My first pinkeeps

Well, here are my first 2 pinkeeps i have attempted. THey turned out okay, can be better, but not bad for a first try. I used Vonna's instructions which were awesome, talks you right through it without a problem (which is great for me because i am a more "visual/hands on" learner and these were very easy instructions). THanks Vonna! I glued one piece and the other piece i attempted my idea of lacing. LOL I kind of like the lacing better than the gluing but i need to get the piece a little more straight. (it's the purple/yellow one) These were both freebie patterns i stitched awhile ago and do not remember who they are by, etc.






Also, I am doing a PIF and this is how it works (it is already posted here on my blog but just want to see if there are any other takers, I have 1 so far). You sign up for my PIF (just by leaving a comment on this post and emailing me at kmdecker2000@yahoo.com saying you would like to be included, i will let you know if you are in the first 6) and you will receive something made by me by the end of this year and in return you post the same on your blog and PIF as well. I will take 6 participants and in return you do the same. I would like to get a couple others to do the "made by me" PIF if I can and anyone is willing and if i don't fill the 6 I will do RAK for the remaining #'s i have. I hope this is not as clear as mud. LOL

Schoolgirl Lessons is finished

Hi all! I started LHN's Schoolgirl Lessons last week on Thursday night and finished it up last night (Tuesday). It was a very quick stitch and very fun to stitch. I used Belle Soie in Mer Bleu (1 full skein) and stitched it on 32ct Lakeside Linens V. Lentil.



Also, here is the start of my Quaker Moments by Debbie Draper Designs that i started tonight. I am stitching this one on 32ct Sand evenweave from Silkweavers using NPI silks in Crimson Tide Range #759 lot 4. Hopefully this will be another quick stitch for me. I also need to finish up an exchange by this weekend.



It was a warm day here in AZ so I took the kids to a spring training game this afternoon. Caitie, Dustin and I had a great time and us girls of course got a little sunburned even with the sunblock on. It should be tan by tomorrow though. They also had the Budweiser Clydesdales there which was pretty cool, have never seen them in person. They are absolutely beautiful and huge horses. That dalmation is quite the photogenic dog, he watched for the different cameras and would walk around and pose. LOL That is Caitie and I in the pic, Dustin took it and we weren't sure if he did, we were looking right into the sun. LOL

Happy Easter, finishes and a WIP

Well, first off, Happy Easter to everyone! Hope everyone has a wonderful day. We will be going to my Aunt Cathy's house for Easter, ham, potato salad, kielbasa, pasta salad, etc on the side dishes, then there is desserts. Desserts will be peaches n' cream pie, fudge brownie bites and a cinnamon butter pound coffeecake and mini cheesecakes. Will definitely have to go to the gym this week. YIKES!

Well, I do have a couple finishes from this past week. I stitched "The Goblins" by Shepherds Bush, it was a kit i had in my stash forever and just decided last week i wanted to finally stitch it. It also had the mat with it so i will definitely take this one to the framer.



I also finished French Country Bunny by JBW Designs this week. I stitched it on 28ct french latte linen using Carrie's Creation floss in Tropical color. I am still going to stitch it with the waterlilies that i actually bought for it but didn't have the right piece of material for that color to pop, i do now have that piece thanks to Tracy in AZ. It is a piece of evenweave that she tea dyed herself and it is perfect for it.



Lastly, here is my WIP that i have been working on since Thursday night. It is LHN's Schoolgirl Lessons that i just got last weekend and again i found a different silk in my stash that i liked better than the one i bought. I am stitching this one on Lakeside linen in V. Lentil using Belle Soie silks in "Mer Blue", it is the perfect color for this piece. Hopefully i will have this one done by tomorrow night.



And here is a pic of my niece, of course she is eating (the only time i can catch up with her) LOL. How can you say no to that face?



Happy Easter!!

New Stash

Well, i had a great stash day today! I got a couple things in the mail and went to my LNS earlier today and spoiled myself. That's right, I needed it after these last couple weeks. I rec'd in the mail PS Forget-Me-Nots leaflet along with their new freebie "peep", Bunnelicious by Stitching Bee Designs on loan to me so I need to get stitching on that one later on tonight. At the LNS (Needler's Nest in Surprise AZ) I picked up BC Smell the Flowers from the red thread series, JBW french country Dog, a pack of John James needles, LHN - Schoolgirl Lessons with 2 skeins of NPI silks in Atlantic Blue range, JBW french country Bunny with Caron Waterlilies Baby Breath and Quaker Moments by Debbie Draper Designs along with NPI Crimson Tide range (red) 2 skeins. This was definiely a pick me up for myself. Now to go sit down and stitch, cook dinner then Doug and I will be going to work out later on.

My Fair & Square pieces

Hi! I finally uploaded a few pics from the camera and I know that Vicki already rec'd her squares from me. So here is the square i stitched for Vicki, JBW French Country Lark. It is stitched on 32ct linen, hand painted with beigy mottled look. This fabric was absolutely wonderful to stitch on and can't wait to find another project to stitch on it. For my name square i stitched a couple of the little birds from in the pattern along with a little heart, i thought it turned out pretty nice.



Here are the squares i rec'd from Vicki. I just love the colors and now need to decide how to finish it, maybe a pinkeep if i can figure out how to make one.



Well, it's been a rough week here for me but I am getting through it. I won't go into details but everything seems to be working itself out okay. I took a trip to IKEA across town (you need to pack a lunch for the drive). LOL It was an adventure going through that store with Aunt Cathy and Caitie. LOL We found a fold down desk for Caitie's room for $10, just screw it into the wall and it just hangs there until she pulls it up and puts the thingy up (just can't think of the name right now). A very good space saver. I also found a chair i want for our bedroom when we go and get our new bed. It will be a nice stitching chair for me when Doug is watching something i just really don't feel like watching (like hunting). Caitie did find a bed she wants as well, but we are going to keep looking.

I am going to try to finish a few stitching projects up, I am getting overwhelmed by the amount of WIPs/UFOs i have (they are not all listed on my blog yet). I need to just buckle down and finish them. sigh........... I will try, really i will. I hope.

I've been TAGGED

Was reading Teejay's blog and looks like she got me! LOL I'm game. I need to share 7 weird or interesting things about myself. well, let's see what i can think of. hmmmmmmm........

1. DH and I were born on the same day, same year. I am 8 hours older than him. SO, that makes me 40 in July before him. UGH!

2. My taste in music is all over the board, anywhere from Yanni (alot of people think that is weird but i just love his music, very relaxing, have been listening to him since i was 25 or so) to Metalica and everything in between. If you were to go in my car right now and i was the last one driving, it would be on 104.7 which is hip hop. LOL

3. I sometimes take a Yoga class for MS (Multiple Sclerosis). It is a great class and is not that hard to do. I really enjoy it and really need to get back to the next class coming up. I was diagnosed in Oct 2000 and my mother also has MS diagnosed in 1992.

4. I sometimes dance like a fool around the house to get my nephew aggitated. LOL he hates when i dance but sometimes he will dance too (he is 4 1/2).

5. When i was in 4th grade I joined the band and played the flute (i was first chair through HS). I rec'd the Pingry Band School scholarship (in NJ) for the 1st year players for a 2 week summer course at band school. The following year in 5th grade, i didn't get a scholarship but still wanted to go to band school instead of going to FL to DisneyWorld with the family. My parents paid for it and my Aunt & Uncle stayed with me so i could go. That's when i also learned how to play Clarinet as well.

6. I have broken my right arm when i was 5 jumping off a stoop, broke my left arm when i was 13 running to first base in softball tryouts in 8th grade (there was a pebble stuck in my shoe and i got stuck in the blacktop), tore the ligiment in half in my left ankle playing softball in 7th grade in PE class. PE was a rough time in JH in NJ, no real fields there.

7. I have 4 kids the oldest will be 19 in March, then 17 in April and the boys are 14 (not twins, mine and his) I have the oldest 3 from a previous marriage and the youngest is Doug's from his 1st marriage). We are both on our 2nd marriage and that's it! we just celebrated 12 years together yesterday.

I have no finishes as of today so far and no scrapbook pages started like i wanted to. Spring cleaning yesterday. But here are a few pics of the snow in Flagstaff that DH and i went to see on Saturday.







This last pic is of Bailey sleeping on Doug's lap (for hours) Saturday night. She has been very lovey dovey since her ordeal the other day. I believe she really knows that she almost died and is really clingy now. She is a 45lb english springer spaniel and really not a lap dog (feels like 100lbs when she is sleeping). But who could say no to her.