So...long time, no post...

I think it's only been a week...but it feels like so much longer than that!

I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing holiday weekend.  We here in Philly had our first heat wave of the season, and it's not officially summer yet.  It was 96 degrees yesterday.  I hate to say it folks, but I think we're in for another scorcher of a summer.  I am totally ok with this, since I will take the heat over snow and ice and cold ANY DAY of the week.  (Although....the unexpected snow day from work still makes me giddy like a school girl...haha!)  Today was MUCH cooler -- topping off at 76 degrees and breezy.  It was absolutely beautiful out!!

Enough of this boring, old lady talk about the weather.

In the spirit of Memorial Day, Paulette of Plum Street Samplers posted a lovely little freebie in remembrance of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  Visit her post to get your copy!  She always has such lovely graphs :-)

In my week-long absence, I've been working on a few things.  First, I finished the piece that I designed for my friend at work - she had her baby on Friday, and I can't wait to give her the announcement!  I'll post pictures at a later date -- I want her to see it first before I start spreading it all around :-)  I did post a little teeny tiny preview of it way back when -- it's the Irish blessing.  It turned out absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to share it.  I hope you can withstand the anticipation :-)

I showed you last week my finish of "Garden Fresh" by Little House Needleworks.  Well, I couldn't stop there, so I continued right on with the companion piece that comes with the kit -- "A Stitch in Thyme".

I plan on finishing this as a needlebook, just as Diane has the model finished, but mine will be a smidge smaller.  The model was stitched on 32 count linen; I chose 40 count.  My fabric is an overdye from Silkweaver which I absolutely LOVE.  Unfortunately, I cannot give the name of the color, since it was not labeled when I bought it.  I searched the Silkweaver website, but couldn't really find something that resembled it.  I may have missed it.  If any of you can match it, let me know!  It's a really great neutral color, with splotches all over the piece.  (I forgot just how big a fat half is...and of 40 count to boot.  I'll be stitching on this for a looonnnnggggg time.  Be prepared to see this fabric often in my work.  haha!)

I also finished "Pumpkins Three"...but totally forgot to take a picture of it.  It turned out fabulous, and I promise to post a picture of it before the weekend is over.

Just as I was leaving my craft room tonight, I stumbled upon this cute little summer ditty that I did last year --

This one is from Lizzie Kate, and is stitched on 32 count blue overdyed fabric.  Alas, as it's been a year since I finished it, I'm totally cluefree as to what the color name of this fabric is or who makes it.  I believe it's very similar to what I stitched Cricket Collection "Summer" on, but I can't be 100% positive.  I'll be putting some cording around the outer edge and attaching a magnet so I can hang it on my file cabinet at work.  (Yes, I know.  I keep saying I'm going to hang things at my desk at work.  You have NO idea how B-O-R-I-N-G my cube walls are...I have to spice it up with floods of color...and, at the moment, I do that with a myriad of Post-its.  Makes me look like a crazy stationery hoarder.  Wait...)

That's all I have for you today, ladies and gentlemen.  I hope to post again over the weekend -- I'm forcing myself to totally finish the other baby announcement I'm doing, along with maybe some scrapbooking.  Hopefully it'll stay cool enough so I can spend a longer period of time in my craft room than I could when the heat index was that of the surface of the sun.  Fingers crossed.

Do something creative today!

So...about that progress...

On Friday, I told you that I'd started the Little House "Garden Fresh" instead of plowing through a baby announcement.  I also told you that I'd update you on my progress.  Well.  This is my update.

It's finished!  For those of you going, "Well, goshdarnit.  What did you do, stitch 24/7??"  My answer is nay, I did not.  This is a really quick stitch, I promise!  Not as quick as this was, but still quick!  I love the thread color choices for this pattern.  This particular graph comes as a kit -- you get both the above graph, plus "A stitch in thyme" pattern for a needlebook (you don't get the needlebook -- that was sold separately) and all the threads you'll need for both patterns.  They're all Crescent Colors -- Weeping Willow, English Ivy, Blackbird, Bamboo, and I can't remember the name of the red or yellow in there.  Dang.  I'll post later...if I remember to check the graph...

Aren't the little daisy-like flowers on the sides cute? :-)

Once I was done with that pattern, it was off to the next....

I KNOW, I KNOW, it's a fall pattern, which we should all be running from, since we're finally, FINALLY about to break into summer here, but I had to do it.  This is called "Pumpkins Three" by La-D-Da.  I chose 32 count Desert Sand, which I also used for my Cricket "Autumn".  I do so enjoy the color -- it's perfect for doing fall patterns -- but the texture of it is kinda strange.  It's very stiff...much like a burlap bag.  Oh well.  It looks perfect with the color I chose, which is a rusty orangy reddish DMC color 918.  Love it!

I'm addicted.

Totally, 100% addicted...to paper crafting.  I mean, I do scrapbooking, but I've only just become adept at using stamps and embossing powder to make it that much more fun.

Last night, I ate a quick dinner, then grabbed my radio (I can't miss the Phils...and boy did they hand it to the Reds!!  Nice work, boys!) and headed up to my craft room.

Remember this awesomely fun stuff??  Well...I had a blasty blast with it all last night!!

I've been meaning to make some cards for a while now, and I figured on this dreary Monday night (yet again...) I would hide away on the third floor and get to it.  I had SO much fun with my new favorite toy -- the heat gun for embossing.  Hooooo boy it is just too cool to watch that powder melt to a glossy finish on your paper :-)

Anyways...I went into my stash of random scrapbook paper, and was able to match a couple with the purple and blue cards I had chosen from Paper Source.  I made 8 cards total, but I'll only show you a few of my personal favs --

I apologize for the glare...but I just LOVE that purple!!!  I think for me, the most fun was doing the envelope inserts, since they were SO easy, and it was instant transformation!!!  It makes each envelope so unique, AND, I was able to coordinate the inside of the envelope with the card!!  Wayyyyy too much fun!!!!

Again - apologies for the glare, but isn't this fun??  :-)  I love that green, and how it works with the patterned paper and the purple card :-)

This is the blue version (obviously)...in my effort to reduce glare, they came out just a smidgen dark, so I hope you're able to view them ok.  I had a ton of fun with these colors, too!

For real...way too exciting to work with stamps and coordinating embossing powder.  I was totally absorbed in all of this, and totally lost track of time!  But, in all honesty...isn't that the best...??  To be totally engrossed in your craft/hobby, and get lost in the creation?!

For the final touch on the envelopes, I took a stamp and the clear pigment ink, and stamped the tip of the envelope flap.  Then, I covered it in purple embossing powder, and...taa daaa!!!

A fun little notey note on the back for the recipient to see just as they're opening the card!!

As you can see, I had quite the night last night, and can't wait to do it all again!  Now, imagine all the fun I could have if I had a Cricut Expressions machine........

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row!  I had to look up one of the words in the lyrics to that nursery rhyme, and I had forgotten that it was based on Mary Tudor's reign in England after her father, King Henry VIII, passed away.  Finally.  Her reign was for a mere 5 years before her sister, Elizabeth I, came to the throne, but she managed to execute approximately 300 people during that time.

I digress.  European history just fascinates me...

As of yesterday, I have finally reemerged into the land of the living.  I have been SO SICK it's not even funny.  This z-pack is barely making a dent, although if I hadn't called the doc for it on Monday, I'd be in much worse shape.  Tuesday and Wednesday I couldn't even get out of bed, I was that sick.  Yesterday, I was finally able to sit upright and move around the house a bit, so I got up, and sat myself in the den for some bad daytime tv, and began to stitch.

I'm still working on Katie's baby gift.  I know, I know...I should be done this already!  I feel terrible, but I just can't bring myself to finish it.  I think because I'm so sick of all the pastel colors, it's deterring me from completing it.  I did work on it, but not as much as I probably should have.

Instead, I ran upstairs to my craft room to see what other project I could work on to decorate my house.  I had two finalists (I have an entire hanging file storage full of patterns...I'm sure most of you are in the same boat...), and I ended up choosing "Fresh Garden" from Little House Needleworks.  It was a release at the Nashville Market this past year, and I fell in love with it.  I did not get the pin cushion or needlebook -- I plan on making my own needlebook :-)  I'll post pictures, not to worry, but I have to assemble my sewing machine accouterments and get some threads before I can get started on that project...and many other actual sewing projects that I have lined up...

Anyhooter, since I was able to sit upright yesterday, I was able to stitch after catching up on 3 weeks of glee (yes, I'm a gleek, and I can't believe I missed 3 straight weeks!  Thank you, FOX, for FINALLY putting your shows on demand!!!!), and this is what I was able to accomplish --

Now, the graph calls for Light Mocha linen which is straight up B-O-R-I-N-G.  I am so sick of these designers having a love affair with mocha linen for fun pieces like this.  Spice up your stitching life, for crying outloud!!  Live a little!! I chose 32 count Mello from Picture this Plus fabrics.  I love it.  It's neutral enough, yet it has some streaks of a greenish hint to it. I thought this went well with the greens and other earthy tones for this piece.  Cool, huh?!  I think it kinda looks like a seed sack, which is perfect :-)  I'll keep you updated on my progress...

Next stop -- the rose bushes on the side of my house.  It was raining when I went to take the trash out tonight (as it has been almost every night this week), but I couldn't resist taking pictures of the roses that have started to bloom on the side of my house.  For those of you who don't know, I have huge azalea bushes and rose bushes all along the side of my house, but I didn't know what color they all were until they bloomed, since I moved in before blooming time.  Well, the azaleas have all bloomed (I have gorgeous pinks and a really vibrant coral, but alas, no purple), and now the roses have finally started opening their buds.

This is what greets you on the driveway between my house and my neighbor's --

How gorgeous are these?!?!  These are both from different bushes -- the one on top is a brighter pink than the one on the bottom -- and the one on the bottom appears almost velvety.  Beautiful.

Just stunning.  I'm glad my camera was able to pick up on the light interior of these petals, despite the dark and rain in the atmosphere.  So, so pretty.

 This one, however, is my FAVVVVVV.  It's peach tipped in pink!!!  How awesome is THAT?!?!!!  I can't wait to see this bush in full bloom!!!

That's it for now -- I need to go keep getting healthy.  I forgot how horrible it is to be this sick...ugh....

Do something creative today!! :-)

Beware: Attack cat on the prowl.

Nowhere is safe.

Rain, rain, do NOT go away!!!

I have never been so happy to see steady rain in my life!!  My allergies don't normally bother me until the fall with the leaves and mold, but this year, the spring allergies hit me like a brick wall.  I've been laid up all weekend fighting hideous allergies which have turned into a cold.  No infection (yet), so here's hoping I don't need to take a trip down Antibiotic Alley, which is usually where I end up.  I can never have "just" a cold.

Whilst being laid up on the couch, I haven't felt so bad that I can't multi-task while watching some of my favorite shows (The Golden Girls and Frasier reruns have kept me going.  Hello hilarity!!).  I decided to work on something for me, so this is what I was able to accomplish this weekend --

It's called "Coffin Buzz" and it's a freebie from Paulette Stewart, designer of Plum Street Samplers. I'm a coffee fiend (if you couldn't already tell...), so this is just perfect.  I stitched it on 40 count Antique Almond by Silkweaver.  I plan on finishing it in a rustic frame and hanging it at work to add a little character to those battleship grey walls that surround me for 9 hours a day.

My house is coming along, slow but steady.  Most of the painting is done on the first floor, with the exception of the woodwork in the den and dining room.  I started painting the trim in the living room this past week with the most important part -- the bookshelves.  I can finally put all of my books on the shelves, and I interspersed some pictures and fun knick knacks up there, too.  I haven't gotten to any of the molding yet, though, thanks to this hideous cold.

Now, before I bring you along to what is now my beautiful living room, I must remind you of what it was.

Remember this?

Horrifying.  That green is just...ugh.  Initially it didn't seem so bad, but once I got a really good look at it...bleh.  Also, what we realized (we meaning my family and I -- I had a lot of help with all the painting on the first floor) is that the paint above the chair rail all throughout the house isn't just a pale blue...it's a pale bluish-purple.  In addition, the former owners must've painted in the middle of the night with sunglasses on, since they made a MESS with the paint.  MESS.  Not to mention the fact that they painted over wallpaper, and the trim has never been painted white.  Ever.  UGGGGGHHHHH.  Anyway.

THIS is what my living room looks like NOW --

Isn't it SO much better and way more amazing?!?!!!  It took 3 coats of primer to get rid of that horrific green, but it's gone!  The handles on the cabinets under the bookshelves got thrown out, so I'll be on the hunt for something to replace them.  I did deviate from my original painting plan -- the color I ended up choosing for the living room is lighter and has a little more peach in it than the color I had originally wanted in there.  I think this is much better and lightens up the space more so than the other darker color I'd initially chosen. (And yes, that is my crazy black panther on the hearth.  Apparently she wanted in on this photo op, so she coyly entered from the bottom left, pretending she'd never sniffed this area of the living room before.  She's lucky she's cute.)

Here's a close-up of my bookshelves --

To die for, right?!?!  Especially after what they once were!!  OMG.  My vase (which is handmade from Spain - my professor got it for me while I studied abroad during the summer of 2001, since I celebrated my 21st while we were over there) looks so small on top of the mantle!  I guess I'll have to move it into the bookshelf so it doesn't get dwarfed by its surroundings.  

Anyhooter, that's all I have at the moment.  Time to take more cold & sinus medicine and make either tea or coffee...something hot to break up this gunk in my head.  Yuck.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Today was an absolutely beautiful day!  It got a little overcast and a smidge chilly by around 5p, but other than that, it was a gorgeous day!  The azaleas in my neighborhood are in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous.  I think spring may actually FINALLY be here!!

I had a Groupon for Cloth and Bobbin, a fabulous fabric shop over in Narberth, which is small town not far from where I live.  Turns out, my cousin had one, too, so we decided today was the day to head on over and pick out some fabrics!  We spent almost an hour perusing all the different patterns, and had to stop ourselves from buying fabric "just because"!  They had so many fun patterns and bright colors to choose from, we finally had to buckle down and decide what we should buy based on what we would be using it for.

I have two patterns which I'm eager to work on, which I will share with you along the way, but for now, here's a shot of the fun fabric I purchased today --

Aren't those colors just so fun?!?!  With the cut pieces, I'll be making something for my sister for her birthday (I hope she isn't reading this right now, or I guess I just spoiled the surprise!)  With the jellyroll (from Moda fabric collection Modern Workshop), I'll be making a cover for my nook.  I already have a case for my nook, but it's boring black leather. Blah.  I want something with a little more pizazz, and what better way to do that than to make it myself!!

After our Cloth and Bobbin fabric extravaganza was over, we headed out on the streets of downtown Narberth, which is about 2 blocks long, since they were having a sidewalk sale.  There wasn't much going on at the sale, which was a little disappointing, but we did find a vendor on one of the corners selling potted flowers and vegetables.

I've been wanting a hanging plant for my shepherd's hook since I moved into my new house, but haven't had the chance to get out and see what's out there this year.  So, this was the perfect opportunity to pick something that would be great in my new backyard!  I knew as soon as I saw it, I had to have this plant --

It's a fuchsia plant!!  HOW COOL IS THIS!!!  I am in love with this flower!!!  I saw one last year when I was looking for a hanging plant for outside my apartment, but learned that they need mostly shade to survive.  Sadly, the front of my apartment got nothing but sun all day long, so I had to go with something else. This year, however, since my backyard has a lot of shade (as evidenced by the moss covering the one side of my garden), I was able to get one of these fantastic plants and I can't wait to have it hanging outside in all its glory!  There was a sign at the vendor that said that the frost date is 15 May, so I'm not risking anything -- as you can tell, I currently have it hanging indoors in my spare bedroom.

I mean, look at these flowers!!!  I love how they're all kinda folded over and just bursting from the bud!!

And there are two different colors -- the purple, which you can see on the left pretty clearly, and the light purpley-pink, as you can see in the picture on the right.  I cannot wait for this to just take over the pot and explode with even more luscious color!!!

The last thing I will share with you all tonight is a quick and easy gluten-free vegetarian dish that I whipped up in my fantabulous kitchen last night.  Being gluten-free sometimes makes it difficult to whip up dinners when I'm somewhat short on time.  My go-to quick dinners usually involve eggs or tuna, since I almost always have both on hand.

Last night, I remembered that I'd gotten tofu at Trader Joe's, and decided to make something with it.  I'll admit, I was never one to go for tofu in the past, but I've come to enjoy it.  Tofu takes on whatever flavors you're cooking with, and is an excellent source of protein.  I also remembered that I'd gotten leeks the last time I was at the grocery store, but wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them, since I'd intended to get kale (don't ask.).  I also had a red pepper which was looking particularly delicious sitting in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator, so I decided he needed to join in the fun on my pan, too.

I cut up the leeks and pepper and threw them onto the pan with some olive oil from DiBruno Brothers, while I was trying to squeeze out the last drops of water from the tofu.  I cut up the tofu into cubes, and added that to the pan.  Then, I took two cloves of garlic and threw that into the pan.  I sauteed it all up until the tofu was browned and the leeks were transparent.  I threw it all onto a small bed of rice and, taadaa!!!!

Doesn't this look yummy?!  It was quite tasty, so easy, and I highly recommend it. :-)