Happy Independence Day!

A finish:

Prairie Schooler HedgeHog pin cushion, DMC flosses, 32 ct. “Lambswool”

Cranky Pants….

I’ve not had a good night sleep in literally a year. I waken somewhere between 1 am and 3, then either stay awake until 4 or so, and/or fall back into disturbingly detailed (yes I remember them!) dreams until my alarm goes off at 5:15 am. Last night was no exception- I checked the clock at 2:23 am. I was hearing an annoying mechanical drone coming from off in the distance, that continued on the WHOLE FREEEKIN’ NIGHT. Sometimes I can hear the MBTA trains warming up at the train yard, but this wasn’t quite the same noise, plus, around 4 am, I DID hear the trains moving about from the train yard to the station, including the crossing bells, in addition to the drone. I seriously was SO close to getting in my car at 3:30 to drive around until I found the source of the noise, and then batter the culprit to death with my aluminum baseball bat. The noise was like a huge vacuum hum.  I have no idea how far away it actually was; the train yard is about 2 miles away, the train station about 3/4 of a mile.

ARRG!!!!I’m getting totally annoyed just remembering it! I was extremely cranky at work today. (And tired). My boss has been omnipresent in the office for 2 weeks straight. He’s had a head cold (poor snookums) and hasn’t gotten back to his gym schedule. We’ve gotten in a bunch of new jobs (YAY! Economy is doing something!), so I’ve been busy, but he keeps back-seat  drafting and today I was ready to whack him upside the head with a drafting scale. Gawd- I needed some chocolate!

The guacamoles presented me with this last night:

A new stitching bag! Just because! Monogrammed! And custom embroidered with a horse! It has a pocket on the opposite side for holding my chocolate or orts.

I worked on these last night at Jeanne’s:

and:

I made Salmon Cakes for my supper (and Diabetic boy). Here are 2 mooches:

Delilah (Shhh! Don’t tell her she’s getting fixed next week!)

And Chicken (with Delilah’s tail in front)

Progression…

Some Quaker Halloween stitching:

Love, love this project!

Started my June ornament:

It’s the tiny Prairie Schooler Hedgehog pin cushion; I’m going to put “Merry Christmas” or something in the grass that’s supposed to be at the bottom.

It’s my turn to make snacks for stitching Thursday- I’m going to bake a Lemon Pudding Cake.

I now have a Windows 7 computer at work- meh. It’s TOO cartoony for me, and very difficult to find where to customize things. Plus, we had to reload my drafting software, and most of my custom settings for that disappeared as well. I’m gradually getting them back, but most of the original setup was done almost 10 years ago, and I can’t remember where to find the customization buttons for various tasks. And it’s no longer supported, so we’re pretty much on our own with it.

Wicked Wednesday Warning!

Friday is National Donut day! Dunkin Donuts is giving away one free donut with the purchase of a beverage (which in my mind isn’t “free”). Krispy Kreme is truly giving away a donut per person, no purchase necessary.

I grabbed this picture off Google image search; I have NEVER seen this varied of a selection at my local Double D’s. And I’m in DD’s home state!

Back to stitching in the Better Late Than Never category:

My May ornament is:

Trail Creek Farm “Winter” on 32 ct. “Lambswool” with GAST floss- my color substitutions.

I’m going to do the Prairie Schooler Hedgehog for June. I’ve already lost my green somewhere between taking it from my floss box this morning, and pulling everything out at lunch. I have to go thru my tote……..

Don’t forget the donuts!

It’s Christmas Eve!

Well, not quite, but really:

I figured I’d show you this now, even though I intend to add some gold beads along the traces. It might be weeks before I get to that!

And then back to A Conspiracy of Pumpkins:

And to all a good night!

Wunnerful, Wunnerful!

Hmmm.. what does it say about me that it’s 5:44 pm on a Sunday evening, and I’ve had my face washed for bed and been in my jammies for 20 minutes already?

Cue the Lawrence Welk soundtrack and pass the Geritol!

My self medicating worked last night- I had 2 glasses of merlot and was in bed by 9:30, and I think i actually slept (dreamless) until 2:15 am. Then I woke and the usual weird Steven King-like movies started. Chickie let me stay in bed until 7:15 or so, and I almost wasn’t tired for once. I’m thinking of having one glass of wine tonight- work night & all.

What I really need to do is get out my stitching and finish that Prairie Schooler!

Maybe This Weekend….

I can finish this:

There is still all the snowflakes to do on the entire right half side and backstitching the window mullions and I wanted to add some gold beads and maybe gold backstitching on the sleigh……

And back to those breadsticks- I re-heated some in the toaster oven by brushing with some melted butter and sprinkling with more parmesan cheese- YUM!

Forget I said Anything….

about finishing this up “this” weekend!

Best laid plans and all.

And now, something we hope you’ll really like!

(Do you know what that line is from???!!!)

I’m off for pizza and Greek salad tonight with my bestest friend from forever (well, 1st grade) at Town Spa. Maybe I’ll go temporarily insane and get a beer!

Almost, almost there…..

starting the second reindeer. The border goes alongside those trees at the far right.

Closing in…

If I try very hard, I may be able to finish PS Christmas Eve this weekend:

Axe is being good for me. I gave her last week off- I was stressed out enough with barn chores and Chickie and lack of good sleep, plus Em thought she had a sore shoulder. Axe and her paddock pal, Gracie, wander around quite a bit. They have almost an acre to play in and now that the grass isn’t as plentiful and satisfying, they are constantly on the move looking for something green to eat.

Here’s Gracie:

I’m Back….

home in my own house. I’ve decided 10 days of barn sitting is just too much- 5 days is officially my limit. Chicken can’t believe I’m home to stay- she’s seen me in 45 or 90 minute increments and the past two nights she’s been home alone.

The only benefit of barn sitting has been all the stitching I’ve been able to do. I worked on PS Christmas Eve again a bit yesterday and today. I hope I’ll be able to find some time to work more on Garden- it’s such a fun piece to work on! And I’m sooooo close to the halfway point!

Jodi (my barn owner) had an awesome run at the World Appaloosa show in Texas: she got second place in the Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure Incentive class, FIRST in Open Two-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure Futurity and sixth in the Non-Pro/Youth Five & Under Western Pleasure Maturity. Here’s the Winner’s photo:

That’s Jodi in pink next to her horse- her trainer rode in the class. She won the use of the red 3-horse trailer for a year (i guess it’s kind of like the Stanley cup- you only “borrow” the trophy!) and that saddle is hers, plus some other things.

Here’s a photo from another show- this is her champion horse Mojito:

Well, I guess this qualifies as my first NaBloPoMo entry- I guess I should register! I hope I can keep up all month!

There’s A garden Growing Again!

 

Where we last left off:

 

Here’s what I’ve done this week:

I’ve finished up pages 6 & 7, and am almost done with page 8.

Some close  ups:

There’s 5 shades of green in that pink ball flower.

And you’ll have to take my word for it that I’ve finished the left side of Prairie Schooler Christmas Eve:

Back to my personal insane asylum.

Let it Snow...

I've started the snow on PS Christmas Eve:

My plan is to add blending filament to the snowflakes, so I'm holding off on those as long as possible.

In other snow news, the Patriots opened a can of whoop-ass all over the Tennessee Titans. They were doomed as soon as the snow started.

Snow was still on the shady areas of the ground at work by the time I left this afternoon.

I had an eye exam tonight. The nice doctor showed me the huge difference readers/bifocals would make. And the nice receptionist kept adding double and triple digits to the $99 price on their "value" eyeglasses, first for progressive-ness, then for ultra-lite lenses. I used the excuse that I need Em with me to pick out frames because I can't see myself to know how good bad I look in any particular frames, and walked out with my prescription. Plus, when I asked if I could get over the counter readers for stitching, he immediately said "NO!" Maybe because of my nearsightedness issses? I'm pretty sure BJ's or someone offers 2 pairs for $99. I bet I could get a pair of readers and a pair of distance glasses for that deal.

I'm getting anxious to start The Pumpkin Conspiracy; i might pick out fabric from my stash tonight.....

More Progress...

I had some time this afternoon- about 3 hours of sitting in my car and this is what happened...

go me.

A Tiny Bit of Progress...

on Prairie Schooler "Christmas Eve":

The border on the left is one stitch to the left-most edge of the sleigh runner.

I finally have all the silks for the Pumpkin Conspiracy:

Aren't they beautiful?? I can't wait to start. Well, I do have to pick out some fabric first...

An Infrequent Tuesday Post

Didn't ride tonight; I was going to walk the Axester, but she had cut herself on the upper edge of her hoof, at the coronet band, which is like the quick on a fingernail. Instead of getting it all dirty in the indoor, I opted to let her chill out in her stall. I raked the track in the indoor then I came home and covered my firewood pile from the monsoons predicted for tomorrow, then started this post.

I worked a little on PS Xmas eve yesterday:

Best laid plans and all: I was going to stitch some more at lunch again today, except we had a new copier delivered to the office just before lunch, and my boss was hanging around. totally blew my lunch break.

I tried one of those hot-set jewels on a scrap of Aida:

It actually bonded surprisingly well. I'm very impressed with the idea; the heat tool crapped out after about 5 jewels though. I tried 2 additional sets of batteries and it wouldn't get warm anymore at all. I exchanged it for a different brand this afternoon that's a plug-in model with different tips. I have just ONE more jewel to attach to one of the wedding Snugglis, then those are finished. I'll try to get photos tomorrow (if I remember the camera!)

My gawd- this has turned into a real post! Time for some TV.

PS Christmas Eve Progress

Finally, a stitching photo. My mojo has gone off and left, I guess. I DO like this design, and it's fun and easy to stitch as well. I want to start the Pumpkin Conspiracy, but not until this is done. Ah, my particular form of OCD!

My "project" with my boss's wife has gotten easier, I think. We were going to do a joke wedding gift for Barbara, with whom I use to work up until about 4 or 5 years ago. She moved up to Gloucester after separating from her husband, and became a realtor. We worked together for about 20 years, though. In fact, I still refer to her desk as "Barbara's desk", and we (my boss & his wife & me) remain pretty good friends, even though it's mostly phone conversations.

Any way, the gag gift has evolved into a pair of Snugglis, bedazzled with the Bride & Groom's initials, which happen to be "B" and "G". I bought a hot set rhinestone gizmo and "jewels", and pre-made jeweled iron-on appliqués; my boss's wife is in charge of the Snuggli purchase. Keep your fingers crossed.

Anyway, I was wondering if these hot set rhinestones could be used to bling up cross stitch. Does anyone out there have any experience with these things?

"Not me!" "Is that a tiger out there waiting to eat me???!!"

At Long Last...

some stitching!

Not much....but, oh well. It is what it is.

Just having some "adjustments" to life with riding again. My sleep disorder is wreaking havoc with my energy levels in the evening. I don't have any excuses for lack of lunch break stitching- just being lazy.

TTFN

Re-do

Here's my new start on PS "Christmas Eve":

I think I want to do some specialty stitch in those little boxes, accented with beads.

Have you ever bought a new chart, and carried it around with you because you love it so much and want to just keep looking at it?

Silks and crows and pumpkins- oh my!

Some Days it Doesn't Pay to Get up....

so I'm in the shower this morning, where I do my best thinking, and realize with a sinking feeling that I've already made a HUGE error on Prairie Schooler "Christmas Eve". Here's my progress to date:

Here's my mistake:

Yup. It ALL has to come out, and be rotated 90 degrees.

Dayamn!

At least I wasn't able to waste my lunch break yesterday adding to this fiasco. Today's lunch break will see me ripping all this out. :^()