Checking In

I'm hoping to get back to regular posts in the next week or so.

Two weeks ago I went to my friend Stacy's house for a weekend stitch in.  It was exactly what  I needed when I needed it.  How often does that happen?  It was so nice to be away from the boxes that needed to be unpacked and all the other stuff that was calling for my attention.  After the weeks of prepping to move it was sheer bliss to be able to sit and stitch without guilt.  Stacy served the most delicious meals.  It was a true retreat.  And so nice to spend time with like-minded ladies and to get to know them a little better.

However, Sunday it was back home, and back to reality.   I didn't get any serious work done on my list until this past weekend due to work commitments and a couple of late nights.  Saturday morning I got up full of ideas and good intentions.  I set the ironing board up in the living room, turned on Netlix and got busy ironing two dust ruffles and two long, long curtain panels.  I got those all placed and my friend Gina arrived to help me.  And help she did, she ironed more curtains and we hung those together.  While she was ironing I unpacked the boxes of stitched pictures.  And we made plans to hang the sampler wall and others, too.  But first, a trip to Marshall's and TJMaxx.  Gina was in search of a pair of pants she saw at another TJ's - they had every size but hers.  No luck on that score, again.   A quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some quiches and salad for an at home dinner. Over dinner were discussing an Oriental runner we had seen at Marshall's and the decision was made to go back and get that - fortunately it is close.  And then back home to bring out the hammer and nails.

This is the runner placed in the hall.  I haven't ever owned an Oriental rug and am thrilled with this one.  It does need to come up to have the non-skid backer placed.  Maybe later tonight.

Here is what we accomplished.  This is actually a Blackbird wall.

And we hung these.

All in all a productive and fun day.

Yesterday, I made  a run to Target, Lowe's, and Home Depot.  I needed a few things at Target, mostly stuff I couldn't find at the grocery store.  Then on to Lowe's. The thing I was hoping to get there was roller shade for the guest bedroom.  Their cutting machine was broken!  Forttnately, Home Depot was on the way home and their cutter was working - so that little job is done.  Plus I needed 9 volt batteries for the smoke detectors and some wall anchors to hang two shelves.  My son will hang the shelves one night this week.

The batteries for the smoke detector became urgent when two of the them started to beep due to low batteries right after I'd gotten into bed on Saturday.  They are hard-wired but still want their batteries.  We disconnected one from the hard wiring and removed the battery.  It continued to make noise - my daughter decided that it was possessed and told me to put it downstairs. At least we couldn't hear it any more.  Still not sure why it could make noise without any power.

So, new batteries have been installed in all of the ones I could reach.  That leaves two for my son when he brings a ladder.

No stitching for the past few days.  Tonight I plan to do some painting in the kitchen and hang more pictures.

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm Back

I am all moved so most of my stuff is all under one roof except for my fish and plants.  I'll pick those up tomorrow when it's bit warmer outside.  Plus, I can have the car warmed and ready for them and then whisk them into the house from the garage.  I think.  We'll see if it works.

Saturday was spent emptying the majority of the stuff out of the apartment.  The boys worked really hard.  They had already  moved one trailer load and then the snow began.  Not a lot of snow, maybe an inch, just enough to make for slippery footing.  I finished my second trip from the apartment to the townhouse and then stayed put until the evening.  The boys made three trips in all with the trailer.   They were tired and happy to have the big stuff  in the townhouse but not placed in the appropriate room. That happened on Sunday after one last pickup truck and carload of stuff from the apartment.

Here's a picture of my living room - so far.

I need to hang curtains and pictures.  I have the curtains and the pictures.   Hopefully I can do both of those things in the next week.

And here is a space at the top of the stairs that had me wondering what the heck I would do with it. The previous owner had a potted plant there - granted it was large.

After futzing around with my friend on Sunday we decided that this happy chair and sewing basket were the perfect things to go there.  And the bird cage with the lights in it - a nice little night light.

I had put the happy chair in my bedroom but it didn't look right - the scale was off or something.  But I love it here!  Plus, it's across from the laundry closet so I can sit there while I wait for the dryer to finish.

No stitching to show - hopefully I'll get to do a little bit tonight.

Thanks for stopping by.

No Stitching to Share

Because of this tonight

Just about ready for the move tomorrow.  Probably no stitching to share tomorrow either.

Have a great day.

A Finish and A Start

Welcome Back!

I finished stitching Trick or Treat this evening.  It took a little more than time than I thought.
I didn't take a lunch today because I took the morning off to tend to some moving chores.  I did stitch a little while waiting for my number to be called at the DMV or MVC as it's now called in New Jersey.  I watched an episode of Madam Secretary when I got home from work and finished the stitching.

So into the bin of shame this one goes until I get the unpacking done and feel like I can dedicate some time finishing.

And a new start - the next one in the series called Night Song.  A very little start and it looks like I went a little off the reservation with my fabric choice.  I'm going to keep it.

I had a busy morning.  I went to the new house to meet the wifi guy and the mattress delivery people. While I waited I unpacked my car - again.  This time it was my hanging clothes , well most of them and some things for the stitching room.  I had time to clean the bathrooms while I waited and to thoroughly clean the refrigerator.  Those were the last tasks I wanted to complete before the move over the weekend.  Of course, I have lots of packing to do here.  I'm confident I'll get it done.

Thanks for stopping by.

So Close

I am almost finished with Trick or Treat. Just a few more stitches on the candy corn and one or two more the the star-like shapes. I should be able to finish it off at lunchtime tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by.

January 10

This is going to be a quick one.

Here is a picture of another finish Blackbird's Winter Delivery by Blackbird Designs.  The backing is the same fabric as the front.

I'll try to post the next few days but they'll be short ones as I'm in full moving mode.  Lots of boxes left to pack.

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday

Back to work today.  A change of pace from the weekend's activities involving packing and moving.  Physically  a bit less challenging.

I've made a  little more progress on Trick or Treat.  I'll show that tomorrow.

For today I'm sharing another one of my finishes.

This one is Coverlet Berry Scissor Tray by The Scarlett House.  This is a class piece from Summer School at The Attic in 2015.

We learned how to make the strawberries in class. One is stuffed with lizard litter and other with emery to sharpen needles.

Here is a picture of just the tray.

This was a pretty easy finish since the the mat board was precut.  I really enjoyed stitching and finishing this piece.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have  a great day!

January 8

Sunday.  The last day of the weekend.

It's been a busy one for me.  As you know I am packing and getting ready to move.  And then there is the shopping of things like curtains. I must admit that I am getting excited to move.  And get settled.

On one of my breaks today I did a little more on Trick or Treat.

It looks like a lot but wasn't really.  Only one episode of Chance on Hulu.

I loaded the car and took a bunch of stuff to the new house.  And I've loaded the car again so I can drop off another load after work.  

I did a little blog reading tonight to see what everyone is up to.  My consensus is that we are all cold!  My friend texted me to tell me that it was 11 here this morning.  We went out later this morning and it was 23 but very, very windy.  Take your breath away windy.  

Keep warm.

Have a great day!

Saturday

This has not been a lazy Saturday.  I had some errands to do.  Then I really needed to begin packing for the move.  I made great progress on that today and hope to do more tomorrow.

I rewarded myself by taking a little time to put a few stitches in Trick or Treat by Blackbird Designs.  This is how it looks tonight.

Love the candy corn.  

It's been a busy day.  I'm off to bed.  

I'll check in tomorrow.

Have a great day!

January 6

Friday, finally.  For a short work week it sure felt long.

I have another little finish to show from the box.  This one is called Hip Hop by Lizzie Kate.  Isn't this cute?  The kit came with all of the finishing supplies except for the fiberfill.  I love when I can make a project look just like the designer's.

I have it sitting on the back of Peter and Peep.

Have a great day!

January 5

Not much stitching to show today.  I did a little bit at lunchtime but it's not worth a photo.  Maybe tomorrow.

I do have a finish to share from the box I showed yesterday.  This is Toil and Trouble Pinkeep by Stacy Nash. This is one of the kits from the Country Sampler club.

A fun little stitch and it will look great in my dough bowl with my autumn stuff next year.

Have a great day!

January 4

A little more progress on Trick or Treat today.  Very little because I realized that I had neglected to put scissors in my kit.   So I took a little nap instead.  And I added scissors to the bag tonight.

I also want to share this picture of some things that I assembled in December.

I got it into my head that I could empty the 'bin of shame' before I move.  Have you seen that bin? Here are a couple of pictures.

Seriously, I can be a bit delusional at times.  Of course, I neglected to factor in Christmas shopping, decorating, wrapping, and baking. And then there's the week or so I didn't feel good.  Oh, and did I mention that I'm moving.  So I'm making daily trips to the house to check on things or drop stuff off and trips to Home Depot and Lowe's for supplies.  Oh, and of course work which keeps things afloat here.  Silly me!  So the bin will be moving to the new house as is.  And I will be working on it when after I move and get settled.

In the meantime,  I'll share what I did finish.

First up, is Peter and Peep by With Thy Needle and Thread.  I began working on this one last winter. And finished it kind of like the picture on the chart.  I did tea dye my lace because the only lace I could find was white. My daughter said she thinks this is her favorite piece.

That's about all for today.  I've got to do a little more laundry and my nails before I head off for bed.

Have a great day!

January 3

This will be a quick one. It's late and the happy chair is calling but I think my bed is calling even louder.

Today was a busy day at work.  Lots to do and lots left to do tomorrow and for the rest of the week and that's all good.

After work I went to the new house to paint the trim in my daughter's room.  She came after work to help, too.  And we got it finished.  As she said, one room down, lots to go!  But it's a start.

When I arrived home I checked my mail and found this

and when I unwrapped it this is what was inside.  Happy mail!

I also had a little start yesterday - a very little one followed by a little stitching at lunch today.
This is Trick or Treat by Blackbird Designs, the next stocking in the series.

That's all for today.

Have a great day!

January 2

I had  a new start last night.  I began working on Tis the Season Sewing Bag by Blackbird Designs.  This is the latest design for the Ladies Prim Society.

I spent most of today at my new house doing some painting.  I finished painting the inside of the pantry and put the shelves back in once the final wall was dry.  I started painting it on Saturday but found out that I couldn't work in there without brushing up against the walls I'd painted which were still wet.  Not a lot of room in there.  No picture to show of that yet.

I painted my daughter's room today.  I got the ceiling and walls done.  I'll work on the trim after work this week.

It's not supposed to be that purple and I'm hoping that once it dries thoroughly it will lighten up.

Oh, here's the before picture.  She really did not like the gray green.  I can't blame her.

Other stuff I saw when I was looking at pictures.  My calendar that's on my desk at home.  I love this Susan Branch calendar.  My son bought it for me for my birthday.

I finished reading this book yesterday.  A nice read, geared more for women with small children but I did find some useful insights.

And the two books I'll work my way through this year.  I've read Simple Abundance before but not for many years.  These are my morning inspirational reads.

Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

Last night was a quiet, unplanned celebration with a friend.  Late yesterday afternoon she sent me a text asking me if I wanted to come over and spend the evening talking, eating, and stitching!  Three of my favorite things!  Turns out it was just the two of us.  We did go upstairs for a quick visit with her neighbors, nice people - the same ages as my children.  And then spent a quiet evening watching "A Holiday Affair" and "Christmas in Connecticut."  I didn't see all of the second movie as my eyes were getting a bit heavy.  

I did put in a few stitches on Hibernation Day.  I've been almost exclusively working on smalls and this seems like so much fabric to hold!  I'll get used to it again, I'm sure.

I spent a quiet morning enjoying a second cup of tea.  My current favorite is Yogi Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy in this mug.

I read lots of blogs this morning.  It's been good to catch up with my friends and the goings on in their lives.

I think that my blog will become a journal of sorts this year.  Maybe I'll have it printed into book form at the end of the year.

My first stitched finish for 2017 - Whooo's Knockin' at My Door! by Blackbird Designs.

I'm still contemplating my rotation for this year.

Thanks for stopping by.