Category Archives: Life

Decorating fever

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

Spring is here! At least in my mind. How do I know? I have decorating fever. Every year, just about this time, I get tired of what I have and want to shake things up. Sort of hard to do, living in military housing, with military white walls, and military grade carpeting and linoleum (not in *my* colors). I have been perusing the decorating blogs and scaring Kahuna with all of my *I’m collecting for my forever home* talk. I have a guest room in my mind that I’m collecting for right now.

I invision white (believe it or not! :lol:) and black! I found some wonderful fabric and I plan on buying enough to make a bed skirt and pillows. Here it is:

It also comes reversed and I’ll use that for the border on the pillow cases.

In this room, I plan on using refurbed white furniture. I’m in the process of hunting for some wood chests that would be appropriate for me to refinish. I’m trying to decide if I want to hang the queens in an arch over the bed, or use some wording, instead of buying a headboard. You know I’m going to have to stitch Mirabilia’s Sabrina for that room. Oh, and I’m also on the hunt for a chandelier that I can refurb with lots of crytals to hang over the bed.

I also want to do something with the shelves in my living room. They’re teak (all my furniture is dark in there, since I bought if from Korea and Japan). I’m tired of just books and photos being there. I don’t want to paint them or anything just now (no more heart attacks for Kahuna, just yet), however, I have been thinking they need some lightening up and may just cave and do it eventually. 😉

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Posted in Dreams

Roadtrip!

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

Kahuna and I (okay, mostly me) are planning a roadtrip to another state. Right now, we’re in the look online and ‘gather the maps’ stage. We’re going to look local this weekend for a state map, and then take it from there. Hopefully this trip will occur mid to late May. This will be the first trip we’ve taken since our 25th anniversay — 3 years ago! I’m very excited to be planning to get away. I need to get away.

He still hasn’t done anything about extending his time in the Corps, and I suspect he really doesn’t want to but hasn’t found a way to tell me so. As far as I’m concerned, I really don’t care anymore, just decide something, but I have told him that I absolutely do NOT want to move back to Louisiana. Period. The end. There. I said it. Sorry, mom and dad.

I know there is no way we can continue to live here after retirement because the cost of living is outrageous here. For now, there are two things that require me to stay here. My want/need to pay off my college while I have a good job (I’m not working if we move from here) and the doctor wants me to stay in the area for a year after my surgery for follow-ups.

We have discussed the staying in the area issue already. He is planning on going to college the first few years he’s out since the Corps will pay him to do so (on top of giving him his retirement pay). One of the questions I had was whether or not they would *allow* him to transfer from a school here to another one in another state. He thinks so, but it going to confirm that.

My question to myself? Can I get my college paid off in a year???? I think so, if I really buckle down. One of the things I posted on my ’50’ list was to pay off credit cards and debt and I have been doing so steadily but I have not been as focused as I could have been. However, I am down to 3 debts right now and one of them will be gone very, very soon. This will leave the last two, and they are the largest. One of them frighteningly so (at least to me).

I had another appointment regarding my surgery yesterday morning. The surgical nurse followed-up with me yesterday afternoon by email but by the time I responded to her inquiry she was gone for the day and she’s off on Fridays. I’m anxious to see if there’s a response on Monday.

I owe a photo of Summer Queen. It’s in my camera.

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Posted in Life

That pot of gold

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

I was reading a “reading” blog the other day and several authors posted 3 things they would do if they found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Mine are:

1. Quit working – duh!

2. Travel to Scotland with Kahuna so he can visit his roots.

3. I don’t know.

How’s that third answer! 😆 When I got down to it there were so many other things I wanted to list, that I couldn’t decide!! I want to invest some of it, I want to buy a house with some of it, I want to set my parents up so they could both quit working (although they continue to work because they each love their jobs), I want to rescue more puppies, see….it’s hard to choose!

Can you?

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Posted in Life

I am very tired of Summer!

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

The design, not the season! 😆

Stitching

I’m down to stitching exclusively on Summer Queen so I can get her finished by the end of the month. I know it can be done, however, I am very tired of blue, blue, BLUE! I took a photo of her last night when I moved my Qsnaps and I’ll share that later.

One thing I have learned though is that the little *rotation* I had going was great for me. I miss the other designs I was stitching on.

I found a new framer practically across the street from where I work. I had to come in a different route one day last week and there it was! The little man who owns the place told me he does needlework framing so I’m going to take a smallish piece in and see what he does with it.

Puppies

Jasper’s paperwork came in a week or so ago. Both his parents were Champions. His mother’s name is “Man Magnet” his father’s name is “Songs of Angels,” and Mr. Prissy Pants’ name????? Hunka Burnin’ Fudge! Kahuna has taken to calling him Vanilla Ice Fudge Baby. 😉

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Posted in Mirabilia, Puppies, Stitching

Stashing Enhancement

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

Thank you for your quilting recommendations. Annette also sent me an email directing me to AllPeopleQuilt.com and that sight was a lot of fun to look through as well. I have downloaded a couple of patterns and looked at my quilt stash last night and will use what I have with a couple of added fabrics for sashing and backing.

Thank you also for your comments on your Market *needs.* Vonna, I love your “panties” comment! 😆 As to where you can see what’s out there, I have been looking at Stitching Bits and Bobs, Elegant Stitch, and Needlecraft Corner. I have been drooling over:

Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow, especially after seeing the picture of it done 3×4.
Blackbird Designs – Honeysuckle Manor
Dames of the Needle – Adam and Eve Sampler
Goode Huswife – #IV (which I’ve already ordered)
Little House Needleworks – Needle and Thread
Plum Street Samplers – The Queen’s Crowns and Thirteen Owls
Samplers Remembered – Village Square Sampler ~ Mary Allen 1818
Shepherd’s Bush – Liberty Pincushion and Scissor Fob and My Land
With My Needle – Mrs. Waddelow’s Huswif and Quaker Sampling III
I’m intrigued by La~D~Da’s Miss Mary Mack Limited Edition Box. I have the pattern and am wondering what that box is about. I love boxes! 😀
I love several of the Giulia Punti Antichi but don’t know if I’d honestly stitch them because I’m afraid of the finishing! 😆

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Posted in Life

Happy Birthday, Handsome!

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

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Posted in Life

The postman has been kind

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

Yesterday I came home to a wonderful box from Vonna! It was late when I got home (side trip to the grocery store) and I was too tired to open it. I sent Flying Monkeys to her for finishing and she did a bang up job. I was tickled pink by the photos she sent me but they were nothing to the actual piece. Kahuna was there when I opened the box tonight and he likes it too!

These are the pictures she took (her photography efforts are better than mine!):

I highly suggest you think of Vonna if you need some finishing. I have been reluctant to stitch so many ornaments because of my poor finishing skills, but now Vonna better watch out, she may have let loose a monster! 😆

The next package I got arrived tonight. I mentioned on February 14th that I had ordered some more stash. It was originally requested in January but was never ordered. I fell in love with Rosewood Manor’s Quaker Diamonds when Becky featured it on her blog as a giveaway. I wasn’t crazy about the fibers though until I found out from Melissa and Margaret Bendig that they also came in 6 strand floss. I did a little internet research and found both the pattern and the fibers on sale at Anita’s Little Stitches. I’ve been reading this lady’s blog for awhile and took a chance placing my first order with her. I did this over the long weekend and couldn’t be happier with the customer service. The only reason I didn’t have it earlier was because Monday was a mail holiday. Let me tell you the Valdani fibers are scrumptious! This will be high up on my to-do list. I also ordered LIttle House Needleworks’ Battle Hymn of the Republic to add to my American flag designs.

Work is crazy. A new person started this past Monday and between helping her learn the ropes and trying to learn new ways to do things myself I feel like I’m running in circles. Throw in the fact that I’m still sick (8 days now!) and I’m exhausted in the evenings when I get home.

I got an email from the Fair yesterday telling me when entries were going to start being accepted and they’ve moved it up from May to March! Eeeeek! Looks like I’ll be doing a bit of exclusive stitching on Summer Queen to get her ready.

Jasper is 100% officially mine! We went over to his foster mom’s Tuesday evening and retrieved all of his clothes (yes, he has clothes) and toys. Poor baby had 2 toys. You should have seen him when he unearthed his hedgehog. He was a crazy man and didn’t want to share! Harley is in love with one of his fleece ‘jammies’ and we’re going to be getting her one or two to wear. My change in attitude toward him has made a huge difference in how I’m feeling about him. He really is a sweetheart (I know I keep saying that). He just came in for an ear scritch 🙂

Guess I’d better get off the computer and settle in for some Olympic stitching. Ciao!

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Posted in Puppies, Stash, Stitching, Work

Insight

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

Defined:

penetration: clear or deep perception of a situation

a feeling of understanding

grasping the inner nature of things intuitively

This morning when I opened my email I had notice of a lovely comment from Margie. It contained the following quote:

Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love.
They depart to teach us about loss.
A new dog never replaces an old dog;
it merely expands the heart.
If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big.
-Erica Jong

Jasper is such a sweetheart. It’s very obvious that he was not raised in a home that spoiled him. He cringes when he jumps onto our bed – or any furniture that’s not the ‘puppy throne;’ won’t sleep in our bed at night; rarely jumps up to sit with me in my chair; doesn’t seem all that crazy about being picked up and held; sometimes runs from me when I bend over to pet him; etc. I have found this offputting, and now I know why! Now that I think back over the past couple of months I can’t tell you how many echos I have in my head of either myself or Kahuna saying how different he is from how Bandit behaved. When I read Margie’s comment it became so crystal clear that I have been trying to make him replace Bandit. I don’t know why I’ve felt this way because Bandit certainly wasn’t the first dog we’ve every had. It’s so obvious Jasper is starved for attention because if you’re sitting and not paying attention to him when he enters the room he will whine for your attention. Now I need to figure out how to make him less afraid of the things he now has that he was denied in his past life.

Thank you so much Margie for thinking of me and sharing.

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Posted in Puppies

One year

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

and it still hurts very, very bad.

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Posted in Life

Just a teensy update

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Terri | Comments Off

My emotions have been all over the place lately!

I found out last week a family member has an illness that I’m not supposed to be worrying about (advice from my mother), but I am freaking out over it.

The Saints won the Superbowl!

This week marks a year since I lost my HeartBandit.

Kahuna is sick, and I’m afraid he has pneumonia again. He’s promised to go to sick call this morning and I’m trying to be patient and not contact him to see if he’s gone.

I had another medical test yesterday and am dealing with the afteraffects of it today. Ouch. Hopefully this is the last test. I had to have it because something showed up in another test and because I’m having ‘elective surgery’ I have to be ‘healthy.’ Sigh.

My stitching has been holding me together. With that I’m still stitching on Home of a Needleworker.

I didn’t stitch last Thursday because we went out to the street market with the dogs. Harley had an accident while there and it just put me out of stitching mode when we got home. She’s okay, just a little bruised in a couple of places. (Updated: Harley got barely stepped on and because she was crowded by people and very large dogs she freaked out, got herself wound up in her leash like a yo-yo, and body-slammed herself into the street. I was standing across the street with Jasper and it was scarry watching it and not being able to stop what I knew was about to happen. I was worried that with her tied down on the ground she would get really stepped on or attacked by one of the other dogs.)

I didn’t stitch last Friday because we went to the opera! La boheme. Front row seats. Nice surprise from Kahuna.

I didn’t stitch much on Saturday because I had errands to run, salon appointment, sitting in the pharmacy for an hour, etc.

So last night I decided to just keep on going with what I’m working on since I’m enjoying it soooo much. I’m in love with GAST Sable that I’m using for the roof and the upper and lower border. I know I’ll be using it again in something. It reminds me of mink, chocolate, warmth, and right now ‘roof shingles’ 😆 I think it would be great in a quaker design.

I don’t feel too terribly bad about not switching to my next project because I am almost finished with Quaker Needlework Treasures anyway.

This Saturday is another stitchy Saturday up north and I’ll be working on Summer Queen.