Wishing You A Very Happy 2007!

A few of our traditions to share for New Year’s Day:

The meal – we have a traditional Southern USA meal on New Year’s Day: ham for health, black-eyed peas for good luck, turnip greens for wealth, and cornbread because it tastes so good with everything else. Dessert this year is peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream – because we like it!

We take our Christmas Tree down on New Year’s Day – so we carry the joy of the Season forward to the New Year.

We honor the belief that having a clean house on New Year’s means the house will be clean all year long – but no cleaning on New Year’s Day – sweeping or washing will sweep or wash your good luck right out!

We make sure that everyone in the family has at least a dollar in their pocket – to ensure they won’t be broke in the coming year.

We spend the day with as many loved ones as possible – so we’ll be surrounded by love all year long.

It’s not good to start a new project on New Year’s Day – but it’s a wonderful omen to complete projects – it guarantees that projects will be completed throughout the coming year!

Wishing you a joyous and prosperous New Year!

Godt Nytår
Felican Novan Jaron
Bonne Annee
Prosit Neujahr
Felice anno nuovo
Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit
Felice anno nuovo
Akimashite Omedetto Gozaimasu
Feliz Ano ~Nuevo
Gott nytt år!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Gift Tags

Wanted to share the tags I stitched for small gift baskets I made for my co-workers. These are small, only about 3" x 4", and I designed them with possible use as ornaments in future years in mind. The baskets are small, only about 6"x6", and contain a scented candle and some Christmas chocolates - I think they'll like some part of their gifts, no matter what - lol!

BTW, the DGS's teachers loved their bookmarks - they got them this morning. The younger DGS (in kindergarten) ended up choosing his own gift in the class gift exchange - all the younguns were required to gift books. When DD asked why he chose the one he had brought, he said, with perfect logic, "I wanted _that_ book"
My other DD has started blogging today - you can check her blog out at Becca's Fancies

Currently stitching: finishing ornaments for my family
Currently baking: Honey Walnut Cookies (tastes so good, you know they're bad for you - lol!)

DD's Bookmarks

DD has finished one bookmark and made a good start on the second. They have to be finished by Tuesday night, so my GSs can give them to their teachers on Wednesday. These are the ones I charted for her. She's done a fantastic job on them, so I just have to share: I'm so proud of her!

The First Gift of the Season

is from one of my Floss Daughters - Jenny, from Sweden. Isn't it adorable? Thank-you, Jenny!

Warning, Warning, Warning - Danger, Will Robinson!

Sunday, I checked out this link weffriddles posted on the EMS Board.
Do not go there! :-D
I've spent precious stitching time solving these puzzles (bragging - I'm at level 44), and I'm not going back until I complete at least two projects - so there!
btw - if you like puzzles/riddles, these are pretty challenging - and you absolutely must consult the Forum for hints/tips (#1 tip - very important - keep a log of the levels, clues, titles, and what you did to solve it - you must be able to refer back to solve future levels - seriously, folks, this is sooo important or you'll end up begging for someone to knock you upside the head with a clue X four)
Why am I telling you this - because misery loves company!
Must go to bed now - work tomorrow, and I haven't been getting into bed before midnight since Sunday - all thanks to Weff Jebster!

Currently stitching - nothing!
Currently reading - Forum

The Last Bead is On

Ta-Da! Here's the completed piece for my friend's daughter's wedding (not yet washed, ironed or framed - but that will happen later today):

It's a freebie from Designs by Amy The hardest part for me was getting the spacing of the beaded border I added right, but I think it turned out well. The observant will note I only have one week to complete it - good thing I do my own framing - lol! Back to stitching!

This and That

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now I’m into the mad race for Christmas. How about you? Only 24 days to go!

I’m so relieved to report that one of my DH’s health issues is now resolved. He underwent a procedure yesterday that should solve it for good. We are at home and recovering from the stress and strain attendant to any medical procedure.

I’m stitching like mad to finish Christmas gifts, and only have a few more beads to attach and the wedding gift will be finished and ready for framing. I finally found a perfect frame, so hopefully will have that done this weekend.

DD asked me to design bookmarks for her to stitch to give to DGSs teachers. I’ll post a picture later this weekend of my finished efforts.

I've added a link to The Gift of Stitching - the December 06 issue is fantastic! Please do check it out. Right now you can get two years (24 issues) for only $20.00 - I'm almost at the end of my first year, and it is worth so much more than the cost. And yes, I've already renewed my subscription!

Currently stitching: Christmas Gifts!
Currently reading: Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore

Books, Books, Books!

A little while ago, Heidi tagged me for Books, Books, Books – I didn’t mean to ignore it, but you know, life’s a stitch! So with no further ado, here are my answers:

1) One book that changed your life:
Too easy – The Holy Bible, KJV
2) One book that you’d read more than once:
I re-read almost all my books – if I have no desire to re-read it, I don’t keep it in my library. Having said that, I decided to go with the first book I ever bought with my own hard-earned money (I was 7 or 8), and still re-read to this day: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
3) One book you’d want on a deserted island:
If it’s truly only one book – the Bible.
4) One book that made you laugh:
Love Conquers All, by Robert Benchley
5) One book that made you cry:
There have been many – but I’ll mention Grumbles From The Grave, not because the book made me cry per se, but because I still cry when I think that Robert Heinlein is no longer with us
6) One book you wish you’d written:
All of them – lol!
7) One book you wish had never been written:
Can’t think of one right off hand
8) One book you’re currently reading:
Just finished Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts
9) One book you’ve been meaning to read:
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – because so many people have mentioned it – I’ll probably order it after Christmas – right now, all my spare change is going towards Christmas stuff - YKWIMV?

Currently stitching: A wedding sampler for a friend’s daughter, and some Christmas presents.
Currently reading: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein (re-reading some old faves – no money right now for new books)

And no more posts today - I've done all the catching up I'm going to do for the day!

What Color is Your Brain

Snatched from patternnuts

This was fun - and amazingly accurate (for me). Give it a try and tell me what you think.

What Color is Your Brain?

GREEN:

At work or in school: I work best by myself. I like to focus on my ideas until my desire for understanding is satisfied. I am easily bored if the subject holds no interest to me. Sometimes, it is hard for me to set priorities because so many things are of interest.
With friends: I may seem reserved. Although my thoughts and feelings run deep, I am uneasy with frequent displays of emotion. I enjoy people who are interesting and of high integrity.
With family: I am probably seen as a loner because I like a lot of private time to think. Sometimes, I find family activities boring and have difficulty following family rules that don't make sense to me. I show love by spending time with my family and sharing ideas and interests.
Take this quiz!








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New Links!

I've just spent the past hour or so learning how to do some new things (new for me - lol!) - look to the left and you'll see that I've added some links. This may not seem like much to more experienced bloggers - but it's a major step for me. Now if I can just remember how I did it when I get ready to add some more :-)

On the home front - got some more flooring in the kitchen put down - but we're not going to meet our goal of having the renovations finished by Thanksgiving :-( DH has some health issues that have taken up most of our time for the past three weeks. Prayer team - mark your calendars and keep us in your prayers as he undergoes a procedure on 30 November - hopefully it will resolve one major problem.

One last note - Christmas is 38 days away - Must Stitch Faster!

Sewn Christmas Ornament

There was a question on the EMS Board about how to make a fabric framed ornament - this is my solution: (click on the thumbnails for a larger view)
1. Cut four squares of fabric - mine are 4' x 4"
2. Mark a circle in the center on the wrong side of one square - you can see my very scientific method of marking a precisely sized and placed circle!
3. Sew around the circle - I used red thread so the stitching line would show for the photo - normally I would use a thread that matched the fabric.
4. Trim the circle out to about a 1/4" seam and notch - be careful not to cut your stitching.
5. Turn the top layer thru the circle and match the corners. Pin them. When you have matched all four corners, the circle should lay flat.
6. And here it is, all turned.
7. Cut two pieces of batting (my British friends would say wadding) and use the same scientific method to mark a circle in the center of one of them. Cut out the circle from the center.
8. Insert the batting between the two layers - one for the circle piece, the other for the backing.
9. I wanted a hanger in the corner, and used a 1/4" grosgrain ribbon inserted between the circle piece and the backing piece.
10. Sew all around the four sides with a 1/4" seam - you are going to turn this thru the center circle, so you don't have to leave any side not sewn. Trim the corners and turn.
11. Ta-Da! I tucked a scrap of fabric leftover from a quilt I made in the center. I didn't have a cross stitch piece prepared :-(.

Things I learned:
A. This took about 45 minutes to cut out and assemble - it honestly took longer to upload all the photos than it did to make it. I expect the next ones will go faster, because I won't be stopping to photograph each step - lol!
B. Trim the batting squares 3/8" smaller than the fabric squares so the seams won't be so thick - I sewed right thru the batting, and it made it thick on the edges.
C. To make the center puffier, insert a circle of batting behind the insert.
D. It would probably be a good idea to make the lining squares in a solid color to match whatever you are going to insert - you can see the print if you look closely at the center.

Currently reading: Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh
Currently stitching: finishing ornament for EMS Board exchange.

Update: Photos of the Kitchen!

Wow - I'm so impressed - DH did a wonderful job on the countertops - these are 2x6 pine boards that he planed and joined to make the custom tops. I stained them, and we've sealed them with a sealer made for floors (hoping that it will be more durable than sealers made for furniture).

I hope you can see the basketweave pattern we used in the corner - I think it came out fantastic! And I am so pleased with how the breadboard edge looks at the end of the peninsula - we used the same technique at each end to keep from having the end grain showing. And do admire the artwork on the fridge - I've been teaching my grandsons how to use watercolors!

Sorry for the mess sitting around - although the sink and diswasher are sitting in place, neither one is actually connected (that will happen this weekend - so DH promised me - lol!), so I'm still trekking to the bathroom to wash dishes, and honestly, it's such a pain, I put it off as long as possible.

I _do_ love to see progress!

Currently stitching: Ornament for the EMS Cross Stitch Board exchange

Currently reading: Empire from the Ashes by David Weber

Currently sewing: Pageant dress for my DGD

Kingfisher Chart

Just a picture I'm playing around with in Paint to try and make a kingfisher chart.

I’m Tired

Not much progress to report on any front. We’re waiting for the base cabinets we had to special order for the kitchen. Mighty Samurai is at a standstill. I did complete a bookmark for an EMS Board Exchange, and I’m 90% done with the Small Needlebook for Ellen’s Stitcher Tools set (also from EMS). I’m kind of excited about an idea I had for Christmas presents – when I complete the first one, I’ll share the idea (want to make sure it works – lol!).

My tiredness is due in large part to my blood sugar being out of whack. After four years of perfect control, all of sudden – it’s not. So I’m having to play around with dosages (under my doc’s supervision, I hasten to add), and putting up with the resulting swings. When it drops too far, I’m exhausted for the rest of the day. When it gets too high, my thirst is enough to drive me mad – and the frequent trips to the bathroom are a pain. Pray for me on this issue – genetics are stacked against me, and it’s being a real battle. Praise God for DH – he’s my anchor and my barometer.

I only have another 1-½ rows to crochet on the pillow top that I’ve been working on (and off – lol!) for the past year – I want to complete it mainly just so it will be done, IYKWIM. Hard to believe that at one time I crocheted for a living and completed four jackets a week.

Hopefully the next post will include some update pics. CYL!

Currently reading: To Distraction by Stephanie Laurens (a favorite escape author)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

You may have heard "Man Proposes, God Disposes". At my house, it's Nita Proposes, DH Disposes. I thought we were going to complete the study next - foolish me! It's the kitchen instead. We've installed the new upper cabinets, but now have to scrape together the moola to order the lower cabinets. Then it'll be the new countertops. I feel so broke! The samples taped to the cabinet door are the countertop colors we're considering.
The foyer is to the right of this picture. We're planning a penisula coming out from that side of the wall, which will have the sink and dishwasher. You can just see the butler's pantry door to the right. The fan and fixture will be changed (our kitchen table used to sit under it). The range and microwave go beneath the shorter cabinet. We decided on the taller cabinets, because the space above the old cabinets just collected dust, and we can use the extra storage space. Doesn't matter how many cabinets I have, I always have plenty to fill them - lol! The fridge will be going about where the ladder is sitting. This layout will be much more efficient than the old one - but it can't be done soon enough to suit me! I'm taking the color scheme for the kitchen from a set of canisters, so it will be blue and yellow.

Currently reading: Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey
Currently sttiching: bookmark for EMS fall exchange (almost finished) and The Mighty Samurai, which is going very slow ;-(

Simple Clothes Peg

There was a request on the EMS Cross Stitch Board for a clothes peg pattern - this is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Sites of Interest

Thought I’d share some of my daily netdictions (sites I visit at least daily)

http://www.cross-stitch-board.com/ EMS Cross Stitch Board (free membership required)

http://www.herdthinners.com/ Kevin and Kell online comic http://www.kevinandkell.com/about/ for the background or http://www.kevinandkell.com/archive/ for the archives

http://www.anniesattic.com/ Free Pattern of the Day

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html Astronomy Picture of the Day

http://www.ozfoxes.com/fauxpas.htm Faux Pas online comic (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) The Story so Far link at the bottom of the page goes to the archives

http://www.websudoku.com/ yes, I Su Doku!

http://www.sleepnet.com/ "Since 1995 - Everything you wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask ™ "

http://www.baen.com/library/ Free electronic books – no catch, it’s for real. This is where I read my first David Weber and Eric Flint – I’ve gone on to purchase all the Honor Harrington books, and I’m working on getting others by these and other authors featured.

Enjoy! And let me know if you visit one of these sites and what you think about them.

To answer Selina:

Hi Selina,
There is no pressure to refer anyone - it's just an incentive they have started offering.

I've answered dozens of surveys over the past 3-4 years. Sometimes, I just don't feel like doing it, so I don't. Most of the surveys offer between 50 and 200 points for completing them. Some surveys don't offer points - instead you are entered for a cash drawing (which I have _never_ won - I'm not terribly lucky at lotteries - lol!.) All of the surveys tell you before you take them what they are offering - points or a chance on the drawing.

It takes 1000 points to qualify for a gift - they have gifts for 1000 points, 2000 points, 2500 points, etc. There are about 30 different gifts to choose from at each level. There are no strings attached to the gifts - you don't even have to pay postage! No obligation to complete a minimum number of surveys.

Every once in a while, you may be offered a chance to test a new product - I tested a mystery brand of paper towels a couple of years ago. All I had to do was answer two-three questions each week by email for six weeks, and I got ten free rolls of paper towels out of it (pretty nice paper towels, too!). Don't ask me the brand - they never told me! So, its not a scam, and you can get some small gifts out of it.

So Disappointed!

I just finished reading Path of the Fury (1992) by David Weber. DH just finished In Fury Born (2006) by David Weber. I had ordered both from Amazon, because In Fury Born is supposed to be a prequel to Path of the Fury. It is, but the second half _is_ Path of the Fury ("...much revised version..." according to the verso of the title page). DH has read both, and says he doesn't see that much revision. Sooo ... if you read In Fury Born, you can skip Path of the Fury.

Past time for an Update!

Here’s a picture of my floor stand and frame. I still have to re-cut one of the stretcher bars – I made the silly mistake of not drilling a test hole and it turns out that what I thought was ¾ inch Forstner bit cuts a hole that is 7/8 inch diameter. The ¾ inch paddle bit, on the other hand, makes a perfect ¾ inch hole. And I’ve got to cut the dowels to length, which I don’t want to do until I’ve re-cut the stretcher bar. DD got the second frame and stand, and is already using it – she wants to make a small frame to use for very small projects – after using this, she doesn’t want to mess with hoops at all! I’ll finish this off today, and get the fabric for The Mighty Samurai mounted so I can get stitching on him. Here’s a link for the plan on which I based my stand and frame: http://ourhouse.ninemsn.com.au/ourhouse/factsheets/db/craft/03/319.asp. While I think anyone could build one of these using handheld tools, I’ve got to admit that it went very quickly using the tools in our shop: the drill press, miter saw and table saw. Using bolts and wing nuts for the assembly means the stand can be disassembled for storage or moving.

DH hung the new ceiling light fixtures in the foyer. It looks fantastic! I’ve already hung the three flowers I stitched late last year (when I did them, it was for this particular spot, so I couldn’t hang them until the foyer was finished). And I found a great bargain at Pottery Barn – a 16 x 20-inch mirror to center on the wall to the right of the door. Another project I’ll be working on today – making a cardboard cut-out of the mirror, and deciding on the perfect height and placement for the mirror.

Mon Premier Biscornu! / My First Quirky!
This was a lot of fun to stitch, altho the finishing was a bit tedious. The patterns were freebies from http://battybat.free.fr/html/biscornus-gratuits.htm. It's stitched on natural colored linen (leftover scrap from another project) with DMC 115.


Got a new toy – a battery operated book light. I don’t use it for reading – I clip it to my shirt to shine the super bright LED light on my stitching. I haven’t tried clipping it to a hoop or frame, yet – lol!

This is the second gift I have earned from filling out online consumer surveys – the first was a leather case for my PDA. **Shameless self-promotion warning** If you are interested – submit a comment and say that you want me to refer you – if I refer you, I get extra points towards my next gift (all comments are emailed to me for approval, so I can guarantee I won’t be publishing your addy). The participating countries (that I know for sure) are US-English, US-Spanish, Great Britain, France and Canada-French/Canada-English.

Currently reading: Path of the Fury by David Weber. Just finished One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey – great fun to read!

Currently stitching: about to start The Mighty Samurai (Dimensions Gold kit) – it’s a large project, so I’m sure I’ll do some smaller projects along the way.

Welcome to my world

Hi from Nita!

Ok, I've read other's blogs with great interest, so let's see if I can come up with something someone else might like to read.

DH and I have been renovating our house practically since we moved in, 18 years ago. We would finish a project, but then decide to change something, and start again. We've added over 1500 square feet to the house, adding a formal dining room, craft room, sun room and laundry room, and expanding the kitchen, den and master bedroom. This year, I begged that we simply _finish_ and be done with it. So far, we've finished the dining room and living room. Yesterday, got the crown molding and trim up in the renovated foyer. It's starting to look real!

We still have to hang the new lights, and I've got an antique secretary that I'm in the midst of refinishing to complete (to go on the wall to the left of the door), but it's so close to being done, I can taste it!

The next room we plan to work on is the study. We stopped working on it several years ago, and now we'll have to re-paint, and finish the woodwork and trim - but that's all, so it's next on the list.

Two walls in the study. Have I mentioned that I _like_ to read? The computer in the corner is an old one we set up for the grandkids (no internet access), so they could play on it while Grandmama's busy at the other end of the room at her computers or at her desk.

Today, the elder daughter and I are planning to build tapestry frames and floor stands - it's the first woodworking project we have done together - so we'll see how it goes. I've looked at pictures and winced at the cost, and said "I can build that". Total cost for the materials is less than $40.00 (we're using pine for the stands - not hardwood). We'll have to see how long it takes. Stay tuned for updates.

Currently reading: re-reading Jayne Anne Krentz - while waiting for my new books from Amazon.

Currently stitching: Christmas in July ornament for EMS Cross Sttich Board Exchange. Next project: The Mighty Samurai.