Wednesday, June 27, 2012

THIS WILL DEFINITELY BE A LONG ONE


A little while back I was tagged by Jo and Chiara to participate in answering 11 questions and telling 11 things about myself.  I am supposed to tag others to do the same.   I did promise to answer their questions so here goes:
For Chiara @ the grey tail
1.       How long since you’ve last played, sat on the floor, with a kid?
It has been so long I can’t remember my grandson is now 15 living in California and my daughter living locally has no children yet.
2.       Your favorite school trip?
The fact that I just turned 55 on Monday tells you that it has been a long time since I went on a school trip, but if I would have to say it would probably be to Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo.
3.       When you go the sleep do you wake up in the same position, or do you find blankets and pillows all over the place?
 I usually start on my side and wake on my back, however with all of the twisting and turning my DH does I still wake up to find blankets and pillows all over the place.
4.       Shades, hat or both.
Most of the time it’s just my Rx glasses with transition lens but if I’m to be out for a while (such as playing golf) a hat is a must.
5.       Was there a time you thought “I wish I was born there”, if so when and where was it.
When my DH was stationed in Hawaii and we lived there, it was so beautiful I would have loved growing up there.
6.       Do you know how to make candy corn?
 Unfortunately I don’t know how but here is a website that might help http://candy.about.com/od/halloweencandyrecipes/ss/candy_corn_sbs.htm
7.       How many years have you been stitching? Did you learn by yourself or did someone help you along the way?
 I have been stitching over 20 years and I am self-taught. Now that is not to say I haven’t learned a lot from other people over the years.  I started with a stamped cross stitch piece I received as a gift in 1992.
8.       The perfect sandwich: What is in it?
Bacon, fried egg with cheese on sourdough toast.
9.       Honestly do you think ironing our clothes is necessary and how do you deal with the dullest housework ever?
With all of the permanent press clothing I don’t think ironing is always necessary and if it is only when the item is needed.
10.   You reckon there’s an even duller thing than ironing and what is it?
I don’t know about duller things than ironing but I hate cleaning the toilets and showers with a passion.
11.   Is there a TV commercial you like? (Makes you laugh, takes you back to old times or reminds you of someone you know?
There was a Dorito’s commercial from the Super Bowl a couple of years ago with a little boy slapping his mother’s date and warning him to keep his hands off his mama and his chips.  It reminds me of one of my nieces and her son who’s 7 and very possessive of her.



1.       Watch the film first or read the book first?
I love watching movies that are made from a book but I rather read the book first.
2.       Which book would you most like to see made into a film?
It is actually a series of books; they are the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber, which are being filmed as we speak for a TV movie.
3.       Who would play you in the story of your life?
If I had my choice it would be between Queen Latifah and Gabrielle Union.
4.       What was the first live band you saw?
It was “Earth, Wind & Fire” about 30 years ago.
5.       Who is the most famous person you have ever met?
Well I shook hands with the actor Michael Clarke Duncan, from the movie “The Green Mile” and at a golf tournament I was a couple of feet from Tiger Woods.
6.       Did you embarrass yourself by blushing/clamming up, saying something stupid?
With Michael Clarke Duncan there wasn’t enough time to do anything just shake hands, with Tiger Woods I was afraid if I tried to touch him or speak to him while he was playing the sheriffs would have arrested me.
7.       Breakfast, lunch and dinner or breakfast, dinner and tea? Or some other random names for your meals.
My meals are always called breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Even though my breakfast should be called brunch (somewhere between breakfast and lunch).
8.       Does your family have a word for something which no-one else in the world uses? 
Not really, we use to have a secret word for my daughter when she as little, it was so she would never leave school or anywhere with a stranger unless we had sent them and they could give the secret word.
9.       What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
When I was young at home with my parents my father would go rabbit and squirrel hunting and the oldest child at home would have to skin the rabbits and squirrel he brought home.  I couldn’t stand to feel that fur in my hands.
10.   How did you get out of doing it?
I dropped a half skinned rabbit into a pile of fur; this is something you never want to do because it is very hard to get that off of the meat.  I was never given that job again as a matter of fact I think my father stopped hunting after that.
11.   What is the theme song of your life?
Now at the age of 55 I like “New Attitude” by Pattie LaBelle

Well the rules to this exercise were to tell 11 things about myself, I think you will learn more than you wanted to know about me in my answers to these 22 questions so I won’t bore you any further.  I do have 11 questions that I will post later.  The last rule is to tag 11 other people and I can’t just say “if you are reading this you are tagged”, well that is exactly what I will do with the exception to Jo and Chiara. So once I have posted my questions if you are so inclined to answer them please do.  Just send the answers to my email.

Well if you are still here after all of that I think I owe you some stitching pictures, this is my up-date of “Around the World in 80 Stitches” mystery SAL.  I have not added the beads to this part yet, but they are coming.


This is a picture of what I worked on at the last stitch-night at my LNS “In-Stitches Needle Works” until Sept.  I think all of us will be going through withdrawal before then.  So I definitely want to be at the Lock-In scheduled for July 15th.


 Well I will go now and make some wonderful little xxs , thank you to all who have stayed this long I hope you will come again.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I'M LATE, I'M LATE, I'M LATE...IHSW & JUNE TUSAL

For a very important date. I should have posted my IHSW pictures yesterday. I am so sorry. It was a little hard doing anything with a sick hubby in the house. He's a little better today so here I am.  This weekend I worked on what I'm calling my "Banu" design.  It is suppose to be  blackwork but I like colors so it is what it is.  I didn't get to the end of part 5 but I tried.
I have also got to share my TUSAL for the month of June. There are lots of color in this one, there is a little Papillon Creation SAL, African Women, Rose Sampler, the gift for my friend Irene and last but not least "Banu".  This bunch will go into my thread bag for later use as stuffing, today starts anew.
I want to say a big thank you to all of my followers and I love the wonderful comments that you leave. I try to answer or respond to each one. Sometimes it gets a little hard to keep up with me trying to read all the other blogs too. Well I'm off to check on hubby and make some more little xxs.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Well where do I start?

I had been admiring these beautiful black work designs on Facebook and realized that this was the designer from SEBA Designs, Banu Kemirel and I decided to start her latest SAL it is up to part 5 so far but this is where I am.








This is a free SAL so that makes it even better. I am stitching on 28ct Khaki even weave with JPCoats variegated floss, I love the colors but am not crazy about the texture of the floss.  I will try to complete part 5 today and maybe move on to part 3 of Papillon Creations SAL if it arrives in time for IHSW. If not there's plenty in my WIP bag to work on and of course there are new starts.  Also since my last post DH and I played in the 3rd Annual MAG America Open, it's a charity golf tournament and the format was team scramble (best ball). The weather was in the 80s with a slight breeze, so that  was perfect. If this was a televised event I think the highlight would have been my chip in for a birdie on the 5th hole (actually it reminded me of one of Tiger Woods' shots). I made a few other putts to contribute to our team efforts, we even used a couple of my tee shots as best balls.  Our team scored a 76 on 18 holes which was better than our score from last year. After play we were treated to a beautiful lunch.When I got home I felt like a two year old, I needed a shower and a nap. The sun and fresh air wiped me out.  All in all I had one of the best days ever and as you can see I have been bitten by the golf bug, not to the extreme as DH who plays 2 to 3 times a week.
I know I am a year behind but I have discovered "Downton Abbey" I picked up the first season DVD and started watching on Thursday morning as I was stitching and needless to say by bedtime I had become hooked and had watched all 7 episodes. I just need to get season 2.  This is a great show, hopefully Netflix will have it soon and I won't have to pay $23.00 for the DVD.
Well that's all the excitement of my week, thank you all for stopping by and if anybody's looking for me I'll be making those wonderful little xxs.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Just a Short post...

this hot Sunday afternoon. The weathermen forecast 90s today and it was 83 degrees at 6:30 this morning so yes it is HOT! Actually I'm rather cool indoors with the A/C pumping out a nice chill.  I just wanted to share an idea I got from my friend Phyllis on "About Cross Stitch.com" forum.  These are qr(quick response) codes and can be made with an online generator, it can be a link to a blog or website or for text.  I stitched these on 18ct Aida with sparkles. Try them the really work.


Thanks for stopping by got to make the xxs.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Gift Received

Here is the gift I made for my friend and I think she liked it.  It is  Lizzy Kate "I Know God" stitched on 32 ct Flax Belfast Linen with DMC floss. It was supposed to be framed but I couldn't find one that I liked.  The bell-pull type wall-hanging was fun to make once I figured out what I wanted to do. 

Got to go make some xxs, more surprises to come soon.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

MY JUNE WIPOCALYPSE


If you are wondering what this is, scroll down and click on the dragon icon to the right and see all the Wipocalypse info.
 Well there has been some progress, the first is “African Women” this I showed a couple of weeks ago.

  I put it aside when I got the second installment of the Mystery SAL “Around the World in 80 Stitches” from Papillon Creations and now the stitching is finished and all of the beads for that section are on.
  I stitched a couple of columns on the “Spring Heart” and that one lone rose on the left will have to be started over because it’s too big but I had to have it checked by my friend Jan at our stitch-night before I proceeded. 
  So out it comes when I get around to it again in my rotation.  In between all of this I stitched a gift for a friend who visits my blog so I can only show you a hint until she receives it.
  Last but not least I picked up the “Rose Sampler” and this is the progress I’ve made on it. 

  I have an idea for a great scissors fob I want to try and a birthday gift to start, but today is golf league and if it doesn’t rain for the next 3 hours I’ll be on the course hitting from the red tees.  You know what comes after, yes…xxs.
Thank you all for stopping by and I hope you leave lots of comments.