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

Lots of Stitching

In looking back at my recent blog entries, I see I've actually accomplished a bit of stitching I haven't posted.  No new finishes, but some progress.  :) 

KUSTOM KRAFTS - EVERYONE NEEDS THEIR OWN SPACE

This one is my current obsession!  I can't wait to get home from work every day to stitch on this!  The new Needlework System 4 floor stand is definitely helping me with the progress.  Here's how it looks as of last night:

I can just see the beginning of the basket handle; can't WAIT till I get to the kitty at the bottom of the design!  What a fun stitch this is!!

KUSTOM KRAFTS SAL - NAPTIME DRAGON

I fear, stitching on the project above has made me seriously neglect this one, altho I do have a tiny bit of progress to show:

Here's what this one will look like when it's finished:

I've just barely made a start on the top left flower.  I love the bright colors in this design.

LHN - Fa-La-La (ORNAMENT SAL)

I would really like to have this one finished up by the end of the month; we'll see how it goes.  I haven't even finished the first ornament in this new series, while lots of the SAL participants have finished at least the first three.  I'm a slug!

BOUQUET FOR CHERYL SAL

I'm on vacation for the next few days (yeah!) and am thinking I may concentrate on this one.  I do have progress to show since I posted this one last though:

OAKHAVEN 2010 MONTHS SAL

I completed March a couple weeks ago but never posted it:

TUSAL AS OF MARCH 15

Last but not least, it's time once again to post progress on my TUSAL (Totally Useless SAL).  You can find the link in the sidebar for more info on this SAL. 

That's about it for now from my little spot in Colorado.  My tulips and daffodils are coming up; weather prediction is for close to 70 tomorrow!  BUT, rain/snow predicted for Thursday evening and into Friday/Saturday....that's springtime in Colorado.  Can you believe March is generally our snowiest month of the year?!  I sure hope that isn't the case for the second half of the month...we haven't had much here so far.

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

Overdue Update

The Olympics had me totally engrossed...every minute I wasn't at work, I was watching the Olympics!  Boy, did that hurt when my alarm went off at 6:00 am!  I think I'm about caught up on my sleep now.  I sure did enjoy watching all of those athletes compete; regardless of the country they were representing.  Altho I admit, it was great to see the U.S. win so many medals. 

STITCHING OBSESSION

Okay, I admit, I'm already obsessed with cross stitch.  However, the past couple of weeks my stitching has taken a decidedly strange turn.  While I have several projects underway, and generally rotate between them, I've found myself completely engrossed in one particular project...a long-time UFO that I started stitching again for two reasons:

1. Tuesday UFO night on ILCS list
2. UFO stitching on Kustom Krafts list

This project just happens to be one of Dyan Allaire's designs (Kustom Krafts).  It's called "Everyone Needs Their Own Space."  Since I started stitching on it again in January of this year, I've found myself wanting to work on it instead of anything else, and that's exactly what I've done the past couple weeks.  I am astonished with the progress I've made on this in a month!

As of 3-7-10

As of 2-9-10

It may not look like a lot of progress to you, but considering my stitching time is limited to a little while in evenings after work and the time I can find on weekends, I'm really excited at the way this design is coming to life!  Not to mention, I absolutely love the ease of reading the KK chart and the beautiful colors in the design.

NEEDLEWORK SYSTEM 4

Oh yes, I know I said I'd talk about the Needlework System 4.  I AM now the proud owner of this awesome stand and couldn't be happier!  It is absolutely THE best thing invented for stitching since the needle!  It is adjustable to just the right height for my eyesight.  The KK project is on scroll rods on the stand, and with my stitching glasses, I'm a serious two-handed stitcher.  (NOTE:  I don't stitch sitting in this recliner.  I stitch sitting on the sofa next to this chair). 

I also purchased the part that will hold q-snaps, but have not tried it out yet.

I did stitch a little on LHN 'Fa-La-La' but haven't taken a photo.  I'll probably wait until I finish it up at this point.

LIFE IN GENERAL

I had a rotten cold last week (caught either from DH who had it a few days before, or from one of the staff at work). 

Today I taught a new class for our Asian Pacific students on campus---giving them the basics of health insurance, information about our health center and student insurance.  I sure do enjoy teaching, so every opportunity is always fun for me.

I started giving more thought to what I eat; back to basics--more fruits and veggies, more whole grains, less sugar and processed foods.  I'm sure my blood sugar levels will appreciate the effort, and can't hurt the way my clothes fit either.   

Spring Break is next week, so should be quiet on campus.  I have a new temp employee starting on Monday; we can use an extra set of hands for preparing mailings, purging charts, etc. I plan to utilize her during Spring Break, again during the summer, and perhaps during Christmas Break this year. 

Think that's about all of the excitement here for the moment. 

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

What's New Wednesday

STITCHING FOR A CURE

I am so excited to show everyone the quilt that was made as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.  Here's a photo of the completed quilt:

I stitched the yellow block, top row, third from the left.  I chose this particular block in memory of my grandfather who died from bladder cancer. Woo Hoo!  It means so much to me to be a part of this fundraiser.

Check out Donna's 'Stitching for a Cure' blog HERE for more information on these projects and to get involved.

LHN MONTHLY ORNAMENT SAL

I finally received my fabric and made a start on the first ornament in the new LHN series.  It's called 'Fa-La-La' and it's so cute!  Need to get busy with this stitching if I'm to keep up; I hope to have the first two ornaments stitched by March 1...we'll see how it goes.

LAST NIGHT'S STITCHING ON MY UFO

'EVERYONE NEEDS THEIR OWN SPACE' BY KUSTOM KRAFTS

I'm sooo close to finishing the top and starting my way down the left side!  This one is so much fun to stitch; I don't really understand how it became a UFO in the first place.

 Current Photo - as of 2-9-2010

Progress as of 2-7-2010

I think tonight I'll work some on my Chatelaine Romantic Rose Garden SAL project; I haven't made much of a start on that one yet. 

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

One More Finish and SAL Updates

I wanted to post an update tonight because once again, my computer must go into the shop.  Late last week, the DVD/CD drive stopped working.  The light on it goes on, DVD/CD spins, but won't do anything.  The computer says the drive 'cannot start - Error 10' or some such nonsense.  Tried updating the driver; it tells me that the driver is up-to-date.  I'm at a loss on how to fix whatever it's malfunction is.  Grrr!  So, this will be my last post for at least a few days.

A NEW FINISH IS FRAMED

I finished LHN Heart & Home Sampler last week, but was waiting on the beads for the berries to arrive.  I got those sewn on yesterday and got it framed in a little Mill Hill frame.  Not sure of the final destination of this one yet. 

Also, this LHN project is my January finish for the Bride's Tree SAL. 

SAL UPDATES

HAED Storykeep Dragon Luck SAL

I got started on this one on Friday, January 22.  Boy, stitching 2 over 1 on 25 ct is a bit of a challenge for me.  Now that I'm started, wish I had tried using just one strand of floss instead of two.  This is antique white fabric (must be the fault of the cummy photographer - me!)

25 ct Antique White Lugana, DMC floss 2 over 1

Victorian Christmas Stocking SAL - Stitcher's Studio

I finally got a bit of a start on this one; worked on it last evening and also a while today.  This one has been a fun stitch so far!  I started at the very top left corner of the stocking (that seems to be my current favorite starting point in a chart).

 

25 ct Mushroom Lugana - DMC Floss

Here's what it will look like when it's finished someday.

Totally Useless SAL

As I was browsing blogs today, I came across another SAL I just HAD to join.  This one requires you to find a see-through container.  You then collect all your 'stitching throw aways' - regular ORTS (thread ends), broken needles, stray beads, labels from floss skeins, etc.  Once a month on the date of the New Moon, you post a progress photo of your Totally Useless SAL on your blog.  Check it out for yourself; it's not too late to join.

Here's my barely-started collection of 'stiching throw aways' for this year's SAL:

This an old jar candle container; the black you see in the bottom is the little metal thing that held the end of the wick.  I've done everything I can think of to get that out, but not luck.  I think I'm going to come up with some sort of stitched topper for the jar at some point.

COLORADO QUILTING COUNCIL (CQC) MEETING

I didn't get as much stitching in this weekend as I would have liked.  Saturday was the monthly CQC meeting.  It was in the Denver area this year, so about an hour's drive from us.  We went with a friend from our local quilt guild.  The speaker was Annie Smith.  Her talk was "Help!  My Fabric Stash is Growing and I Can't Make It Stop!' 

This meeting was jammed with people--250 members and 30 guests in attendance!  A fellow quilter/cross stitcher from ILCS, Joan, is also a CQC member.  We had agreed to look for each other during the break.  No such luck.  There were just too many people!  So, next month we'll plan a specific spot to meet and hopefully we'll find each other and can have a chance to talk for at least a few minutes.

THE WEEK AHEAD

It will be a very busy week at work.  Tomorrow is a full day meeting with the insurance managing underwriter who is here from Texas to work on our renewal for the student health insurance I manage.  Tuesday, I'll be staffing a table for an event from 5:00-8:00 pm to talk to prospective students and their parents.  So, I plan to do my Tuesday UFO stitching on Monday this week (Everyone Needs Their Own Space). 

I'm really hoping to get my new glasses early this week.  I am so tired of constantly switching readers for the computer or for reading.  It is a pain!

Think that's it for now.  While I sure hope my computer is not out of commission for long, I will get more stitching done while it's away.  :)

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO