Stop the Insanity - love it!

I just read a blog entry by Susan - and I think she has come up with an idea that could really work for me and help alleviate some of the "OH MY GAWD I HAVE SO MANY HALF FINISHED PROJECTS STUFFED IN THIS CLOSET/DRAWER/UNDER THE BED etc.."

I just can't justify starting 15 new projects esp. since I tend to prefer BAP's and they take a few years usually for me to complete anyways. So - 15 days per WIP already on the go. I can totally do that - how about you?

I'm hopefully finishing up a Nancy's Needle design later today, "Desert Star". I started it last Monday so this has been the fastest finish for me ever. Love it. I'll post a finish pic tomorrow along with a picture of the project that I'll be working on for the next 15 days ;-)

Happy New Year!

Caroline

Has anyone seen my sanity?

Seriously.

So. The cat survived. Hopefully no one was holding their breath..... It took a month of syringe feeding (5-6 times a day...), a boatload of money and hiring a sitter to come and do it when I couldn't - but he lives! He's back to his lazy, lovey self and I couldn't be more thrilled. This picture I took the day he started eating on his own again. (ooooo - stitchy mess in the background.....)

Our older dog Madi started to have periods of dementia and bit me quite badly as I was trying to brush her outside. This was back in October. As we have young children - we had to make the decision to have her put down. My hand was very badly injured and if it had happened to one of the kids it would have been disastrous. So, we did lose an animal - just not the one I expected to die. I miss her terribly. Ginger - the shepherd pup is now just over a year old and still eating her way through socks, stuffed toys, carpeting etc. Remind me to tell you about the time she got out of her crate - ripped a hole the size of a small child in the middle of the carpet and pooped all over the room. My SIL said that she heard her howling at about 4am but didn't think to come and get me. Guess I've told you all about it now. Good times.

A ton of other things have happened, but I won't bore you with details. I've been stitching a lot - have discovered a new love of counted canvas and am considering this crazy pants January 15 starts. Though I will probably do what some others are doing and pick 15 WIPS that I already have on the go and organize them for the challenge.

I know you came for the stitching so here's the latest picture on my machine of the Landmark Design. I have don't quite a bit more since then - but I'd have to walk upstairs to take the picture. It's not New Year's yet - I don't have to exercise just yet. I learned how to tat at my retreat in October - fun but teeny tiny! And I finished a design that I customized for our family from LHN. I've missed the blogging world, so hopefully 2011 will find my nose more in your business and a few more updates about mine.

Caroline

Fatty Liver fun...

So. The last three weeks have been spent spending a small fortune on the cat. Remember the kitty who was looking so good, smaller floppy belly -etc.....

He decided that it really wasn't worth living if he had to share the house with the D.O.G, so he stopped eating and drinking entirely. Overweight cats are prone to fatty liver disease if they stop eating for a period of time and that is indeed what has happened. This is not the easiest cat to either pill or force feed (I gave it a go for about 3 days, and he really and truly despised me) so, we had a feeding tube inserted in his neck. For the next 8-12 weeks I'll be syringing his food into him and he better damn well survive. My car drove itself to the vet this morning for a check up on an infection in the tube site. My bill reflected a "premier customer discount" which means that because I'm paying his children's university tuition, they'll cut me some slack. :-)

I am very attached to this kitty, so - fingers crossed.

Who, me????

Progress on Shushi:

Progress on Cirque des Cirques:

A new start - notice anything wrong? It should be a circle instead of a diamond...... So, now it's a do-over.

Keslyn's "Bliss Content" finished - but this is a terrible beauty shot. I stitched it entirely with Crescent Colours Bandana, and it is really lovely.

LHN's Coffee House - finished:

So - enjoy the rest of your Sunday! I'm off to feed the cat.

Caroline

Thursday is thirsty.......

for Coffee!

This is an UFO from 2 years ago. It's LHN "Coffee Shoppe". This picture was taken on Monday and since then I've stitched most of the bottom half of this design.

I gave a lot of thought this week as to why I am such a slacker on the updates. I can not stand having to take the pictures, load the pictures, choose the pictures, insert the pictures....... I'm lazy I guess. Several times I wanted to write here to tell you about my latest finish - Keslyn's "Bliss Content", but put off posting. I finished it - it's gorgeous, but you can't see it because I'm too lazy to go and follow through the picture taking hoo-ha. The photo above was only snapped since I had my iPhone in bed while I was stitching (any other bed stitchers out there?I adore listening to audiobooks in jammies with my blankie and pillows ) so I took a quick picture. I think this is key. It's quick, and I'm always syncing the phone so the pictures are all right there. They're crap, but better than nothing, no? So - let's see this week if I can get into the habit of snapping more phone pictures. Also - that Noel ornament? Imagine a finished picture right......

.....................HERE..................

It's also finished and very cute.

How about a picture of my cat? He's cute too.

See? Since we put the dog's crate in the kitchen, our cat has lost weight. He hates the dog and refuses to go anywhere near him. Therefore he's not begging 4 different people for food in the kitchen anymore. It's awesome - he doesn't look like a blanket roll anymore - just a regular cat with a floppy belly. We match.

Caroline

Gadzukes!!!!!!!!!!

"No way! You're posting on your blog???? Get out!!!!!!"

That must mean you've been doing some of this:

Trying to survive this.........:

Madi (on the right) is 13 now, practically blind and deaf (though that might be largely selective, she figures she's old now she can do whatever the hell she wants) Ginger, the baby is now 8 months old and is just as destructive as ever, hence the crate. I look forward to getting past that stage....she has yet to grow into her ears LOL)

And drinking a metric tonne of this: (too much of this can make you redundant...snicker...)

In all seriousness - I would like to keep up with this here blog on a more frequent basis but I always seem to let so much time lapse in between posts. Any really good tricks from people who find it easy to post a few times a week?

Also - a shout-out to a very special friend in Portugal who will probably fall over in shock when she sees that I've updated my blog. We miss you here "V" - looking forward to our Wednesdays again soon.

Caroline

Stitchy weekend

Half of my family is away this weekend - leaving me with one small, easy to care for little boy. :-)

So, some serious stitching has already been under way. I had some good stitching friends over last night and we chatted and stitched until 11:30 - I am so lucky to have found women who share this love of stitching. We try to meet every Wednesday during the littlest hooligans' nap time and sometimes we are lucky enough to sneak in an extra bit of time during the week as well.

I have made a serious start on my 3rd enormous Landmark design, "Shushi". Here is the top left corner. I have completed the black row at across the entire top of the design and am really enjoying this project. Tonight I hope to get a large chunk of that right corner filled in.

I have so many BAP's on the scroll rods right now that I really, really needed a quick and satisfying project that I could actually finish. This Mill Hill Bead kit - "Noel" christmas ornament is perfect!! I like working on the perforated paper and it is such a cute little design that it is hard to put down. I started it on Wednesday night and hope to finish it up this weekend.

Happy Friday everyone!

Caroline

Pattern to give away - LHN's Holly and Berries

I meant to post this ages ago. If there is anyone reading who would like my used copy of LHN's Holly and Berries design leave me a comment and I'll pull a name out of a hat. It is such a cute pattern and I really, really like the box ornament way that I finished it. I may even still have a copy of those directions kicking around. (No promises on that though LOL, not with my organizational skillz.........) I'll wait a week before choosing someone. so...... that would be next Tuesday, June 8th.