Monday, October 29, 2012

All I Can Say Is Wow!

Just found this on Yahoo.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/guards-tomb-unknowns-remain-during-hurricane-165122482--election.html

"They will not abandon their post..." an employee stated.

I Built Two Houses This Week!

Have been watching the news continuously this morning. 
Sandy is being a *itch for Halloween. 
So much for treats -- 
she's going straight to the nasty tricks. 
Please everyone, take care and evacuate if needed. 
My heart and prayers are with you all. 
*******************************

Today April and I had hoped to finish The House That Jack Built II finished. As far as I know, April and I neither finished. Next week's post...I promise! 


I did get my house finished! It went better than I thought it would. I'm fudging around the bottom right corner. I messed it up by one stitch and now things based on that are just a tad too close. Notice the pumpkin to the right of the house and the leave above it. Plain laziness is my excuse for not frogging. All those skulls around the outside are going to be a pain. Hence the reason they are being saved for last. 

My second house is finished but for the snow on the roof. 


The lighting for the pictures is terrible. Nothing could help though -- we've had constant cloud cover since Saturday. This has been a great little stitch. Loving the colors! 

Since I've gathered up everything outside - there is nothing more to do for fall. Just in time for the storm. Wondering if Sandy will effect us like Ike did a few years ago. We were without power for a week. I'm considering making all the meals for the week today. We have a generator but...

Well, laundry is definitely on my to-do list. Better get moving. 

Take care everyone - stay safe!
Denise

Monday, October 22, 2012

Last Days of Fall

I love fall. But, it seems to be coming to an end already. Went after groceries this morning and the leaves are past prime. :( This year is quickly coming to a close. Which got me to thinking...what are my goals for 2013? Okay, okay...I'll wait a bit more before going into that.

I built a house this week - completely ignored the law of gravity in doing so. Started at the top and there is no foundation. Maybe in a few more weeks.


Thinking this next week will find me filling in around the sides. That's a lot of solid stitching in that there house! And I've found that I started my house one stitch too low. AND I messed up the bottom right corner by one stitch. Guess I'll be tweaking it as I get closer to the bottom.

This morning I was trying to hurry some stitching along on Serenade and messed it up twice! Rip-rip-rip. But, I did get the twig finished.


Boy, I took this picture under my daylight lamp and it is washed out. Not sure where I'm heading on this for the week.

I know I have everything ready for next Thursday. I did look at the fat guys/belles this week. There is one snowman per group that has no eyes! Gonna have to fix that. I don't want a blind snowman.

Yesterday, I found family all over the place. Gotta say, I love technology. We are not as bored as those who were around back in the 1800's and early 1900's. Those people needed a hobby. Night time came early and they were busy back then. Who in the world needed to have 13 children??? That's being pregnant for nearly 10 years!

Here's a photo of some of the family -

The John's Family
Circa 1914
What's funny - only one little boy is looking at the camera. And not a smile to be found. This picture is going to find its way onto my Christmas tree. Loving the old photos.

Hope this week finds you stitching your little heart out!
Denise

Friday, October 19, 2012

A Finish and A Start

Good Morning Everyone - It's Friday! Thank Goodness!

Wanted to stop by and tell you I have a finish!

Guiding Light
Heritage Crafts
scrap of linen
DMC Floss
This took longer than expected and those crazy half stitches weren't as bad as I thought they'd be. You had to count a little more than normal but all in all not bad. Think I will do the companion piece for this and then frame them together.

But, did I pick up the companion piece? No. I'm feeling a little wintery and picked up this -


Mine doesn't look quite that good :)


But, it is a start. My first attempt with this was on a Bay Leaf linen and the blue would not show. I know the greens would have been lost too. DH (my color consultant) came to the rescue and we decided on this piece of Coffee linen. The panels reminded me of the collage of the snow people I made. Guess I'm practicing.

Rather fired up with this new SAL in the works. We now number 5 and if anyone else is interested please let one of us know! I've added a spot on my sidebar for the SAL's I'm involved with. That way you can easily see how each of us is doing.

Tomorrow will once again find me watching OSU at noon. Hopefully, we don't make the showing we did last week with Indiana. We won by the grace of God. It sure wasn't anything else.

May your weekend be exciting and fun!
Denise


Thursday, October 18, 2012

Anyone Else Want to Join Us?

Good Morning everyone!

When last I stopped by my blog I mentioned doing a SAL for all of the L*K Fat Guys/Snow Belles. Renee (Renee's Stitching) and Rita (Stitch and Chat) are both in! We have another maybe from Shari (Shari's Sharings).

Our plans are to stitch one fat guy/belle per month finishing in time for next winter. I have charted the outline of L*K's patterns into one large piece. My finished stitch count is 271 x 225. We will be posting our fabric/floss reveal on Nov 1st.

Feel free to design your own collage or if you would like me to email my version to you - leave a comment and I'll get that out to you. Or, if you are busy now and would like to join in later -- please do so!

Still plenty of time to get your patterns and kit them up!

Time for me to get off the computer and go stitch the remaining few stitches on Guiding Light!
Denise

Monday, October 15, 2012

Go Get a Cuppa...

It's been another week and I'm not sure where the days have gone! It's SAL update time again.


Thought I did more than this but...Think this takes me to the halfway point. Finished up the upper band, added the stem to the bat on the right, the skull and stem in the middle is new, a stem showed up on the left, and the rooftop has been started. This week should find me building the house!

And I made progress on Guiding Light -


Amazing how the reflection from the sun shows on this picture. The top is finished. Need to add the beachy area this week.

Calamity Jr (Mary Jane) and I are considering a SAL involving the 6 Fat Guys and 6 Snow Belles. I've combined all 12 into one piece. We were wondering if anyone would like to join us?

Here's a snip from the computer of my combo pattern -


A quick recap of last week - went  to the doctor and that went rather well. Most numbers were good and my cholesterol was fabulous (her words). Have to go get my boobs squeezed Thursday and she made an appointment for me to go to the gyno. Ick.

Had a 3 year old's birthday party to attend. When did children's birthday parties become such a production?? Every kid gets a goody bag? Games - those I understand but I bet there were 30 people at this thing!

Then yesterday found me taking my time getting to the shower and it bit me in the butt. Got my time in on my bike, ate breakfast late, and cleaned up the porch for winter. All the furniture has been washed off and stacked up ready for a tarp. The cushions are sitting in my dining room waiting for me to remove the spider poop from them.

But, I didn't get my shower until 6p! My aunt showed up and I hung out with her for the day. Thank goodness she didn't mind b.o.

This week - the aforementioned mammo, a genealogy class, an auction, and a 2 year old's birthday party. Busy week shaping up.

It's nearing 9a and if I don't get busy - I'll not make any progress today.
Hope this week finds you healthy and happy!
Denise

Monday, October 8, 2012

Week 5 SAL

Well, here's my progress for the week...or lack there of.


And here's my excuse for not getting more done...


My mom and sister went to the Biltmore last week. And well, I kept the kids. Do I really need to say more??

As you can see - I got some leaves completed. And I once again have a new respect for those mothers who still find time for needle and floss. Ah, the bliss of having older children!

I did promise a shot of the other project in my life -

Guiding Light
by Heritage Crafts
scrap linen
recommended DMC
It will eventually look like this -


Yeah, this is the project with the crazy instructions. It calls for 2 strands and 1 strand cross stitches of the same color for shading. I'm dubious as to whether this is actually working on my piece.

Sorry the stitching pictures are dull. Cloudy day in Ohio. Haven't checked the weather in a few days and not sure if this will burn off or today will be cloudy. Just checked - am clouds and pm sun - high 57. Then I went on to see the temps will not reach above 68 for the next 10 days. Fall is officially here!

In a weird stressy mood today - have appointment to see doctor tomorrow. Get to see results of blood work completed 3 months ago (obviously nothing to see or they would/should have called before now) and I get a physical. Let me plainly say, I dislike the medical profession. Dentists seem to always say, "Oh, that filling you had in 1975 needs replacing - it's leaking." Here let me charge you an arm and leg. The regular doc can't see beyond the fact you are over weight and EVERYTHING that hurts on you is related to the weight. There could be no other cause for any issue you may have - it's all the weight. And the back guy I saw last year - completely discounted the fact I hurt like h*** and told me the pain was all in my head. Really, that's why doing dishes causes me to hunch over like I should be a bell ringer at Notre Dame?!?!

After taking several deep breaths and mentally saying, "Ohmm" I can now complete this post. I will say I KNOW there are caring medical professionals out there. Men and woman who do a job that I never want or could do. I know they deserve a fair and reasonable monetary reward for their services and that the over head for their businesses is astronomical.

But, I have fillings from 1975. I am overweight. And the back doctor really did tell me it was all in my head. And I come from a lllooonnnggg line of family members who do not like to go to the doctor. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

If you hear a frustrated scream coming from my neck of the woods tomorrow - it's just me - venting!

Hope your week is shaping up to be better than mine!
Denise

Monday, October 1, 2012

Week 4 - SAL

Week 4 already?? That's a month - where did that time go? My stitching schedule for Jack is usually a few hours in the morning on Monday. Last Monday found me doing laundry and dishes - so I added a few hours the next day.


Hoping this week finds me with the top half finished! As you can see I finally got the green floss involved! Many more purple motifs, a pair of shoes, and another circle and some skulls.

But, I have the kids over this week for two days and possibly four. I may be lucky to touch a needle!

By the end of the week, I had another ornie finished. It took much longer than expected...solid stitching. Changed the g on night - still not sure it was a good choice.

Silent Night
by LHN
scrap of linen
recommended floss
Friday morning found me without a project - and staring at the last 2 ornaments remaining. And I couldn't do another Christmas themed thing. So, I picked up a sepia toned lighthouse. I don't have the details on hand - sorry.

But, the instructions have thrown me a bit. Have you ever seen stitches like this?


Side by side full stitches in the space of one stitch? These weird 'vertical half stitches' are what got me!

I've got an hour and half until Miss Alivia (Mooch) will be here. Better get moving and get those stitches in.

Hope your week is as beautiful as you are!
Denise