Time Flies

Apparently I've been MIA for over a week. Why does it feel like just a day or two? Things have been busy here in Toadlilyville. Maybe that explains it?

In stitching news, I've been working on My Home Town (MHT) by Carriage House Samplings. I started this project 2 years ago but got bogged down in trying to change the greens. The SAL for this project has restarted on the Legacy BB, so I've joined (again!) and have been stitching like a maniac.

I'm stitching over 2 on 40 ct lambswool, and it sure is slow going. I'm using the DMC conversion, not the silks. Hence the original issues with the colors. Somehow in 2 years time my color taste has changed and now I think these colors look good. Who am I and where did 'Chelle go? Or maybe I should be asking, who was that chick 2 years ago with questionable taste?

In my zeal to get something accomplished on MHT, I completely forgot to start my ornament for the Christmas Ornament SAL. It doesn't help that the two SALs overlap, a fact that I completely overlooked until it was too late to remedy. Ah well, I'll rearrange things in February and all will be well. I finally started my ornament on Monday. I'm stitching the Prairie Moon design from the 2006 JCS Ornament issue. I went to Mom & Me to pick out fabric. Guess what, Michele? I ended up buying Fitzgerald Red! I thought I wanted to completely change the colors, but the 30 ct Fitzgerald is really pretty and I decided to go with it. They had 28 ct but it was a bit too pink for a Christmas ornament. The 30 ct is perfect. Once that was settled I decided to switch the DMC. The red on red was too blendy so I changed the red to 815 and the green to 890. I'm happy with it now. This ornament is serving double-duty for me. In addition to making it my January SAL design, it is also my choice for a kit exchange that takes place in early March.

I enjoyed reading all of your comments regarding my "Setting Goals, Making Lists" post. Annemarie your comments always make me smile. Post-it notes indeed! KarenV I'm intrigued by your Excel spreadsheet, mainly because I'm Excel challenged and I'm convinced that there has to be a better way than using Word. Not that I am really unhappy with Word. I just wish I could wrap my brain around Excel! Monique your suggestion for a "hang it on the wall" list should have come with a spew warning. And a rag to mop up afterwards. Lelia asked it I had considered sending this in as a SBQ...and the answer to that is no. I'm ashamed to say I haven't answered a SBQ for ages, and it just seems wrong to submit questions when I'm not taking the time to answer the questions already out there. Bad, bad me! I'll email you about kitting stuff up...I've already confessed too much stuff here! wink*wink Katrina I'll be happy to trade a copy of my Word list for a copy of your Excel spreadsheet! I'd love to see how it works.

Susie, you mentioned that if you decide not to finish a project, you might not keep it. Do you toss them in the trash like Monique does or find a home for them? Perhaps there is a need for a UFO clearinghouse. Spooky thought, isn't it?

In shopping news, Linda B went with me on January 25th to Mom & Me. We had a great time, as usual. I love to have Linda help me choose fabric. She has a great eye! From there we went down the block to an antique store that is going out of business. Linda found a few treasures and I found this yummy tablecloth for just $10. The green is perle cotton and the black is 2 or 3 strands of floss. It is going to go perfectly with my Warren Kimble dishes.

After grabbing a bite to eat we left Lebanon and went to Rosemary's, a quilt shop in Highland. It was my first time there, and oh my goodness what a dangerous place it is! I have a weakness for fabric, and there were temptations at every turn. And let's not talk about the little antique shop that is over the quilt shop. I went a tiny bit crazy, but it was fun and I'm sure I'll put every piece of fabric to good use. Someday.

In non-stitching news, last weekend we helped a friend clear a fallen tree from her back yard. It fell during the last ice storm. She had most of it cut up so I brought a car full of wood home on the 26th, then went back with Mark on the 27th and we did some cutting. More correctly, Mark and Janet did the cutting. I was content to toss the cut branches into the woods behind the yard. Twice my car was filled with fresh cut pine and looked like this:

Yes, we put these HUGE pieces of wood in the back of my hatchback. If you take a pine air freshener, smash it to your face and take several deep breathes, you'll get the smell-a-vision that goes with this photo. I think my car will have a clean, fresh pine scent for months to come. That's not a bad thing! There is a bit more tree to cut, so we'll go back another day with a bigger saw.

Michele tagged me so I guess I'll be making further confessions and admitting to 6 weird things about myself. I'm narrowing down the list (weirdness abounds) and seeking family input (I don't want to embarrass them *too* much) so please give me a day or two to respond.