I did go to the show today, and I heard some nice comments about my pieces. Apparently the criteria for the judging were just whatever pieces the judges liked. Cross stitch did not get much, from what I heard. While I would like to be a part of a stitching group, I don't think I can put myself through this kind of thing. I hate competitions because I have this nagging drive to succeed, even when there's no real need to. I wish the show was truly a show and not a competition. I just don't see the point. Ah well, this is just the way my brain works and it's the only one I have, so I'll have to live with it. :)
I did see some very cute beaded ornaments, so I may need to take up beading. I've been meaning to for a while.
My stitching is home and safe, so I can relax and work on Summer Faerie (which I also saw at the show!).
Sunday, April 07, 2013
Saturday, April 06, 2013
Feeling funky
I've been in something of a funk this year. I mostly attribute it to settling into a new house and new city and the fact that everything is disorganized, especially my craft room. My environment has to be organized, at least to a certain extent, before my brain can fully engage. OCD? Maybe a little.
So we bought three shelves from Ikea for my craft room, and I bought some plastic bins to organize all my stuff. Of course, that didn't take care everything. We then bought some wood and put up some shelves in the closet of my craft room (they still need painting). At last, almost everything was off the floor! I still have some things to hang, but I need to figure out where they need to go. At least I have room to work.
We also bought a new comfy chair (insert Monty Python quip here) for the bedroom so I could stitch. At last! I could enjoy stitching again!
I started on the last Teresa Wentzler fairy to complete my collection. I've finished the top border and bit of the sides.
Then today happened. When we moved here, I joined the Austing EGA chapter. I was very happy to be part of a group, but work and my general exhaustion after work prevented me from going to the meetings. Today is their stitching show, and I entered some of what I thought was my best work. I showed up to volunteer today, and no one was there. At all. Then I saw the list of merit ribbon winners. Nope, my name wasn't on the list. OK. I didn't want to be childish, but I was hurt. My work is about as technically accurate as I can get it. I know my technique wasn't the problem. The subject matter? I don't do samplers or folk art, which seems to be all the rage. Cliquish behavior? No idea. I finally figured that this group just isn't into the kinds of things I do. So what's the point of being a part of this group? Defeated, I went home and emailed that I wouldn't be working today.
So yeah, I feel like a little kid who didn't win at the science fair. I'm an adult, right? Why am I sitting here depressed because some people didn't like my cross stitch? Grow up, don't take it personally, be mature.
I think I'll just take my toys and go home now.
So we bought three shelves from Ikea for my craft room, and I bought some plastic bins to organize all my stuff. Of course, that didn't take care everything. We then bought some wood and put up some shelves in the closet of my craft room (they still need painting). At last, almost everything was off the floor! I still have some things to hang, but I need to figure out where they need to go. At least I have room to work.
We also bought a new comfy chair (insert Monty Python quip here) for the bedroom so I could stitch. At last! I could enjoy stitching again!
I started on the last Teresa Wentzler fairy to complete my collection. I've finished the top border and bit of the sides.
Then today happened. When we moved here, I joined the Austing EGA chapter. I was very happy to be part of a group, but work and my general exhaustion after work prevented me from going to the meetings. Today is their stitching show, and I entered some of what I thought was my best work. I showed up to volunteer today, and no one was there. At all. Then I saw the list of merit ribbon winners. Nope, my name wasn't on the list. OK. I didn't want to be childish, but I was hurt. My work is about as technically accurate as I can get it. I know my technique wasn't the problem. The subject matter? I don't do samplers or folk art, which seems to be all the rage. Cliquish behavior? No idea. I finally figured that this group just isn't into the kinds of things I do. So what's the point of being a part of this group? Defeated, I went home and emailed that I wouldn't be working today.
So yeah, I feel like a little kid who didn't win at the science fair. I'm an adult, right? Why am I sitting here depressed because some people didn't like my cross stitch? Grow up, don't take it personally, be mature.
I think I'll just take my toys and go home now.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Looking back at 2012 and ahead to 2013
Yes, it's the obligatory post about yearly goals. I like setting goals because I feel like I've accomplished something when I meet them. When I don't meet them, I don't get too heartbroken; I just reassess and carry on.
I didn't stitch much in the past year, mainly because my love of reading reawakened. Even with checking out books from the library, I think it's still a more expensive hobby than cross stitching. Kindles are very dangerous. Speaking of which, my mom bought me a Kindle Fire HD so that my son could have my regular Kindle Fire. He loves playing games on it, and it keeps him focused (he's ADHD) -- much better than having him bored and getting in trouble because of it. Matt also bought me a Kindle Paperwhite for my birthday because my first Kindle died after a cat knocked a glass of water onto it. I like the bare-bones Kindle because you can read it outdoors and the battery lasts longer; sadly, this one doesn't have Whispernet, which allows you to buy books even when you don't have an Internet connection. We're also trying out the Kindle Freetime app so that Logan doesn't accidentally buy games (again) and doesn't mess up the settings (again). The built-in parental controls only do so much.
My only stitching goal for the year was to work on Matt's Magnificent Wizard, which I didn't do. Now that I have a sewing room again and it's almost organized, I hope to get back to it.
Finished in 2012:
I hope you had a good year, and let's get stitching! If you read my blog, I'd like to read your blog too. Please post a link to your blog in the comments, and I'll add it to my reading list if it's not already there. I read blogs through Google Reader, and I don't know of a way to post which ones I read. Thanks.
I didn't stitch much in the past year, mainly because my love of reading reawakened. Even with checking out books from the library, I think it's still a more expensive hobby than cross stitching. Kindles are very dangerous. Speaking of which, my mom bought me a Kindle Fire HD so that my son could have my regular Kindle Fire. He loves playing games on it, and it keeps him focused (he's ADHD) -- much better than having him bored and getting in trouble because of it. Matt also bought me a Kindle Paperwhite for my birthday because my first Kindle died after a cat knocked a glass of water onto it. I like the bare-bones Kindle because you can read it outdoors and the battery lasts longer; sadly, this one doesn't have Whispernet, which allows you to buy books even when you don't have an Internet connection. We're also trying out the Kindle Freetime app so that Logan doesn't accidentally buy games (again) and doesn't mess up the settings (again). The built-in parental controls only do so much.
My only stitching goal for the year was to work on Matt's Magnificent Wizard, which I didn't do. Now that I have a sewing room again and it's almost organized, I hope to get back to it.
Finished in 2012:
- Band Sampler RR
- Joan Elliott RR
- Almost Halloween
- Enchanted Swans
- Frightful
- Sizzle
- Halloween exchange (I need to post a pic of the one I did)
- Thanksgiving exchange (ditto)
I hope you had a good year, and let's get stitching! If you read my blog, I'd like to read your blog too. Please post a link to your blog in the comments, and I'll add it to my reading list if it's not already there. I read blogs through Google Reader, and I don't know of a way to post which ones I read. Thanks.
Sunday, December 02, 2012
HOE Thanksgiving pinkeep received
I received this beautiful exchange from Kayona. She was very understanding about the move and waited to mail it once we were in the new house.
The piece is Thankful Quaker by Bent Creek. She added colors and buttons and did a really nice job with it. The finishing is perfect.
Saturday, December 01, 2012
EGA
I've decided to join the Austin chapter of the EGA; I love talking to other stitchers. I'm going to their Christmas party tomorrow. I see that they have a show in the spring. If all goes well and they allow it, I think I'll exhibit a few of my pieces. I'd like to solicit feedback on what I should show. What do you think? All my pieces are on my website, www.arthemise.com.
I think I can part with my large HAED, The Awakening, for a weekend (that piece stayed with me at all times during the move).
I've considered my Chatelaine Rose and Butterfly Quilt, but it's unframed and so large. I don't know how I'd display it. It's too nice to turn into an actual quilt.
I think I can part with my large HAED, The Awakening, for a weekend (that piece stayed with me at all times during the move).
I've considered my Chatelaine Rose and Butterfly Quilt, but it's unframed and so large. I don't know how I'd display it. It's too nice to turn into an actual quilt.
We've moved!
A lot has happened since I last posted. Someone made an offer on our house, which had been on the market for over a year (I was about to take the listing down so it would reset after three months of being down). They gave us about three weeks to move, which, as you can imagine, is not much time at all to pack up a fairly large house with four people living in it.
The realtor kept telling us that it wasn't a done deal until after the inspection, etc., and we kept saying we can't wait around until it is! So we had to pack even though we knew there was a chance the buyers would back out. We also had to consider where we would live. I didn't like the idea of moving into temporary housing because that would mean two moves. And our movers wound up costing $2,500! As it turned out, the temporary housing we were counting on was booked up, and we really didn't want to stay in an apartment for six months.
So we started looking at houses. Again, the realtor said we couldn't make any real plans until the option period passes on our house. And we said we can't afford to wait! So we looked at about 16 houses over two weekends. None really grabbed us except for one. Matt and I both decided it could be the one. Our realtor made a few inquiries to get more information and found out another offer had already been made on the house. I didn't like being rushed, but we decided to make an offer anyway. The sellers had a verbal agreement with some other buyers, but those buyers weren't getting back to them with a contract. In real estate, a verbal agreement means nothing. So we offered list price, which they accepted.
We also asked if we could lease the house for a month while our paperwork got processed. Amazingly, they said yes, but they wanted a huge deposit and would only let us move once our house was closed.
So there were quite a few dominoes lined up, and I didn't sleep this entire time (2-4 hours a night for a person who usually needs at least 7 to function--I didn't sleep until we spent our first night in the new house). So if anything went wrong with selling the old house, we'd have no place to live, and our furniture was all with the movers. We spent two nights at a hotel with no house. Scarier than you would think.
We also had to worry about the cats. At first, we were going to keep them in the hotel with us because I thought this would be less stressful. We found a hotel that took pets, and when we were checking in, they said they didn't take cats. What? You said you would--on your website and on the phone! I was so angry. So we scrambled to find a hotel that would take the cats, and then of course later I decided to board them anyway because I did not relish having to pull the wild cat out from under the bed (what hotel doesn't block under the bed?). (How wild is this cat? The vet couldn't give her shots because they couldn't hold her down.)
Another hiccup was that Fed Ex screwed up the delivery of some paperwork, but we closed on time, and we got to move into the new house. We have our closing Monday, and everything looks good. I'm looking forward to putting some nails in the walls!
I keep telling Matt how much I love the house. The exterior isn't my favorite, but the interior is gorgeous and roomy. I have granite countertops. I have more cabinet space than I know what to do with. I have a utility room and a sunroom. I have high ceilings again. I have my own sewing room, and my mom has her own too! There's a playground behind our house for Logan, and the neighborhood is great. It's only 30 minutes from work, instead of 60.
So it all worked out after a lot of stress and a lot of time. We still have a lot of work to do to get the house unpacked and like we want it, but we have time, and more now that we don't have to drive as much.
Just don't ask me how I'm doing on my diet.
The realtor kept telling us that it wasn't a done deal until after the inspection, etc., and we kept saying we can't wait around until it is! So we had to pack even though we knew there was a chance the buyers would back out. We also had to consider where we would live. I didn't like the idea of moving into temporary housing because that would mean two moves. And our movers wound up costing $2,500! As it turned out, the temporary housing we were counting on was booked up, and we really didn't want to stay in an apartment for six months.
So we started looking at houses. Again, the realtor said we couldn't make any real plans until the option period passes on our house. And we said we can't afford to wait! So we looked at about 16 houses over two weekends. None really grabbed us except for one. Matt and I both decided it could be the one. Our realtor made a few inquiries to get more information and found out another offer had already been made on the house. I didn't like being rushed, but we decided to make an offer anyway. The sellers had a verbal agreement with some other buyers, but those buyers weren't getting back to them with a contract. In real estate, a verbal agreement means nothing. So we offered list price, which they accepted.
We also asked if we could lease the house for a month while our paperwork got processed. Amazingly, they said yes, but they wanted a huge deposit and would only let us move once our house was closed.
So there were quite a few dominoes lined up, and I didn't sleep this entire time (2-4 hours a night for a person who usually needs at least 7 to function--I didn't sleep until we spent our first night in the new house). So if anything went wrong with selling the old house, we'd have no place to live, and our furniture was all with the movers. We spent two nights at a hotel with no house. Scarier than you would think.
We also had to worry about the cats. At first, we were going to keep them in the hotel with us because I thought this would be less stressful. We found a hotel that took pets, and when we were checking in, they said they didn't take cats. What? You said you would--on your website and on the phone! I was so angry. So we scrambled to find a hotel that would take the cats, and then of course later I decided to board them anyway because I did not relish having to pull the wild cat out from under the bed (what hotel doesn't block under the bed?). (How wild is this cat? The vet couldn't give her shots because they couldn't hold her down.)
Another hiccup was that Fed Ex screwed up the delivery of some paperwork, but we closed on time, and we got to move into the new house. We have our closing Monday, and everything looks good. I'm looking forward to putting some nails in the walls!
I keep telling Matt how much I love the house. The exterior isn't my favorite, but the interior is gorgeous and roomy. I have granite countertops. I have more cabinet space than I know what to do with. I have a utility room and a sunroom. I have high ceilings again. I have my own sewing room, and my mom has her own too! There's a playground behind our house for Logan, and the neighborhood is great. It's only 30 minutes from work, instead of 60.
So it all worked out after a lot of stress and a lot of time. We still have a lot of work to do to get the house unpacked and like we want it, but we have time, and more now that we don't have to drive as much.
Just don't ask me how I'm doing on my diet.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Last Joan Elliott RR piece
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Received my Halloween exchange
Halloween cupcakes!
Logan found these cat cupcakes in a magazine and had to have them. So since his birthday is in October, I made them for his party at daycare. I did a little substituting -- black Twizzlers for the ears instead of the blackberry candy I couldn't find, and fruit roll-ups for the tongues instead of purple confetti candy. I also used crushed Oreos instead of black sanding sugar. Who wants to crunch into sugar on a cupcake?
They were a lot of work. Who knew? I guess I'll have to think hard before deciding to make homemade decorations. Logan was very excited about giving them to his friends (and was indignant when one of his friends threw one away). They meant something to him, so they were worth the effort.
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