I heart organization

After making trips to THREE stores, I was finally able to find the bags to store my silk floss. By the time I hit Joann Fabrics I was extremely frustrated.

Here I am, all ready to dive into A Sweeter Love and I have no way to store my threads in a manner that won't get them all mixed up and my blond self confused trying to figure out which color is which after I rip off the labels.

Not one store had Floss Away bags and I am too impatient to wait for them to come in the mail. All the while I've been kicking myself for not getting them when I was at In Stitches staring at them two weeks ago. Luckily, Joanns had some small storage bags and I also picked up a couple of the metal rings.

I rushed home to the comfort of my couch and cherry coke zero and promptly started sorting my floss and labeling my bags. The bags didn't come with holes punched in them for the ring so I dug a hole punch out of the junk drawer and punched away.

Now they are labeled and bagged and ready for some serious stitching!

Sweet Relief.

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Total Snooze Fest

Nothing much going on over here. It is supposed to be spring, but I haven't seen any sign of her. What a B....! She tricks me with the sun, and then slaps me in the face with bitter cold as soon as I walk outside. Not happy.

Matt and I got some supplies for our bathroom adventure. I got started while Matt was working in another part of the house. I soon came to realize that I, as the planner, did not plan well and we did not have enough bleach to get the all the bathroom walls cleaned. I got about halfway through and could not continue. And of course, we went to the grocery store on Sunday and I still forgot to get more bleach. Bride brain is in full effect. Oh well. We will get there.

Matt worked Saturday night so I was able to do put in some quality time with my couch and Netflix. I worked on my gift for a spring swap I am in (no picture...yet) and watched many episodes of "My So Called Life". Do you remember that show? Mid 90's....I forgot how good/funny it was...but honestly, I didn't think and still don't think Jared Leto is all that. Just sayin'.

After finishing one part of my swap item, I got a bit of craft A.D.D and spent the rest of the weekend switching from one project to another. First I was working on my bouquet and started to assemble some of my flowers. After about three of those, I could no longer stop myself from starting "A Sweeter Love". I still have yet  to get floss away bags for my silks so I only let myself start stitching the green border. This way I don't have a bunch of silk skeins lying around with their labels no longer attached. Isn't that a disaster in the making? Then after about ten minutes of working on the sampler, I went back to my bouquet flowers and was doing more embroidering.

Clearly, I need to sit down and focus and just finish something. It has to be the swap, it must be. Because I don't want to be that one loser that hasn't sent their package out yet...even though I do want to keep it for myself....aaaand I got my swap package in the mail yesterday and it was FAB-U-LOUS!!

I would show you, but I took crappy pictures with my phone and am only now realizing how truly crappy they are. So, you just gotta keep your pants on and wait.

Peace Out!

I Got This!

Oh, it is Friday! I am soooo happy! This has been a long week!

First off, let me just state how fantastic it was to get to enjoy a brand spankin' new episode of Greys Anatomy last night. It was soo good, and next week comes our musical episode with the cast singing! I love Sara Ramirez (she plays Callie), she is gorgeous and can sing it out! Matt and I also watched the season finale of Jersey Shore last night. Wow, what a hot mess those people are. Of course, if people paid me that much money to act a fool, I just might do it.

Tonight, in the continued effort to save money, we are having a date night in. We should have a DVD from Netflix waiting for us in the mailbox, and  this morning before I left for work I threw a chicken and some spices in the slow cooker. Can't wait to walk in the door and smell all the chicken goodness.

This weekend we are determined to tackle a big project in our house. Our bathroom. It's so gross. I hate it. We rent our house, but our landlord is a bit...elderly, and really is not interested in making improvements or changes to the houses where we live. The number one thing I hate, hate, hate about where we live is the bathroom. The floor has CARPET!! CARPET!! Yea, I said CARPET in the BATHROOM! It. Is. Awful. Impossible to clean and just ugly. After talking with a neighbor last weekend though I discovered that before he moved in, he took the carpet out of his bathroom and replaced it with linoleum and had no problem with the landlord. In fact, he told me he spent the whole month before he and his family moved in making improvements on the house with the landlord's blessing. So screw it, I'm doing that too! So this weekend, we are starting from the top down with the walls. They need a good scrub down before they can be painted. Previous tenants had a hideous border on the walls which I promptly ripped down when I moved in, but was too lazy afterwards to clean up the mess it left behind. After the scrub down, it will be time for spackle and painting. I don't think we will get to painting this weekend, but as long as the walls are clean and ready, I can deal with that. This is the one room I really want to improve before the wedding. As it gets closer, I know people are going to be coming by to see us, plus we have an out of town guest staying with us that week and I will be completely embarrassed for her to see that room in its current condition.

On the stitching front, this week I have been hastily stitching a gift for a swap I have to mail out next week...or is it the week after? No pictures yet, but oh!, is it cute! Hopefully I can finish it up this weekend and have my package already  to go out when the time comes. I am thinking once I get that finished, I can start assembling my wedding bouquet and also *maybe* start working on A Sweeter Love. I see it all kitted up next to my stitching spot and I just want to snatch it up and get it started, it's so tempting!! Tomorrow night Matt is working so maybe then I can pick it up for a bit and just put a few stitches in it to satisfy my needs.

Hope you all have a great weekend and get to do lots of stitching!

This Is Me....

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Stash and New Stuff!

So I've been on the prowl for the last few weeks for the perfect sampler for my wedding. Everything I've seen is very cheesy and hokey, and just not me. But, a couple of weeks ago, I came across "A Sweeter Love" by Plum Street Samplers and I fell in love with the verse and the scene itself.

Stitch night came and I walked all around the stitching post in search of the pattern and happily snatched up their one and only copy! I know Paulette, the designer, uses silks in the majority of her designs and had already decided to just go with it since its a special piece for me, but I was not prepare for the list of 27! 27!! At almost $4 a skein, that's about $100 just for the threads! I bought ten that night thinking I'm busy and have so many wips that I could take my time getting all the threads.

When Danielle and I planned our trip to In Stiches, I decided to just buy the rest of the threads and be done with it. So, here it is, all kitted up. Well, minus two threads because they were out at In Stiches, so I can order them later.

I'm not sure if I will get it started before the wedding, but its ready whenever I am. I'm stitching it one over two on 40 ct. Sand newcastle. This is my first time using silk so I am excited to try something new. Plus, the feel of the silks in my hands is so wonderful, they are so soft and have such a pretty shine to them.

I do have a question for everyone though: how do you store your silks while in use on a project? Bobbins? Thread drops? How do you store them after you complete a project?

Thanks!

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Woodlawn Needlework Show

Yesterday, Danielle and I made the trek to Alexandria, Va to see the needlework exhibit at Woodlawn plantation. It was a wonderful experience and one I am looking forward to repeating it next year! Woodlawn plantation was originally the home of George Washington's nephew, Lawrence and his wife, Eleanor aka Nelly. Nelly was known for her needlework back in the day, so naturally it is a prime spot to have the exhibit. Danielle and I were told not to take any pictures inside the house, but it was spectacular! It was fun to wander through the rooms upstairs and down imagining the residents of the house in their daily lives and also admiring all the needlework pieces that had been submitted and those that had won ribbons.

This is the back of the house as it overlooks the hill behind me. From this view, you can see the Potomac and Mount Vernon. Through the windows, we could see all the people walking through the house. Thankfully, Danielle and I got there just as they opened at 10 a.m. so we were able to avoid the crowd. This is always nice as my purse and I tend to knock things over in crowds.

 Danielle getting ready to chow down!

Mmmmm, cake!

While there we also got to enjoy a lovely lunch provided by Nelly's Needlers. All proceeds earned from the needlework show and the cafe go to the preservation of the plantation, so even though I was a bit surprised at the price for a chicken salad sandwich ($9 o.m.g.), I figured it was well worth it for such a good cause and a great day.

Here are a couple pictures of the front of the house. I love the circular driveway, imagining all the neighbors/family coming to visit in their carriages pulled by horses. The door with the ramp in front of it is actually the room where they served lunch, but was not actually an entrance. The main entrance to the house exhibit is actually on the far left.

After spending a couple hours exploring the house and its properties (we even found the "necessary" aka outhouse), we got back in the car and found our way to In Stitches. It was a fantastic shop! They had so many things in their shop that I hadn't seen anywhere else. Danielle and I were both so excited that we forgot to take pictures in the shop. But, take our word for it when we say that it was well worth it! I was able to pick up what I needed to start a new project and also fabric for an upcoming swap I am in.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are not suffering too much from the Mondays!



Snowman Progress and Weekend Plans!

Almost done!

This weekend Danielle and I are going to the Woodlawn needlework show! Neither of us have ever been so we are super excited. We are also going to explore a new (to us) needlework shop right across the street from the show called In Stitches. Hopefully I will be able to get the rest of the silks for my plum street piece and also a few things for a swap I'm doing in April.


We are having some great weather here and I hope it lasts the weekend.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

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How YOU Doin'?

Around this time every year I start wishing I could have a chicken and a duck....

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A Slideshow of Finishes

Here is a slide show I made of some finished items. Most of them are Pixes from Nora Corbett. I heart them very much. I also included some characters I crocheted one year as door prizes at my office Christmas party. I forgot how cute they were!

Springing Forward

Ok, so this whole time change is crap. Saturday night, I lost an HOUR of my life that I will never get back. An HOUR! In stitching time, that's like, a whole day. Except, I was asleep, but whatever. You know where they don't do daylight savings time?! Jamaica! Oh, I miss Jamaica. This time last year, Matt and I were planning our glorious escape. *sigh* This year, every other minute I want to yell at someone and rip their hair out because they keep asking me the same stupid questions ten times to which my answer never changes. Of course, these flashes of rage/irritation are quickly followed by the need to curl up into the tiniest corner I can find so noone can find me and bother me. LOL

This past weekend was very enjoyable. Friday night, I met up with my best friend and MOH to get our hair done. I enjoyed a nice trim and styling while she got some coloring and sassy hair cut. It was very relaxing and we were the last customers of the evening, so we pretty much had the run of the place and excellent stylists. If you are ever in the area, you should definitely pay a visit to The Spa at Roops Mill. They are a full service spa and everyone is super nice!

In stitching news, Danielle and I went to the stitch night at The Stitching Post Saturday night. It was very nice to get to meet up with her and to be able to shop for a bit before settling down to stitch for a couple of hours. There were alot of ladies there and the tables were set up right in the shop. It made for some interesting trips around the shop trying not to bump any of the ladies or step on anything. Danielle and I made sure to get out of the way seats to avoid bumpage. I was kind of disappointed in the food selection, I must say. To attend stitch night, you have to sign up in advance and pay $15. I thought this meant that not only was I paying to attend the shop after hours, but that I would also be getting some kind of dinner. It WAS 6pm-10pm, prime dinner time on a Saturday night. Instead there was a platter of unimpressive grocery store mini sandwich wraps, a basket of mixed potato chips and cookies. The wraps which I shouldn't have even eaten anyway since they all had tomatoes in them and they make me break out, but I felt I should get my moneys worth. I would say there were about 20-30 ladies there, and at $15 a person, a total of up to $450 income for the shop, they could have splurged on the food...just a bit. Lets not forget that people who attend are also buying more stuff while they are there. It was nice to get 10% off my total, but still. I was starving when I left, but I felt like it was too late to eat anything when I would just be crawling into bed when I got home anyway. That's not to say I won't go again, I'll just remember to eat beforehand. It was nice to be in a group setting, stitching and relaxing with other ladies telling jokes and showing our work. I couldnt help comparing it to the stitch nights I have heard about that are held at In Stitches. They have door prizes and catered food, which I am sure they probably charge more to attend, but it seems to have a bit more thought and planning put into it.

While at stitch night, I was on the hunt for a pattern I decided would be perfect for to stitch as my wedding sampler. I have seen alot of wedding samplers over the years and, wow, the majority of them are sooo cheesy! Then, just last week in my blog wandering ways, I saw that Paulette over at Plum Street Samplers had posted some pics of finishes done by other people. One of the finishes was her pattern "A Sweeter Love" and it was perfect!! So, Saturday night, I prowled the shop on the lookout for this pattern and I gave a squeal of delight when I found the ONE copy in the racks! With Danielles help, I was also able to find fabric and also decided to make it my first silk piece. Paulette does the majority of her designs with NPI silks and at almost $4 a pop, those things aren't cheap! God bless her for also providing the DMC colors, but since this is going to be a "special" piece, I decided I would go for it and get the silks. Even better that I was getting 10% off. There are *gasp* 27 silks called for in this piece. NO, I did not buy all 27 colors that night! I bought ten, with plans to buy the rest when Danielle and I go to the Woodlawn show this weekend and visit In Stitches. Plus, I am really developing a liking for Plum Street Samplers patterns and have a couple in my stash, so I know the silks will get some future use. We are very excited to go on this little day trip as it will be the first time either of has gone AND we will get to visit a new shop!

Lately, I have been told that I need to be putting up pictures of some of my finishes that didn't make it onto the blog. I was able to take the pictures yesterday, but haven't gotten them onto a computer yet, hopefully I can get to that tonight and someone will leave me alone about it, LOL.

Hope you are having a good start to your week!

Rainy Blah!

It's rainy and nasty out today. I picked the perfect day to take off work and go to the dentist. Oh, fun.

Yesterday during my lunch break Matt picked me up and we went to the courthouse for our marriage license. We also stopped and picked up our wedding bands. Check, check!!

Last night I started my first round robin piece. Spent a couple hours on that and then switched over to Lizzie Kates snowman snippet. I started it last month. Hopefully, I can get it out of my hair soon. Its no fun working on something with a snowman when it is springtime!

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Hello Lover......

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RAK

Friday after work I came home to a lovely surprise! My first RAK!! Two patterns and some cute heart shaped cookie cutters from parsley! She's an awesome nice lady!

The weekend was pretty good. The bridal party found their dresses and Matt and I went to the movies Saturday night. We saw "Take Me Home Tonight". It was fantastic and sooo funny!

Sunday was a super yucky day. It rained all day, and it wasn't that wussy rain either. It poured down all day and most of the night.

Now starts another work week. Woe is me!

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Ort Report

Here is my ort jar for this month. Its about half full. I really like seeing the threads pile up!

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Getting Stitchy

This week I've been steadily stitching on my wedding bouquet flowers. I received the last (I hope) of them in the mail. Now I'm stitching them, after which I will assemble them into stems, eventually putting those stems together into a bouquet.

The stitching isn't difficult at all. Its mostly tedious, one after another, and making sure I don't make a bunch that all look the same.

In my mind I've got a picture of what I want to end with, here's hoping I can make it happen!

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Bride Brain

Yes, its totally real. There was an article all about it in this months issue of Brides magazine. Therefore, it is a real medical condition of which I am currently experiencing.

This week I'm suffering. I can admit that I can be forgetful, annoyingly so. But this week, whoa, I keep checking to see if my ass is still back there I've been forgetting so much. The fact that it is also the beginning of a new month does not help either since it also means I've forgotten to write a few importamt checks.....oops...

Of course, the last thing I would forget is anything stitching related! I'm very excited as the end of this weeks brings the first round of mailing in my first round robin! Yay! I've decided to send out Lady of the Mist by Mirabilia. She is being stitched on 32 ct. Summer/sage khaki jobelan.

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