The Blahs...

!~!~!~!~! H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y U S A !~!~!~!~!

No stitchy updates, sorry! I guess I'm in a slump! Nothing is keeping my attention. Not sure why??? I'm having loads of fun surfing other blogs and seeing what everyone else is working on and trying to find "the piece". Wonder if I'm just in sticker shock over getting a price to get the last piece framed?? I'm reading Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark. Also working on tassels for the upcoming class at Golden Needle. I bought "Getting Started with Seed Beads" by Dustin Wedekind from Amazon this week. Great book! I'm seeing beads in a different light (Don't tell my EGA & ANG ladies that!).

I've been thinking how to describe Graham Crackers! Yes, they are a sweet biscuit, but not too sweet. They are great with chocolate frosting (used to used the left over cake frosting and spread it on a graham cracker and make a sandwich). Really, they look like a piece of cardboard but taste 10000 times better, especially with a piece of chocolate and a warmed marshmallow!

Thanks for stopping by!
Stay safe!
Happy stitching!!
~~Martha~~

Sweet.......

Did you know you can make S'mores in the microwave?????




Sweet......


Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

~~Martha~~

It's a horrible disease....

Finished CdC..... started 2 new projects to replace it.... bought at least 3 more to fill the void..... Have not touched the things that were in my non existent rotation with CdC. They Came from Afar (I'm not in the mood to stitch on black right now). Pretty Pumpkins (I think I want to do these on a different fabric now). Thanks Eleanor, for asking me how many projects I actually have started.... you REALLY don't want to know that answer...

Thanks for all you wonderful & kind comments on CdC. I love looking at if. Sadly, it's going to be a while before it's framed. Eleanor and I took a road trip last Saturday. Stopped at Golden Needle for some stashing.... A few things followed me home.... On to the frame shop with CdC in hand. Nothing there really grabbed me and nothing made me say "Oh my gosh, I love it".... the closest thing was a "that's pretty good"... and when she told me it was going to be $365 for "pretty good", I told her I'd have to think about it... No mats. Nice frame. Glass. $365???? I'll keep my eyes open as well as trying a couple other shops. Eleanor and I also stopped at Needlepoint Ivy, a cross stitch shop in Venice FL. A few things found their way home with us as well.

New stash...

From Simple Stitches "Unto Us"
From JBW Designs "Memories of Home". Reminds me of my little brother and the house we grew up in in Wichita Kansas. The sampler reads... I remember The House where I was born, The little window where the sun comes peeping in at morn..
And... my first Little House Needleworks chart. Reading Writing Stitching. I think this will make a wonderful piece to stitch Sept. 3, National Stitch in Public Day. I'm taking the day off and doing a local road trip to the mall, the libraries, the book stores and sitting and stitching. Want to join me???

What have I been stitching on?
Gone.... by Michelle Ink Needlework Designs

Seems fitting for my life at work right now... The fibers in this piece are amazing! The Gloriana silk is so soft and silky! This is my first stitch on Lakeside Linen. I'm a 28 count girl, but loving this 32 count Bittersweet. The glow in the dark pink from Keinik and the flamingo floss from Weeks are on order at the LNS.
Here is my progress this weekend...


Also started....
How do I Love Thee by Designs By Lisa

Stitched on 28 count natural linen with 2 strands of Needle Necessities 1531
See my toes???? Sorry about that!

Another finish
My First Sewing Box and Scissor Fob ty The Stitching Parlor

Sorry it's not pressed. I need to mount this in the Whitman Sampler Box.
But.... Golden Needle had our monthly stitch night on Wednesday and she had pink Whitman Sampler Boxes and yummy pink linen to match..... soooooooo......



That's about the extent of my excitement. I'm teaching a tassel class at Golden Needle in July. Contact Cathy at cathy@goldeneedle.com to sign up. It will be tons of fun I promise!!! I've been playing with pearl cotton this weekend putting together different combinations for demo tassels and future tassels and practice/step models. I put together 3 while hubby and I watched "The Bucket List" yesterday. Great movie!!

My thoughts and prayers are with all the folks dealing the the various weather disasters in the world today. It's so sad to see all the damage and sorrow on the news.
Stay safe.
Happy stitching!
xoxo
~~Martha~~

Cirque des Cercles Finished!

Taaa---Daaaaah!






Finished 06/04/2008

Today was Steamy Sunday Stitching. We had a great time. I actually stitched! Here is Louise showing off some fibers that Julie will be stitching with soon!



Julie, Sarah, Gigi and Edith check out Julies project...



Julia, Patty, Malinda, Carolyn & Charlotte taking a break!





Our menu today was our favorite... baked tater bar! Taters, chili, sour cream, bacon, cheesy broccoli, cheese, onions, yummy curry chicken mushroom sauce... and for desert, Sweet Charlotte made "Not Your Mama's Banana Puddin" Oh my gosh... I got the recipe!

2 packages Chessman cookies
6-8 bananas, sliced
1 box (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk

1 8 oz cream cheese
1 14 oz eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz cool whip

Line 9x12 pan with 1 box of the cookies.
Add sliced bananas.

In one bowl mix pudding and milk.

In another large bowl mix cream cheese & eagle brand. Fold in cool whip. Add pudding and gently mix till smooth.

Pour over bananas. Top with the rest of the cookies.
Chill.
Eat.
Yum!

I always enjoy my time with friends. I always learn something. I could care less if I get a stitch in while they are here (which is the standing joke...when do I stitch??). It's just so much fun to listen to the chatter and the laughter! Thanks ladies! You always make me smile!!

We finally got some much needed rain here today. The following picture is from 7/15/2005. I ran across it whiles I was trying to figure out where I saved the above photos. This was my first water spout. I tell you, when I looked out the window and saw this thing, it scared the baageebees and then some out of me! At the time of the picture, it was only 3 blocks away from us. Not knowing what to expect and growing up in the heart of tornado alley and living in a house without a basement... we jumped in our cars and headed away from it. It dissipated when it came off the water, but did destroy a small storage shed.



Happy weekend end... Enjoy your week!
Stitch lots!
xoxo
~~Martha~~

Welcome to Hurricane Season 2008

June 1, 2008, the first day of the 2008 hurricane season and all ready one named storm. Arthur.

Lets hope it is the one and only.

We have a plan.... we are going to drop the storm panels on the back of the house. Put the panel on the front door. Put the cars in the garage (which means putting all the stuff in the garage in the house...YUCK!! LOL) and stay here. We figure its safer than fighting with all the other yawhoos out on the road and trying to get any where...

No update picture of Cdc today. I have been working on it and have a little more than half of the last circle half to complete. If this week goes well, I should finish it by next weekend.

I'm in search of a new coffee bean grinder. Several years ago I bought the Cuisinart Burr Coffee Grinder. On the expensive side. Worked well. Was very noisy. Made a mess every time I used it, but all in all it worked well. 3 months ago, it just stopped working. I could not find another one in any of the local stores, so I settled for the Black and Decker grinder. Brought it home, put the box out in the recycle the same day. Tried to use the grinder several days later. The thing wouldn't grind a thing! No box. No receipt. Out to the trash. Spent several weeks buying all ready ground coffee. It doesn't taste as good. Went to Wally World 2 weeks ago. Got the GE coffee grinder. Worked like a charm last weekend. Doesn't grind a big batch, but its fast and not horribly loud. Went to grind my coffee for the week this morning. Nothing. It makes noise. It doesn't grind. I saved the box & the receipt this time. Any suggestions for a grinder that will last oh, 2 or 3 years????

Made a trip to Books A Million yesterday. Brought home the following:

Eleven on top, Janet Evanovich
The Shack, William P Young
Whispers of the Bayou, Mindy Starns Clark
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
I know this much is true, Wally Lamb

Off to work on CdC!

Have a great week!!!!
xoxo
~~Martha~~