Friday Feast 137

It's time once again for Friday's Feast!

Appetizer
What are you proud of?
A lot of things, but I guess being on my own since I was 19. I did survive cancer and Hurricane Andrew. Got a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Raised 4 kids, have a great career and friends who care for me. It's been a charmed life.

Soup
What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?
I won a 3 megapixel digital camara for paying my phone bill. I'm a very lucky person - I've been winning stuff since I was around 6 years old, when I won a bicycle at a movie theatre.

Salad
Name something you do that is a waste of time.
This is going to probably be the most popular response: time spent surfing! Even though my time is very valuable, and I try not to waste it, sometimes I can get sidetracked and end up in all sorts of places. Sometimes I learn something new, others I discover something really great, most of the time though, I probably could have lived without it.

Main Course
In what year of your life did you change the most?
When I was 21 - it's when I had my first son. Everything changes after you have kids, so true.

Dessert
Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?
My home. It is my oasis of peace and tranquility. My most favorite place to be.

I WON!!! I WON!!!

I went home to eat lunch today and found the most awesome surprise in my mailbox....

Back in February - and I'm not sure how I got there - I discovered CraftSanity and it's podcasts. I listened to a podcast with Monsterbubbles' designer, Heather Holland-Daly, and enjoyed it so much that I burned it onto a CD so my friends could listen to it on the way to (or back) from EGA's travelling exhibit in Venice, FL. It ended up being on the way back and they all enjoyed it a lot. It might have been the final push one of them needed to finally get an iPod.

I heard something in the podcast about a contest, and found out how to enter on the website and thought nothing of it since. Until today that is. Woo Hoo!! The design in this kit is based on a tatoo Heather Holland-Daly designed for her left forearm. It includes the design, screen, sandwich screen frame and hardware. Thanks a lot Jennifer!!!

While I subscribed to the podcast, - it's a monthly - I've also have listened to a few back ones. Let me tell you, they are really great! I've gotten a lot of insight into the creative process through them. So over there and check CraftSanity out!!!

I was driving back to the office - and was in such a good mood and it was such a great South Florida day - it dawned on me that I've never shared pictures of my lovely views I get to enjoy on a daily basis with y'all. And since for the past 10+ days I really have not posted many pictures. (Actually just one). I guess y'all are due... So, without further ado...

This is the East view from my office. The dark blue line on the horizon is the ocean. Really. It's more noticeable in person.

This is the North view from my office. I don't think you can tell, but there's a big white rectangular building on the far middle right of the first picture and the left of the second picture. It's the hangar for the Goodyear Blimp. I get to see it launch and return quite often.

SEE??? TOLD YA...

On the other side of the office, I can actually see where I live! I will try to take a pic tomorrow and show you all...

Updates

Took me more than a day, but here it is finally - an picture update of Seaside Cottage! YAY!!!!

Last night was the SAL at my LNS. Wish I had great news to report and that whole affair of the cellphone talker was over and done with, but, alas, it is not yet so. Two of the people N blasted (M for asking him to tone it down and D for trying to pacify the situation) decided to sit at the other table that is in a separate room from where we usually meet (the overflow table). The third person, E, the one who started it all, didn't show up and E isn't a regular anyway.

The split made it really awkward because it forced most of us to go back and forth to speak with people we wanted to hang out with and all on account of one person.

I guess what disappointed me the most was that N, seeing the result of last week's fiasco, didn't see fit to make any apologies or offer any amends. Though I will say that N did walk out when the phone rang this time - all of 5 mins after arriving. It's a little too late though.

Damage is done and I can't see I blame M or D. They come to have a pleasant evening stitching with friends, not to be attacked in public or put up with someone else being disruptive.

If this continues next week, I won't be going back. Or maybe I will show up but only stay if N doesn't show up. Problem is we have invited N to the Sunday group and right now, N isn't someone I want to be anywhere near.

I just find this entire affair extremely upsetting. For years there has been no drama, fights or arguments in our stitching group. All it took is one insensitive person to ruin it for the rest of us.

New Starts

This weekend I started stitching on "Seaside Cottage". My son ran off with my camara, so I'll scan the piece tomorrow morning instead. So far though, I have stitched about 2/3rds of the roof, and all the white trim to the cottage.

Well, I just wanted to pop in and say Hi! to all.

June Contest Decision

I'm stitching Elizabeth's Designs' "Seaside Cottage" for the contest. I've had this chart for several years now and have always loved it. If time permits, I will also stitch one of Elizabeth's Designs' "My Garden Stitching Club" charts, but first I need to find out if they are still avalailable. If not, I have two other charts I want to stitch from her, "Welcome Sampler" and "My Country House"

Because I removed a few pieces from my WIP queue. I have decided to add 4 new pieces to replace the ones removed. Nothing too large. Basically medium size pieces for variety. The lucky finalists, not necessarily in order, are:

1. Carriage House Samplings "Hearts & Flowers"
2. Sue Hillis "For the Dieter"
3. The Workbasket "Mermaids Singing"
4. Pine Mountain "Chicks Rule"

I am giving my friend, Measie, Maidens of the Seasons, Spring. She's a big Mirabilia fan and I've lost interest in the piece.

I'm removing another widget on my blog - this time it's "The Daily Puppy". They sure are cute, but if it's making the page crash, then it's gotta go. Let's see how it goes....

Friday Feast 136

This week's Friday Feast asks:

Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter?

Barbara Walters

Why?

1) She was the first female evening news anchor
2) She has remarkable intelligence and poise
3) She fought her way to the top at a time when women were considered to be less than men and thereby opened a path for all other women reporters who came after. It's one thing to be a great reporter, it's another to also be a pioneer.

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.

Frozen Vegetables
Fish
Chicken

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?

Somewhere. Because we all live somewhere...

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?

Zig Zag by Jose Carlos Somoza - not published yet, but soon by Harper Collins. Reviewing it.

Dessert
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?

Hands. If I don't like a man's hands, he will never touch me...

June Contest

My LNS has a yearly contest every June. It's March now, and considering things can take 2+ weeks to be framed/finished, my thoughts turn to what to enter in the contest.

Let me take one moment to say that I am not thinking about what to enter that might win. Chances of my winning are slim. There is only one rule to what can be entered in the constest and that is that the finished piece is from a chart currently available for sale. Anything out of print or from a magazine/freebie is not allowed. So, my thoughts are really towards what can I stitch that other people might want to buy after they've seen it stitched.

I'm thinking along the lines of an Elizabeth Designs piece. I've also always wanted to stitch the turtle from Couchman Creations. It's a bit big, but I think I can finish it. There's a lot of the same color, which goes quickly.

Any thoughts as to what else can be stitched? Please, no Lizzie Kate/Bent Creek Snappers.... I'm already stitching those.

Rant

I don't like to rant.

Especially in my blog.

But sometimes something gets under my skin and the only way to get it out is to write about it.

Last night was, as always, the SAL at my LNS. This is the first time in the 5 years I have been going there that I walked out because I was upset. Let me give you some background.

We have a person that has a habit of talking on the cellphone. Let's call this person "N". This person also has a booming voice. We usually grin and bear it and hope it is a short conversation. 99% of conversations N has are just babbling with their significant other. The significant other knows N is at a SAL but calls anyway. This happens often at the Sunday group too.

While N was once again on the phone, someone from the group, "E", said "You need to take that outside". But because N was on the phone, it wasn't heard. "M" heard it however, and repeated it to N - making sure N heard it.

When N finally got off the phone, instead of apologizing, N said "I have something to say to M because I did not appreciate that". - This was the first thing that totally p*ssd me off. How insensitive can one person be? Like N has the god-given right to bore everyone with banal conversation. N's voice is so loud that we can't hear what others are saying so, people then raise their voices to get over N's voice, and then N gets louder, and so on and so forth.

M had gotten up to shop and when M returned, N totally blasted her. M said that other people were saying the same thing, but E just kept quiet. - Second thing that p*ssd me off. If you're going to have the guts to say something, have the guts to admit it. Don't hide and pretend you didn't say anything, especially when someone else is getting the heat from what you started.

N then made a bunch of excuses for not getting up and leaving to talk. A bad knee, stuck between other people, etc etc. N also made excuses for being loud, mainly because others were talking while he was on the phone (!) - Third thing that p*ssd me off.

You see, N does this on Sundays also. We meet at a club house in the card room. This room is very large and has about 20 tables, of which we only use one large one. We also sit next to the door/window in order to get the best light possible. There would be no problem getting up and walking outside to talk. Others have done it. He has NEVER done it.

So, I left. Because I was starving, having skipped lunch, and there was no way I was going to risk having to put up with N during dinner as well. We usually go to California Pizza Kitchen, and while N doesn't always come, I would not enjoy it if this would be one of those nights N would decide to join us.

So, you're probably wondering what I bought last night. I bought one of Jill Oxton's magazines. #68 I believe. Also a handy cheat sheet of embroidery stitches and Glendon Place's chart "Five Simple Rules". I love Glendon Place's charts - they are HUGE!!!

Way Too Much Stash

Poverty wants some thing, luxury many things, avarice all things. Benjamin Franklin

My good friend, Ruth, shared this quote with me last night when we were talking about how much stash we both have. Both of us - independently - have about as much stash (or even more) as the average LNS. But then, to our defense, we have been collecting for years. Since the 80s for me, the 70s for her. We don't actually buy all stash - although I do have entire collections of some designers - so, we are sticking with "luxury". I makes us feel better. LOL Didn't Benjamin Franklin also say "Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it"? Well, I don't think we can be called "wealthy" but we do enjoy our money, especially when we purchase stash with it.

So why do we do it? Why do we keep buying when we have enough for several lifetimes? I think, for me, it's not that I think something won't be available - most new releases are going to be around for at least the next 3 years (unless it's a limited edition) - but I think I am going to forget it and be able to remember later what it was that I wanted. Well.. the question that begs to be asked here is: If you forget it, how badly did you want it in the first place?

I know I have discussed this in my blog numerous times already. I guess it's something that I am trying to stop doing. If I seldom visited an LNS it probably would be easier to manage, but going every week to one, and every other week to a different one, keeps me constantly buying. It's too bad that I my religion doesn't ask one to give up doing anything for any period of time (save fasting for Yom Kippur). If I were Catholic or Christian I guess I could give up stash shopping for Lent and stick to it. At least I wouldn't shop for 40 days... then again, I might just ask the store to put it aside for me for after Easter... If there is a way around a rule, trust me to find it...

I don't know what is up with this blog. Today I tried removing the Slide widget to see if the page would pull up. It didn't change anything. It's still giving me problems. I think the problem is IE7 because it doesn't happen when I use Firefox. I may be forced to move...

Nice Weekend

Saturday was the third meeting of our new Sampler Guild. We decided to call ourselves "Stitchers in Paradise", which I gladly seconded. In case you're wondering, it wasn't my idea. Someone came up with it at the first meeting, which I didn't attend. It was discussed last month at the second meeting, and I while I was happy to see it, I didn't make a strong push for the name, since I already use it in my blog. I am enjoying the Sampler Guild - it's a lively group of ladies all with different interests in samplers and stitching.

That's pretty much all I did yesterday - I also "worked" at Always in Stitches 'cause it was my day to help out and by the time I got home, it was nearly 7pm and I vegged out in front of the TV to watch "True Lies". That movie always cracks me up.

My Dad comes by every Sunday and we always go shopping, this time it was Target, Borders, Barnes & Noble, CompUSA and Best Buy. Not necessarily in that order. I had agreed to meet my friends at the War Memorial Coliseum for the Annual Quilt Show but Dad wanted to take us to lunch and then he had some things he wanted me to help him with when we got back to the house. Before I knew it, it was past 3:30 and my friends had been there since 1pm. I was upset that I wasn't able to go, but I decided at that point to just stay home.

I also had agreed to cook a few things for a party with my neighbors. All but one of my neighbors is a snow bird. Once a month we all get together and throw a party - complete with live music. It would have been too much to run out there, get there around 4, and have to be back by 5:30-6:00, so I didn't even try.

I guess I could have blown off my father, but he's 77 and drives 40 miles on Sundays to see us, so he's the only person I will allow myself to feel "obligated" to.

In case you're wondering what I made for the party, I had bought a Tapas cookbook and I've been wanting to try out some recipes from it. From this cookbook, I made Tuna Rolls - which are tuna wrapped in roasted red peppers, shrimp with a cilantro dip, and olives wrapped in anchovies. I also made my very popular spinach salad. It is always good to see all your food quickly disappear!

We had a very lovely evening dancing in the cool ocean breeze under the stars. Very romantic.

Friday Feast

Appetizer
Name two things that made you smile this week.

My friends - I always have a great time with them
Co-workers - this merger we are going through is hilarious!

Soup
Fill in the blank: Don't you hate it when ________?

Family or friends call you while your watching your favorite show???

Salad
When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland?

Believe it, or not... I make myself a latte with espresso. Makes me go to sleep right away.

Main Course
What is something about which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer?

Why it is so hard for some people to see the obvious?

Dessert
What is your favorite pasta dish?

Hmm.. this is a tough one... I love Chicken Tequila Fetuccine

Blogger is back to giving me problems - I'm using IE7 again. Going to try for a bit with Firefox and see how it goes. If it continues, I'm outta here!

In Honor of the Upcoming St. Pat

Your Leprechaun Name Is:

Moneybags O'Guinness

What's Your Leprechaun Name?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Enjoy a Virtual Shamrock Stout! To: My Blog Readers From: Trish

What Virtual St. Patrick's Day Gift Should You Give?

Quite appropriate as I love a good Guiness!

Blogthings is like potato chips - you can't have just one!

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

What's Your Beer Personality?

SBQ

Today's SBQ was suggested Danielle and is:

If you had $500 to spend on stitching-related items, what would you buy?

I would start by order a floor stand from Needle Needs in the UK and then see how much I have left to get a lap/table stand. Their website is "under construction" so there's not much to see over there.

Or, I would go to European Cross Stitch and blow the $500 on supplies for any of Martina's designs that caught my fancy.

Under Pressure...

Our local EGA is cracking down on wanton disorder. They are requiring us to wear nametags. They even amended the handbook so it SPECIFICALLY says they MUST be stitched - thanks to some of us who have been known to grab an address label and stick it on our clothes in order to avoid the $1 fine.

So, basically, this poses a challenge to me. How will I get around this now? Well... evil mastermind that I am, I came up with the following idea...

I am going to stitch a bookmark with my name on it probably up and down like this:

T

R

I

S

H

Tonight I probably only will manage to stitch my name, but I will add embelishments and more stitching later. So, basically, I am going to take my bookmark and pin it on my shirt....

I can't wait to see what they have to say about that!

Speaking of "under pressure"... June is the Cupboard's annual contest and the only requirement that entries submitted need to meet is that the design is currently available for purchase. So, I'm thinking of finishing the Sunshine State Sampler for this... or I have to looks around to see what else I have finished that I can send in...

I never win, but I do enjoy participating.

HD & Sunshine State Sampler Update

Had a great afternoon yesterday at my friend, Ruth's, house. We had our own "stitch-a-thon" and I managed to finish stitching on CEC's Four Calling Birds and made some really impressive progress on The Sunshine State Sampler!At first, I thought the white Kreinik "snow" was not going to show up enough to bother stitching, but after putting in about the first half, I noticed that it added some texture to the design and made it more interesting. I did carry threads like crazy in the back, but it's Kreinik and it's light, so it's not going to show up. Once it's made into an ornie, it's not going to matter. Probably won't take it to the next EGA meeting though... LOLAs I wrote about a few days ago, I had stitched all of the fruit (sans leaves) except for the lime at Tuesday's SAL at the Cupboard. Yesterday I finished the cross stitching, the back stitching and the long stitches on Row 5 and finished Row 6 to boot! Tillie is going to have to do some really mad stitching to catch up! I don't understand why the coconuts in Row 6 have two french knots to them. I've never seen coconuts like this and I can't make up my mind if they look like bowling balls or if they are freakishly "looking at me". I guess this is what happens when Canadians try to design tropical themes.

I've haven't had a single problem accessing my blog since I switched over to Mozilla Firefox browser. I think the problem might not be with Blogger at all but with IE7 and I am guessing that it has a problem with the Slide widget in the sidebar. However, I noticed on Firefox that my sidebar was not displaying correctly and when I looked at the code, I noticed an extra closing tag. Once I removed it, the sidebar displayed correctly and, coincidentally (or is it?) I no longer had problem with IE7. So.. who knows where the problem actually lied.

I'm taking a long, hard look at the 11 remaining WIPs I have. The goal for this year is to bring the number down to 11 and, having finished one already, it's safe to say I am "on track" to meet this goal. However, it's dawning on me that the reasons for stitching some of these is not very solid and I have no enthusiasm for some pieces. I may have to prune these wips a little bit more so I am looking at the reasons I want to stitch these pieces and not force myself to stitch them merely because I have started them. This is what I concluded:

A - The Needlepoint Lady is coming off.
1) I'm happy displaying her as she is for the time being, though
2) I should touch up the eye area, but
3) my current needlepoint skills would probably not do justice to this piece

B - Janlynn's Lighthouses is coming off
1) I already have another large lighthouse piece
2) I like Debbie Patrick's better
3) the lighthouse phase is totally out of my system (for now)

C - The Cappuccino Towel is coming off
1) The reason for stitching it is because I have three others
2) I never display these towels and I have probably a dozen stitched already
3) The one I really want to stitch from this series is Java

D - Maidens of the Season - Spring is under contemplation. I may "donate" this piece to my friend Measie.

So, there you have it folks. I will leave these pieces on the sidebar a little while longer so those not so familiar with my blog know what the heck it is I am babbling about. I will revise the goal because I have removed 3, maybe 4 pieces. Probably the new goal will be to finish with 4 pieces. Does that seem fair?

Friday Feast on Sunday

Ok, so it isn't Friday. I haven't been feasting because I have been dieting.

This weeks Friday Feast questions are:

Appetizer
What is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather it be different?

My usual bedtime is around 10-10:30 pm. I like it just fine as I normally awaken around 6:30 without having to use an alarm clock. I am very meticulous about the time I spend sleeping. I always have been - even when I was a teenager.

Soup
When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?

I think I do both equally. I may be wrong, but I do like to talk to others and listen to their points of view.

Salad
Describe a memorable meal you've had.

The most recent memorable meal was a few weeks ago at Blue Moon Fish Company here in my neighborhood of Lauderdale by the Sea. I went with friends from work and I had the Blackened Prime Rib which was served with potatoes and their own tomato onion salad. It was out of this world. Also a few blocks from where I live, at the Village Grille, I had a Pecan Crusted Sea Bass, which is not normally on their menu and was a daily special. It was outstanding.

But, while I do appreciate good food, for me what makes a meal memorable is really the people I am with and not the food that is served. Any meal I have had with my family and friends is a memorable meal. Even when I go with my friend, Liz, to Jaxson's for ice cream.

Main Course
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. If you read it, you get it. If you haven't, please read it and find out. You owe it to yourself to read the second most influential book in America, after the Bible.

Dessert
What is your favorite type of fruit juice?

GRAPE!!!

CEC Ornie Update and On LNS

Below is where I currently am on the 4 Calling Birds from the CEC series. I didn't stitch much yesterday, and some of the leaves I now noticed will have to be ripped as I stitched them in the wrong color, but, what can I say, that's life, at least stitching life.
I left a comment on Jenna's blog entry yesterday about a minor rant on ordering scissors at an LNS. I'm not going to repeat it, just go over there and read it, if it interests you. Frankly, I worried I had been to harsh, but Jenna took it with an open mind and a good heart.

What y'all probably may not know about me is that I am very close to two LNSes. The Cross Stitch Cupboard in Fort Lauderdale and Always in Stitches in Palm Beach Gardens. I'm quite familiar with the way they operate and I even help out two Saturdays a month at Always in Stitches, so you can say I'm more than just a shopper. Based on the small profitability of selling cross stitch charts and supplies, I admire those who run these shops. The Cupboard, for example, is half LNS, half gift store. The gift store part pretty much allows the cross stitch part to continue. Even with 4 people working there, it's a lot of work. Always in Stitches is pretty much a one person show with a handful of "volunteers" who come in and help.

The point I am trying to make here is that most LNSes are "Mom & Pop" operations that require a lot of work and dedication to keep going. Most of the people running them are the owners and they are very serious about providing good service because it is all too easy to go on Ebay or to an ONS to get the same thing for less. I know there probably are exceptions out there - I've come across one or two in my day as well, but let's not let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.

So, with that in mind, while most of the time these stores are very good at getting things out right away, other times they have good reason to fall behind. It doesn't take much when either you're the only person running things, and/or you only have a couple of other people you count on. Also, a lot of times, they are waiting on other companies (some of which are also small Mom & Pops) to send in what they are going to send out. This happens a lot after Market, as designers/suppliers get swamped with orders. We need to keep in mind that asking them to do something outside of how they normally operate can create a imposition on them. Like us, they have to balance their work lives with their personal lives and you just never know what someone else has on their plate.

The moral of this story is, that considering that airplane restrictions on scissors have been in place for nearly 6 years now, the next time you're at your LNS, if you haven't done so already, please pick up a pair of cheap small scissors for you to take on board. Nowadays, I can't imagine any stitcher not having a pair or two on hand should you suddenly need to jump on a plane. This is my extra pair that live in my nightstand. As you can see, I got it for less than $5. There's another one around here somewhere...Lastly, on a somewhat adjacent topic, TSA screeners at our airports cannot keep the items they confiscate for themselves, no matter how much they may like to. They all have to be turned in and rare is the TSA screener that works by themselves and might be able to fool the camaras (and the guys watching). So, please don't worry that a screener is going to take something because they want it for themselves. Especially stitching stuff. Last time I checked, it's not exactly in high demand.

SBQ & HD

Today's SBQ is:

Do you use your needle, a seam ripper, or something else when you haveto frog stitches? Why do you use the method that you do?

I use my needle most of the time if I am ripping a few stitches and planning to continue stitching with the same thread. If I plan to rip an entire area, and saving the thread is not desired, I have been known to take scissors to the top cross of the stitch and break them all this way. I use my needle and scissors because I feel I have better control of them than if I used a seam ripper. I want to be gentle on the fabric and not tear it.

Last night I finished the Lighthouses of Florida. I haven't taken a picture yet, but I will and post here. I did remove it from Current Stitching Queue on the side bar and added it to the finishes of 2007. Speaking of frogging, I frogged the mermaid's hair and eyes because I didn't feel they stuck out enough. I think it looks much better this way.

So, now next on the stitching to do list is to start on the 4 Calling Birds, the next piece in the CEC 12 Days of Christmas series. I've pulled all the threads I need for it and found the fabric, so it's all ready for me tonight.Also, since I hadn't taken a picture of Long Dog's Paradigm Lost in a while, I decided to take one for y'alls amusement. As you can see, I haven't stitched that much on it. But every little bit counts.

Surprise in the Mail!

I went through my mail last night - I have the habit of just picking it up and throwing it in a basket, then going through it once a week - I got the nicest RAK from Cindy - this cute little "modern biscornu" along with the prettiest Rosewood Manor chart! I didn't take a picture of the chart, but here is the back of the little biscornu!

Thank you sooo much Cindy!!!

On the job front, I got to admit I am pretty bored since more than half of what I normally do all day has been taken away. It' going to get worse after this week because a lot of the reports and analysis I do is going to stop. The plan however is to lay low and stay under the radar. Our Finance department is still here - albeit on the other side - and I've made it my personal goal to see how long I can go before they decide to give me something to do. LOL.

Last night we were at the Cupboard again for the weekly SAL. I brought the Lighthouses of Florida. It is virtually completely backstitched now. I didn't finish it because I noticed that there were 5 cross stitches - two in one lighthoues and three in another that needed to be stitched before continuing and I had not brought those threads. (sigh) Otherwise, I would have another Happy Dance to report.

Instead, I resumed stitching on the Sunshine State Sampler. I stitched all the fruits, save the lime. Between the two pieces, it was not bad progress for only two hours of stitching (with a little shopping in between).

This week, February's Snapper (Bent Creek Red Thread series) came in. The shop wants me to stitch this as a model for them. I also picked up the latest Stoney Creek magazine. But the major purchase of the night was the embroidery book from "Sublime Stitching". I've been eyeing this book for a while, and visiting the website and thought I'd like to try some embroidery out. I embroidered a looooong time ago, back when I was a kid, and I haven't touched it again since. Some of my friends also do punchneedle and there is a class this weekend on it at my LNS, but frankly, I don't get it. Why would I want to make a minituare rug of anything?

While I am on the subject of other crafts, this weekend while I was at Borders or Barnes & Noble (not sure which - yes, I go to two bookstores in one day - lol) I was looking at the craft section, which is full of knitting books nowadays, but I saw something that startled me... a book on, of all things, MACRAME!!! And here I thought it had died with the hippies. The book was called "The New Macrame" and instead of making plant hangers, they are using finer ropes and incorporating macrame into jewelery, beading and home accessories. I will admit to having made a plant hanger and a handbag as a teenager in the late 70s. It was fun to make all those knots, but I think if the knots were smaller you wouldn't really appreciate what went into making them and the point of pursuing this as a "craft" would be moot.

March Goals

Time to come up with a list of things to do in March! There is only so much one can stitch in a given week and coming up with a reasonable expectation for how much progress can be made in one month, is always somewhat frustrating for me. It seems that no matter how few goals I make, I just don't seem to accomplish them all and I lately I have been ending months somewhat dissatisfied with my progress. So, now I am wondering if maybe there aren't enough goals to motivate me to stitch more often. So, this month, I am going to shoot for the moon and see if maybe I'm happier with the results.

This month, my friend Tillie and I will be stitching on "The Sunshine State Sampler" together on Sundays. We started yesterday, and I managed to finish all the stitching now on the 3rd and 4th rows. The 3rd was rather tedious to stitch and I think it was the reason I put it aside.

MARCH GOALS
FINISH:
1) CEC 4 Calling Birds
2) JCS Ornie: Val's Stuff- Be Merry
3) L*K A Little Bit of March
4) Lighthouses of Florida
5) BC September Brings


I need to come up with a few more things - after going through my stash and seeing what else I want to stitch. No large starts, though. Not until the number of WIPs goes down.

Also, I received the Kreinik #4 Braid in High Luster from Stitching Bits and Bobs which allowed me to finish CEC's Two Turtle Doves!

Catching Up - Part 1

I finally got around to taking pictures of what I had finished recently. Submitted for your amusement is the JCS Ornie I stitched in February, "Arm & A Leg" by Raise the Roof desings.

It was a quick and fun stitch, I still need to get two buttons for it, which I will tomorrow at the Cupboard.

Since it is now March, and it is the habit of many stitching bloggers, such as myself, to post goals for the new month and to give an account of the previous month.

The first goal of February was to stitch PS Ornie from JCS. I decided I didn't really like it, so I stitched the gingerbread man instead.

I also planned on stitching the next ornie in the CEC 12 Days of Xmas - 3 French Hens as well as L*K's A Little Bit of February, both of which I also did. The first was posted previously, but the latter is now posted below:

I didn't stitch on the Rose Garden or The Sunshine State Sampler nor did I finish The Lighthouses of Florida. It's about half backstitched by now, so I don't know why I'm dragging my feet to finish it.

SBQ

Today's SBQ was suggested by Danielle and is:

Do you find yourself stitching faster when you are getting to the end of a design?

I think so - and I don't know if I really go faster or it just seems that way - but I do get more excited when I notice I'm nearly finished with a project.

Sorry that I have been away. It hasn't been because of Blogger as much as because I've had some family issues to deal with. Blogger is being bad to me at home and at work. Some friends have also let me know they've had a hard time accessing it.

I have finished two ornies since I last posted. Will take pics and upload later tonight from home. Hope everyone is doing well.