No more red on the BC barn, now it just needs a roof and a flagpole. I took a few extra minutes today so I could be done with the red. Love it, but it's time to move on!

On the L*K house, the brickwork is coming along, or it seems to be until I see how tall the house is, lol. Tonight is Children of Divorce class/group again so I doubt I'll be stitching. I've got a freebie chart to do for the yahoo group Chatty Stitching Exchangers. I'm hoping the model will be in the mailbox when I get home! It's actually a companion piece to a chart that hopefully coming out next month and should be a fun stitch.

I went to bed last night early and didn't get much of anything done. It was so hot last night, seems like every creature in my house was stirring--including, you guessed it--a mouse! The dogs were up and down all night and now I can see why. EEK! This morning I got up bright and early and get dinner ready (beef stroganoff), did some sweeping, laundry, and dishes. The office floor I found this weekend is once again submerged, this time in clothes. My daughter and I are trying to get the laundry room organized. It's a nice space and for now I've got models that don't go to trunk shows stored in there along with clothes for next winter, tons of blankets, and who knows what else (maybe Elvis??? Or more mousies? Yikes). I have the newest member of the Stitches'N'Stones team Becky coming on Saturday for training so I want things more organized (no laughing!).

Thanks to Sally, Heather, Robyn, and everyone else who takes the time to read my rambles!

I've been stitching, and it the patterns seem to get bigger every time I pick them up. Slow slow slow--I just want to finish something! I stitched on the L*K RR the last two nights, got the trees done and started on the brick of the house. At work I've got the BC barn half done and put in all the white stitching today. I definitely won't be finishing the BC before July 4th though.

Last night I wasted some time playing in patterns and found Barrick Samplers Five Birds freebie and Brightneedle's Primitive Alphabet, both of which I want to do NOW!! Unfortunately I have at least 4 RR pieces that need stitching before I can start on them, but they could be my next lunchtime projects. I also bought a fun pack from Silkweaver (www.silkweaver.com) that has Cocoa hand-dyed fabric, 2 kinds of beads, and neat limited edition Stranded by the Sea orange/brown floss. You can enter their contest by stitching a project with the fun pack by August 30th. I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to do! Why is starting new projects so fun??

Heather very kindly tagged me in my last post and asked me to list what relaxes me and what I like to do even if no one else does (just a short list!):

RELAXING:
--watering the plants (especially after dark)
--stitching, of course
--paddling around the pool with a noodle

ENJOYABLE:
--watching McLeod's Daughters
--going to hockey games

A lot of you have asked about my "new man" ;o) Maybe I'll explain tomorrow, this is long enough!

If there was a passing bus I'd consider throwing myself under it ;o) But this feeling will pass, in 45 minutes I get to go pick up the kids! Then I'm hoping for swimming, food, & stitching in no particular order.

I stitched more on the L*K Love Lives Here last night while continuing my Family Plots marathon. I got tree #1 done, and am about halfway done with tree #2. Seems to be taking forever! On my break today I continued on with BC's Patriotic Row, I've done about 1/3 of the barn. Love that Lancaster Red!

Since I found the lost city of Atlantis this weekend (actually the floor to my office) I let myself finally decorate my dining room. Ta da, the finished results! The roses are from the "new" man in my life ;o) 

My daughter Seran and my Watty dog who is sporting a summer scarf. The dog is on the right (ha ha ha!).

I printed out some labels last night & swept half the office, that was the extent of the actual work I got done. I did give myself some stitching time on the L*K Love Lives Here. I got almost all the left tree done while watching Family Plots. I'm trying to catch up on all the re-runs since I missed the previous season(s). I got a finished model in the mail which completes the models needed for a leaflet--now when to publish?? I'll post a pic this weekend of a sneak preview.

We went out to lunch today at P.F. Changs so no BC stitching. Too bad, I was hoping to get farther--I did have almond & cashew chicken which was to die for so that makes up for no progress. And I had "The Great Wall of Chocolate" (well, a piece of one) for dessert. I haven't eaten that much food in weeks, plus I allowed myself a Coke instead of the normal water, water, water I usually drink. I have lots of leftovers for tonight for my dinner. I'm taking the kids and friends to the dive-in movie/swim at the YMCA. They can have all the junk food they can eat while I dream of my chinese and leftover cake! The movie will run to 10pm or so, not sure if I'll get any stitching in tonight. Tomorrow is a crazy day but I know I'll be working, one of my new employees is starting her first day!

Got another model up and out this morning--this one I can't share too many details but I hope people will like it. I think it's a hoot and the colors are so fun! I'm hoping for a rush release on this--August! We will see...

Didn't get any stitching done last night, we spent too much time at the pool because my sister is over the moon about one of the lifeguards. I did get a little time in on the BC Patriotic Row today. I've finished F-N and started a few rows of the red barn. It really is coming along, I think by July 4th I might have it finished!

Been looking over what needs to be finished and framed for new releases and also oogling the new Zweigart and Wichelt hand-dyed fabrics that came out at Columbus--think I'll be getting new fabric in soon! I'm out of Crescent Colours again, they come and go soooo fast with all the new designs I have in my head. Tonight I hope to be stitching. We've got a children of divorce class to attend which is always very depressing so I think I'll reward myself with some trash tv and stitching! I've just got to move past the roof on the L*K Love Lives Here!

San Man freebie from a secret shop order. I loved it so much finished like this I had a very sweet person from the San Man board finish it for me just like hers. Stitched on 28ct. Candelight Jobelan from Dyeing4U using GAST, DMC, Needle Necessities Charleston fuzz, and a little button my finisher provided.

I was up late last night charting a few new design ideas. Think shoes and silliness! I'm going to have to rethink my model stitching plans to fit these in and decide when to publish them. I'll have to check my inventory, I think I'm all out of bright colored flosses!

The kids had friends over last night so we were all up till the wee hours of the morning. I charted the new designs while the five of them played tag with the dogs all over the house. I think I deserve overtime pay for putting up with that while working ;o)

I didn't get to work on my stitching last night, nor today at lunch break. I did get my San Man I Love Carrots freebie back from the finisher, it's just darling. It's living on my desk right now as I have no idea where to put it!

I couldn't sleep last night, must have been because summer officially begins today. I love summer! I picked threads and fabric for several new models and finally got them packed up and off my desk. One is a new kind of alphabet, the other is for the holidays--think pets. I paired some strange colors on the alphabet, and it's a little off the beaten path anyway, so I'm really interested to see how it will turn out.

I got two new models back over the weekend. Once I get photos done I'll post a little snip in here, I'm really excited about both of them.

I started Bent Creek's Patriotic Row on my lunch break last week and it's taking shape quickly considering I only stitch 15-20 minutes four days a week. This has been in my to-do pile for years, I'm so happy to be working on it! I'm using R & R Dark Espresso from a long strip I bought from Silkweaver's. I'm a little nervous I didn't leave enough finishing room, we shall see.

In the evenings to unwind I have several round robin pieces stacked up--I must not stitch fast enough! Currently I'm stitching on L*K's Love Lives Here, the roof on the little house seemed never-ending. I finally got it done when I was in the ER with my son Chase this weekend (who cut his finger and needed stitches). He was so funny, he wanted to use some of the Crescent Colours floss for his stitches because the black floss the surgeon used was too boring.

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