A Twilight Groupie

I never thought I would succumb to the whole 'Twilight Frenzy' but thanks to my good friend K (maybe not so much anymore!); I am utterly and literally in love with these movies! Yes, I have become a Twilight Groupie :o)

I'm an avid movie lover to begin with and while I do like some Fantasy subjects, I was never really into the whole vampire thing. Okay, I did watch The Lost Boys when I was younger and still love the movie today but that would have been the exception...until now.

I continually avoided the whole Twilight hype until K said she would lend me her two Twilight movies. I still believed that I was immune. She said once I saw them I would never be the same. "Yah, right!" I thought. Well K, I have to hang my head in defeat because you were correct ;o)

I will go on record here and say that the first two movies were awesome and I have watched both of them twice! I love the chemistry between the characters of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. It completely draws you in. I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for Bella to convert and it's been driving me nuts! I'm not sure if the third movie is still showing at the theatre in the 'little city' so if not, that means I'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD :o(

I've overheard the whole Team Jacob/Edward thing and never understood what it was all about but now I do :o) To be honest, I do like Jacob but I think I'm going to be a Team Edward member. Yes, I know they are vampires and they feed off of animals BUT humans also consume animals so there's not much of a difference in my eyes. I don't like the vampires that are killing the humans. I've really come to love the Cullen family.

This has created a whole new monster because now I want to read all four books! There's only four right? I haven't really heard how close the movies are to their corresponding books but my interest is peaked. Plus I want to know the whole story. Now! I'm not one who likes to wait. I've seen the movie trailers for Eclipse and Breaking Dawn and I want more. Now!

My name is Cathey and I'm a Twilight addict.

A Thursday Thought

"All I can do is be me, whoever that is." ~ Bob Dylan

Celebrations Abound

Wow! I guess when I give out a challenge, people listen. LOL! Since I now have 161 Stalkers (as of today), I'm going to be hosting a giveaway of something that I've stitched :o) The piece I have in mind is one I stitched last year and made into an ornament/pinkeep. It's called Stitch To Win by The Prairie Schooler -

I thought this piece was appropriate since it is a breast cancer pattern coming from a breast cancer survivor! The ornament is sitting on the fabric that I used for the backing. Of course there will be a few goodies put in with it as well ;o)

In order to enter, please leave a comment on THIS post only and include an email address if I cannot locate it in your profile. You do not need to have a Blog in order to enter and I will ship anywhere in the world :o) My in-laws are coming for the weekend so I'm going to leave this giveaway open until Wednesday, August 11. You DO have to be a Pumpkin Stalker to enter but you do NOT have to post this on your Blog if you don't want to.

On Friday I celebrated DH's birthday with our friends, T & K. I did my first 'themed' party and I think it turned out quite well! It was a Picnic Party so the table was covered with a white tablecloth and red/white checked plates and napkins :o) Red balloons and goody bags for the four of us. Yes, goody bags! Do you remember getting those? I included picnicky things like bubbles, glow stick bracelets, Play Doh, bubblegum, tattoos, Fun Dips and more. It was a night for us to be kids again ;o)

For supper the picnic theme continued. I bought cold salads, rolls, chips and beer :o) Right before we were ready to eat, I went into town and got a bucket of KFC. You've got to have fried chicken at a picnic right? LOL! For dessert there was watermelon and...a HAMBURGER CAKE! I wish I had taken a picture of it now. I had first seen it on someone's Blog (I'm sorry I forget whose) and was totally grossed out but when I saw one at the grocery store, I just had to get it. It was REALLY good too! We had a great laugh because K doesn't eat hamburgers but we told her we were able to get her to eat this one ;o)

I want to welcome all my new Stalkers and say 'Hi!' to my regular ones ;o) I LOVE reading your comments because they always make my day. If I ever need a smile, I just have to check my Blog. You guys are the best! Thank you for your support and friendship :o)

Monday's Photographic Memories

While DH was away, I came across a new place (to me) during my travels. It's the best source of sea urchins so far and it's not very far :o)

Moose Harbour


Rock Beach


Rock Beach


Shale


Rock On Wood

150 Stalkers!

Wow! That almost blew me away this morning when I looked at my Blog :o) How exciting! Technically there are only 148 though because there are a few people on there twice. Here's what I'm proposing though...

If I can get two more Stalkers then I will hold a giveaway that will consist of something I have stitched and made into an ornament :o)

If I can get up to 200 (well 202), then I've decided to hold a month long giveaway!!!! Each day I will add something new to the box of goodies and then at the end of the month, I'll draw a winner :o) I saw this on someone else's Blog but I forget who's Blog it was :o( I apologize!

In the event that I do hold a giveaway, in order to enter you must be a Pumpkin Stalker. You don't need to have a Blog to participate just as long as I have a way to get a hold of you if you win. I will ship anywhere so don't let that stop you ;o)

So, who's up for this challenge???? Anyone? Anyone?

A Thursday Thought

Did you know that...

...lobsters have no vocal cords therefore they do not scream when cooked?

...the heart of a blue whale is the size of a small car?

...an elephant's trunk has over 100,000 muscles in it?

...bison are able to run up to 55 Kms per hour?

Okay, the title should have read 'Thursday Thoughts' ;o)

Fourteenth Finish For 2010

This was 'supposed' to be 'Tis Green but I think it's ended up being 'Tis Blue/or/Grey ;o) The design is by La-D-Da and is featured in the current JCS Christmas Ornament Preview Issue -

I left you hanging because I knew it wouldn't take long to finish this one. LOL!

And...TA-DA! Fini as well!

As I indicated earlier in my Blog, it was the fabric that inspired this ornament. The ornament is resting on the backing fabric that I used. Unusual colour isn't it? But oh so pretty :o) It took awhile but I finally settled on Liberty by GAST. I wish it had been a more variegated colour though but I'm still happy with the final result.

This means I have stitched eleven out of the twelve ornament sized pieces for 2010! Only one more to go :o) I figured that since I'm SO close, I might as well stitch the last one. It wasn't hard to choose the one I wanted to stitch either (it's got bunnies in it!). The design is by the talented Danybrod so keep your eyes peeled for another finish soon :o)

Monday's Photographic Memories

I finally got out of the house this past Thursday and I was able to do some photography. I didn't get anything spectacular. It had been a month since I had out my camera. I have a few things to share with you though. I'm not sure what the name of this beach is so I apologize. It's not a very popular one so it was quite peaceful :o)

The Beach


Irish Moss Collectors


Rock Art


Sand Art

Thirteenth Finish For 2010

Run! Run! Run as fast as you can! You can't catch me because I'm the Gingerbread Man :o) LOL!

The mojo must have gone into high gear yesterday because I completed Gingerbread Tree by LHN right before 11pm last night -

Again, I'm very pleased with this finish and the changes that I made. I decided against changing the DMC 221, so in the end I only made two colour changes.

Do you realize that there are TWENTY-FOUR French Knots in this teeny tiny pattern? Ugh! What scared me more was the thought that I had made a huge mistake and would have to frog the gingerbread men on the outside! Thankfully this wasn't the case. If you are going to stitch this pattern, note the extra DMC 221 stitch under the arms of the gingerbread men holding the candy canes. Maybe I'm the only one that didn't notice this ;o) Luck was on my side though because those spots were empty so I just had to go in and fill in that one stitch. Whew! That saved a lot of cursing and swearing you know ;o)

I can see this being finished as an ornament or pinkeep. Nothing extravagant. I'll probably use the same gingerbread fabric that I used for my cube.

What am I going to stitch next? Ohhhh...I have it already kitted up :o) I even have the backing fabric! Actually, this fabric is what shaped the ornament. I'll leave it at that and make you sweat it out for a few days :oP

Gingerbread Men, Mad Dog & Scared Rabbit

Gee, that's quite a title isn't it? You just KNOW that there's a story in there somewhere ;o)

Here is my progress on Gingerbread Tree by LHN -

My stitching mojo has gone out the window lately but I've been slowly plugging away. In reality, this should have been finished by now.

I did change some things with this pattern. Again, I went with the 32 count Light Mocha linen (because I had another cut piece prepared) but I also mixed up the colours a bit. Instead of DMC 712 (I thought this was a weird choice), I went with DMC B5200 and instead of DMC 937, I went with DMC 3363. I am contemplating changing the DMC 221 to DMC 3722 but I'm not 100% sure yet.

Btw, I want to thank everyone for their wonderful comments on my cube finish. It really made my day :o)

On Wednesday night I was woken up at 3:30 am by thunder and lighting. My first thought was that I had to get up and close the windows! As I ran out of the bedroom, I banged into Duncan out on the landing. He was in a state with his tongue almost hitting the floor. You see, he absolutely HATES thunder and lighthning. He was running around like a mad dog when I noticed that he had peed on the hardwood floor just inside the TV room and was tracking it all over the place :o(

Once I was able to corral him into the basement, I was hit with the lovely bouquet scent of s*$@. Yup, he had pooped on the dining room hardwood floor. This did NOT make me a very happy camper >:o( So guess what I did from 3:30-5:30 am? I scrubbed floors. Yes...I was on my hands and knees for two hours cleaning the worst areas. I figured I would deal with the rest in the morning. Well, basically later that day.

Now poor Popcorn was in her own terrible state. I can only imagine how she felt when this 55 pound mad dog came running up the stairs and up to her cage in the dark :o( She was scared stiff. Literally. I had to sit there and pet her until she calmed down enough that I could go back to bed. The poor thing. Needless to say, the three of us were quite tired the whole day.

So yesterday and today I've been hobbling along, stiffer than a wooden board. My Fibro has flared up and the pain is intense :o( Thankfully we had a break in the humidity and I was able to get out and take some photos, therefore stretching out some muscles. Now today looks like another stinker. I think I'll wait until a little later before I stick my nose out the door. It might do me some good to lay down and watch a well deserved movie ;o)

A Thursday Thought

Today you've stumbled across a genie of sorts. She is loaded with information and can tell you things that no one else can. You've been given the gift of her knowledge but there's a catch...you are only allowed to know one thing. You can only ask ONE question. ONE. Dig deep into your brain and think hard because you'll never have this opportunity again. So, if there was ONE question that you wanted an answer to and this was your ONLY chance to find out, what would that ONE thing be?

For me, there have been many questionable things that I've had in the back of my mind over the years and I'm sure they are quite common with other people as well. Things like, are there life forms on other planets, is there a heaven, does Sasquatch really exist, or how does the caramel really get in the Caramilk Bar? ;o)

But out of all the questions that I have swimming around in my head, the ONE I think I would like to know if I ever had the chance would be...when will I die? Now why in the world would I want to know something like that? Pretty gruesome huh?

Well the reason is kind of two fold...for one thing, it would give me an idea of how much longer I'd have to enjoy life :o) If I knew that (part one), then I would be able to plan how to live my life (part two). What if I had little time left to live? Then I would I have to decided what was important and cram a bunch of things into a short period of time. If I had years ahead of me, then I could pace myself and prioritize what I would want to do or see.

Money would also be an issue. With little time to live, I'd spend it all! LOL! Why not go crazy? I could do things for myself and others and not have to worry about the future. On the other hand, if I had plenty of time to live, then I would have to plan and budget for the years that I would have ahead of me.

Not so silly a question to know ;o) What question can you come up with?

Monday's Photographic Memories

I'm going back a bit in time here. These are pictures from one of my favourite beaches :o) Would you believe these pictures were taken on May 22, 2010?

Overlooking Carter's Beach


Carter's Beach


Carter's Beach


Little & Big


Teeny Tiny Crab (about the size of your top thumb joint!)

I Smell Gingerbread!

A gingerbread cube finish that is ;o)

On Tuesday I went to the Little City and bought my cube and then on Wednesday it was the trip from H*@% to the Big City and I was able to pick up the remainder of the supplies that I needed. I didn't have a lot of choice for gingerbread fabric and this isn't what I really had in mind but I think it works :o)

Working with a fabric that has straight lines in it is tricky but I really surprised myself with this finish and how happy I am with it. Btw, this is a no-sew cube.

I wasn't sure about the white ribbon but I like how it makes the white in the design pop. If I had gone with a green or burgundy it probably would have been too hard to match everything up. As it was, I had a hard enough time finding the white wired ribbon!

Since I spend part of last night and this morning finishing my cube, I haven't started my new stitchy project yet. It's still hot and humid here and my energy level is nil! Tonight I hope to sit back, watch a movie and hopefully stitch :o)

Some of you have been asking for pictures of Popcorn and lately it's been hard getting a good one of her. She's got her 'moods' now and I just hope that I did the right thing in adopting her. I've never had a pet rabbit that was this hard to bond with. Don't get me wrong, she is excellent at times and always loves to be petted but I haven't gotten the 'bunny greeting' yet :o(

The good news is Popcorn has learned to use her new glass water bottle! I was using a stainless steel dish that I used with Pickles but Popcorn is a much messier rabbit. It must be a girl thing. LOL! Now she has more room and she can 'pop' all over her cage and I don't have to worry that she'll dump water everywhere.

Here is Popcorn's parting shot for you -

This is the 'invisible bunny' pose ;o)

A Thursday Thought

I don't know about you, but to me things seem to be getting crazier and crazier when it comes to embroidery threads! When I first started stitching 20 years ago, there was just DMC, Anchor and J&P Coats. Since DMC was the most readily available brand, that's the one that I bought.

Over the 20 years, I have worked at getting all 454 colors of DMC. Almost two sets actually ;o) I have a few Anchor threads but DMC has always been my favourite when it comes to your 'typical' embroidery thread.

Now there seems to be two more on the scene; Sullivans and Presencia. It's getting rather confusing because some of the designers are changing over to these new lines. Stitchers are going to have conversion sheets galore or need a lot more storage space at this rate!

What are your thoughts on this? Which company is your favourite? Will you stick with your favourite or will you go out and buy whatever the pattern calls for?

Twelfth Finish

I'm done, I'm done, I'm done! I LOVED stitching this piece :o) Here is Season Of Love by CCN -

Aren't they such a cute couple?

After much debate, I have decided against making this one into an ornament. As I was finishing this piece, it was shouting cube to me and I think it's right :o) I'm on the lookout for some gingerbread fabric and then some perfect ribbon to top it off. I love making cubes! I have to go to the Big City on Wednesday and will hit a few places to see what I can find.

Now it's on to Gingerbread Tree by LHN...

Monday's Photographic Memories

Since it's been so stinkin' hot and now dreary, I thought I would torture you with more flower pictures in hopes of brightening your day :o)

Flowering Dogwood (my favourite!)


Fuchsia (opening)


Clematis


Fuchsia (opened)


Peony