30 August 2007

Most Current Family Photo

As I was surfing through old blog posts today I ran across this photo. It was taken 2 days after Mardi Gras, 2004.

What really struck me about this photo is that I believe it really is the most current family photo that we have. How sad is that? I better go make an appointment with a photographer. Gee Whizzzzzzz!

(shown left to right: DS, DH, and me)


Fairy Tale RR Block


As I draft this post I find myself looking at the clock. For some reason time just seems to be passing so quickly lately. More probably, I'm just not making efficient use of my time. So, I'm toying with the idea of making myself a schedule (of sorts) to help me stay on task. Primarily, that means limiting my time on the computer. Or heaven forbid, stop making so many commitments to projects.

Anyway, I got one of my Fairy Tale RR (Round Robin) blocks back the other day. It's the 'Bad Daughter' block from the story, Diamond and Toads. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. As you may know, I'm an 'encruster' so I was tickled to see it SOOOOO fully embellished. Especially, since we had 2 members in this particular set who couldn't see the RR through to completion.

My thanks go out to all of the ladies from CQN who took such care, thought, and effort in making it special:
Nancy (who hosted the RR) in Kansas, Siw in Norway, Lori in Connecticut, Faith in Maryland, Rebecca in Texas, and Lauri in Colorado.

I'm hoping to have my other block, the 'Good Daughter' returned soon.

And this is where my mini rant starts...

This was my first RR and I didn't really know what to expect. Sadly though, this was not it. Nearly from the beginning this RR got somewhat out of kilter and there was much confusion and delay. In fact, I'm still waiting on several blocks from 2 different RR sets. And I haven't had a block to work on in I don't know how long. At this point is quite disappointing. And still unclear as to where the blocks are.

And I do realize that when 'life happens' and there are things beyond our control that prevent us from doing what we would like to or need to, patience and understanding are necessary. And I must also and honestly admit that I was not too patient or understanding at times. But I got - well - angry because those who were struggling, dropping out, and getting backed up didn't stand up to the plate and say anything.

Please know that I'm voicing only my opinion. I'm venting, and shedding some of my frustration. I'm not pointing fingers at or directing this toward any particular individual. It's not personal!

Okay, rant over! I guess I better go get some more coffee, I'm sure that will help. LOL.

'Til Next time...Happy Needling!


29 August 2007

Season to Season - Fall

This is just an update and reminder that you can see the most current swap information and posted photos at this link HERE (just scroll down to the first post).



27 August 2007

Stitching and School Starts

CELL PHONE POUCHES



I took yesterday 'off' to stitch. I managed to get another cell phone pouch (front piece) worked. I now have four of them to line, add straps, etc.

BACK TO SCHOOL

DS returned to school this morning. WOW, my baby is a junior in high school. Where did the time go? I still look at him and see him trying to learn to ride a bicycle. With DH running next to him, needing to let him go, yet staying close just in case.

This past year has brought so much maturity in him, and so many changes. It seems that he's always grabbing his car keys, giving me a hug, and heading out the door. He's got a girlfriend....need I say more?!!?!?!!?

This year presents new challenges for him. He will have calculus and chemistry, in addition to his core classes, and his engineering. I think he's up for it. I hope that DH and I are. LOL.

I do take comfort in knowing that some things haven't changed. Unfortunately, those are things that really, really need to. He still doesn't wake up to his own alarm, he still doesn't make his own lunch, and he is running right on time...with NO TIME to spare.

Oh well, it's only the first day. And I didn't cry when he drove out of the driveway! So, MOMs here's hoping that your first day back to school wasn't too heart-breaking!


'Til next time - Happy Needling!!


24 August 2007

Ten Rules...

For Being Human. (See below)

I received this link to Jennifer Lee's blog from Corina. Whose blog, BTW, I just recently found by browsing the members of Bloggers Who Embellish webring. Unfortunately, I don't get to check my rings often enough.

Anyway, that link took me to Kelly's blog, which ultimately took me to the source (as best I can tell) of the post at My Success Company.

So, now that I've tried to give everyone the credit due, here are the "Rules":

Ten Rules for Being Human
by Cherie Carter-Scott


1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.


I don't know how you all feel about it but I truly enjoyed it. And found it to be a very interesting philosophical look at life.

22 August 2007

Adult Outing!!!

DH and I recently spent a weekend in Austin, Texas, aka 'Hill Country' to most. We had a wonderful time despite the heat. Our dear friends Mark and Kathy put us up (as usual) and treated us to some of the 'best' sights and activities.



Anyway, they have a lovely home in the 'hills', and the view and tranquility are awesome. Being an early riser I was able to watch the sun come up over the hills. Sooooo beautiful. If it hadn't been 90+ degrees already that would have been a real bonus. LOL.



Although the heat just didn't seem to bother their Lab, Maddie. But then again, she has a pool to jump into hundreds of times a day to cool off. And believe me she does. It's too funny. The dog really, really loves the water.

Seeing non-flat roads was so great. Gosh, it's been a long time. Leaving the mountains in Utah and coming to Texas, to flat land was really strange. I had all but forgotten what it's like to have to take a curve....too weird!



For everything about their new home that they shared with us, the things that I enjoyed the most were the winery visit and tasting, and the 'Austin Bats'. Not to discount the sight-seeing, the lakes, the food, the company, and the reminiscing.

We went to watch the Austin Bats, as they are called, on the Congress Avenue Bridge. What a truly freaky thing to see. Bats were everywhere. They're not aggressive and they are very small but still just seeing them, thousands and thousands of them, flying, ducking, diving, and darting around is really strange! Definitely something to experience.

Then there was the wine tasting at the Flat Creek Estate Winery. Also, written about at Texas Cooking. Mark and Kathy really know their wine and have even entertained thoughts of opening a winery of their own. They are good friend with the owners, Rick and Madelyn Naber. And needless to say, it was very cool to have the owners of the winery assist us in our taste testing.



(Mark and Kathy, and winery co-owner, Madelyn Naber)

And DH, ready to wet his whistle. LOL.
Oh, and there I am....behind the camera!

Oh, I almost forgot....also while we were there, the Perseid meteor shower was supposed to be at its peak. We stood outside on two different nights but didn't see too much activity. However, we DID see some. But I think we were looking too early in the night. The peak time would have been about 2AM on Monday. But I just don't do all-nighters anymore. LOL. Nasa posted an informative article of their site.

And just FYI, the next meteor shower will be the Orionids on October 21. Find more information here at Star Date Online.

Thanks Mark and Kathy, we had a wonderful time!


Award Recap

This time my thanks go to Kat Lees for her nomination for the "Nice Matters Award". This to the best of my knowledge is the most recent, and maybe the last. LOL.

Kat is a very talented doll artist, whom I met not too long ago through blogging. She graciously gifted me with one of her CD's on doll making (among other things) and I am quite happy to have it. Her most recent work is The Candy Cane Elf, which she also has on CD. I'm sure she will soon have it listed in her Etsy Shop.

Thank you, Kat. I'm glad to have you as a friend.


Nominations from other NICE people:
Sandi: Renaissance Woman, Connie: Cloth Matters, Sandie: Delightfully Crazy, Charlene: When This You See, Remember Me, Norma: Norma's Needlez, and Ati: Ati on the Crazy Road.

Thank you ladies for thinking of me.

And special THANKS to Bella Enchanted for creating such a fun and thoughtful award.


19 August 2007

And Again....

I'm really quite surprised and tickled to find that so many people think I'm "NICE" and have chosen to award me for it. I'm on the verge of getting a really big head. LOL.

The most recent nomination for the "NICE MATTERS AWARD" comes from Sandi, of the Renaissance Woman. She's a very talented doll maker and quilter. She is also a writer and a teacher. It seems that her blog name really says it all!

Thank you, Sandi. I am honored :-)


18 August 2007

Thank You to a Good Friend

I recently entered into another Sassa Lynne thread buy, organized by Susan N. I opted for the second go-around not only because the threads are absolutely beautiful, and a dream to work with, but also because Susan has such a knack for finding terrific bargains. She is also extremely generous with her time and efforts in putting these things together.

Anyway, the threads alone would have been enough of a treat. But Susan, true to form, sends along other goodies, too. Check out this needle case. And it's Purple! I have to wonder if she got lucky, or if she knew that I didn't have one. I'm too darn lazy to make one myself. But I didn't waste anytime getting some needles into it. LOL. Oh, and that's not all. The needle case is resting comfortably on two pieces of Dupioni silk, which she also sent.



Susan, your generosity is overwhelming. You have a true and genuine kindness. Thank you so much.


(Susan's other blogs/journals: Desert Sky Quilting, and Traveling the U.S.). Don't ask me where she finds the time!

Happy Needling!!


15 August 2007

Season to Season Swap

FALL

For those of you who don't know what's going on here, I'll quickly update you. I am hostessing my first swap with one of my groups, CQForNewbies (CQN). This is a FALL themed swap and will run from now until around the end of November.

This is a one on one partner share project. Participants will work approximately 1/2 of the block they make, then their partner will work the other 1/2. Participants will get their original blocks back.

AND YES, I KNOW that technically that is not a swap. But that's what I'm calling it for simplicities sake.

So, with sign-ups closed and 32 participants, I'm setting up this post with links so that those who choose to follow this swap can do so more easily.

For the benefit of our participants without blogs, a 360, a flickr, etc., I will post photos here as they become available, which means I will be updating this particular post.

This post will be readily accessible from my sidebar under "Posts by Topic" in the drop down menu under "STS-Fall".

So, who's on board???
(those who either dropped out or that I haven't received blocks have been removed from the post)

(With sites)
Ati (received 08/21/07)
Carole (received 08/16/07)
Charlene (received 09/07/07)
Christy (received 09/18/07)
Connie (received 08/23/07)
Courtney (received 08/13/07)
Gerry (N/A)
(Okay, I couldn't stop just yet. I added some more beads, buttons, and filled in the swirls to the left)



Unfortunately, there were 3 people who I either didn't receive blocks from or who had to drop out. So, in order to keep the numbers even, I made a 'Make It Even' block. And this is it. This block will be raffled in some way on the group because it is an 'extra' so to speak.



These are the "after" photos, with Sharon R's work. Don't you just love the little bee and gourd buttons? Too, cute!


Helina (received 08/18/07)
Irena (Ira) (received 08/30/07)
Janet (received 08/17/07)
JK (received 08/30/07)
Katrien (received 08/13/07)
Lauri (received 08/16/07)
Leslie (received 09/04/07)
Lori (received 09/04/07)
Mary (received 09/04/07)
Norma (received 08/10/07)
Rebecca (received 08/29/07)
Sharon G (received 09/04/07)
Sue (received 09/06/07)
Susie (received 08/07/07)

(Photos posted here)

Carol (received 08/16/07) and the "after" photo is with Ati's work.


Cynthia (received 08/27/07) and the "after" photo is with Lori's work.


Faith (received 08/29/07) and the "after" photo is with Sharon G's work.


Judi (received 09/07/07) and the "after" photo is with Janet's work.


Marlene (received 09/07/07) and the "after" photo is with Mary's work.


Patricia (received 09/04/07) and the "after" photo is with Susie's work.


Robin (received 09/14/07) and the "after" photo is with Leslie's work.


Sharon R (received 08/13/07) and the "after" photo is with Gerry's work.










Also, PLEASE notify me if you find an error on this page. I've done my best to verify it but there is always the possibility that I've missed something. Thank you, ladies.

Happy Needling!!

14 August 2007

Just Catching Up...

Good grief, I go away for the weekend and it's really tough to get back on track. But I'm going to try.

DH took me on a little long weekend retreat to the Texas "Hill Country" this past weekend. Partly to celebrate my One Year BlogAversary (yesterday) and partly for fun. We were able to visit with some very dear friends who have been making a go of trying to get settled for some time now. From what I could tell, they're doing just fine.

While we were there I stole some time out to work on another cell phone pouch, and actually managed to finish it up. Well, the needlework anyway. I'm probably going to have to put a charm or two or something else on it. I just don't seem to know when to call it quits. But I think it's looking pretty good right now. As some of you know, I'm not really a "blue" fan. I don't even eat bleu cheese.



I have completed a swap with Katrien from the Chains of Hearts (COH) group. I sent her the 'garden' themed heart. And in return, I received this lovely yellow, oh so 'spring like' heart from her. It's really a very nice piece.



Oh gosh, I forgot to post this. Katrien also very generously included these goodies with her swap heart. Along with a little personal information.


She and I are also in the CQN group together. Anyway, thank you, Katrien! (See her flickr photos here). Speaking of which....I'm starting to receive blocks for the swap I'm hosting. They are looking soooooooo GOOD! There is just so much talent and creativity out there. In the next couple of days I will be posting the names and website information of the participants. That way you can keep track of our progress, should you want to do that.

I'll also be posting some photos of our trip to Austin and sharing with you some of the really cool and fun things that we did. Until then, Happy Needling!


Whole Lotta Tagging Going On

Good morning everyone. I guess I should have waited awhile to post about the "Nice Matters Award" and had I any idea that there were so many who viewed me in that light, I would have. I really had no idea! But thank you, thank you, thank you.

I discovered yesterday that Sandie and Connie have nominated me, also.

It's so fun to watch this award spread (like wild-fire) through the Blog Community. That in itself says so much about those who blog. Of the friendships being established. And for the sense of "caring" that can seem lost in our daily lives.

It also saddens me that we can become so close over the Internet and yet not so much in our face to face interactions with others. I'm hopeful though, that this is a just a starting point!

Have a wonderful day. And.....Happy Needling!

10 August 2007

Vintage Embroidery

A while ago I posted that I was able to add a number of beautiful hand embroidered pillow case sets to the small collection that I already had. And I was going to post them, then I spaced it out. Well, yesterday I took the photos and today I share them.

I don't use them for 'every day' but I do put them out (and rotate them around) in my guest rooms. They're just so pretty to look at that I hate to have them hidden away. That and the fact that I don't want my furbabies to play tug-o-war with them either.

Each set has either a tatted or crocheted edge/opening. Some of them are so tiny and so delicate that I have to wonder how they could possibly have survived for the last 30-50+ years. I know I don't subject them to direct light, I gentle fluff in a cool dryer to remove dust, and only when it's absolutely necessary, do I gently hand launder them.



These little birds are just darling. There is so much detail on these cases. Don't you just love beautifully tatted the edges/openings are with that multi-colored thread? This set is of four pillow cases. Two with the birds and two with only the tatted edge/opening.




I just love these little kittens. It's a little difficult to see because of the light colored thread but one says, "Willing", and the other "Able". I somehow think that one is missing....The one that says, "Ready".





Now wouldn't these just take you to dream land?




This is my favorite set. The photo doesn't begin to do them justice. These are in the "Jill" room on the girly bed, with the pretty throw pillows and my Victorian doll.




I hope you enjoyed seeing them.