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

Stitching Update

While I love staying in touch with my stitching friends from all over the world, the past week I've been doing my best to stay away from the computer in the evening and weekend....stitching, stitching, and stitching (while glued to the TV watching the Olympics).  I just love watching all the amazing athletes doing things I couldn't dream of doing!   GO USA!!!!!

So, here's my updates for this week.

TUSAL

Yep, it's time to post the TUSAL (Totally Useless SAL) photo for February.  I admit I'm sure I chose far too small of a container for this undertaking!  Yikes!

BRIDE'S TREE SAL

I'm happy to say that I finished my February heart ornament tonight!!  My 5th finish for 2010!

"Love" by Barbara Smith Cooley

Free Chart from Plum Pudding NeedleArt

Stitched on Silkweaver 28 ct Jobelan Solo (marble lavender)

DMC Thread

Backed with purple fabric from my stash

CHATELAINE ROSE GARDEN MANDALA SAL

I spent some time during the weekend working on this one.  I'm finding it fun, but a low stitch (probably the stitcher, not the design!)

LHN MONTHLY ORNAMENT SAL

Still working on the January ornament, but I hope to finish it up by the end of the month.  I stitched the girl yesterday.  Ok, so I'm a couple months behind.  I received the charts and fabric really late, plus I have waaaaaay too many SALS on the go!  Yikes!

HAED DRAGON LUCK SK SAL

HUGE mistake to be doing this 2 over 1 on 25 ct!  I will NEVER do this again!  If I stitch another HAED, it will be 1 over 1, and perhaps on a smaller count fabric.  This one is making me nuts; of course, the fact that I started in the top left, where it is all very dark colors, doesn't help a bit.  Right now, it just looks like a very tight, thick, dark blob!

OAKHAVEN MONTHS 2010 SAL

I got this one caught up and finished February over the weekend. 

LAST UP, BENT CREEK SNAPPERS

My traveling UFO turned WIP is coming along a bit, thanks to some recent trips to Denver.  I'll be going to Denver tomorrow for a meeting and since I'm not driving, may get a few more stitches in, we'll see.

DH and I did make a trip to Diversions, a needlepoint store in Denver on Saturday (thanks much to the stitcher who told me about them!).  They had the Needlework System 4 stand.  More about that later...

Until then, Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

 

My Computer and Stitching - January 2010

COMPUTERS...IT'S A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP!
(Warning, this is a long and miserable tale!)

I seriously doubt anyone reading this has not experienced the ups and downs of being a computer owner.  It can be your best friend, 'Window' to the world (pun intended!), storage of the many small details of your life (bank account, income/expenses, photos, cross stitch patterns, knitting patterns...whatever your passion is), and so much more. 

And I'm sure everyone has experienced that sinking feeling inside when something goes wrong with the computer.  It might be a virus, faulty hardware, software incompatibility....dispair comes in many forms; but it can be gut-retching just the same.

The past few weeks I've had a continually frustrating series of major issues with my home computer.  It all started when I was unable to install Turbo Tax 2009.  I got a message saying it needed 'Windows .NET Framework 3.5' update installed in order to install.  After much research on the Microsoft website, I concluded that it was a problem outside my comfort zone to solve. 

We took it to the computer store at the university where I work, which is also where the computer was purchased.  A couple days later, I got a phone call from the IT tech saying the system had a bunch of viruses and the hard drive needed to be re-formatted and Windows reinstalled.  This was not good news; but wasn't as bad as it could have been, since the majority of my data is kept on a separate, external hard drive and backed up to CD periodically.  It would require reinstalling all my software, which is time consuming but not overwhelming.

After a week in the shop, my computer is ready to come home.  I begin by reinstalling my Microsoft Office 2007 Suite and get my e-mail up and running again.  From that, I moved on to Turbo Tax.  This time I was able to install it without problem.

In the next few days, I work to get the various software reinstalled and things seem to be fine.  UNTIL I try to play a new CD on the computer.  I put the CD in the drive, close it and wait for it to autoplay.  The green light comes on, I can hear the disk spin briefly, then NOTHING.  I try another music  CD, I try a software CD; all with the same result, or should I say NO result?!

I check 'Computer,' yep, the DVD/CD drive shows up.  I check 'Control Panel'.  It has a message that the CD 'failed to start - Error 10.'  It searches for a solution.  'No solution found.'  Great.  Now what?!

After trying numerous things, I can't get it to work.  DH once again unplugs everything and takes it back to the computer shop the next morning.  He calls me and says the check-in person says there are at least 40 computers ahead of mine, and will be at least two weeks before they can even look at it!  That is like telling me I have only one hour left to live!!  I ask, 'can they save my place in line and you can bring it back when they are about ready to be able to look at it?'  No.  The machine must be physically checked-in and kept by them.  Wonderful; just like a terrible toothache! 

So, I suggest he take it to our local Best Buy to see if they can look at it sooner.  While we are talking, the check-in person apparently looked up my computer in their system and tells DH, 'Oh, it's still under warranty.  Tell her to call Dell directlly.  They should be able to help out much sooner than we can.'  OK, maybe there is hope that I won't be a victim of the shakes from computer withdrawal!

When I get off work that day, I race home and call the support number at Dell.  After quite a long wait on hold, I finally get a live person.  I explain the problem and she says, ' Oh, no problem.  We'll send out a new drive and a Dell-certified tech will come to your house and install it.'  That sounds promising..  How long will this take?  'They should call you tomorrow.'  Wow. 

Sure enough, early the next morning, the tech calls and comes over an hour later.  It takes him about 3 minutes to install the new drive.  However, when we try the new drive, same exact error message as before.  (How did I KNOW this was going way too well?!)  He says I need to call Dell again and explain that didn't fix the problem.

I get someone on the phone at Dell and explain the situation.  'Oh, no problem.  We'll send out another new drive, a new motherboard and a new cable.'  Okay.  (in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, I just don't think that is going to fix the problem).  The same tech comes out the next day, removes and replaces all those computer parts.  You guessed it...SAME error message.

Oh man!  This time, the tech calls Dell and after having a discussion with them, asks DH for the OS disk that came with my computer (I'm at work and miss out on all this excitement).  The tech starts reinstalling Windows on my computer, leaves and gives DH a short messsage for me.  I get home, the install was waiting for someone to click 'accept' on one of those install agreement messages that we've all seen and never read.  I 'accept' and it takes over an hour for the OS to reinstall.

Alrighty, that is done.  Problem fixed?  Not quite.  The drive now works (finally), but there is a new issue.  The computer will not connect to the Internet via our old-fashioned home network with router and hub.  After recycling the hub and cable modem downstairs a couple times with no result, I make yet another call to Dell. 

After waiting at least 45 minutes on hold, I get someone who listens to my tale of woe.  She asks if I have another disk that came with the computer.  Yes, I have another one that has never been opened.  She walks me through installing it and then explains I need to unzip, extact and install each of the drivers checked on one of the screens.  She gives me an extension number and says to call the support number and use that extension if I have further difficulty.  Getting all that accomplished takes the rest of my evening.  But, eureka, the computer finally connects to the Internet.

Of course, since I now had the orignal version of Windows VISTA Business that came with my computer, once I was back online, the Windows Update function found a TON of updates it wanted to install to get the OS up-to-date (121 the first time!).  I started those installing and went to bed!

The next morning, there is a message waiting on the screen telling me that 14 of the updates 'failed.'  Wonderful.  And even better, guess what?  You guessed it....one of those that 'failed' is the '.NET Framework 3.5' that started this whole mess!!!  At this point, I'm ready to cry or throw the dang computer out in the snow.

So, once again, when I get home from work, I get on the phone to call Dell.  I enter the extension number the woman had given me.  I get a young man on the phone within a matter of 5 minutes.  After going through the whole tale once again, he informs me, 'Windows is a third-party software to Dell.  Therefore, we cannot assist you with issues related to it.  You will have to speak to Microsoft or speak to one of our fee-based support people.'  At this point I was at the end of my patience!  I informed him that I was not paying a CENT for help with this issue, since one of their Dell-certified techs had seen fit to reinstall Windows on my computer without my knowledge.  He tells me to 'hold on, he'll transfer me.' 

I'm figuring he'll transfer my call to Siberia and will either be on hold for the rest of my life, or I'll soon fine myself with a dial tone in my ear.  Instead, after pressing '1' for this and '3' for that option, I actually get a live person on the phone.  This time, it is a very very nice woman.  After I explain (yet again!) what is going on, she says, 'I understand.  I can help you with that.'  WHAT?  You're kidding?! 

She connects to my desktop remotely, looks at a couple things, goes to Microsoft's website, downloads and installs three items, then is able to install all of the 'failed' Windows updates! After restarting the computer, she asks me to try installing Turbo Tax.  It works!!  The DVD/CD drive is still working.  Could the problems actually be fixed finally?! 

The answer to that question remains to be seen, but at least for now, everything seems to be okay.  I'm still working to get my software installed once again.

STITCHING UPDATES

The computer fiasco cut into my sewing time this past week, but I did actually accomplish some stitching on my Tuesday UFO/KustomKrafts SAL--'Everyone Needs Their Own Space' by KustomKrafts.  Now that I'm working on this one again, it's one of my favorites to work on.  Here's an updated photo.

No new updates on any of my others SALS, but I did join another one!  Tonia from Oakhaven is hosting a 'Months 2010' sampler SAL on her Yahoo group.  I recently joined the list and all of my stitching time yesterday went to completing January from start to finish.  Here's how this one looks.

   I'll leave you with a photo of my TUSAL as it appears on this, the final day of January 2010.

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

Very Stitchy Update

Wow, I'm amazed at how much stitching I accomplished when my computer was in the shop!  Now that it's back home and I have most of my software up and running again, I've been trying madly to catch up with everyone's posts and blogs.  Whew!  You all talk SOO much; how on earth do you get so much stitching accomplished?  It is a total mystery to me.

The other thing I decided, something I should have realized a long time ago, if I don't enjoy what I'm stitching, then why am I stitching it?  The projects I'm working on right now are all so much fun, and that is truly what this hobby should be about.  Artistic expression, no matter the medium, should be about the enjoyment of the process, not about how fast you finish, or even necessarily about the finished project.  This seemed like a revelation to me.

THREE FINISHES!

But, I digress.  Up first, Elvis is finally finished and framed, altho not on the wall as of yet.  It's close to a month late, since it was to be a Christmas gift for DH, but what can I say?  Surgery definitely got in the way.

Normally I don't use glass on my framed items, but with our fur babies, I figured it wouldn't hurt on this one since it is all black stitching.  The photo doesn't do it justice; it is a double mat and a flat black frame.

I finished a long-standing UFO, Ascot Albert Wizzer ornament.  The first photo is how he looked on 8/17/07, when I last worked on him!  I love Rene's idea of having a theme tree during the year, so I'm thinking various snowmen would be great for January.  So, I have one (pretty bare tree)!  :)

Here he is finished.  Yes, our little tabletop tree is still out; I'm waiting on DH to bring up the plastic tubs from downstairs so I can take the Christmas decorations down.

I have one more small finish, actually for a SAL, but won't show it until it is framed.  I'm actually waiting on some beads from 123 Stitch, which should arrive tomorrow.

SAL PROJECTS

Heaven help me, I have joined so many SALS this year, I think I need to give up sleeping to have a prayer at keeping up!

Bouquet for Cheryl

This one is a pure pleasure to stitch!  I could easily keep on stitching and stiching, but I'm trying to do a sort of rotation with the various projects I have going.  I tried photographing this in several different room, and even outside, but the lavendar fabric just refuses to look right on the computer.

My chosen fabric is a Silkweaver Solo, 28 ct. Jobelan. It is a lightly marbled lavender.The threads I'm using are Carrie's Creation 'Lumière de Cheryl.' This floss was dyed by Carrie's Creations especially for Cheryl Miller. I purchased it a while back, with the intention of using it for this free chart, but just hadn't gotten around to stitching it. This SAL makes that possible!

Rose Garden Mandala by Chatelaine - Martina Weber

A very small start on this one.  I admit I'm a bit intimidated with all the beads and directions on this one!  I love how the mandalas look; just hope I'm up to the stitching!  This beautiful design was in the September 2009 issue of the wonderful online stitching magazine, The Gift of Stitching.

Everyone Needs Their Own Space by KustomKrafts

I started on this a couple years ago as a SAL on KustomKrafts list.  This was my progress as of 3/10/07.  I pulled this one out again and am working on it on Tuesdays as my SAL with the ILCS list and also as my UFO SAL on the KustomKrafts list.  It is such a beautiful design; sure would be nice if I could get it finished by the end of 2010!

Silkweaver 28 ct Jobelan - Spring Garden, DMC Floss

This is my progress as of today.  I've finished a section and will soon be ready to work down the left side of the design. Woo Hoo!

This is what the finished product will look like someday.  Isn't is awesome?

Other SALS - HAED

Alas, I have several other SALS for the new year that I have kitted up but have yet to put a stitch in! 

One is my very first try at a HAED design.  You signed up and chose one of four storykeep designs to stitch.  During the SAL, you have to post at least three progress photos.  It doesn't matter how far you get in the project, it is the fact that you do post three and make some progress each time.  At the end of the SAL, you recieve the other three designs.  How cool is that; four HAED storykeep designs for free? 

Since this is my first HAED design, I thought it was good to start with something fairly small.  The one I choose--Dragon Luck, is 50w x 178H.  I'll be using Antique White 25 ct Lugana and DMC floss, and stitching 1 over 1.  I'll post progress photos once I actually get started on this.

Other SALS - Victorian Christmas Stocking

Rae, from one of the lists I'm on, is hosting a SAL to stitch a Victorian Christmas Stocking.  The original designs were from a magazine called Cross Stitch & Country Crafts.  They also appeared in a book compilation.  I was looking for something else a while back and found a pile of these magazines (I'm guessing one of my eBay purchases a while back).  There they were; the issues with the various designs!  I'm planning to stitch the one called 'Stitcher's Studio' from the July/Aug 1989 issue.  This will be on 25 ct Mushroom Lugana.  I hope to get a start on this one in the next couple days as well.

Still Another SAL - LHN Monthly Ornament Stitch-Along Too

I really like the charts by Little House Needleworks, and in the spirit of creating lots and lots of new ornaments, I joined this SAL to stitch the new monthly ornament series they are putting out.  I have the first two charts and that's as far as that has gone so far!

And Still More - Bride's Tree SAL

The Bride's Tree is a German tradition.  It's believed that a couple's Christmas tree needs twelve specific ornaments for happiness in their life yourney together.  This SAL gives you the theme for the month and you choose the design to stitch.  It doesn't have to be finished into an ornament.  January is a house, which symbolizes shelter.  I have the stitching on this one done, but don't want to show it yet because I need to finish it.  This one will not be an ornament. 

Yep, Another One - Mary Wigham USA SAL

This great sampler is available for FREE download from Needleprint. This is an idea of what it will look like when it's finished, although my colors won't be exactly the same.

I've made a VERY small start on this one so far; not enough to post. 

Last One (I Think) - Brooke's Books - Stitcher's Alphabet SAL

These FREE designs are just adorable; each block is 31 x 36 stitches.  Right now, A-O are available for download.  I haven't started this yet, but I just love the possibilities for these cute designs.  At the very least, I will be collecting all of these for stitching at a later date.

Whew!  If you read all the way to the end, I commend you!  And, putting it all down in writing, I know for sure that I need a SERIOUS 12-Step Program for this SAL addiction!!  But, what a lot of great stitching!

Just for staying with me for all of this, I'll leave you with an updated photo of our dumpster rescue kitty---Lucky aka 'Little Squirt.' 

Happy Stitching!!

Vicki in CO

"Ring Around The Rosie" Framed and "Elvis" Update

Finally got some photos taken of the Hummel design for Nancy,  This is her retirement gift.  A group of us are supposed to go to lunch on Wednesday to celebrate her retirement.  Sure hope the snow doesn't cuase us to postpone to a later date! 

I'm really excited to give this to her!  She collects Hummel figurines and I think she is going to love it. 

I think the framing turned out wonderful.  Our next door neighbor works at a framing store and she chose the mats and frame.  The size of the frame is 18" x 18".  DH got a specially made box from a packaging store so I can wrap it properly. 

Here's a close-up of the stitching.

And here's a close-up of the frame.

I worked on Elvis just a little bit in the past week.  I can see him coming to life; sure hope I can get this finished up and framed for DH by Christmas!

Lots more updates on other subjects, but I'll save them for another post.

Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

A Finish, WIP Update, New Start, and Health Update - Scheduled For Surgery

A FINISH

Lots of news today.  First of all, I finished 'Ring Around the Rosie' Hummel last weekend.  It's off to the framer at the moment.  But, I discovered this morning I forgot to take a photo of the finished design.  Duh!  So, you'll have to wait to see it until it comes back from the framer.  I need it before the 30th, because it is the retirement gift for one of my employees who last day is Nov. 30.  So, stay tuned for a photo.

WIP PROGRESS

Next, I have an update on the Snowman Welcome Banner I'm doing for our son for Christmas.

I need to be spending more time stitching and less time reading and replying to e-mails and blogs, if I have a prayer of getting everything stitched by Christmas!  Aaack!  HOW do some of you get so much stitching accomplished and still seem to be sending lots of e-mails, blog updates, etc?  Did you find more hours in the day somewhere and failed to give me the website link?!!

A NEW START

Next, I have started (just barely) on a new BAP.  It is the Mary Wigham sampler from 1790 and is actually available free from Needleprint's blog.  Check it out if you like this type of design.  This is what the finished project should look like:

This is my very small start....a row of about 15 stitches in the top left corner!  :)

This is a pretty large project (for me).  I'm doing it on 32 ct Permin Lambswool, stitched over 2 threads.  The design area is approximately 20" x 20".  So, This is on my 24" scroll rods.  I am using a conversion to WDW, CC and GAST that I found online. 

HEALTH UPDATE - SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY

Some of you know about my serious back injury almost two years ago.  I fell down our basement stairs and fractured six vertebrae in my upper back - T1-T6.  After a lot of misery and wearing a horrible 'turtle shell' hard plastic brace for many months, that injury i about as good as it willo ever get. 

I've had lower back issues for 30 years or so...degenerative disc disease, bulging discs, bad arthritis...you get the idea.  The past six months I have been suffering from awful back and leg pain.  I've seen numerous orthopedists/neurologists/spinal specialists in the past couple of years.  All have told me essentially the same thing.  I have so much wrong with my back that there is essentially nothing they can offer me to give me long-term relief from the pain.

When I saw my regular physician recently for a check-up, we discussed my continuing battle with back/leg pain.  It has become so severe in the past few months that I am taking as many as 8 Vicodin a day to try to cope.  It has also caused me to severely restrict my activities, to the point where I have to greatly limit my walking.  I just hurt all the time and really need some relief of some kind!  My doctor recommended I go to a spinal specialist here in town (not someone I'd seen before).

I got an appointment, went in on Wednesday this week for some X-Rays, saw him on Thursday for an initial appointment, had an MRI on Friday afternoon and saw him late on Friday to discuss the MRI results.  My DH accompanied me on all these visits,.  On Friday afternoon, he showed us the MRI results, and explained what we were looking at.  While he concurs with what the other specialists have said regarding a long-term 'fix' for my problems, he DID say that looking at one particular disc (L3), he believe a Lumbar Laminectomy (Open Decompression) of that disc will bring me relief of the leg pain, and with PT and long-term water therapy after the surgery, I may be able to manage my other issues much more easily than I'm doing at the moment.  You can clearly see in the MRI that disc is severely pinching the nerves at that spot, plus there is a bone spur and a cyst at that location.

So, I am scheduled for surgery on December 14.  He had an opening for the day before Thanksgiving, but we opted for the December date because our son is expecting us to come for Thanksgiving, plus December is a much better time for me to be away from work; it is after Fall Semester has ended, so most of the students will have left campus for the Christmas Break

I'm nervous about having back surgery, but I'm also SOO hopeful this will make me feel 'human' again!  Prayers would be MUCH appreciated! 

I was supposed to go to Denver today to the Sampler Guild meeting; my back/legs are hurting so much, it just wasn't meant to be.  So, I hope to get a bit of stitching done before the day is over today;

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Vicki in CO

A Finish and a WIP Revisited

Yeah!  I have my very first cross stitch finish for 2009!  I decided to get back into stitching by doing a small project--a free SAL by Dyan Allaire from Kustom Krafts--offered on her Yahoo group.  Dyan's intention was for the design to be finished into a gift bag. 

However, once I got the design stitched, I decided to go in a little different direction with it.  I decided to stitch it onto the side of a tote bag so I could carry my current stitch project in the tote.  One thing led to another, as I was putting borders around the design, I thought, "Ok, what if I lined the stitching and made it into a pocket on the outside of the tote bag?"  This is what I came up with:

I think it came out pretty good.  If you look closely, the dark fabric I used for the cornerstones (and also for the lining of the pocket) has butterflies in it.

So.....first project for the year finished.  What to stitch next?  I'm torn between starting something new, :^) or working to finish one of my WIPs (or more correctly UFOs!).  So, I decided for right now I am going to begin stitching on an old project.  It's called Fall Y'all by Lizzie Kate.  Here's a photo of how it currently looks:

According to the photo file, it was last worked on it on 9/20/07, so it has definitely been a while!!  Here's what the finished project should look like:

Now I can't guarantee that I won't also start a new project soon.  I have been eying something I bought a while back at our LNS.  It's called  "I Love Quilting" and it's by Hob Nobb Designs. 

Here's a close-up of the design itself:

It comes with very cool clay embellishments.  Only thing slowing me down from starting this one right away is that I need to find the right 28 count fabric and dig out the appropriate GAST threads! But, watch this space for updates soon....

Until next time, Happy Stitching!  Vicki in CO

Day Trippin' and WIP Update

Those of you who read my previous blog at Multiply, will notice the new photo I'm using for my new blog.  Yes, I stopped dying my hair a while back.  It just didn't make sense to keep spending all that money to cover up the white that I've had in my hair since my mid-20's (leaves more money for stash!)  So, yes, this is the 'real' me!  I'm also sad to say, I've gained about 20 lb. since my back injury. 

I want to share some photos from a day trip my hubby and I went on today.  We live in the beautiful state of Colorado, just a short hour drive from the gorgeous Rocky Mountains.  Today we took a trip to Estes Park, and into Rocky Mountain National Park, over Trail Ridge Road to the summit at Alpine Visitor Center...12,183 feet! 

No matter how many times we make this drive, it always seems like the first time.  The views are simply spectacular.  This is some of the snow left from last season on the mountain right beside the Alpine Visitor Center at the summit.

This is a view of the Gorge Lakes, Mount Ida and Mount Julian from Trail Ridge Road.

This is the view from Rainbow Curve, looking down at the curves up the side of the mountains that make up Trail Ridge Road.

Rocky Mountain National Park is a great place to see the wildlife up close!

On other occasions, we've seen herds of bighorn sheep.  Today we saw many groups of elk.  This group were grazing near the Fall River entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.  Look at that rack on the elk on the left!

The group below were at Moraine Park on our way out of the park, as we made our way back down into Estes Park.

We stopped in Estes Park after our nice drive.  Walked around a bit and bought some yummy caramel corn to munch on the way back home through Big Thompson Canyon (scene of the flood in 1976 that killed 144).  See an excellent presentation about the flood by the Coloradoan.

Oh, I almost forgot....on our way back to where we'd parked the car in Estes, we stopped in to take a look at the old-fashioned 'Five & Dime' store.  Guess what I found in the back corner?  A pile of all sorts of crafting pamplets!  A quick look through them, and I left with a couple bargains....Prairie Schooler "Garden Beasties" and "A Gardener's Life" by Karen Avery for Dimensions, for the bargain price of $3 for both! 

This stash addition makes me realize I really should dig out my Excel spreadsheet and update my stash list once again.  Dang, something else I need to do.

I also thought I'd post an update to my current project...It's the Gift Bag Melody by Dyan Allaire from Kustom Krafts.  I must admit, it feels GREAT to be stitching again!

Dyan's intention is for this to be finished into a gift bag.  I must admit, I am leaning toward putting the finished stitching on the side of a tote bag; we'll see how I feel once I get it finished up.

Once again, Happy Stitching...Vicki in CO