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Yesterday, Mom and Dad arrived for a long afternoon of sorting and packing. The 'majority' of my model horse collection got packed up, along with most of my framed needlework. I finally decided that I would trust Mom with my Quiltmaker (not to mention my Stargazer) ;o) I know there will be insurance on all of our stuff but to me, those items are irreplaceable. I definitely DO NOT want to stitch the Quiltmaker a 'third' time. LOL! Maybe I should have mentioned to my parents that our pictures might be taking an extended holiday with them as well...
The house is really beginning to look like it's losing its personality. Our belongings are pretty much packed away now so there are just boxes upon boxes among pieces of furniture. I have less than two weeks left to have everything ready for the movers to take over and overall, I'm pretty pleased with my progress. I've had some great help from both sides of the family though :o) Remember Sweetie...YOU OWE ME BIG TIME! Do I see a pretty blue box in my future????
It never fails though. No matter how hard you try, you can never predict what to pack and what not to pack. I thought I was being so careful, trying to think ahead of time of things that I might need in the future but today I ran into my first problem. And in retrospect it was something so simple too! Can you guess? Pliers. Yup, a measly pair of pliers (maybe I should ask Santa for this). And what did I need them for? Finishing my last stitching ornament. LOL! And since this piece is for my secret ornament exchange, I can't share any details :o( I certainly have you wondering though, don't I? ;o)
As of later today, that ornament will be completed. The stitching that is. The finishing will be done later this week when I get my hands on a pair of pliers. So that means that I will have achieved the number of ornament sized pieces for this year! The only things left on my list are one small and one medium stitched piece. I have one month left. Well, not quite when you factor in moving, DH coming home, Christmas and our possible trip. I still see it as a challenge though! I have the two pieces in mind and I know I have all the supplies. How many days can one go without sleep? Is it possible to teach a dog to stitch? ;o)
That's right! Stargazer arrived last night :o) Here's a picture of my beautiful girl -
I did get glass put on her so I'm having a hard time getting a really good picture. Plus the fact that it's dark and dreary out again today :o( The frame is silver with a tint of gold but it looks more gold in the picture. I know I made the right decision not to include a mat. She just looks stunning as is and she's going to fit in nicely with my other two lovely ladies :o)
If you're ever in Moncton, New Brunswick, look up Elite Framing Gallery because he is awesome! This is the second piece that he's framed for me and I'm extremely happy with his work. This was just a simple project for him. He's does custom mats and some of them are incredible!
I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with friends and family :o)
It's that time of year and luckily I didn't forget again :oS You see, Brie has been going to see Santa every year (minus one) since she was born. Unfortunately last year it slipped by and before I knew it, 'I' was the one in the 'dog house'. LOL! I enjoy going to these visits as well because all the money raised goes to help our local SPCA.
Sunday morning I got up, grabbed Brie and into the tub she went for a bath. I didn't want poor Santa to pass out from her notorious body odour ;o) I went through her wardrobe and picked out a cute snowman hanky to put around her neck. Surprisingly, when I told her we were going to see Santa, the car ride didn't seem so bad. Why did I end up with such a smart dog????
My biggest concern about the visit was whether she would poop or pee on Santa :oS Since her surgery, this can be a little unpredictable when she's excited. Thankfully, all went well and these are the shots we got -
As you can see, she was given an added decoration around her neck. I was a little perturbed but I'm happy with the results. Since Brie was such a good girl, we went through the garden center to the ice cream counter and I bought her a little treat :o)
Unfortunately we didn't manage to get out of there without her peeing on the floor but that was partly my fault. And plus, with all those dogs, what do you expect! I was proud of her none the less :o) Little one had such a big day that she slept most of that afternoon. I wonder what she asked Santa to bring her for Christmas...
Yes, there actually is such a thing! On Friday, I had the Junk Genie come out to the house and work its magic :o) It really was as easy as wiggling your nose, albeit I had done 'a lot' of work beforehand to get things ready. When they arrived, all I had to do was sit back and point to what needed to go.
I never expected an actual garbage truck so I was worried that the old bathroom fixtures, mainly the tub, wouldn't be taken and it would mean one more thing for me to get rid of. I asked the guy if they could take it and I was surprised when he said yes. I asked him if he was sure because it was a 'steel' tub. Yup, no problem! Have you ever seen a steel tub being compacted by a garbage truck???? Cool :o)
So now the barn is empty. The tarp building is empty. The chicken coop is empty. And the garage and basement are free of most unwanted items. I feel like such a free woman now. LOL!
Yesterday I had the opportunity to have a 'girl's day' with Katie and Faith Ann and it was fantastic! Not to mention, it was much needed too ;o) When I finally got there mid-afternoon, the girls were already into their work. Katie was stitching a pattern by Dragon Dreams and Faith Ann was playing with her scrapbooking stash. Her Cricut is quite a machine.
We munched on a delicious Chex mix and had Faith Ann's famous strawberry lemonade drink. For supper, we ordered out and enjoyed some yummy Chinese food from one of the local restaurants. By the end of the meal, our guts were busting so the girls decided it was time to introduce me to the Outdoor Challenge game for Wii. The mat was placed on the floor and I was told all I had to do was run on the spot and jump whenever I came across an obstacle. If it were possible for a game character to 'crawl' across the finish line, mine would have. And I was on the 'beginner's' level! I definitely won't be accompanying Faith Ann on any of her marathon runs. ROFL!
After supper, I showed Katie how to make a pinkeep. Hopefully she will post a picture of her finish because I never brought my camera :oS She did an awesome job! I really wish I could have taken a picture of all the stuff that she brought with her! She even had a suitcase!!!! LOL! There was a lot of procrastination on Faith Ann's part but she finally picked up her stitching only to frog out what she stitched on Wednesday night :o( She did manage to get quite a few Christmas tags done so I guess you can say that she did some work ;o)
My ornament progressed nicely and I'd say just one more day and the stitching part will be complete. The 'idea' I have in my mind is to find some red and white peppermint fabric for the backing but I have no clue whether that exists or not :oS Me thinks I might have to come up with a plan 'B'...
Before I close, I just want to thank everyone who stops by my Blog. Whether you leave a comment or not, it makes me happy to know that I can bring a smile to someone's face from time to time :o) There have been a lot of new readers and I feel so bad that I cannot read your Blogs at the moment, but please know that I LOVE reading your comments! Things are going to be very hectic for me until the start of the new year so that is why I cannot reciprocate at this time. I don't want anyone to think that they are being ignored :o)
Be honest, how many of you raised your eyebrows when you saw this title? ;o) It just so happened that two of the dirtiest words in my vocabulary came up this past week. Ugh!
Snow - yes, that is a dirty word in my books ;o) We had our very first snow flurries this past Wednesday. I really shouldn't complain since we've been so lucky thus far but I refuse to let it snow before I move! LOL! Whether I will be that lucky remains to be seen. Today, I finalized the moving date for December 12. That's when the movers come in and do their thing and I'll be off to my bachelor pad ;o)
Just because it hasn't snowed doesn't mean that it hasn't been ccccold! This was the week that temperatures took a big U-Turn. Our mild temps said farewell and Jack Frost took over. My thumbs have already been frozen more times than I can count. The frost will definitely be starting to settle into the ground now, making way for...snow :o(
Ma'am - that word seems harmless enough doesn't it? Well, not in my books, especially when it's referring to me! I was in Canadian Tire this past week. I was just on my way out the Exit at the same time as this guy. I'd say he must have been in his late teens. Anyway, he stopped to allow me through first and said "You first ma'am." Huh? Did I hear him right? Yup. I looked around to make sure he was talking to me. No one else there. Me a ma'am???? GG!
I got in the car and my head was just reeling. I couldn't believe it! Holy crap, I'm only 37 and I'm being called a ma'am? Isn't that word reserved for someone like my mother or grandmother? Do I really look that old? Please tell me I don't look older than my age. Did you know that the actor, Daniel Craig (James Bond), is the same age as me? If I didn't tell you that, how old would you think he was? Myself I thought late forties. Now granted he is a good looking man but PLEASE don't tell me that I look that old at 37 :oS Ahhhhhhhhhh!
I am happy to report that Stargazer will be traveling down to Moncton tomorrow for her frame fitting :o) The frame I picked out is so gorgeous! Expensive too but we won't talk about that... Hopefully she'll be ready to come home by next week. Even though she'll just go into storage, I'm happy to know that she'll be finally complete and one day soon I'll be able to just gaze at her myself.
Now that Tot is done and hidden away where I can't see her, I can concentrate on a few little projects that must get done. Unfortunately they are secret ones so I won't be able to share pictures for awhile :o( This will be a nice change of pace for me and one I'm looking forward to. Should I mention that one does require a few beads? Bah! I'm sure it won't push me over the edge ;o)
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!
Ha-lle-lu-jah!!!!
She's done! DONE! DONE! DONE!
DONE!
Can you hear all that shouting? Well, that would be me because Tot is DONE!!!! Tout fini :o)
So...without further ado, may I present Halloween Fairy (Tot) by Nora Corbett -
I cannot tell you 'how' happy I am to finally have her finished. Whew! And I probably couldn't have done it without you guys pushing me to do so. You all deserve a HUGE thank you :o)
I made a few changes with Tot but nothing that is seriously noticeable. I really didn't like the light coloured thread for the backstitching on her hands so mine is dark and her thumbs harder to see but that's okay with me. I also used just one strand of Kreinik throughout. Now, Tot will go into hiding for a bit because my eyes need a break ;o)
I was supposed to go see my Gram today but seeing that everything was going against me since the alarm went off, I decided to put it off until tomorrow. I'm a little excited because I'm going to be bringing a little friend with me. Moncton has one of 'the' best framers around here so Stargazer is going in for an estimate and possibly a frame :o) Fingers crossed that it will be in my price range.
Things here are progressing nicely. As I already stated in my November 4 post, I do have an apartment for December 1. I know some of you were wondering if the 'kids' will be able to come with me :o) Yes and no. Brie will come to live with me but Duncan and Pickles will be going down to my in-laws. I was going to keep Pickles with me as well but due to my lack of space, he'll be on an extended vacation.
I've called around and now have enough quotes from moving companies. All I need to do now is make a decision of which one to go with. My plan is to pack most of the items myself but they'll be packing all breakables. I'm aiming to have them here the second week of December. So between now and then, I have to pick up some boxes and pack my share, as well as arrange for a dumpster in order to 'dispense' of the 'junk'. LOL!
As far as I know, my email address will remain the same until we move out of province. DH set me up with a cell phone before he left so that will take over as my main phone line. In a few weeks, I'm going to the post office to rent a PO Box therefore my address and phone number will be changing. I will be having my mail forwarded though so hopefully that will pick up any stragglers left behind :o)
How organized does that make me sound? LOL! One thing I do know, it's going to be a very busy two weeks in December :oS
It's that time of year again when people are flocking to the malls in groves with Christmas lists clutched in their hands. They walk along with a look of stupor on their faces; in their own little worlds. Don't you wish you could just skip the crowds and let someone else handle things? Well look no more because I, Pumpkin, am here to help you this holiday season :o)
If you're like most people, you've got that one person on your list that just has it all and every year it's the same thing...you're climbing the walls trying to find them the perfect gift. Unique is usually the way to go and believe me, I've picked some unique items for you to check out. LOL! So let the countdown begin...
10 - I figure that the majority of people will never venture into space in their lifetime so why not bring the outer space experience to them with Astronaut Ice Cream! It comes in three flavours; Neapolitan, Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chocolate Chip. Try it and pretend you're an astronaut, even if it's only for 15 minutes. I can't guarantee how good it is but I 'can' guarantee that it won't melt ;o)
9 - You know, I don't think people give fish enough credit when it comes to having them as pets. They really are intelligent, just under educated, so why not expand your fish's education with the Fish Training School Kit :o) Who knows, maybe this might turn into a booming business some day. LOL!
8 - Are you one of those people who love to annoy others? If yes, then this is the perfect gift for you! The Electronic Drum Kit Shirt can be taken anywhere; the doctor's office, on the bus, waiting in annoying line-ups. And you don't have to be musically inclined! Just tap away to the beat of your own drum ;o)
7 - Okay, I had to add this next one because I have issues with room temperature drinks. I like my drinks COLD! The colder, the better :o) With the USB LED Beverage Cooler, all you have to do is plug it into your computer and voila...a cold drink right within reach. Also note that it's the perfect size for those little sample liquor bottles ;o)
6 - If you're like me and love useless gadgets, you're going to love the R-C Desktop Forklift! How fun would it be to play with this during those slow excruciating hours at work :o) Want to rearrange your desk? Let this little guy do it for you!
5 - Having a bad day? Stressed about something? Dealing with useless twits all day long? Then the Dead Fred Pen Holder would be just perfect for you. Jab Fred multiple times and feel all those tense muscles starting to relax, while knowing that you've let go of that anger but no one was seriously hurt ;o)
4 - How many times have you gone into the fridge to extract a container of food, only to find some mysterious goo that once might have been spaghetti sauce? With the Atomic Food Containers, you won't have this problem anymore! These containers can date themselves. The downside? You're no longer able to watch fuzzy stuff grow. LOL!
3 - Do you have trouble saving your change? I know I do! That's why I highly recommend the Bomb Bank. Stop feeding it the coins and this bomb will explode your savings all over the place. Now who wants to clean up a mess like that? ;o)
2 - I'm sure anyone would find this next gift useful. The Animated Driving LED Emoticon lets other drivers know how you feel. The only problem I can see is that mine would constantly be on the pissed off mode. Yea, I seriously need to get one of these....
And you 'know' that I've saved the best for last ;o)
1 - I apologize now because this may seem a little crude to some but I think it's HILARIOUS! The number one pick wins by a landslide and is awarded to...the Humping USB Dog!!!! Plug this little rascal into your computer and just watch him go. There is no need to say more ;o)
After Stargazer was completed, didn't I state that I was sick and tired of beading? Didn't I also say that I absolutely HATED working with that blankity-blank invisible thread? Then WHY did I ever consider stitching Tot in the first place???? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
You know that love/hate relationship that I've mentioned before, well...I'm definitely in the 'hate' stage with her. I know I'm SO close to being done but all I see right now are beads, beads, beads! I just want her DONE! I know if I put her down, I'll never pick her back up again. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
By looking at the amount of time I have left this year, I don't think I'm going to meet my goals that I set out in January :o( Grrrr! It was so achievable too! Of course I didn't really figure that my life would be turned upside down for half of 2008 :oS I truly don't need more stash. What I 'really' need is a pair of extra hands. Do you think if I ask Santa, he'll find some for me? ;o)
Edited - ***Please visit Chiloe's Blog for a great contest she's holding!***
I've done a lot of stash organizing over the past few weeks and I've come to the following conclusion...I'm going on a Stash Diet. Yes, you heard that right! As of November 1, I have gone cold turkey and I expect to last until my birthday in June. Is this really doable you ask? I think it might be and here's why I think so...
The Canadian dollar...well...it sucks right now :o( Even with great sales, it's not cost effective to order anything from the US. We've been really lucky over the past year or so but all good things eventually come to an end. Maybe someday it will return to the great state it was. At least gas is down to $0.879 per litre :o)
I'm almost afraid to say this but after going through my stash, I think I have reached S.A.B.L.E., or very close to it. Okay, pick your jaws up off the floor ;o) But if you saw what I just went through, you might even agree with me. LOL! I know there will be tons of new stuff coming out but shouldn't the stash already acquired be used first?
Of course, there are a 'few' exceptions ;o) As we all know, it doesn't matter how many skeins of DMC you have, there will always be one color that you don't have. So occasional skeins of floss are allowed. Magazines. Since these only last for a few months at a time, they qualify for the 'exception clause'. That doesn't mean that I'm going to buy every cross stitch magazine that comes out, just those that hold enough interest to make it worthwhile.
And finally, on Friday I received my final package from Drema :o) This was put in just under the wire on October 30. LOL! Look at all the goodies -
So there you have it! I'm taking on the challenge :o) Anyone else on the Stash Diet or want to be? Maybe we can sponsor each other, keep each other in check. LOL!
On Friday, I also received another little package in the mail and this was a total surprise! Suzanne made the following pumpkin fob for me -
Isn't it adorable!!!! If this was your first one Suz then I'd say there are many more to be made in your future :o) Thank you SO much!
I'm sorry that the pictures aren't that great but it's been so dark and dreary here lately. That and the fact that my photography mojo has been non-existent :o( I am happy to report that I have been working on Tot and I should hopefully have a finish to show you very soon ;o)
Well, as of December 1 I will be and I've got my own bachelor pad to prove it ;o) LOL! Today I found myself a place to stay throughout the winter. It's small but at least it's furnished. I thought a lot about my situation and the only thing that made sense was to find something that was furnished and then that way, I can get everything packed away, besides what I need of course.
Anyway, the room is cute and quaint :o) I've got a queen size bed, couch, television, a table with two chairs, a little kitchen area (with stove, fridge and microwave) and a separate bathroom. It may sound like there's lots of room but believe me, there's not! I had hoped to bring along most of my stash but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm really going to have to plan and strategize. But guess what! I will FINALLY have high speed internet!!!! WOOHOO!!!!
So now that I have that out of the way, my next step is to get someone in here to give me an estimate on how much it will cost to pack and store all this junk, err I mean...stuff ;o) WHY do we accumulate so much stuff over our lifetime???? Why? We have already purged approximately three car loads of it to anti-poverty and there is 'still' more. This might be a good way to clean house though ;o)
I'm quite proud of myself because I've been organizing my stash and now it's a little more 'user friendly'. I spent about a month going through all the freebies that I had on the computer and CDs and put them into one huge database. It was an incredible amount of work but it will be so much easier to find things. I also took all the freebies that are not in the database and organized them into a binder. I used another binder to store all the patterns that I have already stitched. This created more room in my existing pattern drawers :o)
I bought a couple of totes and one holds my afghans and the other my other completed projects. Hopefully this will keep them safe and clean. I'm still nervous about packing up my framed stitching but hopefully one of the moving companies will have had experience with that. If worse comes to worse, my parents have offered to store them for me. Come to think of it, that might not be a good idea because I might not get my Quiltmaker back from my mother...
Yup, that's right! That's what the real estate sign looks like on our front lawn :o) The house is S-O-L-D. Everything has gone through; water test, inspection and financing so it's official. DH and I are very happy with our realtor, for a number of reasons, one being that we got the price that we had hoped for :o) The buyers are actually the first people that came to see the place. Hopefully they will enjoy their new home.
The reality that I will be leaving this place has hit harder than I thought it would. As much as I have loathed looking at an empty barn and pasture for the past four years, I do have a lot of wonderful memories that were created here. This is where my childhood dream began but it is also where it ended :o( This chapter in my life will finally be closed; something I have been avoiding since the horses left. I'm hoping this is the break that has been needed for so long.
My next problem...I have to be out of here by December 30 so now I have to find another place to live :oS I think I mentioned before that I was going to move in with my parents but after a lot of thought, I have decided against it. Why? Well, let's just say that I'm not the easiest person to live with ;o) DH, Duncan, Brie and Pickles can attest to that. LOL! I have to say that apartment hunting is not as fun as I thought it was going to be. I did some calling around this morning and so far I think I only have three prospects.
It's officially been a week since DH left but let me tell you, it feels like a month :o( I was actually doing really well at the beginning but then I think the reality of it all finally hit. I'm a bit overwhelmed with everything that's going on right now. Although my Gram is still in the hospital, I am happy to report that she is more like herself than she was a week ago. I went with Mom and Dad on Saturday to see her and it was SO good to see her smile and her eyes light up :o) She still looks very frail. We're pretty sure that she will not be returning to her home as it looks like she will need assisted care. It's so hard watching someone you love disappearing before your very eyes. The last time I was in that hospital was when my grandfather died back in 1980.
I want to thank everyone for their kind comments that were filled with support :o) As I read each one, it made me smile. It's good to know that there are still wonderful people out there, people who know how to show compassion and who always have a hug for a friend in need. You ladies are truly the best!
