Crazy January Challenge 2011 - modified

I am going to do this challenge on my own as I am modifying it...I have so many things already started that I cannot start anything else until I finish stitching something. So I am picking 15 WIPS already in progress with the goal of finishing them by 12/31/2011. A few are gifts, so this will be motivation to get the needle in gear. I am working on my list and have found 12 projects, just need to narrow down the last 3. One is a BAP, so trying to keep those to a minimum. Here is the link for the challenge: Crazy January Challenge 2011.

Edited @12:01am

Here is my list:

1                 Funny Bones Halloween kit – at least 2 years old

2                 Meaning of name sampler for 1 of my nephews (started at least 10 years ago; this will be 2011 birthday gift to him when completed)

3                 Heart’s Kontent Sewing Case - EGA class in Austin, begun in 2000 (maybe earlier?)

4                 Victorian Christmas ornament from The World of Cross Stitch Issue 158 – began this last year

5                 Bent Creek Zippies – I love My Country – started last year

6                 BBD Petites Lettres Rouges – started when they gave us this freebie – last year?

7                 Dragon bookmark for nephew A – there is just no excuse for this one, could have finished in a day

8                 Silk Ribbon embroidery – yellow rose – EGA class here in Tallahassee – last year?

9                 Willow Wall Hanging – I don’t even remember which magazine this came from, but started probably 25 (that’s right!!) years ago

10              Springtime Flowers crewel kit – the only needlework gift from my son (probably because I did not finish it!!) – over 15 years old

11              Needleprint Beatrix Potter sampler – started 2 years ago – this will be the BAP of the year, I think

12              Regal Redwork Ornament – EGA class in Austin, begun in 2000

13              Intro to Cutwork – EGA class in Tallahassee, started in 2008?

14              Filet Lace Thimble – EGA class in Tallahassee, started in 2008?

15              And 1 new project – Shepherd’s Bush Star

Christmas surprise

have you seen this???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&sns=fb


Love it!!!

A Christmas Read

After I went to the movies today, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, (amazing by the way), I decided to stroll down to Barnes and Nobles. I very rarely buy books unless they are stitching or craft books. I feel that I should support my public library as much as possible, and will only buy a book after I have read and loved it. Well, today I found a book that had to come home with me. It is called A Darcy Christmas. It contains three '"holiday novellas": Christmas Present, A Darcy Christmas, and Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol. The last story is the one that hooked me, as I am a huge fan of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I scanned a few pages and it looks good.

ABC's of Me

I am borrowing this idea from Meari ....

A - Age: 54

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathroom

D - Dog's name: Don’t have one

E - Essential start your day item(s): Shower

F - Favorite color: Blue (DMC 930, 931, and 932)

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5' 7"

I - Instruments you play: None

J - Job: Accounting assistant

K - Kids: Two (my son and his lovely wife)

L - Living Arrangements: In an apartment

M - Music you love: Opera, contemporary Christian, just pretty eclectic

N - Nicknames: Deb

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Yes

P - Pet Peeve: People turning without using signals

Q - Quote from a movie: I am drawing a blank on this one…

R - Right or left handed: Left

S - Siblings: 2 sisters, 1 brother

T - Time you wake up: 5:30AM, but the alarm is set for 7:00AM

U - Underwear: I have some.

V - Vegetable you dislike: Okra

W - Workout Style: Walking

X - rays you've had: Ankles, leg, arm, mammogram

Y - Yummy food you make: Roast chicken, blonde brownies

Z - The best place to visit: Austin, TX or the beach

Stash

Here are pictures of my stashing from my vacation as promised.....

This was our gift tote from Kathy, the owner of Needle Delights. The bags were passed out randomly and we did a "get acquainted" moment to find the owner of the bag we were given and to claim ours. This was the 5th retreat and the colors are the teal and brown. So the project were were given is the name tag below, but we were given a choice of colors. Being Ms. Anal that I am, my threads had to match my bag!

And now the part where I spent money....

I have seen this many times and finallly decided to buy...it came with all of the threads.

I just loved this jack o' lantern and bought the threads and beads to stitch him

I love these little "kits". They include the pattern and a small bead. You use scrap fabric and threads to stitch!!

 This blue is for a project I have on hold and the light is one that I picked up because it fits very well on Q-snaps.

Needle Faire retreat

Sorry I am so late in writing about the retreat. I needed to take pictures of stash and gifties. The retreat was held at Camp Beckwith which is outside of Fairhope, AL. It is an Episcopal camp and from what I could tell is used almost year round. We had amazing weather and the location is very tranquil. I think I was more relaxed on this vacation then I have been in a long time. My sister, Diana, drove down from North Carolina on Thursday, and we drove to the retreat on Friday. We stopped at the LNS in Pensacola that was sponsoring the retreat, Needle Delights. I do not have a brick and mortar store here, so it was a real treat for me. They have an amazing amount of threads in stock and cater to both cross stitch and needlepoint/canvas work.

This is the lake and pier in front of the conference center.

 I just loved these old tree trunks.

A contemplative moment

A close view of the pier.

The view from the other end of the pier.

A friendly fellow

Not sure what made these tracks, but liked the sun and shadow of the picture.

I will show you the stash pictures tomorrow.

Jane Eyre

....is probably one of my most favorite books and movie and I have just discovered that it is coming to the big screen in March, 2011.

New Jane Eyre trailer

I am excited!!

Veteran's Day

Today is a different kind of thanksgiving day....and remembrance. My dad served in the Navy, my son is currently on deployment to Iraq for the third time, and two of my nephews served multiple deployments in Iraq also. I know that a lot of people are conflicted about our participation in the wars in other countries, but I hope that even if you do not agree with the war in principle you can support the fact that there are those men and women who choose to serve our country in the military.

Thanks Dad, Nick, Allen and David. I am tremendously proud of you and honored to know and love you.