Conversions and Gizmos

Another weekend has come and (almost) gone and was just as busy as most others but not quite as busy as some I can remember! We got our grocery shopping out of the way and did a few errands. On Saturday, DH went to his yearly Bob Fest (similar to a needlework market but for astronomers and founded by 3 guys all named Bob. Thus the name).

On the weather side, we have had a lovely weekend with pleasant temperatures but just how long will this last during this time of the year. It's like we are getting teased with a taste of early Spring.

Everyone has been showing their conversions for Marianne Wenn so I thought I would join the party. It took awhile to get them all together and feel comfortable with my choices but this is it. Of course, I may toss in an extra color now and then just because I feel it needs something. I have also pulled out Seek Joy by NNF (I might change a few colors on this one too.) to work on as well so that I don't get frustrated with Marianne! I made another run to pick up some more threads for both pieces so I will have plenty. I am hoping to start on her this week.

Here is the conversion I used.

DMC 906 - changed to DMC 471
DMC 725 - changed to DMC 729
DMC 312 - not changed
DMC 3818 - changed to DMC 987
DMC 433 - changed to DMC 839
DMC 844 - changed to 310
DMC 744 - changed to DMC 676
DMC 304 - changed to DMC 815
DMC 890 - not changed
DMC 3761 - changed to DMC 799
DMC 3863 - not changed
DMC 3713 - changed to DMC 152
DMC 3706 - changed to DMC 356
DMC 842 - changed to DMC 372

Once in a while, Harold will see a picture of a sampler and fall in love with it himself. Such was the case when I showed him pictures of Marianne Wenn and Guarding Eden. Usually, he shrugs his shoulders and says "don't you have enough to work on" but this time I could see that special gleam in his eye and the awe in his voice when he asked "you want to do these? How long will they take?" He's hooked!

Luckily Harold is good with computers and gadgets so he spent an evening showing me how to download my pictures to this new computer. Now I can post them on my blog once again! I am still learning all the new gizmos. I'm not big on change but obviously the computer companies are. With my luck, once I get settled in and comfortable, it will time for this one to give out!

When Does It End?

What a long weekend we had! First of all our computer died on us! We took it in to be fixed and they said it was working like new again but when we got home and set it back up, it was a different story! We took it back in and told them to just save a few things on CD for us and we ended up computer shopping! You would think that with no computer I would have spent more time stitching but that didn't happen.

It's been quite awhile since we had a new computer so we are still learning all the new gadgets and gizmos that have been added since then. Not to mention that computers have changed so much since we last bought one that alot of our existing software will not work with the new models! When does this madness end? No pictures on this post because we are still getting everything set up on this computer!

On the weather side, we had several days with temps that were pretty nice for this time of year but the cold is back and they are even calling for more snow early on in the week! Scientists are saying that all this wonky weather is definitely global warming and we can except our current weather conditions to be the new normal! That would mean (for us) longer hotter summers, longer colder winters and very little autumn or spring! I don't think I like that very much.

Market is coming up soon and I have come to realize that I get way too excited over new releases! I am like a child in a candy store running from isle to isle while yelling "I want it. I want it!" so I have decided to let my spurt of wonder and amazement run it's course before ordering! It's either that or we may be forced to move because of the all the charts taking over! *wink* I have already calculated that I will have to live to the age of 150 to complete even part what I now have waiting to be done! lol.

I am so anxious to start on Marianne Wenn from Needleprint! I hate to leave awwr as a WIP but I just have to set it aside for a bit. Maybe it is startitus fever or it could just be feeling antsy but I need something new. I have my fabric and threads for Marianne. I have changed a few colors. Some of the colors were just a little too harsh for me so I made some substitutions. I will be getting a large size Q-snap to accommodate her and hope it arrives soon.

I will be using 18ct. aida which will be make the finished piece 14x13. Not too bad and I hate to stitch on anything out of my comfort zone or I end up putting it down and this piece definitely deserves to be completed in all her glory! I just love everything about this piece! Like Terri, I am going to be switching out some of the colors. I am not very good at rotations but I don't want to get antsy or frustrated while working on Marianne so I may try a small rotation to keep things fresh and moving along.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always brighten my day. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

News of Sorts

Our weather is still c-o-l-d with a big fat brrrrrrr on the end! The sun has been melting off some of this ice and snow but a week after the big storm, we still have plenty left and the temps get so low at night that it just freezes right back over again! I am so ready for Spring and warmer days (and nights). Everyone around here is sick of snow and ice after this last storm. We did have a major heatwave over the weekend and reached highs in the high 40's but everyone is waiting to see if it last or we slump back into freezing temps again. Our weekend was nothing out of the ordinary. Grocery shopping and errands. I enjoyed stitching with a nice cozy throw tossed over my lap.

January has not been the best month for us and a really bad way to start off a new year! Two busted pipes and two cars, both needed some major work!

Opportunity knocked at my door and I had the chance to make a stitchy order. Once in a while especially when you feel like everything is falling in around you, it's good to spoil yourself! I had promised myself that I would be good this year and not make many orders but when opportunity knocks........ *wink*

I decided to keep it small or at least not big enough to fill up the Grand Canyon! I knew I could not make it through the year without any orders so I set a limit for myself. If I can keep to that, I will be satisfied.

I knew I needed some fabric and threads. Check. Since these are basically necessities, I don't count them as part of my limit. I would like to make a trip to Mary Jo's fabric store to see what they have available in cross stitch fabric - if anything. Sometimes they have a nice selection.

On to the designs. I am not as big a A&E fan like many people but every now and then one comes along that I really want to do. So was the case with Guarding Eden by Examplars from the Heart. I first saw it stitched up on Siobhan's blog and the more I went back to look at it, the more I wanted it. In the basket and ordered!

Marianne Wenn over at Needleprint (scroll down to January 10, 2011 post) is a stunning piece and and the colors are breath taking! Who wouldn't want this in their stash? Terri has ordered it as well so maybe we can encourage each other to keep those fingers moving. In the basket and ordered (and arrived already).

I saw a sneak peak of Jenny Bean's Creation Sampler by Shakepeare's Peddler and I already know it will be a must have as well but that will after it is released! After this, I will be nearing my limit!

Stitching is moving along slowly on awwr but I still have high hopes of finishing it off very soon. My pie birds sing to me as I stitch! *wink*

I know I signed up for the Crazy January challenge but in all reality I only did it as an incentive to get my hands busy and do more stitching. If I can finish off these this year along with (possibly) another one or two, I will be a very happy person! I applaud and marvel at those of you who stuck by the challenge rules 100%. I have watched your work with eager eyes.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always make my day!

Almost A House

Monday, we were snowed in with around 7 inches of white stuff. Not much for some people but just the mention of snow can cause major panic in areas of the south! After the snow stopped later in the day, we were *blessed* with a sheeting of freezing rain and sleet (as well as below freezing temps). This morning everything was solid ice! DH tried to go into to work but ended up coming back home. Tomorrow will be day #3 that school has been cancelled.

I finally pulled out my camera to get an updated photo of AWWR. I have managed to pull it out the past several evenings for some short stitching time. As you can see, the house is half finished. It has been too hard trying to stitch very much while constantly reaching for a Kleenex because of this cold. I wanted something stitchy to do so I pulled out my stash. While sorting through the piles, I ran into a lot of old friends who have been patiently waiting for their turn at the needle! Which one will be next? So many choices!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Snow Day!

We have snow! It was so beautiful to see when I woke up this morning and the light white flakes are still falling - heavy at times. The bad part is that we are also waiting on freezing rain and sleet to add a sheet of ice over the snow. Snow is pretty. Ice is bad! I am hoping that Harold gets to come home from work early before the roads get extra hazerdous.

I don't really have a lot of exciting news to share on this post. Over the weekend I did venture out into the cold so that I could get my hair trimmed up. What a difference a few snips made! I feel like a person again.

It seems like one thing or another has happened since the first of the year and my stitching has suffered for it. I feel awful about not being able to get a start on my crazy challenge and it is already the 10th of the month! We had to take the car in for some major repairs but I guess it could have been worse. Then another pipe busted under the house! More repairs and only several days after the first leak! Where is our good luck?

My cold is better or I just haven't noticed it as much with all the other things happening around here. Hopefully I will have some stitching to show very soon. Thanks so much for stopping by again! Your visits and comments always make my day brighter!

Sniff, Sniff, Cough

First of all, I want to say how much I have enjoyed seeing everyone's New Year starts and Crazy January challenge starts.

My stitching for the New Year has taken a back seat to this horrible cold that decided to make an appearance! At least it isn't the flu! *knock on wood* This awful feeling has put a halt on my regular stitching and on starting my Crazy January Challenge! Hopefully with a little help from cold meds, I will be feeling like new in no time!

Harold's nice long Christmas vacation is over and he is back at work. I have already started asking him when he plans to take more vacation time! I don't get much accomplished (housework or stitching) when he is home but I do enjoy having him here!

There is an old saying that bad things happen in 3's. Hopefully our bad streak is over for awhile now. We had the dryer die on us in the summer, the washer died in the fall and we started off the New Year with a leak in a pipe under the house. That's three and I'm ready to be done with bad luck for a good long while!
The weather around here was supposed to warm up but I haven't felt much of a difference. Oh, there is a big difference from those dreaded single digit temps we had earlier in December (brrrrrrrrr) but I am still waiting for the 50's and 60's to show up again! I guess I will have to wait awhile since January through March are our normal cold cold months (which often include plenty of ice).

I have been stitching a little when this cold gives me a break on AWWR and feel I may finish up before the middle of January now! It was started in 2010 but will be finished in 2011 so I will count it as a finish for the present year. I have thought of setting it aside to start a new piece more than once but I just keep telling myself to push forward with it as I am so close to the end! Hopefully next time, I will feel like dragging out my camera to take an update picture to share!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.