Going Going Gone

And the countdown clock is tickin'. 8 days til setting sail and between now and then, let's see, there is one wedding, one chapter annual meeting, 5 days of work, one mid week ga-la (aka shin-dig), a haircut and pedicure for good measure. Somewhere in there I desperately need to carve out some time to buy a couple pairs of hose, maybe a new dress and some beach bum fun clothes, sorry slacks, blouses, trouser socks and loafers, you're staying home. I'll send you a postcard.

And, oh yeah, we'll have a NEW PRESIDENT come Wednesday! That will be very interesting. Let's all VOTE and HOPE/PRAY for the BEST. It's good to be American and participate in our government, but in 8 days I'll be enjoying the sunny hospitality (and fruity drinks) of our neighbors to the South. Not sure about internet service on the ship, so I might be off the grid for awhile. So far, three stitching projects, the passport, bathing suit, pool sandals, and camera are in the "Ready" pile. If you see a story in the news about "Crazy Stitching Lady Streaks Carribean", don't worry, it's just me, out of clean clothes. Just send bail money. Bon voyage!

Love Thursday

I'm taking a second this morning to give a little shout out to my BEBFF*, Michelle Fabio. Michelle has a fabulous blog "Bleeding Espresso" and promotes Love Thursdays with lovely heart photos of all kinds. She's sharing a photo of mine this week.

Check out Michelle at http://www.bleedingespresso.com/

Share the Love!

BEBFF=Best Espresso Bleeding Friend Forever

WIP update

I won't say it out loud, but with a little luck, I could finish this insanely overdue gift BEFORE the WEEKEND! I'm down to the scroll-y part at the very tippy bottom and I've decided to ax the monogram on the back side of the bag for no other reason than I want to be done with it, and sooner than later. It would be impossible to overstate how THRILLED I'll be to finish this little ditty and turn it over to the unpatiently awaiting recipient. One monkey, almost off my back! Yea!

Flu Shot Blues

Dah nah nah nah da na

Sore joints, stuffy nose, achy head
tissues flying, nose crying, tears coming out of my eyes

Dah nah nana da na

shots don't lie, ain't sick but wantin' to die
head is splittin', room is spinnin', too sore to stitch!

I got the flu shot blues...
Dah nah nana da na
I got the flue shot blues

Everybody now, I got the flu shot blues...


Lyrics: JaLow
Produced by: Marlow

angel ornament finish

Here's my first attempt at the pinkeep finish. Hoped the Watercolours cord would turn out a little better. Not my best effort, but overall, I think she'll do just fine.

Do you blame me?

How can you witness such a spectacular show and not love this time of year? Oh if I could I would turn the universe on slo-mo so I could soak up every moment of natural glory Fall brings to my doorstep. Wherever you are reading this, I hope you are bathed in the beautiful handiwork of nature as well.

bygone stitchers

As I've grown more interested in the needlewomen of bygone eras, it occurred to me that although I've been stitching for nearly 30 years, I probably am woefully ill-prepared and under-skilled by what I imagine their standards would have been hundreds of years ago. What if one of these gentile ladies rang my doorbell on a lazy Sunday afternoon? What would they expect to find? For example, every properly trained needlewoman would have certainly had a show sampler; not the sampler she learned her numbers or letters on, but a sampler she would have hung in the parlor or entry hall, extolling her heritage and lineage. She would have displayed her faith with an Adam and Eve piece. She would have a complete set of stitching tools (measuring tape or rule, variety of needles, scissors, laying tool, thread winder, etc.) of high enough quality to warrant admiration of her colleagues. She probably did not have an endless bucket of fibers, shelves laden with patterns, and pallets of fabric. If only my knowledge of the needle was as deep and rich as my stash.

If small-ish samplers count, I have a good "old school" sampler to claim: Kingsland, The Learned Wife. I also have an Adam and Eve piece in progress however, the colors are so off that I need to frog most of it and re-do. Stitching set is also in progress. One day, little fish needle book, one day. As for the impossibly long To Do list and shameful stash? I'm working on it.

Me thinks I have miles to go before I sleep.

chugg-a chugg-a chugg-a chugg-a Woo Woo!

I'm starting to see a glimmer of what might be light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, and I don't think it's a train this time! Not that I haven't enjoyed this little journey into Monochromania, but I'm more than ready to get back into my lovely bag of rainbow colors. And there is that small matter of a Finishing GCC I need to see to. Perhaps I'll stop pretending and email Marion tomorrow for an extention. But wait, if you haven't fixed a due date, do you need an extension? :-D

Beautiful beautiful

It's the most beautiful passing over you'll ever see, Fall. Each season should be celebrated for it's own merits, but somehow Fall is labeled as the transition season, a comma between summer and winter. Well, with views like these out my front window, it would be just fine with me if Fall decided to linger a while.

realignment of stitching priorities

Okay-the checkbook is balanced for the first time in six weeks, the luggage is empty and stored away, and the other mundane details of life seem to be falling back into place which can only mean one thing, time to get that needle back in my hand! I feel like I've been on a furlough with all the running around I've been doing and frankly I'm missing the feel of my butt in my favorite stitching spot. HOWEVER, while I was gone, I had a delivery! Months ago, I broke down and ordered two nice "lady" chairs for my "drawing" room (aka spare basement room) and they are HERE! Now I just have to get into the habit of "retiring" to my stitching room after dinner and introducing the new cushions to the profile of my rear!

Cute shoes!

From the Field Museum collection-

Everyone who knows me knows I have a shoe fetish, so it's no shocker that I spent the better part of an hour admiring the hu-mongo wall of shoes exhibit (Field Museum, Chicago). I apparently have a thing for fish too because I found myself especially drawn to and amused by the children's fish slippers (pic 3). The little Chinese boy who stood beside me at the museum informed me that the green stuff at the toe of the shoe was seaweed the fish was eating. Of course! What else would it be!? Precious.

Meet Sue

This is Sue. She is the most complete T Rex ever unearthed, from South Dakota, of all places. She lives in the Field Museum in Chicago along with the man-hunting lions from Tsavo Africa (The Ghost and the Darkness movie) and a bunch of other cool stuff. Half a day really wasn't long enough to see everything, so plan the better part of a day when you go. Everything from the Tibetian exhibit, to the collection of wild animals, to the Egyptian exhibit, to the shoes from around the world was spectacular! Loved me some Chinese embroidered slippers! And, did I mention, the BEST museum gift shop I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Tack on an extra 45 minutes just for shopping and bring the plastic!

Tina for President!

Oh my Goodness! Tina Turner is a goddess. I have never in my life seen ANYONE rock a stadium harder than Tina rocked United Center in Chicago Friday night. What a show, what a Queen. She is undoubtedly the Queen of Rock and Roll. At 69 years old, I think she deserves a medal for just trying, but let me tell you folks, she did a lot more than try. This woman is a professional rocker! She's got my vote for whatever she wants to run for! Mother Nature has met her match.

Chapter gifts

Urgent - send up a prayer for this sorry stitcher, I'm using the "electrified" sewing machine and we all know what that means; someone's going to lose an eye or finger. Because of the physical deformity that prevents me from making the noise "no", I am sewing these little beauties up for chapter gifts. Credit goes to our VP of Membership for the hand stitching. I think everyone will really love these little needlebooks! Visit Sharon over at http://www.xstitchhappy.com/ for more terrific and totally free charts. Thanks Sharon!

My random act of kindness

It's one of the great pleasures in life to surprise a friend with an especially thoughtful, handmade, unique gift. I'm sad to say I don't make the time to do it more often, but this month (make that last month), I made this tiny pendant for my mentor, teacher and friend, Marion Scoular. I hope those little bullion picots on top hang in there. Just learned those in Vima's class in Louisville. Added my freshly designed signature on the rear of the pendant. What fun!

Angels 3

One angel, two angels, three angels, DONE! I do love stitching Christmas tree ornaments, but would love more hanging them on My tree instead of donating them to the chapter. But, we do what we do...

They are a little different than most Christmas angel ornaments, but I love them! A little trim around the third, and they will fly away to their new home.