Finally rested up, I think!

Camp was a blast! It was so much fun to spend the weekend with the ladies and stitch and laugh and laugh and eat and stitch and talk and eat and shop! Not much sleeping....
The photos in the post below:

1. King Tut, peyote beading project completed by Dr. Patty. He was the only guy at camp....

2. Linda,shopping at the stash swap table

3. Ruby and Carol Ann sharing a laugh!

4. Ruby and Dr. Patty with Tut...

5. Linda, Michelle, Sharon, Eileen stitching away.

6. Mary Jane & Carol Ann stitching

7. Miriam, Carolyn, Eleanor & Malinda working on a beading bracelet.

8. Nicole, Miriam, Mary Jane, Julie, Mary Lou playing a game of LCR for floss!

9. Jean, Eleanor, Marleen, Linda and others stitching!

10. Chow time!!

It was a great weekend. The ladies were a joy. The local shops that supported us, Golden Needle, Quilts 'n More and The Bead Room were awesome. The projects that were worked on (and that some completed!) were beautiful. The facility was perfect. As a whole, we were able to make a contribution to Habitat in excess of $1200!!!! I can't wait to do it again!

New news


My finish for the week. Lizzy Kate "Home is where Our Story Begins". This is the current give back to the community project from Golden Needle. Stitched with DMC floss on Rustico fabric. These will be presented to the local Habitat New Home owners. Quick stitch and I love the sentiment!


Yesterday I took a beading class from Amy Loh-Kupser and made this beautiful bracelet. I'm not a beading fan, but she was a great teach and had TONS of patience with me! Not so sure she truly appreciated my sense of humor when I asked Malinda why she didn't just glue the beads to the wooden needle holder instead of peyote - ing them..... Amy has some beautiful things. Check out her website at i-bead.com
I'm in love with her seahorse amulet bag, just not sure I have the patience to try peyote again after flunking out earlier this year on the bracelet I posted a photo of here on Oct 28.....



Same bracelet being modeled by Miss Rippit....who, by the way, was a great camp guess. She spend a lot of time with the different ladies as the did the reverse stitch....



The mail this week included a graduation announcement for my great niece Emily. Isn't she beautiful??? Looks like her mom & her dad! Sure does make me feel old when the great niece's are graduating from high school.... Congratulations Emily & best wishes.... make sure to save Auntie M back stage passes when you make the big time!



Not much else new. We are trying to enjoy the ACM awards tonight but Comcast seems to think we don't want to watch them, the picture and the sound keeps cutting out.... We still need rain. Work is still work. This week is stitch night at Golden Needle on Wednesday and EGA dinner meeting on Thursday. I'm currently stitching on the commemorative project Marleen designed for camp (I love it!!!). Hope to have a picture to post next weekend.

Stay safe!
Happy stitching!
xoxo
~~Martha~~

Camp brief

Wow oh wow oh wow! I'm whipped so tired I doubt I will sleep tonight either! Camp was a blast. I think I made 25 stitches..... but I had such a good time with the girls! Here are a few photos to share and details to follow when my fingers type what my brain is really thinking!

I'll add details to the photos soon, but, if you are inclined, how about making up your own words to the story??? Looking forward to your comments!
Oh, and dear Nicole has awesome photos over on her blog. See the link on my sidebar.

Happy stitching!
xoxo
~~Martha~~

Tassel, tassel....who has the tassel???

No stitching, again. I must be in a slump! In the past 2 weeks, I have added a few stitches to CdC, but not enough to take a picture. I did make a new tassel for new stash....I love tins and boxes and chocolate, so after a trip to the Golden Needle on Saturday, this jewel followed me home...



One of our fine feathered friends...



My newest hibiscus plant. The bloom last night was huge! Too bad they only last a day or so!


Other than that, nothing new down here on the hot, dry Florida gulf coast. Just been working on camp stuff, work stuff, house stuff... just stuff! I'm very excited about camp!
Till next time... Happy stitching!
xoxo
~~Martha~~

No stitching just venting!!

Sorry, no updated pictures of this weeks stitching! I did stitch a bit at Golden Needles Stitch night Wednesday evening, but not enough to show any progress on CdC!


Hip hip hooray.... tax season is over! Geesh... I really love my clients and love my job, but.... some times people can be so....so....mean and rude and don't think before they speak.... Last Friday afternoon a client called the office and started screaming at me the minute I answered the phone...
She: YOU SOLD ALL MY STOCKS AND BECAUSE OF YOU I HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER $20000 IN INCOME TAXES....

Me: I'm sorry, but, first, (as I check the account notes and the account activity and the 1099 for the account for 2007)... I did not sell all your stocks, I'm not licensed to do that. You met with your Financial Advisor on x day in February and you and your financial advisor determined you should sell all your stocks..... And, let me look at your 1099, oh yes, I see you sold stocks and had a gain, meaning you sold your stocks for more than you paid for them. Excuse me again, but don't you want to sell your stocks when you have a gain, meaning you made money on your stocks??? Lets take a look at something else real quick. You sold your stocks on x date and the net to you was $120000. Now, if you would have held those same stocks and, lets say, sold them yesterday, now you would have had a net of $85000. Does that help??

SHE: ohhhhhh..... I understand.

No appology.... no thank you.... no kiss my ass.... no have a good day.

Tax season story number 2:
Monday, April 14, time 4:30 p.m.
Office door opens, in walks Mr. Client. We exchange greetings. Then he says to me...
He: I ALWAYS take all my tax information to my CPA in February, but, because I was in London and didn't return until this past Friday, I don't have the heart to take all this in and dump it on his desk today, so I was hoping you could help me understand my 1099's??
Me: Oh, let me get this straight, you don't have the heart to do this to your CPA??? What does that make me, chopped liver????
Hahahahahahaha......... I spent the next day helping him concur turbo tax.

So all that said and done, tax season 2007! is over! Yippee skippee!!! Oh, and I finished my Canadian return this morning.

The online Needlework show.... I went... I ordered:

Carriage House Samplings
Adam & Eve

Designs by Lisa
How do I Love Thee

Northern Pine Designs
Chocolate Humbug Bag

Sue Hillis Designs, Inc.
Pirate's Creed

And I wasn't going to order a thing!

A beautiful weekend on the Florida Gulf Coast. No humidity,sunshine and a sea breeze. Last night we drove home over the Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg Florida. The bay was calm, the sky clear and the moon full and bright. It was picture perfect beautiful and the camera was in the trunk....

Until next time.... happy stitching!
xoxo
~~Martha~~

SSS ladies, Cake, Spinach Balls and CAMP!

Look at Sarah, Edith & Julia, looking scared of the camera!



Ruby, Doc Patty are happy as sweet Charlotte stitches away!



Louise, Malinda and Nicole stitch a way....
Nicole has some awesome photos of what everybody was working on over at her blog--see sidebar for link!



Sweet Charlotte made this awesome chocolate cake...



Wanna try one of the spinach balls??



Camp??
Here are the details. I have a few spots left, so if you can come, please email me at miokka@yahoo.com
We are going to have a wonderful time:


Camp Stitch ~~ A ~~ Way

Friday, may 9, 2008
4:00 p.m. until Sunday, May 11, 2008 @ Noon
Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Center
Port Charlotte, Florida
Camp Fees: $100.00

How about a weekend of nothing but.....
Hanging out with the girls.....
Eating.....
Shopping.....
Sharing....
Caring.....
Eating....
Sleeping (or not!)....
Playing.....
Eating....
Movies....
Snacking....
and
STITCHING??????????????

What you need to bring:
~Your bed linens for a twin size BUNK BED (including your own pillow)!
~Bath towels/washcloth
~Personal care items

~Your favorite snack food for sharing

~Your favorite movie (on dvd)

~Your stitching, your stitching tools, lights, magnifiers, extension cords

$$$$ for...
shopping at
~~ The Golden Needle
~~ The Bead Room
~~ Quilts n' More
~~The Town Center Mall

~Items for the Swap Table
old magazines, old charts, excess fibers, beads, kits..... the sky is the limit. Clean out your excess STASH!!! Make room for more!!!

~Items for the Show and Tell Table
Your chance to brag a little!!! A great opportunity to share and encourage others!

~A good attitude and the desire to relax and enjoy!

Your Camp Stitch ~~ A ~~ Way staff will provide:
Coffee/Tea/Water for the weekend
Dinner Friday night
Breakfast Saturday morning
Lunch Saturday
Dinner Saturday
Brunch Sunday
Directions to the shopping venue's listed above
Fun & games
A special treat to commemorate the weekend~~Wait till you see this! I love it!!
A sharing, caring, relaxing environment

SPACE IS LIMITED!!!!!!!!! Camp fee of $100 is due by April 20 (please, so we can buy groceries & plan & prepare accordingly!). Email me for mailing address...

The camp fee will go to groceries for the weekend and to Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity.

Yes, you can invite your sister, mother, daughter, best girl friend, but remember... space is limited!! Due to the layout for the Center, we must limit this event to Women Only, please understand....

Remember..... Bras & makeup are optional!! {;^)
The desire to have a wonderful, relaxing, sharing, caring experience is not....

XOXO
~~Martha~~

Yippee for me!

US Fed income taxes are done~~~~e-filed & I get a refund!!! Whew... Turbo Tax is awesome.

That horrible sick feeling in the pit of my stomach is GONE!

Now, I have 24 days to figure out & file my Canadian return. Something new.

I'll worry about that in a couple weeks....

Off to make spinach balls for the SSS ladies!

I'm a happy camper... I get to stitch tomorrow!

No Stitchin', friends, pets, green pools, the end of snowbird season, Easter and 40 years!

Whew! It's been a busy couple of weeks at our house. No stitching to show, but stick around, I'll get back on it, once I finish the tax returns.... gotta buy Turbo Tax first....

News! I'm now a "pets" owner! Hahaha.... I have been wanting a dog. Maybe a Schnauzer? Maybe a Yorkie? Maybe a Pointer? Maybe another English Setter or how about a Chocolate Lab???? Every week my wants changed but the one thing that remained constant was: We just do not have the time to take care of a pet. It's not fair to adopt a new family member only for us to both be gone from home for 10+ hours a day. So...... a dinner trip to Cracker Barrel Friday night and look what I brought home with me:



My Schnauzer, Baxter and Miss Rippit, the Tree Frog. Both officially adopted at www.webkinz.com. I picked up Baxter first, then found the tree frog & knew she had to come home with me. I also picked up a lovey for my secret sister at ABWA! Such fun. No mess, no shedding and I can take them to work and stitching with me!

I checked the pool Saturday morning. Ick! It was green!! One of the downfalls of keeping the solar cover on and having a couple days of heavy rain... A trip to the supply store for more chlorine and shock and algacide.... That's what happens when you ignore it for a couple of weeks. Looking good now, but I'm sure the chlorine level is strong enough to eat the suite right off your body...


Saturday morning I drove down to Coconut Point Mall south of Ft Myers and met up with Deb (Lavender Rose) and a fellow blogger, Lynn (Kearnel's Corner)that Deb has been stalking, I mean discovered, for a light lunch and some heavy visiting. What a fun time. We had lots of visiting and lots of laughing and we all brought stitching projects to share and oohhh and aahhhh over. There was never a lul in the conversation or the laughter! I stole this pictures from Deb's blog. {;^)



I'm the quiet one....Do you believe that??

The time went way too fast with Deb & Lynn. It was a fast drive back home, picked up Bruce & off to Englewood Beach to meet some friends for dinner in Venice at my most favorite place, Luna's! Lots of fun visiting and saying goodbye as they will be heading up north in a few days. Home late, quick house clean, up early Sunday morning to put a roast on & prepare for 11am guests from Ft Myers. Had a wonderful visit with Dr Jensen & Ardath. They are heading back north tomorrow. Again the day went too fast!

Easter was wonderful. We missed not spending it with our family, but sure enjoyed our Florida Family! Ate too much! Drank too much too....
RJ entertained us with his spoons again:

V

His Grandma couldn't be out done...!



Happy 40th anniversary to my brother & sis-in-law, Chuck & Cheryl! I'll miss your celebration, but will be there in spirit! Keep you in my thoughts and prayers! Love you guys!




This Sunday is Steamy Sunday Stitching! I'm looking forward to it! I need some time with my stitchy friends! Our food theme this month is Favorite Family Reunion Food! I'll take pictures!

Stay safe! Happy stitching!
xoxo
~~Martha~~