One Year Ago

A year ago, I started blogging. Yes, I set up the blog in October, but I didn't really start using it until Christmas Day. To commemorate the event, here is a picture of our Christmas tree this year.

If you look closely in the middle towards the bottom, you'll see the Washington Nationals ornament I made and showcased in that first post. What you won't see are any of the ornaments I made for the Brides Tree SAL. Ornamentification awaits.



Our tree features an eclectic mix of ornaments that were handmade by family and friends over the years and ones that DH and I collected as we lived and travelled around the world. The spire on top was my grandmother's and dates from the 1950s or 1960s, I think. I made the tree skirt a couple of years ago. (That's our cat lurking on the bottom left. Both of our cats like to nap under the tree.)

Happy Christmas to those who celebrate it and a Peaceful New Year to All.

Card Types

I have lunch at work with the same group of friends just about every day I'm there. We often have lively discussions, about a wide range of topics. We're an opinionated bunch.

One of the hot topics last year around this time was on Christmas and seasonal holiday cards. Some of us preferred more traditional cards, others photo cards, and others combinations. I have strong preferences on this.

Before I give you my opinion, I thought I'd ask for yours. I've set up a poll in my sidebar. I've made it an exclusive choice, so pick the kind you like the most. I won't hold you to it, I promise. Please leave me a comment about your choice, if you'd like.

What I hate most are the ones that are commercially printed (what I labelled "pre-printed" in the poll) where people (not businesses) have also had their names pre-printed and include nothing personal at all in them - not even a signature. Why bother?

Booties

I received two sets of handmade baby booties. I had delusions that I was going to cross stitch two pairs myself, but, of course, I ran out of time. So it's really nice that my friends and family made some for me.

The first set is from my SIL and are made out of felt. I like the fact that she wasn't afraid to use blue in one set.

The second set comes from my college friend Lisa. These are knit. My mother is going to be delighted when she sees the ladybugs, as that's one of mom's "things".

I think both sets are great and will serve different purposes.

Sweaters

Today I'm showing you some of the sweaters we received as gifts. The first two, the aqua-colored ones, were made by my mom. You'll notice that they're the same color, but in different patterns.

These next two were made by a friend of my mom's whom I've not met. DDA is in the first picture. I love this little sweater, as it is a pullover and wears like a sweatshirt. It feels soft and comfortable and well broken in.

Here's DDL wearing the second sweater made by the same person.

These pictures of the girls were taken in September. They're now much bigger.

Hand-knit gifts

I have received many gifts for the girls that were hand-made. They're all lovely. I thought I'd showcase some of them here, since I'm not crafting these days. My friend Kim from college made today's selection. The first is a pair of socks made from scrap yarn. Very cute.

She also knit two blankets in a spiral pattern with washable wool.

These are the perfect size to use as lap blankets in the car seats, as modelled by DDA (white hat) and DDL (pink) here.

Thanksgiving Meme

Started by Lee and added to by me.

Favorite part of the Thanksgiving Meal: Stuffing. Not too moist, not too dry. Hubby makes it with chestnuts and stuffing. Very yummy.

Least favorite part of the meal: Pumpkin pie. Hate the stuff. I'm not into any of the winter squashes nor the yams or sweet potatoes.

Anything new in the meal this year: No. We're very traditional.

Dishes that we don't make anymore, but I'll always miss them: The only things that are different from my childhood are fancy stuffing instead of plain and wheat rolls instead of Wonderbread rolls. I can't say that either of these changes are bad.

Things I am thankful for this year: my new daughters, my great hubby, the fact that my parents and siblings will be here for Thanksgiving. It's the first T-day that I will spend with the entire family of origin in about 5 years.

Things I will miss this year: My grandparents, especially Grandma A.; my sister's kids (who will be with their father for T-day); being able to sleep all day.

How would you answer?

In other news, my MIL is here this weekend (she has to go back home before T-day), and we are trying something new. We're having Turducken tomorrow night as a prelude to T-day. It should be interesting.

Favorites

And now for something a little different. Stolen from Geggie and Anna.

1. Political show - Ick. None.
2. Picnic food - Cole slaw
3. Mixed drink – Malibu and pineapple
4. U.S. President – Bill Clinton
5. Kind of student to teach – middle schoolers
6. Hobby you do or wish you still did - I wish I still made baskets.
7. Sports commentator – Diana Nyad
8. Sport to watch on TV – baseball
9. Animal to have as a pet - cat
10. Halloween costume you have worn – Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Box
11. Kind of dessert - chocolate
12. Comic strip - Foxtrot
13. Style or make of footwear - Joseph Siebel
14. Ice cream flavor - mint chocolate chip
15. College or university president – I can't answer this without telling you too much about me for this blog. It's definitely not the person who was president of my alma mater while I was there.
16. Internet news source – washingtonpost.com
17. Vacation spot - Crete
18. Wine – Pinot grigio
19. Way to waste time instead of working – reading blogs
20. Student excuse for late work – Received: My car broke down; Given: My sister's getting married
21. Reality show – Amazing Race (although I just started watching Chase and I'm amused)
22. Jewelry on a man – Cuff links
23. Pizza topping – Pepperoni
24. Children's movie - Beauty and the Beast
25. Celebrity you wish would retire - Ted Danson

Pretty Pink Princesses

I'm still not stitching or doing any other crafting. I'm just trying to keep my head above water with caring for the girls and keeping up with the house. Fortunately, the girls are thriving at 14 weeks, and our au pair has arrived. I'm starting to get some regular sleep. Yeah!

This post has been in my head since August. I knew when I found out in April that I was having girls that I was in for a world of pink. I very actively told my friends and family that I hate pink to limit the amount of pink stuff I received. It worked pretty well - I have enough clothing to dress the girls so that one is in pink and one is in not-pink. Why is it that our society feels compelled to dress little girls so extensively in pink? There's a whole spectrum of colors out there that should be explored and embraced. I'm amused when we go out that nearly everyone asks if the babies are boys unless I've dressed them almost totally in pink. A friend of mine thinks it's the short hair that triggers this question as much of the clothing.

The other thing I didn't notice until I had girls of my own is the cute sayings that are imprinted on children's clothes. Do we have to label our children as cute from day one? Anyway, I find it a little disturbing that the girls' phrases tend to focus on beauty - pretty this, cute that. I'm not sure what to think about the professional labels. I can live with "pretty ballerina". The one I find truly upsetting is "future princess". Think about this for a minute. How does one become a princess? One is either born to it or one marries the prince. So from birth, we as a society have decided it's OK to tell our girls that the only thing they need to aspire to is capturing the prince. Scary!

Community Property

When you have twins, your life is no longer quite your own. I've heard this is true for all new moms, but I can only relay my own experiences.

I officially became a person of community interest at the beginning of my third trimester. Almost overnight -- and with the help of the onset of DC's sweltering humidity -- I went from being "slightly" pregnant in appearance to "ready to pop". People I'd never seen before would ask me all sorts of questions. While some of the questions were rather personal, at least no one tried to touch the belly. Most of the time the question was, "When are you due?" I received a lot of strange looks when I said, "Labor Day," until I explained that I was carrying twins.

I think I dealt with this invasion of my personal space fairly well and with good humor. It was good practice for what was to come.

Once the girls arrived, we became a bit of a spectacle. Now there was even more interest in us -- well, them really. The double stroller definitely attracts attention. No where do we draw more attention than in medical facilities.

For example, we've had a couple of routine appointments at the Washington Hospital Center. WHC in particular serves an elderly crowd. We discovered on these visits that older people adore babies and are particularly fascinated with twins. I think that the elderly have an appreciation for new life that those of us who are younger haven't developed yet. Anyway, it takes us 10 minutes to walk a normally 2 minute distance because we are asked to stop so people can admire the babies.

All of this makes me half curious and half fearful. What's going to happen if and when the girls begin looking more noticeably like the identical twins they are?

TV is back!

O Happy Day!

You know, since I complained about it, that I was distraught over the lack of TV last spring. Fortunately, baseball started and began to occupy my time. Too bad the Nationals weren't so hot this year. After the girls were born, it was the Olympics and America's Got Talent for the summer. I am quite relieved that regular TV is back on track, since I spend most of my time these days holding and feeding babies. Unlike Martha Sears, I can't entertain myself for hours on end gazing adoringly at the little ones or appreciate the retreat-like aspects of feeding time. My girls are wonderful, but I need something more stimulating than staring at a feeding baby. It's too bad that I can't type or surf and feed babies at the same time. I need an extra arm or four.

Time to run - DDA needs feeding and DDL is about to wake up.

Hiatus

Hi Readers,

I'll be posting less frequently for a while. My hands will be filled with my darling identical twin girls, who arrived in time to prevent any Olympic stitching.

Best, C

Marching Band Update

Since posting the other night, I've learned that this is the Eastern High School Marching Band, and they've been practicing all week to prepare to play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival in Canton, Ohio, this Saturday. Two of the six players being inducted are former Redskins players, and this is a great honor for the band. For some of the background on their story (and why the Redskins organization stinks and Matchbox rules), read this story and this one from the Washington City Paper.

Pathetic

That's me - Pathetic.

Since March, I've been challenging myself to write at least 10 blog posts a month. In July, I only managed 8, and none of them are about stitching. Even FridayFeast has let me down - they've been on hiatus since July 11.

It's been a crazy month, and August doesn't look to be any less crazy.

Here's where I am with my stitching projects and my "goals" for August.

1. I finished the threadwork on my nephew's birth sampler. I need to wash, iron, and bead it this month, so I can take advantage of my birth month discount when getting it framed. The beading should really only take an evening or two.

2. Work on the next nephew's birth sampler. I started it at the beginning of July and was hoping to have it done by now. It's another band sampler, and it should stitch up quickly if I spend the time on it. There's only a little bit of vining on this one. It's why I started this one rather than the third nephew's sampler.

3. Continue working on the angel ornament I started in June for the Bride's Tree SAL. I did work on this a couple of evenings this past month. I think I'm about a third of the way done. I've decided I'll keep working on this until it's done or I'm completely bored with it before moving on to the next SAL ornament.

Marching Band

Ok. So here's something you don't see every day in my corner of DC. About 5 minutes ago, I heard someone blowing on a whistle, in a cadence I recognized. Once it was over, sure enough, there followed the sounds of a Marching Band. I looked out the window, and there was a group of 20-30 students marching down the middle of the busy commuter street that I live on in DC. We've occasionally heard the band in the past, playing from the fields by the schools, but this is the first time we've seen them marching. It must be the start of their summer band practice, as they needed a lot of assistance keeping their lines straight. The President's Own they weren't.

The funniest part of this story is that the band was loud enough to scare one of my cats into hiding under the bed. Thunderstorms don't bother him, but too many trombones do. The band also woke my DH up from his nap on the sofa, causing him to wonder why a band was playing on the Chris Matthews show.

Random Tidbits

Because I needed to write about something completely different. Nicked from Hip to be Squared, by way of Stitch Bitch and Brave Astronaut.

What is in the back of your car? An emergency kit and some jumper cables.
What color is your toothbrush? White and red.
Name one person that made you smile today? Kamal, 13 y.o. son of one of our contractors, to whom we introduced Le Tour de France this morning. He’s totally fascinated.
What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Talking to our contractors.
What were you doing 45 minutes ago? On a work telecon.
What is your favorite candy bar? Minature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Have you ever been to a strip club? No.
What is the last thing you said aloud? “Good-bye.”
What is the best ice cream flavor? Mint chocolate chip.
What was the last thing you had to drink? Orange seltzer.
What are you wearing right now? T-shirt, jeans shorts, shower shoes (hey, I’m in my own house).
What was the last thing you ate? Muffaletta pizza from Franklin’s. Yum.
Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No.
When was the last time you ran? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
The last sporting event you watched? Le Tour de France.
What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Flavor? Salt and butter only, thank you.
Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on Myspace? I don't do Myspace. I sent Sarah a birthday message on Facebook.
Ever go camping? Yes. I was even a camp counselor one summer.
Do you take vitamins daily? Yes.
Do you go to church every Sunday? No.
Do you have a tan? Not really. I've barely been outside this summer.
Do you like Chinese food over pizza? No. I’m a pizza girl.
Do you drink your soda with a straw? Rarely.
What did your last text message say? I’ve only ever sent and received four messages. I think the last one was last August when Brave Astronaut sent me the results of the Yanks/Sox game for NJM, as she and I were sitting at Wrigley Field.
Are you someone's best friend? I think so.
What are you doing tomorrow? Working.
Look to your left, what do you see? A mound of filing that needs to be done.
What color is your watch? Purple. It’s a sports watch that I rarely wear.
What do you think of when you think of Australia? Kangaroos, koalas, and DH’s evil ex-girlfriend.
Do you use chap stick? No, but I use lip balm regularly.
What is your birthstone? Peridot
What is your favorite number? 24 – it’ the day of the month on which I was born.
Do you have a dog? No
Last person you talked to on the phone? DH
Have you met anyone famous? Yes, several. Most recently, two of my hubby’s college classmates, basketball star David Robinson and astronaut Sunita Williams. Both were incredibly nice.
Any plans today? Trying to reduce my stress levels, working on cleaning up the house a bit, watching today’s stage of the Tour, and maybe some Nationals baseball.
How many states have you lived in? 6 States and one District. New York, Massachusetts, Iowa, Virginia, Rhode Island, California, New York again, and Washington, DC. I’ve also lived in two other countries.
Ever go to college? Yes.
Do you dye your hair? Highlights, although not recently.
Biggest annoyance in your life right now? Stress.
Last song listened to? I have no idea.
Can you say the alphabet backwards? Probably. I haven’t tried.
Do you have a maid service clean your house? I have a person who comes to clean the house biweekly. I wouldn’t call it a “maid service”.
Are you jealous of anyone? Yes, but I would say “envious”, which to me is the more positive version.
Is anyone jealous of you? I have no idea.
Do you love anyone? Yes.
Do any of your friends have children? Many of them. I find this an odd question, as I’ve almost always had friends of all ages, and at least one of them would’ve had children.
Do you eat healthy?Not as much as I should.
What do you usually do during the day? Work.
Do you hate anyone that you know right now? No, although there is someone I strongly dislike.
Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Probably, but I think I'm more likely to say "Hi" than "Hello".
What color is your car? One’s red, the others are green.
Do you like cats? Yes. I currently co-habitate with two.
Have you ever been to Six Flags? While they’ve been under Six Flags management, no, but I’ve been to two amusement parks prior to them being obtained by the chain, Darien Lake and Riverside. Interestingly, Darien Lake is once again no longer part of the Six Flags franchise.
How did you get your worst scar? I was showing off on my bicycle a few weeks before I turned 7. I was trying to ride hands free and fell. I put the fender into my lower left leg. The injury didn’t really bleed much, nor did it hurt initially. It resulted in my first trip to the hospital and required 7 stitches. My second worst scar involved me, a bicycle, some wet grass, and running into a garage door when the brakes didn’t work. The glass from the door fell on me, cutting my left arm, and requiring 4 stitches. This happened a couple of weeks before my 14 birthday. The year I turned 21, I stayed in another state to avoid coming home and having a car accident. :-)

Swap Cards

Well, I was planning to participate in this month's card swap, but the events of Thursday and Friday prevented me from doing so. I did manage to make my swap cards. The theme was "summer fun". All the coordinates in the printed papers made me think of the phrase, "Changes in latitude, changes in attitude."

I designed them so that they could be used in either direction, although if I wanted to send the upright one, I'd probably add some leaves to the stem.

What do you think?

Kreativ Blogger Award

Jennifer at Sweet Pea Stitching has gifted me with the Kreativ Blogger Award. The condition on it is to pass it along to 5 bloggers, presumably crafty ones, who inspire me.

Well, first has to be Anna. Hers was the first blog I read at all, and she continues to inspire me. Plus, I enjoy her snarky side.

Next is Lee. I'm amused by her current fascination with scissor pockets. I haven't ventured down this road, but maybe now I will, after I finish the Bride's Tree SAL.

Third comes Aury, because I adore her monochromatic designs. So simple and quite beautiful.

Fourth is Maria, who stitches beautifully and has me reading blogs in Portuguese, a challenge I needed.

Fifth (but not last) is Donna. We share an interest in baseball as well as stitching and she's fun to read.

Stolen Purse and other news

So my purse was stolen from my house on Wednesday WHILE I WAS HOME around 3 pm. I thought I'd heard our front door open, but when I went downstairs, I didn't see anything and thought maybe it'd been the wind or something. Until I received a phone call from my credit card company Thursday morning asking if I'd tried to buy gas four times that morning. Yikes.

The good news is that criminals are stupid. Really stupid. The thief used my credit card at gas stations, which have surveillance cameras. The police were able to retrieve at least one tape of the jerk. Since the house across the street from us was robbed at the same time, the police are eager to catch this guy. Unfortunately, I won't be able to help the police identify him, as I (fortunately) didn't encounter him.

As much as I'm annoyed about having had to call the card companies and replace all my photo IDs and freaked out about having had a thief in the house, I'm also annoyed about losing the purse itself and the other contents. The purse and wallet I bought on our last vacation to Crete, the photo of DH I've had since we were first dating, and the item that my stitching friends will most understand -- the full punchcards from my LNS, including the one that would have gotten me a nice discount on my next framing order. Sigh.

I'd like to be able to shrug it off and say that at least no one was hurt, but I can't. I've been having a stressful month. There's been a lot going on personally and professionally. I bit off a bit more than I can chew in terms of my professional commitments this month (two papers and a report -- and formal writing tends to make me stress). I haven't really had time to stitch or do much else that's really relaxing (although I've been watching bits of Le Tour de France-- go, Cadel, go). Plus I'm still trying to get our house in order post-renovations. Well, last night all this stress caught up with me, and I got to spend several hours at our local hospital. All's fine now. I've been ordered to take it easy and go see my regular doctor again in a few days. So I rested most of today, and I plan to do the same tomorrow, while trying to figure out how to get some stuff done while not increasing my stress again.

Re-reading a Classic

Last night, I couldn't get to sleep. I think it was the excitement of besting JAL in Word Twist finally. So I did what I usually do - I read for a while. After I finished one of the books* I'd been working on for a while, I was still wide awake. At that point, I went looking for a comfort read, something I'd read numerous times before and therefore would be less likely to be sucked in completely since I knew how it ended.

I ended up with A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I first read this when I was in the 6th grade and immediately fell in love with her universe. It also launched me into reading not only the rest of her books, but the Narnia series and many other classics of children's and young adult literature. These are books I continue to love to read. They bring back that sense of wonder and adventure that meant so much to me during my early teen years. (Yes, I needed to escape, even if it was just into a book.)

Over the years, I've continued to read children's and young adult novels. When I was in my library science program, I took a Children's Literature class, which was fabulous and connected me to some new authors. Unfortunately, since then, many of my books have been in storage due to the house renovations. I haven't had the opportunity to revisit many of my favorites. Plus, other than the Harry Potter books, I haven't found newer books that appeal to me as much. I think it's just that I'm experiencing them for the first time as an adult.

Be that as it may, it's been a delight to re-read Wrinkle. Since it's a short book, I was able to finish it this morning. It reminds me of the lost arts of both concise writing and good editing for many books that make it to market today. I think of it as being a timeless story, but I wonder if that remains true. When do the childhoods portrayed in all my favorite books become dated because they don't reflect the modern, technological world? Can you imagine From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg happening today?

* I finished A House in Corfu by Emma Tennant. I'd give it a score of 3.5 out of 5. There were occasionally great descriptions of Corfu, Greek food, etc., which is why I wanted to read the book, but for a memoir, it was strangely detached. I think this may be due to the house being her parents' rather than Emma's. She wasn't the one struggling with the day-to-day challenges of building and maintaining a house as an ex-pat.

Another Friday Feast

Appetizer: When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?
I had my bangs trimmed about 4 weeks ago. I need to get a full cut in the next few weeks.

Soup: Name one thing you miss about being a child.
Lazy summers.

Salad: Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.
Olive Oil.

Main Course: If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?
This one's tough. I've studied French and Portuguese, but not really learned either. I've always thought I should learn German, but haven't. I really *should* learn Portuguese, but just to be different, I'll say Luxemborgisch.

Dessert: Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…
The last time I answered this question was 9 years ago in an interview for what turned out to be my first job with my current employer. I was completely wrong then, so I think I'll pass on this one for now.

Baking or Cooking

I haven't been stitching much or working on anything else that lends itself to pictures lately. I've mostly been working on getting our kitchen in order and moving stuff back into other rooms in our house. Not terribly exciting or blog-worthy.

We did have some friends over for an Independence Day lunch. Nothing like some beef ribs and broccoli slaw to say "Happy 4th", especially when followed by a homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie. Yum.

Which leads me to my question: Do you prefer to bake or cook? Or do you prefer some other method of food preparation altogether?

I'm a baker. If I'm going to fuss with food prep, I want something substantial at the end. Stove top cooking just doesn't get me there most of the time. I'm also sort of a one-bowl and one-pan sort of person. I don't want to end up with a whole lot of bowls or pots dirty at the end, and I seem to be better able to control this when baking. If I do need to cook, I prefer to grill or throw things into a crockpot. It's just easier.

Monochromatic Times Two

Here's what I've been working on lately. First, my July SAL ornament. The theme was fish. Yes, I realize it's still only June, but I'm trying to get ahead, as I know that the end of the year is going to be crazy here. Isn't it everywhere?

This is a freebie design by Nathalie. I stitched it on a leftover piece of 30 count white evenweave with WDW scuppernong. (I just learned that scuppernong is a type of grape.)

My second project is from Milady's Needle. The pattern is Rejoice. This will be my ornament for November (angels/churches). I'm stitching it with GAST Cranberry, over one, on 28 count platinum cashel linen. When I stitch over one, I use two threads and half-stitches (/), rather than one thread and full-stitches (x). It's much easier that way.

What you see here represents 3 or 4 hours of stitching. I knew I was going to be sitting in waiting rooms a lot last week and wanted something that wasn't too fussy as a project to keep me occupied. This fit the bill perfectly, although it's going to take me *forever* to finish at this rate. It's a good thing I got a jump on it.

For reference's sake, here's a picture of the finished project.

Finally, since I mentioned the 28 count platinum cashel linen, I finished the vining on my nephew's birth sampler. Yea! I'll wait to show you a picture on that one until I have the beading done. (The angel project is being stitched on a scrap of fabric left over from the sampler project.)

Friday Feast

Jennifer over at Sweet Pea Stitching has me hooked on these, so you may be seeing a few more in the months ahead. The questions come from FridaysFeast.com.

Appetizer: What is the weather like today where you live?
Hot and humid. "Summer" has come to DC with a vengeance.

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
7.5

Salad: What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
I have sheers in our computer room; roller blinds in one bedroom; bare windows in the kitchen, bathrooms, and basement; and pleated blinds everywhere else in the house. Two of our doors have internal miniblinds.

Main Course: Name something that instantly cheers you up.
Yellow flowers. Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. A beautiful day. Unexpected contact with a good friend (phone, mail, email, in person, ...). Thoughtful surprises.

Dessert: How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
Many. Way too many most days.

Pineapple for June

Here's my June ornament. It's a freebie available as a PDF here, or go to the Rainbow Gallery's website and scroll down towards the bottom.

A Traditional Welcome by Erica Michaels
Stitched on a scrap of 14 count off-white Aida with the following substitutions:
S933 - DMC 743, S909 - DMC 728 , S971 - DMC 744
S847/848 - DMC 471 only, S848 - DMC 470, E899 - Ecru

You can't really see it well in the image, but the cross lines are couched down. I thought doing the couching was going to be really annoying, but it wasn't and it went quickly. The couching definitely gives the look of the little pineapple nubs more than I thought it would.

What are you grateful for?

Special K asks, "What are you grateful for?" As she writes:

This post comes close on the heels of the previous one, but this seemed worth posting. One of the blogs I read regularly is Zen Habits and today's post (by a guest blogger) is "Three Truths to Help You Create a Life of Gratitude." Towards the end, the author issues the "The Zen Habits Gratefulness Challenge." The first part of the challenge is to "Spend three minutes every morning writing down a few things you are grateful for that day." So, although some readers may find it self-indulgent, I thought I might as well document those things in this space. Ok, the three minutes starts . . . now!

I am grateful for my husband. He is loving, kind, thoughtful, and smart. He can be a bit of a goofball, but in the grand scheme of things, he's one of the good guys. Having had my share of dysfunctional in the past, I really appreciate that he is one of the good ones.

I am grateful for my life. It has had it's ups and downs, but the ups outweigh the downs. I have had some amazing opportunities that I never dreamed were possible when I was growing up. I've had periods where the downs have brought me down with them, and it has taken me a long time to deal with some of them, but most days now I can step back and look at where I am and what I've achieved and say "Well Done!"

I am grateful for my friends. My Myers-Briggs profile will tell you that I'm one of those people who have layers of friends. I value most my "inner circle". These are the friends who are with me day in and day out or whenever I have needed them. I hope I am the same to them; I try to be.

The second part of the Zen Habits Gratefulness Challenge is to pass on the challenge to others. I ask you, my readers, "What are you grateful for?"

Making Up is Hard to Do

Totally stolen from Stitch Bitch. I'm a Mary Kay girl for the most part, but I indulge at the Body Shop occasionally.

Foundation: Not on a daily basis.
Mascara: I have MK black-brown and the Body Shop's clear eyebrow gel that works great as a light mascara.
Day Cream: I use MK Timewise daily. In summer, the Timewise with SPF.
Favorite Make-up Product: Sheer, peach-toned lipstick or lipgloss. I own, like, 6 of these.
Perfume: MK Today (which has been discontinued).
Nails: No comment.
Hands: In need of moisturizer.
Feet: In need of a pedicure, but mostly in good shape.
3 Products to bring to a deserted island: Sunscreen, books, potable water. (Hat and sunglasses, too.)
Women I admire for their beauty: I'm not one to have those "gosh, she's gorgeous" sort of moments.
Women with the best sense of style: I had a professor in graduate school who had a great wardrobe and knew what flattered her, but she always include one piece in an outfit that took it from quite elegant to somewhat bizarre, like a scarf or funky hose. In general, anyone who knows how to dress to flatter themselves, rather than bowing to fashion trends. My colleagues MP from our Philly office and JHS from my alma mater are two examples of people who always look "put together" to me.
[Note: Stacey on the American version of What Not to Wear does not know how to dress herself or anyone else for that matter. Why is she on TV?]
My ultimate dream: To have the time to do all the things I want to do (and to be exempt from doing the things I don't want to do).
How do I define womanhood: For me, it's about being yourself and expressing yourself as a woman.
Favorite fashion publication: I generally don't read magazines beyond my alumnae quarterly, unless you count reading People in the doctor's office.

Footwear - Part 2

An interesting recent post featuring Posh Spice and flip-flops from another blog.
http://poppisima.blogspot.com/2008/06/mamarazzi-cross-post-posh-flip-flops.html

Suits

Today's fashion topic - Suits!

The weather here in DC has been brutally hot the past week - in the mid-90s with high humidity. We had thunderstorms the other night that lowered both the temp and the humidity, but not by much.

Today, my hubby is giving a presentation at work, which meant wearing a full suit. Undershirt, dress shirt, wool-blend suit, etc. You get the idea. While I'll admit that he looks nice in a suit and that this is an occasion that calls for one, I continue to wonder at our culture's adherance to tradition. Is it *really* appropriate to expect people to wear full dress suits in the middle of summer? (And don't get me started on full-length hosiery for women.)

Planet Green was running a commercial over the weekend about how dressing more appropriately is more environmentally friendly, because then we can all adjust the A/C to a higher temperature rather than having to chill to accomodate business wear. While their method of displaying this was a bit extreme (two people naked as jaybirds, talking with one person dressed in business wear, complete with sweater vest), their point was one that I've often considered.

What are your thoughts on this?

Lavender Alphabet

I was tired of working on the vining on the birth sampler for my nephew. Instead, I pulled out a different UFO a couple of weekends ago. Before I started working on it again, I had most of the left side done, except the stems and lavender. I worked on this two weekends in a row, and now I have it completed, except for the alphabet. I'm going to replace the alphabet, but I'm not sure with what. This can now go back to residing in the UFO pile, and I can go back to the North Star Sampler.

Lavender Alphabet by Cathy Jean for the Victoria Sampler
28 ct. Dublin (raw or natural) - I think
Generous substitutions in floss

Footwear

Let me start by saying that I'm a proud member of GenX and wholeheartedly believe in a casual workplace. I generally think that suits, hose, and closed-toe-shoes are not necessary to accomplishing one's work.

Lately, though, I find myself becoming more of an old fogey. Nothing brings this out more strongly then the recent trends in footwear. Crocs belong in the garden or in the mud, not in the office (and especially not on escalators). Flip flops belong in the shower or on the beach, not in the office. Flip flops -- and no, I don't care how fancy they are -- drive me to particular distraction because I can hear them slapping down the hallway.

Plastic shoes belong only in places where they're likely to get wet. Otherwise, leave them at home!

What do you think? Is there a current fashion trend that's offending your sensibilities?

I Won Something

I won a book in a random comment drawing on Jennifer's blog. How cool is that? The book is The Hard Way by Julie Luongo, a friend of Jennifer's. Check it out on Amazon.com or your favorite bookseller's site.

Spelling Bee

Last night, I watched the end of the 2008 U.S. National Spelling Bee. It featured middle school kids (up to age 14) spelling words that none of us have probably ever even seen, let alone used. The boy who lost had to spell "prosopopoeia". The boy who won had to spell "esclandre" and then "guerdon" to win. Somehow, guerdon doesn't seem like it's in the same league as prosopopoeia. I'm just saying...

You can see the complet list of previous champions and their winning words at Champions.

Framing and Sampler Update

Today, I took my niece's sampler to my LNS to be framed. They had a pre-made frame that was perfect for the sampler. It cost me HALF of what it would have if I'd stayed with the big craft store with their so-called 60% off discount. HALF!!! I've learned my lesson.

In other news, I'm making progress on my nephew's sampler. Here's the latest photo. I just have one more row of the *$&*! vining to do and then the beading, and I'll be done with it. Yea. Again, this is the North Star sampler from the Sweetheart Tree.

Kitchen Renovation

We have been working on renovating our 100+ year old rowhouse since we moved in almost 10 years ago. It's had it's ups and downs, but we're finally nearing the end. We've re-plumbed, re-wired, re-walled, re-floored, etc. The last major piece of this was to do the kitchen. We've been putting it off since we moved in, but we finally decided to tackle it this year.

Not everything is done, but you can see the best of it in the photos below. It took about 4 months to be done, which included taking out the wall where the return in the island now sits (to the right in the top picture). I'm jumping up and down for joy.

Memorial Day

Today is the observance of Memorial Day here in the U.S.A. It is the more somber of the two patriotic holidays celebrated on a wide scale. The other, of course, being Independence Day.

Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, was started to remember those who died in service to their country, which at the time meant as a participant in a war. It has been expanded beyond military service to include various forms of civic service, and, I think, many people use it as a time to remember any who have gone before us.

I grew up in a very small town. Memorial Day was always a big deal. My grandparents and parents belonged to the American Legion Post in our town (one of two active social organizations). I spent a lot of time selling paper poppies (in remembrance of Flanders Field) in middle and high schools.

The big event was the town parade and memorial service. The parade was fairly short, in both distance and length. The marchers completed an eight block circuit. The participants were the Legionnaires, any active duty service members home for the weekend, boy scouts, girl scouts, high school marching band, and volunteer firefighters.

The first time I took my now-spouse home to meet my parents was over Memorial Day weekend. I think he was both bemused and touched by our small town celebration.

After the parade, those gathered would move from the center of town to the cemetery on the outskirts of town for the memorial service. It was a simple ceremony that lasted a short time. It always ended with a trumpeter from the high school marching band who was hidden from sight playing Taps. It was eerie and moving at the same time.

My family would then proceed to my grandfather's grave in our own personal remembrance activity. Mom and grandma had usually placed an urn of geraniums, other flowers, and a flag a couple of days before. While Grandpa was a WWII vet, he didn't die during the war or from injuries sustained during the war. It was just our way of marking the day.

I don't remember ever travelling as a kid on Memorial Day, unless it was into the city to visit the graves of other relatives. We'd usually go home and have a picnic, sometimes with neighbors or cousins. While I have at times participated in the great migration, I usually think of the day as a time for reflection and picnics.

Wherever you are, I hope that you are enjoying your day, and if you so choose, think about your ancestors, particularly those who have served their country in some capacity.

P.S. While writing this, my sister called from Iraq. She's there on active duty. It's such a reassurance to be able to contact her via email and to hear her when she can call. I can't imagine what it was like for family members in the past, when they had to wait weeks or months to get news from those serving in the wars.

Would you like some whine with that?

Sorry, folks, just feeling the need to grumble a bit.

I mentioned a while ago that I am a subscriber to Take Ten, a magazine featuring stamped cards that could be made in about 10 minutes. The last two issues, including the one I received this week, have been published under a new editor. Sometimes when magazines get a new editor, one can hardly tell. In other cases, it's really obvious.

In this case, it's been really obvious. The cards being featured are of a different style than under the old editor. My problem with this is that I think the new editor has missed the whole "take ten" concept. I look at the cards and think, "I can't even assemble the supplies in 10 minutes, let alone create this card in 10 minutes." And this is with cards that I don't even have to think about designing, I just copy them for the most part. The newer cards are very elaborate, which follows the trend in the industry, but they're not quick cards. I also don't really like the style of most of these cards.

With my magazine this week, I received my renewal notice. I've waffled about renewing. I thought about asking you, my readers, for your opinion, but I knew deep-down what I needed to do. So I'm not going to renew, which disappoints me because I was really excited about this magazine when I first subscribed last year. I think, instead, I'll use some of the money I would've spent on the renewal and order some of the back issues, which I think I will enjoy more.

On a totally different topic, why oh why do I keep picking cross-stitch patterns that involve lots of backstitching detail work? I'm working on the North Star sampler for my nephew, and I think that the amount of vining I'm stitching is going to drive me insane or at least blind. Worse - the sampler I've picked for his brother has the same kind of vining work, although not quite as much of it. As NJM said to me today, "Didn't I learn my lesson with the pumpkins?" I worked on those 7 or 8 years ago (and started the project 9 years ago), and I still cringe when I think about working on that project.

Three Projects

In today's paper (which we received yesterday), there was a flyer for one of the big craft stores, advertising 60% off a complete custom framing order. Great, I thought, I can take my niece's birth sampler in to be framed. I pulled the ironing board out this morning, prepared the sampler, and drove down to northern Virginia to the craft store.

Naive me. I thought that at 60% off, that my framing order would be significantly less than what I usually pay at my LNS for framing. HA, HA, HA. After 60% off, it would have cost me about the same as my LNS. I brought the sampler home and will take it to my LNS instead. I'd rather give them the money, and they'll do a nicer job. They might even have a pre-made frame that will fit it's unusual size.

Here's an updated picture of the sampler. You'll see I added name, date, and a spiral of my own design. The spiral was to fill in the blank space left by centering the name. The spiral should have probably been a few more spaces to the right, but I'm pleased with how it came out overall.

Since I was ironing anyway, I thought I'd pull out my stash of FUFOs that need ornamentifying. All of them are washed, ironed, and trimmed of excess threads. The pile included 7 of the 8 ornaments that I've stitched this year (the 8th, my February heart, is completely finished already). It also included 5 more projects.

Pictured here are 2 that I stitched in late 2005 out of the 2005 JCS ornament issue. It was the first JCS OI that I bought, and it's probably the one that I like most to date. It's also the only one from which I've stitched any projects, and I think I've stitched 6 or 8 different ornaments. I've given most of them away, as usual.

Both were stitched on scraps of fabric with DMC threads. I liked the second one so much, I stitched it twice, giving one to a non-religious friend as her winter holiday gift that year.

Friday Feast on Sunday

Borrowed from Jennifer at Sweet Pea Stitches.

Appetizer: What is the nearest big city to your home? I live in DC proper. The next nearest big city would be Baltimore.

Soup: Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix? We have hardwood on the first floor, stairways, and hallways. The bedrooms have carpet. The bathrooms are all tiled. Our basement is currently unfinished, but will have a mix of tile and carpet.

Salad: Describe your hair (color, texture, length). Chin length, baby fine, slightly wavy (unruly), and medium brown with some highlights. It's cut in a layered bob to give it some shape and volume.

Main Course: Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption? Yes. One of my closest friends is an adoptee. I have a couple of other friends who have siblings who are adopted.

Dessert: When was the last time you had a really bad week? In March, when I was sick. Prior to that, it was probably the entire six months before I left my previous job, and I was only in the job for seven months.

May Birds

Here are my two ornaments for May. Both are freebies from the Victoria Sampler. Both are stitched on fabric from my stash, with leftover kit threads. I finished the first one a couple of weeks ago and the second one tonight.

Cardinal on confederate grey linen.

Chickadee on unknown linen (it's lighter than platinum).

Crafting and Intellectual Property

Here's a story on the copyright of patterns that connects to both my crafting and professional lives, even if I'm not a knitter. Similar issues could arise in the cross-stitching community, so it's good to keep an eye on these things.

Thanks to ADR for passing along the story.

Seasoning Quiz

Sorry for the run on memes lately. I hope to post some crafting news soon...

You Are Garlic

Of all the spice types, you are the most universally loved. You get long with pretty much everyone, and you leave a lasting impression. You adapt yourself well to situations. You can fit in or stand out, depending on what you're called on to do.

What Spice Are You?

Kipling Meme

This was started by Barbara at http://mainelystitching.wordpress.com/ based on Kipling’s The Elephant Child:

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

For those of you who don’t cross-stitch, I’d be interested in seeing your answers about your favorite hobby, whether it’s knitting or golfing or music appreciation or ….

Who taught you to stitch, and were there any special circumstances or memories surrounding this?
I taught myself after seeing two of my close college friends work on projects.
What’s your favorite thing to stitch?
Band samplers with speciality stitches.
Why do you stitch?
It soothes me and makes me feels like I’m accomplishing something creative with my day.
When is your special stitching time?
In the evenings, particularly Friday nights. It’s a great way to transition from work week to weekend.
Where is your special stitching place?
I usually stitch while stretched out on our couch, but I’m not particular. I just need somewhere that allows my right arm to move freely.

Published Card

Over two months ago, I reported that I had discovered that I was going to be published. Today I received another "ARTCOMP" magazine from the same publisher. I opened the magazine hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

I'm quite delighted to report that my card was published. It's on page 116 of The Stampers' Sampler Catch Up Issue, Volume 12, 2008, if you want to take a look. Woo hoo! You'll recognize the card, as it's the same one I used for my April swap.

Unfortunately, they managed to misspell my last name, but, hey, there I am.

Oddly busy weekend

It's been a bit of a crazy weekend. I had a routine doctor's appointment Friday afternoon, which allowed me to leave work early and enjoy a beautiful spring day here in DC. I was able to run a bunch of errands afterwards, which was also great. I came home to find an envelope from Lake Stitcher in with the mail that contained some wonderful fabrics and in my favorite color! That evening, I stitched a small ornament during the baseball game (GREAT game - yes, BA?). I'll post a picture soon.

Saturday was another beautiful day. I spent it doing a bit of yardwork, running some more errands, and updating my summer wardrobe a bit (it was needed). We had dinner with some friends of ours.

Today was overcast. We went to buy paint for our kitchen (a nice creamy yellow, hopefully). The appliances in our kitchen are mostly hooked up. Next weekend, the flooring guys come to sand, stain, and seal the new floors. Hopefully, within the next two weeks, our kitchen renovation will be DONE! I can't wait.

While we were at the hardware store, we also bought some geraniums for our porch, so the regular front yardwork is pretty much done for the spring. Now we just need to re-grade the plot so I can finally "landscape" and have a real front "yard". Since our yard is only about 4' x 12', it's hard to call it a real yard.

Otherwise, I've mostly been doing normal household maintenance chores (laundry, etc.) today. Like I said, an oddly busy weekend. Where did the time go?

Constructive criticism works best

Those of you who are paying attention may have noticed that I have an interest in how organizations work, particularly in organizational communication. I recently came across this article, which I thought might be of interest to others. Click through for the full article.

Dishing it out
from http://saqonline.smith.edu/article.epl?issue_id=18&article_id=1837

Constructive criticism works best, so think before you speak

The way we deal with criticism can say a lot about our personalities. Brock Hansen, MSW '73, author of Shame and Anger: The Criticism Connection (Change for Good Press, 2006), believes that you can live a more emotionally intelligent and healthy life if you know how to accept criticism. But the way in which you criticize others can be just as important. Following are some of Hansen's tips to soften the blow and increase your chance of communicating effectively.

Nephew's Sampler

I mentioned in a post last month that I had started a birth sampler for one of my nephew's. At the time, I'd only done the vine work. Last night, during the Nats game (they WON!!!!), I did the specialty stitching. Here's a progress picture.

I've also finished my niece's birth sampler in the past week or so. I'll post a finished picture once I iron it.

Do you Comment?

About the time I started this blog, I also set myself up with an RSS feed account. In my case, I'm using Google Reader. I like the convenience of Reader, as it allows me to read many more blogs than I might check on a daily basis.

The downside to Reader is that I comment less on other blogs. That extra step it takes seems to be just enough of a hurdle to me. Unless I feel somewhat strongly about what you've written, I'm not likely to comment. In fact, if I know your email address, I'm more likely to send you a message. I know, it's a bit bizarre.

How about you? Do you subscribe to RSS feeds? Has that changed the way you interact with blogs?

My Very First Project

As part of the on-going clutter-busting, I've been sorting through some of my crafting materials, getting ready for the yard sale in June. I found the first piece of cross-stitch I ever attempted in with some other stitched but otherwise unfinished pieces I had.

I stitched this, I think, in the summer of 1988. It was meant to be a bookmark for my friend, who's the one who first introduced me to the concept of cross-stitching. I'm not even sure why we would have had the fabric in the house, since none of my family cross-stitches. I don't remember having a pattern to use. I think I was just making it up as I went along. Since it's left-right centered, I probably charted out the name ahead of time. As you can see, I didn't quite have the trick of top-bottom centering yet.

This languished in a desk drawer in my grandmother's house, which is where I found it when Mom and I were cleaning out the house after Grandma had to be moved into a nursing home. It was still in the hoop when I found it. I've tried cleaning it, but short of bleaching it, I don't think there's much that can be done.

Now it'll go back into storage, as the inaugural and permanent member of my FUFO* stash.

*FUFO = Finished Unfinished Object, which means it's been stitched but not otherwise finished into it's final form. The stitching community should consider changing this to SUFO instead.

March Flowers and Spring Weather

I sat down last night during the last half of the baseball game and finally completed the stitching on my March flowers for the Brides Tree SAL. I had the basket stitched already, but had to complete all the flowers and vines. I'm glad this is done.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring-like day here in DC. It's worth noting because we get so few of them. I made my first batch of bruscetta to mark the occasion. Yum.

Today it's gloomy and rainy. It was pouring about half an hour ago, but now it's let up again. It's a good day to work on the clutter-busting, because I'm not tempted to go outside. I've made good progress so far, but there are still many piles of paperwork to be vanquished, although the laundry is mostly done and even put away. The latter is always my bigger challenge, especially when we've had company and there are all those extra linens to be sorted out.

Back to the real world.

Stitch Meme

I’m late to this game, but here goes. I found this through Stitch Bitch, who found it on Kendra's blog.

1. How do you hold your fabric? In a hoop (usually) in my left hand.
2. Floss licker? Only when I’m at the end of the thread and trying to coax a stitch or two more out of it and need to keep re-threading.
3. How do you thread your needle? Hold thread at the very end between thumb and index finger of my left hand. Hold needle in my right hand and coax the hole over the threads in my left.
4. What needle do you like best? 24s. I hate beading needles. I want to try one of those double-pointed needles.
5. Are you a needle loser? I’ve lost my fair share.
6. What fabric do you prefer to stitch on? Linen and other evenweaves.
7. Bobbins or floss bags? I started with floss bags, as I hate winding. (And I agree with Jennifer’s husband about the kinks.) I’m slowly moving to stitchbows, because I’m lazy and can’t be bothered with the bags any more.
8. Are you a scissors collector? Nope.
9. Do you do your own framing, and if so, do you lace or pin? I’m a disaster at framing.
10. Are you a floss floozy? Not quite sure what this means, but I’m guessing yes, since I own the complete set of DMC and am working on my stash of GAST and WDW. I’m refusing to buy any other brands though. Enough is enough.
11. Silk? Not worth the cost, but I like the texture.
12. Railroader? Not really.
13. Are you a pattern or designer snob? No.
14. Do you get antsy when you give someone a stitched gift? Sometimes.
15. Have you reached S.A.B.L.E.*? Yes.
16. Do you wash your projects? Most of them.

*S.A.B.L.E. = Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy.

Adorable Bunny

This is my April ornament for the Bride's Tree SAL. Isn't it adorable? It's so spring-like.

This isn't an obvious choice for me. I tend more to The Victoria Sampler or the Sweetheart Tree in terms of patterns I like. These aren't even colors I normally like. Hot pink, mint green, periwinkle blue - so not me. Yet, you mix these colors with brown and I like them. Go figure.

I also usually like stitching more intricate patterns on some sort of evenweave fabric, but I embraced the color blocks on Aida. It made a nice change of pace.

This is a freebie pattern by Erica Michaels from the Rainbow Gallery. I used the following DMC substitutions. Cocoa - 841. Rose and Pink - 3689. Chocolate - 839. Periwinkle - 341. Green - 966. Whiskers - Wisper ecru. I used the Rainbow Gallery's conversion chart to choose colors. The fabric is a scrap of 18 count cream Aida.

Now I need to go back to my March flowers that I still haven't finished. I'm determined to have an ornamentifying weekend some time in the next month. Stay tuned.

April Swap Card

I've not been doing much crafting (or posting, for that matter). In the aftermath of travelling and tax preparation, I've been trying to catch up on the clutter-busting. My office looks like someone came in and dumped all the files. While I'm frustrated that it's not going faster, I am making inroads.

This weekend is Stamp Camp and our first trip to the new Washington Nationals stadium. I'm looking forward to seeing the new home of the Nats. Brave Astronaut has reported that it's a nice experience. I should also mention how happy I am that I now have baseball to fill some of the void left by the lack of new television episodes. Not that I've had much time to watch yet. Now if the Nats could just get back on a winning streak...

I'm participating in the card swap at Stamp Camp. Our theme this month was designer paper. I had two or three different ideas and then ran out of time for implementing any of them. Fortunately, I remembered I had a stash of cards I made last year that I meant to give as gifts and then never did. I have enough of them to use in the swap. Yea!

Stitching for a Friend

OK. So it's not the best picture. This is a grape leaf pattern on a bread cloth that I stitched in 1999 for the friend I just saw in Los Angeles. She has a grape theme to her kitchen, and this fits in quite well. Obviously, I still need to work on my photography skills.

Be careful what you complain about

I made it safely back to DC from LA. No teenagers today. No, no. Today I sat across the aisle from the has-been character actor who talked in his stage voice rather than in his indoor plane voice. At least the movie quieted him down somewhat, too. (Name that movie -- character actor laughed at all the bickering scenes between Jon Voigt and Helen Mirren.)

Otherwise it was a great trip. Nice weather. Good visits to a bunch of low key SoCal restaurants (Soup Plantation, anyone?). And lots of fun time with friends. While I wish it could've been a little longer, it's nice to be home.

On Vacation

I'm in Los Angeles for a long weekend, visiting friends. It's been a nice break from the house renovations and other craziness that I've had going on at home lately. Right now I'm staying with the friends for whom I stitched the wedding sampler that is pictured in my previous post. I'm happy to report that it's hanging prominently in their living room. I'll also have an opportunity to take a picture of one of the other projects I stitched.

I was hoping to get some stitching done on the 5.5 hour flight out here. No such luck. I and about 20 other adults got the pleasure of sharing the flight with not one, but two, school groups making their way back to the west coast. While they weren't really acting badly, they were loud and a bit more active than a planeful of a regular mix of travellers. Everyone was very happy when the flight attendants (stewardesses is a much more fun word to type, btw) turned the movie on earlier than planned and then also let us watch a second movie.

I haven't made any further progress on my March SAL ornament, the flower basket. It requires a bunch of floss changes for the flowers, and I just haven't been in the mood for it. Since I wasn't working on it, I finally gave myself permission to start another project. I finally found the bunny pattern for the April SAL. It's a lot of color blocking, and it's going together quick. I started it last Sunday and have finished about half of it already. Just what I needed to get the stitching juices flowing again.

Wedding Samplers I've Stitched

Anna's Lists have made me think about all the projects I've completed since I started stitching in the late 1980s. There have been bunches. Despite the fact that I am generally a very organized person, I don't have good records about my stitching projects. I started a notebook at some point, but I was horrible about keeping up with it, and now I'm not sure where it is.

Having started a list from memory, I think I've stitched 11 wedding samplers and two smaller wedding gifts (a music box lid and a bread cloth). Unfortunately, I only have pictures of one of my wedding projects. The good news is that I can obtain photographs of most of the rest of them. I may have the charts for all but one of them.

This was stitched during the winter of 2006-2007 for a friend of mine that I've known since kindergarten. The pattern comes from the June 2000 JCS magazine.

Communicating at Work

As a follow up to my post about how to run a meeting, I point you in the direction of 10 Tools to Rev Up Your Business and Personal Communication. I found it very interesting.

Happy Easter

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

When will the TV schedule be back on track?

All fall, I was glued to my TV. I usually don't get sucked into new series until they're at least a season or two old. This year was the exception. We were watching many a new show in the fall line up. There was something on just about every night that we wanted to watch. Granted a lot of these were in the science fiction and fantasy category, shows that often don't make it past a season or two anyway, but still...

All I wanted for Christmas this year was a DVR, which I received. The poor thing has barely been used.

I've not seen a new episode of any of our favorites from the fall yet. We've half-heartedly watched both episodes of Canterbury Law so far, only because they're new and there's nothing else on. I've seen all of the movies I'm interested in that are being offered on cable this month. I've been sick for over a week now. My head hurts too much for reading or stitching for any length of time. All I want to do is veg on my couch in front of the TV with 500 channels AND THERE'S NOTHING ON!!!!

When, oh when, will my TV be normal again? Please, oh please, let it be soon.

My Niece's Sampler

After posting last night, I realized that I hadn't seen my younger niece's birth sampler in a while and that I probably hadn't worked on it since November. This made me curious, and I went looking for it. I found it tucked in a bag on top of the dresser in my craft room. Along with it were the Raspberry Parfait and Old Brick sampler threads I'd been missing when I wanted to stitch my heart ornament for February.

I was right in guessing that I was about 2/3 of the way done. When I pulled it out last night, everything but the two hearts had been stitched. Now I just need to add my niece's details and it will be done. Yea!

A Child was Born by Lizzie-Kate
on 32 ct. Mist. Blue Belfast
with GAST threads, but not the ones recommended

A New Project

I started a new project while I was sick the last few days. Being home during the daylight is conducive to stitching, although I did spend a lot of time napping too.

I'm working on the North Star Sampler from the Sweetheart Tree as a birth sampler for one of my nephews. Right now, I only have some of the viney parts at the top done, and it's not much to see.

Eventually, I'm going to stitch the Bluebells Sampler for another nephew, brother to the first. In both cases, I'm going to replace the recommended charm with a baby bootie charm.

I know, I know. This violates the Selfish Stitching in 2008 mantra. With the ornaments, I've made a good start on the S.S., and I needed a bigger project. Since I didn't have any bigger projects for myself calling loudly, I decided to work on these.

Also, I'm way, way behind on the birth samplers. At the moment, I have 6 niephlets -- 2 nieces and 4 nephews. All of them are under the age of 10. I have completed exactly two birth samplers, one for my older niece and one for my youngest nephew. Since all the niephlets except my youngest nephew belong to my sister's blended family, my sister has been bugging me about doing the rest of them.

I have the sampler for my younger niece about 2/3 of the way done. If I'm a very dedicated stitcher, I will be able to finish stitching the remaining four this year. (I even have the pattern for the last one chosen.) So that's my goal as of now. Wish me luck.

Sick Day and a Photo

I was so excited about Daylight Savings Time starting on Sunday. Yes, I hate to lose the hour, but I love having the daylight in the evenings. This was mitigated by the fact, unfortunately, that I was coming down with something. I stayed home sick from work today as I have a head cold and a horrible sore throat.

In the afternoon, my energy finally popped up a level, and I decided I could work on stitching something. I knew that if I pulled out the flower basket ornament I'm working on, I'd flub it up, as it requires lots of color changes. Instead I went looking through the other SAL ornaments that I needed. I still haven't found a bunny I like, but I found a bird pattern (May's category) that I liked and that I couldn't mess up too badly. I have other bird patterns I like, so this may or may not be my official May ornament.

It's from the 2004 Better Homes and Gardens Cross-Stitch Christmas magazine, designed by Lynda Orme and Wendy Peatross. I stitched it on a scrap piece of linen with threads leftover from a kit. It's about 1.5" square. I almost stitched it over one instead of over two, and I'm really glad that I went over two. Otherwise, it would have been miniscule.

It's going into the pile of things that need to be "ornamentified" for now. I was fortunate enough, though, to score some scrap archival (acid- and lignon- free) mounting board from my office. I'm running out of excuses for not making these projects up into ornaments.

Another Book Meme

This time, I know where the list originated: Poppy Buxom. (And I was reminded of it by Anna.)

Books I'm Amazed Nobody Ever Made Me Read
Anything by... Dickens, Austen, Joyce, the Brontes, Faulkner
Any of those dark, depressing Russian books
(If it's a classic, I probably haven't read it.)

Books I've Never Been Interested in Reading
Anything highbrow. If it's Literature, I'm not terribly interested.
Anything having to do with abusive relationships.
I'll read most genre fiction, although I'm not keen on western, military, or historical novels.
I don't read a lot of nonfiction for pleasure, either, except travel memoirs.

Books I Never Managed to Finish
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury -- It's the first book I didn't finish reading. There have been others since then, including some of the books on the previous book list, but it's the first. Since I'm a compulsive reader, it was very difficult to give myself permission not to finish it. It's still on my bookshelf however, so ...

Books I Finished and Liked Quite a Bit, Although Going Into It, I Felt Extremely Wary
I haven't been able to think of any in this category, but I suppose I started out wary of anything that I was required to read in school. The only book I read for school that I ended up liking was To Kill a Mockingbird.

Books for which the quip "Kill me. Now." was invented
1,000 Acres by Jane Smiley
The Two Towers by J.R.R.Tolkien (all that walking and bad poetry; I thought it would never end)

Books they made me read so often I hated both the books and them
The only book I was made to read more than once, that I can recall, is the aforementioned Gabriela, which I actually like.

One of those weird things about me: Because I grew up in a rural place, the nearest public library wasn't real near by. As a result, I was stuck mostly re-reading whatever books I owned or could borrow from neighbors over the summer, when I couldn't borrow books from the school library. We didn't own a lot of books. I can't tell you how many times I re-read the Little House and Nancy Drew books. One consequence of this is that I tend to forget the details of what I've read, particularly in novels, fairly quickly. To this day, I re-read a lot of books, which some of my friends think is completely bizarre. On the other hand, I can usually remember where I've read something and go back to it fairly quickly.