Friday Show n Tell

Thanks for all the nice comments about my stitching picture on the "header".  I'm a sucker for projects with personalization and this is one of my favorites that I've stitched.  It took a while for me to frame it and after I finally did, I wondered what took me so long. 

I have 2 finishes to show this week, the PS Woodland Santa (I want to stitch at least one more from that leaflet...someday) and a little cupcake freebie from The Floss Box.  I'm in a yahoo group in which we stitch and exchange themed blocks throughout the year.  That's what inspired the cupcake stitching.

Without further ado:

The colors in the PS one are pretty typical for me to stitch.  The cupcake one is "out of my box" but I love how bright and colorful this project is.  As small and easy as this one was, there sure was a lot of color changes...a few stitches of this, a few stitches of that, etc.

I just started a new model for LHN so can't show that until it's released but I also started another themed block.  I chose an old PS freebie for the garden flower theme:

I also just barely started Quaker Gone Tropic (another sal I'm in) by Michelle Ink only I'm using colors from Ink Circles' Hawaiian Mandal Sampler.  I'd like to stitch both and liked the brighter colors better.  Reminds me of all the bright flowers we saw in HI.  (I'm SO ready to go back but who knows when we ever will get to go.)

In the "patting myself on the back" file, my walking buddy and I completed our whole 5 days' walking by doing 4 1/2 miles all 5 days this week.  (We'd increased our distance from 3 miles to 4 1/2 but b/c of either weather or scheduling reasons this is the first week we've gotten to do all 5 days with the increased distance.)  Don't be too impressed.  It's flat as a pancake here so not a big physical challenge.  lol!

Busy but fun week coming up.  Today's baking day for me to prepare for tomorrow's band activities.  I'm working in the Judges' Hospitality Room setting up this afternoon and then being there all day tomorrow.  We'll be dining on chili at the chili supper tomorrow evening followed by a band concert.  After that's over, I'll get DS and me prepared for the band trip to Disneyworld. 

Thanks for reading my blog and I hope everyone has a fantaastic weekend!

Finally Friday!

I love Monday holidays!  I seem to "pay" for them though b/c I spend the rest of the week "discombobulated" and SO ready for the weekend.  lol!

One of the reasons I'm feeling tired is I had to be out 3 evenings this week, 2 meetings and a (longer than usual for some reason) choir practice...or maybe it's b/c of the cloudy skies we've had this week.

 I'm (figure)heading a team that is busy planning a hospitality room (breakfast, gallons of coffee, lunch, drinks, and snacks) for the judges of the upcoming (next week) band solo/ensemble contest that our band hosts.  It's a good team and I anticipate that our part will go smoothly.

My walking buddy and I took 4 4 1/2 mile walks and 1 3-miler this week.  We're becoming addicted;  I really miss it when we can't walk for whatever reason.  We'd been doing 3 milers for quite some time and decided that after the holidays we'd increase our mileage.  We both agree that aside from the extra time it takes, we're glad to be walking more.  It's so flat here, it's not much of a challenge.  lol!  This week's weather fluctuated a bit.  We had a couple of mornings where we bundled up in layers and then a few more mornings where we worked up a sweat and swatted skeeters.



It's going to be a busy few weeks!  In addition to the contest next Sat., the band also holds it's chili supper fundraiser (including a silent auction).  During the supper, serveral of the jazz bands play and we wrap up the evening with a band concert.  Shortly after that is the Disney trip, and the weekend after that is the Belled Dance.  (DS was invited last Sat. via a cake-gram.)

I've been stitching mostly on LHN's Family Sampler and PS Woodland Santa this week.  I put a few stitches in Quaker Gone Tropic but not enough for a picture yet.  I seem to be on the home stretch of the PS so maybe I'll have a finish pic next time.  (or maybe not.....I will probably have another model to work on next week too.)

Thank you all for reading my posts and for the nice comments.

A week of stitching, etc.

I seem to have startitis.  I'm working on LHN's Family Sampler (in a remembrance sal), a PS Woodland Santa, a cupcake (freebie from The Floss Box for a block exchange), and today received my floss for Quaker Gone Tropic (another sal).  I'd really like to start LK's Six Fat Men (received the overdyes I ordered for that too.) but maybe should finish something first.  I'm still waiting on a friend to receive an ornament I sent before posting the pic which is my last 2011 finish.  I sure hope it didn't get lost in the mail.

My walking buddy and I decided to increase our mileage so we're up to 4 1/2 miles.  We can hardly tell the difference except that it takes more time than doing the 3 miles.

One DS just finished his last HS final for the semester and I just sent another DS back off to college today. 

I'm helping tomorrow at a bake sale for DS's HS band and also helping in a committee for a judges hospitality room for an upcoming solo/ensemble contest.  Shortly after that, I accompany DS's band on their trip to Disneyworld.  Never a dull moment around here!

I hope everyone has a great week.

Today's picture "header"

This is one of my favorite things I've stitched.  The design was the winning entrant in a design contest held by Woman's Day Magazine back in the 80's.  We lived in MI then and this reminded me of the winters there.  (Occasionally I even saw people cross country skiing past our house.)  I actually stitched the biggest part of it when we only had 3 children and put it away for a while.  Once our youngest was born, I did a little "unstitching", and took out the second dog from the original design, and put in a 4th child.  Our dog then even resembled the dog in design.  I don't know if you can tell from the picture but it's solidly stitched.

  You can see how this design seems very personal to me and I thought it would be great for a "header" during January.

It hangs year round in our living room here in Texas.

Back in business (picture heavy)

The computer returned home last night from the "hospital" so I'm back in business.  You don't realize just how much you use your computer until you can't.  I wonder if there's a 12 Step program for computer addiction.

I uploaded our pictures from our holiday trip to San Francisco to visit DD.  All 6 of us stayed in her little apartment in the city.  DS # 2 "called" this for his sleeping arrangements.  My back hurts just looking at this.

While we did go to Sonoma for a little wine tasting, much or our trip wasn't your conventional Christmas trip to SF.  On Chistmas Day we did a "little" 7 mile hike up Mt. Tam.

After hiking quite a while, here was our ultimate destination:

As you can see, I'm a little slower hiking uphill than the "kids".  (I know, I know, this isn't uphill but one of the flat sections.  I was catching my breath here.)

The view from up there was worth it:

After we climbed back down, we cooled down by walking along Stinson Beach.  Someone's dog came over to say hello.

Another not so typical SF activity is our visit to urgent care when DS #3 dropped a piano bench on his toes.  He's ok but was in too much pain to hike anymore.

We drove to visit old friends we knew when we all lived in MI.  They're from Lebanon and prepared a feast for us.  Yum!  Isn't it great getting together with old friends?

Our next hike was up Twin Peaks for a view of the city.  On the way we stopped at one of the concrete slides.  DD says they used to be all over SF but there are just a few left.  You sit on a piece of cardboard box and slide down.  Of course I had to try it.

It's just gorgeous looking down on the city from up there!

We spent our last night in San Fran hosting a pizza party (DH makes wonderful homemade pizza) for some of DD's friends.  One of my sons enjoys making bread so he and another son worked together making homemade pita bread and hummus (sp?).  It's fun to watch the process because the pita's fill up with air during the baking process (forming the pockets) and look like balls before they deflate when you take them out of the oven.  His "helper" got a Jamie Oliver cookbook for Christmas and tried out a recipe for lemon poppyseed cake which turned out to be delicious.  DS #3's toe was bothering him so he napped on the couch during the kitchen fun.   I pretty much stayed out of their way in the kitchen and cleaned up afterwards.  During the party I got to cuddle with a 6 wk. old baby who was smaller at 6 weeks old than any of my babies were at birth.  So sweet! 

Note the special equipment needed for baking pita bread:

Not much stitching on the trip but DH and I drove over to Alameda to visit Needle in a Haystack where I bought some of the silks needed for LHN's new repro/adaptation sampler.  I'm splurging on silks for this one.

Yesterday I started LHN's Family Sampler.  I'm in a sal group where we're stitching a piece in memory or in honor of someone in our lives.  I'm stitching this in memory of my late grandma who was all about family.  I hope to have some progress pictures soon.

Thanks if you've made it this far.  We enjoy the rare times we can be together again as a family.

Happy New Year, everyone!

We had a wonderful Christmas spending it in San Francisco visiting our DD..  It was great having all 6 of us together  We did lots of hiking, eating, laughing, visiting wine country, and meeting some of DD's friends.  San Francisco and the surrounding area is is so beautiful.

I stopped in at Needle in a Haystack in Alameda and picked up some of the silks for Little House Needleworks' new repro/adaptation sampler.  Splurging on this one!

I'd love to share some pictures but our computer wouldn't turn on when we returned home.  Hopefully it will be repaired ASAP.  I'm suffering from computer withdrawl.  I'm borrowing DS's laptop.