Escape and Create

BBD Question??

2012-01-23T12:42:00.003-05:00

I have a question that I hope someone can answer.....I am getting ready to start the Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter" (all on one piece of linen) and was wondering if one skein of Manor Red (used to stitch the alphabet) was enough. I will be stitching this on 32 ct. linen. I don't want to risk not having enough and then having a dye lot issue but I don't want to buy more if it really isn't needed.

Thanks in Advance!!

Project Life 2012

2012-01-20T09:03:00.020-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone! It's been a while since I posted. I have enjoyed the holidays and now I'm ready to tackle 2012 with "delight". Delight is my one little word for the new year. I want to use "delight" as a sense. I want to delight in every little detail whether it be tasting food, seeing the seasons change, hearing my teenage son giggle....I want to not only savor the moments but I want to experience them with delight.

As the new year approached, I knew that making resolutions (as I have in the past) was just a waste of time if they were unachieveable. I'm not going to diet (maybe watch more closely what I eat) and I'm not going to exercise (who knows - I may WANT to get out and walk some so I can take photographs). But I did set a few goals for myself this year......
1) participate in Project Life 2012 - details below!
2) get my photos organized on my computer (which means - sort, delete, print, etc.)
3) doing #2 means I need to scrapbook more
4) get some sewing projects completed
5) visit the lake a lot more this spring/summer
6) sew/quilt a scrappy picnic tablecloth

I want to talk about Project Life 2012, for those that are not familiar with it. I know most of my blog readers are cross stitchers and believe it or not, I still stitch every now and then (maybe I need to add that to the list above - to stitch more LOL). This may be a project you will want to start (BTW - you can start ANY time). I know you "think" there is no way you could ever add another hobby to your day but this is so simple!!!! Almost everyone has a camera phone so take some photos and get started! Document your life!!!

Project Life 2012 is a concept that Becky Higgins began 4 years ago. Becky is WELL KNOWN in the scrapbooking world for her contributions to the Creating Keepsakes magazine as well as authoring some wonderful sketch books. This concept allows scrapbookers to get pictures in their books before the memories fade and to capture the day-to-day details, besides the holidays and other big yearly moments, in a flash. The products she designed are available through Amazon and consist of picture pocket page protectors, journaling cards, albums, etc. Everything a scrapbooker needs. So, why have I just now decided to do this?.........

Well......
1) The concept originally was to take a photo each day. A photo that represented that day or a moment that happened that would probably be forgotten in a weeks time but years from now would be a cherished memory. I knew that I would never be able to take a photo each day for 365 days!
2) I really don't like picture pocket page protectors. It was too confining for me. I'm a "lumpy" scrapper and I just couldn't buy into the print the photo and slip it in the pocket and be done.
3) As a "lumpy" scrapper, I love to embellish. I need to add more to my page.

At the end of 2011, as scrappers began to talk about their plans for the upcoming Project Life year, I realized that there were other scrappers like me! They wanted to embellish, they could not take a photo every week, they needed to scrap the way that was their style. I also realized this was MY album. I'm in charge so let's tweak the concept and do it!!! The main purpose is to capture the little details and moments - I can do that!!

My Project Life 2012 album...
1) does not contain picture pocket page protectors. I am scrappin' my photos onto 12x12 cardstock and doing a 2 page spread for each week.
2) probably will not consist of a photo for each day. I am focusing on the week, itself. I may take 5 photos in one day or something similar. But, I will focus on capturing little momemts, nature, things........I want to be able to look back in 5 or 10 years and see the furniture, see how the trees have grown or are gone, what was on TV, how electronics have changed, etc.
3) lets me embellish! I'm adding my die cuts, buttons, my snippets of life, etc.

This in NO WAY says that the way Becky, or other scrappers, do their albums is wrong. What Becky has designed has been a life saver for so many scrappers. People are documenting their lifes. The small stuff becomes much larger and more important years down the road. It is a great product and if you are a beginner (or advanced for that matter) and you want to get in on this, Becky makes it easy and gives you the tools to take all the guess work out of the equation! It's memory capturing made simple!

So, here it is.....The start of my Project Life 2012 adventure. My week is going to run Sunday through Saturday. My "plan" is to upload and print the previous week's photos on Thursday and scrap my pages over the weekend. I will "try" to post my page updates, here on the blog, on Thursday/Friday.

Title Page:

The 2 page layout (week one/1-1-12 to 1-7-12):

The left page:

And the right page:

Thanks for taking a peek inside my new adventure! If you are interested in getting more information on Project Life, click here. While you are there, check out Becky's design team. They will inspire you! I also have to give a shout-out to Michelle Wooderson for sharing her Project Life 2011 and now 2012. She has a style that I really admire. And if you have a little extra time, visit Glue Stick Girl too!

If you have any questions, just ask!!

edited to add #6 to my 2012 goals

Santa's Coming to Town

2011-12-20T15:45:00.003-05:00

It's been such a long time since I posted but I just had to share my latest creation......my Santa Claus Treat Boxes! I put these together using my Silhouette and they are just too cute! They will be filled with Hershey Kisses and will be at each person's place setting on Christmas Day.

With Christmas being only a mere 5 days away, I hope each of you have a wonderful day spent with love and laughter with family and friends.

Merry Christmas!

Spooktacular Goody Bags

2011-10-30T21:28:00.004-04:00

I spent the weekend getting the house and treats ready for the big night tomorrow! I couldn't wait to make these treat bags with my new Papertrey Ink die - Front and Center #1. It was cut out of black cardstock and adhered to a plain and simple brown lunch sack. The tag was made using the new tag die #5 and some older Halloween PTI stamps. The bags, after the candy was added, were finished off with a torn strip of fabric tied into a bow, Halloween colored baker's twine and an orange spider ring (ring snipped off). My niece and nephews got their bags this evening and were happy.....and that's all that matters! Happy Halloween!

Fall Harvest Crop

2011-10-10T14:53:00.009-04:00

It's been a while since I updated so let's get right to it!

The weekend before last, I spent 3 days scrapbooking and celebrating FALL by attending The Stamping Place's crop in Columbia, SC. It was also World Card Making Day (Oct 1st) so I just had to work on my Halloween cards too.

It was a great weekend and of course the rolling "Coffin Cart" made its rounds. Complete with orange punch, eerie vegetables with mini cauldrons of dip and of course spooky iced sugared cookies. Lisa was dressed for the occasion and would have made any witch proud!

The shop was decorated for fall and Halloween with little cauldrons of scrappin' goodies everywhere.

Some os us even got a little crazy as the witching hour approached Friday night!

Everyone had a great time, especially me, because I got to sit with these two - Peggy and Renee!

Mine and Renee's new traditional pose!

Happy Fall Y'all!

A "Wicked" Good Time

2011-09-26T08:59:00.012-04:00

Guess where Chris and I were Saturday..........

That's right! We traveled to Atlanta to the fabulous Fox Theatre to see the Broadway musical, Wicked. We have tried for 3 years to get decent seats for this event and boy, did we - Left Orchestra, Row G!! What can I say? This show was wonderful! The costumes, stage settings, makeup, music - superb! I love the whole story line and left appreciating why the Wicked Witch of the West was "wicked". It had lots of comical parts as well.

Now, seeing Wicked was great but visiting the Fox Theatre is a treat in itself. It has been a few years since I have visited and I'm always in awe when I come back. This historical Islamic/Egyptian style theater is beautiful. The tapestries, the ornate wall sculptures and decor sets the mood for any featured venue.

And once you are seated, you have to look up and see the "sky.... There are 96 crystal "stars" and 1/3 of them flicker. There is also a projection of rolling clouds. (FYI - one of the stars is actually a piece of a Coca Cola bottle!)

It was a wonderful day and a day to celebrate because...........it was mine and Chris' 22nd wedding anniversary!

We did celebrate a little late since our actual anniversary is on September 9th. But, it was well worth the wait! After leaving the theater, we headed to the Cheesecake Factory for a yummy dinner and of course, cheesecake. They have at least 20 different cheesecake flavors to decide from and it is always a hard choice. I go in with an idea of what I want but usually have to let the large window case speak to me - LOL! I went with the White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut and Chris had the Dulce de Leche Caramel. Yummy-O!!

So, now it's Monday and back to reality. Have a great week!

Fun Friday

2011-09-23T11:05:00.006-04:00

Here's a little fun Friday Q&A. Things you may or may not have known about me:

A. Age: 43
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the bathrooms
D. Dogs: None but use to have toy poodles
E. Essential start to your day: Diet Coke
F. Favorite color: Right now it's blue.
G. Gold or Silver: I like both.
H. Height: 5’5"
I. Instruments you play: I played the flute in middle school but couldn't hit a note now if I tried!
J. Job title: Office Manager, Mom, Wife, Crafter, etc....
K. Kids: One teenage son
L. Live: Augusta, Georgia
M. Mother’s name: Katie
N. Nicknames: MiMi
O. Overnight hospital stays: Yes, in fact had one in January for a bad case of stomach flu.
P. Pet peeves: Liars, Bad Customer Service and people who do not put their shopping carts up in the parking lots.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" - Rhett Butler
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: One younger brother
U. Underwear: Everyday!
V. Vegetable you hate: Artichokes and a couple more - not really a veggie eater.
W. What makes you run late: Signing school papers that I didn't know about the night before.......
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Many
Y. Yummy food that you make: I only have a couple that I think are the best - red velvet cake, coconut cake, cube steak and gravy, squash casserole....
Z. Zoo animal: I love them all but I do enjoy the Meerkats and Giraffes.

Have a great weekend folks.

p.s. Berit - I would love to share my squash casserole recipe. I will edit this post with it in the next day or two. You will love it!

RIP Barbie (Elizabeth)

2011-09-02T09:23:00.008-04:00

Warning: This post contains information that may be sensitive to some. It describes the details of a murder investigation. It contains information regarding the crime scene but has been toned-down and is written as it would appear in a newspaper or other article. If you are overly sensitive to this type of information, please stop here......

As a young girl, I would spend some of my play time with my Barbie. I would dress her up, take her on bike rides and she would visit my BFF, Kim, who had a lovely pink townhome and swimming pool for all of our dolls to enjoy.

This past weekend, while out shopping, Corbin and I picked up a new Barbie to bring home. Only this time, Barbie is not Barbie. She is Elizabeth Short and even though she is dressed for a fun day at the beach, her beautiful life will soon change. She will come victim to a horrendous crime.

Corbin is taking a course in Forensic Science at high school this year. This is the first year the school is offering this course and it is the perfect starting point for his college career in Forensic Chemistry. The first assignment was to reconstruct a famous crime scene and include elements of evidence. He chose the murder of Elizabeth Short or The Black Dahlia, as she is worldwide known. Elizabeth was murdered in California in 1947. Her body was cut in half, completely drained of blood and organs, she was washed and dumped in a vacant lot behind a subdivision only a few feet from a street and sidewalk. The most bizarre fact from her murder was that the killer cut her cheeks in such a way that she appeared to be smiling. Over 200 people were interviewed for the crime and 50 actually confessed to doing it! Because of the lack of evidence, no one was ever charged for this crime.

There are a lot of details, crime scene photos and interviews that can be found on the internet. Elizabeth was a beautiful young lady who, by all accounts, was a "good-girl" and wanted a career as an actress. There are so many unanswered questions that maybe could have been answered if our modern day technology was available back then. This is what my son wants to do with his life. He wants to gather evidence, analyze it and be a voice for the victim. I am very proud of his decision to pursue this passion he has as a career.

Elizabeth, may you forever Rest In Peace!

Happy Dance!

2011-08-31T09:34:00.008-04:00

Have you ever had one of "those weeks" where you wanted to crawl into a cave and disappear? Well, I've had two of them and enough is enough!! I am so ready for the Labor Day holiday on Monday. I don't plan on doing any laboring, what so ever!

Since these weeks have caused me a bit of suffering, the only way to keep from wrapping my hands around necks was to take a needle and stab some fabric - LOL. As a result, I finished my M Design's "S". This really did finish quick and now I just have to be on the look out for a Joann's coupon so I can get it framed.

I also had the chance to finish an ornament I started earlier this year. It is a portion from the Country Cottage Needleworks pattern Snowflake Serenade. I thought it would make a really cute ornament and I liked stitching it on the sparkly linen.

Of course, when you finish a project (or two!!) you have to start something new. Normally, this time of year, I would grab a Halloween or fall project but I went straight to Christmas. That is VERY odd for me! But, I got the Lizzie Kate Santa Claus Is Coming To Town pattern in the mail last week and I've been itching to get it started. I plan to only stitch the Santa part and again, finish him into an ornament. I found a piece of "mystery" linen in my stash that is a lovely gold color and I think it's perfect! Hoping to get him started this afternoon.

Well, that's about it.....Until we chat again - Be Safe and Have Fun!

Prayers and Best Wishes for Linda

2011-08-17T15:40:00.006-04:00

Just a little post to ask for prayers and best wishes for my friend, Linda. She is one of the cross stitch pals and just a sweet (and VERY funny) lady. She fell and broke her hip, had surgery and is currently doing physical therapy. I haven't seen her in quite a while and she's been on my mind lately. I wanted to share a picture that we took last October while attending the Pals Convention in Myrtle Beach (there's Karen and Faye in the background!!).

So Linda, if you are reading this, keep up the good work and get well soon! I'm ready to play that "pass the box" game again real soon - whoo hoo!!

The Help

2011-08-15T08:56:00.003-04:00

Saturday, Chris and I treated ourselves to the movies and saw "The Help". I had heard rave reviews on the book, even though I never read it. I don't know about the book but the movie was great! I laughed (and cried) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Chris enjoyed the movie too but did comment that there was not nearly enough testosterone in the room! LOL! If you get a chance, go see it! I promise, you will never look at chocolate pie the same way again - LOL!

To my cross stitch friends, I have some sad news.....I won't be attending the Pals Convention this year. Our son is a senior in high school this year and has announced his desire to attend the University of Alabama/Birmingham instead of our home town university. After reviewing the course study (Forensic Chemistry), it is the right choice. So, that means I'll be writing a lot more checks than originally anticipated. It was a hard decision to make but one that I had to do. I know you, that are attending, will have a great time! I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back so make sure you update your blogs quickly!

Until next time......

Life's a Beach....

2011-08-08T09:19:00.006-04:00

....and I'm playing in the sand!

I am back from 3 fun-filled days in Myrtle Beach playing in the sand, catching waves in the ocean and relaxing in the pool. Ahhhh....such joy and bliss! The weather was absolutely perfect. Warm but not hot. Overcast at times. Water cool but not freezing. I wouldn't change a thing!

One of the highlights of the trip was the ocean, itself. The water was perfect. Very clear and not a lot of shells which makes walking in the water much easier. We had a blast playing in the water and riding the waves on our boogie boards. The currents were a little strong so of course, I got wiped-out a couple of times. One time in particular, had me laughing so hard, I couldn't get up which means I got slammed a couple more times by the crashing waves. All I could hear was Corbin saying, "Oh My God! Mommy get up!" as he was laughing but trying to "save" me too.

We enjoyed fried shrimp baskets from the Tiki Hut on the beach. We tossed around a football. Corbin chilled with his Ipod. Like I said, just a perfect getaway.

This was a vacation that was centered around the beach. So, no plans to be anywhere at any time. We did get interrupted one day with a little pop up storm. But, it came late in the day so we didn't get to miss any "action". Storms at the beach are so fascinating to me. I love to watch the clouds roll in and see how the surf becomes more forceful.

Of course, like any vacation, it ends all too quickly. I'm ready to go back! This was a great way to wrap-up summer......

Good Bye Beach - See You Soon!!!

Aloha!

2011-07-25T14:05:00.019-04:00

Aloha from the Crazy Croppers at The Stamping Place Scramp-a-Thon!

I am back from a whirl-wind weekend away scrapbooking with some of my great friends. This was titled our "Aloha" crop and the ladies at The Stamping Place went all out! From the decorations to the delicious food and even a coconut bra - everything was perfect!

I arrived and got set up at around 2:00 Friday afternoon. It was BLAZING HOT so it was so nice to finally have the car unloaded and to sit down and get started on my projects but not before refreshments from the Traveling Tiki Bar came by! We had a fruity punch with fruit/cheese skewers and strawberry dip served up by Lisa. Yummy!

We scrapbooked up until midnight and was up, bright and early, the next morning ready for another fun day. Of course, we had the Traveling Tiki Bar again. This time with homemade tortilla chips with cinnamon and sugar served with mango salsa and pina coladas.
Here are just a few photos from the day:

Lisa and Nancy:

Barbara:

Cindi:

Peggy and Renee are "PRODUCING":

Judy and our scrapbooking dog, Beau Joe (I hope I haven't spelled his name wrong!):

Now, you probably think you have seen it all but we still had another day. So, after a couple hours of sleep Saturday night we came back ready to PRODUCE and.............celebrate Judy's Birthday!!

It was such a fun weekend and I can't wait for the next one. We have such a great time. Lots of laughs and lots of stories to hear and tell. Now, I'm sure you would love to see what I worked on however, I can't reveal it at this time. Soon, I promise.

Me and My Happy Self:

Happy Scrappin', Stitching or whatever makes you happy! Find happiness in making something!

Edited to add: All of the drinks mentioned and pictured in this post were non-alcoholic. A bunch of ladies with glue, tape and scissors do NOT need to be a little "tipsy"

Ready to Get My Crop On!

2011-07-22T11:37:00.002-04:00

Scissors, paper, glue, buttons and so many embellishments await my arrival for a girl's scrapbook weekend away. Ready to have fun and belly-laugh all weekend long. Of course that means, if I'm away with the girls, the boys are having their own "retreat" at home without me! Tee Hee!

Have a great weekend and STAY COOL!!

Monday Check In

2011-07-18T12:33:00.005-04:00

Hello Friends! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I did! I got to spend the weekend with Chris and Corbin and it was laid back and great. Corbin and I ended the weekend by going to the lake to do a little swimming and grilling. The water temperature and weather was perfect - so much so, I got a little "pink" on the shoulders and back. I used the SPF 50 but I guess I didn't put it on thick enough or just needed to reapply a little more than I did. I just love visiting the lake and being outside under the pines. And why does a simple sandwich or a grilled burger taste better when you're wet?! LOL!

Not much to share on the stitching front. I have been working on the letter "S" some. Not a lot to show but it's a couple of stitches closer to being finished and that's always a good thing.

Have you seen the new Brenda Keyes/Sampler Company patterns? She is releasing two new ones and this one is calling my name........ It's called Sampler Story and I love it! I've already put in a request for this one when it comes in to my online LNS. Can't wait to get this one kitted up and ready to stitch.

This week I will be busy getting ready for a weekend crop at my not-so-local scrapbook store. I haven't been to a crop in forever, it seems. I've got so many pictures I need to get in an album. I'll never be caught up but I do try - LOL. This weekend, I'll be working on some vacation mini albums. It's so much easier to pack when you decide to work on just one theme. I'll be busy pulling paper and cardstock and printing photos. It's always a fun time and I can't wait!

Until we chat again.....

Mad Scientist at Work!

2011-07-13T13:22:00.007-04:00

That's would it would look like at my house...or a crazed cook!! I have been in the kitchen coffee dying fabric and coming up with all kinds of concoctions to add to the recipe. My good friends Karen and Joan gave me their "recipes" and I've been at it. I decided, like any recipe I get, to tweak it. To put my own flavor to it and I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the results.

This all started when I purchased a large piece of linen that should have been a neutral, autumn feeling color and instead, I got something that looked like baby lotion. It was pink! I didn't like it when I opened the mail and I have no idea why I didn't send it back. I cut a chunk out of it for a project and tea-dyed it but it still had a strong pink tone to it. That's when I decided to put on the apron and start cooking up some strong coffee.

I dipped the fabric, baked it and decided I really didn't like the way it turned out. Was a little too streaky with coffee lines and more primitive than I was use to. Back in the coffee cauldron it went and this time, I rolled it in a towel to get most of the water out and then ironed it dry. Perfect! I got a nice mottled look with the coffee and a very uniformed shading of brown. I dipped and ironed dry about 3 times to get the shade that I wanted. Time consuming but not too bad when you set the ironing board up in front of the television - tee hee!

Here's a picture of the linen that has not been dyed yet (on the left in all it's pink glory) and the new improved coffee-dyed, yummy smelling linen (on the right). (Colors are much lighter in person - not a good day for picture taking)
One thing to note about ironing your coffee dyed fabric dry - the backside of the linen will be much lighter than the front. I have no idea why! I am assuming the direct heat from the iron does something to the color on the threads that the backside doesn't get. Just an assumption here! There was no "bleeding" of the coffee onto my ironing board cover so it's a mystery. Just a fun fact to know and tell!

Give it a try! I know you have a piece of linen in your stash that just won't do so brew up a pot of STRONG coffee and get to dippin'! What do you have to lose?!

Until we chat again.......

Gifties

2011-07-08T09:45:00.006-04:00

I have to show off a couple of gifties that I got while on my trip to Indiana. I "found" these last night after a serious hunt. I had packed them securly for the trip home - so securly, I couldn't remember where they were - LOL!
Diane made the sweet black and polka dotted thread catcher with attached pin cushion. I have always wanted one of these and now I have one that is just perfect. It is weighted so that it hangs off the side on a table. The pocket holds all of your thread snippets and the pin cushion lets you park your needle in a jiffy. She also made various scissor fobs for all the retreat ladies to choose from. Each scissor fob was attached to the lovely silver scissors. I got the nice green fob with the butterfly charm attached. Sweet!!

Karen out-did herself by stitching me a sweet scissor fob with my initial. On the back she stitched OOE 2011 (Only One Ewe) and she attached the fob to a pair of hot pink butterfly scissors! I don't consider myself a scissor collector but looks like I have the start to a great looking collection! May have to look for one of those glass scissor frogs that I see so many have.

I'm still busy stitching on the letter "S" so hopefully I'll have a new picture to show you soon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Finish and a Start

2011-07-06T10:12:00.007-04:00

Hello Everyone! I hope you had a great July 4th holiday. The family and I stayed home, ate some good food and I was busy scrapbooking and stitching away.

I started a Prairie Schooler snowman ornament when I was flying out to Indiana a couple of weeks ago. I finished him up on Saturday and I LOVE HIM! This was such a fun and quick stitch and I can't wait to get him truly finished and on the tree this year. The pattern is one of several from the Snowy Nights leaflet.

Next up is a start. It is the letter "S" from the M Designs Alphabet Series. This alphabet series is "loosely based on an incomplete set of illuminated letters from the early 1500's." I am stitching this on a piece of Dirty Belfast - which looks very brown - with DMC 310. It is stitching up really quick. Just have to make sure you know where you are on the pattern when you pick up that needle!

That's about it. This time of the year gets me thinking about Christmas (sounds a little weird when the temperatures outside say otherwise) and gift giving. Need to start my list and get started on the gifts that need to be made. I ALWAYS underestimate the amount of time that it takes for finishing so I would really like to get started earlier this year!

Thanks for stopping by......

Only One Ewe - Retreat Wrap Up!

2011-06-30T09:52:00.017-04:00

Thanks to everyone for the sweet comments. I hope you have enjoyed sharing this wonderful get away with me. Today I want to "wrap up" the retreat post with just a few little tidbits and such. In no particular order:

I have never visited a White Castle until my weekend trip to Indiana. It reminds me of Krystals that we have here in the south. A little hamburger joint with small, roll type hamburgers. The best part - they are open 24 hours and you never know when a late night or early morning munchie attack will hit ya!

I mentioned that our retreat project came kitted in a fabric portfolio. These portfolios were really nice. Perfect size, weight, etc. Loved the fabric choice I got.

Lots of projects were shared during show and tell. Here is just a sampling of what we saw - all beautiful.

And, it doesn't take long before me and my buddies start getting silly with the camera!

We had several games going on during the day. Guessing how many buttons and fibers were in jars. By the end of the day though, those numbers started running together and we had to speak slowly so Jan could crown the correct winner!

It was a fun weekend but of course, all good things must come to an end. Sunday morning came very early and the 3 of us (Karen, Diane and myself) were up and out of the hotel by 8:00 a.m. so I could catch my flight home, Unfortunately, bad weather caused the airplane to be late which causes a rippling effect the rest of the day. After missing my connecting flight by 5 minutes - I happily got the LAST standby seat for the next flight home. I do like to stitch but sitting in an airport for 5 1/2 hours for the next available flight would not have been fun for me!

Thanks again for everyone who has left comments and I do hope you have enjoyed my story. I leave you with one tidbit of advice......."What you got ain't no knick knack!!!!"

Hugs and if I don't check in before Monday, Happy July 4th to all my US friends. Even if you're not from the US, celebrate. Enjoy what you have!

Only One Ewe Retreat - Day 3 (Saturday)

2011-06-29T08:52:00.016-04:00

Hey gang! If you are still around, I am continuing my recap of the retreat I attended in Indiana. We are on Day 3 (insert TA DAAAAA)! I woke up Saturday morning excited! Because, this was the day my new bestest friend, Vonna - The Twisted Stitcher, was teaching us a finishing class. I couldn't stand it! LOL!

A couple of months before the retreat, Jan sent us an exclusive pattern she designed, a piece of her hand dyed linen and a skein of thread that was picked based on a color family we wanted to use. It was so neat to see all of the finished pieces ready to be made into a treasure.

Vonna got right to it. Giving us clear, precise directions. Hints and tips that have worked for her. The class was so eager to get started and make our treasure box.

We ironed, cut, glued and got right to work. Vonna's directions and "assembly line" style made the class project steps flow without a hitch. You would think Vonna had taught classes all her life!

And before you knew it, you had a great finished box! Everyone LOVED their finished creation and was so excited to have learned all of the tricks of the trade, first hand, from Vonna.

One of the biggest "lessons" repeated over the weekend was personalizing your stitching. Creating memories and documenting events. This was something I really related to since I am very big into scrapbooking. I had never thought about changing patterns to add information, dates, events, etc., to create a sampler that was unique to me or my family. Vonna suggested that we all sign each other's boxes and maybe put the retreat name and date. I decided to do mine a little different. I am going to take a favorite photo from the retreat and have my framer mat it to the size of the inside lid. I will then add the retreat information to the mat and mount it inside the box. I guess it's my way of merging my two crafting loves together!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the class and was so honored to have met a new friend!

Even though this was the last day of the retreat, I have one more retreat update that I will share with you tomorrow. Just a little fun wrap-up of the weekend. Hope you'll stay tuned.......

Only One Ewe Retreat - Day 2 (Friday)

2011-06-28T08:51:00.018-04:00

Friday morning I woke totally refreshed. After getting up very early on Thursday and traveling along, it was nice to have a comfortable bed to curl up in. Which brings me to the hotel....the hotel (Springhill Marriott) was really nice. All of the rooms are suites and include a seperate seating area and a "bar" area with sink, microwave and refrigerator. The rooms were spacious and well lit. All of the comforts of home. And, each morning the hotel serves a hot complimentary breakfast buffet, complete with a waffle iron! So, of course, I had to have a nice hot fluffy waffle with apple juice and milk. The perfect way to start MY morning. After breakfast, I headed down to the conference room to join the group and to start the day.....

Friday's agenda, besides stitching, included an ornament and smalls stitching exchange. I stitched the "Merry" ornament from an older JCS Ornament Magazine. I am pretty sure the designer is Glory Bee. I did change the colors from what was charted and I loved the way it turned out. Hope to stitch another for myself. Diane received it and I hope she enjoys displaying it on her tree.
This is Karen and she got this cutie stitched by Diane. Karen is such a great friend. We text each other almost every day. Karen not only stitches but does lovely finishing work.
This is a perfect opportunity to introduce you to some of my new stitching buddies showing off the ornaments/stitching smalls they received in the exchange. First up is Brenda from Utah. Brenda is such a sweet lady who has a sweet smile and can laugh up a storm BUT you would never know it! She makes no sound. Her husband is a master chocolate maker and we were able to try out his creations. Very yummy to say the least!
This is Carole from Nebraska. Carole is a hoot and is known as the Ort Snatcher - LOL! (she collects orts and gives them to a friend who uses them to stuff into homemade dolls).
Next is Mary from Illinois. Mary is so fun and loves to stitch. She is also a cat lover so what's not to like about Mary. Pictured on the right is Mary's Mom, Sally. Sally is multi-talented and not only does she stitch but knits, sews, crochets, you name it!. And pictured on the left is Kathy from Ohio. Kathy is very quiet but stitches strong!

We also had a show and tell. LOVELY stitching pieces framed, unframed and even finished into a quilt were shown off. Which brings me to introducing you to Judith. Judith is from Louisiana and is a southern belle. I am so happy to have met this gentle lady. And her true love is the color of Brick Red. If you have stock in this color, she will surely help you out! Here she is showing off one of her many pieces.
And of course, I have to introduce you to this girl. You all know her as the Twisted Stitcher and she is my new bestest friend! This is Vonna Pfeiffer and what can I say - I love her!!! Even though she is from Indiana, she understands me! LOL! We just "clicked". I was so excited that she brought in her Prairie Schooler Halloween piece that I had seen on her blog. It was even better in person!
And I can't forget about my other buddy Diane. I met Diane last October in Myrtle Beach and she never meets a stranger! Here she is showing off her newest project, Rose Quaker on 40 COUNT LINEN!!

After "drooling" over all of the lovely stitched work, this gave us the little "push" that we needed to get our needles flying. We stitched, had a lovely lunch brought in from Bob Evans (roast beef and gravy with salad, rolls, strawberry and chocolate pies) and a nice dinner out at Cracker Barrel. Some of the ladies took a little trip to Jan's house to see all of her stitching items for sale. The day was busy but casual. Before you knew it, it was bed time and Day 2 was over with.

I hope you are enjoying these little updates. Stay tuned for details on Day 3 - our finishing class with Vonna!!!

Only One Ewe Retreat - Day 1 (Thursday)

2011-06-27T09:54:00.021-04:00

I just got back yesterday from a wonderful weekend trip in Indiana with two of my bestest friends, Diane and Karen, and attending the Only One Ewe retreat. It was 3 busy days (4 if you count a traveling day and YES, it must be counted - details coming soon) where there was plenty of stitching, laughing and more laughing!

Since it was really busy and there is so much I want to share (I took LOTS of photos), I thought I had best break down the update by each day. So, lets start with Thursday - Day 1:

Day 1 started with the alarm clock going off at 3:30 a.m. That is quite early for me and as anyone that knows me will tell you "I'm not a morning person" but if you don't actually fall asleep the night before, it really isn't that bad. I mean, I was excited to be traveling to Indiana, seeing Diane and Karen, meeting new friends, and stitching non-stop. I got up, hit the shower and did my "before I leave" routine so I could be ready to hit the road for the airport at 5:00 a.m. sharp. I checked the computer about 4:30 a.m. and discovered that my flight had been delayed a little over an hour - NOTE TO SELF: Check the flight schedule BEFORE you shower the next time so you can get a little extra sleep, if needed! Got to the airport and took off for my connection in Atlanta.
Arrived in Atlanta and raced to my gate (which involved taking a train, running to the end of the terminal, etc) and then discovered all that hustling wasn't necessary because my flight to Indianapolis was also delayed because of bad weather and my gate had changed to the OTHER end of the terminal.
So, what does a girl do when she has to wait? She stitches!
Now, I was a littled disappointed because my delay in Atlanta meant I wouldn't be able to join Diane and Karen for a LNS excursion when I arrived in Indianapolis. But, bad weather turned into gorgeous weather (temps in the 70's - Whoo Hoo) and I arrived in Indianapolis a little after 2:00 and was excited to see my two buddies waiting on me at baggage claim.
We got me loaded up in the car and headed to Terre Haute, about an hour away. Arrived at the Springhill Marriott and got settled into our rooms and then headed straight down to the conference room to see where the action would be for the weekend. We walked into the room and there was a table set up for three. Now, I don't know if that was the "special guest" table or had word travled all the way to Indiana that the three of us were INDEED SPECIAL!! LOL.
Thursday was mainly a day to get settled into your room and get your stitching area set up and to meet your new retreat friends. But, we did find a moment - almost immediately after arriving! - to visit Jan's room (our retreat host from Tree of Life Samplings) and to DRRROOOOOLLLL all over her wonderful collection of exclusive hand dyed linens (and her designs and other shop items that a cross stitcher NEEDS!). These linens are wonderful! They have such names as Caramel Frappe, Hazel Nut, Pistachio Nut, Sugared Almond.......and they smell so good too. I like these linens (available in 28, 32 and 40 count) because the color is "saturated". They have almost no "splotching" but they still carry that hand-dyed look. Jan also designed an exclusive retreat piece for us that was kitted up with her great linen, threads and was packaged in a beautiful hand sewn fabric portfolio pouch.
Jan also brought in her design models for us to see up close. As always, seeing models vs. a pattern picture is always so much better! We even got to see a "soon to be released" and "gotta have" model which I believe is called "Penny Freedom"??? (pictured here on the left):
It was a LONG day so we headed to bed a little after 10:00 p.m. so we would be well rested and ready for Day 2 but not before I gave Diane and Karen their two little gifties.....If you remember from reading my blog, I had posted that I was working on a "design" where I would take motifs from patterns and come up with a new design. Well, I took some motifs from Drawn Thread, Shepherds Bush and Rosewood Manor and made these Altoid pin keeps. I have made several of these in the past and I have to say, these are my favorite to date! I've got to get busy and get mine made!

Stay tuned for details on Day 2!!

She lives.....

2011-06-22T14:31:00.003-04:00

Sorry I have been "missing in action" but unfortunately, I came home from vacation to a nasty sinus infection and the start to bronchitis. Luckily, I already had a routine doctor's appointment so I was able to get started on some good antibiotics. But.....that good was soon shattered when I had one too many coughing attacks and threw my back out! Fortunately, I didn't mess up any discs but I had some pretty bad muscle spasms. I am well on the road to recovery and just in time for a fun stitching retreat. I'll be back soon with an update on that. Have a great week gang and stay cool!

R&R'ing and Stitching

2011-06-13T11:31:00.005-04:00

My son and I just returned home from 4 days of R&R'ing in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN. It has been quite some time (maybe 7 years??) since I have visited this area and we had a great time. We visited the Titanic Museum, swam in the pool, relaxed in our hot tub, ate great food - including a trip to Bubba Gumps. Just a great time all around. I did get a little stitching done while I was away and was able to finish up this piece......
This is Bent Creek's Frank 'n Boo Photobooth. It was a fun stitch and my good friend Karen is going to teach me a finishing technique while we are in Indianapolis. Can't wait!!

Well, it's back to work for me so this post is short and sweet. I will try to report back with some photos from our time in Tennessee. Until then......

Mail Surprise

2011-06-03T09:01:00.005-04:00

I came home yesterday and saw that I had a small envelope in my mailbox. I couldn't remember ordering anything. Hmmmm?? What could it be? So, I tore it open and this lovely flower greeted me.....
Of course, I had to open that little bag and see what was inside and was I ever so pleasantly surprised! Just look at this cutie! A beautiful pin cushion (and pins!!) hand made by my good friend Karen. I was so surprised and yes, Karen, it made me smile!! This is my first RAK and my first stitched item from Karen. It was so sweet of her to think of me and I will treasure it! Thank you Karen for making my day!

Hugs and Stitches!

A Finish and Soon-to-be-Start

2011-05-23T09:37:00.016-04:00

Happy Monday Everyone! I want to share a finish with you....this is Stitch Together by Tree of Life Samplings This design was stitched with GAST Freedom on an exclusively hand dyed piece of linen from Tree of Life Samplings. I'm not quite sure if the color is Caramel Frappe or Espresso Bean but it is lovely!! It has the perfect brown tones that I have not been able to find in linen. Not only is the color yummy, but the smell!! I could sniff this fabric all day long - LOL! All of the attendees, for the One and Only Ewe retreat next month, are stitching this design in a specially chosen thread based on their favorite color family. Vonna, The Twisted Stitcher, is going to teach us a finishing technique with our finished piece. What exactly, remains a mystery! I'm sure whatever it is, will be fantastic! I am so excited about the retreat and I can hardly wait to go.

Many of you may be familiar with Brenda Gervais' designs under the With Thy Needle and Thread company. She recently released the 1st part of a Birds of a Feather mystery sampler. I got the 1st pattern, threads and fabric and if the colors are any indication on what to expect for the next two rounds, I am in for a treat! I just love it! As soon as I get my retreat stitching done, I will get started on this one.

Well, not much else to report. This past weekend was definitely the start of summer here temperature wise. We were still in the 90's at 8:00 last night. Too hot to do anything but just hang out by the A/C. Hoping for a little cooler weather this weekend with it being the Memorial Day weekend.

Until we chat again........Hugs and Stitches!

Stitch Palooza - Part 2

2011-05-18T11:28:00.017-04:00

So here is the story behind the little "side-trip" to an Exxon Gas Station. While visiting the Stitch and Frame Shop, Lorraine (a truly wonderful sales clerk and enabler of anything worth stitching - LOL) brought out her wonderful stitch bag full of goodies so we could drool on them. Lorraine has a good eye for mixing colors and changing things up on a pattern so we HAD to see her works in progress. Before she could even dig into the bag, we had to know WHERE she got her bag. She said "at a little peach stand at the gas station". She gave us directions and off we went. Well, this was no ordinary peach stand and no ordinary Exxon gas station......
This "gas station" had an "indoor" produce stand (which BTW, I don't remember seeing any peaches - LOL), an ice cream shop, bakery, butcher shop and cafe. It was sweet and so inviting. All of the produce items they sell are locally grown. Just look at this produce..... You can see the ice cream shop and those lovely straw baskets hanging that are the perfect size for carrying your cross stitch goodies.

Lovely syrups with candle wax tops....

Lots of jars of pickled okra, pickled asparagus, pickled quail eggs,...if you can fit it in a jar, you can pickle it!!

Tasty bakery treats.....no convenience store candy bars here!

This was a really neat place to visit and I would love to go back. It was the perfect ending to a great night away.(Karen, Lorrie (with her new basket tote on the table) and me!)

Stitch Palooza! - Part 1

2011-05-15T18:53:00.023-04:00

Me and my two good stitch buddies - Lorrie and Karen - decided to take a small, overnight road trip to our not so LNS to shop and have a girls night stitching away. We had a blast! We left around noon on Friday and headed to Rock Hill, SC to visit the Stitch and Frame Shop. Here are just a couple of snaps showing our adventure....
You know how stitchers have their hands full with shopping bags, luggage, snacks, etc. Some times you have to use your "head" (no pun intended!!)
Here we are soon after check in getting ready to head out to Outback for a yummy steak dinner.
The Friends Stitch Bed...This snap was actually taken AFTER removing some patterns, thread boxes, etc., out of the way.
It doesn't take long before we start getting silly with the camera! Let the shopping begin!
Fabrics, glorious fabrics!
And you can't forget about all of the lovely, colorful and fun threads!

Unfortunately, all good things do come to an end but stay tuned......because I need to tell you all about a little "side-trip" to an Exxon Gas Station. This was unlike any gas station I have ever visited!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:40:00.004-04:00

This is the reason I love this day........
Thanks Corbin for:
*making me happy
*giving me a good laugh
*playing pranks on me
*getting on my last good nerve
*listening to me every now and then
*taking out the trash
*being my concert/music buddy
*just being YOU!

To all the Mom's out there.....Happy Mother's Day!

Just Little O' Me

2011-05-05T15:17:00.007-04:00

I haven't posted in a while and that is only because - I have nothing to post! I have taken a small stitching hiatus to work (finish) on my Christmas Mini Album (2010) so that hasn't left much time to stitch. This is always a really a busy time of the year for me - Corbin will soon be out of school, weekend trips to the lake, vacations and get aways, and we won't even mention year end at work!

But, I did take a little time this week to do some "sketching / designing". Now, don't get too excited. My "design" work consist of taking motifs from various patterns and coming up with my own, unique piece. I've done this a couple of times in the past and it's something I like to do. Kind of like my own round robin - LOL! Of course, I'll change it a million times but it's fun to go through my patterns and look for little motifs here and there. As soon as I have it all sketched and stitched up, I'll be sure to post a snap.

Until then......have a great one!

A Shout Out to Edgar!

2011-04-27T12:07:00.002-04:00

I don't know how many of you follow Edgar's blog, Blacksheep's Bit of the Web, but if you don't, GO! Edgar is a great guy who stitches great things, shares photo snaps of San Francisco, loves to bake and has the cutest Who-Hounds in the world. He has a great heart and he shares it with stitching friends from around the world. Edgar is getting ready to celebrate 4 years of blogging bliss and a special someone gets the prize. So, hop on over and wish him a happy blogoversary. He deserves it!

Paradise Lost Update

2011-04-25T12:39:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday! At least after today, there isn't another one for another week - LOL!

Not much to report on Paradise Lost. Unfortunately, we had to go out of town for a funeral for a dear friend's mother who lost her battle with leukemia. She has been a fighter all of her life - a breast cancer survivor, struggling with lupus and migraines and then leukemia. Miss Pat was one of the neighborhood "Moms" to my husband when he was a child. She kept him and the other boys in check! If she said she would "jerk a knot in your butt", she meant it! LOL! But, she is now pain-free and celebrating.

So, I didn't get as much stitching accomplished as I would have liked to but I did make some progress. I finished ALL the leaves. There are no more trees in the Garden of Eden and that in its self is reason to celebrate! I did get the flowers, the bee and the crazy flower-toting bird stitched. It's steadily coming along!

I do have a new book that I hope to start reading this week. My hairdresser recommended it and my husband finished it this week. I have already been warned, it's a tear-jerker but it's good and happy at the same time. You can see the cover on my right side bar.

Well, until we chat again......have a great week!

What's Up Peeps!

2011-04-22T09:22:00.006-04:00

It's Easter weekend and I remember as a child, hoping the Easter Bunny would put a package of those sugary, chewy, yellow morsels of candy goodness in my basket. I don't "think" I really liked them or had them at the top of my candy list but having Easter Peeps in your basket made it extra special. That, and of course, a chocolate Easter Bunny. How many of you ate the ears first? LOL!

I do hope each of you will remember the true meaning of this weekend. The day that all of our sins were paid for - the greatest gift we could ever receive.

Unfortunately, I do not have any stitching updates for the week. This week has been extremely busy at work and my goal each evening was to eat, take a bubble bath and visit dream land at a decent hour. I am happy to report, I succeeded that goal almost every night. My plans for the weekend are to do some makeup stitching and the project for the weekend is........get ready for it...........Paradise Lost! Yes, I am bringing it back on the Q-Snap. Hopefully, I will have a great picture to share next week.

Until then, I wanted to share a picture of a pattern that I got in the mail this week. It is called "Soar" by With Thy Needle & Thread. This sampler was "inspired by a family of eagles living in Iowa that captured the hearts of America". You can read all about the eagles, see web cams capturing the hatching of the little eaglets, etc by visiting Brenda Gervais' blog. This pattern is available only for a limited time - until the eaglets leave the nest - and portions of the proceeds benefit the Raptor Resource Project. I am hoping to stitch this up soon but seems like the Weeks Dye Works linen in Onyx is on backorder. Which means, I may have to do a little experimenting...thinking about dyeing my own fabric!!! Why not? It may work and it may not but it doesn't hurt to try. I'll keep you posted if I decide to. It's Easter weekend.....we're suppose to "dye" stuff - right?

Until we chat again, have a great weekend. Spend time with the ones you love and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs and Stitches!!

Introducing Miss Cindy!

2011-04-18T14:30:00.003-04:00

I don't know who put the sign up that says "we take in sweet homeless kitties" but I can't find that sign and I have a new tenant. Please meet Miss Cindy Lou-Who. She showed up around January as a little "neighborhood" kitty. We tried to find out who she belonged to because we noticed she had taken up residence under our storage building. No one claimed her. We fed her and just let her be until we discovered she might be a Mama Kitty. I don't know nothing about birthing no kitties! (I know how Prissy felt now!!). The vet took care of getting her fixed and she is now part of the family - outdoors only! She still sleeps under the storage building and comes around every afternoon for a little loving and some dinner. She's a sweet kitty and if I can find her a good, safe home, I'll lovingly adopt her out. Until then, she's well taken care of and no longer "homeless". Now, to just find that sign......

Prairie Schooler Finish

2011-04-13T09:40:00.006-04:00

Here is a project that I finished earlier this year and never posted a picture of. Some of you may remember me stitchng on it during the Christmas stitch-in in Manning, SC. It is Prairie Schooler's Garden Sampler. This was such a fun and easy piece to stitch. I changed up the design by stitching the blocks vertically. I plan on making this into a bellpull for my kitchen. The picture doesn't show it very well but the fabric is a light colored sage green. I am very pleased with the end results, I just need to get busy finishing/sewing it up.
I wanted to also thank each and every one of you that visit my blog and leave comments. You keep me motivated to share my stitching and the happenings in my little corner of the world. Your comments mean the world to me!

Thanks and until we chat again.........

Sneaky Peek - Christmas Ornament

2011-04-09T14:09:00.010-04:00

I know you are probably saying to yourself, "it is just now really starting to feel like spring and she's stitching a Christmas ornament???". Well, in June, I am attending a stitching retreat in Indiana with two great friends and I CAN'T WAIT! Jan Alexander, the designer for Tree of Life Samplings is hosting this great event with her special guest, Vonna Pfeiffer (The Twisted Stitcher). It's going to be a fun weekend and I'm already giddy with excitement.

One of the events planned for the weekend is a Christmas ornament exchange. I love stitching ornaments and I love seeing all of the different creations stitchers come up with. This is a little "sneak peek" of the ornament I have started for the exchange. I have an idea for another one so I may bring two - maybe three - who knows - It's fun!! You'll have to wait until after the retreat to see the ornament finished and ready for tree hanging!

Have a great weekend everyone! We are expecting thunder storms again tonight. Please keep us in your prayers that we won't have any damage like we did earlier this week.

Until the next blog post........Be Happy!

Weather Update & Quaker Diamonds

2011-04-07T20:20:00.012-04:00

Our power at work finally came on late yesterday afternoon. We still do not have phone, internet or email service and according to the county, that's going to take time. Will probably spend my afternoons at the library doing some computer work there. Didn't realize how many of my job duties "require" the internet. Thought I would share another photo of some of the damage that was done during the storm early Tuesday morning. This picture was taken right beyond the earlier picture of the car I posted. As you can see, lots of trees down, tops of tree "chopped off" and power/cable/phone lines everywhere.
On a lighter note, as promised, here is an updated photo of Quaker Diamonds. Since I've had a little "extra" stitching time on my hands, I've been able to zoom right along. Happy with my progress so far.
Well, need to run. I've got some diamonds to stitch! LOL!

Auntie Em!!

2011-04-05T13:59:00.006-04:00

Last night was a night! We had a line of storms come through with some serious winds. This is what I saw this morning on my way to work. Down power lines, broken trees and limbs everywhere, just a big mess. This picture was taken right by the driveway at work (you can click on photo to enlarge). As you can see, there's a car sitting on top of this pile of trees - unreal! The police had re-routed me and when I came in from another angle, the police stopped me again. He let me go this far so I could check on the office. Luckily, no damage there - just no power. About 50,000 customers in the area are without power. So, no work for me. I'm back home and will spend the day stitching and thanking the dear Lord that the damage wasn't any worse than this. I have power and only debris in my yard. I'm a very lucky girl, indeed!

Coming soon......an updated photo of Quaker Diamonds.

Updated Photo

2011-03-29T09:39:00.002-04:00

It's been a couple of years now and I decided I best go ahead and update my profile picture (see me over there on the right!). I have been letting my hair grow long and it has now been two years since I started. As you can see, it doesn't grow fast at all! My bangs are finally long enough where I can pull them back into a pony tail. Amazing!! LOL!

I have been stitching a little this week. I hope to have an updated Quaker Diamonds picture posted here soon. I want to get the diamond I'm working on now finished before I show it to you.

Have a great week gang! Stay warm - yes, it's a little chilly here in the south this week. One week we are running the air conditioner and the next, the heat is back on. Crazy weather but I guess I won't complain because I know the unbearable heat is in the near future.

Another Year Older

2011-03-24T11:19:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a picture of the fur-babies so I decided now was a good time because they are celebrating birthday style! Maddie (on the right) just turned two and Zoe (on the left) will be eight (I'm pretty sure?) next week. This was one of those rare photo opportunities when they would sit (together) long enough for me to take a snap. They do enjoy their cuddle time with one another but they would be appalled if they knew I was "exposing" their loving side to the public - LOL!

Happy Birthday to MiMi's Kitty Babies!

Quaker Diamonds Update

2011-03-21T10:27:00.006-04:00

Happy Monday - Aaaccchhoooo! Bless me! Pollen season is in full swing here in the south. Everything is covered in a yellow-green tint of sneezing joy! This is the time of year when you really want it to rain so it will wash away some of the haze in the air.

Saturday, I got to spend most of the day and night with my bestest buddy, Lorrie. We laughed, had sloppy joes for dinner and she jumped right into my stash that is "stashed" everywhere - LOL! Even got a little stitching done in between! Glad she came by and we promised each other, we'll do this more often! And the next time, I will remember to bake the brownies!

So, to prove that I DID do a "little" stitching, here is an update on Quaker Diamonds. This is not a hard stitch but consider yourself warned, there are a lot of color changes. Just when you get on a stitching roll with one color, it's time to re-load that needle. I'm just loving how all the colors blend with one another.

Well, that's about it friends! Until the next time, keep on stitching!

Tales from the Q-Snap

2011-03-17T13:37:00.004-04:00

Hello Friends. Thought I would pop in with an update on my newest project. After pondering over a couple of projects from my last post, I decided on something totally different.....
It is Quaker Diamonds by Rosewood Manor. I got this chart last year and decided, on a whim, to convert the threads it is charted for to DMC. After a quick run to Hobby Lobby for those threads, I got busy stitching away. I am loving this project! I'm using a "mystery" linen that is hand dyed in neutral/natural tones. I can't wait to get this one stitched and framed. Already have the spot on the wall picked out.

Thanks for looking and Happy St. Patrick's Day too!

Halloween Rules Update

2011-03-12T21:03:00.005-05:00

Happy Saturday Friends! It has been a week that I am happy to report was manageable with the escape of my stitching every evening. Thank you floss. Thank you needle. Thanks for keeping me a bit sane......Anywho, I am happy to report that I have finished stitching the first six releases for the Lizzie Kate Halloween Rules series. These were SO fun to stitch! Happy colors and each one made me giggle when I put in the final stitch. Don't know when the final six will be released but for now, it is ironed and put away.
I am now trying to decide what to stitch next.....I received a YUMMY piece of 32ct. Camofudge Linen from Stitches and Spice in my mailbox this week that is the PERFECT piece of linen to stitch the Prairie Moon's To Thine is the Trick and the Treat pattern. This linen is so great. Soft, great hand-dyed coloring, not too splotchy, just a great color. I think it's in the running. But, I also have all the colors pulled and the fabric for the Shakespeare's Peddler piece, Friendship Sampler. I want to stitch it on a Lakeside Linen Vintage Buttercream - do you see a pattern here? Linens with food names! LOL! And, of course, I can't let Paradise Lost sit for too long........
Guess you'll have to stay tuned to see what shows up on the Q-Snap!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Don't forget to set your clocks up 1 hour tonight. Less sleep but an extra hour for stitching!
Hugs and Stitches!

Fripp and Friends / Part 3

2011-03-02T18:51:00.009-05:00

I couldn't tell you about Fripp and not mention (and show off!) the wonderful gift I received from my dear friend, Karin. Karin is the funniest and sweetest girl I know. Unfortunately, Karin did not get to go to Fripp this year and she was sorely missed. She and I have always been suite-mates or room-mates. Anywho, every year, we draw names/wish list and our recipent gets a great stash of goodies. This year, Karin got my name. I got a wonderful assortment of fabrics, two ornament charts w/threads from Homespun Elegance and Little House Needleworks, a surprise Halloween chart with threads and lots of other great things. But, the MOST WONDERFUL GIFT OF ALL was this.......

Ain't it pretty?!!! Karin stitched me the Blackbird Designs Happy Birthday piece. It was stitched for me because last year, during one of our late night bedroom talk sessions, we learned we have the same birthday. She stitched it with our initials, our birthday and titled it "Birthday Twins". I am so truly honored to have received this beautiful treasure. Thank you Karin from the bottom of my heart!! Love Ya!!

Fripp and Friends / Part 2

2011-02-28T18:40:00.007-05:00

Everyone is still a-buzz from the Fripp trip! We had so much fun laughing, playing games and pranks - but - we DID stitch too! Today, I thought I would share 2 projects I worked on while I was there.
The first project is Blackbird Designs Pumpkin Farm. I started this right before we left and had it finished in no time at all. I love it! The colors are just so pretty and it will be the perfect addition to my mantle this fall.
The next project will be on-going for this year and it is Lizzie Kate's new Halloween Rules. I was a little worried about stitching this piece because the fabric the pattern calls for is more than a little stiff, to say the least! I really, really do hate stiff fabric. But, the color is so different from anything I have so I just bit the bullet and started. I have to admit, I'm not having much trouble and it IS a fun piece to work on. I'm not quite finished with the haunted house but you get the idea.
With today being the last day of February, I must confess, I did not finish Paradise Lost on time. I had set a goal to finish by today and it just didn't happen. I brought it to Fripp with me but I just didn't want to work on such a big project. I WILL finish it and maybe after I stitch a couple of small projects, I'll be ready for some more power stitching on it again.

Until we chat again......

Fripp and Friends

2011-02-27T19:09:00.016-05:00

I just got back today from my annual trip to Fripp Island. I got to spend 4 great stitch-filled days with my bestest girlfriends. This is a trip we all look so forward to each year but of course, it goes by entirely too fast. We spent our days stitching, laughing, eating and telling some of the most hilarious stories - what is discussed in Fripp - stays in Fripp!! LOL! Here's just a little peek into our getaway....

Here's Delisa trying out her new stitching stand. She had this thing totally "tricked out"! I swear, you needed a seat belt to use it - LOL!
The wise House Mom - the one that tries her best to keep us girls in line!
Zee showing us one of her treats from her Secret Sister stash
Theresa happy knowing that coffee makes you do crazy things with enthusiasm faster
Of course, it doesn't take long before someone gets a little nutty
I guess that is only expected after you stitch this - on black!
This one....can't explain. I guess the photo says it all! LOL!
We had a FABULOUS time and can't wait to do it all again next year. Until then.... L to R - Delisa, Charlsie, Theresa, Yvonne (me), Zee, Kathy and Lorrie

It's Me Again!

2011-02-14T20:18:00.005-05:00

Ha Ha! Two posts two days in a row - whoo hoo!!

Last night, I just couldn't get myself in the mood to stitch on Paradise Lost. So, instead of just sitting around, I decided to just go ahead and start something new. It had to be small, it had to be something that I really wanted to stitch this year and it had to be something that I would not only start but finish....so here it is - Blackbird Designs Pumpkin Farm. I am loving this pattern! The colors are so yummy and it's the perfect size. Just a little project to give me a fresh stitching charge! Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart series "Pumpkin Farm" stitched with charted threads on 32 ct. Belfast Natural Linen (tea-dyed)

Happy February 2011

2011-02-13T17:09:00.014-05:00

Bye Bye Snow and Ice - Bring on my Spring Time!

Long Time, No See! I know, you probably have wondered if I was gone forever. No, I'm here. It's just not easy getting this blog updated with everything else life throws in the mix.....the new year started off great. Had a little snow and then a little more and then I got a terrible stomach virus that landed me in ICU and the hospital for two days. I am finally feeling like myself again and getting back into a routine. And, that routine has to include some stitching......

Paradise Lost by Plum Street Samplers is not finished and I have to get it finished and on the wall soon. I finally got beyond "those" leaves and stitching it has become a little more enjoyable now. I noticed that my friend Nicole has finished hers and that is inspiring me to keep at it!

Here are some updated photos taken a little over a week ago.....(excuse the wrinkles -too busy stitching to iron - tee hee)

and this photo shows some of my progress since the photos pictured above. I'm working on this big tree (with leaves!).....

My goal is to have this piece completely finished by the end of the month. I don't think I will do it but that's ok.....soon, very soon!

Thanks for visiting. Hope to see you again soon - and that means sooner than a couple of months - LOL!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T21:53:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update to say "Happy Halloween". Hope you had a great weekend enjoying the cool, crisp, fall air.

Sorry, I haven't updated my blog with the next installment of photos from the Pals Convention. I will try to get that done in the next day or two. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day for work and play and of course, work always seems to win!

Take care and check back with me again soon! I love to read your comments!

Hugs!

Hello! Back home to reality!

2010-10-26T19:51:00.011-04:00

I know, I know.....it's been like forever since I have updated my blog and for good reason. You see, I decided I needed to get away. I needed to spend time with my needle and thread. I needed to laugh uncontrollably and be with great friends. I needed to smell the ocean and stay up late. I needed my PALS!! So, in order to make the most of this get away adventure, I needed to get some stitching done. I needed to put together a grab bag, ornaments and kit up projects. In order to do that, I had to neglect all of my blogger friends. But, I'm back - tired - but I'm back. Back to reality. Since there is just so much that goes on during a PALS Convention, I'm going to break up my blog posts and give you a little each day. Let's start with all of the stitching and finishing I had to do before I left for the trip to Myrtle Beach.

This is my grab bag container. I used my paper crafting skills to decorate an empty paint can and filled it with lots of linen, fabric, scissors and other Halloween goodies.

I also stitched up this altoid tin pin cushion and scissor fob to go inside my grab bag paint can.

On Thursday night, we had a Fall and Halloween stitched exchange. I participated in the Halloween exchange and this was my piece - a Blackbird Designs Halloween Stocking. My good friend Amy got this one.

On Friday night, we had not only the grab bag exchange but the anticipated Christmas ornament exchange. I stitched these three ornies and was finishing them up right up to the last minute!

And last, but not least, here is a Blackbird Designs Halloween Cat design that I made into a pillow for the stitched exchange. At the last minute, I didn't participate so this one got to come back home with me.

There are lots of pictures out on the blogs of those that attended this year. You can see some of the pictures by visiting the blogs I have bookmarked on the right hand side of this blog page under "My Blog List". Go check them out and be sure to leave us a comment. We love sharing and we love to hear what you have to say.

I'll be back tomorrow with another installment of the fun PALS Convention 2010!!

Stay Tuned!!

Thank You and Stitching with Friends!

2010-08-17T21:02:00.020-04:00

First off, a big THANK YOU to all of you who have visited my blog and left such nice comments. I don't think I have ever had 14 comments on one post and it was such a treat!! I do hope you will visit often and I will do my best to keep you entertained - LOL!!

I'm a little behind the times with a post but I wanted to share my day from a couple of weekends ago. I traveled up the road a bit and visited some great stitching friends (and blog buddies) at The French Hen in Manning, SC. We had a great time stitching, laughing and enjoying a great lunch of homemade sandwiches and desserts (love that praline cake - yummy).

Here's some photos of some of us stitching away!:

These are my "table buddies" (L to R around the table) - Judy (in the bright pink), Donna, Karen, Amy, June, Susan and Carrie (in the blue):

Here's Nicole, Linda and Faye:

Here's Deborah and Carolyn:

Here's Donna, Myra and Lynn:

Thanks again for visiting my little place in the blog world. I hope to post some photos soon of some stitch finishes. I've been busy stitching away for the Pals Convention later this year so those will have to stay a secret for now. Chat soon!

Halloween Finish

2010-08-05T21:17:00.003-04:00

I know, I know....I started with Christmas ornies and here I am with a Halloween finish - tee hee! Well, I thought I had better get started on this one if I wanted it finished for this year. It is Prairie Schooler's When Witches Go Riding. I started this right before going to Tulsa and finished it tonight. I love it! Enjoy!!

Sorry about the wonky photo - it's laying on top of my pillow!

I (HEART) Blackbird Designs

2010-07-20T19:15:00.031-04:00

I guess by now you are wondering where in the world I have disappeared to. It's been quite some time since I posted here in blog land and I really have no excuse. I will let you know that I have been busy. Our family went to Myrtle Beach for a week, I have been cleaning/organizing/fixing, etc, my house AND.......I just got back from a fabulous trip to Tulsa Oklahoma to take a class with Blackbird Designs at The Silver Needle!

This trip to Tulsa was LONG - 15 hours - but was so worth it! After crashing from the long drive, we (Kathy, Lorrie and myself) were up early for breakfast at MiMi's Cafe and then headed straight to The Silver Needle. This shop is awesome! I have never seen so many models in one shop before. So many different ways of finishing (cubes, wall hangings, stand ups, etc) and so many of the models were stitched over one. Lots of Vera Bradley and lots of fabrics - oh my! We shopped for almost 4 hours straight! Here's some photos to just show you the goodness......

We then headed to Sonic for something to drink because it was quite warm (114 degrees on Saturday!) and then headed back to The Silver Needle for the Blackbird Designs Meet and Greet. We got to see so many of Barb and Alma's designs, including their original antique samplers, and hear them talk about their friendship, how they acquired some of the samplers and just how passionate they are about sharing heritage and the love of telling a story through stitching. We got to see our class kits all bundled together in a basket and also the actual needlecase and pincushion we would be making the next day (and might I add, served on a glass plate that we got to keep!)....I also got to have my picture made with these two lovely ladies!

And to top off the weekend, I saw some of my Cross Stitch Pals!

Here's Karen(AZ) shopping at the wonderful fabric counter:

Chris(NC), Michele(WA) and Karen(AZ):

Kathy, Lorrie and myself giddy with shopping excitement:

And, two of the nicest ladies I think I have ever met. I just got to "know" Cathy and Joan in Blog Land just a couple of months ago when I emailed Joan to find out how she had finished a beautiful Christmas ornament. The conversation went from ornament finishing to discovering that we were both headed to Tulsa. Joan told her friend Cathy and the rest is history. I now have two great friends to keep in touch with (check out their blogs too for more weekend pictures and fun facts):

I could go on and on about how much fun I had and also share the 156 photos I took, a large number of those were taken of shop models, but I'll stop here and leave you with pictures of an Oklahoma storm. This was just a little pop-up storm but for this southern gal, it was something to see!

Still in the Christmas Mood!

2010-06-02T20:05:00.006-04:00

I have been busy stitching AND finishing ornaments for the tree this year and I'm having a ball! Here's the ornament I spoke about last time. This one is done in bright blues, pinks and purples and makes me long for a white Christmas - I don't think it's going to happen in my neck of the woods - LOL! It's a freebie by Barbara Ana Designs.

And, another one to share. This ornament is just my favorite! It is from the JCS 2009 Ornament issue and is by Blackbird Designs. So small but so pretty. I finished it up with a scalloped cut piece of felt and ribbon. Please excuse the blurry photo. Just couldn't get a great picture with this dreadful weather we are having.

Well, that's all I have for show and tell for now. I am actually working on ANOTHER ornament and have two kitted up and ready to go. Stay tuned for more fa la la fun!

Another Ornie for the Tree

2010-05-24T10:04:00.007-04:00

Here's another ornament cross stitch project and finish. This ornie was way out of my comfort zone. If you know me, you know I do NOT like to stitch over one. Just don't like it and just don't enjoy it.....but.....this ornament from Blackbird Designs was a joy to stitch! I think it was the fabric and it was just a scrap from my stash. I believe it's 28ct. lugana. Very soft and the evenweave took on the appearance of linen.

Finishing was a little out of my comfort zone too. Finishing techniques that involve the sewing machine make me a bit nervous but after seeing some of the great finishes other stitchers have done, I wanted to try something like that with this ornament.

I'm very pleased with the outcome! I am working on yet, another ornament. This one will be stitched in some bright (turquoise, hot pink, purple) colors - very non-traditional Christmas - but fun! Stay tuned........

Ornies and Finishing - Oh My!

2010-05-21T09:03:00.009-04:00

Happy Friday Peeps! Just thought I would pop in this morning and wish everyone a happy weekend. Nothing big planned here. Hope to go see Shrek Forever After and just piddle around the house. Sounds like a plan!

I also wanted to share two finishes with you. Do you remember the snowman ornament that I stitched AND finished only to discover, I forgot to stitch part of the snowman? Well, he has been replaced with a new and improved ornament. I had to use a different ribbon this time and I also decided to not attach the bow. It seemed to distract a little.

Next up is an ornament that I stitched from the pattern, Bethlehem by Diane Arthurs (Imaginating). I just stitched the nativity portion of the pattern to use as an ornament. The photo doesn't show the opalescent linen that I used but it's really sparkly in person. Used DMC 823 and finished with fabric and felt.

Currently working on another ornament and hope to show pictures soon. All I will say is this one is way out of my comfort zone and the finishing will be a new challenge! tee hee!

Another Finish and a FINISH! - NOT!

2010-05-12T11:38:00.008-04:00

another edit to add....Does anyone know how to do this type of finishing with beads added to the seams? I would love to get instructions if you have them. Thanks!

photo courtesy of the Freebie Gallery

edited to add.....OMG! I just realized that I made a boo boo! I didn't finish stitching the snowman. I looked at him again and realized he's a little lop-sided. I forgot to stitch the section over on the right past his scarf -arrrrggg. Well, at least I have time to stitch this one again and the finishing was not hard at all. Lesson learned - don't stitch while you're watching your favorite TV show!

That's right, gang! I not only stitched another ornament, I finished it! Two in one month and it's not Christmas Eve! It's amazing!

This is a Prairie Schooler freebie from 2009 (I think) that I finished into a flat felt ornament, basically following the instructions from Vonna - the Twisted Stitcher.

Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day! - (long post)

2010-05-09T17:49:00.008-04:00

Today has been a great day! I got surprised this morning with flowers and a home-made card, we went to Red Lobster for lunch and I got in a nice nap. The perfect day! I am so blessed to have Corbin as my son. He's growing up to be a responsible and respectful young man. He's my child but he's also my buddy!

Here's the flowers I got. Don't know how he did it since he was home alone yesterday. I can't help but wonder if he walked the 3 miles one way to the nearest store to get these in the heat of the day....

I also have to share a finish.....not only did I stitch this ornie, I finished it into an ornie! That's remarkable for me and it's only May - whoo hoo!

I also want to share some photos from First Friday in our town. Corbin's high school band played for a couple of hours and did another amazing job.

Stitching Update

2010-04-29T13:12:00.009-04:00

Sorry photo is a little dark....Thought I would give everyone an update on the stitching progress. Paradise Lost is coming along. I have decided after PL I don't want to stitch anything, for a while, that has leaves. No wonder Satan was able to hide in the garden! LOL! I have put PL down to stitch a small ornament. Wanted something that was just a quick stitch and I also want a new ornament for my tree this year. Decided to stitch Heart In Hands' Celebration Winter. After the ornament, I may start Blackbird Designs' A Wish For You since it too is another quick stitch.

Bon Jovi Rocks!

2010-04-19T09:54:00.013-04:00

I have been missing in action only because I am still trying to get over the "Bon Jovi Experience" from this past Thursday night. Corbin and I were able to get VIP Party Suite tickets to see Bon Jovi - a band I have been in LOVE with since the 80's. It was a FABULOUS concert - one I will never forget. They played for 2 1/2 hours straight and sound as good live as they do on CDs. We are still riding cloud nine! Here's a couple of photos from the 207 that I took - LOL!

Facebook, Memories and Life

2010-04-08T09:10:00.004-04:00

Don't really have anything to report but wanted to check in. I did join Facebook this week. Now, I know some of you heard me say on more than one occasion "No, No, No, I am not joining Facebook". But, next year is my 25th high school class reunion and I needed a way to connect with my classmates and Facebook seemed the most logical way of doing that. I've had the pleasure of chatting with a couple of friends already and it has brought back many memories. Memories of laughter, driving around the town square with Van Halen's Panama blaring on the radio, melting your purple eyeliner pencil with the hair dryer so it would go on darker - LOL! Those crazy moments in time. I've also realized, I don't want to get old. I want to live life with a carefree spirit. So this morning, I plugged in some Van Halen on my way to work and jammed! I'm going to have a good day today and another good day tomorrow. Don't you want to join me on this trip?!!

Update on Paradise Lost

2010-03-29T16:04:00.005-04:00

Looks like Blogger is back up and running so I thought I would go ahead and post a picture of my stitching progress on Paradise Lost. Please, excuse the wrinkles - no iron here at work even though I think I have everything else - LOL! Still a ways to go on it but having fun every stitch of the way!

SC Stitch Day

2010-03-29T11:09:00.011-04:00

Kathy, Me and Lorrie

Saturday was another short trip up the road to do some stitching and have a fun day with "old" and "new" friends. It has been so long since I have seen Amy and to introduce her to my bestest buddies made the day so much more special. I know I speak for Kathy, Lorrie, Judy and myself when I say we had a great time!

Here are a couple of photos from the day:

Here's Amy - don't think she got much stitching done, if any. BTW - what are you stitching on? LOL!

KarenSC, ChrisNC and FayeNC

Nicole and DeborahNC - Oh, how I love Nicole's Stitching. She keeps me inspired and it was so nice to see her Paradise Lost progress in person

Donna, Amy's bestest buddy!

Linda, Nicole and CarolynNC (hope I got those names right!)

And last, but certainly not least - Judy!

Again, we had a great time. Thanks to Amy for inviting us. Can't wait to see everyone again. I hope to get a picture posted later today/tomorrow of my Paradise Lost progress. Stay tuned.....

Kitty Update

2010-03-24T15:22:00.009-04:00

Thought I would update everyone with a picture of the two fur-babies. Maddie just turned one (1) and Zoe will be seven (7) in a couple of weeks. My, time does fly by! These two are as different as night and day. Maddie is my wild child! She loves to get into everything, be the center of attention and the more toy mice - the better! Zoe is my romantic. He loves to just sit back and be still. Enjoys a nice nap or ten. Even though they are opposite, they attract. They chase each other and wrestle but at the end of the day, they are side by side as best buddies.

Maddie on left/Zoe on right

1st Gig!

2010-03-22T10:18:00.016-04:00

Saturday night was the 1st "gig" for Corbin and his friends (guitar club at school). They performed along with other "unknown" talent in our town at the science center. They were awesome!! I am so proud of them!! They did a mix of classic rock with a little funk mixed in. Some ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock and Almond Brothers. They had the crowd rocking in their seats, for sure!

Here's a couple of photos of the night....

MS Crop and Me!

2010-03-17T10:40:00.006-04:00

Thought I would pop in and post a picture of me taken at a scrapbook crop I attended this past Saturday to help raise money for MS. This is an annual event held in a town close to me and this is my third year attending. I had a great time and got to meet some new friends. I was able to begin working on my 12 Days of Me album and I hope to get those layouts finished and posted here soon.

Fripp 2010 - 2nd Post

2010-03-03T14:42:00.008-05:00

Make sure you scroll down to see the 1st post on Fripp 2010

As promised, here's an updated photo of my stitching progress on Paradise Lost. Still loving it! I'm working on the giraffe now so of course, it looks kind of "weird" in the photo - LOL!

(you can click on the photo to get a better view)

Fripp 2010! (warning - long post!)

2010-03-03T10:21:00.018-05:00

Well, the annual (#7) Fripp trip has came and went and I know I'm not alone when I say I'm ready for next year! We had a fantastic time together and I actually got some stitching done. Going to bed late, sleeping late, wearing pjs all day long.....it's really under-rated! LOL!

Here's just a few photos just to make you a little jealous, if you weren't there!

Yes! I do stitch! Working hard on Paradise Lost (will try to post an updated photo showing my progress later today)

Me and my best string-bean buddy, Kathy!

This can happen after a few days with little sleep and being around crazy people!

Kathy earned the coveted String Bean award for her transformation from Butter Bean!

And you can't have a girls-get-together without Mom. With a wave of the wand, she only "thinks" she can get us to behave!

My bestest buddy, Karin and my sister-at-heart, Lorrie!

And the two newest members of our society, Delisa and Zee. They let us torment them for the day with blue eye shadow, sprinkles of glitter, bobby-pins of floss, etc. And, they loved every minute of it!!

And, of course, we can't forget about Theresa and Ann!

Just a group shot of some looking on while someone opens a goody bag!

The applying of the ceremonial eyeshadow!

You even learn you are coo-coo for cocoa puffs!

And, if you thought learning what not to wear was important, check this out - "What Not To Stitch"!

So, that's just a little peek into the life of a Delta Fripp Get-Away! Until next year, I leave you with a little pose:

Ya Ya!
Woof Woof!

Stitching and Snow

2010-02-15T12:51:00.010-05:00

This past weekend, we had snow! Glorious snow! It started about 3:00 p.m. on Friday and finished up around 2:00 a.m. Saturday. We got between 4"-5" and it was beautiful. No ice - just snow! It's basically gone today - just a few patches here and there. Perfect weather to stay in and stitch and that's exactly what I did! I started Plum Street Sampler's Paradise Lost on February 1st (after a marathon stitch in at Kathy's to get Santa finished) and I am loving this piece! The colors are vibrant and it's just a fun piece. One of those pieces that is truely "frame worthy"!

Here's a picture of my stitching progress compliments of our snowy weekend - Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-13T11:58:00.012-05:00

WOW! Seems like it was just yesterday when we were all wondering if the world was going to come to an end (Y2K). Time really does fly by. I guess that's why you should live every moment with glee!

I'm not one to make New Year's Resolutions and this year will be no different. I do hope to be a bit more productive, especially in the area of scrapbooking, stitching and crafts in general. There are so many times when I see something I want to make, it gets set aside for another day and then another day never comes. I want to make this the year that I accomplish what "I" want to do!

One thing I have decided to do for the year is a spin-off on an idea Michelle Wooderson (see blog post dated 1-6-10) has called "The 12 Days of Me". Basically, she designed a planner where you set aside time once a month to do something for YOU. Whether it's a much needed pedicure, read a book, scrapbook, etc. I have really embraced this concept and decided to take it a step further by scrapbooking a mini album of these 12 days. I've already got some ideas for some fun things to do for the year!

Last night I needed a quick thank you card so I headed to my craft area and this is what I made. I can't take credit for the design since I "scrap-lifted" Heather Nichols. Why mess with greatness! LOL! Fun and simple - just the way I like it! Stamps are from My Cute Stamps and paper supplies/ink are from Papertrey Ink.

Enjoy!

Turkey Claus Came!

2009-12-01T12:25:00.006-05:00

Yes, he came! And, he brought me and Chris 4th row tickets to the Cirque du Soleil Alegria show! What a show! I love Cirque and this show did not disappoint. This was the perfect gift for us and what a kick start for the holiday season!

Visions of Sugar Plums....

2009-11-23T14:58:00.014-05:00

DH, DS and I visited our town's Natural History Museum if for no other reason than to see the gingerbread exhibit. I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in that I thought there would be lots more. Our town has some very well known chefs and for them not to exhibit was a let down. BUT....there were some great exhibits. My chef hat is off to those who baked and created!!

First off, a wonderful surprise to see DS' high school made up into a confection! His school celebrated it's 225th anniversary last year. This school was originally a military academy after the civil war and was chartered in 1783. It is the 3rd oldest existing public school in the US and the oldest in the south. President George Washington attended the graduation ceremonies in 1791.

Next up are pictures of the tied First Place winners. They were outstanding. The imagination and design was so there!
The first couple of pictures are of our town's Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. This gingerbread church was awesome. So much detail!

And last but not least was a great display of a city street showing First National Bank of Waynesboro, a little town south of here. This "house" gave you peek inside! Too cute!!

Hope you are getting into the holiday spirit. It's approaching so fast!

It's a Girl!

2009-11-17T11:57:00.005-05:00

Meet Maddie, our new 6 lb fur-baby. She found Corbin at the bus stop a couple of months ago and then managed to find out where he lived and was waiting on our door step late Sunday evening. We made her a little bed in our utility room and she's decided she likes it here. She was checked out at the vet this morning and she's healthy and can now be introduced to her big brother Zoe - this should be very interesting! Hopefully, there won't be too much hissing and such. She's a cutie and loves to play with toys! We'll have plenty of kitty entertainment, for sure!

Spooky Greetings from the Beach

2009-11-02T09:49:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that I'm alive and well. The back is much better and getting stronger each day. Our family took a mini get away to the beach this weekend to relax and just try to get away from the cares of life. We've been hit with a lot of hardships in the last couple of months so this little trip was badly needed.

Of course, with Saturday being Halloween, it was only appropriate that we get a photo of us celebrating Halloween beach-style. Even the ghouls and goblins hang out on the beach getting rested before the big haunt at midnight!

Hope your Halloween was spooktacular!

FYI on Me

2009-10-04T14:59:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be away for a while. I have hurt my back pretty bad and I'm on bed rest until. Don't know at this point if I have blown a disc or not.

So, if you have sent an email or tried to get in touch with me, this is the reason I haven't responded.

I will post an update when I get some news.

Hugs!

Hanging with the Deltas

2009-09-21T13:40:00.006-04:00

Prairie Schooler's Christmas Eve - In Progress
32 ct. Sage Jobelan

I had a FABULOUS weekend hanging out with my Delta sisters - LOL! Five of us took a road trip to the North Georgia Mountains to meet up with a friend we haven't seen since February. It was a fun, relaxing weekend just hanging out and stitching away. I don't think I have ever gotten so much stitching done in a weekend, especially while laughing my head off!

Thanks Kathy, Theresa, Lorrie, Karin and Ann for giving me a great weekend away! Love you guys!

White Water Rafting Weekend!

2009-09-14T12:08:00.006-04:00

Edited to add: Additional photos can be seen at www.fishcampfellowship.blogspot.com . Sorry, they are not that great. My disposable camera took a beating and dunking in my fanny pack!

Corbin and I had a wonderful time white water rafting down the Chattooga this past Saturday. We went with our church's youth group and it was so exciting. This is the 2nd time I have been and it was a bit harder this time because the water level was so low due to the lack of rain. We really had to work to get around rocks and to get unstuck sometimes.
I will try to get some photos posted later this week that I took with my disposable camera. Hopefully, they will turn out ok since my camera did get a little wet.
In the mean time, you can view our professional photos online:
www.whetstonephoto.com
Click on Chattooga River
Under Recent Photos - Click on 9-12-09 10.15
Then Click Continue
Click on Page 2
My photos start with the 4th photo on the top row (Photos 29-38). Looking at the photo, I am on the right on the back row.
Corbin's photos start with the next series (Photos 39-53). Looking at the photo, he's on the left on the back row (red shorts). As you will be able to see, his raft did not survive the drop!
Photo 79 is our group.
And don't forget to check out photos 94 and 103. This is where Corbin and I jumped off one of those big rocks into the roaring water where we just dropped off in our rafts.
If you have never done this, it is a blast!

PS Santa Update

2009-09-03T12:56:00.006-04:00

Here's a little update on my PS Santa progress. I was able to get a "couple" of stitches in it this past Saturday while visiting my good buddy, Kathy. (Thank you Kathy for a wonderful time!). I do have to say, I don't really care for stitching on evenweave. I actually find it harder to stitch on than linen, weird, huh? But, finding a linen the same color as Sage Jobelan would be a challenge. So, I'll continue on and get it finished before the clock strikes midnight Christmas Eve!

Sorry about the "wonky" linen photo. I think you can click on the photo to get a much better view.

A Halloween XStitch Finish

2009-08-26T15:33:00.013-04:00

By the looks of stores, Halloween is just around the corner! So, I thought I had better go ahead and get a jump on a Halloween stitching project AND finish it. This is a pattern in the Blackbird Design's book called, Trix or Treats, that was released a couple of years ago. It is stitched on WDW 30 count Mocha linen - which I absolutely LOVE! This fabric is so nice and I wish the photo could show you just how lovely the color is. It was such a fun piece to stitch since it was all stitched in DMC 310 (black).

Hope you have a fun Halloween project kitted and ready for a needle and thread!

Here's my next project....stay tuned!

Cottage Critter Picture - Part 2

2009-08-03T13:32:00.007-04:00

Well, it's not "technically" a "critter" but it's one of those encounters that make you fully appreciate the beauty of God's creations. I don't know if the dragonfly really has a purpose other than to be admired and photographed by me! LOL! I wish you could see the beautiful blue color he has. Of course, he had to be in the direct sun (I guess he realized this was his spotlight moment).

Cottage Critter Picture

2009-07-30T14:02:00.004-04:00

Finally!! I have been trying to get a picture of my fox, here at work, for what seems like forever. For two years, a fox has had her babies on the property and every once in a while, I will see the mama scurry across the yard. Today, I got so lucky and got a picture while she was sitting up on these concrete blocks. The picture is not that great but I got it none-the-less!

Scrap Progress - July '09

2009-07-13T21:17:00.021-04:00

I thought I would share some recent scrapbook pages that I have completed. Enjoy!!

This one plays tribute to the infamous DMV! Corbin is getting his learner's permit.

This one shows Chris and Corbin making caramel apples one fall day.

Pumpkins, Skeletons and Bats - Oh My!

He's still mine after 19+ years!

Rockin'!

A Scrap-tastic Weekend!

2009-07-13T10:45:00.009-04:00

I got to spend the weekend in Columbia with my friends scrappin' away at The Stamping Place. We had a wonderful time - as usual. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked but that's ok. Just spending time with friends is a big part of the trip anyway. It could be the fact that there were no cheese puffs - gotta have cheese puffs when you scrap!! LOL!

Here are a few pictures, compliments of Cindy from the Stamping Place:

Here I am posing for the camera. So happy to be away from work, relaxing with my glue, scissors and paper!

Here's Irene, my table buddy! Irene can really "produce"!

And last, but not least, is my good buddy Renee and her Mom. Renee is my blast from the past - when scrapbooking wasn't even cool

Thomas the Turkey Update

2009-07-01T10:08:00.009-04:00

The 4th of July is just around the corner and I'm so glad. I'm ready to kick back with some Bar-B-Q, my stitching, my scrapbooking and who knows what else! I'm just ready to enjoy the time off from work.

Here's an update on Thomas. He now has a couple of tail feathers so at least he's not going to topple over. He's also standing on solid ground and that's always a plus! LOL! I don't have much more to do so I may actually get him finished over the holiday weekend.
I am also reading Janet Evanovich's newest release in the Stephanie Plum series, Finger Lickin Fifteen. I got really lucky this time and was the first person on the "sign-up" sheet at the library. That has never happened before!! The book, so far, is good. A little predictable but that's what makes these books so enjoyable. I have to say, Chapter 13 is my favorite thus far. I always find myself laughing out loud whenever the characters are gathered together at Stephanie's parents home for dinner.

This past Saturday was my one year anniversary in blogville. I never would have thought I would still be here posting and sharing photos a year later. I don't have many followers but I enjoy documenting details and keeping this record for reference. It makes me happy and that's all that counts!

If I don't post again before the holiday, I wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July. Reflect on your freedoms that we all take for granted and remember our troops. Most of all, God bless America!

Yummy-licious!

2009-06-25T15:17:00.003-04:00

Have you tried these?! They are so good! They are the limited edition strawberry/peanut butter flavored M&Ms introduced for the new Transformers movie that came out yesterday. When I first heard of this flavor combination, I was sure it would taste awful but I have to say, it's one of my favorite new flavor releases to date. So, grab a bag and try them! Yummy!

Thomas Update

2009-06-23T15:25:00.004-04:00

Just thought I would share my progress on Thomas. He finally has an eye and some feet! He's been really fun to stitch even though I had a moment of panic with him. I "assumed" he was going to be a finished size of 5x7. Well, it dawned on me that in order for him to be 5x7, he has to be stitched on 36 ct. Guess what? I'm stitching him on 28 ct. Panic set in! Luckily, I DID use the stitch count when figuring my 28 ct fabric and he'll be just fine. A little larger than 5x7 but that's ok too!
"Thomas" by Notforgotten Farms
28ct. Natural Pearl Linen

A XStitch Finish for Me!

2009-06-15T14:58:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since I posted so here I am - with a xstitch finish! I know, I know, it's been FOREVER since I stitched but once the bug gets you, you have no choice. I dug through my stash and came out with my La D Da Mocking Bird piece. It's funny, when you are stitching on something, you think you will never finish it, you put it away and when you finally get back to it, you realize you didn't have that much left to do after all.

After finishing the Mocking Bird this weekend, I decided to start something NEW - Thomas by Notforgotten Farms. I got this pattern from my friend Lorrie when I was in Fripp and didn't realize it only finishes to a 5x7 size - just perfect for me!

I couldn't find a better picture on-line for this pattern but trust me, the colors are much nicer!

Enjoy!

Last Photo Class but.....

2009-05-29T09:52:00.011-04:00

it's not completely over. Sunday is the "test photo shoot" and what an exciting day it will be. We will take all of the information we have learned in class PLUS the mini sessions we had on portraits and apply those skills in Sally's studio. She will have her lights and cameras set up and we will use all of her equipment to take portraits of the model we bring. To give you a little background, after each class, we were given instruction on taking portraits. The dos and don'ts, how to make adjustments for people of different weights, male and female, etc. In one class, we had to line up and photograph a model. Sounds easy? No! We had to take a photo that was different from ones that were previously taken using the portrait information we were given. I now have a REAL appreciation for photographers. After our portrait session, we are heading to a nearby semi-private park to do some outdoor photos. We are suppose to have great weather this weekend so I'm really looking forward to this last opportunity with Sally.

Last night we learned the difference between shooting photos in RAW vs. JPEG. This was a lot of information to process and I don't know if I'm completely sold on shooting exclusively in RAW. But, knowing the pros of shooting RAW, I will use it if that once in a life time photo opportunity arises.

We also finished up on Composition. Composition is an art and it is so easy to get lost in the photo moment that you break one of the composition rules. Composition is made up of leading lines, body positions, angles, diagonal photo positioning, frames, textures, etc. One of my weaknesses is leading lines. I have them in most of my photos but have since discovered, some of my leading lines need work.

Before I get too long winded, I thought I would share some photos from a shoot I did this past weekend with my son. This was a weird shoot in that we would get to the location and it would start raining. We would go back home and the sun would come out. Finally, we got a small window of opportunity and took advantage of it.....

This one has a bad leading line going straight through the head! Arggg! But I still like it!

And this is the photo I NAILED!! I got nearly perfect composition on this one!

One of the most important things I learned was to always print your photos. Your computer monitor does not show exposure levels correctly. I had a couple of photos from this shoot that were overexposed by a couple of stops. This was not discovered until I got the photos back from the lab. Also, printing your photos helps you to not only see the mistakes but to also train your eye to see the settings the photos were taken in. Trained photographers are challenged to take repeat photos by only looking at a photo. In other words, can you take the same photo months from now by only looking at the photo and not using your camera's history?

I hope you have enjoyed my photo learning adventure. I'll hopefully be back next week with some "test" photos. Wish me luck!

It's Friday!

2009-05-22T09:21:00.006-04:00

I do love Fridays. Not as much as Saturdays and Sundays but it's a great day none the less.

Another photo class last night and we are really "getting it". It's hard to believe we only have one more class before our photo shoot (mini test). Last night we talked about ISOs and how the combinations of aperture, shutter speeds and ISOs make up different photo results. It's an art but getting away from the automatic modes on your camera to manual settings makes such a big impact. I've gotten some great feedback on some photos that I have brought in for review. There's just so much to think about when you look at the image in your view finder. Anywho, I promised I would share some photos from Monday's class.....

These photos focused on shutter speed and we were asked to photograph running/dripping water. I struggled getting these photos because of the weather. We have had very windy conditions, cloudy skies, sunny skies breaking in every so often...you get the picture (no pun intended - LOL). Not the best conditions for taking photos with a slow shutter speed.

The photo below:
Shutter Speed: 1/10
Aperture: 27
Manual Mode
ISO 800
This is a great photo because I was able to capture the blurring of the water with a slow shutter speed, with the wind blowing AND it was taken without a tripod. Any photo taken slower than 1/60 runs the risk of camera shake without a tripod.

The photo below:
Shutter Speed: 1/4000
Aperture: 4.0
Manual Mode
ISO 800
This photo was taken with a fast shutter speed so I was able to "freeze" the water droplets.

(pictures were taken at St Mary's on the Hill Catholic Church)

This week's homework will consist of taking photos in different ISOs with different settings. We want to achieve noise in our photos and then adjust the settings to avoid as much noise as possible.

Fun? You betcha!

Another Photo Class Update

2009-05-19T09:39:00.008-04:00

Photo classes continue and I'm still having fun. I haven't given up and I really believe I'm taking better pictures from the information I've been taught. I've even put the point and shoot away and have started using the BIG camera - LOL!

In Thursday's class, we learned about aperture. This is probably one of the hardest subjects to learn in photography. The rules are backwards, there's math and it's just one of those "procedures" you learn with practice. Our homework assignment for the weekend was to take photos of a single subject and take the photos changing only the aperture. Other settings, that we have not yet covered in class, were set on our cameras.

I went out Sunday and took these photos of a rose at the local university.....

Aperture: 1.4
Exposure: AV

Aperture: 5.6
Exposure: AV

Aperture: 16
Exposure: AV

These are just a few of the photos I took using a aperture range of 1.4 to 22. See the different effects you get using different aperture settings? Aperture gives you that nice blurred background vs. a sharp image based on the amount of light coming into the camera. Fun!!

Last night's class discussed shutter speed and I'll be back later this week with homework photos.

Enjoy!

Apple Photo Update

2009-05-13T09:09:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that you can look at the submitted photos from class on Sally Kolar's website . Just look for her Recent Blog Posts (bottom right hand corner) and click on the one titled "Photography Class Photos from the Scrap Shack". You can even vote on your favorite for the "picture of the week". There are only a few showing right now but I'm sure more will be posted through out the day.

A Tuesday Update....

2009-05-12T12:07:00.005-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted so I thought it best I show up and say hello.

Last night was the first night of my photography class and it was really fun. I took the Canon Digital Rebel XTI and my Canon Powershot A540 and actually had better luck with my point and shoot. I guess it's just I'm more comfortable with mine. Plus, I don't need to try and learn a new camera while I'm trying to learn the techniques. We had a mini photo shoot session at the end of class with an apple to get a little one-on-one advice. We took our apples home (homework!!) and we have to submit two photos with our apple before the next class.

Here are the photos I'm submitting:

Can't wait to get "critiqued"!

Photography 101

2009-04-27T14:47:00.003-04:00

I am so excited! I have signed up for a Photography class at my local scrapbook store. It is being taught by a great photographer, Sally Kolar . The classes start in a couple of weeks and I am hoping to gain the skills needed to capture those photos in less than ideal settings. Lord knows, F-Stops, ISOs, to flash or not flash, confuse me to no end! The classes end with a photo field trip to test out our newly acquired skills. Wish me luck!

Ponder on this.....

2009-04-17T09:00:00.008-04:00

We all truly understand that the economy is pretty bad at the moment. Businesses are cutting back on their spending and are doing what is necessary to keep the financial records in check. I agree with doing what needs to be done but really.......does giving me more than one packet of ketchup for a super size fry the answer?!!! Even when you ask for "extra ketchup" you only get another packet. It's a little crazy, in my opinion. So, I am now being very specific with my order. I want a super size fry with eight packets of ketchup! I really don't think that my extra ketchup packets are going to cause hamburger joints to go out of business. Now, to make the story even more crazy.....I go to the same hamburger joint drive thru every Friday morning for hotcakes. A little treat - I deserve it. Anywho, guess how many TUBS of syrup I get? TWO!! That's enough syrup to put me in sugar overdrive! I don't even need 1/2 of one tub! And surely, it cost more to manufacture TUBS of syrup vs. PACKETS of ketchup. It just has to!

Just a little something to ponder on the next time you are in that favorite fast food drive thru.....
Happy Friday!

Remember Me?

2009-04-14T12:33:00.009-04:00

Yes, I'm still here. It's been awhile, hasn't it? Work has had me tied up where I couldn't see up from down but.....I did manage to get away for a little vacation to Myrtle Beach. The weather was a bit weird. One day it was sunny and warm and the next, freezing cold with winds blowing around 30mph. We had a great time. Probably one of the best vacations we've had since we went to Colorado last year. We didn't have any plans - just do what feels right when the moment strikes!

Here's a couple of photos:

A girl could get use to this view!

And this view isn't all that bad either!

When you get cold weather, deal with it! LOL!

I'm ready to go back - now!!

Frippin' Fun 2009

2009-03-05T09:31:00.025-05:00

I am alive and finally able to see daylight from up under this pile of paperwork. The place? My Job! You see, I was out of the office three days last week and the other two days are a blur. I had the head cold cooties! You know, the kind that makes you want to curl up and forget the world exists. And, they couldn't have come at a worst time because this was the weekend of my trip to Fripp Island with all my stitch buddies. Thank goodness for cold medicine because I went and had a blast. Here's some of the highlights.......

This is the house where we stayed. It is huge and wonderful! Lots of stitching room, bathrooms - very important when you have 8-10 ladies living together, large open kitchen and close enough to hear the ocean waves.

The weather was beautiful so it was only fitting to get out and walk on the beach Saturday morning.

Some of the ladies, later that day, found sand dollars. Something I have never been able to find. So, next year, I need a lesson.

Fripp Island is located right off of the coast of Beaufort, SC. Before crossing over to the island, the coastal area has lots of marsh lands. These areas are swampy but home to crabs, mussels and an occassional, heron.

And, the rarest creature of all - a Karen!

My bestest buddies - Lorrie and Karen - along with me!

One of my most EXCITING highlights of the weekend was not only seeing lots of beautiful deer, but I actually got to feed one! Now, this is pretty amazing in its own right but you see, I called the deer and he came right up to me. My house cat won't even come when called! I never knew I could speak deer! Maybe I was Snow White in my former life! LOL!

"I'm Still Hungry!"

"Meet My Friends"

Now, this trip does actually involve some stitching. The sitting area is all off by itself so round-the-clock stitching is not out of the question.

Here's Theresa and a new-comer, Zee

Kathy - the hostess with the mostest! She's our vacation and game coordinator. Beading extraordinaire. Rib cooker and quick stitcher.

Mom and Karen. Mom belongs to Kathy and makes sure all of the "children" stay within the law. Karen is my jiggle buddy!

This is proof that stitching can actually wear you out! I have always said, Lorrie and I were separated at birth. She's as country as a butter bean with a heart of gold. I guess you could say she's the "good child".

And last but not least is Ann (aka Home Skillet), straight from Tennessee

Unfortunately, we were missing two friends this year from Florida. Best wishes and hope to see them in 2010.
It was a great trip and can't wait to do it all again!

Happy Birthday Lisa!

2009-02-22T15:00:00.014-05:00

Today is one of my bestest friends birthday! We had a fabulous time yesterday helping her celebrate. She's past middle age but young enough to enjoy the torture that is given by the staff at the mexican restaurant. Little did she (and us!) know that wearing your dessert is just as much fun as eating it. Happy Birthday Lisa

Here's some pictures of the day-long celebration:

L to R: Sandy, Lisa, Jody, Polly and Me
This picture was taken at one of the local Sandwich Shops - also called The Sandwich Shop - in Lisa's home town. Fabulous food! I highly recommend and would love to go back. The restaurant is renovated inside an old bank building. We are pictured here outside of the bank vault.

Ruebens, Philly Cheese Steaks, BLTs, Oh My!

Yes, we do try and get in a couple of stitches during our visit! We were joined by another friend of Lisa's, Amy.

Even I have my stitching moments!

I had a great time visiting with these great friends. The day went by entirely too quickly. We do need to try and get together more often. Hugs to everyone and remember - Taco Mama is always here for ya!!

UPDATE: Just so you know - I now have bangs again. Nothing like taking a pair of scissors and whacking away. No lil' girl hair bows for me!

I saw Woody!

2009-02-20T10:18:00.005-05:00

Some of you may know, I work in the woods. It's so quite and comforting out here in the forest and I get to see many different type of wildlife. I've seen deer, owls, hawks, lizards, snakes and even a fox. But, the hardest creature to capture on photo has been Woody. Woody is my woodpecker and she is a big one! I think she's a she because today I also got to see two babies in the trees near her. Anywho, here she is pecking away. She's got a beautiful bright red head. Can't wait to see her babies grow up.

Updated to add information about Woody:
Pileated Woodpecker

The largest variety of woodpecker is the Pileated Woodpecker ranging from 16-19 inches long. Male adults are identified by a red Mohawk; both male and female have a red Mohawk (crest) on the top of their heads, but the male is distinguished by a red cheek pad. The female does not have red coloring in this area. The Pileated woodpecker can also be identified by their black body, black and white stripes on the facial area, a white strip from their bill to the their neck and beady yellow eyes. Pileated woodpeckers make their habitat in coniferous forests with large trees found in southern Canada, the Midwestern and eastern parts of the United States, the pacific coast and the northern Rockies. They eat carpenter ants, wood boring beetle larvae, fruit and nuts. Pileated woodpeckers produce 4-6 eggs in nests found in dead tree with a cavity lined with wood chips. An interesting fact about these woodpeckers is that they dig rectangular holes in trees so deep that it might cause small trees to break in half. Male and female Pileated woodpeckers stay together as a pair in their territory all year long.

Thread Organization

2009-02-18T12:00:00.003-05:00

A friend was asking me last week on how I organize my overdyed threads. So, here's a picture. I use a card file box from the office supply store that has one of those metal sliders in it. I also have plastic tabbed cards that have the alphabet pre-printed on them. I just take each color of thread and put it in a plastic jewelry bag (about 4x6) and attach a label with the color name on it. I don't worry about distinguishing on the labels Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Arts, Crescent, etc. because I can easily see the thread tags inside the bags. I have been using this system for a couple of years now and it works for me. The threads don't get tangled, they stay clean and I can tell instantly if I have enough or need to order more.

How do you spell fun?............

2009-02-12T14:59:00.004-05:00

C-R-O-P! Last weekend I had so much fun hanging out with my scrappin' buddies in Columbia. We try our best to get together through out the year to laugh, shop, eat and oh yeah - scrapbook. This time was no exception! I worked on my Ali Edwards inspired Christmas album. I got a lot done - maybe I'm 1/2 way finished. I'll have to share some photos with you when I'm finished. Hope to work on it this weekend while I still have my croppin' groove! LOL! Until then......Enjoy Life!!