Bad News!!

PSYCH!!

I just wanted to get you in here to read this post!!

I spent some time last night working on Venetian. I forgot to get a picture last night. My phone battery was too low to operate the camera and well, I was too lazy to get up and go get the charger to plug it in. Also, I have decided that after today, I will be putting her away for the month of July. I am getting kind of burnt out on her, she is SO big! So for the month of July I will be working on my wedding sampler, A Sweeter Love by Plum Street Samplers.

Also, I will be hosting my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY! I am hoping the items that I ordered will arrive before the holiday weekend so I can get it posted, but the U.S. postal service can be a very mysterious thing sometimes. Fingers crossed!

Tomorrow is TUSAL, see you then!

Discuss

So while watching those idiots on "The Bachelorette" last night I was vigilantly working on Venetian. Let's discuss this show for a second. I mean, seriously, what are these people going to tell these kids when asked how they met? "Well, son, your mom and I met and fell in love over the course of a few weeks. Oh, and she was dating 20 other dudes." I would be like "Wow, my mom was a s-l-u-t!" I usually don't watch this show or its counterpart "The Bachelor", but I was intrigued by the stupidity of this seasons buxom brunette and how she fell for that loser dude named after a car. I mean, that dude named after a cartoon mouse had a much cooler name AND he was better looking! Then she sits there in Hong freakin' Kong...."oh, poor me, I need closure" and the guy shows up! Of course, I would show up too if I got a free trip to Hong freakin' Kong just to tell some girl I don't like her.

Anyways, so I am watching this train wreck and in an instant, my scissors slide off my lap after I snip a thread and get swallowed by the couch. Now, our couch isn't one of those one piece deals where the cushions come off. It's leather (hating right now) and both ends are recliners. So although our couch is in fact, one piece, the cushions are not, so anything that falls in the cracks falls alllll the way to the floor. Then, in order to get said something that falls through the crack you have to either move the WHOLE couch, or put up one of the recliners and manuever your fat behind underneath it hoping your freakishly short arms and/or fingers are in close enough proximity to reach whatever you were dumb enough to not hold onto for dear life and let fall in the first place.

So, back to the scissors. They slide off the couch, but I do not hear them hit the floor. Where did they go? Where are they? Oh crap. Where are my scissors?! I realize that they have slid behind me and been swallowed by the back of the couch. I gingerly fish around in the seams of the back and seat cushion to avoid getting stabbed and my hand brushes over something smooth. A texture different than that of the couch. At first, in typical girl fashion I think BUG!! but then feel my fingers gently brush over it again and I realize it is plastic. A plastic bag of some sort.

The culprit!

Seriously?! Let me remind you of THIS post. I was in shock, even Matt laughed at my face when I pulled my hand out of the chasm of our couch and this bag was in my hand. And of course, I have to mention that I have replaced this "lost" thread just weeks ago after having "lost" it three months ago! All those weeks of lamenting over being unable to work on my wedding sampler and it was right under my behind...laughing at me. Unbelievable. Oh, and I did find my scissors a few minutes later, without injury.

I leave you with this picture of my living room as I left it the day of my wedding. During the planning process, I called it my "room of creation" as this is where I sat many a night working on all the projects and crap...um, stuff. The MORNING of the wedding, my moh and I were at Michaels at the butt crack of dawn to replace a broken scrapbook corner punch that I HAD TO HAVE for my programs. Then we hightailed it back to the house to get all the corners punched.....and well, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Matt hadn't been home for about three days before the wedding at this point, so I made sure to text him this very picture that day while he was at is moms house getting ready. He knows me well so his response was "LOL". Smart guy. A month later and I am still finding tiny pieces of paper and vacuuming them up.

Work It!

I've been making progress on Venetian as you can see. I finished up the green bit while watching Intervention.

Then I realized just how little room is left at the bottom. Oopsies....the design is charted for 32 ct, but me being me, went ahead with the 28 ct. 'Cause that's what I had when I was ready to start stitching her, okay?!

Anyways, after some finagling with the chart and double counting rows on my fabric, I will have about an inch to spare on the bottom when stitching is complete. Whooo! That was a close one!

Tomorrow, we discuss what I found in my couch while watching those dummies on "The Bachelorette".

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A Few More

 Pictures in the chapel before the wedding

 Yes, we did a fist bump at the altar, before the big kiss!

 Our fancy marriage certificate!

I love this picture. Well, I love any pictures with my bouquet in them. I got so many compliments on it and it made me feel really good that so many people appreciated how hard I worked on it. Plus, it turned out pretty good. :-)

I do have a few more DIY crafty things I did for the wedding that I don't think I shared yet. I will get to those eventually! Thanks for all your wonderful comments on our pictures and the wedding. It truly was a wonderful and amazing day!

Wedding Pics!

 Finally! Here are some pics to please your wedding palate! Our amazing and talented photographer was Erin Keough. She also brought along her friend/assistant Ryne, who is equally amazing! If you live in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area, check her out. She is awesome!! There are a lot of pictures I would like to share with you all so I think I will be splitting it up into two posts! I hope you enjoy!

My bouquet, pictured with my dress and jewelry

 Our DIY ring dish with our rings. Instead of having a best man, Matt had a best woman. He had decided early on that he did not want her to carry a bouquet, so instead we decided to have her carry the rings. Ring bearer bowls are becoming quite popular so we went to a pottery shop near us where you can paint your own pottery and whipped this little dish up in about an hour or two. It was a fun project to do together and make our own!

 My handsome groom

 This picture was taken after our "first look" at each other! Matt had been waiting for me in the living room with the rest of our families while I was getting ready up in the master bedroom. He was so handsome!

 This is the chapel where we were married, our pastor was captured walking inside. It was built in 1840 and remodeled in the 1980's. It is one room and has no electricity. No bathroom. I think it seats around 90ish people, but we had around 35 and it was pretty full. I loved it so much, our ceremony was at 8pm so we still had the sun but enjoyed the "romance" of the candlelight!

More to come!

Venetian Update

Here is my progress on Venetian Opulence!

The first picture was probably taken about a week or two ago and the second picture was taken last night. I've gotten a lot done on her since I picked her back up after the wedding. I am really enjoying her. I was looking at the chart last night and I am almost done her dress!

What is everyone else working on?

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Weekend Fun!

This past weekend was very nice and relaxing. Friday night, Matt and I went out on our date night! We enjoyed a yummy dinner at The Olive Garden followed by a meandering trip around Target, topped off with a fun movie.

We had some time to kill before our movie so we went over to Target to look around and also to get our candy. Does anyone else do this? Smuggle snacks into the movies? I do it for two reasons 1) The movie theather we were going to does not carry my favorite candy. Can you believe that? Crazy. 2) Have checked the prices at movie theaters lately?! Double crazy! I mean, seriously, we had to spend $22 on tickets alone. In my humble opinion, that should not only include admission BUT ALSO SNACKS at that price!

On a side note: we have found theater near us in Gettysburg that only charges $8 per ticket and is also a very nice theater, but it was a crazy long drive from where we had gone to dinner. Also, after our wedding we went to Berkely Springs, Wv to stay at a bed and breakfast for a couple days. We almost had a heart attack when we went by their movie theater and their ticket prices were $3.75!! O.M.G! They show one movie per week and have showings Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Anywho, back to Friday night!! While everyone else was going to see The Green Lantern, we went and saw Super 8. Boy, we were glad that we did, excellent movie. Ex-cell-ent! The story centers around a group of kids in 1979 that witness something they shouldn't. It very much reminded us of The Goonies. I highly recommend you go see it!

Saturday, we ended up going to Target AGAIN to get some items. We had only purchased our candy for the movies the night before because we didn't want stuff sitting in the car while we were in the theather. I got the 3rd season of True Blood that just came out. I just love that show, it is a bit racy in some parts, but the story line is very entertaining. I just love when Bill says "Sookie", LOL. Matt also worked Saturday night so I was able to hole up in the house and stitch all night. I was up until about 1 in the morning working on Venetian. I don't have a progress pic right now, but I got a big chunk done. Sunday, we hung about the house and then went to the in laws house to have a cookout for Fathers Day. We also did some laundry while we were there.

Yesterday, I had off work so I was able to enjoy some time at home in the morning before going to an appointment and then working my butt off when I got home that afternoon so Matt didn't think I just sat around allll day....he was on to me though. I set aside my stitching and did alot of crocheting on some baby items requested by a friend.

Hopefully, I can get a progress pic of Venetian up soon.

Happy Summer!!

Date Night!

First, thank you for all your wonderful comments on my finish from last night! It was a great stitch and I finished it in less than a week. It was also my first Shepherd's Bush kit and I definitely will stitch another one in the future. The box was also an easy finish. Just like the directions on the pattern said, I took the glass out of the box, centered it over my stitched piece, traced around it with a pencil and cut. Put everything back in the box the way I wanted and, Voila! Pretty box!

Last night while I was feverishly working away to finish the stitching for my box, Matt was working at is parttime job. He texted me at one point asking if I wanted to do a date night Friday night (tonight). I immediately replied yes! He suggested dinner and a movie. He picked the movie, I got to pick dinner.

Matt: I want to see Super 8. You pick dinner.

Me: Ok, sounds good....hmmm, have to think about dinner.

Matt: The new Red Robin is open.

Me: Oh good, then Olive Garden won't be crowded!

;-)

Hope you all have a good weekend!! I have off work Monday for an appointment so I am definitely looking forward to the extra day off!

A Finish!!

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A Bit O' Stash

Last week I received some stash I had ordered from an LNS that I have never ordered from before. They are popular one, I like their website, people talk about them quite frequently. Alas, I will never order from the again, so I shall resist naming names, and they shall be dubbed "the shop who shall not be named". This is my first bit of stash I have ordered since the wedding. I don't really have any MUST HAVES on my list right now. I have put myself on quite the stash diet this year. Yes, these designers keep churning out some lovely patterns that I love, love, love, but my wallet does not. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a fair number of items all kitted and waiting for my lovely attention. Most of them are wip's that just make me feel guilty when I see them. So, it's time to get rid of them!

Whatever, onto the fun stuff, I say! Later, I'll talk smack.

First, I have been eyeing this Shepherds Bush kit since it came out. It doesn't hurt that they modeled it in this super cute little box. As soon I saw it, I knew I wanted it to put beside my bed to hold my wedding rings whenever I don't have them on, which is mostly when I am sleeping (can't bear to sleep with jewelry on, I am so afraid I will lose them in my sleep) or while I am cleaning. It also doesn't hurt that per the instructions, this finish should be easier than tying my shoes and considering that its summer and I no longer wear shoes that tie, thats pretty easy!

Isn't it so cute?!?! I love that little sheep!! It is my first Shepherd's Bush design, but everytime I go to The Stitching Post, I love to look at their kits. The fabric looks blue on the model but it is actually a cream color. The inside of the box and the backing are black so I think it does have some effect on how the fabric color and thread colors look when it is all put together. I also think I am going to leave the words off my piece. I like it with just the stitched motifs...or could I just be that lazy? Nobody will know.....mind you, this is actually two items. The SB kit and the cute white wash box are sold separately. Totally worth it though, and there are other kits available that also fit in the box, plus if you don't like the white you can certainly order the black.

I started stitching it this past Saturday when I met up with Danielle. I probably could have had it done if I had had the time to just sit and stitch it out all weekend, but my so called life kept barging in. The fabric is a small cut so I am stitching it in hand, which I didn't think I would like, but it is not so bad with such a small piece.

Next up, is the Mystery Sampler from With Thy Needle. I am not sure about this one. I got it because I saw some of you other gals stitching it on your blogs and I started liking the colors. I've decided to wait until I have all three charts before I go about getting fabric and threads for it. Under those circumstances, does this really count as stash if you aren't even sure if you are going to be stitching it yet? I think not. The second chart was just released and I do believe I like it.

I like the flowers in the border. I am not fond of the fabric called for in the pattern (or its price) so I will probably use something different (because I am cheap). We shall see. I blame all of you that are currently stitching it for making me buy it, you and your wip pictures.

Now for the smackdown. I am totally disappointed in the online LNS I purchased my items from. These three items were not big at all, but were shipped in a HUGE box. The box they came in was soooo big that more than half of it was filled to the brim with packing peanuts. I loathe packing peanuts. They are a total pain in the arse, not to mention bad for the environment. Did I mention they are a total pain the arse, all their flying around and sticking to things and MAKING A MESS?! So, I open the box and it literally explodes these peanut things. I finally get to the bottom of this box and pull out three measly, small, little things and even Matt goes, "Is that all that was in there?" Myself having made the order, knowing what was in there was also a bit disappointed. I mean, with a box that big, I thought I had won a prize or something.

You may be asking yourself, "big deal, so what if it was a huge box?" Well, lets talk about how much it cost to ship those three small things in that big, huge box....$10. I was shocked, I have never paid that much for shipping when it comes to stash, regardless of how big or small or how many items were inside. Seriously, it cost more to ship than it did to buy the mystery sampler chart, how's that for perspective?! So yea, it gave me pause about that particular online LNS. I hang my head in shame for being unfaithful to my ususal dealer...er, shop.

Anyways, lessons learned!! I am thinking about having my first giveaway soon. I need to purge some items from my house so I am thinking a few gently used charts and maybe some other things are in store. You will just have to come back to find out!!

P.S.com We have received our disks with all the pictures from the wedding, can't wait to share some with you!

A Steal of a Deal (and other geek things)

I have been considering lately subscribing to The Gift of Stitching. It is a wonderinful cross stitch magazine, but, it does not come in the mail and you cannot "buy" it in the a shop. It is an online magazine that you download to your computer monthly. Being the tech savvy girl that I am, this has always appealed to me since I have heard about the magazine. But, since I could never "test drive" the merchandise I was always hesitant about subscribing. Mind you, I've never heard bad things about the magazine, in fact, it has always been good. It's kind of like the whole thing going on with ebooks right now. Some people are all about them, while others refuse to give up their books.

I just recently purchased a Kindle (holla!), it is kind of awesome. I was a holdout on ebooks, though I adore my Overdrive Media app on my phone (more on this later). I still love to go to the library and check out books, and in ever growing terror that my local Borders store will close, I will every once in awhile pop in to use a coupon and buy a latte. The Kindle, though, itsa verra nice, although I still have the problem of dropping it on my face while dozing off in bed (yes, this happens) just like I used to with a regular book.

Anyways! Back to The Gift of Stitching! Yesterday, I was reading on their lovely blog that if you go to their site, you can subscribe to a three month trial for $3!! Holy Cow!! Of course, I hopped right on over and got myself the deal. I am already in love with this months issue and looking forward to July and August....and we shall see if I can deprive myself of a whole year when the time comes to decide if I want to renew or not.

Since we are all about technology today, back to the app I mentioned earlier, its my favorite. The Overdrive Media app is a wonderful app for readers! It allows you to check out books from your library and read them on your mobile device!! It is quite the awesome thing! It has come in handy very often when I have wanted to read in bed and the light was keeping Matt from sleeping. I would just turn the lamp off and still be able to read on my phone without disturbing him! Plus, it is totally free! The app is free, checking out books is free, and no late fees for overdue books! Most libraries have a set time limit for the length of time you can "check out" a book (my library is 7 days), once that time expires the files are no longer available on your phone. It is kind of a bummer if you cant read that fast, but you also have the ability to put books on hold and also create a wish list of books you would like to read later. It is a really nice app, I always tell my friends to download it!

Venetian Progress

Since picking Venetian back up this past weekend, I have made some decent progress.

The first picture seems to be the last picture I took before wedding madness took over, but I had a lot more stitched before she was put away a couple months ago. This past weekend and last night I worked on the bottom right corner.

I highly recommend this stitch if you are a Mirabilia fan! The colors are so lush and gorgeous!

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Virtues...

So I've been plodding away on LHN's virtue sampler since the beginning of May, but I can't take it anymore. That darn hill has conquered me at this point in time. So, I put it away, for now, and after being coached by Danielle, got Venetian back out Saturday night.

I made a good bit of progress on her and hopefully will get some more done this week.

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TUSAL

I'm taking a break from wedding reports to show this months picture of my TUSAL jar. I don't think there is much change from the last report since I barely did any stitching last month. Hopefully in the next few days and weeks I can catch up!!

In other news, our wedding photographer emailed me and our wedding pics were posted online and she will soon be mailing the disk to us! They are so great! I can't wait to share them with all of you!

I also got home today and while putting on on my comfy clothes, found two big bug bites on my left leg. So, of course, now that I know they are there, they itch like crazy!!

Tis the season!!

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