Category Archives: Stash

The influence of friends

No sooner do I post that I’m going to start listing what I buy to help me cut back than I come across a post that sends me shopping! 😆

I fell in love with Thankful Wheeler the day Siobhan posted her finish on her blog (Notes from Blue Hen Hollow).  I seem to remember that she stated the chart was OOP; however, today, Miss Siobhan posted that Thankful Wheeler was available, along with other charts, on The Goode Huswife site!  So I had to look.  Then I had to buy.  Not only Thankful Wheeler, but Eliza Perry 1838 and Fanny Erb.  Thank goodness I stopped, because I was also tempted by Plain and Fancy!  Not too badly damaged, but my February budget is gone and it’s only the 2nd!  😆  Thank you Siobhan, I think 😉

So, where was I? Oh, yeah!

Thank you for your emails this past week. I’m sorry I turned off comments, but I just didn’t want to have a bunch of comments that made me feel like everyone felt sorry for me. I don’t feel sorry for myself that I’ve made this decision – in fact, I’ve had a great stressfree week, knowing what I had waiting for me the upcoming weekend.

This is the first Saturday in a long time that I have absolutely no obligations.  The ONLY thing I have to do this weekend is go grocery shopping.  That leaves lot a ton of room for catching up on my DVR’d stuff, stitching 😉 and maybe a load of laundry or two. I do plan to ride this weekend though.

Kahuna has been fighting off ‘pneumonia’ since the weekend before last.  He finally went to the doctor and had his lungs xrayed this past Thursday.  Thankfully they are clear.  He got pneumonia (for the first time) in bootcamp 100 years ago and didn’t have it again until about 1999, when he got it twice in a 3 month span and has had it (what feels like) every other year since then.  It scares me and I get all hovery and naggy about going to the doctor.  So he’s hanging out in the garage doing some tweaking to his tri-bike instead of surfing like he really would rather be doing trying not to cough up a lung.

I watched the first episode of Fringe bright and early this morning and thought it good enough to keep watching it.  In the past I seemed to miss out on a lot of early showings because we go to bed so early and everything is on at 10:00 p.m. here.  That’s changed a bit since we finally broke down and got a DVR.  I have a couple of West Wing DVDs waiting for me to stitch to today, and this afternoon will find me in front of the TV watching the LSU/Auburn game.  Need I say . . . Geaux Tigers? 

So, where was I?

Training – I finally bit the dust and rode on heavy traffic roads this week.  The first attempt I swear there were a couple of times I actually closed my eyes and prayed that I wouldn’t get run over.  There are a LOT of road-ragers living here that hate cyclists.  I survived and will do it again this week – at a further distance.  Kahuna goes with me and that helps me feel safe.  At least if I get run over, I’ll have a witness 😉

Work – going okay.  The paralegal who went out on extended sick leave 2 weeks after I started returned about 4 weeks ago to work 4 hours a day.  It’s definitely taken a lot of work load off me and I’m starting to get a tiny bit into what I was hired for…personal injury litigation. I’ll miss the criminal work, though.

Reading – I’ll be updating my Books tab (up top) some time this afternoon.  I have several things to add.  I even read the Twighlight saga twice over the past month.  I’m looking forward to the movie release in December.  Have I said lately how much I love my Kindle?  Right now I have some books by James Grippando waiting.  I like his books that feature the character criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck.   The first book in the series is The Pardon.

Stitching – working on French Alphabet Sampler this weekend.  Before and after photos will be posted soon-ish.  I’m pondering what to take with me to Hawaii next month.  Probably Hannah Beebe since I’m embarrassingly behind (read = not even started) in the stitch-a-long I started and am thinking of also taking Mimi’s Tape Measure kit.  I’ve also pulled out 3 things to have Jill Rensel frame and will make a final decision on that by the end of the weekend.

Stash – I added to my collection this week too. I’ve just now started collecting the Drawn Thread Chartpacks for Sampler of Stitches and received ABC and DEF. I also got Homespun Elegance Delivering Needlewares and Home is Where You Hang Your Needleswork; and Katidid Designs Come Gather (the colors match my dining room).

Puppies – they *trapped* a gopher this morning. It was on the other side of the fence and was a very brave critter. Every time it popped its head out of the ground Harley would spaz and bark like there was a grizzly bear over there. Bandit supervised the whole time. Kahuna said it even kept poking its head out of the ground at him when he was getting the trap ready to push into the tunnel. It was rather a large one as our gophers go and it’s now in the trash bin waiting on the Monday morning garbage truck. It was hard work and the puppies are now recouperating in the sunbeams coming through the windows.

Stitch Stash Update

Wonderful postal day to top off my wonderful doctor office visit.

Today’s mail brought me more silks for Houses of and Village of Hawk Run Hollow.  I’m 1 silk short of having all of them for HOHRH, and that’s because I typed in the wrong number by one digit when I sent in my order. 🙄

 I also received the latest Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers, Where My Heart Blooms.  While I love almost every other one I’ve received, I think this one is definately my favorite so far and has been moved to the top of my start list for Loose Feathers designs.  This year I have decided that my automatics should include chart and fibers only so I can start to use some of the tiny bit of fabric stash I have.  Did I just hear someone choke? 😛

Have you ever noticed yourself collecting designs without realizing it?  While I do already have a few of the designs, I have found myself in a Little House Needleworks mood lately.  Either my tastes have altered just a bit or Diane is designing more with me in mind 😉  Anyway I have added several charts to my small chart stash (there was that sputtering sound again!), namely, Neccessities Sampler, Psalm 145, The Sampler Lady, Nature’s Beauty, Two White Houses, Two Red Houses, Two Blue Houses, and Home of a Needlworker (too!).  Quite the haul, huh.

I don’t know why I put them off for so long, but I also picked up a couple of Prairie Schooler’s Santas: 1984-1987, 1988 – 1991, and 1996 – 1999.  I definately would like to add the others, but they’ll have to go on my wish list for now.

So, Kahuna has come home from work, dinner has been served and cleaned up after (oh the joys of leftovers!), puppies have been played with, and it’s now time for me to catch up with my DVR and stitch.

And it's February!

We had a great time at our tri-club meeting last night. Kahuna picked me up from work and when we got there 100 a lot of boxes of pizza were arriving. It was staged outside, brrrr cold, but the pizza was nice and warm and the people were very welcoming. We have been to 2 networking meetings, but this was our first monthly meeting (which was held inside). They had several announcements, one of which was a list of who the sponsors are for the club, and let me tell you, the club is WELL sponsored. They also held raffles for several many great prizes (several gift certificates and a wetsuit come to mind). After the announcements we had a guest speaker – Sam McGlone. She is cute as a bug, and I had a wonderful time listening to how she got to Kona.

On the way home I received a call from Melissa that her sister’s husband had been killed in a weather related car accident. My heart is just breaking for her because she’s so worried for her sister and the children. Please pray for them all.

This morning, I’ve spent a nice quiet hour at work getting caught up. Now, it’s noisy and I’m feeling cranky and I’m so glad that it’s Friday. In addition to being payday, I’m looking forward to getting home and reading the stash I received in the mail last night. We got home too late for me to do anything except rip the envelope/box open and get excited about starting a new project!

In addition to this quarter’s SANQ, I received Drawn Thread’s Random Thoughts and Souvenir Sampler. Both have been wants for a long time and I was able to get them both fully kitted at a great discount from someone who was selling her mother’s “estate” stash.

I also received my Ann Holewll kit for the stitch-along that’s happening through the With My Needle newsletter. The silks are just scrumptious looking and I can’t wait to get home to start reading the directions and baste my fabric. The first lesson is up and I need to do the first three bands this month. Between this, and FAS, and that little something I’ve been up to I’m hoping I haven’t tried to stretch myself too far for the month.

February’s Goals:

Stitching: Finish the 5th page of French Alphabet Sampler. Finish the 1st 3 bands of Ann Holewll; reveal what I’ve been up to.

Fitness: Doctor appointment Feb. 4. Do whatever doc thinks is necessary to get myself back on track for my triathlon training. Maintain weight.

Professional: Continue working on personnel and accounting records.

Other: Continue to work 15 minutes reorganizing my home office.

What a totally boring Saturday

but this is a good thing!

I had decided yesterday to go to the grocery store today instead of Sunday, as usual, because we’re expected to have horrid weather beginning tonight.  I don’t want to have to go anywhere in it tomorrow.  I managed to get that done, and the groceries put away, while Kahuna was out on a 2-hour LSD ride.  Believe it or not, he even went surfing this morning.  Brrr!

After I puttered around my office and caught up on my message boards and blogs, I took a trip to the mailbox and found that a few more items have arrived.

 All Washed Up quilt patterns.  I’ll probably go with some jacobean colors for 5 & Dime, but go fairly close to the same colors on Just Can’t Cut It

 Just Can't Cut It 

I also received Sheepish Antique’s The Sarah E. Pope Sampler

The Sarah E. Pope Sampler

and Hannah Beeby 1816 Sampler by Timeless Designs.  I have been looking for a quaker that I could do in brown with a hint of pink and I think this little lovely will be the perfect sampler for that.

Hannah Beeby 1816

So now I am about to settle in with a DVD, cup of tea, probably 2 puppies, and my stitching. 

Financially speaking

I just realized that I have not been including any tracking on my finances.  When I started this blog it was to combine all areas of my life, and a major one is getting my debt paid off.  It’s a little intimidating but I’m taking it one paycheck at a time.  One of the reasons why I need to cut myself off in the stitching stash department.  I seem to have all the other spending areas in my life under control.

I still have packages trickling in, which is helping me to not spend.  The latest is Carriage House Samplings’ The Song They Sang.  I purchased it as a “kit” so the fabric and NPI silks also arrived.  Let me tell you, this is another one of those poor photographic efforts.  The silks, 186, 302, 335, 336, 693, 767, 773, 957 and 998, are just beautiful and rich and the design is smaller than I thought it would be so this may be one of those “small starts” that I do this year.  Definately sooner rather than later since I also ordered the frame at a discount but it won’t arrive until February some time.

I’m trying to keep my wish list updated so if I do get a financial gift I have some place to look for inspiration.  That said, we are probably going to be receiving a tax refund but it will go toward my debt.

Today I received the NPI list for Shores of Hawk Run Hollow 🙂 and have put it on my wishlist.

Today is my Friday

and I’m soooo happy it is.

Last night’s trip to the gym kicked my butt. My behind only lasted 3 miles on the bike and then I headed to the pool where I swam the majority of my swim with 5-stroke breathing. I had to slow myself down because for some reason I’ve been getting in a panic that I need to hurry up and get to the wall. I also managed to swim 100 yards without stopping. Kahuna thinks I’m not pushing myself to my limits.

I came home wiped out. Kahuna was supposed to meet me there to swim but he had played golf with his old unit and walked in the door just as I got to the gym. He stood me up. I was starving and was hoping the soup I had made the night before was heating on the stove but he had forgotten about it. We went out.

I had a stash package waiting for me when we got home. Sheepish Designs is retiring so I ordered some patterns I had on my wish list: Ewe Alone, Eagle, Token of Love, Winghaven and a Sunflower Sampling design Home is Best. I can’t seem to find a link to the last two one right now.

I spent my 15 minutes in the office last night cleaning up stuff on the desktop.

So, what am I going to do tomorrow:

  • Stitch on something – I’ll make a decision on whether to start something new or now. I’ve decided that if I do start something new it will be one of the designs I already have completely kitted. Less trouble, and I really don’t need to be starting something that I have to go and buy floss for.
  • Spend 30 minutes decluttering my office – I may haul the shredder in there and work on my school file cabinet. It will make room for stuff I’ve been storing on top of my desk.
  • Spend 15 minutes decluttering another room in my house.
  • Laundry – it would be nice if I could get it all done and not have to even think about it for the rest of the weekend.
  • Go to the gym.

Tonight is my last regular scheduled meeting with my personal trainer. We’re going to sit down and decide what I need/want for the future and maybe schedule more sessions.

Stitching Stash

The stash that I’ve ordered over the past couple of weeks has started trickling in. Over the past couple of days I have received Au Fil de Reves – Chatelaine Promenade a Bagatelle, Moira Blackburn – Friendship Sampler, and Scarlet Letter – A Parrot, A Leopard, A Lion.

While they all 3 are lovely, I sat and drooled over the Scarlet Letter design for an hour last night. The colors are absolutely beautiful and exactly what I want in our new bedroom. It’s stitched over 1 on 35 count, but I’m going to do it over 2 on 40 count. The cream colored background is also completely stitched, but I’m going to use a cream colored distressed linen instead and save myself all that stitching. I want to start it now, but first I need a trip to the string shop to by DMC. Naturally, the SL design also came with an update to their catalog which showed a picture of The Piping Shepherd, which I fell in love with too. He’ll have to wait awhile though.

Kahuna got a new toy last night. A hula girl lamp. I can’t quite decide if I like her or consider her really tacky, but she was assembled and hula-ing away while I was enjoying my pamphlet. I’ll have to snap a photo. He did give me a bit of a hard time about buying stash, saying something about how he thought I wasn’t going to buy anymore, but I just laughed and said that was last year’s resolution. This year’s resolution is to buy everything I missed out on last year! Just kidding…sort of.

I have an appointment tonight with the personal tonight that I’m looking forward to and dreading all at the same time. I also have an appointment with the bike. 🙂

Regaining old habits

It has not taken me very long to get back into some of my old stitching habits…you know, stash acquisition! I’m currently waiting on the following:

  1. Au Fil de Reves – Chatelaine Promenade a Bagatelle
  2. Moira Blackburn – Friendship Sampler
  3. Good Huswife’s book of OOP charts (release during Feb’s market)
  4. about 15 skeins of NPI for my HRH designs
  5. several Prairier Schooler santa charts
  6. and a couple of other charts that are on a list on my desk at home.

I also need to renew my subscription toSampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly, which I sadly let lapse during my absence.

I am almost finished with the 3d page of FAS. I probably could have finished it last night, but we were watching Sky Captain, World of Tomorrow, and I kept having to frog.

I’m so happy it’s Friday. Not only is it payday, but we’re expecting rain this weekend, which means hybernation. Lots of DVD watching, a crockpot of something, nuggling with puppies, and stitching! Wow it feels so good to have that feeling again. I do have a nail appt. first thing Saturday morning, plus my WW mtg and the commissary first thing Sunday morning, but I plan on spending the rest of both of those days putting around the house and accomplishing the above.

This week’s SBQ is: Are you starting something new to celebrate the New Year or participating in “Guilt Free January?” If so, what are you planning on starting?

I really thought about starting something new just because it was January, but decided against it. If you look at that tab at the top that says 2008 goals you’ll easily find my other GFJ starts, which are still loved, but languishing in my WIP bin. I am planning on starting something small this month, but only because I want a smallish design, not because it’s January.

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