tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37182155566606781042024-02-19T04:15:58.441-08:00Joie de VivreRandom thoughts on stitching, cooking, and life in general.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-52778582851639323922014-01-06T12:40:00.000-08:002014-01-06T12:40:02.722-08:002013 in 60 secondsI'm still alive!<br />
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My friend Shawn came for a visit from Chicago, one of the things we did was go on a bike tour of Coronado Island. Total blast, and a bit of a cheat since we had electric bikes (but I swear I barely used the battery).<br />
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I got serious about losing weight and participated in a medical study through the VA. Part of it involved having genetic testing done to link my genes to an "ideal" diet. I can officially say I have the fat gene. Despite what a lot of people would like, its actually fairly rare. By the way, my ideal diet is low carb (30% fat, 30% protein, 40% carb). Lean meat, veggies and Greek yogurt are my friends now. Oh, and I'm down 25 pounds (it was almost 30 before the holiday season struck).<br />
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I went to my first ever pro football game, 2 actually (pre-season) and had a blast.<br />
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Managed to hook up with my college roommate that lives less than a mile from the house. How's that for coincidence? We've been having fun and I get to spoil her kids like an Auntie.<br />
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She hosted a Halloween party and I sort of dressed up.<br />
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I took up a new sport/hobby - paddle boarding! Totally love it. Even better I love the San Diego weather that allows me to go paddle boarding on Boxing Day (December 26 for the non-Anglophiles).<br />
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There was a single stitching exchange with <a href="http://seasonsofmymind.blogspot.ca/">Parsley</a>. She sent me a gorgeous gold box and tons of extra goodies. She knows I love to cook, so included some cookbooks.<br />
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I chose to stitch a covered shadow box, borrowing design inspiration from Blackbird Designs, and using pattern elements from Blue Ribbon Designs.<br />
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I had some other stitching finishes as well<br />
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The last two are part of a larger project - a collage. I borrowed inspiration from Gigi's large sheets she stitches. I was getting tired of having a bunch of small pieces. You can only have so many pillows and framing gets expensive, not to mention running out of wall space.<br />
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Christmas snuck up faster than usual, and then was gone in a blink of an eye. Jim, Mary Lou and the goldens came out as usual. Buddy (on the left) is their newest rescue, and he's a mix, there's definitely some hound in him. Holly (on the right) is a playful as usual, despite getting up there in years.<br />
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I found out Annie is a total ham when it comes to taking pictures. I was trying to get the settings right on my DSLR and she had fun posing for me. No, the settings weren't correct for this shot, its over exposed!<br />
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Mom even got me to eat turkey this year. I enjoyed the duck I cooked for Christmas Eve much better, but never got a snap of it.<br />
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And probably the highlight of the season for me was getting my picture taken with Santa. I was bundled up in a ton of layers, we were at a members-only event on the Midway to watch the Parade of Lights (various boats decorated for the holiday cruise the bay in an aquatic parade).<br />
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Uncle Greg and his daughter Delaney came down for a visit after Christmas. Delaney is severely handicapped and has the most wonderful companion dog, Breona. Unfortunately she's getting up there in years.<br />
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Hoping everyone has a joyful and blessed 2014!Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-88259693981990087422013-03-28T09:06:00.000-07:002013-03-28T09:06:24.952-07:00My stitching sisterYou probably don't know, but <a href="http://www.dixiesamplar.com/">Terri is</a> my stitching sister. We share very similar backgrounds - both of us were in the Air Force, we're both accident prone, we both have ankle issues, we're both going through graduate school, and most importantly, we both love to stitch.<br />
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Out of the blue a package arrived yesterday. I wasn't expecting anything, so I was totally blown away when I opened it and kept pulling out item after item. Terri had chosen to surprise me with the most adorable Easter bunny stitched over 1, and all sorts of other goodies.<br />
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You might notice 2 of the chocolates are missing. Both parents were hovering as I opened the package, and chocolate was immediately consumed.<br />
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Terri - thank you so much for spoiling me! Random surprises are the absolute best!<br />
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A few weeks ago I posted about a new blog, <a href="http://thesnowflowerdiaries.blogspot.hu/">The Snowflake Diaries</a>, and an adorable freebie on it. I chose to go out of my normal comfort zone of 36 or 40 count linen and stitch on 28 gingham. For some reason the pale green gingham screamed Spring! to me and seemed perfect for this design. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to be brave enough to sew this into an egg-shaped pillow, or if I'm going to try and find an oval frame.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ocXdfp7fBU/UVRZoqVlnYI/AAAAAAAADUE/tfjf5vYEJeU/s1600/Phonto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ocXdfp7fBU/UVRZoqVlnYI/AAAAAAAADUE/tfjf5vYEJeU/s400/Phonto.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Bunny Love, stitched on 28 ct gingham with <br />Nina's Threads (slightly altered from charted colors)</td></tr>
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Several months ago I posted about having artificial turf put in the back yard. I thought I was going to hate it, but I have to admit, I love it. I never did take a true "before" picture. The one below is after we'd spent several days pulling up plants and cutting out bushes. Its hard to see, but what's left in this picture are the root balls of about 40 bushes. I spent an hour trying to dig one out without any progress. The easiest solution was to rent a stump grinder for half a day to grind them out. Dad was done in about 90 minutes.<br />
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And here's the after pictures. The yard is just so open now, doesn't look like a total overgrown mess (only partly overgrown now). Annie has gotten used to it, and we have a great area for me to throw a ball for her. We're still working on the part of her bringing it back and dropping it for another throw. She thinks the game is for me to chase her to get the ball.<br />
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<br />Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-12067957192360702672013-03-23T22:22:00.001-07:002013-03-23T22:22:53.599-07:00Skunk 2, Princess Annie 0Why do dogs always get sprayed late at night? That one is easy, skunks are nocturnal.<br />
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Why does the freshly skunk-sprayed dog run straight to my bed to roll in? <br />
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That's all, back to drying the dog after her hydrogen peroxide and baking soda bath, then changing my bed linens.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-10524330070471919712013-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:002013-03-22T12:06:22.445-07:00Word PlayIts been a long time since I've really devoted any time to this project, and even longer since I've shown any pictures. December Word Play was completed back in 2011, I worked on November all through 2012 and finally finished it this month, along with October and a start on September. The whole series is being stitched on one loooong piece of 40 count Flax linen, which I gave a coffee bath. For those of you that are curious about the specifics, it will be roughly 890 stitches lone (including 5 blanks between each month) and 129 wide.<br />
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And here's a pic of the whole thing as of a few days ago (there's been some progress on September since the picture). Please excuse the wrinkles!<br />
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Its a bit strange working backwards, but I don't trust myself to count correctly up to the top, and <strike>I'm too lazy </strike>I don't want to take the time to baste in the lines.<br />
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I'll leave you with some pictures I took while we were at Sea World last week, taking advantage of local resident Fun Passes. Mom rode the Manta rollercoaster with me, since Dad's back is a ticking time bomb for a 3rd back surgery.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shamu show</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falcon used to scare off snowy egrets that steal food from the seal and sea lion area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom (and Dad next to her, but hidden) on the whirly-gig ride. This is actually in the children's <br />area, but what the heck, the park wasn't exactly swamped with kids mid-week in March.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVV5aJN8sC5QVt5QtVRHKqgqDJcxJLZeI-OIfdZlZHFHObC1rMWR-WEDWsO_DXMigGf33r9PA8OIILAuIxUXVXXyFIhHNeq3MxV5aV8BDLHk4jsLeuDro24Zrk-ymuklaaAksIgaSqX6g/s1600/IMG_20130312_140134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVV5aJN8sC5QVt5QtVRHKqgqDJcxJLZeI-OIfdZlZHFHObC1rMWR-WEDWsO_DXMigGf33r9PA8OIILAuIxUXVXXyFIhHNeq3MxV5aV8BDLHk4jsLeuDro24Zrk-ymuklaaAksIgaSqX6g/s400/IMG_20130312_140134.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harbor seal clapping to get attention and hopefully fed some <br />mackerel (assuming the snowy egret didn't steal it first).</td></tr>
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<br />Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-53911737350381665352013-03-16T11:53:00.000-07:002013-03-16T11:53:14.624-07:00FinishesI was getting a bit depressed about the lack of pictures in my 2013 Finishes album, so I decided I'm going to count each of the Santa's Village houses as its own finish. Cheating? Maybe, considering I am stitching it all on one piece of fabric, but it keeps me motivated. I swear Santa and Mrs. Claus's eyes aren't really as freaky as they look in the picture. I took these outside in bright light, and you're seeing shadows cast by the itsy bitsy tiny beads I used for their eyes.<br />
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I did make some changes to the cookie shop, and turned it into a bakery by stitching a chocolate cake on a silver stand. The cookie button is borderline too big for my 36 count fabric, but oh well.<br />
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For those that follow me on Instagram, these next pictures will be a bit of deja vu. <a href="http://butterfly-butterflywings.blogspot.com/">June</a>, hold your breath, I finally finished Eve's Garden and the chart will be in the mail to you shortly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shepherds Bush Eve's Garden, stitched as kitted</td></tr>
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The orange tree is absolutely loaded with flower buds, and smells heavenly as you walk by. Just like a bottle of my favorite Jo Malone Orange Blossom cologne!<br />
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The lavender is coming into bloom as well. If it were my house/yard, I'd have this all over the place. Its beautiful and one of the best natural bug repellents around. I had 3 plants right next to my small patio up in Utah, and could sit outside in the evening and never be bothered by gnats, no-see-ums, or any other kind of flying insect that tries to eat me alive.<br />
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I've totally gone California hippy with my breakfast. Greek yoghurt is fine, adding homemade pomegranate jelly is delicious, the ground flax is healthy, but the hippy part was the local bee pollen I added. Oh well, it fits in with the Birkenstocks I seem to live in due to my various ankle surgeries.<br />
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<br />Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-67124685068522756442013-03-09T09:50:00.000-08:002013-03-09T09:50:12.943-08:00New BlogOr at least new to me. Thanks to <a href="http://istitchaholic.blogspot.com/">Carol</a> and <a href="http://xszemkozt.blogspot.com/">Nina</a> sharing the link on Facebook, I found this blog with an absolutely adorable free chart perfect for Easter. In celebration of opening her new blog, Maja is posting a free chart each day for the first week. Stop by <a href="http://thesnowflowerdiaries.blogspot.hu/">The Snowflake Diaries</a> and take a look!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Bunny Love from The Snowflake Diaries blog</td></tr>
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As for my own stitching, I should have some nice pictures to show soon. Well, as soon as I get the camera out and take some decent ones. Finishes deserve the attention of the big camera, and not crappy phone pics.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-1879880538039190382013-03-06T09:59:00.000-08:002013-03-06T09:59:22.006-08:00When the cat is away...or in this case, when mom is away, what do Dad and I do?<br />
<br />
Meet up with our friend that works on HAL Statendam when its in port and take her to the zoo. Love my membership, especially since I can now take someone in with me for free.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7P0y5HBxRfQ/UTd53d8eLlI/AAAAAAAADJU/PtaucGy4VII/s1600/IMG_20130301_131743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7P0y5HBxRfQ/UTd53d8eLlI/AAAAAAAADJU/PtaucGy4VII/s400/IMG_20130301_131743.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polar Bear Plunge</td></tr>
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While waiting for her we walked around the waterfront and I got a picture of The Kiss. Some of you are familiar with this statue, for the rest, here's the condensed version. Its inspired by the famous photo taken in Times Square and the original statue in San Diego was only a temporary exhibit, made out of fiberglass. It started looking grungy so it was taken down, and a huge hubaloo broke out about the permanent (bronze) replacement. The San Diego Art Commission rejected it, stating it was tacky and not the look desired for that area of town. The Port Authority said screw you, we want it, go ahead since its Port Authority property. The Midway was given 3 months to raise $1 million, which they did in 8 weeks. Now we have The Kiss back permanently, and it has a 96% approval rating. Take THAT San Diego Art Commission!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNPhe4gzlng8oMd7F3mpVYsRMY7Q1K2htoCgjJHhVX5NjWtrQMfc1FYnDxi9CYOGcpq-tkHm1eE5rIoNWsfZQVPMrgxXWU7d14z0eP9R6bgaTfodldffMnXusv7c4sQBrMcIo-uasGG4/s1600/IMG_20130301_131646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNPhe4gzlng8oMd7F3mpVYsRMY7Q1K2htoCgjJHhVX5NjWtrQMfc1FYnDxi9CYOGcpq-tkHm1eE5rIoNWsfZQVPMrgxXWU7d14z0eP9R6bgaTfodldffMnXusv7c4sQBrMcIo-uasGG4/s400/IMG_20130301_131646.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kiss</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXNnHHrpxRSzLeFCSJHL2hRrP55TolddqOiv4Y7HISZJ8BNQMsZ2Leu1F7rLxg2m_EYkGfjxDchp1XC-EaBKH8p1x9CDy8R2WtcINCRRSwFg3jQyyIWjgc3wb0mW8tVr6DlXemq-FHBQ/s1600/IMG_20130301_094136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXNnHHrpxRSzLeFCSJHL2hRrP55TolddqOiv4Y7HISZJ8BNQMsZ2Leu1F7rLxg2m_EYkGfjxDchp1XC-EaBKH8p1x9CDy8R2WtcINCRRSwFg3jQyyIWjgc3wb0mW8tVr6DlXemq-FHBQ/s400/IMG_20130301_094136.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star of India, part of the San Diego Maritime Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Princess Annie got a haircut. This was only half of what got cut off. For some reason mom likes her fuzzy, even though she gets dirty faster, she itches more, and is just generally harder to keep properly brushed and groomed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8LewGl8EETQZCTR8bdDU1OBdPoL02pqo0mRaJp_58DwNAuiYGyShF7xu-A74ISsxx3F1lzASfpUXW8DxMKxB-ouqS6hwUjmm2sVwxV37qNcvL8kJ2b_683tNtLUANHy-T1cc_pqS6DI/s1600/IMG_20130228_092958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8LewGl8EETQZCTR8bdDU1OBdPoL02pqo0mRaJp_58DwNAuiYGyShF7xu-A74ISsxx3F1lzASfpUXW8DxMKxB-ouqS6hwUjmm2sVwxV37qNcvL8kJ2b_683tNtLUANHy-T1cc_pqS6DI/s400/IMG_20130228_092958.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I went to a Painting and Vino class and made a masterpiece! Ok, not quite a masterpiece, but I had a lot of fun. I learned I can't draw straight lines or make a balloon symmetrical if my life depended on it, but I do great with text.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9UXBOagN4Z7LfImb13X4O5KO8WcN1BNNu-SCn4U9WGFuNwxSPokIwgqgE_oqEhraytZbrBQeOKSBrcwvLNvPfc0MOlBJac6VmZILoMfKTEsf83jvqwDyD8nDoM7xZhmrTC_sqK4fVt8/s1600/IMG_20130306_090230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9UXBOagN4Z7LfImb13X4O5KO8WcN1BNNu-SCn4U9WGFuNwxSPokIwgqgE_oqEhraytZbrBQeOKSBrcwvLNvPfc0MOlBJac6VmZILoMfKTEsf83jvqwDyD8nDoM7xZhmrTC_sqK4fVt8/s400/IMG_20130306_090230.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And I've done some stitching. Horrible picture of Santa's Hamlet, but you get the idea. I think I want to make some adjustments to the cookie shop and make it a bakery. The cookies just look strange.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cAOYZf9WWWw/UTd5P-Sx7qI/AAAAAAAADI8/rWgXd6RThw8/s1600/IMG_20130306_090925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cAOYZf9WWWw/UTd5P-Sx7qI/AAAAAAAADI8/rWgXd6RThw8/s400/IMG_20130306_090925.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CCN Santa's Village, on 36 ct Light Sand with assorted overdyed cotton floss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Jane Rees finally saw some progress as well. Not a lot, but I've made it all the way across the top of the chart. Obviously I was too lazy to take it out of the Qsnaps to take this picture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E6uHOZsvm4I/USuLzFLgKGI/AAAAAAAADIo/pxDrvLmOcCc/s1600/IMG_20130225_080437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E6uHOZsvm4I/USuLzFLgKGI/AAAAAAAADIo/pxDrvLmOcCc/s400/IMG_20130225_080437.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet Letter Jane Rees, on 40 ct Ricamo with HDF silk</td></tr>
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Thank you everyone for stopping by and a special thanks to those leaving comments. I know I've been absolutely horrible about responding back to them. Please forgive me, and know they're all read and appreciated.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-45262128522534073072013-03-05T10:34:00.000-08:002013-03-05T10:34:25.284-08:00Winter ExchangeI participated in the Winter exchange over on <a href="http://stitchedwithloveexchanges.blogspot.com/">Stitched with Love</a>. <br />
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Lynda very obviously read and paid attention to my"likes." The package was filled with gorgeous red things, and she stitched me a Blackbird Designs pin pillow in my favorite color. I absolutely love the combination of red with the grey fabric, and the silvery grey ribbon trim.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLay_u-wvKw7xsmnRgsgQ9ScKixzeiqOwH2Iaxi4b3Yu0mkf7o0taNyIghtV2_xLsLzc7bN4b5QTKSBTXAVhY9NhFd0CDgTZfQSqkOiR2iLW8va8YcJiKyt119ke_tjqeIwcr-i0hj0E/s1600/IMG_20130211_150431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLay_u-wvKw7xsmnRgsgQ9ScKixzeiqOwH2Iaxi4b3Yu0mkf7o0taNyIghtV2_xLsLzc7bN4b5QTKSBTXAVhY9NhFd0CDgTZfQSqkOiR2iLW8va8YcJiKyt119ke_tjqeIwcr-i0hj0E/s400/IMG_20130211_150431.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous pillow, so elegant with the colors an finishing touches</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iurj8vMs48g/URl9dZ4sBKI/AAAAAAAADGM/yI4jhmoAwjo/s1600/IMG_20130211_150350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iurj8vMs48g/URl9dZ4sBKI/AAAAAAAADGM/yI4jhmoAwjo/s400/IMG_20130211_150350.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all that red stash!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYgiQ8ArIAKale4p4S-Z8WD4FnE4G_k3Uz9UZgMRjFr_PHcY704-NkeX3b8up1OErToBSA0fVtmMhajImbXgAOfGEO5QzhBTVqWq_WDCfB35p-4WNt2fe6nVHAqvXcBSl67ppiHmP3ug/s1600/IMG_20130211_150540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYgiQ8ArIAKale4p4S-Z8WD4FnE4G_k3Uz9UZgMRjFr_PHcY704-NkeX3b8up1OErToBSA0fVtmMhajImbXgAOfGEO5QzhBTVqWq_WDCfB35p-4WNt2fe6nVHAqvXcBSl67ppiHmP3ug/s400/IMG_20130211_150540.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just what the wooden pedestal bowl needed, <br />
some red to break up all the pink.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Living in southern California can make it a bit hard to get into the "winter" spirit. To make things even more difficult, I was mailing out to another Californian - <a href="http://teresasheartfeltstitches.blogspot.com/">Teresa</a>. Instead of going with an obvious winter theme, I chose to stitch with icy colors - overdyed Caron Waterlilies silk in Polar Ice and frosted beads that reminded me of icicles. The design was one of Jeannette Douglas's Quaker Pincushions, which I finished as a box topper.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlsR1BkYAlX8R2Yaf6mT_y21vU8AmkUoNAQKMM2tHCwuVnzR6nJF-x45lg5719-J6onrvcUO6wNkxT5b-kp5MzYHd2gJ0d9WzTtnn_0cO_OOO7TMJjNjhxckjCniZKObSA-0NiYZG_6E/s1600/IMG_20130210_104224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlsR1BkYAlX8R2Yaf6mT_y21vU8AmkUoNAQKMM2tHCwuVnzR6nJF-x45lg5719-J6onrvcUO6wNkxT5b-kp5MzYHd2gJ0d9WzTtnn_0cO_OOO7TMJjNjhxckjCniZKObSA-0NiYZG_6E/s400/IMG_20130210_104224.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box with matching fob</td></tr>
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Navy blue paint and a coat of liming wax. No, this isn't that disgusting 80's pickled oak look. Hard to tell in the picture due to glare, but it turned out gorgeous and was hard to part with.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIgQQ01oQoqi2JU-mX59aD_QDpuOJ2VqNNaC6KaRwB48k2cnbrHn0VsuBcrbyV24tepsjRbS15hd9q4zW2VNEqISyiZ16P3uSuQ9WBIxab1f_WHcJ6n9cZJJHCe9iHyYP8CHNkSKmX60/s1600/IMG_20130210_104351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIgQQ01oQoqi2JU-mX59aD_QDpuOJ2VqNNaC6KaRwB48k2cnbrHn0VsuBcrbyV24tepsjRbS15hd9q4zW2VNEqISyiZ16P3uSuQ9WBIxab1f_WHcJ6n9cZJJHCe9iHyYP8CHNkSKmX60/s400/IMG_20130210_104351.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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You can just barely see the magnetic needle minder I made to match the scissor fob and box.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-40953217770749247072013-02-16T14:25:00.000-08:002013-02-16T14:25:03.156-08:00Dare I say it?Have I turned into a 1 (or 2) at a time girl? I pulled out Eve's Garden because of the fabric count was easy on my eyes, but now I can't stop working on it. First Elizabeth Burrows was a start and stitch until finished project, now its looking like the same with Eve's Garden.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraK-GPGDcMq740FnBrasBj41ByuiiLGdUwXj3h1yL0T3UWUuK1aiylLdV6wcfCyw5L4KVSrmlLXbkK3iULSJLJOHt9VA7dqd4U9oEsw5s9VGnGUK1SQX1rQhO-2DNUupOAkiNHVDrJuw/s1600/IMG_20130215_085919_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraK-GPGDcMq740FnBrasBj41ByuiiLGdUwXj3h1yL0T3UWUuK1aiylLdV6wcfCyw5L4KVSrmlLXbkK3iULSJLJOHt9VA7dqd4U9oEsw5s9VGnGUK1SQX1rQhO-2DNUupOAkiNHVDrJuw/s400/IMG_20130215_085919_0.jpg" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shepherds Bush Eve's Garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Last weekend Dad and I went to a behind the scenes tour at the Midway, open only for museum members. It was a lot of fun, starting out with coffee and pastries since we had to get there so early. We were able to see 6 areas normally closed off to the public - fire room, engine room, arresting gear room, aft bake shop, damage control central, and I can't remember the last area.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQkarAVISmSWLcdHPVIYZFknrJ5qx9kfiAF5v2p3aDx-hqVgl5ONVLKX83C3snmdp0KZDkKKlZJ8Z-g7nf2yxA8iM4gbfXaWaeB8oLB1KyBZZgSWrK9KF_9ddVrXIBcsMJ7iIaXh4-fQ/s1600/IMG_20130209_093721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQkarAVISmSWLcdHPVIYZFknrJ5qx9kfiAF5v2p3aDx-hqVgl5ONVLKX83C3snmdp0KZDkKKlZJ8Z-g7nf2yxA8iM4gbfXaWaeB8oLB1KyBZZgSWrK9KF_9ddVrXIBcsMJ7iIaXh4-fQ/s400/IMG_20130209_093721.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midway's Damage Control Central, with dad in the blue jacket on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ0PzpMKe_uHE-OqfqPm19YT59OVBPXFO1HDi90mWjde4UYZqDFALnWJ8s12YtiT9CoP6BxBYFmkQcbXojVZlsW-paLO5RBPTo3o8gticip_TQelOAgkKstwnhMOdnH4IPhjFAxjnj1g/s1600/IMG_20130209_093202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ0PzpMKe_uHE-OqfqPm19YT59OVBPXFO1HDi90mWjde4UYZqDFALnWJ8s12YtiT9CoP6BxBYFmkQcbXojVZlsW-paLO5RBPTo3o8gticip_TQelOAgkKstwnhMOdnH4IPhjFAxjnj1g/s400/IMG_20130209_093202.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midway engine room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
We still had some paid parking time after the tour, so walked around a bit.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MhPlVDQFPw4/UR_EnAvmO7I/AAAAAAAADHo/uP6LQi89PU8/s1600/IMG_20130209_105638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MhPlVDQFPw4/UR_EnAvmO7I/AAAAAAAADHo/uP6LQi89PU8/s400/IMG_20130209_105638.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fantail Cafe on the Midway, seen from the shore</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-um8Zn9gt_Gs/UR_ErmJF7jI/AAAAAAAADHw/xLwni8jKzOI/s1600/IMG_20130209_104722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-um8Zn9gt_Gs/UR_ErmJF7jI/AAAAAAAADHw/xLwni8jKzOI/s400/IMG_20130209_104722.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge private yacht, 1 of 4 owned by a Russian oil tycoon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8TYqDzwOXkPacOcl8OuZPej5G95aQFIn9nq05_3zWavuW38VdM589iEgvDSunmFKw2cl93qgRaswbZ3uUaIfzsFOj06_e2lOzXlnoOKJ1iCrlUbyKBeS5cYfppqtMkt2WFCPVknSr3o/s1600/IMG_20130209_110108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8TYqDzwOXkPacOcl8OuZPej5G95aQFIn9nq05_3zWavuW38VdM589iEgvDSunmFKw2cl93qgRaswbZ3uUaIfzsFOj06_e2lOzXlnoOKJ1iCrlUbyKBeS5cYfppqtMkt2WFCPVknSr3o/s400/IMG_20130209_110108.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Diego tuna fleet - these guys have a lot of history and were drafted during WWII</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N6dOvh7NtLg/UR_EcNFMsaI/AAAAAAAADHY/TF5FKzwHV9Y/s1600/IMG_20130209_110831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N6dOvh7NtLg/UR_EcNFMsaI/AAAAAAAADHY/TF5FKzwHV9Y/s400/IMG_20130209_110831.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kiss - its actually erected now. There was a ceremony this morning</td></tr>
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Stitching has been a bit slow for a few days. The cooking gods decided it was time for a blood sacrifice to ensure my food is delicious. I just wish it wasn't the thumb on my right hand. Not a knife this time, just a cheapo mandoline since my good ones are in storage.<br />
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Dinner the night this happened (Wed) was seared pork chops with sauteed apples and a Calvados pan sauce.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-34812593947503592032013-02-11T15:29:00.000-08:002013-02-11T15:29:07.878-08:00#santasundayxs<div style="text-align: center;">
Santa #1 is stitched (but needs finished)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cQZJH16GoTs/URl761DIO6I/AAAAAAAADF0/UD0b5v-sp4E/s1600/IMG_20130211_150942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cQZJH16GoTs/URl761DIO6I/AAAAAAAADF0/UD0b5v-sp4E/s400/IMG_20130211_150942.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Santa #2 is started</div>
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I love these Prairie Schooler Santas, and even only working on them 1 day a week, they still stitch up quickly. I'm holding off on the finishing for now, since I'm stitching the whole series on the same piece of fabric.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-34189815325745504342013-02-07T15:50:00.000-08:002013-02-07T15:50:37.984-08:00Plans<div style="text-align: center;">
My plan was to work on Jane Rees.</div>
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What actually happening is I'm working on Shepherd's Bush Eve's Garden.</div>
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My plan was to knock out my Social Responsibility class quickly.</div>
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What's actually happening is I'm taking lots of break from the computer and getting some stitched things finish-finished.</div>
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Why am I not sticking to my plans? My eyes - they're bothering me again. I can't handle 40 count linen right now, but Eve's Garden is on 32 count. Reading on the computer monitor hurts my eyes after a bit, so I take breaks and try to work on the pile of stitched items that need finishing.<br />
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Charlene created a fantastic blog that has been very motivating - <a href="http://stitchednowtofinish.blogspot.com/">Stitched: Now to Finish</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIwIQInJNpvlxrUBUL1wA0MK_U8K8FzyitllwHbruS_T5sOGgiR7yH2VzTiFeuPazJVLp29Q4ahGHEw97HYEaBF-2gL-UQeWP4XKrVB3QZtKDfuGKzxsH420PaWWKPKh6TEs8ZeJu5ZhO/s1600/PicsArt_1360101078824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIwIQInJNpvlxrUBUL1wA0MK_U8K8FzyitllwHbruS_T5sOGgiR7yH2VzTiFeuPazJVLp29Q4ahGHEw97HYEaBF-2gL-UQeWP4XKrVB3QZtKDfuGKzxsH420PaWWKPKh6TEs8ZeJu5ZhO/s400/PicsArt_1360101078824.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valentine designs stitched last year, BBD stitched 2 or 3 years ago</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycNOiVJZ4bLLblJ9wrijKRLDWECAQk75KWPDrFzMkGm-hubWvSlPbeQX2HuMw_V4p0Sh_9fhP74gc7p8h25MT-1N2n3FI0y-sgOoYgpA5KwXWeLH4aRnZPV7eqCvCB4Cs2Qafnwhh4F1y/s1600/IMG_20130207_140627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycNOiVJZ4bLLblJ9wrijKRLDWECAQk75KWPDrFzMkGm-hubWvSlPbeQX2HuMw_V4p0Sh_9fhP74gc7p8h25MT-1N2n3FI0y-sgOoYgpA5KwXWeLH4aRnZPV7eqCvCB4Cs2Qafnwhh4F1y/s400/IMG_20130207_140627.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Thy Needle and Thread Home for the Holiday<br />stitched 4 years ago</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffVyCo0-oMgBc51vHd1JQOdrfPohBE8TnhhXwcq5hU5akZ4Pp6uETc5XmDuZ8Lzbg7qZKc2Le0SIUe42FTwBvF1cSfAvilqPc-p6V9_-z_3AhA2Jkd7jEpQium1Eqhjc46T2TybRLTQQR/s1600/IMG_20130207_140842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffVyCo0-oMgBc51vHd1JQOdrfPohBE8TnhhXwcq5hU5akZ4Pp6uETc5XmDuZ8Lzbg7qZKc2Le0SIUe42FTwBvF1cSfAvilqPc-p6V9_-z_3AhA2Jkd7jEpQium1Eqhjc46T2TybRLTQQR/s400/IMG_20130207_140842.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuffed and lined stocking</td></tr>
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I've also been painting my nails! I ruin a manicure faster than you can say snap, so I don't usually paint my nails. Mom hated this color (Orly Night Owl - a taupey-grey with some shimmer), I liked it.<br />
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I've also been baking. Easy-peasy whole wheat bacon cheddar scones. The weather was gorgeous on Sunday, so we had breakfast outside.<br />
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I'll leave you with a snap of "rescued" trimmings from the flowering apple tree. Dad decided to <strike>scalp</strike> trim it. I wasn't sure if the buds would open up, but they did.<br />
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<br />Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-79706948203434266942013-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:002013-02-04T14:29:48.972-08:00Elizabeth Burrows finishI chose to skip Santa Sunday stitching so I could finish up Elizabeth Burrows. She had been so close to a finish for the last week, but I'd either been working on other things, or just not stitching. I'm sure my current Santa won't mind, since he received attention on Saturday instead. I chose to add a band at the bottom as my "signature" instead of changing any of the original initials.<br />
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I loved learning the Montenegrin stitch, but just tolerated the Italian cross over 3</div>
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Satin stitch always looks lush and fabulous, especially with silk, but I had more frogging in the satin stitch bands than the whole rest of the sampler.</div>
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Eyelets, lots of eyelets. I'm rather proud of myself for actually stitching them instead of swapping them out for smyrna crosses like I usually do. Dare I say, but I actually got to enjoy stitching the eyelets.</div>
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I think its time for Jane Rees to come out and play. The last photo I can find of her is from April 2009. I know I've worked on her since then, but not a lot. As you can see, there's a LOT more to be stitched.<br />
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Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-39975951210320786432013-01-28T09:56:00.000-08:002013-01-28T09:56:20.205-08:00#santasundayxs<div style="text-align: center;">
My first ever Instagram photo! </div>
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My first ever use of hashtags!</div>
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Hopefully next week he'll get a face.</div>
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That's all for now, back to school, trying to finish a class before the end of my term.</div>
Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-43631541536161834032013-01-16T09:44:00.002-08:002013-01-16T09:44:30.848-08:00Scarlet Letter stitchingIf you read Nicole's Scarlet Letter Year blog, you've probably already seen these pics.<br />
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Ann Smith had some progress, and I started on some of the over-1 stitching. The plan to use tent stitch for the over 1 (except the words) didn't work out. I wasn't getting good enough coverage on the 35 count linen, so all that over 1 is being done with full crosses. Miss Ann has a lot of over 1.<br />
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Mom and I were discussing that deer on the left one night. I thought it looked like a moose. She thinks its a donkey with antlers. I really laughed at that.<br />
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The after Christmas illness that hit the household caught up with me. All 3 of us were on antibiotics for sinus infections, and I still have the lingering crud - cough and congestion. I'm not complaining too much, since this is what I lived with 90% of my time in Utah. I loved Utah, my body didn't. When I was at my worst, I indulged in a couple of new starts, partly because I didn't feel like facing the over 1 on Ann.<br />
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Meet Elizabeth Burrows. She's a small sampler, but requires some mental agility since the stitches are over 2, 3, and 4 threads. It was my first exposure to the Montenegrin stitch and Italian cross. I'm in love. I chose 4 silks from my stash, trying to respect Elizabeth's original choices, but drew the line at pale pink. Instead I substituted an overdyed cream silk that had some touches of peach and taupe.<br />
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Since taking this picture I've gotten down to the alphabet stitched in eyelets. I usually substitute smyrna crosses for eyelets, but I'm actually going with the more time consuming eyelets. Its worth it, they look great.<br />
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My other new start was CCN's Santa's Village. This is going to be a huge piece when finished, even stitched on 36 count. I changed out some of the floss, using overdyed cotton from my stash, but decided to stay with some of the bright colors. I'm questioning that now, but I'm not going to rip out what's stitched. Instead I pulled a darker and more muted red, and will bring some of that in, starting with the berries that should be in the bottom border. My wreath is missing its berries, and Santa his eyes, and of course the star on the top of the tree. I want to use some seed beeds and the JABCO button, so will wait until the end to attach those.<br />
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My goal for this year is to focus more on my "serious" stitching, with just enough "fun" stitching to keep life lively. I love my "serious" projects, but they tend to get pushed to the side so easily with my love for seasonal stitching.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-60299215703290841652013-01-01T11:55:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:55:20.708-08:00Last finishes of 2012Dad's birthday was on Dec 20. Since I'm still unemployed, gifts this year were primarily handmade. I took a $6 box from Hobby Lobby and transformed it with some paint, sandpaper, wax and fabric into something special for Dad. From the first time I saw this Shakespeare's Peddler chart, I knew I wanted to stitch it for him. I couldn't afford the gorgeous pencil box it was designed for, so I adapted the chart to fit on top of this larger box. I thought it was perfect for his Navy heritage. Another case of me adding alphabets to charts.<br />
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That mess in the background of the photo is Dad's desk, and I was happy to see he's already using the box. I lined it with some padding and fabric. He's always throwing his watches face down, and scratching up the crystal. The watch you're seeing is a very fancy Citizen watch they picked up on the last cruise and was his Christmas present. We really don't want it getting scratched up.<br />
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Mom's Christmas present was an embellished wool applique piece, which isn't quite finished. I still need to trim it and blanket stitch the backing on. It was hard to find time to work on it without her seeing what I was doing. My embellishments lean heavily toward beads, since I have so many of them, and they're easy. I did do some bullion stitches (around the holly leaves on the right) and some challenged myself with learning drizzle stitches (the centers of the poinsettias). Drizzle stitches are fun and easy, I'll be doing more of them.<br />
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Sorry about the quality of the pictures, I was using my phone and a new to me app called PicsArt. I figured some pictures and a post are better than nothing, and I really didn't feel like taking the time to use the big camera or messing around for hours on the phone trying to edit and correct the pics like I normally would. I haven't come down with the crud as bad as Mom and Dad did, but I'm still not feeling great.<br />
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The final exchange I did in 2012 was a Christmas exchange with Stitched With Love Exchanges. I received the most adorable Rudolph ornament from Debbie, along with lots of other goodies. She packed everything in a decorated plastic jar. It was a great idea for protecting everything in transit, and was used to store Chex mix nibbles during the holiday season.<br />
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I chose to stitch 2 Santa ornaments for <a href="http://stjohnsstitcher.blogspot.com/">Melissa</a>, finishing them with beaded edges and hangers, as well as stitching a decorative border for their backs. The Santas were freebies from <a href="http://gazette94.blogspot.com/2009/12/peres-noel-66.html">Gazette 94</a>. I'd really like to stitch them again for myself, doing the whole series, and maybe passing on the beaded edging.<br />
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One of the extras I sent was a chocolate advent calendar. I have some very fond memories of these from when I lived in Germany as a young child. Pretty crappy chocolate in them, but I still loved opening up the little squares each evening to get my treat.<br />
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I had mentioned in my last post I needed to find the picture I took of Delaney. Just like I thought, it was on Mom's fancy new smartphone. Delaney is 15, and has had a tough life. Don't ask me what she's officially diagnosed as having, I just know she's my special cousin, suffering from both physical and mental disabilities. Its very frustrating for her trying to communicate. She understands more than what people give her credit for, but she can't talk. She definitely remembers Mom from the last time they were together, and greeted her with lots of hugs. It took a few hours for her to warm up to me, but I got my fair share of hugs too.<br />
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While watching the Rose Parade this morning, I worked on some Ann Smith flowers. I really felt the urge to start something new last night, for New Year's, but held off, instead just moving to a new section of Miss Ann. Here's just a small snap of the top border flowers.<br />
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I'm still loving her vibrant colors. I actually stitched that blue flower twice. The first time was with some duller blues (I had originally adjusted some of the colors). I decided to rip it out and go back to the brighter turquoise blue originally called for. Its definitely mellower stitched and surrounded with the other blues than in the full skein.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-49330976998408725742012-12-31T10:14:00.000-08:002012-12-31T10:14:51.127-08:00Christmas 2012Christmas was a little bittersweet this year. For the first time in years we only had 1 golden retriever with us. Jim and Mary Lou decided it was time for Cheyenne to go to a better place. Holly and Annie decided to make up for the loss by being extra cute.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie just barely holding still long enough to snap a pic</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holly sitting nicely for her picture</td></tr>
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We revived the tradition of going to the theater by attending the Christmas Pops concert at Copley Symphony Hall. I had to illegally snap this picture. I wish I'd been able to get a picture of the conductor's pants. Wild!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim and Mary Lou at Copley Hall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and Dad at dinner before the concert</td></tr>
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We always play dominoes in the evening, Mom and Jim are the usual <strike>cheaters</strike> winners, I either win or lose spectacularly.</div>
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We always have a puzzle in works in the living room, a quiet escape from the madness in the family/kitchen area. This year we blazed through the first puzzle in 24 hours so had to find a second one. I always like the 1000 piece puzzles, but mom and Jim lobby for the easy 500 piece ones.</div>
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Sweets are always lined up on the dining room sideboard. They change out daily. As one kind disappears, something new shows up to tempt you.</div>
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Our tree before the presents were unwrapped. Only a fraction of the ornaments we have made it </div>
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on the tree this year. My own tree is just a bit different - I have an extensive collection of Swarovski crystal snowflakes and sterling silver ornaments.</div>
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A typical low-key day. Notice that Annie isn't picky about who's lap she's in.</div>
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Annie getting in the middle of unwrapping presents.</div>
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Mom makes out like a bandit each year. Dad and I buy things for her, but she always has it in her mind we won't shop for her, so she buys for herself too. Well, let me amend that. I buy and wrap, Dad pays me back. </div>
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After Christmas dinner my uncle and his daughter arrived. It was sort of a surprise last minute thing. Luckily his <strike>hellions</strike> sons were with the <strike>witch</strike> his ex-wife. I need to find a picture of Delaney, I think I took it with mom's phone. She's very special. So special that I'll forgive her for leaving germs behind and we now have a house with 3 sick people, and I just spent the last 2 days bringing mom meals in bed.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-74181437621749612012012-12-17T18:09:00.000-08:002012-12-17T18:09:00.379-08:00Recent FinishesI'm proud to say I've had some finishes, somehow snuck in around exchange stitching. The biggest is my 2012 BAP Challenge piece, Blackbird Designs Christmas Garden.<br />
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Mom, Dad and my initials are stitched in red. The friends that always spend Christmas with us are done in gold. Mary Lou and Jim are family to me. <a href="http://theneedlespromise.blogspot.com/">Katrina</a> was kind enough to share details with me about stitching the alphabet at the bottom instead of the charted Christmas Garden phrase. The colors are still Christmasy, but this at least gives it the option of being displayed year-round. I decided after taking the pictures I needed to add one more set of initials. I'm going to put a green SB up in the top right empty spot for Shepherd's Bush. This project was a gift from them to me last Christmas, and all of them signed the inside of my chart. Lots of things I could say, but I'll just keep it simple and say they're all special to me.<br />
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All of my other finishes are small compared to this. First up was the tote bag which was one of the projects from the retreat. I it in Arizona while we were motorhome camping. Perfect project for imperfect stitching conditions. Each of the designers at the retreat supplied a motif (or 2). The stitchers could pick and chose which motifs to put on their bags.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shepherd's Bush 2012 Retreat welcome project</td></tr>
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Next up is a piece designed by Nancy from the <a href="http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/">Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe</a>. It was originally started for an exchange, but then I decided it was too Christmas-y, then I fell in love with it paired with the red velvet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victorian Motto Christmas Reindeer, stitched on 38 ct linen<br />with Hand Dyed Fibers silk in Garnet</td></tr>
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Another project that was started for an exchange, but didn't make the final cut was this <a href="http://plainfancymerchant.blogspot.com/">Homespun Elegance</a> piece. I decided there wasn't enough actual stitching and didn't want the recipient to feel like they got the short end of the stick.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homespun Elegance Christmas Won't Be Christmas, stitched on<br />30 count R&R linen with various overdyed cottons</td></tr>
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Next up is a <a href="http://www.shepherdsbush.net/">Shepherd's Bush</a> design from a few years ago. I've had this mostly stitched for a while, it just needed the last few stitches put in and the finishing done. <a href="http://istitchaholic.blogspot.com/">Carol</a> recently did a tutorial on hemstitching, so this was my first attempt. I'll definitely be doing more hemstitching in my future. Its a bit tedious and time consuming, but you get into a rhythm and it looks fabulous. I'd love to finish a sampler with hemstitching.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shepherd's Bush Merry pin cushion.</td></tr>
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Last, but not least, a pair of <a href="http://theprimitivehare.blogspot.com/">Primitive Hare</a> finishes. The larger one was kitted up at the SB retreat and is stitched on 30 count linen, the smaller I changed to read Merry White Christmas, and is stitched on 40 count linen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Primitive Hare freebie</td></tr>
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<br />Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-83192533649773077272012-12-16T16:53:00.000-08:002012-12-16T16:53:22.599-08:00Catching up on exchangesI've done several exchanges the last few months, and have been absolutely rotten about posting pictures. Please don't think my brevity of words means I'm not impressed or love everything I received, I'm just sneaking in this post between quarters of my Supply Chain simulation.<br />
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Animal Antics exchange, received from<a href="http://butterfly-butterflywings.blogspot.com/"> June</a>. She did a fantastic job stitching me some cute squirrels.<br />
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I sent some Plum Street hares to <a href="http://lisavslounge.blogspot.com/">Lisa V</a>. Other goodies were sent as well.</div>
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For the Stitched With Love Halloween exchanged, I received a totally amazing witch's hat ornament from <a href="http://craftymoo-sarah.blogspot.com/">Sarah</a>. The linen she sent me was just perfect for some Christmas stitching and mom nabbed a piece of the quilting fabric right away for one of the projects she was working on.<br />
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I sent out 2 ornaments to <a href="http://itsjustapril.blogspot.com/">April</a>.</div>
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Terri (Dixie Sampler) also hosted a Haunted Halloween exchange, and I received an adorable L*K pin pillow and a fantastic tin topper from <a href="http://seasonsofmymind.blogspot.com/">Parsley</a>. She finished the inside with some magnetic tape, so needles stick to the lid. Its also the perfect size to put the adorable scissors she sent me, covered with bats.<br />
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I chose to stitch a Notforgotten Farms piece for Jonette (no blog).<br />
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There was also a Christmas exchange hosted by Stitched with Love, but I'm not quite sure what the status of it is. The blog over there is shut down but I haven't received word about being allowed to post pictures yet. No clue if my package arrived. I had fun wrapping, so I'll leave you with a pic of wrapped items. That's not giving anything away.<br />
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Yes, the cutting table also serves as the wrapping station up in the craft room (also known as the bonus room and the room where I have my computer set up).Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-82757290594227445332012-12-09T18:19:00.000-08:002012-12-09T18:19:01.928-08:00The past 3 months in 30 seconds...September....<br />
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Mom and Dad headed up to Oregon for Dad's 50th high school reunion. I joined them for the first leg of the journey (in the motorhome) and we stayed at Seal Beach for 4 days. While there we....<br />
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Went to the Getty Center</div>
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Went to the Getty Villa (my personal favorite)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwQQoQLcZWI/UMU3bsvzl-I/AAAAAAAACos/Sm8-saOV-6M/s1600/2012-02-12+13.40.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwQQoQLcZWI/UMU3bsvzl-I/AAAAAAAACos/Sm8-saOV-6M/s400/2012-02-12+13.40.05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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(you can sort of see the backside of mom </div>
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through the glass - in the red shirt)</div>
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Went to the Queen Mary for dinner one evening</div>
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and Mom and I had afternoon tea another day</div>
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and we went to the Long Beach Aquarium</div>
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Annie and I then headed home for 3 weeks of bliss, I mean 3 weeks of uninterrupted studying. Oh, I almost forgot (don't tell Shawn) but a friend came out to see me from Chicago. We did the Zoo, the Midway, a walking wine tasting tour of Temecula, Food Truck Friday dinner, and a quick tour of Balboa Park before he flew back to Chicago<br />
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The 'rents got home and 2 days later I headed up to Utah for the Shepherd's Bush Retreat. The theme of the retreat was home for the holidays, and it really was home for me. The ladies at the Bush were my family for the 4 years I lived in Ogden. It felt great to be back with them, and Teri put me right to work. Oh woe is me, what a hardship it was to have Paulette Stewart all to myself for half a day (extreme sarcasm there). Poor Paulette had to put up with a borderline stalker fan picking her up from the airport and acting as chauffeur for the day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGACxHRxOOpbghhHrsCD0-_Dz6sunTola34nZparrZzrtTInK5mNLfHRO3Rma4b7IlfKHDsFlajuz68vRSZYxj-5toYVRCzq4b-YCDwx7ENtX0jTZlczZGdzcPVYpAuhw58l5c0wF7jU/s1600/Paulette+and+Mindi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGACxHRxOOpbghhHrsCD0-_Dz6sunTola34nZparrZzrtTInK5mNLfHRO3Rma4b7IlfKHDsFlajuz68vRSZYxj-5toYVRCzq4b-YCDwx7ENtX0jTZlczZGdzcPVYpAuhw58l5c0wF7jU/s400/Paulette+and+Mindi.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mindi and Paulette, picture "borrowed" from Plum Street Samplers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBj_wRyKypq3HvD2HXYakHKZFvP3ul8JdXAJFGTKqReZa-B2EI8ZfXz0XbxqvL4rsAskN5CZJk6hSkHJI7L3QQCTiZV55CFtxZlHDB9vmBK-SQWux7of_9R9x3343eitjk__f4BvYbao/s1600/Mindi+and+Jill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBj_wRyKypq3HvD2HXYakHKZFvP3ul8JdXAJFGTKqReZa-B2EI8ZfXz0XbxqvL4rsAskN5CZJk6hSkHJI7L3QQCTiZV55CFtxZlHDB9vmBK-SQWux7of_9R9x3343eitjk__f4BvYbao/s400/Mindi+and+Jill.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mindi and Jill, with Midge and Gidge, <br />
picture borrowed from Plum Street Samplers</td></tr>
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Yes, if you look closely you can see I was wearing my budha pendant on the day I picked Paulette up and took her on a tour of the Temple grounds. You can't visit SLC without stopping by, its beautiful.<br />
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From Utah I drove down to Arizona to meet my parents in Sedona. For some reason I can't seem to find the gazillion pictures I took, except for the few on my phone. Oh well, I guess they're on the camera memory card and didn't make it to Dropbox or Picasa.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpkXh5vEoL2SXrUYAc-Y2T-4jGuMdMfx15ULbJlaOpe4I5dUf6l2Tw9vOYzMh4gTtlIEzZCwpe3DmJo-YXLWBuy1klnR_SRn_irBxs8I01EmGDfhX-LlQPgsBQPRv_4wLQqtnyV3S6tA/s1600/IMG_20121002_122540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpkXh5vEoL2SXrUYAc-Y2T-4jGuMdMfx15ULbJlaOpe4I5dUf6l2Tw9vOYzMh4gTtlIEzZCwpe3DmJo-YXLWBuy1klnR_SRn_irBxs8I01EmGDfhX-LlQPgsBQPRv_4wLQqtnyV3S6tA/s400/IMG_20121002_122540.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Eat more Beef" at one of the artist colonies in Sedona</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical pose for Annie and Dad in the evening when motorhome camping.</td></tr>
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I also got a chance to stop by The Attic to drop off some donations for their charity auction and drool over all the samplers on the walls. I tried really hard to <b>not</b> look, my budget was already blown.<br />
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Early October I went to Las Vegas for my annual geek fest, otherwise known as the SOE Fan Faire. Its really just a chance to see friends I only see once a year and to have some fun going out to dinner. Not quite as much fun this year on an extremely limited budget, not to mention I haven't played my geek game (Everquest) in about 9 months. But, it was good to see friends.<br />
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We went to the Mob Museum</div>
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Had a "Dark Dining" experience (that's Shawn with me)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, those aren't bras on our heads, just fancy sleep masks.</td></tr>
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Somewhere in all that I did some stitching, a few exchanges, a few finishes, and ripped out half the backyard to prep it for artificial turf. Pictures on all that next post, if anyone still reads this blog.</div>
Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-36797505262370033892012-09-21T12:39:00.000-07:002012-09-21T12:39:31.686-07:00Super Ninja-Quick postSeptember has been a crazy month for me, and its not over yet. It started out with a trip up to the LA area, to meet up with a group of Southern California stitchers. It was my first time meeting them, and it was a very enjoyable day of stitching and chatting.<br />
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I combined that trip with a short RV-camping trip with my parents. They were on their way up to Oregon for my dad's 50th high school reunion, but they started out by staying for a few nights at Seal Beach. While we were there, we visited <a href="http://www.getty.edu/visit/">the Getty Center, the Getty Villa in Malibu</a>, the <a href="http://www.queenmary.com/">Queen Mary</a>, and the <a href="http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/">Aquarium of the Pacific</a>. I then got to drive back down to San Diego where Princess Annie and I got the house too ourselves for a few days.<br />
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A friend came out from Chicago to stay for a long weekend and of course I jam-packed the time with fun things to do. A tour of the Midway, a wine-tasting walking tour in Temecula, an evening of dining at the La Mesa food truck gathering, and of course a trip to the zoo.<br />
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Another few days alone, then the parents get back from their trip and I immediately leave for a drive up to Ogden and Park City, UT. Yep, the Shepherd's Bush Retreat. I've been looking forward to this for ages, and had budgeted my pennies for it.<br />
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Anyway, I'm slowly getting the hundreds of pictures I've taken the last few weeks organized, and needed to post about an <a href="http://stitchedwithloveexchanges.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html">exchange</a> I participated in earlier this summer. It was my first exchange with Stitched With Love Exchanges, and I really enjoyed it.<br />
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I received a lovely pillow from <a href="http://lorettasstitchingblog.blogspot.com/">Loretta</a>, who obviously paid very close attention to my profile sent out with the exchange information. She stitched my a Blackbird Designs pattern (one of my favorite designers) in red (my favorite color). Lots of other goodies were included, and I can't wait to try the Carrie's Creation's silk she put in the package.<br />
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I stitched Summer Splendor by LHN for <a href="http://www.sewinglyalong.blogspot.com/">Cherise</a>, since that was one of her favorite designers, but I brightened up the colors a bit since one of her dislikes was "dull" colors. I finished it into a small stitchers tray, and also included a coordinating crushed walnut pin cushion and fob, using motifs from the design.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LHN Summer Splendor, stitched on 36 ct linen with assorted overdyed floss;<br /> finished as a stitchers tray with coordinating accessories</td></tr>
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Hopefully soon I'll get some pictures posted from the various outings, or at least uploaded to a public album. The jaguar babies at the zoo are so adorable, and one of them was being very adventurous while we were there.<br />
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Somewhere in all this madness I've been doing stitching for an Animal Antics exchange, 2 Halloween exchanges, and working on the 3 packages for my blogoversary winners. Oh, and of course school too. I'll probably spend all of October posting pics and catching up from what I did in September.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-8792307500491446322012-08-31T11:26:00.000-07:002012-08-31T11:26:00.466-07:00Niky's MysteryEarlier this summer <a href="http://niky-nikyscreations.blogspot.com/">Niky</a> hosted a mystery project. I was a bit late in getting started on it (as usual delaying my start until I had all 3 parts), and then even later getting the finishing done. Errr, let me rephrase that, getting mom to <strike>help with</strike> do the finishing for me. Honestly, she was really just supposed to show me how to do the piecing for the front, but then it sort of escalated. I think we made this project a bit harder than it needed to be.<br />
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Lined, with pockets. Handle attached with vintage mother of pearl buttons. A small touch of jute trim across the back from <a href="http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com/">Victorian Motto</a>. I knew exactly how I wanted to finish this before I even started stitching it.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-74731412117085694612012-08-30T05:00:00.000-07:002012-08-30T05:00:13.214-07:00USS MidwayI'll just say up front this isn't a stitching post, and no stitching pictures. Most of my stitching the last month and a half has been for exchanges or for the giveaway I just had. Hopefully in a few weeks there should be a flood of stitching pictures.<br />
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San Diego is a Navy town, but strangely enough, my father was never stationed here in his 27 years of service. One of the attractions downtown is the <a href="http://www.midway.org/">USS Midway Museum</a>. I got the chance a couple of weeks ago to be a last minute fill-in for a neighbor that wasn't feeling well, and attended a Steel Beach Party with the neighbor's husband and my parents. I've never been on the Midway before (in fact I've never been on any carrier before), and unfortunately the museum portion was closed during the event, but it was still a lot of fun. Dad never had a tour on the Midway, but he had been on it before during missions in Vietnam.<br />
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One of the neatest things about the Midway is my dad's plane is on deck. No, not just the same type of plane, but his actual plane he flew.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad with his A-3 baby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad and Bob, the neighbor, talking guy stuff</td></tr>
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There was a live band to greet us, and we also received leis as we walked into the cookout area</div>
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As you can see by the crowd, it was quite a popular event, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous for us.</div>
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As the sun went down, the lights on the ship came on and the city was absolutely gorgeous.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hawaiian and Tahitian dancers for our entertainment</td></tr>
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The Midway staff promises this will become an annual event for the museum members, and I've already put in my request with dad for a ticket to next year's Steel Beach party.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-50063462920507668932012-08-29T16:00:00.000-07:002012-08-29T16:00:15.578-07:00WinnersNo, I didn't forget about my giveaway. I swear names were drawn out of a bowl by mother on Sunday, I've just had the scraps of paper sitting by my keyboard since then, taunting me. I've been diligently plodding through my eCommerce class project, trying to get it finished. If it isn't schoolwork in front of a computer then I've been ripping out vegetation and demolishing a backyard getting it ready for some landscaping. Oh, and I've been breaking out in hives.<br />
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Enough excuses and blathering on about boring stuff, here we go. There were exactly 3 times as many vintage lovers as funky (39 entries for vintage, 13 for funky). I ended up feeling a bit sorry for all those vintage lovers, so I had mom draw 2 names out of that batch.<br />
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<a href="http://faithnchls.blogspot.com/">Faith</a> was the lucky funky winner, while <a href="http://keeperofthecrowes.blogspot.com/">Linda</a> and <a href="http://sharlenesstitchingsite.blogspot.com/">Sharee</a> were the vintage gals. I'll be sending out emails to you three asking some questions and to get addresses. Thank you to everyone that entered, and welcome to my new followers.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-22546156733358896472012-08-19T15:31:00.002-07:002012-08-19T15:31:51.544-07:00Gather, Gobble, Give<a href="http://needleinhand.blogspot.com/">Charlene</a> posted posted a progress pic of her Gobble, and has already stitched <a href="http://needleinhand.blogspot.com/2012/07/independence-days.html">Give</a>. I really love the colors she's chosen. Anyway, she posted a link to my blog about my finished series, and it was driving me crazy trying to figure out where I has posted them. Duh! It was a blog header pic last autumn, so they never made it into the actual blog and received a label. This post is more for my own peace of mind!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhfYIHcdKSsVo8nvM683qjkicsAQK_4qcdDoPE02DXBiBV9RNoi2v58EvuzBDFbWTaWc8y8yxK2LKgj6I3jHOfTOwHdD5yLsaHPaKf4exYYONWDIqWuyC2f5ETeHFOslCHRiyC9VpCLA/s1600/Gather%252C+Gobble%252C+Give+with+textures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhfYIHcdKSsVo8nvM683qjkicsAQK_4qcdDoPE02DXBiBV9RNoi2v58EvuzBDFbWTaWc8y8yxK2LKgj6I3jHOfTOwHdD5yLsaHPaKf4exYYONWDIqWuyC2f5ETeHFOslCHRiyC9VpCLA/s400/Gather%252C+Gobble%252C+Give+with+textures.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plum Street Samplers Gather, Gobble, and Give<br />Stitched on 36 count HDF linen with HDF silks</td></tr>
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The photo was definitely altered with some color effects and textures. The 3 pieces are still unframed and un-finish finshed, hopefully waiting on mom to do some quilting magic and turn them into a wall hanging. Maybe I'll gently prod her by picking out some fabrics and setting them on the sewing machine.<br />
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Hmm, maybe I should go pull Ghoul out of my supply of charts I brought with me....<br />
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Speaking of photo editing, I finally got brave enough to use Photoshop Elements (which I've had for a year now) and made my own custom blog header using different layers, textures and clipart. On a different test blog (for my current eCommerce class), I came up with a custom blog background and a header. Sorry, that blog is private since its a real business and I don't want people getting the test blog confused with the real business blog. Its a lot of fun!Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3718215556660678104.post-69415069120427607162012-08-18T16:57:00.000-07:002012-08-18T16:57:01.013-07:00Sad lossMarilyn Leavitt-Imblum died this past week. While my tastes have changed over the years, and don't currently lean toward her designs, they were true works of art. She managed to chart very detailed designs and get fine shading, without resorting to the dreaded blended needle, or excessive use of fractional stitches.<br />
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Marilyn was a forward thinker, sometimes ahead of her time. She spoke out against the evils of digital piracy of patterns back in 2000, way before many designers even had a web page of their own. If more people had been proactive and thought about new approaches to take to selling designs, we might not be suffering through the current crisis some designers are facing. Instead, the needleworking community chose to just carry on as normal.<br />
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One of my first ever "large" finishes was a Lavender and Lace project, Celtic Noel. It took several years of on and off stitching, with the live-in boyfriend of the time yelling at me about needles stuck in the arm of the sofa. Other than that, he was a pretty decent guy about supporting my cross stitch obsession. At some point, once I get a job again, I'd like <a href="http://renselstudio.blogspot.com/">Jill Rensel</a> to do her magic on this piece. That is if I can ever get it out of my mother's possession. It somehow ended up in her house a few years ago, after years of me telling her no!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavender & Lace Celtic Noel, stitched on 32 ct<br />natural linen with DMC floss, metallic floss, and beads.</td></tr>
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Marilyn, you will be missed for your artistic talent and what you gave to the needleworking community.Mindihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849670556761482289noreply@blogger.com10