sept 23 - short and sweet

I'm trying to get some things taken care of at work before I take off to get my hair colored...a long overdue appointment, I might add. That little skunk streak just keeps getting bigger and bigger!

Anyway, not much stitching has been going on. That seems to be my theme for this whole year and I must admit that I am getting really tired of it. I just don't seem to have the mojo lately. I know it will come back, but in the meantime I feel a bit like a slug!


This little piece is "Blessings" from Heart in Hand. It was stitched on a piece of melon evenweave with the called for threads. We have a bi-monthly block exchange at Stitchers Timeout and this month's theme was pumpkins. I think this is the first block I've stitched for the exchange this whole year. December is "trees" and I already have a design picked out.


And these are the newest scissors I've added to my collection..."Sonia". They are reddish with little flowers and really quite pretty.

I have worked a little bit more on "Acorn Autumn" but I don't have a picture to show.

My hubby will be going away for a conference on Saturday and will be gone a week. Last time he did this I had great plans to stitch all week, and ended up tearing apart my craft room instead. This week, I have to clean out my closet, but then I think I am going to try and finish up a couple of these little projects that have been hanging around forever! My LNS is having it's annual "open house" in a few weeks and they will have lots of the new market pieces. I am really ambivalent about going this year though. There are many designs that I really would love to stitch, but I also know that I won't have the time to stitch them in the near future. Maybe I should just make a list....Besides I just got an email that an order I placed over Labor Day is being shipped today...I am ashamed to say that I don't even remember what I ordered (but I know they were all things I really wanted!) I think there is a pattern here but I refuse to admit to it!

Anyway, I hope to have some more progress to show soon! Thanks for visiting!

Sept 5 - Surprises, Stash, Saturday & a SAL

Once again I have had a month go by without blogging. The scary part is that I don't have a clue where that time went! So a bit of catching up seems to be in order.

Saturday was the start of a lovely long weekend, with really no special plans. We spent most of it at the annual "Art in the Pearl" exhibit in Portland. There were many wonderful artists and pieces to see, but most (if not all) were way out of our price range. Sometimes I wonder how these artists make a living...their work is beautiful, and I understand the time that goes into everything, but how many people can afford it? I guess more than I think, because they come back year after year and the galleries are always full. There was also music, and we spent a lot of time enjoying some cajun/zydeco tunes. And the weather was gorgeous, so it was a great day!

Last week, I had two surprises, one good and one, no so good. The good one was a RAK at the coffee shop...the gentleman in front of me paid for my morning chai What a lovely surprise! I have heard of this happening to others, but it never had to me. There was no-one behind me, so I will have to pay that one forward another day. The not-so-good surprise? There was a roof leak in the building where we are storing most of our library books. Luckily, there was a custodian in the building at the time and he heard something and went to investigate. What he heard was the roof giving way. They are doing construction to replace the existing roof and I guess the roofers didn't anticipate the rain (in the Pacific Northwest...are you kidding me?) Anyway, had it not been for him, the damage would have been much worse. He was able to gather the troops and get some things moved. We've been over twice and will be going back again this week to keep going through everything and really surveying the damage.

I have been trying to be good about not buying too much new stash, but when I saw this on sale I just had to have it. This collection by The Goode Huswife contains the "Ellen Birdseye" design that I have been wanting forever!


And then, yesterday at JoAnne's I found the new Gingher scissors - "Ella". They look a bit more mod and I really like them. Here is a closer look.


Unfortunately,(or fortunately, depending on how you look at it!), I also did some damage at the Labor Day online sales last night as well! I'll post everything I bought when it arrives, because to be honest, I don't even remember what all I ordered! Once I got going, it was hard to stop!

Finally, last weekend we had an Autumn/Halloween SAL with the Stitchers Timeout group. Asher was here last weekend, so I knew I wouldn't get much done. But after he left I started filling in the acorn. I didn't have the called for Silk n Colors, but I did have another Autumn shade so I started with that. But about five rows in I decided there was really too much purple in it, so I took it all out. The I found a cotton thread that I received in an exchange and I thought it would be perfect...again Autumn shades. I used two threads, but after looking at it this morning I decided it was too bulky and the colors looked way more vibrant that I wanted them to. So out it all came again (but this timer I was about 12 rows in). So now I am trying it with this same thread, but only one strand, and I like it much better. I think. For now. We'll see. Anyway, this is where I was before the acorn frogging the first time. It is "Acorn Autumn" by Cross-Eyed Cricket designs.


Back to stitching! I hope everyone is enjoying a fabulous weekend.
Thanks for visiting!

august 6 - starts & finishes

I haven't been stitching as much as I'd like, but I do have a few things to share.

These are two Lizzie Kate designs that I finished into pin pillows -- both for stitching friends. The first is "Prayer Connection", stitched over one on 25 ct. evenweave with DMC variegated threads.



This one is an old freebie called "Freedom". Since it was a summer exchange going to the UK, I changed it to say "summer". It is stitched on a piece of "water lily" jobelan with the called for threads (mostly). I substituted an anchor thread for the gold color.



I also stitched two "doodles", but I can't show them as they are part of a surprise gift.

This is "This Too Shall Pass" by My Big Toe Designs, stitched on a piece of peach colored linen with Valdani floss. I received both the fabric and the floss in this years "Calendar Girls" exchange on Friendly Stitchers. I had never used that type of floss before and it was really nice to work with and the colors are beautiful. The piece is finished as a no-sew cube.


This second no-sew cube is "Marion the Librarian" from La-D-Da, stitched on natural fiddler's cloth using the called for threads. I stitched this one years ago, but it has been languishing in a box with other stitched, bit not finished pieces. I finally have a place to put it in my office/cubby at the library, so it has been saved!



"The Hunt" by Homespun Samplar is the round robin that my Quaker round robin group is doing this time. This is not my piece, but I love the three different blues that Jinger chose.


I was much more boring and stuck to just one color, but I think all three pieces will look great. I haven't seen Clare's piece yet but I stitch on that one next.


I also stitched Lizzie Kate's "Friendship Grows" for a challenge on the Lizzie Kate Lovers blog, but I can't show that until the challenge is over.

********************************************************************

But my startitis has not subsided, and here a few pieces I have recently started...all in various degrees of "startedness" (huh??)

"Love Lives Here" from Erynne's Red House Designs:


"With My Needle" from PrimitiveBettys Designs:


"Flying Monkeys" from Glory Bee Designs


"Green Flips" from Lizzie Kate Designs (this is a SAL that I started way late):


"Tea with Jane Austen" from the Sampler Girl:


Whew! It looks like I have my work cut out for me!

Thanks for visiting!

august 5 - Grandma Bragging

It's hard to believe that Asher is two years old!

Last Friday, we took him to the County fair and he had a blast. It's a real county fair --more animals than carny rides--and he had so much fun running through the different barns & recognizing all the animals. Of course, he's never heard a cow moo quite so loudly before! There was a play area and a sandbox type thing filled with corn...he really loved playing around ion that. Most of the children were his age and they were having a ball. There were a couple of older kids and the little ones had fun burying them in the corn kernels!


So grandma went a bit overboard with the Thomas toys, but he is crazy about those little trains! He seems to always have one (or more) in his hands & the first thing he says when he wakes up is "toot toot" (translated..."where are my trains?")


Happy birthday, sweetie. Two is going to be lots of fun!


Thanks for visiting!

august 4 - getting back to "normal"

We're finally getting settled in at the new/old library. It's such a beautiful building, but just so small. We only have about 20% of our collection here...the rest is all in storage until the next move. It breaks my heart! We do have Wi-Fi though which is why I can be posting this now!

So many of our patrons have such wonderful memories of the last time the library was housed here in the Carnegie. We've got some wonderful old photos that we had framed and will be putting up soon. We're hoping to do some kind of historical project so people can share their memories.

It just feels like I am busier than ever, but that's ok.

We have a vacation week coming up toward the end of the month, and we're looking forward to that. We were going to take a road trip but my husband has a broken rib, so I think we'll stick closer to home this time. We can just relax and maybe take a couple of day trips to the coast instead. Maybe even get some stitching done!

I'm thinking again (always a dangerous thing!) about starting a rotation for my projects (again). Since we've moved the library, I go in to work later (8:30 instead of 6 am)...which means I can stay up later, assuming I don't fall asleep on the couch! So I should be able to get at least a few stitches in every day (at least in theory!)

I'm wondering how many of you have some kind of rotation -- or plan -- for your stitching time. It seems like I'm always making lists of what I want to do when, but then something usually comes up and the best laid plans & all that.....So I'm thinking, maybe work on one project for each day of the week....it's not like I don't have enough different projects to choose from!

Must think on this one....

Thanks for visiting!

july 11 - some fabulous giveaways

I've been trying to catch up on blog reading, and have come across some wonderful giveaways! Please check out the links in my sidebar (on the right)...these are all great blogs to read...enjoy!

Thanks for visiting!

july 2 - just do it!

I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted on this blog! Well, I guess I can believe it actually, because life has been one frantic whirligig for the past couple of months...but, the library is in its new location, and we are slowly getting things together here. I finally got a lamp today, so now I can actually see what I am supposed to be doing! Right now I am waiting for our book return to be delivered...I hope it comes today! We're using an old voter's mailbox thingy right now! I haven't even had a chance to check email here at work since we moved in...and our computer at home had to be sent in for repairs...it just kept turning itself on and off for no apparent reason! But we are getting it back tomorrow, so I am happy about that. All my pictures are on there!

I do have some things to share, but they will have to wait for another day. I have been stitching very seldom, but managed to get a couple of small things finished. Right now I am working on a special surprise project, so I can't share about that yet.

I am looking forward to the next three days off, and hoping to just relax and do lots of nothing (except stitch and read). The weather is supposed to be beautiful too...I am almost feeling giddy about it all!

So why did I post at all? I just wanted to check in and say hi to everyone! I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for visiting!

May 31 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...may 31

outside my window...the sun is shining!
i am hearing...the sound of the clothes dryer going round and round
i am reading...The Double Comfort Safari Club
i am creating...a small stitched piece for my new office space
i am grateful...for all of our service men and women on this Memorial Day
i am thankful...that my great uncle got to go to Washington DC this month for a celebration of the men and women who served in WWII
in the kitchen...pork chops and pasta for dinner
some plans for the week...more packing boxes and hauling out garbage
a photo to share...the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC


I hope you'll find time to read some other people's daybooks here.
Thanks for visiting!

may 28 - our once and future library

Blogging, like nearly everything else in my life, including stitching, has taken a back seat these past several months. I thought it might be a good idea to try & explain what has been going on...I'll try to be brief, but am not making any promises!

The photo in my previous post is of a beautiful old Carnegie library. This was our library's home until 1995. At that time, the library was moved to a converted hardware store. The Carnegie was just too small & the new place was twice as big. Of course, it kind of looked like what it was, and although being larger, there were no windows and the lighting was terrible. Not a great space for a library, to say the least.

That was the same year I started working here. It was supposed to be a 5 year lease. I've been here for 15 years.

We had some really good years, funding-wise, and then about 6 years ago, the City had major budget problems & we had our budget cut to nearly zero & barely survived. The City Manager at the time did not think the library was the City's responsibility. Luckily, we had a County Library District pass a year or so ago which guarantees our operating funds. It does not guarantee a building however.

Through all these years, itr was apparent that we were outgrowing our space once again. And after years of ignoring this fact, the City Commission finally started thinking that maybe something needed to be done. But not too quickly, of course...why rush into something?

So fast forward to this year. e have a District, we have operating funds, and now we even have an in-house library director again and are our own department once more. (We have been part of parks & rec for about 8 years and I have been one of the daily managers here with an off-site director). When our director was hired, she knew that finding a new site for the library was a priority, so we sat down and mapped out a plan to do it right...step by step.

And then things started to go terribly wrong. Our landlord told us that he had plans to remodel the building (we are in one of those malls where there is a supermarket with lots of other retail spaces around it, so kind of all one big building in a way) We will have to find another space. So we speed up the search, but there are not many, if any, suitable spots for a library in this town.
We hear about an old school building that is for sale. This was actually a site we had looked at years ago in one of many of our building searches that went nowhere. So we proceed. We are assured that even if it takes some time, the store will not be remodeled that quickly and we should have a roof over our heads.

But then the landlord drops the bomb. He has decided to sell to Safeway ( a large supermarket chain), and we have to be out of the building by May 31. So now we are basically a library without a home. The school sale plods along, and finally 2 weeks ago both parties agreed to the terms. Of course the building still needs all the inspections done, the site needs to be re-zoned, and then re-modeled. This will take anywhere from 1 -2 years at best. What are we supposed to do?

Guess which building the City actually owns? Yup...the Carnegie building. The same one we left 15 years ago because it was too small...and guess what? It's even smaller now, due to some remodeling. So the past few months have been spent deleting books from our collection, having some huge book sales, finding movers, trying to figure out what materials we can take and what will have to go into storage...it's been a nightmare. And we have to be out by June 15 so now that it's getting really close it's also getting more scary.

The Carnegie is a beautiful old building and I am really looking forward to working there. I did a few story times there years ago after the library had moved out and there was a Children's Museum in the building. I just wish it wasn't so small! Our services will suffer because we won't have as many materials, and I'm the one who has to decide what we take and what we store...no pressure there!

But the move will be over in a few weeks and we will all settle in and everything will be back to normal...it will just be a different kind of normal.

So I am really looking forward to these three days off...and if you've read this far...wow! Thanks for sticking with me!

And thanks for visiting!

may 18 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...may 18
outside my window...it looks like rain is coming
i am hearing...the ticking of the clock
i am wearing...a sweater in spring
in the kitchen...the coffee is brewing
i am thankful...that i got to sleep in this morning, on a workday!
i am looking forward to...interviews this morning & meetings this afternoon
i am grateful...that someone has offered to take our discarded books
i am reading...9th Judgement
plans for the week...getting rid of even more accumulated junk from my office
a photo to share...our library's new (old) home...it looks bigger in the photo!


Please read other daybooks here, or add your own!
Mahalo for visiting!

may 11 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...may 11
outside my window...the sun is peeking through the clouds
i am thinking about...how good it feels to be home
i am wearing...purple
in the kitchen...there's nothing cooking
i am grateful ...for my family, near & far
i am hearing...dogs barking
i am wishing...that i could find two lost books
i am looking forward to...an uncluttered office space
i am reading...Miss Julia Renews Her Vows
i am creating...a little something for a friend
plans for the week...weeding our library's collection some more
one of my favorite things...my grandson's laughter
a photo to share...


You can find more daybooks here.
Mahalo for visiting!

may 9 - happy mother's day

I hope all the mother's and grandmothers had a wonderful day today. I was lucky enough to have my grandson and daughter here. He is such a delight...and changes so much each time I see him.

I have been woefully neglectful of my blog and my groups for so many months. Things at work have been crazy, but that's fodder for another post! My stitching has been neglected too...but I did finish an ornament exchange and a round robin this week. After these I have one more ornament exchange and another round robin and then I can concentrate on my many already started pieces and maybe finish some!

This is the ornament I stitched for Julianne for Becky's ornament exchange group. It is the 2005 ornament by Blackbird Designs from the JCS ornie issue...Home for Christmas. It is stitched on a piece of antique white linen with Carrie's silk threads in Masquerade and Sage Grass. I love Carrie's Threads but hadn't used her silks before. They are wonderful to work with.

This round robin is one from Ally's group and it belongs to Karen. Her theme was welcome and "home" so thought this bit of LHN's Home of a Needleworker would be perfect. It fit at the very bottom of a long piece of fabric. I used various DMC variegated threads for the stitching.



So now I'm off to watch "Celebrity Apprentice"...don't ask me why. I am not one who likes reality tv (except for Project Runway), but we watched this one Sunday quite a few weeks ago and just got sucked in! I think it's almost over though...maybe a few more weeks.

Until next time, mahalo for visiting and for all your wonderful comments.

may 4 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...may 4

outside my window....it is still dark
i am hearing....the ticking of the clock
i am wearing....warm clothes in May
in the kitchen...bread is toasting
i am grateful...that my hubby is willing to color my hair for me
i am thinking about...how much packing is left to do at work
i am creating... some stitching for a friend
i am looking forward to...the light at the end of the tunnel
i am reading...The Aloha Quilt
i am wishing...that i could crawl back into bed
one of my favorite things...a happy child
a photo to share...my new grand furbaby


Please visit other daybooks here.
Mahalo for visiting.

april 20 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...april 20
outside my window...the sun is trying to peek through
i am thinking...that it's high time i got my stitching mojo back
i am thankful...that we had a wonderfully relaxing week and got home safely
from the kitchen...leftover pasta, shrimp, mushrooms & sundried tomatoes
i am wearing...capris & paisley
i am reading...The Spellmans Strike Again
i am hearing...lots of background library noise
a few plans for the rest of the week...trying to get my office cleaned out
i am hoping...for a quiet evening
one of my favorite things...nutella on toast
a photo to share...one of my kitties, Jack, helping me stitch




to read more daybooks, please look here.

mahalo for visiting!

april 13 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...april 13

outside my window...there is an airplane waiting for us to board it
i am hearing....lots of announcements
i am wearing...comfy traveling clothes
i am thankful...that we got through security painlessly
i am missing...our doggies already
i am thinking about...yesterday's fun at Safeco Field
i am reading...The Tale of Appleback Orchard
i am hoping...for an uneventful flight
a few plans for the rest of the week...lots of warm sunshine, beaches & relaxation
i am grateful...for my hubby, sleeping next to me on a chair, who was smart enough to know we needed a real vacation

Please read more daybooks here.

Thanks for visiting!

april 7 - a request if you're interested....

And maybe a surprise!

I tried to do this quite some time ago when I first started blogging,but I didn't get any response. Now I've seen something similar on two other blogs that I love so I'm going to try again.

There have been many times when I have come across a pattern from someone's wish list or a little trinket or stitchy surprise and I've thought that it would be fun for a certain someone...only problem is that I never seem to have any addresses. I do have some from groups or exchanges, but not often for blogging friends.

So, if you feel comfortable sharing your address with me, please send it in an email (lyndamarie.a@gmail.com) with "friend" in the subject.I promise not to share your information with anyone, unless I check with you first. If you could also include your blog address or email, and maybe a link to your wish list or something that you might especially like.

Now that I'm reading this it sounds like I'm asking for an awful lot...I don't mean to! I completely understand if you don't want to do this, but I just thought I'd throw it out there for fun. I can't promise to send something to everyone who responds...but you never know...and surprises...even little ones...are always fun!

Thanks for visiting!

april 7 - a few free moments

This does not happen very often lately, so I am taking advantage! I got home a bit early from a meeting and decided to use those extra found minutes to catch up a bit here. The sun looks like it is trying to peek through but it is having a hard time!

I am finally starting to feel better. I was sick in bed all last week with strep throat. Ick! I haven't felt that bad in a long long time. Somewhere along the way I dropped my glasses on the floor and stepped on them and broke them...so on Saturday morning I finally had to get out of bed to go get new glasses. Probably a good thing since I hadn't been to the eye doctor since 2007! Anyway, on Sunday we had a lovely dinner out for Easter and on Monday I went back to work. Still not feeling 100% but definitely getting there. And next week we are on vacation...yeah!

So I haven't done any stitching for nearly 2 weeks but I do have a few things to share. I stitched two exchanges which have been received, and appreciated, which makes me very happy!
The first was stitched for a pin pillow exchange that Becky hosted on her blog. I stitched the March Quaker freebie from The Workbasket, on a bone evenweave using Crescent Colours floss in "Spinach".


The second piece is also a pillow. I mentioned in a previous post that I had totally forgotten to send a PIF out on time and I was very embarrassed by that. So this is what I stitched...it it a pattern from The Sampler Girl, It's a Wonderful Life, stitched on a neutral linen using the called for DMC threads.


These were my first two pillow type finishes and I was really pleased with the way they turned out. I'd like to get my sewing machine working...I think that would make the finishing go much faster!

I also was the recipient of some wonderful stitchy mail treats. About a year or so ago, one of my stitching friends, Tami, stitched Tea and Stitches from Victoria Sampler. I love this design so much and asked her if I could have the pattern when she was finished with it. Well, not only did she send me the pattern, but she also sent me the beautiful piece that she stitched! as well as another lovely piece. Tami and her family have so much going on right now and it just touches my heart that she thought of me at this time. Thanks again Tami...you know how much this means to me.



And lastly, today when I got home from work this beautiful surprise was waiting in my mailbox! I was the lucky giveaway winner on Barbara's blog. She made this adorable easel finish with stitching and a needle magnet on one side, and a beautiful lace scissor pocket on the other. It is already propped up on my stitching table! Thanks so much Barbara!




So I guess my found time is up and I must take the doggies out for a walk!

Thanks for visiting!

april 6 - a simple woman's daybook

for today....april 6

outside my window....it is dark
i am thankful....for the start of baseball season
i am reading....some Sookie Stackhouse stories
i am looking forward to....seeing my grandson this weekend
i am grateful....that i am finally starting to feel better after more than a week of being sick
from the kitchen....yummy chicken
i am creating....controlled chaos
a bit of spring to share...



please read some other wonderful daybooks here

thanks for visiting!

march 26 - better late than never!

I have been very forgetful lately and have neglected to post a few things.
First, I am more than a week late with my TUSAL update! I have decided to use a smaller glass container for a bit. Everything just looks prettier in there! There are some threads from some recent little bits that have yet to be finished.

Next...some very belated thank you's to two friends for passing along awards to me.

Babs was so sweet to pass along this sunshine award


And Cyndi passed along this award

This one actually has some conditions, and in addition to thanking Cyndi I am supposed to post ten things about myself that people might not know. Well, there is not an awful lot about me to know...I lead a pretty normal and simple life, but I'll give it a try!

1. I lived in New York my whole life (44 years) except for a 6 month stint in Massachusetts where my second daughter was born) until moving to Oregon 16 years ago, yet as soon as I got here I felt like I was finally home
2. I was a school librarian (elementary through high school) for ten years before moving into public libraries
3. When it comes to sports, I watch but don't play...and I live for baseball, and have since the earliest years of the NY Mets. Now I am a huge Mariners fan but still like watching the Mets and the Red Sox
4. I saw the Beatles at Shea Stadium
5. I met my husband when he was still in high school...I'm six years older than he is
6. I have zero coordination when it comes top using two hands...can't knit and can't drive a stick shift
7. Music has always been a huge part of my life & I can still sing along (although badly) to most of the songs that are the soundtrack of my life
8. I love to dance, even when I am alone
9. I've been stitching for almost 40 years (with some breaks) but only started stitching things for myself ten years ago.
10. I have many guilty pleasures when it come to television...like "That 70's Show", "Supernanny" and old sitcoms (I can watch the same episodes over and over)

So thank you again, and now I am going to not follow the rules which say to pass these awards along to a finite number of bloggers. Some bloggers don't like to post awards. And to be honest there are just too many blogs that I love to visit...I couldn't pick just 8 or 10 or 12. Please check the blogs in my sidebar and then check their sidebars and on and on. You will find so many wonderful blogs and wonderful bloggers, to visit. Enjoy the process!

Thanks for visiting!

march 25 - what a day...so far

This is day 3 of the annual PLA conference. It is being held here in Portland, so I get to go all week. The sessions have been good so far...lots of good ideas.

So Tuesday night I finally figured out how to download ebooks to my Sony Reader from our library website. I've been trying to do this for weeks and just couldn't get it to work. Of course it was because I was overlooking one extremely important part of the process. Now it's easy peasy. So I loaded a book and read yesterday on the train. So cool.

Today I get on the train with my little reader all set for more great reading, and the book won't load. Turns out it took me so long to figure out the process that it has expired already! So now I have to check it out all over again...but in the meantime I have nothing to read for the ride home. OI may have to buy something here....

Then I am sitting in my first session this morning minding my own business and when I get up the strap on my shoe breaks! Of course I still have to walk all over the convention center. So when the lunch break came I rushed to the train and went to the nearby shopping center where I luckily found a nice comfortable pair of shoes that didn't cost a fortune (as well as a Thomas the Tank Engine blankie and another little train for Asher...well...what's a grandma supposed to do?)

Hopefully the afternoon will be less eventful and I'll get home in one piece!

I've added a couple of giveaways in my sidebar. Bloggers are so generous...check these out.

Better go to the ladies room and get a coffee for the next session!

Thanks for visiting!

march 23 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...march 23

outside my window...it is still light out even though it is 7:30 pm

i am thinking...that I should have been able to figure out this ebooks thing more quickly

i am thankful...for my family

i am wearing... a sleeveless blouse...it was that warm today

i am hoping...for a good night's sleep

plans for the week...attending the PLA conference

one of my favorite things...a bouquet of fruit

and here's a photo...

Read lots of other daybooks here.

Thanks for visiting!

march 22 - it's finally spring!

I'm so glad that it looks like spring is finally here!This weekend was beautiful - weather-wise, and it looks like it's here to stay.

Hubby was so sick that he was in bed all weekend. Turns out he has strep throat...ick! But I did manage to get some stitching done. Nothing I can show pictures of yet because both are for others. I finished the stitching for a pin pillow exchange and still have to do the finishing on that one. It's my first of this type of finish so I hope it turns out ok.

I also stitched a piece for another exchange. This one is a PIF, a late one at that. I was mortified when catching up on blogs this weekend. I realized that the inconsiderate sloth who had neglected to send on a PIF to a fellow blogger was me! I really feel awful about it and there are really no good excuses. I always try to be so careful to send things on time. I know I had placed a reminder on my blog, but when I changed things up I neglected to carry over all my sidebar stuff. And out of sight, out of mind! I checked through all my old notebooks and places where I write things down and there it was for February. I am so embarrassed for being so feeble-minded and forgetful. Anyway, I've emailed my partner and I hope she understands. I finished the stitching for the piece this weekend and am going to try and get the finishing part done this week. I will be at a conference every day through Saturday, so if I don't get to it this week I'll be able to get it out next week for sure. I hope she'll like it even though it is a month late!

Here is one photo I can share. It is the Quaker round robin that our group is working on this time. It is "The Hunt" by Homespun Samplar. I stitched my part on a piece of linen from Silkweaver...either 28 or 32 ct. in a color called "sudden storm". It is stitched with GAST floss - Brethren Blue. It is a fairly easy to stitch piece, even though I had to frog quite a few bits on mine. I just wasn't concentrating I guess.


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march 16 - a simple woman's daybook

for today: March 16, 2010

outside my window...it feels like spring
i am thinking...how much I'd rather be outside in the sun than inside in this windowless room
i am thankful for...my husband, who is always there for me
i am wearing...purple
i am creating...a pin pillow
i am going...through a very stressful time at work
i am reading..."The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag"
i am hoping...for a decisive City Commission tomorrow night
i am hearing...books dropping into the outside bookdrop
one of my favorite things...the smell of Perlier's honey body cream
a few plans for the rest of the week...more stitching!
a photo to share...


Please join everyone here.

Thanks for visiting!

march 9 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...march 9

outside my window...it is still dark and very cold
i am thinking...about all the clutter on my desk
i am thankful for...my little space heater
i am wearing...comfy clothes
i am reading..."The Postmistress"
i am hoping...that my daughter decides to move back to Portland
i am hearing...silence
around the house...all the furbabies are sound asleep (i think!)
one of my favorite things...my Pendleton Rose Festival blanket
plans for the rest of the week...finish my round robin
a photo to share...Boonie & Eros


please share everyone else's daybooks here.

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march 4 - great mail day!

After a very long day, I came home to a mailbox full of goodies...a beautiful piece of pale blue fabric from Silkweavers, an ornament and a special surprise from my sister!

Edgar had my name for the ornament exchange this round and he stitched this wonderful ornament for me. It is a design from Mary Garry, stitched on 30 ct antique cotton with DMC threads. It is really pretty and I know it will look beautiful on our tree next year.




Tracy was my partner, and since she has received her ornie I can show it to you now. I stitched this freebie design from primitivebettys for her. I have stitched this three times before and I never get tired of it! This time I added a little extra button.



My sister loves to take photos and when she and my niece were here a few weeks ago she always had her camera ready. Today I received a wonderful photo album from her filled with lots of photos from their visit. She also sent the photo CD so I can make more copies if I want. There are lots of pics of Asher, or course. What a wonderful surprise!

Time to walk the doggies!

Thanks for visiting!

march 2 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...march 2

outside my window...the sun is shining
i am thinking...about the start of the baseball season
i am thankful...that my children are safe and happy
i am wearing...a black turtleneck
i am creating...a big mess in my office
i am going...to lunch soon
i am reading..."Saving CeeCee Honeycutt"
i am hoping...our City Commission buys us a library building
i am hearing...the voices of little children
a photo to share...one of my favorite tea mugs


Join in the fun here.

Thanks for visiting!

march 1 - beginnings and endings

Another month has flown by...we had beautiful spring-like weather this weekend and even though it was colder today I don't think the cold will hang on...at least I hope not. So hopefully this is the beginning of spring!

I was sad to see the Olympics end last night...I must admit to being a bit of a winter games addict...other than curling, there's not much I didn't watch. I thought these games were really exciting, and the athlete's stories always grab me. This time around there was lots of sadness, but also so much real joy. Great games all around I thought.

I think I finally realized what has been contributing to my stitching funk. This is tax season, and one of my least favorite things to do ever is our taxes. Even though I know that it is all numbers and there is nothing I can really do about the outcome, I always feel guilty when we have to pay up (and we almost always do) because I am the one doing the paperwork. I know it makes no sense to feel that way, but I do anyway. So I put the task off. Usually I try to get them done by Super Bowl Sunday, but this year I just couldn't get into it. And I think that subconsciously I was thinking that until I had that chore done I couldn't really relax and enjoy my stitching. Guilt? Hormones? Lunacy? All of the above?

So now the dastardly deed is done and I can get back to what is really important...putting needle and thread to fabric and creating something pretty.

I brought my round robin piece to work and actually stitched at lunch today. It is going pretty quickly. I have to get my bit done and in the mail by the 15th and I think I will be able to meet that deadline with time to spare. I don't have a picture, but I'll try to get one to post tomorrow.

So off to the kitchen to get dinner going...actually it's almost done... Jeff cooked up a batch of chicken cacciatore last night and it smelled so yummy. So all I have to do is get the linguine going and we will have a feast!

And then...an evening with my needle and thread. Yippee!

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