GO STEELERS!!!

Here we go, Steelers, here we go!!!

The Crazies!

Well, I am crazy, you all know that.  I did sign up for 2 challenges but on top of that (with good intentions, of course) life just got plain crazy here!  Therefore, even though I 've tried to keep up with the challenges, life has stepped in with it's own challenges. So I haven't had a spare minute to snap one pic of all my cross stitch madness.  Sigh.  I really wanted to share pics with you.

For the Flippin' Crazy Challenge, I finished one WIP (YAY for me!).  I finished Miss Snow Fairy on Friday night.  She's too CUTE! 
I worked on Her Sampler but ended up frogging every stitch.  :(  because I certainly cannot count after 10 PM.
I worked on Alphabets and finished a couple more letters. She's 1/2 way done!
And I worked on BOAF's Friendship Sampler but I'm not feeling the love with my threads so I may restart.
Honestly, this challenge has lit a fire under me to finish some nice Wips.  Kudos to Jayne for her brilliant idea!

I haven't done as well on the 15 day Challenge. I did start LHN's, All Is Calm on 35 count Lambswool linen but that's it.  I got most of the roof on one of the houses stitched using one strand of DMC but HATED the coverage. (Has anyone but me noticed that DMC is very thin now?  I had a skein of older DMC (like 15 years old) and the fibers were much more plump than the skein I just purchased.  Plus there's thickness variation within the newer skein too.) I love how it's coming out now that  went to 2 threads over 35 count.

And there are 2  big crazy things going on in my life right now.
1.  The upcoming work week will be CRAZY because we are hosting our registrar for certifcation to 3(!) standards.  There will be 4 auditors over 5 days. 12 hour days.  CRAZY busy!

2. Mike is getting ready to fly away next Saturday.  He is going to Tindale AFB in Florida for F-15 fighter training for a month.  Then in mid-February both Jenna and he leave for Kadena AFB in Okinawa.  After Saturday, I will not see him for at least a year. Jenna will join him in Dallas in February and then together they will go on to Japan. I am not sure how I feel about it.  Of course, I am SO proud of him.  And I know it is an adventure of a lifetime.  But the Mom in me...well, she is happy that he's got strong wings but sad just the same to see him spread those wings and fly into his life. 

So you see...it's CRAZY here!

Pics to follow soon, probably next weekend sometime. We are going out of town Friday into Saturday so with fingers crossed, maybe the weather will cooperate Saturday afternoon or Sunday and I will be able to get a pic or 3 of my progress.  The weather sucks and there's no light right now.

January 1st

I didn't start anything today but I did pick which ornaments I am going to start for the 15 Day Challenge.  I will kit them up this week and begin stitching them in between Wip busting with the Flippin' Crazy January Challenge.

I decided to stitch the following as my 1st 3 ornaments for the 15 Day Challenge:

Little House Needlework

Red House in Winter

Little House Needlework

All Is Calm

Homespun Elegance

Festive Redbird

As part of the Flippin' Crazy Challenge, I stitched on With Thy Needle and Thread's, Miss Snow Fairy.

I am 95% finished with her.  I thought she would be done before the New Year but we've had company.  Mike and Jenna are here and we've entertained their friends for the last 3 days.  What a great time we had! It was like when Mike was in High School and all his buddies would come here on Friday night for all night video games.  They would play video games all night and that's just what they did for the last 2 nights.  We toasted the New Year to Dick Clark's Rocking New Year's Eve and then off to bed we went. 

I am sorry that my vacation is just about over and then it's back to work.  It's been a great 2 weeks off but once I go back to work, it's going to be insane!  I am sure that after I am there 15 minutes, I won't feel like I've been off at all.  Oh fun, fun!

So, tomorrow, I'll post my progress on Miss Snow Fairy.  She's cute!  I made a change to her and I've stitched her on a larger count fabric to make her into a pillow.  Eventually.  HA HA.  I bought a really cute piece of flannel to border and back her.  I hope that once my craft room is picked up I'll feel like sewing.  I worked on that chore today a bit, it's slowly coming back together.

Anyway, the dogs have been a trial, our shepherd, Daisy, is ok with Mike's dog, Sophie, but there have been a few growls and 2 minor altercations that put me on edge so whenever the dogs get close to each other I kinda freak out.  The David is a little peeved at me right now so it's hasn't been a great start to 2011 between us.

Well, I think that's enough of my blathering...I bid you all a fond good night!  Thanks for coming by!



Winner, Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Ok...here's the big announcement!

This was done so scientifically that I even amaze myself.  HA HA.

All the names were put into a hat.

Shaken, not stirred.

A lucky name was drawn.

And the winner is...
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KATHY!   (Kathy's Stitching and other comments)

Surprise!!!!

See, coming late to the party wasn't such a bad idea!

Please send me your address, and I will get your goodies out by the end of the week.  I still have a house full of company and I won't make it to the post office until I get back to work.

Thanks to everyone who played in the snow with me.  I promise to have another give away soon.  I sorta enjoy this...