Summer in the Square HD

This is Just Nan's Summer in the Square. This is the last of the set! Hurray! Now I need to find some fabric that will go with all four seasons so I can make them into a wall hanging.

Picked out my Christmas presents

With money being so tight, we don't have the luxury of getting surprise gifts. There are definite things Matt and I want for Christmas, so we've bought them and will wrap them up. Is this less fun? Certainly, but at least we'll get what we really want for Christmas. Matt's getting a new laptop for Christmas and birthday since he'll definitely need one for school. We thought we could swing it with the old laptop, but after he talked to people--nope. He is going to be an engineering major, after all.

Saturday I was getting stir crazy, so Matt and I went in to Austin while Mom babysat Logan. We had a nice meal and hit the LNS, Ginger's. I found some fabric for Skeleton Crew, a few threads, and the chart for My Stitching Treasures Accessories (to go with the box I got one year). The fabric and materials for it are on order. So that's Christmas for me. Not too shabby, and I'm still excited to get my hands on the items come Christmas Day. And really, how would Matt know what to get me when I want stitching stuff?

I'm still trying to figure out what to get Logan for Christmas. I'm thinking some kind of big toy, something he can either climb on or fiddle with. Any ideas? Matt said Logan was fascinated by the toilet auger today when they went to Home Depot. Matt would let him go, and three times he ran back to the auger. I'm thinking that wouldn't be a good toy. Apparently dangerous = fun.

Speaking of the child, I think he's hit the Terrible Twos 10 months early! He's teething and not feeling well and generally just going crazy. He does the things that get his hand slapped, and does them, and again. He's bored with everything, will only eat if you distract him with something interesting, and is into everything. How many more years of this? THAT many?

I'll post a pic of my latest finish tomorrow....

Bummed

I'm sort of bummed. The annual retreat that my LNS hosts has moved to a new location this year. It sounds nicer, but it's almost a three-hour drive! I'm inclined to skip it because it's so far away and I'd be driving alone. It's frustrating because I was really looking forward to it. I missed last year because I didn't want to leave Logan, who was just a tiny little thing. I suppose I don't really need to spend $225 either. Think of the stash!

A few housekeeping items: Sara asked how I got the hearts so even on my needlebook. I used BeckySC's tutorial, of course! :-)

I know a few people have tagged me and nominated me for blog awards. Thank you...I really don't want to offend...but I generally don't participate in those kinds of things. I doubt anyone would be interested in my answers to tags, and then I'd have to tag someone. There's a reason I could never be a salesperson--I hate asking people to do stuff! So, thank you, I'm highly flattered you thought of me; please don't be offended that I choose not to participate.

Ort bag for sale

A shameless plug--I'm selling ort bags again now that I have a chance to breathe. I sell them for $20, which includes postage. This one is ready to go. If you'd like another color, let me know and I'll see what I can do. These make great gifts for stitchers. The pincushion is stuffed with half fiberfill and half doll beads. The bag has two pockets for scissors and such, and you can unbutton the bag for emptying. My mom has a sewing machine that does embroidery, so if you'd like a design or name, let me know (that's done before the bag is put together). My email's charmingtails@hotmail.com.

Also, my mom can stitch just about anything. If you have a request, send it to me. :-)

Daycare: The center checked out just fine. Logan was shy at first but smiled at the kids and liked playing with the outside toys. He may surprise us and just love being there. We know how much he complains when he's trapped in the living room at home. We plan to start him out half days the last week in December and then go full time in January. I'll be a basketcase for sure.

Harvest Time Exchange received

I received this cute piece from Su. It's Harvest by Shepherd's Bush. It's stitched on 32-count linen and is so cute. I love all things fall and winter, so I'm thrilled. Thanks, Su!

More family laid off: We heard that Matt's father had been laid off from a company he had worked for for 38 years, and with only about four weeks severance pay. What a damn shame. He's going to be visiting us in December, and he gets to meet Logan for the first time (and me too!). We'll be glad to see him, but what a sad time for him. He and his wife care for numerous foster children, too.

Daycare, ugh: We go today to look at a daycare center we're considering sending Logan to when Matt begins school in January. I'm so nervous about the whole process. Logan screams bloody murder whenever one of us even leaves the room. I know this is going to be hard for him, and I'm not looking forward to it. We plan to start him out a few hours a day in December.

Winter in the Square HD

I finished this Just Nan piece last night while we watched Lost. Next, I'm going to start on the last of the four, Summer in the Square. Then I can think about how I want to finish these. I know I want to do a wall hanging, but I need to find the right fabric, cording, and ribbon.

Speaking of Lost, Matt and I just aren't getting into the series. A friend lent us the first season. We're finding it--ahem--boring seven episodes in. A lot of people like it; I wonder why we don't. Probably not enough action and too much back story for our tastes. I like the little spooky bits, but there just aren't enough to sustain my interest. I think Matt's on the verge of putting the DVDs away.

Diet: I've done pretty well on the diet this week and have exercised every day for half an hour. That's a lot for me. I think I've managed to lose almost all the weight I had put on during my bad week around Halloween. I had to take care of Logan Friday and Saturday, and toting him around has hurt my back a bit. Matt's been incapacitated after having a vasectomy. He's been incredibly calm about the whole thing. I think I was more nervous about it than he was!

Autumn in the Square HD

I also finished this piece this weekend. I've been working on it a little at a time. So that's 2 out of 4 done so far. I'll probably start on winter next.

I also picked up Maggie the Messmaker last night while we watched The Da Vinci Code (eh).

The stores have been playing Christmas music.... My mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas, so I picked out the last of my charms for the Sweetheart Tree needlerolls and a few charts I've been wanting. Matt's getting a scientific calculator for school and a DVD of Forbidden Kingdom. I still need to figure out what to put on my wishlist for Matt to get me. We won't be spending much this year, as little as we can get away with. Of course, Logan will be getting toys. :-)

Covent Garden Rosebuds finishing

I turned my Covent Garden Rosebuds piece into a needlebook, which was this month's finishing technique on the Monthly Finishing Challenge. I didn't add any edging because I think my stitching is neat enough. And I think any cording would just get in the way. I have more pics if you're interested.

I got lots of housework done this weekend. My back didn't give me too many problems. I even got on the treadmill for a half hour this morning.

Reading: I finished Mercedes Lackey's Brightly Burning yesterday. Now it's on to the Oathbound series. I haven't read these for 20 years. No wonder they seem almost new to me. They still grab me and make me want to spend all my time reading, just like they did when I was 18.

Barnabee's Quest bellpull

I finished this one today. I stitched it up by hand, but it still came out a little crooked. I think it's the iron-on batting. It is very flexible, so it's hard to position when you're ironing it. I think the fabric followed the shape of the batting.

I'm considering what to put on my wish list for Christmas this year. Since money is so tight, I'm going to consider very carefully. I think it will probably be fabric so I can kit up a few charts I have. I still have enough ongoing projects to keep me busy, but a stitcher does not live by WIPs alone (at least not this one!).

Diet: I've been doing poorly on the diet this week. I just hope I haven't gained too much back! Matt and I are going to hit it hard this coming week. I saw a specialist for my back, and I really need to lose weight if I have any hope of getting my back to stop hurting. I could try physical therapy, but I've been through months at the chiropractor. I don't think it's going to do any good until I lose a good bit of weight. The only other option is surgery, and I definitely don't want that!

Harvest Time Exchange sent

Becky K received the Harvest Time Exchange I sent to her. The piece is Blessings Abide by the Cricket Collection. It was a freebie from the Cricket Collection website, but it's already been replaced with a Christmas piece. I used Gloriana Silk Apricot Grove for the words and then modified the DMC colors to match. I don't usually change colors, but I wanted a more autumn feel. This was also my first pouch finish (that I did myself and didn't get Mom to help with). I try to pick something I think matches the recipient's tastes...I hope I managed to do that. Becky said she liked it. :-)

This was a no goodies exchange, which is both a relief and a disappointment. I love finding extras to go with exchanges, but since money is tight, it's a relief that I have a reason not to spend. I'm going to hold off on exchanges until at least after the holidays. Even postage gets to be a bit much when you send off these exchanges nowadays. Sheesh. Having to economize really sucks. Not that I was profligate before, but now I have to really pay attention to each dollar.

Damier HD

Hurray! This one is finally done! I'm going to make a quilted wall hanging out of it, but not immediately. I'm sure the finishing urge will strike at some point. If you'd like the pattern for this piece, it's on Maryse's blog.

Right now I'm stitching on Just Nan's Autumn in the Square. I'm also going to work on a needlebook for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. Just two left for the year, and I've done all the others.

Longhorn in the family: Matt's now an official UT student! He starts classes in the spring. It means tons of student loans, but hopefully in two years he'll have his degree and can start making the big bucks, rather than the no bucks. :-) Logan had his "Future Longhorn" outfit on last night as we watched the trick-or-treaters come to the door. Yes, that's two college educations we're going to have to pay for.

Halloween exchange received

I received this lovely piece from Judith the other day. I know she was getting worried about it. It's part of Just Nan's Witch Way. I've always loved this piece. I stitched it a while back but never did the finishing. Her little pillow is just adorable! Thanks, Judith. I appreciate it very much.

I've also been baking again. I made this cake and a bunch of chocolate mice for a bake sale at work (the full story).



Happy Halloween, everyone!

Pumpkin Patch Exchange received

Isn't this a great exchange I received from Carol? I think this is the third time she's gotten my name. I get excited every time I see her name on a package. :-)

The mattress is from Scary Crows by Holiday Sparrow, and the floss ring tag is Boo! by Barbara Ana Designs. The more Barbara Ana pieces I see, the more I think I need to stitch some!

The package also had some ghost peeps, but my mom scarfed them up before I could take a picture.

In other news, my sewing machine is giving me problems. At least I managed to finish my Harvest Time Exchange piece before it started acting up. I'm hoping Mom can fix it tonight for me.

I've been working on the border of Damier. A little more and the piece will finally be done!

Diet: I've lost 25 pounds so far. Yay me! This week's been a little bad since I've been making sweets for the bake sale at work. Of course I have to sample them to see if they're good!

City of Heroes MMO: The Halloween event continues. Matt and I now have six characters that are up to level 50. This latest one is my oldest character who had been kind of languishing. I'm so glad to see her "retired." We've been playing for almost four years now.

Spring in the Square HD

I finished Just Nan's Spring in the Square last night. I like how it turned out. I just happened to grab spring; maybe I'll go for fall next, which is my favorite season.

City of Heroes: Matt and I have been playing City of Heroes as time permits. Right now there's a Halloween event going on. At certain times, the zombies invade. They pop up out of the ground, and everyone goes to work on them. It's sometimes a lag-fest, but it's fun. You can also click on doors and get a trick (more bad guys) or a treat (a Halloween costume or loot). I can tell we're going to be spending as much free time as we can on it.

Warhammer Online: I considered trying out this MMO (massive multiplayer online game), but they don't have a free trial, and the one trial I found at a LAN center (which Matt had to go into the city for) you have to play at the LAN center because there's no way to download the program. Argh! I probably wouldn't like it anyway because of the plaver versus player emphasis.

Going back to school: Matt's been officially accepted back to his old university. We're going to have to take out student loans and such (ugh), but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. It doesn't look like he'll get a good job without that engineering degree. It's going to be a rough couple of years for all of us.

Reading: I finished rereading Mercedes Lackey's Mage Wars series (I love griffons). Now it's on to the Last Herald-Mage series. Yes, it still makes me cry.

Pumpkin Patch Exchange sent

Chris let me know that she received my Pumpkin Patch Exchange. I think this was one of my favorite packages to get together. It was a challenge to find pumpkin things, and I'm rather proud of what I came up with. Chris said she liked it too, so that makes me happy.

The main piece I stitched was November Harvest Pumpkin, a freebie from the Rainbow Gallery website (I substituted for all the colors, mostly WDW). I made it into a box, my first. More pics.



I also stitched another little piece. This is the one I was tempted to keep for myself because it was so cute. More pics.



As for the extras, I made two hand-made items. One was a stuffed pumpkin. My mom sewed it on the machine, and then I put it together. My machine can't do fancy curved stitching. Or maybe it's the operator.



Lastly, I made some polymer clay magnets. Yes, they're slightly different, but then pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes.

Pig tin

I stitched up this little tin for my mom. It's from 52 Pigs by Jeanette Crews Designs. Mom's weight-loss group back home collects pigs. She wanted me to make 10 others for her friends...but I declined. I'm not keen on repeats.

I'm still working on Just Nan's Spring in the Square. Pics when I'm done.

Thank you so much for the kind comments on my blog. I know how hard it is to keep up with blogs, much less leave comments. :-)

Baby...toddler? Logan got his first haircut the other day. Matt had to hold him down, so I hear. The hairdresser cut his hair way too short. My little cutie lost his few curls and looks like a little boy rather than a baby. Aw. He's getting the hang of walking without holding on, but he's still very wobbly.

Finishing of It's Halloween

Here's my finish of It's Halloween by the Drawn Thread. This is my second flat fold, the first for myself. I'm getting less nervous about using glue in my finishing, though it can be messy if you're not careful. I used a piece of fabric I received in an exchange, and I had just enough. I like it with this piece, and it has the same elements that the piece does.

I mailed off my exchange for the SBEBB Pumpkin Patch Exchange and am looking forward to getting my Halloween Exchange package. I'm working on the finishing of my Harvest Time piece right now.

I also started Just Nan's Spring in the Square. It's smaller than I thought. I plan on stitching all four seasons and doing a wall hanging of some sort. I have lots of larger things I could be working on, but it's still difficult to get a chunk of time worth hauling out a larger piece. There's no way I can stitch with Logan in the room. He always wants to play with Mom's toys.

Typo Hunt Across America

I enjoyed Typo Hunt Across America, the blog where the author and his friend find typos and then fix them (usually after asking permission). I checked it today, and apparently it's been taken down. This was in its place. I could only surmise that they fixed a typo on public land. While I agree you shouldn't fix historical signs, this statement made my blood boil: "It is absolutely egotistical for one to think that one can tell others how to spell." TEAL obviously did not write this. Egotistical? Really? Ever heard of a DICTIONARY? There's nothing unequivocal about a misspelling on a modern sign.

I found this at the Laughing Squid: "On August 11th Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson of The Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL) plead guilty to conspiracy to vandalize government property at the Grand Canyon National Park. They were sentenced to a year's probation and banned from National Parks for a year." Someone commented that "The 'Government Sign' they 'Corrected' was a historical hand painted sign by the builder of the lodge it was in."

Defacing any historical item gives me the heebie jeebies (I can't watch National Treasure without wincing the whole way through, and that's not just because of Nicholas Cage's acting). They did go too far there and should pay the consequences (though I don't know how "historical" this sign is). But I think the spirit of what they did was right. People are much too complacent about typos in what should be a finished product (and if you find a typo in my blog, I'll fix it). I read the other comments, and it amazes me that people think TEAL should have gotten harsher penalties or that they should "leave people alone." They're not mass murderers; they actually want our world to be a better place with correct grammar and spelling. Apparently some people are so defensive about their mistakes that they want those mistakes to live forever.

And I'm not just saying that because I make my living by finding typos. ;-)

Halloween Exchange and updates

Donna received the exchange I sent her for the SBEBB. I stitched Halloween Night by Helga Mandl (from patternsonline.com). This was my first basket lid. I learned a lot doing it and look forward to my next one. Yes, I designed a basket liner and stitched it myself! There are more pics on my website, which is finally up again! My mom sewed six Halloween placemat for me. One side has fabric that matches the basket, and the other has orange. The little spider is cute. You rev it a few times, and it will run on its own. Donna said she liked it. I really enjoyed getting this one together.

I also really had fun with the Pumpkin Patch Exchange. That one is packaged up and ready to be mailed off next Monday.

I think I've figured out what to stitch for the Harvest Time Exchange. I'm going to cool it after that one. We'll be going into the busy holidays, and I need to spend even less money than I have been. Matt's planning to go back to school in the spring, even without a job, so money's going to be tight. Especially after his unemployment runs out....

I stitched the last row of Damier and then realized I didn't like the three letters clumped together. So I ripped a little and did some restitching. Here's the product, which I like better. All that's left is the border, which will be released at the end of this month.

And lastly (for now), here's my Maggie the Messmaker update.

My website's down

We're going on the third day that my website has been down. GoDaddy says they're moving my site to a different server for improved performance. I've never had any problems with my site until now! I am really not happy about this, but they say they're working on it.

So the pictures I wish I could show you are my Halloween exchange that my partner received, an update on Maggie the Messmaker, and the last row of Damier (I just have the border left, which will come next month).

I'm sure I also have a photo from Logan's birthday, where he's covered in chocolate cake, as is usual for baby's first birthday. He goes in today for his one-year shots. Oh boy.

Reading: I've been collecting fantasy novels since I was 13, but I rarely reread books. Matt suggested rereading them since we can't afford to buy many new ones. So I started with my favorite author, Mercedes Lackey. I decided to read the Valdemar books in chronological order, not by publication date as I originally did. I've started on the Mage War series. It's surprising how much I've forgotten about what happens. I'm enjoying them so far. But then I really like gryphons. :-)