Saturday, October 22, 2011

Pinecone Update and Retreat Report

***

Hello Friends.  I'm back from Retreat and feeling lazy.  REALLY Lazy!  Must be the time of year but all I find myself wanting to do lately is lay around and watch the leaves turn color. 

Retreat was wonderful, as always.  Packed room with good friends, food and enough stitching to sink a battleship.  Instead of taking three projects (one per day), like my normal, I only took Pinecones.  Mainly because I was too lazy to pack more than one project but also because I wanted to get moving with this piece.  My goal was to have it finished and framed by now, but ...  (see lazy remarks above).


Gathering Pinecones
Hillside Samplings


The missing pinecone (in the 2nd position from left) was fly stitched and finished at one point but ended up twice as long as it was supposed to be sooooo out she had to come.  I'm talking to myself about starting it again.  It could be awhile...

Funny how I was drawn to all the specialty stitches in this piece but am not so sure about all of them now.  My lighting has to be just right and I still find myself squinting to get all the over-one stuff just right.  Once I finish the fly stitch pinecone, I might have to put it down for a solely cross stitch ornament, or something else along the easy lines.  Like I said, I've been in lazy mode for awhile...

In closing, let me share my Christmas cactus with you.  It's decided to bloom early this year:




Happy stitching to you, wherever you are...


Saturday, October 1, 2011

taking 5

Have you ever just needed to take 5?  Or 10?  I sure have.  As I sit writing this I am reflecting on a summer that literally passed me by.  I am not sure what I was doing that was so important but I missed summer 2011 altogether.  The winds of fall are blowing with a little sprinkle in the air today and already making my bones ache a bit.  Lord I dread winter. 

I haven't had much time for personal creativity this past month due to setting the program for my chapter on Monday.  The prep work that goes into these programs can be all consuming.  I bow down to all you program chiefs out there.  I don't know how you do it from month to month to month.  All hail Education VPs!

And, lastly, I will shortly return to prepping the budget for my EGA chapter next year.  I can honestly say that I will NEVER never NEVER volunteer to be treasurer for any organization ever again after learning how much work it is for even my small chapter.  All hail Treasurers of the world!  After October, I'll have two more months of treasuring to look forward to before some other lucky duck gets to take over. 

Well that's my 5 kiddos.  I hope this finds you all well and tucked in somewhere stitching.  I'll be on retreat next weekend with the girls so I'll plan to update you on that in about two weeks.

Take Care!