A very bad mood

I'm in such a foul mood after work today. I'm so cross I shouldn't be allowed on the Internet. I started to read my blogs and decided I should wait until I'm in better spirits. Since it's NaBloPoMo I'm obligated to write a post. You are only obligated to read it if you are my daughter. I think she reads all my posts, isn't that sweet? Thanx Jess!

One thing about today that was really exciting is my friend Angela is having a lovely end-of-the-year giveaway. Visit her blog Hooked On Stitches to enter. You could win this fantastic stitchy box!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

First Finish

After I stitched those little Christmas ornaments I think I messed around with a few different projects. These were always unfinished and I am pretty sure it was because of how the stitching looked. Even back then I was OCD and if I couldn't make it look how it was supposed to look I would be frustrated with it. There finally came a semi-maturing point and I completed a project.

I started this Garfield right after I married, so I was 17 years old when this was stitched. Ride 'Em Reindeer...worked on 14 count off-white aida with DMC. This was stitched for my brother and carefully mailed to him for Christmas that year. I think it held some bitter memories for him after he divorced and he asked if I'd take it back.

Oh, Lord, do you remember these plastic hoop frames?

Take a giggle at these pea-sized knots. Can you even call that a French knot??

I'm pleased to see my backside has improved by now. No knots but still lots of carrying. It was this design I learned half-stitches, not fun on aida, I can remember being soooo confused trying to figure out the direction of each half-stitch! We've come a long way, baby!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Taco

Back in October we had a brief cold snap and it got pretty chilly around here. I knew Taco wasn't happy in her usual spot on top of my floss cabinet. The window next to my stitching desk gets really cold in the winter. I need some heavy drapes to block that! When it got cold she started stealing my chair every time I got up. When she was in her bed on the floss cabinet she curled into a tight little tuft.

Since I need a catless chair to stitch in I was taken to desperate measures. We moved the cat bed! I cleared off the top of the chest of drawers that holds stash and added a big warm cat bed. I think she will be cosier here in the winter.

I think she likes it.

She looks happy anyway.

Taco thinks photo shoots are boring though. And that is only a trick of the camera, she doesn't really have three canine teeth.

My biggest problem now is Taco can see my face from her bed and thinks she has to talk to me. Constantly. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow.

>^..^<

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Merry helps choose

A big thank you to everyone that entered my Blogoversary Giveaway for the two Simon's Cat books. It's been a great celebration! I've made such great friends through this blog; it's just incredible when I stop and think about it. When I started this blog I never thought I'd ever have so many readers. My current visitor count is 198 per day. Holy cow. Thank you so much.

I spent this morning writing everyone down. Cutting the names into slips and piling them into The Mighty Bowl of Destiny. Well, it's actually just a cup but this is my blog, I'll call it what I want!

I loved this cup but alas, it was too small. Too many entries for this size. Off to search out a bigger Mighty Bowl of Destiny...

This one was just right! Merry said she would help me choose, since the last time I tried to have the pets help they turned me down flat, lazy critters.

Merry closed her eyes and reached in...

The first name she drew out was Doris!

Then Merry reached again and pulled out Nita!

Thank you Merry, you did a great job!

Nita and Doris, I'll be emailing you both shortly for your mailing addresses. Congratulations!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Last Chance!

Just a quick reminder! My Blogoversary Giveaway ends some time tomorrow. If you were wanting to enter please put your comment on that post now!

Short post. I'm tired.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

First Stitches

Lee, (Lake Stitcher) headed off to camp, (lucky girl) was instructed to bring some "first projects" for showing. I thought this was a fun idea. It's interesting to see how tastes and styles change though the years. Lee mentions we (stitchers in general?) were very into "country" back then. And oh, God, it's true. Every stitch design out there was "country". Fat bows. Cows. Hearts. Flowers. Pink & blue. I've still got all those oldie charts and don't they look dated?

As I'm doing NaBloPoMo I thought this would make for an interesting post. For those reading this, find yours! Show & Tell!

Here is the very first thing I ever stitched. I dug this out of the drawer today and gave it a wash and ironing. This is so old! It has a little staining and there are circles drawn in pencil around the designs. I think I must have meant to put these into little plastic frames after they were stitched.

Stitched with one thread on 18 count aida. Supplies were from my sister's stash. She used these designs to teach me to stitch. I must have been around 13ish? I'll have to ask her if she remembers this. I remember...sitting in the kitchen of her trailer house working on these. Those were golden days for me.

Best of all is the back side. Knots, carry-overs and thread tangles.

ROFLMAO

Obviously, I wasn't paying any attention when Carol showed me how to start a thread and end off. These knots really crack me up. Somewhere around here is my first "finished project." A cursory look didn't turn it up but I will have a good search and find it to show you some time soon.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Crabby November Start

Oooo, what an exciting photo today! Not! How exciting can a red-brown border and a bit of white window pane be? But it's a start. I began Crabby November on Sunday, the first of the month. I'm trying not to hurry through this month. I'll need something to post about, don't you know?

There has been plenty more stitching getting done besides Crabby All Year though. I finished last month's Zombies in record time. Now that was exciting. Then, I filled the "free" time with lots and lots of exchange stitching. I've joined a private invitation ornament exchange that starts next year. Plus, a Holiday Exchange organized by our dear friend, Becky. That one is open for new exchangers...go look. Exchanges are so much fun. Except that one can't show WIP photos of awesome stitching :o(

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Risking getting my hair pulled

Or my face scratched by my horrible, cackling, witchy, jealous friend Deborah (bless her black, icky heart) may I present my prize from Missy's 13 Days of Halloween giveaway?

Way too cool. I got a spook-tacular crypt with a skull on the front, a pair of (darling) purple scissors (perfect for traveling) and there is another little magnetic skull inside to hold needles and pins. Fridge magnets, a vampire lips pin, candy and a pencil rounds out the package. Missy was so clever putting these prize packages together!

I was so good not peeking at Missy's photo link on her blog. It was hard to resist! Not knowing made it loads of fun to open the box. Thank you ever so much Missy!

Deborah ~ nah nah nah nah nah!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Bliss in a box

I have discovered paradise.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Beans from Starbucks. OMG

It is a really good thing these babies are six bucks a pop or my weight problem could get out of hand.

Thank you all for the Blogoversary wishes yesterday! ***hugs***

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

She threw a party...

...and everyone came.

It's my 2nd Blogoversary! A very big THANK YOU to all my readers. Your comments inspire me. Your visits to my blog are treasured. I could not do without you.

Don't forget to sign up for the Simon's Cat book giveaway a couple of posts below. The giveaway ends on November 7th, 2009.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox