In my last post, I mentioned I was going to rent a car to go to Virginia. Guess what I learned. You can't rent a car without a major credit card, and if you manage to, you still have to be twenty-five to drive it. I was so ready too scream! I understand why they have to do it that way, but it's still irritating.
So we had to wait until Jymi got off work Thursday night, and we borrowed my mom's car. We left Friday morning, and got to Virginia around lunch time. We couldn't afford to go the Marine Science Center, like I planned, but my dad bought the four of us tickets to the circus (he had to work, so he couldn't go with us).
It really was the greatest show on earth, but not because of the clowns or elephants. The best part was watching the boys. We had great seats (they're normally the floor seats; it's a basketball arena) We were in the second row, and close enough to smell the elephants. We were also close enough Tobi got to shake hands with the star clown, which made his day. Darin had fallen asleep by then. They both loved it, but it started at Darin's normal bedtime. He fought it as long as he could, but he fell asleep during the second half. Everything was wonderful.
There were only two problems; everything was so expensive and PETA. My dad gave us some money to get the boys souvenirs, and they each got a light up thing, and they were $39! I told myself the money was going towards the elephant sanctuary. Now I have no problem with PETA's ideals. I am all for ethical/kind treatment of animals. Handing out information on the treatment of the animals in front of the circus is fine with me; I will read it over. When they start handing out comic books that show elephants being hunted and tortured to my very small kids though, that's a different thing. When they are scaring the hell out of my children, that is no longer a peaceful protest. I'm glad I flipped through it before I let them have it.
We got our car, and left Saturday morning. It was a long trip back, especially since we had to stop by my mom's and my sister's before we could go home. Our new car is a 86 Honda, and it's butt ugly. It's was in our price range though, and now I have a car during the day. Which is great, because I don't have anything to feed the boys for lunch, but I can go get groceries.
I've made some progress on Persian Iris Garden. This is going to be last picture of this one for awhile. I'm getting sick of it. I can make good progress when I can make myself work on it, but I never want to. So I think for the moment, I'll focus on Tobi's stocking during the week.
I keep wanting to start something small as a break from all my bigger projects, but the first thing that comes to my mind in Merlin And Aurthur. How's that for a small project? I have kinda decided to start something small once a month, just to break the monotony. I've also halfway decided that this project will be one of the Stitch Every Holiday series, but I can't pick which one. I could either start with the beginning of the series, the beginning of the year, or do whatever month it is. I guess I'll see which one I have the most threads for already.
Yesterday was the Black Swan SAL, and here is Jymi's stocking. I didn't get much done, but I didn't pick it up until nine. We spent Sunday cleaning, unpacking, and relaxing.
Today, after I get some groceries, I'll work on The Castle. I've got plenty more rocks to stitch.
Before I go, here's last week's SBQ. What is the smallest count fabric you have ever used? Did you stitch over one? Conversely, what is the largest count fabric you have ever used? The smallest I've used is 36 ct., and I have one that has to go on 40 ct. to fit in the frame I want for it, but I prefer 28 or 32 ct. I have stitched over one on 25 and 28 ct. I also stitched on 32 ct., and that time I was supposed to. The first two times, I didn't know I was supposed to stitch over two. The largest I've used is probably 14 ct. aida, unless you count over two on 25 ct., which works out to be 12.5 ct. Isn't math fun?

Labels: Family, Jymi, Jymi's Stocking, Kids, New Starts, Persian Iris Garden, Real Life Sucks, SBQ, The Castle, Tobi's Stocking

First, here's a picture of The Castle. I did work on it yesterday for the Teresa Wentzler SAL. Aren't my rocks pretty? Aren't all the colors pretty when they're scanned and not washed out by the flash from the camera? I'm really enjoying it. Today it's back to Persian.
I'm leaving tomorrow, but since I'll only be gone a couple days, I doubt I'll take any stitching. I'm going to spend eight hours in the car driving up, then the afternoon dealing with the new car. After that, we'll have time for dinner and visiting with the boys' godparents. Thursday, I'm gonna take the boys to the Virginia Marine Science Museum. love all the fish and touch tanks. It's very child friendly. They'll also love the otters. They always like to play. There's also a temporary penguin exhibit, and Darin loves penguins. Then we'll have dinner, and come home. I'm hoping that they'll wear themselves out at the museum, so after dinner, they'll be ready for bed, and sleep the whole way home.
Now for the silly stuff. I've been tagged by Julie. Here are the rules. Five Questions and Five Things.
For the first part, 5 Questions - my dear readers can ask me five questions--either in comments or feel free to email them if you'd prefer. I'll answer them in the blog as soon as I can.
For the second, Five Things About Me. Here are the rules: 1. Get tagged. 2. List five things that have not been revealed on your blog. 3. Tag five others.
I can play the flute, the saxophone (though I've had the most practice on a tenor), and a keyboard. I cannot read piano or sax music though. I'm too used to the high notes of the flute music. I can't really read music below the staff.
When I was a toddler, I bit my tongue off. Eww, right? I fell on the kitchen floor, and bit it almost completely off. My mom then had to drive extremely fast in the snow (the one time it snowed in Georgia when we lived there). After they stitched it back on, my mom took me home. It's good thing the cells in your mouth are some of the fastest to heal, because that night I pulled every last stitch out. I guess that was the first time I frogged. I didn't have to have it restitched though. It had healed enough.
I've been reading adult books since I was in fifth grade. In second grade, I was reading on a eighth grade level. The cause of my love for reading was Disney's Beauty And The Beast. The heroine liked to read, and I wanted to be just like her.
I am the only female member of my family with a thyroid, and will soon be the only one with a gall bladder. My mom is going to have hers out soon. I'm supposed to have mine checked regularly, given that kind of family history.
I like kids video games. I can't play shooter games, or Zelda, or anything else like that. I can kick but at Harry Potter and Spongebob games, though.
I saw this on Abi's blog, and I already know I have no life (signaled by a number of eighty-five), but it looked like fun.
(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
( ) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
(X) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
( ) The Princess Bride
(X) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Labyrinth
(X) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
(X) White Oleander
(X) Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
(X) Scream
(X) Scream 2
(X) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
(X) Resident Evil 1
(X) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(X) The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
(X) Finding Nemo
(X) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
(X) The Grinch
(X) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
(X) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
(X) Robots
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(X) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(X) Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(X) King Kong
( ) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
(X) Halloween
(X) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
(X) Flubber
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(X) Hellboy
(X) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
(X) The Day After Tomorrow
(X) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
(X) Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
(X) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
(X) Bad Boys
(X) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
(X) Lucky Number Sleven
(X) Ocean's Eleven
( ) Ocean's Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity
(X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(X) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
(X) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) E.T.
(X) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
(X) War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She's All That
(X) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(X) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( ) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
(X) X-Men
(X) X-2
(X) X3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
(X) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
(X) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(X) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
(X) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
(X) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
(X) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
( ) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
( ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
( ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(X) Base-ketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander
(X) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(X) Shaun Of the Dead
(X) Willard
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(X) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
(X) Kill Bill Vol. 1
(X) Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(X) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
(X) The Matrix
(X) The Matrix: Reloaded
(X) The Matrix: Revolutions
(X) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
(X) Team America: World Police
(X) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
(X) Hannibal
Total: 122, and at least half of what I haven't seen is on my Netflix list.

Labels: Fun Stuff, Movies, The Castle

We had a pleasant Valentine's Day. On his way home, Jymi called to tell me to get the boys dressed; we were going out to dinner. I got him season one of 24 (now he just needs season four, and his collection's complete). I had gone to Target to get the boys Cinderella III and Bambi for the boys for Valentine's. While in the store, I saw they had season one marked down from $60 to twenty! I also went to the bookstore, since I finished Mirror, Mirror. (It had a surprise ending for a retelling of a fairy tale, but it was still a little anticlimactic.) While I was there, I saw they had James Bond 007 Scene It? on the sale table for $20, marked down from fifty. So now when we play, he'll use his to have James Bond questions, and I'll use mine and have Harry Potter.
Jymi was sick again, and stayed home Thursday. So I went to get tags and insurance for the new (to us) car. I actually didn't have to wait much at either place (it's a sign of the apocalypse), but it still took all day. Everything is set for the car now, though. I just have to go pick it up now. If all goes well, the boys and I will rent a car and go up Wednesday.
Friday, Jymi gave me my Valentine's gift, since he couldn't get me what he originally planned. He was going to get me these earrings, but we didn't have the money. They would go with the dragon ring Jymi bought me on our honeymoon. Instead, while I took the boys to my mom's, he cleaned the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. My mom asked to babysit over night for Jymi and I to go out. She was eager to see the boys, and we weren't going to argue with a night off. Jymi and I went to see Ghost Rider. I enjoyed it, but Jymi didn't. I went in expecting it to be stupid, but Jymi thought it would great. Low expectations make movies so much better. It was predictable, but it was a comic book movie, and they're all pretty similar. Afterward we came home, and the two of us cleaned our room and rearranged the furniture.
When I got home Saturday from picking up the boys, Jymi wanted to move the computer into the bedroom. I agreed, on the condition that we finally get some ink for the printer. So I have finally been able to print parts six through ten of Persian Iris Garden! Now I just need the time to stitch them!
He also fixed the scanner. I did work on part four some this week. Not much, though. I haven't felt like stitching much, but I'm getting more into it.
Yesterday was the Black Swan SAL, and I finished the top of Jymi's stocking! It's only been fourteen months since I started it. Obviously, I haven't worked on it much. I hoping to finish it this year with the SAL every Sunday. I didn't work on The Castle Saturday; too much going on. It is on the Q-Snaps though, so I will work on it today.
I'm also behind on SBQs, as always. So here's one. Have you ever been to a stitching retreat? January of last year, my mom took me on the cruise offered through the cross stitch shop. The three days we were at sea all day, we had class for an hour in the morning. More than anything else, it was an excuse to take a cruise, and we had a blast. I worked on my class project in class, and that was it. I have not touched it since. I doubt I'll ever finish it. In 2001, my mom and I went to the CATS show Atlanta. My sister was also moving out of Atlanta and after the show we helped her move. That was a bittersweet experience. On the way down there, my mom told Teresa Wentzler might be there. She was, and I got her Four Seasons Faeries book, and got it autographed! On the other hand, I was fifteen, and just found out I was pregnant. I was scared to death I'd get morning sickness, and my mom would find out. She didn't though, and we had a great time.
Now for the second. Do you like to buy “chartpacks” that include charms, buttons, and/or beads or do you prefer to gather all materials yourself? I don't really care either way. If it's got the beads/charms/buttons included, great. If not, it's no big deal.

Labels: Books, Holidays, Jymi, Jymi's Stocking, Kids, Movies, Persian Iris Garden, SBQ

Here's what I've done stitching wise lately. I've finished Irish Coffee. My last project that used Whisper, I was told to use a (clean) toothbrush to fluff it up. It didn't do much, though. I recently heard someone say try Velcro, so I decided to try it. The first Velcro I could find was on a pair of Tobi's old shoes, that just happened to be by my stitching chair. Jymi came home right as I started. He took one look at me and said, "If I put a shoe anywhere near your cross stitch, you'd freak." He was right. It's all done now, and I'll take it to be framed in April.
Here's my progress on Persian Iris Garden. Impressive, huh? I only spent one day on it so far. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I hate the Silken Pearl. It's a pain! So of course when I screwed up, what did I have to rip out and restitch? The Silken Pearl.
I'm not getting the kit for St. Petersburg any time soon. It's now official. I did go ahead and pay for the class. I guess I'll get what I need when I get there and can afford it. Jymi had gotten his big thing with the tax money already, and felt bad that I wasn't getting mine. Especially since I always put off getting what I want to pay the bills. He offered to sell his Xbox 360 for me. I appreciated the thought, but it wouldn't have paid for the kit, and we would've had to put it toward the bills, anyway. So in a couple weeks, when I sell Jymi's old car, I get the money to put towards it. Jymi's also gonna try to do lead next month, and give me a little of the extra from that. We'll see, though.
I did work on The Castle yesterday. It was only a hour and half, but I made enough progress to feel good about. I showed it to Jymi, who complained he couldn't see anything in it. The boys like to asked what it is, and I show them the book. Every single time, "WOW! A dragon!" Anyway, now I'm off to stitch the columns on part four!

Labels: Finishes, Persian Iris Garden, The Castle

Nashville is over! I can now show pictures of my last two models! Are you ready? First, I stitched Triangularity, the last companion to Labyrinth and Maze. Progress pictures are up in my Webshots, and start here.

The second one is Snowfight: Purple. This is the one that we thought the mail had lost. Now, Blue and Red remind me of Chris and Tobi (throwing snowballs at each other), and this one reminds me of Alex (playing nicely by herself and getting caught in the crossfire. Now I just need one either ignoring the other three, or sneaking up on them, and I'll have Darin. Now I'm tempted to restitch them each and putting the kids names on them. Progress pictures for this one start here. I guess I've stalled enough, so now for the picture!

I have also finished Irish Coffee and started part four of Persian Iris Garden, but I'm saving that for my next post. I don't want to break Blogger with the pictures.
Jymi's been sick since Wednesday. I haven't been stitching since then, because I've been busy taking care of him. We've also had some finacial problems this week, and I've been a bit depressed. I haven't really wanted to do anything but sleep. Thanks to the money problems, it looks like I'm not going to be able to get the kit for St. Petersburg White Nights. Just another thing to make me depressed.
I didn't work on the Saturday and Sunday SALs, but I've got The Castle on the Q-Snaps. I will work on it today for the Teresa Wentzler SAL. Until tomorrow, when I show the pictures!

Labels: Jymi, Kids, Models, Persian Iris Garden, Real Life Sucks, The Castle

I've been doing lots of green things lately. Here's A Wee Bit Irish, which I finished Tuesday, while waiting to pick up Alex from school. Actually, I finished the last shamrock while in line. Once I got home, it seemed silly to stop, since all I left was to backstitch the letters. So I finished it up that afternoon.
Wednesday, both Chris and Alex stayed home from school, and Leon asked me to sit with them, so he could go to work. That was one miserable day. Chris and Alex spend the day in quarantine in Chris' room, per their dad's instruction, trying to keep Tobi and Darin from getting sick. So while I have to play waitress and nurse to them, I also have to try to keep my boys halfway quiet and entertained. By noon, I was sick of watching Noggin with the boys. For those lucky enough to not know what Noggin is, it's a TV station that shows preschool shows from six in the morning until six at night. So after lunch, I went into Kathy's room to watch some grown up TV and stitch. I did finish In Every Nest. When Jymi got off work at 4:30, he stopped by and picked up the boys. Then Chris and Alex could come out. So the three of us played cards until Leon got home.
Thursday, I had asked Jymi to wake me when he left. Leon was going to call me early to let me know whether the kids had gone to school. Jymi leaves at five in the morning. So he woke me, kissed me good bye, and reset the alarm clock for a couple hours later. Does my hubby know me or what? At 5:30, the phone rang. I get up, cussing about Leon calling this early, and it's Jymi. He tells me to look out the window; it's snowing! It wasn't snowing at our house yet, but it was within ten minutes. By the time Leon called, two hours later, there was six inches of snow on the ground. If you click on the picture, you can see it was still falling at the time. It doesn't snow here often, and they cancel school if there's even a chance of snow. Leon asked if I would come over and babysit. I didn't want to drive in all that snow, but I offered to let them come over. Leon said that was fine, but by the time he got here, he'd changed his mind. Chris has asthma, and is allergic to cats. So Leon was worried about him staying all day at my house. He got there and asked if the kids could borrow a couple movies to watch in his office. His theater doesn't show kids' movies. They only show independent/serious/award winner movies. He was hoping that by taking them with him, he could get out early. I was so happy to not have to babysit, since the kids had given me their flu.
That's also why I haven't been around lately. I haven't really been on the message boards, or commenting on blogs. I've been so wiped out, it's all I can do to check my email and bank account. I've been reading, and I am interested; I just haven't had the energy to type out comments. Sorry.
Friday, most of the snow was gone, so I did have to babysit, all day. Leon told me he was going to try to come home after a meeting at two. At seven, Jymi had called me five times, asking if I was ever coming home. I love those kids like they were my own, but by the end of the week, I was sick of them. I agreed to watch them for a few hours after school, not all day, everyday.
I've been working on Irish Coffee. I didn't do my usual SALs this past weekend, because I was still feeling bad. I didn't want to work on something I really had to think about. So I'm almost done with it. I'll do the handle and backstitch today, and finish it tomorrow with the Whisper and button.
Everything I've worked on the past week has been on green fabric. It kinda looks blue in the picture, but the fabric for A Wee Bit Irish and Irish Coffee is Crystal Highland, and yellowy-green.
The last model I stitched had some issues with the mail. It finally got there yesterday, like a week and a half after I sent it. It usually only takes a few days. The good news is I can show pictures next week of my two models! Yay!

Labels: Family, In Every Nest, Jymi, Kids, Models, New Starts, Real Life Sucks