Goodbye!!

In keeping with my vow to blog a bit more often, I thought perhaps I should pop in this morning and let you all know that I am leaving for retreat in a few minutes and will not be back until late Sunday afternoon.  The car is mostly packed (how one person can need so dang much for 3 days is beyond me!), just have the last few things that have to go.   One thing that won't be going is my brandy bread.  I was in the middle of mixing it up last night when my phone rang.  It was my older sister.  She never calls me.  Ever.  UNLESS she needs something.  I considered not answering the phone but figured that would be rude so I answered.  I was right, she needed something.  Apparently there was a strange smell in their house and could I come and identify it.  I sighed heavily and said I would be right over.  I couldn't leave them to die of carbon monoxide or something just because I knew it would mess up my bread could I?  No, I couldn't. So I drove on down the street and entered the house.  Yep, there was a funny smell.  Like something was hot.  I had no idea what it could be though and I couldn't even tell her who she should call.  It's not like there were flames or anything, just this smell of something hot.  I left after a half hour of looking for the source.  Her husband was home and I figured he could handle it from there.  Called her this morning and they are still alive and well, they think it was a piece of plastic on the heat lamp in the lizards cage, yep that would do it.  Anyway, all that was to say my Brandy Bread is not going with me to retreat because that half hour of wait time in the middle of mixing the ingredients did not do it any good.  It's edible but not up to par.  Oh well,  at least I earned brownie points with the big guy upstairs, or I hope so anyway.

I will take lots of pictures at retreat and give you the scoop when I get back.

Have a great weekend and take care till next time!

Julie 

My new Chicken!

It is a very good thing I don't ride a broom to work most days cuz today with the way the wind was blowing I never would have made it!  Good Lord it was blowing something awful.  So awful in fact it took out one of our lights on the front of the house.  I came home from to find it on the ground.  One of the glass panels broke but I'm hoping we can turn that side toward the house when we re-hang it and you won't notice.   Providing of course that it can be re-hung. 
 

 

I had a pretty good weekend.  Saturday I made a Hobby Lobby run for retreat stuff, stopped at the thrift store and bought a chicken, went to Weathered and Worn and bought a lamp, headed home, picked Dan up and off we went to a different Hobby Lobby since the one closest to my house did not have enough of what I was buying (i can't say what it was, retreat related and all).  Whilst I was there I bought a basket I had been admiring for quite some time and then I bought some eggs to go in the basket since the chicken I bought at the thrift store wasn't going to be laying eggs any time soon, if ever...but if she did happen to lay some, I bet they'd be worth a pretty penny! Here's my chicken, you can call her Henrietta, sitting by her nest of eggs.  See now why any eggs laid by her would be worth something?  They'd have to sell for at least as much as the face of Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich sold for don't ya think? 

And here's my new lamp that I have to return.  The switch is bad.  Dan got it to work long enough for me to snap a picture but then I unplugged it cuz he said to keep an eye on it or it might burn the house down.  He also said just kidding after that but my husband didn't get the nickname Zap for nothing.  He and electricity do not get along.  I'd rather play it safe, return the lamp and not worry about burning the house down.  Hopefully they'll have another lamp and I can just exchange it.

Talked with Adam today.  He was finally given a date for his move to D.C.  Last day in Salt Lake is  May 27th.  He's looking forward to the move.  According to him, there are 5 girls for every guy in D.C.  He's hoping to find a wife while he's there.   Gotta be better odds than he had in Salt Lake. I've heard housing is horribly expensive.  I'm a bit worried about him finding a decent place he can afford but he's not too concerned.   

Amy was home this past weekend.  She got a job at the new ballpark in town and was home for some training.  I was talking to her about how I don't think anyone is reading my blog and she scolded me!  She told me what can I expect when I only post once a month!  She's right.  I've been neglectful.  So I have vowed to try to do better.  Just in case you couldn't tell, this is me, trying to do better.

Finally, I will leave you with an update on Tuscan Rose.  As soon as I finish here, I'm going to go stitch on her some more.  I should be working on retreat stuff since it is only 4 days away but I'm not feeling it tonight so stitching it is.

Take care till next time!

Julie 

 

Tuscan Rose

I find it amazing that the appearance of the sun after days and days of gloom can lift a persons spirit and cause instant happiness.  I feel lighter, thinner even.  More ready to face the day.  The birds are out doing their thing and even they seem happier.  Who needs pharmaceuticals when the sun is shining!  Not me!

Still not a lot of stitching going on around here.  I am now finished with all the projects for retreat so that has freed up some time in the evenings but so far I have spent them cleaning up after myself.  I craft kinda like I cook.  Completely trash the place during the process and then have to go back and perform miracles cleaning it all up!  It's looking some better but I have a ways to go yet.  I thought I would show you what I have done with the stitching though.  I started Tuscan Rose by Sampler Cove a couple weeks ago when I found myself unexpectedly attending a stitching retreat.  Mary Ann and Connie were supposed to go and I was going to man the shop but at the last minute something came up and Mary Ann had to stay so I went.  This was my first retreat aside from the ones our shop has hosted so I was interested to see how things were done.  Connie and I had a good time, saw some amazing projects from hardanger to counted canvas, to needlepoint, to some fancy thing I can't remember that a lady at our table was doing.  It was gorgeous!  Then there were all the HAED being stitched there.  Almost made me want to bring out the Twelve Dancing Princesses!  Almost.  Such talent these ladies have!  The food was great too.  All in all it was a good time and for once I actually got some stitching done!     In case you are not familiar with Tuscan Rose, here is a picture I borrowed from European Cross Stitch. 

And here is what I have done so far. 

I am really enjoying this piece.  The colors are luscious, I'm using the called for silks from Vicki Clayton and I am stitching it on 40 count linen but can't remember what it is.  I'll have to look when I get to work.  All the wording is done over 1 and I am not minding that at all even though I thought I might.  I can't wait to stitch more of this wonderful design!

While I was cleaning up part of my crafting mess Wednesday, I decided to rearrange the family room.  I was feeling the need for a bit more open space and in order achieve that I had to remove one larger piece of furniture which left me with no place for a lamp in the corner.  It's a dark corner and it needed a lamp so I decided to bring up one of the thrifting finds that I haven't shown you yet because I was intending to paint them.  In fact, I had just decided I would paint them cream with a wash of brown glaze and now I am glad we hadn't gotten the actual painting done.  Cream would not be my first choice for the family room.  I'm thinking maybe leaving it or painting it an olive green with a glaze.  Anyway, the table fits perfectly at the end of the sofa and I am so glad I thought to bring it upstairs.    What do you think?  Leave it or paint it?

It's 9:15, I haven't eaten breakfast or made my lunch yet so I better get a move on here else I will be late for work.  Thanks so much for stopping in.  Comments are much appreciated!

Take care till next time!

Julie 

They're Back!

Good Morning!

Something is just not right with blogger these days.  Or is it just me?

Some time ago, I shared a scrapbook page I had done about the damn birds that keep moving into our attic.  Well, guess what?  They did it again!   This past weekend,  Dan and Adam removed a 3 foot by 5 foot nest again, covered in 2 inches of bird droppings and containing several eggs.  This time to fix it, he went up on the roof and covered the vent from the outside with wire mesh in addition to the wire mesh on the inside.  I sure hope this takes care of it for good!   

Not much stitching to share today.  Not because I haven't been stitching, but because most of what I have stitched or worked on has been related to our upcoming retreat.  I can't very well share pictures of it or I will let the cat out of the bag!   But I can say, Paulette (Plum Street Samplers) did a wonderful job designing our retreat exclusive!  I've got it all stitched up and have almost finished the mounting of it.  I hope everyone loves it as much as I do! With only 2 weeks till retreat I am going to be a very busy girl getting everything pulled together and Dan is a very busy boy working on the piece the stitching can/will be mounted on.

Scissor Birds have been put on the back burner until after retreat.  But we have decided that for the Eastern Nebraska Segmented Hardwood Scissor Beak bird, (shown above) we will take orders.  This is for the all wood version.  It does not come with the scissors, threads, or thimble.  Just the bird and base. The cost for Dans bird is $50.00 + shipping.  I also must tell you that I can't give you a time frame on them.  Dan works 2 jobs so the birds are made in his free time.  They will be done on a first come first serve basis and we won't ask for payment until your bird is ready to ship.  So, if you are interested in the wood version, send me an email with your name and address and I will add you to the list.  I will send you an email when he starts working on your bird and again when your bird is finished.

That's it for today folks.  I need to get ready for work.  I have a display of arrowheads to work on today.  Gonna be a pain in the patootie to stitch those puppies down!

Take care till next time!

Julie

Birds and a finish

Good Morning!

The sun is out and it is supposed to be in the 50's today!  Makes me want to play hooky from work but if I do that the millions and millions of framing projects I have to do will never get finished!

Just a quick fly by post today.  I wanted to say thanks for all the lovely comments on the birds.  It's funny, I took them to work with me on Saturday (it was Second Saturday Stitch) and everyone wanted the red and blue birds but not one person wanted the pink whereas here, the pink seemed to be the most popular.  Anyway, Dan and I will be selling both styles of the birds but haven't decided yet how to do it.  Orders?  Just post one when we have them made?  I don't know.  But I'll let you know as soon as possible if anyone is interested. 

I have a quick finish to share and then I need to go pack my lunch.  This is a freebie from Plum Street Samplers that can be found here about 3/4 of the way down the page.  Hope you like it!

Take care and have a wonderful day!!

Julie

Busted and Birds

OMG!  I have been a bad blogger.  You know you've been a bad blogger when your son calls you and says, "So, you've given up on your blog huh."  Crap.  Busted.  And he isn't the only one dinging me about it.  Apparently, some actually miss reading it!     So here I am having spent my entire day off at the computer working on the information packet for retreat, my butt has already taken on the form of the hard oak chair I've been sitting on  all day so another hour or two isn't going to matter!  LOL!

Since Nashville was weeks ago already, I won't comment on it too much except to say we had a good time in spite of the passing of Mary Ann's mother the day before we left.  We drove straight through on that Thursday which allowed us to play on Friday a bit.  The best thing about the whole trip was this billboard we have passed by every time we have gone to market.  Now maybe I have a warped sense of humor but it makes me laugh every time I see it.   I have wanted to take a picture of it but I kept forgetting which town it was in and by the time I would spot it, it was always too late.  Not this time though!  We were on the lookout for it about a hundred miles before we actually saw it. Mary Ann spotted it before I did and pulled over to the side of the interstate so I could get a good picture of it.   May I present:  

 Just too funny! 

I know in my last post I promised to show you what Dan was working on.  Part of the reason I didn't post as soon as I got home from Nashville was the vendor I needed to buy from didn't show.  I have since learned they were ill and I ordered what I needed but I didn't get it until this past Monday.  I need to give you some background on this project before I show it.  My good friend Connie is an Etsy addict and she always finds the cutest little things there.  A few weeks ago she came to work with this little wooden folk art bird that holds a pair of scissors.  

The end of the scissors pops through and makes the beak of the bird.  I thought it was the cutest thing so I took it home to Dan  and said can you make me one?  He said sure, piece of cake!  However, Dan has a wee little problem.  We don't talk about it much but it still exists.  He has this insatiable desire to make things better than the original (sometimes he succeeds and sometimes he doesn't) Plus, he likes to give Connie a hard time.  So he took the above bird and he made it into what he has named:

The Eastern Nebraska Segmented Hardwood Scissor Beak Bird.

It started out looking like this.

I kept pointing out to Dan that Connie's didn't look that way.  He kept saying...I can make it better, stronger, fly higher and faster than the original.  And in the end, when he was done, it looked like this... 

But still the man was not happy.  No, he needed a wooden thimble.  And wood handled scissors.  I thought the man was losing it.  A wooden thimble sure, but Wood Handled Scissors?  Not gonna happen dude.   You're dreaming.  Pull that head down outta the clouds!  Except that fate stepped in and Sajou announced their new beautiful wood handled scissors that were to be available at Nashville.   And Dan was happy, estatic even.  So we waited.  And when I got home from Nashville, I had to give him the sad news that the scissors were there.  He made me promise to call and order them, which I did.  But no one answered the phone.  I left a message.   I waited a couple days and then I left another message.  Waited some more  and called again.   I got a man on the phone.  He told me they had all been sick but someone would call me back.  So we waited again.  No call.  I placed another call and SCORE!!  The nice lady said the scissors were in stock and she would send them out that day.    So we waited.  Monday the UPS truck pulled up at the shop and the nice UPS man got out carrying this little box.  I just knew it was Dan's scissors.  And I was right!  Now, eight different types of wood later, here he is in all his wooden glory...TA DA!!!

See the wooden thimble?  Connie donated it to him.  Even though Dan had to go and one up her cute vintage bird.  She's nice like that.  Plus I think she was worried about his sanity!  LOL!!

BUT!  The bird saga is not yet over.  I had an idea of my own.  I'd like to say I one upped Dan but I can't compare my efforts with his.  His bird is art.  My birds are craft.  But I think they're cute and others must think so too since I have had several requests from friends for one.  So here is what I call The Shabby Chic Scissor Beak Bird!

Shabby Pink:

and Shabby Red:

And now I am going to call it a night, go sit in my comfy stitching chair and work on the model of the chart Paulette designed for retreat.  It's gonna be here before I know it!

Have a wonderful evening, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.  I love comments and would very much like to here what you all think of the birds!

Take care till next time!!

Julie

Projects, Jenny Bean and the Luck 'O the Irish!

Hello!  I wanted to post something before I head off to Nashville.  Things have been just crazy busy around here.  I know I keep saying that but it's true!  Broke my record of 24 framing projects by 2.  Yesterday morning I had 26 projects.  By the time I left work last night I had 9 fewer but today we have taken in another and I heard from 2 customers yesterday that said they have several they are bringing in.  Job security folks, that's all I have to say about that! I'm actually tickled pink about it.  I want this shop to be a success and stay around for a long, long time.

Dan and I have been working on a couple of crafty type things that I just can't wait to show you but sadly, we're all going to have to wait a little while longer.  I absolutely can't show it until after I get back from Market.  A critical part of the whole design needs to be purchased there.  So make sure you tune in next week to see it.  Dan is so thrilled with his _______.  OOPS!  I almost typed it!

I've also been working on a peyote stitch fob.  I bought the kit in St. Charles last fall and it has taken me this long to get up the guts to open the package and give it a try.  I've never beaded like this before and I have to tell you, I think my brain has atrophied in the last 10 years.  I read the directions about a billion times and I might as well have been reading Greek.  None of it made sense to me.  Then I googled Peyote stitch and read about 15 different websites on how to do it until I finally found one that sort of made sense to me.  I am now at the point where I need to attach the clasp and I am in the same boat as before. I have read and re-read the directions, for a week now I have been reading the directions and I am still clueless.  I think in another 10 years I will most likely be a blithering idiot if this is anything to go by!  I still haven't opened my knotwork chart that I bought in St. Charles  How long do you think it will take me to figure out a colonial knot?? UPDATE:  Sad sad news.  I was cleaning up the kitchen when I got home from work and knocked my fob off the counter without noticing.  The fricking fracking dog that shares space with me  decided it looked like something to munch on.  I will need to repair it so you don't get a picture of it mostly done.  Instead you get a picture of it half way done. 

Jenny Bean is coming along slowly since I have been doing some other crafting as of late. Progress has been made but not much.

I've also stitched up Lucky from Plum Street Samplers.  I plan to make it into a pillow when I get back.

In Offspring News...

Talked with Adam on Sunday.  He's doing well and is ready to leave Utah.  There isn't much work for him to do anymore so he's a bit bored.  The latest news is he will go to either D.C. or Orlando.  I'm voting for Orlando.  I"ve never been to Disney anything and would love to go sometime before I die.  This would give me the perfect excuse!

Abby is doing well.  She and the boyfriend are getting along nicely.  School is good too with the exception of one gal that hates her guts.   I would say there might be some merit to her complaints if any of the other supervisors in that place had a problem with Abby or if any of the supervisors in the other rotation hospitals had a problem with her but they all have given her glowing reviews.  This particular one  has ripped her to shreds three times now.  I keep telling Abs that she is going to run into people like that all her life and there isn't a dang thing you can do about it but she still cried on my shoulder for an hour.  Makes ya just want to go find the woman and bitch slap her!

Amy quit the newspaper at school.  She just couldn't handle the fact that her performance was based so heavily  on other people returning her emails and phone calls.  She was getting migraines and stomach aches and finally could not take it any more.  She's much happier now.  She's still planning a journalism degree but now wants to add pre-med into the mix.  She and her friend Rose have decided to room together next year and were hoping to get into one of the suite style dorm rooms but they didn't get chosen so they will stay in the dorm they are both in now.  I'm thinking that's not such a bad thing.  4 girls in one space is 2 too many!  

Finally I will show you another of my thrifty finds.  This time it's a sewing box.  Paid a whopping 5 bucks for it!  Dan will pretty it all up for me and I will either take it to the shop or use it here at home.  I'm not sure yet.

And now, I best get my rear in gear and get my packing finished.  Mary Ann will be picking me up at 8:30 in the morning and away we will go.  Don't know if I will be able to check in at all while I'm away but I'll try.

Take care till next time!

Julie