read all about it!!!

I would love to make another announcement. I have such admiration for Tanya and her designs. I love her antique/primitive way of designing. She brings eloquent history into modern times. They are to die for if you're into that style of cross stitch. The Sampler Girl just released The Sampler Girl Companion Booklet One. I strongly encourage anyone to visit her website to learn more about it and check this out ~ it's so worth it! This is the first of many more issues to come. Look for Tanya's second booklet around Jan/Feb. 2009. Included with these booklets is Tanya's fantastic writing abilities. She's quite the author.

Have fun and stitch those Sampler Girl designs!

christmas table runner ~ quilt chat

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...or at least feel that way around here. The high today was 38 degrees. That is just way too cold for me. I finally have my first Christmas decoration out for the season. It is a Christmas gift from my Aunt Pam. She decided to give me the table runner before Christmas so I could enjoy it during the season. She does impeccable work. Everything she does is absolutely done with perfection. My mom was recently in Ohio for a stitching class and she visited my Aunt (her sister) while there. My Aunt made this gorgeous Christmas table runner and I couldn't be more stunned by its beauty. I've posted some pictures of it, but I really wish that everyone could see it up close. It's gorgeous!

This table runner is one of the most beautifully put together pieces I've ever seen. My Aunt's eye for color scheme and connection is exquisite ~ she has such good taste. Trust me...I always ask her advice when it comes to this type of craft. She ALWAYS has the answer I'm needing.

Now, I have tried to take a good photo. In order to really appreciate this quilt top you have to notice the gold tones throughout. The gold tracing is what really sets this piece off. It really makes the primitive reds and greens "pop," but in a relaxed and soothing way. The cream colored fabric with the gold twirly-vines is just gorgeous. I think it's one of my favorite parts of this top. The cream colored fabric looks as if it's been hand-dyed so it has this calming affect against the gold. I just love it!

As you can see the three stars is what makes this one for Christmas. It reminds me of snowflakes and December which is my birthday month. The holly printed fabric for binding really hugs the "snowflakes" so the center is your focus. It's difficult to just pick one thing about this quilt top...it's all so beautiful.

Here's a photo of the backing fabric. The poinsettias are larger than life, but not overbearing. And of course, it wouldn't be my Aunt to not coordinate it perfectly with the quilt top. I am repeating myself, I know, but it's just gorgeous. I've had my table runner displayed on my dining room table ever since I received it and I find myself looking at it every time I pass by. I am still examining it in fine detail.

My table runner wouldn't be complete without a personal message from my dear Aunt Pam, with an inscription on the back in its own little patchwork square. She's the only aunt I have left. She is dear to me and I appreciate and love her work more than words can describe. I simply adore this quilt-top table runner. It's one of my favorite keepsakes.

sunday

Okay, I last left off writing about Saturday in previous posts. Now I have to write about Sunday because it is a sore issue. Our Sunday started off as most of our Sundays usually do. Finished breakfast, cleaned up from that and got the home ready for the day...opening blinds, making beds, getting myself and everyone else dressed. In the meantime while I complete my daily routine I check in on my boys. As you can tell, they are really busy. Jose at his normal game-playing. He recently got a Wii console game and has not stopped since getting it.

That white wire thingie that Jose is holding is the actual controller to the game system. Weird!!!

Naturally, here comes Mr. Cameron to destroy all of Jose's gaming progress. Headed right for the TV.

Cameron is doing his usual thing: causing destruction throughout the house as he picks apart everything he touches; including throwing everything he puts his little hands on. Ugggg..I can't wait until this throwing thing goes away because I'm about to move out because of it.

Throwing diapers again...but at least they are unused this time.

This child never seems to play like other kids.

Okay, so everything started out as it normally does. For the afternoon I planned on finishing my quick-stitch weekend piece and posting that to my SNG on Yahoo! and doing mommy things. I had maybe 1-2 loads of laundry to finish which is no skin off my nose ~ that's light considering. Jose even did some chores (shocking!); Cameron had taken his morning nap and life was good. I'd say it was around 2:00 when life itself took a mean, ugly turn into the depths of hell.

We have 3 dogs; Chloe (6), Lily (4), and Lucy (2). They were all outside playing in our large backyard and Jose was with them. Chris and I were in the kitchen and we had an eye on what was going on outside. The dogs were getting rambunctious, as they usually do when playing with Jose. Things started escalating and Lily started jumping on Chloe. This is a problem. Chloe suffers from a crippling disease that separates her nerves from her joints and other ailments that don't allow her much standing or walking capability. She is slowly losing her ability to walk, run and most everything else. She isn't in pain, but she's losing her coordination. So, Lily is trying to jump on her and Jose is trying to help Chloe by keeping Lily off. We decide we need to intervene and bring Chloe inside - she just can't be doing this type of horse play anymore.

Lily on left. Chloe on right. (taken 2006)

Lucy-Lu (aka: mean girl)

As I'm walking out the back door and on my way to rescue Chloe, Lily takes one more chance to leap and gets Chloe to the ground. For some unknown reason, she started biting Chloe on the neck. She was thrashing her head about like a shark. I screamed for DH and he went running and separated the dogs and we get Chloe inside. She is badly injured. Injured so bad that she needs emergency medical attention. So, off me and Jose went with Chloe in tow to the Nashville Pet Emergency Clinic. DH stayed home with Cameron. Chloe's injuries could be a lot worse. Surprisingly, no arteries, tissue, muscles, or veins were punctured. Chloe's skin was badly torn and ripped, but no blood loss other than what was pooling around the opening.

Me and Jose were at the pet ER for a couple hours and they took Chloe back for blood work and surgery. She did really well, but needed a tube inserted in her neck for draining purposes. This is to avoid infection and abscess. She still has the tube in her neck, but this Friday it'll be removed. She was stitched up elsewhere, given a couple shots for pain and inflammation, and prescribed an antibiotic. We had to leave Chloe while she was during surgery because her surgery would take an hour, but then recovery would take a few hours. I wasn't able to pick Chloe up until 8:45 that night. In the meantime, I realized how much this was going to cost and it wasn't going to be pretty. I was also overcome with concerns for Lily. What do we do about this? We love our dogs, but what does someone do?

Anyway, I thought I need to get a job to help pay for this. This can't be less than a $1,000.00 and we cannot afford this type of cost. While Chloe was in surgery I drove to Joann's and asked for a job application. I couldn't fill out the application there because Jose was with me, so we headed home and waited for the doggy doctor to call us on her status. Dinner time was quiet with the exception of Cameron's screams and giggles ~ nothing spoils his mood.

I have added a few photos of Chloe's injuries before we went to the pet ER and a few pictures of Chloe after her surgery. Here is a link. If you are sensitive towards bloody-type images, please don't go and look. There are 2 of these types of photos and 3 post-op photos. There are other good photos of my dogs though and they are worth looking at. Chloe's post-surgery aren't that bad besides images of stitches and a tube coming from her neck for draining.

I was glad when this day ended. Tuesday night was the first time we were able to have the dogs in the same room. We just weren't sure how they'd feel about each other since their unfortunate event. They were actually happy to see and smell each other. They've been sleeping with each other as they are right now while I type.

Right now
The verse underneath them is so telling of their friendship.

blog update

I have added two gadgets to my Blog. You can find them on the side bar. I have set up a direct link to PictureTrails.com where I have photos of my various crafts and pictures of family and other miscellaneous keepsakes. I am still in the process of adding pics so my photo albums are not nearly complete. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy them!

I have added a "Labels" section as well. These quick tabs are direct links to prior posts. This is easier than looking through each and every post I've ever published on my Blog. If you're looking for something specific then this section may serve you better.

Thanks for reading!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

I have a HUGE announcement to make. An announcement I am so proud to publish. My friend and cross stitch designer, Tanya, recently received notice that The Sampler Girl will be included in the 2009 Christmas Ornament Issue of the Just Cross Stitch magazine. This is HUGE!!! I am so proud of Tanya. She works so hard on her designs and they come from her heart and soul. She deserves this so much. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You can find The Sampler Girl in the February 2009 Issue as well. Look for her Jane Austen design in that issue. I cannot wait ~ I'm so excited!!!!

my companion

I use this "device" for everything. It goes where I go. I never leave home without it. I was at a stitching weekend retreat a couple years ago and the lady next to me had the exact same thing with slight differences. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It had everything that she'd ever need right at her finger tips. Just as quickly as it opens it can quickly close, which I love, because you don't have to necessarily put everything away when you're done for the night ~ it can all just get rolled up into one little package. I love my needle nook! It's a Susan Greening Davis design. I had to improvise though in its finishing. It came with the chart and the pink linen. I went to Michael's and found a piece of felt for the inside and I decided to finish my edges with fabric so I bought a fat quarter at Michael's as well. The design did not call for binding, but I didn't want a raw edge so I put my quilting skills to work and hand sewed binding to my needle nook. I purchased the buttons at my LNS and the little 'doo-dahs' (a Susan term) I purchased years ago from her. Everything else I had.

Needless to say, I was very proud of myself on this one. There were no instructions on most of this design, except for the stitching and one way to sew the felt on. Other than that, everything else was truly Julie's creation.

QSW

This past weekend was my first quick-stitch weekend with the Stacy Nash Groupies at Yahoo!. I decided to stitch the design 1-over-1 using DMC floss and plan to make it into a floss tag. I also plan on dying the fabric, but haven't decided on which method yet. This is my first attempt at this and I'm a little nervous. I hope it comes out alright. The photo is just the completed stitching. I still need to finish-finish it. I plan on using a light interfacing to give it some substance, but not much, and then I want to back it with fabric, which I have not picked out yet ~ hope to do that in the next day or so. This design was complimentary from The Sampler Girl through our SNG at Yahoo!.

design: Prim Friends Gather
by: The Sampler Girl
stitched by: Julie

saturday

Saturday was a very busy day. First, I am upset with Michael's, or at least my Michael's. My plan for Saturday was to go to Michael's to purchase frames. I had a 50% off coupon and it expired Saturday so this was my last chance to use it. I was pretty excited. I knew what I wanted, but I looked and looked and looked and I found nothing of what I read about on my Yahoo! group. I guess my g-friends have a better Michael's than I. I was just really upset. From now on, I think I may look for frames at Big Lots, Goodwill and/or a dollar store. I was really fed up after leaving Mike's.

I didn't totally leave empty handed. Oh no!!! I bought an 18"x21" piece of white, pre-eyelet lacy fabric with a beautiful floral vine as print. I have no idea what I'm going to use it for, but I didn't care. I had to have it! BUT, what I'm most excited about is that I purchased the Crop-A-Dile. This thing was $34.99 and I used my 50% coupon on it ~ Fantastic deal, wouldn't you say?!?! It may not be the BIG MAMA, but it is the BIG SISTER and I'm happy and cannot wait to start punching my way through stuff.

After Mike's I went to my LNS because of the neighborhood Holiday Happenings. At least 20 local business were having savings and specials and participating in charities. At my LNS, they showcased a local crafter who was displaying her many handmade crafts, one being her hand sewn Baked Potato Bag. There were several motifs to chose from. I didn't get one for myself, but I bought my mother one. She loves Tuscan-style decor and thought this was appropriate for her. The other side has grapes and fields and such (see photo below).

I also bought one skein of Crescent Colours - Bandana but I'm not going to photo that. I'm using it on a Little House Needleworks design. I'll post a progress report at some point with photos of my WIPS. I'm so behind right now. After the trip to my LNS I needed to go Krogering. I hate Krogers! In fact, I hate going to the grocery store in general. I digress; I finally made it home but not until 3:25, which was too late because I needed to be at my LNS for the Moonlight Stitching I was signed up for at 4:00. However, I hadn't seen Cameron all day and I needed to put away groceries, hug and love the baby, regroup my person, get my stuff together, and I had not eaten all day. (I left the house at 10:30 that morning.)

Finally, I made it to my LNS by 4:15. Not bad considering...but it also helps that the LNS is only 5 minutes from my home. YAY!!!! There were 2 new stitchers to the group. Their names were Julie and Jo and live in Nashville. They were pleasant and fun to stitch with. Jo was knitting socks and Julie was stitching up a pillow. My regular g-friends were there; Sally and Susan. We always have fun stitching together and we've grown closer over the last year, which fills my heart even more. In January 2009, Sally, Susan, my mother and I are going to St. Augustine, Florida for a Susan Greening Davis beach weekend getaway. We are so excited!!! I've been there once when I was pregnant with Cameron and had a really good time, but I also battled morning sickness and that wasn't fun on a plane, but the beach was fabulous - stitching by the beach is something everyone should add to their "bucket list." My friend, Sally, is a HUGE Jane Austen and tea drinking fan so I introduced her to The Sampler Girl. We were able to get online at the shop and I gave her a tour of Tanya's place. She loved it!

I had to browse the store, as always. You can't leave there and not make a purchase. There is nothing nicer than to skirt around your local shop after hours. It's wonderful!!! Before my introduction into primitive stitching I never thought to look for such items at the shop. Now that I'm quite aware and well informed that's all I looked for. I wanted to share what I bought. Unfortunately, I am on a budget and wasn't able to buy everything. I was able to buy one chart and a few little extra inexpensive things. Here are those items.

Basket for $10.00

Matte board for $.50 each

Frame for $1.00 (better than Michael's could offer)

This speaks for itself. I bought fabric, but not what was called for.

Embroidery iron-on transfers under $1.25. I couldn't pass this up ~ Colonial Girls, c'mon!!

Our make-it and take-it project. I actually finished mine this time. YAY!!

My Moonlight Stitching experience: PRICELESS!

The evening ended at 10:00 and I went home. The DH was babysitter this day and night. Unfortunately, when I got home I had a house to clean...back to being mom again!

quick post

Hi everyone! It's Sunday night, 11:40 and I am bushed. I have so much to tell about Saturday and today. Unfortunately, things didn't go as I had wanted, but some things did go as planned. I just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that I will post more Monday. I have so much to share.

Nighty-night everyone!

game of tag, anyone???

I have been tagged by Petra to share 6 things about my annoying little self. The rules are as follows:

Rule #1 ~ Link to the person that tagged you.
Rule #2 ~ Post the rules on your Blog.
Rule #3 ~ Write 6 random things about yourself.
Rule #4 ~ Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
Rule #5 ~ Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog.
Rule #6 ~ Let the tagger know your entry is up.


This is going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm so much an open book that it's difficult to come up with things that people don't know. Some of these "things" most people know about me, but there might be some that aren't known.


Julie thing #1 ~ I can do an impression/call/sound of a wild turkey and it's dead on too.
Julie thing #2 ~ I'm almost a germophobe.
Julie thing #3 ~ I have 4 tattoos and my naval pierced (my tongue was pierced, but I removed it).
Julie thing #4 ~ I love a man in uniform; cops, firemen, military men - YUMMY!!!
Julie thing #5 ~ I still haven't had the film developed from my wedding...the wedding was 3 1/2 years ago. (oops)
Julie thing #6 ~ I can shoot and handle a gun.

I am now ordered (heehee) to tag 6 lovely people. Don't blame me, blame Petra! (just kidding Petra - hugs all around you, girl). I have carefully selected my chosen ones. Here is my list of women I'd like to see 6 things about:

Tanya
Carol
Nancy
Barbara
Betty
Mary Kathryn