even though I am a Metal girl, most others that can make that claim are kinda scarey. And tatooed/pierced. And I KNOW he's too young for that, and I might be getting too old... (Note the awesome British Steel t-shirt Dimebag's wearing in the video linked above - you can never go wrong with JP. Just sayin'.)


Okay, so anyway, enough about The Kid - since he's The Other Kid's Brother, he's probably got it made the next 4 years (how in the hell I managed to have a popular jock kid, I'll never know - must've been the perfect mix of the dad's athleticism and my genius and wit. Yeah, that's it!)...


Duh, duh, duh - we have a FINISH!!! (Not the Royal "we", just the common "we".) It took all week through to Sunday afternoon, and a HUGE plague of frogs (as always when I get near the end) which I am blaming on Johnny Depp (The Tourist was on), but I have completed TANGLEWOOD!


You know, I have to say that I really enjoyed working on this - it was a little tedious at times, but that was primarily by virtue of me making the mistake of trying to work this as a travel piece; it was much too large, really, to be considered a travel project, despite the relatively few threads involved. But travel piece it was, and it did get done - in only 2 1/2 years!!! I still love these colors! Still need to do something with one of those thistles on something else...



I have another finish IMMINENT; after last week's Tuesday night at the IHOP, and after I finished Tanglewood yesterday, I worked on those silly chickens. The 3rd one is done, the red blackwork (redwork?) is complete, and the 4th one, another rooster, has a head (you know, it's usually the other way around)!!! And the Roosters go quicker than the Hens, so I expect (hope) to have this done Tuesday or Wednesday night!!!!


After Roosters & Hens is officially done (I need to figure out how I plan to personalize it for Loretta's still), I then plan to get right back on the Birds of a Feather SAL - I think I can have that done in pretty short order, too - and then I'll be down to 15 WIPs!!! I don't think I'll be going to the stitch night this week; last week at work literally kicked my ass, and this week is shaping up to be the same, so I think I need to avoid another kinda-late night this week. I go to Ohio for the Big Wedding two weeks from Thursday (I'll miss PINS this month), so I need to be planning for that, too; of course, I am debating whether I make myself jewelry for that or not, but I have too many ideas, all of which will cancel each other out. Oh, and trying to get ready for the fair, which I have to register for before I go to Ohio, so am also debating on what photos, if any, I want to enter. Hmmm, I seem to have a lot of stuff to do, once I get all the Kid's paperwork for school done - at least I only have to fill it out ONCE this year! So on that slightly exhausting (exhausted?) note, Happy Stitching this week to everyone!

HOTTTTT - an Update

Wow, could I just skip the month of August. The predictions are, higher than average temps at LEAST until October. Oh goody. The bad thing is, it hasn't even been as hot here as it has been in other parts of the country - including OH. It's just that, it started here in April and will go though to probably pretty darn close to Turkey Day, never-ending with the oppressive heat, humidity, and smog - and then next day, WINTER. Eh, maybe we'll squeak in a fall, who knows? Depends on what storms brew up in the Gulf this year - and hopefully there will be some, because this country needs some RAIN down here in the southern half!



School starts one week from today. I am not ready, so I am sure Little Kid (who's taller then me by a few inches, so I should prol'y find him a new nick name) isn't ready, either. But he did survive band camp, and we got to see the show they've put together for the upcoming football season, with the theme of Dreams. It's kind of exciting to be doing something other than soccer after all these years... but I'm still not volunteering any more than I have to. There are too many SAHMs in my area that need something to do besides shopping. Consider it a community service :)



In other news, some stitching was done this past week, including at our Tuesday night at the IHOP :) I brought the chickens along, and have the 3rd one more than half done. I managed to make it look a little different than its flipped duplicate in the opposite corner, by doing the colors in different order, so in this one, the yellow is laying over the red, and the first one has the red laying over the yellow. I think it works that way :) I'll be glad to get this done soon...


And the only other thing I worked on all week was Tanglewood - I got the TREE DONE!!!! It's all Blue Skies from here on out, baby!


So, since I have these two SOOOO CLOSE to done - that's what I plan to work on. I also have to get cracking on my BoaF SAL, I can probably get that done in 2 weeks, too. So that's the game plan for the next little while :) Assuming my brain doesn't melt... But then, I AM back to War & Peace after finishing This is Gonna Hurt on Thursday, so... it could happen.


Happy stitching this week to everyone!