Cat in a Bag, Flowers, Flowers, Flowers and Stitching

This is the back half and tail of Lucky, the kitten we rescued from the shelter in October 2009.  You can read his story here.  DH stopped at McDonald's the other night after work.  Guess the empty sack just smelled too enticing; Lucky did his best to get his entire body inside the paper bag.  Maybe DH should have asked for the bag to be 'super-sized' as well as his beverage! 

SPRING HAS DEFINITELY SPRUNG!

I am so excited.  While our Colorado spring weather has included warm days, windy days, rainy days, and even some snowy days; spring is definitely my favorite season.  When we redid our backyard a couple of years ago, we planted a lot of tulips and daffodils.  Last year, just as they were getting to the point of blooming, we had a really nasty storm that annialated them...no flowers to speak of.  I was so bummed!  This year, they have been blooming like crazy!  Here's a bunch of photos for your enjoyment.

There was a story in our local newspaper last week about a woman who lives just a few blocks from us.  She has planted over 5,000 tulips in her yard!  She was welcoming people to come this past weekend to see them in full bloom.  I would have loved to see that, but one thing led to another and we never made it there.

STITCHING UPDATE

I don't have a huge amount of stitching to show this time.  I found myself with very good intentions, but little time spent with the needle in my hand.  If everyone would stop talking so much on the lists and stop writing and posting such wonderful things on their blogs, I'd get a lot more stitching accomplished!

TUSAL

I'm very late in posting my TUSAL for the month.  Ooops!  It looks like there is some green floss trying to escape from the jar. 

OAKHAVEN DIVA SAL

Here's my stitching on this new project as of April 18.  This photo is kind of dark.  Sorry.  Believe it or not, the red on the left will be a cat.  Once again, I used artistic license with my choice of floss colors.

OAKHAVEN 2010 MONTHS SAL

I finished April on Sunday, but not before doing a bit of ripping!  I was stitching along and before I knew it, I'd put a leg on the 'P' and made it an 'R' so had to take that out.  The month of May should be a really quick stitch.

Bride's Tree SAL - April Stitching Finished

The stitching is finished, but I still need to get the ornament put together.  The background is the fabric I'm using for the back.  I got the pins as a freebie in 'Cross Stitcher' magazine, Issue 224 that I picked up at Borders bookstore recently.  The ribbon is from Michael's.  I'll post another photo once it's all finished. 

Wiehenburg Spring Quaker SAL

I simply couldn't resist this SAL!  Her quaker designs are just lovely.  I decided to go a bit outside the box with my fabric and stitching.  The border all around is shown stitched in green.  I simply could NOT bring myself to stitch the tulips in one of the motifs in green; so my tulips are pink.  I'm using DMC floss and Silkweaver 28 ct Cashel Linen called Serenade.  

 

This is what the sampler will look like when it's finished. 

Counted Blessings - A New Project!!

Check out my new blog, Counted Blessings.  I started this blog to record my progress on a project count my blessings.  This will be done by stitching 100 - 1" squares.  Each square will signify and illustrate one of the blessings in my life.  It's not too late to join in this new endeavor.  Check out Amy's Blog, Counting My Blessings to learn more about this project. 

I'm still in the beginning stages of planning my project.  I think I'm going to use a 28 ct Lugana from Enchanted Fabrics.  It is called Mystique Bubblegum, a very nice, lightly marbled pink.  It's my intention to use a variety of threads, buttons, beads, and other embellishments on this project.  It will be quite a challenge to stitch 100 different blocks that are only 1" in size!  Besides that, I've done very little embroidery, so that will definitely be a stretch for me.  But, I hope I'm up for the challenge.  

There are lots of other things I could share with you, but I think I'll call it quits for this entry.  If you've read this far, I commend you, and appreciate you, as well as your comments, very very much! 

I'll leave you with a couple photos of my 'stitching kitty' - Oreo Cookie.  She is always wherever I am in the house, 'helping' me with my stitching every chance she gets.  Unfortunately, her idea of helping is grabbing the floss and eating it.  

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

A Surprise, Blog Awards, Stitching Finishes and a New SAL

BIG SURPRISE

 Thursday afternoon at work (April 1st), a florist delivered an absolutely gorgeous bouquet to me.  The card says, "Happy Spring. Your Secret Pal."  It was printed by the florist, so no handwriting to analyze.  After asking all the prime suspects...DH, DS, co-workers, my staff, even my boss...I'm still at a loss as to who sent the flowers.  I'd sure love to thank them.

Take a look...

Aren't they spectacular?  You can't see the roses on the other side of the vase, but there are a bunch of them. 

SPRING FLOWERS OUTSIDE

I took these photos a few days ago, of a few of the flowers blooming in our backyard.  I'm so ready for warm weather every day and no more snow!

STITCHING UPDATES

LHN Fa-La-La Finished

Well, the stitching is finished at least.  I still need to put the ornament together.  I'm trying to decide what to use for the hanging cord.  The background fabric in the photo will be on the back of the ornament. 

LHN Pear Tree Finished

I started Pear Tree last weekend and just kept stitching on it until the next thing I knew, it was finished!  This was the first time I've put on more than just a couple beads...I asked for some beading tips from my ILCS friends.  

I still need to choose fabric for the back and get it finished into an ornament.  (It is not framed, the gold frame is just a picture frame I added in my photo editing software). 

I have not stitched on anything else, not even Everyone Needs Their Own Space, for a while now.  Horrors!  I am trying to decide which bunny design to use for the my April Bride's Tree SAL design.  I thnk I have it narrowed down to two choices...Bunnies Galore from Brittercup Designs or Funny Bunny from Calico Crossroads. 

A NEW SAL!

Yep, I've joined yet another SAL...SYHO (Stitch Your Heart Out).  Of course, I'm a couple months behind, since it started in February.  You can join anytime and you don't have to purchase kits, you can get just the charts.  They also have a Yahoo group (info on the SAL blog).

I decided on kits so I'm not chasing down assorted threads, etc.  Right now, I'm waiting for the first three kits to arrive (ordered from The Stitcher's Hideaway).  When I stumbled onto this site, I just couldn't resist joining in. 

The cool thing about this SAL is each month the design is from a different designer.  The designers are:

Glendon Place

CherryWood Design Studio

Blue Ribbon Designs

Designs By Lisa

Homespun Elegance

Rosewood Manor

Ink Circles

Country Garden Stitchery

monsterbubbles

Myrtle Grace Motifs

Trail Creek Farm

La-D-Da

You need to stitch all of the designs on the same count fabridc; the kits all come with 32 count linen (in various colors).  At the end, you will create a stitched Designer Encyclopedia from the designs.  How cool is that?  The designs are all 50 x 50, so quick stitches each month.

SCISSORS

ILCS members have been discussing their collections of scissors recently.  I decided to try to round up my various scissors and take a photo of the whole bunch together.  So, here it is:

The two-colored Little Gems in the bottom right came with the new Spring Fab Fob kit from Lizzie Kate (not stitched yet!).  My only good, expensive pair is my treasured Gingher cloisonné pair in the center (purchased with a coupon at JoAnn's a few years ago).  The others are inexpensive ones picked up here and there over the years.  I really had no idea I had so many scissors until I gathered them up to put them in this photo!

Here is my new frog scissor fob from My Big Toe Designs:  I just think he is so darn cute!

MYSTERY FLOWERS

I did finally find out where the beautiful flowers came from.  I work with a company located in Texas (they are the managing underwriter for our student health insurance program at the university where I work).  For the past several years, I've played some very ornery April Fool's jokes on the accountant there (he is the brother of the company president).  He tried to retaliate one year, but it backfired on him and he hasn't tried since.
 

This year, I sent him a cute April Fool's Day t-shirt.  On April 1, he sent me a couple photos his wife took that morning before he left for work (he wore the t-shirt to work that day).  Of course, he was one of the first people I 'accused' of sending the wonderful flowers.  He totally denied it, saying, 'I did not send you flowers.  I don't even send my wife flowers.'  It wasn't until the next day, that he e-mailed me, confessing they were from him.  Altho, he said he really did not 'send' them, since the his brother's secretary actually ordered them.  The stinker!

A couple days ago, the company president called to say something like 'he heard there had been some April Fool's pranks going on again.'  I told him I'd be sending a thank you card soon, warning his brother that now he's set the bar, and I'd be expecting an even more wonderful bouquet next year!  He admitted he was in on the prank as well, and said he'd been sitting there laughing when I was accusing his brother of sending the flowers.  But, what a wonderful 'prank' it was!  :)

SPRINGTIME MEANS...

Cleaning closets, switching fall/winter clothes for spring/summer. I started on this task when I got home from work yesterday.  Pretty much finished it up this morning.  It's always a nice surprise to see my clothes from the other seasons; kind of like seeing old friends after you haven't seen them in a while.
 

Now I have a pile of items to donate.  I always photograph them, write down a short description of each item, then pack them up to drop off at a ARC Thrift Store.  Each year, I burn a CD with the photos and keep it, along with the written description sheets with our tax records.
 

BLOG AWARDS

Some of my stitching/blogging friends were so kind recently; three of them awarded me the Beautiful Blogger Award!  Thank you so very much for thinking of me my dear Evalina, Mare, and Shelley! It is wonderfully motivating to know that others are reading and, I hope, enjoying my ramblings.

The rules of Beautiful Blogger Award are simple:

• Accept the award  
• Thank the person who gave you the award
• Add a link to the person who gave you the award
• Put the award on your blog
• Write 10 things about yourself others might not know about you
• Pass the award on to 10 others

TEN THINGS ABOUT MYSELF OTHERS MIGHT NOT KNOW  

1. I lived in Guam in 1974-1975
2. I used to fly airplanes (yes, I used to be a private pilot)
3. I had 5th row seats for an Elvis Presley concert in Denver in 1969 (LOVE Elvis!)
4. My favorite flowers are Peace roses
5. In 8th grade, I won a typing award for 90 wpm with no errors on a manual typewriter
6. One of my favorite movies is Independence Day
7. I wear size 11 narrow shoes
8. I used to work at a nuclear generating station
9. I was first chair saxophone in band from middle school through high school
10. I am strangely fascinated by Adam Lambert, of American Idol fame 

Try as I might, I totally fail at the last requirement, passing this award onto others.  I read and appreciate such a vast array of blogs, I simply can't narrow it down to 10.  Many of the blogs I would choose have received this award recently, and others I would not want to disappoint by having them think I overlooked them.  So, I've decided not to pass the award on.  If I could, I'd send the award to everyone whose blogs I read...you are ALL winners in my book!

One last thing for this VERY LONG post...

I'M A WINNER!!!

I recently posted about a giveaway Jennifer was hosting on her blog, Feathers in the Nest.  She was giving away this great Waxing Moon chart, complete with threads and fabric.  One of the best parts about this giveaway was the reason....her son, Brandon, was returning home from deployment safe and sound! 

And, guess who won?!  Little ole' ME!!!  I'm so surprised and excited; can't wait for it to arrive!  Many thanks for this great giveaway Jennifer.  If you haven't already, you should take time to check out her blog.  It's wonderful!

OK, I think that's it for now.  Whew!  Until next time...

Happy Stitching!!

Vicki in CO

The Week in Review

SPRING IN COLORADO

View of our back yard on Tuesday evening about 9 pm:

Before 5 pm on Tuesday, there was not a speck of snow in our yard.  This storm dumped at least 7" in a few hours.  Another winter storm predicted for tomorrow night and into Saturday.  We are now at a snow total of 61.4" so far this year.  An 'average' snow total for winter for our area is 32.6".  We have defiinitely had a banner year for snow this year.  Oh joy. 

Our house is supposed to be re-shingled on Saturday morning.  Maybe next week sometime?  It's supposed to be close to the 70's then.

VISIT WITH OUR SON

We had a very nice visit with our son--we left home last Thursday about noon and returned home on Monday about noon.  We forgot this past weekend was March Madness, which meant DH and DS spent a good deal of the time we were at his house doing some serious male bonding watching basketball and hockey on TV. 

That wasn't ALL bad though, it gave me plenty of stitching time.  I listened to the first in the 'Outlander' series on my IPOD and was a happy camper overall.  Of course, the visit meant I made a big batch of chocolate chip cookies for DS (his very favorite). 

LOTS OF STITCHING UPDATES

Bride's Tree SAL - March Finish!

First up is my completed March ornament for the Bride's Tree SAL. I stitched this design on the way to DS's and did the finishing today after work. The background in the photo is the fabric I used on the back of the ornment.

14 ct white AIDA

DMC Floss

Design from free booklet

with Cross Stitch Crazy magazine 

LHN Ornament SAL

I am STILL trying to finish Fa-La-La, the first in this new LHN series.  I tried to work on it at DS's but found myself frogging more than I was stitching, so finally gave up on it for the moment!  That 30 ct linen and I do NOT seem to get along!

Bouquet for Cheryl SAL

This is the project I stitched on the majority of the time we were at our DS's.  I am very close to being half finished now--woo hoo!   

 

Everyone Needs Their Own Space

This one is still my current obsession, but I did NOT take it to DS's, so I haven't stitched on it a great deal this past week.  But, some progress to show from my previous post about it.  I just adore this one!!

HAED Dragon Luck SK SAL

After struggling with doing this one 2 over 1, I finally gave up and frogged the entire thing.  I've started over doing 1 over 1 and it is going SO much better!  This time I started in the center of the design, rather than the top left corner.  Not a tremendous amount of progress to show as of yet, but it's a new start. 

BLOG AWARDS

I received a blog award from Evalina and also from Mare, but will wait to post about that next time.  Thank you both so much for thinking of me!!

GIVEAWAY WIN!

I was the lucky winner of a giveaway that Evalina had on her blog to celebrate her 20th anniversary of living in North America.  The prize was a $20 gift certificate from your favorite ONS; of course I chose 123 Stitch.  I've not decided yet how to spend it; I want the purchase to be something I REALLY want!  Thanks SO much Evalina!!

That's it for this time. 

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO