catching up

I have so much catching up to do, but I'm still tired from my weekend trip. When I got home Sunday night I checked the mail and to my surprise was my Stacy Nash Country Sampler Heart Pinkeep & Strawberry Emery kit from Country Sampler. I was so thrilled! I sleeplessly got ready for bed, brushed those pearly whites, climbed into bed (too tired to stitch which never happens) and looked through the kit. Here was the packaging, which was sweet.

And here is what the kit entails.

And here is where I am with this project...

What's interesting about my start is that I always thought to stitch the design and then worry about getting the shape. The instructions are reverse, which I actually enjoyed. I used an iron-on transfer pencil and traced the template onto the "wrong" side of my fabric. Since I don't have a light box and it was gloomy outside I improvised and used my laptop screen. All I did was lay it down and waa-laa: traceable! The instructions say to straight stitch on top of the pencil mark, but that wasn't coming out the way I wanted so I hand sewed a running stitch instead. I like how my shape turned out. My start is nothing to write home about, but it is a start. Progress, not perfection, right!

I've spent the last couple days trying to catch up on email and groupie email and blog readings. Everyone has been so busy since I’ve been away. I drove to my LNS Monday afternoon and picked up 30 ct Weeks Dye Works Straw so I can start Betty’s kitten design bc it is just so darling and extremely tempting to begin right now! So far I've kitted my kitten project and I'm ready to begin. :o) It's going to be so much fun!

I ordered Annemiek’s A Year of Primitive Floss Tags through The Needle’s Content website. The first is the snowman and if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s cute. I’ll start that soon as well. I also want to finish up Sarah’s ABC Pincushion, by Blackbird Designs. I’ve decided to stitch my own name instead of ‘Sarah Tobias’, but I’ve had to chart that out differently so I’m still working on those details, but hopefully I can get that stitched and finished sooner rather than later. I brought my Sarah piece to Florida but never touched it bc of the project from Susan.

Speaking of my Susan project, here is a photo of the Longaberger basket we received as part of the project in St. Augustine this past weekend. I believe the basket has been discontinued. It's cute.

Two nights ago I posted a couple photos of what the SGD class project was. Here's what I managed to stitch yesterday - the blue waves. The waves are stitched using one strand over one.

(Sorry this photo is sideways. No matter how I took the photo, nor how many times, it never straightened, so I apologize.)

How sweet it is to be loved???!!! My dear sweet Aunt Pam mailed me a little envelope with three pieces of fabric inside. She mailed these because I don't have any reproduction fabrics in a cranberry-purple-ish color that'll coordinated with my Lovebirds piece that I finished weeks ago. I love all 3 and cannot wait to use them. I really like the fabric with the blue-ish flowers. I asked my DH his opinion and he likes the far right fabric. I just don't know which one bc they would all look cute. ALL opinions welcome!

Okay, I have to brag about my mom real quick. She stitches models for the Just Cross Stitch magazine and she has made the cover once again. She stitched the pillow that's on the cover. I am so proud of her! JCS doesn't inform her when her models will be made she just knows they will at some point so when they adorn the cover she is always pleasantly surprised. Wouldn't you be?!?!

I had to take Cameron to the ear, nose and throat doctor Monday morning and as I suspected he has to have tubes put in. His surgery is next week. I feel bad for my baby. He isn’t hearing very well either, therefore, why he isn’t talking yet. He’s 17 months old and he should have somewhat of a vocabulary now. Luckily I’m not in the dark about all this. Jose had 2 sets of tubes put in with the same speech issues. At least I know what to expect. Anyway, Cameron was really upset by the hearing test, but as soon as the doctor entered Cameron wanted in the doctor’s lap. He’s never even met this man and he was that comfortable. It was amazing how well behaved he was for the doctor but the nurse, he wanted nothing to do with her.

Sooooo, I best get off and get crackin! Thanks for visiting and listening. I so enjoyed my travels this past weekend, and being with mom made it all the merrier! I love and like my mom! In case you’re wondering, there is a difference between liking and loving and I feel for my mother on both counts :o) She’s the best friend ever bc I can be myself. And trust me, I’m not always nice and pretty! LOL