It's that time!

It's time for the first TUSAL report for 2012.  Of course, you can't take a picture if the batteries in your camera ARE TOTALLY DEAD!  I found my beautiful vase hidden behind the Christmas decorations and was so tickled to find it again.  I excitedly grabbed my camera, turned it on, and immediately got the red light and it shut back off.  Crap!  How could I have forgotten that I ran the batteries down on ALL the cameras on Christmas day???

Anyway, back to the TUSAL.  It stands for Totally Useless Stitch-a-long.  It's where you just keep your ORT's in a pretty glass container and post a picture and a little wordy post about it each month on the full moon.  Now this is a SAL I can do.....if I remember to charge the stupid camera batteries!!  Go see Daffycat to sign up!

You're still here???? Okay, here's a little something to make you laugh.  This weekend through this morning I've had the worst of luck.  Saturday I dropped a glass jar of spaghetti sauce on the floor and somehow the sauce went one way and the glass went the other.  Yeah, I have no idea either and at that particular point in time I really didn't care about the why, just the "how in the HELL am I going to clean this up without stepping on any glass???"  Sunday, taking down the Christmas tree and decorations I found two missing DVD's that my son had been pitching a major fit about in the tree.  It's almost like he was trying to help me decorate it.  I also found several ornaments just thrown in the tree.  Me thinks the boy wanted to play with them but then put them back wherever he thought they may look good.  Taking the lights off the tree with help from DH was an amusing time as well.  At one point he asked me if I had been drunk when I put them on.  Uh NO, but you try to put the lights on while your four kids are wanting to help you do everying all at once and see how it turns out!!  Last night, Marie helped me get Logan out of the bath.  I came in to dry him the rest of the way and realized that she just used a towel that REEKED of urine to dry his hair and upper body.  #@*& Apparently, when Katie had her accidents (YES PLURAL) yesterday she used a towel to dry up the floor.  It was just thrown over the clothes hamper to dry.  I had to get in the shower with Logan in order to get him cleaned back up FROM HIS BATH.  Please, tell me you are laughing so hard that you have whatever you drink spraying your computer monitor.  It's okay, I'm laughing now too but yesterday......not so much.  Today I just put everything in the crockpot at 8:00 a.m for tonight's dinner and walked out the door WITHOUT TURNING IT ON.  No biggie, I turned it on high when I got home at noon.  It's still early so who KNOWS what else I can damage do today.

I will leave you now that I've given you at least a little giggle for the day.  I'm hoping to be able to come back to edit with a picture of my TUSAL but at the rate my luck is running......

Blogger hates me today!

I've tried to leave a comment on a blog and it just throws me to a blank page. Drat!  I really want to throw my name in the hat for the giveaway but even more I want to ask Heather at Heather's Stitching Story how she gridded her fabric for her HAED's Fireside Fairytales!!  I'm more than half way done gridding my very first HAED but it has given me fits.  I found a couple of different blogs/sites that show different ways to grid but I didn't see Heather's until AFTER I started gridding mine.  Ain't that the way life goes?? lol 

I still need to get my Christmas tree and decorations put away.  At that point I should be able to find my vase that I'm using for the TUSAL.  I need to get it done this weekend as I believe next week is the first posting for 2012!  I had it picked out before Christmas in hopes that I could join but put it on the shelf behind where I set up the tree every year.  I can't see it which means I hid it from the kids.  I know it's back there but..... lol

I still haven't taken pictures of my stitching but I've also not done any unless you count gridding my HAED. lol  Here is what I purchased and am itching to start!!  I'm not crazy enough to start it without gridding because, although I love counted cross stitch, it seems I can't COUNT! lol  At least not on any of my bigger projects. ;)

I'd better get off here, my homemade lentl soup is almost warmed up on the stove and I'm hungry and cold. lol  Hope everyone has a wonderful three day weekend (and to those who don't get Monday off have a wonderful weekend!)

Happy New Year....almost!

I can't believe how the time has flown by this year!  It seems the end of the year flies by and yet drags at times too. lol  I think when the stores start bringing out the Christmas decorations out before Halloween or at the same time, it makes Christmas seem like it lasts forever! 

The kids all got sick during the last two weeks of school before Christmas break and of course shared with me.  It finally just settled in my sinuses and I had a nice sinus infection going on but I think I've finally kicked that bugger out.  Not very enjoyable and no time spent with the extended family because of the fevers but we will get together within the week and have a "late Christmas celebration".  Kids should love that as they'll get to open more presents. lol

I've been doing lots of stitching but have no pictures at this time.  Hopefully later I can edit this post with a pic or two for you.  Sadly, I have done no Christmas ornaments.  I guess I wasn't that taken with the JCS Ornament issue this year and that has got to be a first!  I usually see about 20 or more that I JUST HAVE TO STITCH! lol  Maybe in July I'll pick it up again and see something I like.....then again...

I did purchase my first HAED recently and have been puttering around getting all the supplies.  I happen to have a piece of fabric the right size in my stash so will be able to start gridding that soon.  I'm still not exactly sure what to use for the gridding.  Seems like everyone loves either using a floss not used in your stitching or nylon thread.  I'll figure that out soon I'm sure.  I have all but two colors of floss.  Our Michael's has been letting their floss slowly empty out and so has the one 30 miles away.  DH tried to go to Joann's while down that way but the check out line was wrapped around the back of the store so I told him to just forget it.  I'm sure he would have stood in the line for 30 or 40 minutes but I couldn't put him through that torture. lol  I will grid out the pattern according to their directions and start this new year.  I can't wait to start this one, especially with the grid to help.  If all goes well, then I will start my Thomas Kinkade piece over after gridding it as well. lol  Still have to finish my JCS sampler, which I've loved doing.  I made a slight error in judgment and need to rearrange things so no pic until it is complete.  Ok, maybe a picture of the first part or two but then nothing until it's completed. lol

I hope everyone has a lovely and safe New Year's Eve.  We will be staying home and enjoying watching the ball drop on the televison.  I'm sure the kids will all still be awake for it as we didn't roll out of bed until 10:00 this morning!  MIRACLE! lol

October

Two of the finished Halloween pillows for the kids.  Logan's "Wally Pumpkin" and Marie's candy are MIA.   

Haven't worked on my Monopoly in a while but here is what I have at this point.

Here is the finished LHN Snowflakes.  I used all DMC colors and I don't remember what kind/color of linen this is as I started this around this time last year.  I got irritated with it when I frogged it for the tenth time last year so I put it down.  I picked it up again about a week ago and finished stitching the border and really got my MOJO on and didn't do anything else until I finally finished it!  Love how it turned out!

The weather is finally cooler now, or is at this point in time.  The week started out hot and muggy and today it's only 63 at 11:00 a.m. and a nice northerly breeze is keeping it fall weather.  I love this time of year!

I was able to start volunteering in Logan's class this week and I have to say I LOVE IT!  We weren't sure how he would handle me being there with him but after a tiny hiccup he, for the most part, acted like I wasn't there.  Every time I would get up to do something or when it was time to leave he'd say "Mommy sit!"  The rest of the time he'd ignore me or so I thought. lol  I volunteered on Wednesday and Thursday for a couple of hours each day and I'm going back on Friday of next week.  They have Monday and Tuesday off and DH is home on Thursday so it's the next available day.  I love doing this!  I feel useful again. lol 

Kaitlyn made "A" Honor Roll and is getting the Terrific Kid Award during their awards assembly on Wednesday.  I'm so excited for her!!  I know, she's only in the first grade but still!!!  I was unable to get out of work the one time Marie got A/B Honor Roll way back and I've felt terrible ever since.  I told her we'd do our own awards show at home as soon as we get her grades.  I have the Hallmark Card Studio software on my computer and can make all sorts of awards, cards and other great projects.  It's going to be fun!

Today is catch up day with all the cleaning, laundry and errand running.  I also plan to sit down and get a little stitching done on my B is for Boy from the JCS magazine.  I finished the G is for Girl a while back and had to wait to get some blue fabric and then I ran out of floss. lol  I think my MOJO is back for a while this time.  It's funny, when I lose my stitching MOJO I also lose my interest in reading at the same time.  Weird!

Off to do the vacuuming and laundry.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week and is enjoying the nice autumn weather!





Pictures!

 Witchy Kitty by Brittercup Designs

Happy Halloween by Fresh Threads Studio

Pirate Sock Monkey by Raise the Roof Designs

All of these patterns are from the 2011 Halloween issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine.  This is the issue that helped me get my mojo back!  I've got to pull threads and then decide if I want to do Halloween Jack on regular fabric or order the perforated paper.  Logan is my destroyer, thinking perhaps I should just stitch on cloth so that it survives for more than 5 minutes. lol 

I love the fall; just wish the weather would actually mimic the season it's supposed to right now.  Today the forecast is for a high of 90 and no rain chance until after dinner.  The only good thing is that I will not have to sit in car rider line today as we have a meeting about Ryan at school.  Yeah!  As soon as the meeting is over, I'm grabbing the kids and heading home to relax in the a/c. lol

A Quickie...

to let you know I'm still alive and kicking. lol

Today is my eldest daughter's 13th birthday so in between laundry and cleaning I'm baking a cake and making her favorite snack....Rice Krispie Treats.  I am currently waiting on the coffee to cool so I can make the cake so thought I'd drop a line or two for a post. lol

I've been stitching every chance I had for the past week which feels good.  I've completed two Halloween ornaments and am almost done with the third.  I decided to make one for each of the kids this year and of course, Logan chose a difficult one which will be done next........ or next year.lol  He chose the Halloween Jack by SamSarah Designs.  I've never stitched on perforated paper before so not sure when it will get done.   No, no pictures to show of them yet as I thought I'd actually finish them before I did the pictures.....hmmmmmm maybe I'll just take pictures sometime tomorrow and upload them as I'll have Marie's BD pics too. lol

Well, washer is done so now it's time to change over...again. lol  Have I ever mentioned that I LOATHE doing laundry??? lol  yeah, that and cleaning. ROFLMBO!  At least I have a couple of fun things to look forward to today.  Baking and wrapping of the presents!

Have a great week and hope to post some pics in the very near future. :)

September

I was somewhat on a roll there for about 2 seconds with my blog posts.  I'm still doing better than I had been but I will try to improve a little more.  lol

I actually have done a little bit of stitching but have no pictures to show as it's been VERY LITTLE stitching.  The fact that I got over that mojo slump at all makes me feel good even if I don't do a lot.  I am currently stitching Witchy Kitty by Brittercup Designs out of the Halloween JCS edition.  I also finally received the Christmas Ornament issue and have been drooling over it for the past few days.  I'd say that is a good thing and must mean the mojo is back!

Kids are all doing great at school or so they tell me.   I will know for sure as soon as I sign up for the online grade review that the district has or get their interim reports whichever happens first. ;)  I need to actually go into the school to sign up and by the time I get there in the afternoon it's too late and the morning drop off is crazy.  So why don't I just do it while I'm volunteering you ask??? Well, that's easy.....because they haven't let me volunteer yet.  They started out trying to get to know Logan and then see how he does each day, then the teacher took time off to go to her daughter's wedding.  After that the kids got sick and shared with me and then I had my allergies freak out.  Hopefully by next week we can start with the one day a week to see how it goes. 

Yesterday I had a little scare.  Now I can laugh at myself but at the time I was a bit terrified. lol  I dropped the kids off, ran by Marie's school to drop off some glass baby food jars for science class then went to do some grocery and other shopping.  I got home with my coffee and sat down to relax at the computer.  I got on facebook and was trying to type something to a friend and realized my eyes were acting strange.  Rather, one eye was at least.  I had a blind spot that slowly transformed into a pulsing shape.  While slightly blind in one eye I freaked out a little, called my mom and tried to answer my husband's instant messages.  By the time the pulsing started I finally realized what the problem was and jumped up to grab some tylenol.  It's been so long since I had a migrane give me a warning that I didn't realize what it was at all. lol   Seems like for the last couple of years, those buggers just come out of left field and knock me on my butt with no warning and tons of pain.  Yesterday, it decided it felt sorry for me and gave me a warning.  Brainiac that I am, it took for the pulsing and pain to start before my brain would turn itself on. lol  I'm VERY lucky that the tylenol did the trick.  Usually I have to take a prescription pain med that makes me loopy and I HATE to take that and won't unless I'm home for the day and DH is close to or at home.    NOTE TO SELF:  spotty blindness in one eye means grab the tylenol and drink a bottle of water.  Don't think about it.....JUST DO IT!

I need to get the house picked up and the laundry started....why can't they design a house that will pick up after its own self????  Make the laundry do itself too while I'm dreaming big. lol  I hope to have some time to sit down and put a few more stitches in Witchy Kitty today.  It's nice to relax and stitch even if it's only for 30 minutes.  Every minute counts!

Have a great Wednesday!