Eighth Finish For 2009

Surprise! Can you believe it???? This is my third finish for the month! Yes, I have been very bad and I have wandered away from my current WIPs. Smack! But with all the new Halloween patterns coming out, I felt like stitching a Halloween piece. I knew exactly 'witch' one I was going to do and as I merrily stitched along, I watched Halloween H2O. Seemed appropriate ;o)

This is Stitchie Witchie by Brooke's Books Publishing -

Isn't she cute? I had gotten this piece of Silkweaver fabric (28 count Opalescent Lugana) last year and knew immediately when this freebie came out that I would use it for her. It's called Abracadabra :o)

Now I ran into a few backstitching problems along the way. First off, one ply of white did not show up well on this fabric for some reason. I was quite disappointed. I tried DMC 647 and got the same result. Finally I went with two plies of white and I'm satisfied. The other problem was her nose. Again, it wasn't really showing up well and I didn't want to use two plies on her face. I dug out DMC 435 and used that instead and I think it works just fine :o)

I want to thank everyone who left comments on my previous post. This is a huge venture for me and it means a lot that I have so many wonderful friends supporting me and inflating my ego ;o) Seriously though, I love reading each and every one of your comments. If you just lurk, please take the time to say something. I won't bite. LOL!

I've also had a few people email me about how we faired with Hurricane Bill. To be honest, all we got were heavy rains and wind. When it was over, I never thought much more about it until DH returned from work on Monday night. Apparently there was some damage nearby and today I ventured out to see what happened. This 'was' a road -

The ocean is on the left side and there is a pond/lake on the right. The storm took this road out completely -

I have no idea when they'll begin fixing it. I haven't heard anything.

I was continually keeping my eye on TWC (The Weather Channel) and there were numerous warnings to stay away from the water due to storm surges. What really bothers me is they were showing video footage of people taking their SMALL CHILDREN to the water's edge to watch the storm. WTF? WHY? Why would you, if you were of sane mind, take your young child into a potentially dangerous situation? This really gives me chills after seeing the above damage. I don't think I will ever fully understand why people do such stupid things...

Snap!

Well its official...my status of photographer has been achieved! On Saturday, I sold 15 photos to a gift shop at a popular hotel down the coast :o) They loved my stuff and felt that it would definitely sell.

This is such a positive start to my pursuit. I realize that not everyone is going to like my photos and I accept that. I'm just hoping that the people who do love it will outnumber those that don't ;o) LOL!

Now there is more footwork to be done! I've got lines on shops, craft co-ops, flea markets and craft shows. Busy, busy, busy! But this is supposed to be a good thing right?

Dunna...Dunna...

Dunna...Dunna...

Dunna...Dunna...Dunna

Dunna...Dunna...Dunna...Dunna...

Sound familiar? It should be if you've ever seen a Jaws movie ;o)

Today, DH and I went to Seafest. What is Seafest? I'm not 100% sure. This was the first time we've ever gone to one. After observation today, I'd say it's a festival with entertainment, food and...shark fishing!

Now, I've never seen a shark before and this really intrigued me. Having grown up watching all the Jaws movies, I've always been sandwiched between fear and great interest. One good reason why I will not swim in the open ocean. LOL!

I hate seeing anything harmed but I was just like a kid because I wanted to see a real shark close up...and I did! This little guy is called a Blue Shark -

I even got to touch it!!!! The feel of the skin is hard to describe. DH says it's like sandpaper but to me it's like a pumas stone.

We arrived at a good time because there were two boats that came in with their catch. I've uploaded some pictures into a Picasa album but I will warn you, some of the pictures may be disturbing :o(

The top contender when we left came in at 330 pounds! This was a Mako Shark. I just can't imagine trying to real that sucker in, especially while it was still alive :oS Nope, no thank you.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Not only has it been hot weather wise but I managed to find a hot little find the other day :o) My in-laws had been here visiting from New Brunswick and since it was their first time here, DH and I took them to Mahone Bay on Wednesday to show them the area. Somehow I managed to miss this little store each time we've been there but on that day, something told me to go in and I'm glad I did.

What did my wondering eyes see? Needle felting kits!!!! I can't tell you how excited I was :o) They had all kinds by Woolpets and I had a hard time deciding between the pony and the bunny but in the end this is who won -

It does say easy so I hope I have enough experience to pull this little guy off. So now I'm torn between stitching and needle felting. LOL! DH says that I have too many hobbies. Is that even possible????

I love fun things :o) Who doesn't? Check out these t-shirts. I guess you might have to have a fishy sense of humour to appreciate it though. LOL!

Seventh Finish For 2009

Sorry, it's not Birds & Berries! I was bad and started another project. This was a small one so I figured it was okay ;o) Here is Stitch To Win by The Prairie Schooler -

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I stitched mine on 28 count Waterlily Jobelan. I thought the white was too stark and once I pulled the floss colors, I knew immediately what color fabric I was going to use.

I want to finish this as a little ornament and I thought I had some matching fabric for the back but it's too bright :o( I'll either have to dig a little further in my fabric stash or go see what I can find. Ideally I wanted fabric with the breast cancer ribbon on it but I may have to change my mind in order for things to work out.

So...if you check out my Goals For 2009, I only have TWO projects left to complete and then I have achieved my goal by 100%!!!! Since there are only two ornament sized pieces left, I know I can do it ;o)

Today I had a rotten day because I had to go see the dentist :o( I have to admit though that Dr. R is awesome and I'm really lucky to have gotten in with him but I still HATE going and I still HATE the needle. Okay, I got THREE needles. To top that off, some of the work he did was quite deep and he warned me I was going to be sore when the freezing came out. Great! I'm going to be popping pain killers for the rest of the afternoon :o( How's that for whining? LOL!

Take a look at Sharon's Blog and see who was in the neighbourhood for dinner ;o)

MVP

MVP...usually what's associated with Most Valuable Player but I like to refer to it as Most Valuable Patient :o) In this case though, I'm also referring to my Mitral Valve Prolapse. Early yesterday morning, DH and I drove to the Big "Town" where I had my Echocardiogram. My new Cardiologist, Dr. C, wanted to check up on my heart since it hasn't been done for a number of years. He was hoping this test would be good enough so that I didn't have to swallow that damn camera again >:o(

The results came back positive in that I'm still in the "moderate" rage (the rating system ranges within low, moderate or high) and my heart is working alright even though it's got a bum valve ;o) I got to do the usual fun stuff like watch my valve on screen and then seeing how much blood got regurgitated back. The woman doing the test was telling me that things have come a long way since I was diagnosed back in 2005. If I was rated a high moderate at this point, my valve could be repaired. That works for me! I'll take repair over replace any day :o)

When we returned home, we picked up the mail and I was so excited because there was a package there for me. It was my birthday order from SNT -

Ahhhhh... It was pure bliss going through and touching my new stash. It's been a long time since I've seen a decent haul. The Crossed Wings fabric is just gorgeous! Expensive but gorgeous! Thank you girls for making this happen :o)

I've been a little bad and started a new project about a week ago :oS I really have to examine my head again and see just how many holes I have in there... This is my start of Birds & Berries by The Prairie Schooler -

It looks a little bland right now but I hope once I get the leaves and berries put on there, it will spruce things up a bit.

That leaflet contains four bird patterns and I'm going to stitch them one on top of the other. I hope it will look good when complete.

One last thing before I go, check out Jolene's current giveaway! Now who doesn't like Jane Austen? Good luck!

Nothing But Blue Skies

This was my day today -

Absolutely beautiful in every way. The sun was shining, the temperature was hot but there was enough of a breeze off the water to make it enjoyable :o)

Since moving here to Nova Scotia, I still can't get over the fact that I have beaches just minutes away and sometimes I fail to take advantage of that. The beaches around here all have pure white sand. When your bare feet first hit the hot crystals, they sink down deep, wrapped in warmth. Then, as you walk towards the water, the cool compact sand awaits to cool off your tootsies.

I don't think there is anything better on a hot day than wading in cool salty water, with the waves lapping up against your legs. The sand underneath your feet almost comes alive, like liquid, as it pours away from below your feet, just as if you were standing in actual quicksand. It's such an odd sensation but almost soothing.

When I venture out on one of these journeys, this is when my inspiration really hits. The television, telephone and computer are all left behind and what you are left with is just nature itself. I just can't see enough of the things that surround me. I know some people must really wonder about this odd woman and her camera, who seems to be taking pictures of nothing. Good thing I don't have the two idiots in tow! LOL!

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to vote and giving me your input about naming my photographs. Things are really coming together now :o) Unfortunately I cannot post any of the pictures until I can get them watermarked. I do apologize to those that are interested :o(

In the end, I have decided to name each picture and the name will be placed on a label, attached to the backboard form. I'm still up in the air about my signature but it "will" be on there somewhere. Now off to write up a little bio of myself and that should wrap everything up :o)

Opinions Please!

Okay, I'm going to let the monkey out of the bag. He's been in there far too long and plus, isn't that cruelty to animals? ;o)

Seriously though...over the past month, I have been getting my photographs together in order to sell them :o) I'm going out on a limb and I'm going to expose a part of me that only few get to see. Nerve racking...yes. I'm not sure how they'll do but I've got to start somewhere, right?

I've done the math, bought presentation kits and spoken with a few shops. As I write this, I'm putting the final touches on getting everything together but I'm stalling. My problem? DH thinks that my photos should have names. I'm going to sign and date each picture on the bottom right hand corner of the mat. He believes the name should go on the bottom left hand corner of the mat.

I can see his logic when it comes to some of the pictures. Like...the church in Mahone Bay. Very famous for photos. But then we come to my other pictures that are classed as art. They don't have names and nor do I want to give them names. I want them to speak for themselves. But this is just MY opinion as the photographer.

So...I'm asking, pleading, begging for your help :o) On the right hand side of my Blog, I have placed a survey that is set up for a 24 hour period and I want YOU to vote. Even if you don't leave me comments, at least give me a quick answer to this troubling question. Just think, if you were the buyer of my photography, would you want each individual picture named?

Thank you :o)

Julie & Julia

DH and I went to see this movie on Friday afternoon :o) We'd been waiting for this to come out. DH was the one that brought the movie to my attention, so for his birthday at the end of July, I bought him the book. He seems to be enjoying it because every once in awhile, I'll hear him chuckling. Unfortunately he didn't get to finish the book before he saw the movie but he was okay with that.

They did an excellent job of paralleling the lives of the two main characters. Check out Julie's real Blog! I learned a lot about Julia Child too. There were many things I never knew about her. I didn't even know that she was married! And what can I say; Meryl Streep did a brilliant job of capturing Julia. DH says there is so much more in the book and you get to know the characters a lot better. I'm next in line to read it ;o)

There's something fun about going to a movie on a weekday afternoon. Not only were there very few people there but we were in one of those awesome theatres with the comfortable seats. To top that off, I even got my slushie!!!! Do you know how long I've waited to have one of those???? Pure bliss...

Did I happen to mention that Stanley Tucci acts as Julia Child's husband in the movie? Stanley Tucci. Tucci :o)

Sixth Finish For 2009

That's right! Beach Cottage by Country Cottage Needleworks is complete -

So pack your bags girls because the sand and ocean await you :o)

This was such a fun design to stitch. I'm going to have to dig in my stash to see if I have a frame to fit. That would be the most economical way. I know I have a few frames but what are the chances? LOL!

Since DH and I have moved here, the beach and the ocean have become a big part of our lives. The dogs love going to the beach and acting like complete idiots ;o) Duncan will venture out into the water only so far but little Brie still has her great swimming skills although she doesn't use her back legs while doing so. After she gets out of the water, she runs up and down the beach like a lunatic. LOL! I'm not sure if she's trying to warm up or if the water was that invigorating. You should see her belly though! It went from pink to almost black. Yup, our little girl LOVES to lie in the sun.

The other night I noticed that we are consuming a lot more seafood in our diet. And how could we not when we can eat this whenever we want -

That is one huge bowl of soft shell clams :o) Yum! Shelling and cleaning them is not so fun but boy they taste good. DH has also brought home fresh scallops and fish. We still eat red meat from time to time but not as often as we used to. Chicken still remains high on the list but I'd say it's second to seafood now. I guess that's a good thing.

Well...SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT! Stargazer brought home a first from the Exhibition!!!! On the back of my entry tag the judge wrote "Excellent work". I feel like a proud momma :o) I'm not sure if they have a Grand Champion for cross stitch here and since we didn't go to the Exhibition during the week, I wasn't able to see. That's okay though because I'm happy with the results :o) Unfortunately my photography didn't do well but like DH said, you don't know what the judges were looking for and I went out on a limb with my entries.

It's going to be another scorcher of a day :oP Yuck! The dogs and I just might be hitting the beach again. What a hard life. LOL!

Sandy Beaches

Progress on the Beach Cottage really accelerated this past week -

The landscaping was completed after a trip to the local nursery. I found some lovely pink Cosmos to put along the front. I love the way they sway in the breeze :o)

Since we didn't want to ruin the precious sand dunes, a board walk was constructed and then extended into the water. On hot days, it's nice to be able to sit at the end of the dock and dangle your feet in the cool ocean. Plus we needed something for the giant seagulls to sit on. LOL!

Well, I took the plunge and I'm anxiously awaiting the results. It's nail biting actually. I found information on a local Exhibition (fair) and was able to meet the deadline two weeks ago. Two of my pictures we're entered into the photography class and in the cross stitch class...Stargazer made her debut :o) I have no idea what the competition is like down here but I'll know by tomorrow night when I go and pick up my items!

Wish me luck :o)