Where Does Your Heart Bloom?

Dare I say it blooms at home?

Mine does...and in the City of Fog when I pause enough to breathe the moist, ocean air.

I finished Blackbird Designs' Where My Heart Blooms last night! Yay! I started this back in September right before I left for the Shepherds Bush Retreat. I had wanted something new and small to cart around and it fit the bill. I still remember Alma Allen came up to me when she saw me stitching on it and I was just over the moon! Alma Allen...talked to me! Wow! I stitched on it all throughout retreat and maybe a week after and I managed to get to the halfway point before putting it aside. I finally picked it up a two or three weeks ago and managed to get the other half done. I realized that I don't really like stitching over 1 on 40 count and that I really shouldn't leave that part to the very end. *grumble*

Blackbird Designs
Where My Heart Blooms
40 count Lakeside Fawn
Recommended GAST/WDW

Here are a couple of closeups.

I love the eyelets!

And the over 1 detail is great...even if I didn't like stitching it. :)

I'm not quite sure what to do with it now since it was one of those pieces I wanted to stitch but it doesn't necessarily fit in with my decor. For now, it will get ironed and hung in the closet until I can figure out how and when I would like it finished. On 40 count, the finished size is 6.5" x 7". It is very dainty.

I'm not quite sure what to do next. I don't really feel like stitching on Mary or my little BOAF piece. I am debating if I should start L*K Christmas Rules. I could use some whimsy and fun colors and Mary and the BOAF are not fitting that criteria. For now, I think I will try to get back into reading for a little bit until I can decide.

The weekend shaped up to be a nice one that passed by much too fast. I tried a new (to me) restaurant which was a change from the norm but didn't disappoint. I went shopping for new eyeglasses (unsuccessful and more on that later), bought a fantastic new dress (can't find it online), explored a neighborhood that I hadn't in a while, spent time with a good friend and reconnected with a new-ish acquaintence which allowed me to take a nice 2.25 mile walk to the beach in good company. Crisp, blue sky and ocean air. I forget how rejuvenating it can be!

Tomorrow is another acupuncture appointment after work and I'm looking forward to it! I'm amazed one session helped me get to sleep earlier...even on the weekend...where I oftentimes stay up til 2am! Despite the rest, I still feel tired on some days...like this morning. I was a slug until it was time to meet up for my walk. If I didn't do that, I may have stayed in bed all day!

I did get a nice surprise this week in the mail. A while back, Karen V. was trying to rehome some items and I had asked for this cute little purple drawstring bag she had stitched and sewed up. It arrived and is adorable in person. Don't you think?
It is finished so perfectly! I am going to use it to keep my threads together at my stitching stand. I love it! Thanks Karen!

Well, I think that's it for me today. Back to the daily grind tomorrow. Hope you all had a nice weekend.

Until next time...

Randomness, WMHB & TUSAL

*Why does the $40 shampoo give me an allergic reaction but I can use $5 drugstore shampoo without a problem? My scalp is itchy! =(

*I couldn't cut my hair short. I have a long "Rachel" instead. At least it's wavy and flippy. Yay!

*My friend leaves on Saturday and has been driving me nuts this week! I'm kind of looking forward to them leaving now so I can refocus on myself.

*Flaky people drive me bananas.

*I got my license plates! Yay! Now my car looks like everyone elses and I can take it into the depths of the city...once I practice some parallel parking.

*Amazing that my parents are so deaf they can't hear that 1/2 a plastic panel is loose and dragging under the car?!

*I'm eager to get out and be social and meet people. Can I meet everyone now?! Like now? Where is everyone? Ugh, patience isn't a virtue that I have.

*Why am I watching Mob Wives?! When did this show even come on tv?

*Is it worth emailing the guy you've already blown off twice because he lives in the opposite direction of everything that you do?

*Can I develop a consulting business teaching guys how to correspond with girls in online dating? Apparently, a lot of guys need some help. It should be more me, me, compliment, comment about girl profile, say something nice, me, me, ask opinion about something, I liked this about your profile, hope to hear from you, have a good night, name. It ends up being me, me, me, me, me, me, me, nice to meet you, name. WTF! Maybe I can get a show on Bravo...kind of like Millionnaire Matchmaker except with normal, everyday geeky guys. Dating 101 for the Regular Guy or something like that.

Why am I here again? Oh yea...stitching stuff. Today is the New Moon and you all know what that means. TUSAL time!
Not the best photo but all the light colors on top are due to Mary Wigham and the progress I've done on my Where My Heart Blooms.

Speaking of WMHB, I've been devoting any of the stitching time I came across to it. I'm too lazy to take it off the qsnaps for a proper photo but this will give you an idea. I've been building the house all week!
I'm surprised I stuck with it since the house is stitched with Flax and Shaker White. Not the most exciting colors but I've been determined. I'm almost done with the house and will soon move onto the windows and the bottom border.

I've been seeing all the progress photos for the With Thy Needle and Thread Mystery Sampler. OMG...I am so tempted to start my own! This wasn't the BAP I was planning on starting either. Can I resist?!

Well, better see if I can get off the computer and get some stitching in for the night. Hope you all had a nice Memorial Day Weekend!

Until next time...

Where'd the Weekend Go?!

Weekend...come back...I don't want to go to work tomorrow. Ugh!

Seriously, was time suddenly placed in ultra fast forward? Or like the records that you put on the wrong speed and it sounded like the Chipmunks. Yea, time is feeling like that. Doesn't time know that the workweek needs to be fast and the weekend s-l-o-w?! I think time needs a pep talk and some setting straight...don't you think?

I've got the fever...Giants fever! They are finally in the playoffs and so I've been sitting in my recliner perch watching a lot of baseball. More than I normally would. They about gave me a heart attack on Friday night with their loss! Shame on them...got all cocky with their early advance and then the Braves showed them. Did you hear screaming Friday night? Yea, that was me berating the tv. Nooooo!!! There was less screaming today because they won! I hope they win tomorrow too. :::fingers crossed:::

The weekend was a blur of errands and mail and shopping and gift wrapping and other pretty boring stuff that kept me from stitching. I tried but I was either trying to do something else or amazingly distracted. I do have a few things to show though...

First up is my TUSAL. I always seem to remember it's the New Moon on the actual day but then it takes me 2-3 days to get my act together enough to take a photo.
Here is my jar next to one of the cards I received. I end up leaving my cards up or taped to my living room door for the entire month. They are nice to look at...

I did get some stitching accomplished on my Where My Heart Blooms but not that much. I have most of the roof done on the yet to be built house. I have the feeling this house is going to take me a while. I decided to leave the over 1 til the end so it doesn't derail me from stitching. I will figure out the full cross over tent stitch then...for now...I'll have fun with the areas that won't cause me to stress and panic.
I also started my SAL on the Traveling Stitcher but I haven't really stitched enough for a picture. I'm hoping to be a bit more productive on it this week. Hope, hope.

I got some surprises in the mail. I made a couple of penpals through the blog that I email with semi-regularly. On Friday, after chasing down UPS to get my packages (yes, for reals!), I found a package from Kevin (no blog). He gifted me with Sleeping Beauty from my wishlist! Complete with threads, fabric and beads!
I wonder if I can get to her next year during my Year of Mira. Thanks so much Kevin!

I also received a package from Belen (no blog). Funny thing about Belen is that she is from Spain but lives in France and found my English blog. I write to her in Spanish to try to use it and not lose it. I'm sure I make a ton of mistakes since writing in Spanish was never my forte but she seems to understand what I am saying and I learn new ways to phrase things. Sometimes...there is a lot of "how to you say ____ in spanish?" in my emails. I've gotten very rusty but I enjoy practicing with her. It's amazing how the internet brings people together.
Belen made me a necklace and send me a pattern for an embroidered V. Gracias Belen...me encanta!

*sigh* Time to head off to bed to be ready for Monday. Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Until next time...

Birthday Recap and WMHB

Wow, thanks so much for all the birthday greetings! I'm officially mid-30's. How in the world did that happen?!

Friday morning began as a grey, cool day in my neck of the woods. The kind of day where you kind of need a kick in the tush to get moving or you'll stay home in your jammies all day if you're able to. My sister called me to wish me a happy birthday and then asks me why I'm still home because you know, I should be on the road by now. So I got ready and began my journey to Santa Rosa to go to the Charles Schultz Museum. I've been wanting to go here for years but when your a grown adult and you tell people you want to go to the Snoopy Museum, you get a lot of odd looks. So I did what I wanted to do on my birthday...by myself. Because in the end, no one's going to plan it for you. Charlie Brown welcomed me once I got there!
And more of the gang
And don't you feel like this a lot of the time? I know I do!
Gorgeous mural at the end of the hallway
And when you get closer to it, you realize that the mural is made out of a lot of these
This plaque goes on to explain that the tile mural is made up of 10 years worth of daily Peanuts comic strips!
And if you got tired and hugry during the museum visit, Snoopy was willing to share a cookie with you.
The museum visit was great! They change out the exhibits so it's not always the same. It was fun to walk around and learn how Schultz changed things around whether it be characters or formatting throughout his career. Every once in a while, you'd hear someone laughing at whatever comic strip they were reading. It was a nice change of pace.

After the museum, it was time to head to Sonoma. I wanted to treat myself to a late lunch at The Girl and The Fig. Just the name of the restaurant is charming and then there's the fact that it's been well-reviewed for years! The few people I asked who actually have been there had two words to say...duck confit! I arrived about 3pm and it was quiet...perfect. I hate being a solo diner in a crowded restaurant. I feel like all eyes are on me. I got a quiet corner table seated next to a four-top of southern tourists. I couldn't figure out where they were from. Atlanta, Alabama, Tennessee? Either way, they had the accent to prove they were from the South as well as the lingo. It was entertaining to be seated next to them...I tend to eavesdrop when eating solo...it makes things more interesting.
I didn't take any pictures of the food because I'm not going to pretend to be a food blogger. Plus, I was sitting near the Southerners. I didn't want them to think I was some crazy California girl taking pictures of food like it was going to be the last meal ever eaten! I started with the roasted fig and arugala salad with toated pecans, pancetta and chevre. Technically, I'm not really supposed to eat cheese but it's my birthday and I made an exception. The salad was ridiculously awesome. Peppery + sweetness of the fig + creaminess of the cheese + salt/fat of the pancetta and crunch from the pecans. Such awesomeness...yum! Then I had the small portion of the duck confit and I now know why everyone else was drooling while reminiscing about duck confit. Fall off the bone, tender, cooked in it's own fat. It was heaven. I finished off with a pear tart which was good but too crumbly for my taste. The wine pairing for the duck was steller but the fig cocktail fell slightly flat. I just don't like that much ice in my drinks. Overall, it was once of the best meals I've ever eaten and it's a good thing The Girl and The Fig is two hours from home. Otherwise, my waistline and pocketbook would be in a whole lot of trouble! After lunch, I took a walk around the shopping square before making the journey back home. I treated myself to a nice birthday outing. I would totally recommend The Girl and The Fig if your doing an outing to wine country!

Despite that, I'm struggling with hormones around a birthday. Never a good thing. Besides getting older, I'm reminded of the fact that because I am always the planner...I also have to be the planner for outings revolving around my birthday. A time when I think I should be exempt. I complain about always doing the planning every year and each year, I'm forced to do it again. I get a lot of responses to my complaints...I'm so good at it...I know where everything is...I'm the google queen. I love my friends...I just wish they'd surprise me. Of all the invitations, only one person didn't make me pick...Mr. Octopus. If feels like it would be easier to just stay home...and then there's the feeling of I wouldn't get treated for my birthday unless I planned it. I suppose I should be happy because at least this year...no one forgot. I feel much better celebrating others' birthdays over my own.

But enough of that...the day after my birthday, I had a great dinner with Claire. We tried a new to us restaurant in the Mission called Garcon. Awesome little french bistro with the cutest (kinda hot) french waiter ever. We started off with the tuna nicoise which was sooo delicious and I had the steak and frites. We were stuffed so we took a walk in the neighborhood. Something I haven't done in a long, long time. I miss that. Taking walks at night with no real purpose other than to talk and see what was going on in a neighborhood. A lot has changed in the Mission...more places to add to my "to try" list. Garcon is on the new *love * list. Not as good as Nopa...but close.

Two wonderful meals in two days. Time to hit the gym to keep those calories off my thighs! If only I could find the motivation...ugh.

And the stitching update for the week. I have really been enjoying stitching on Where My Heart Blooms. I'm finding the autumnal colors really soothing. I think I've completed the upper half now but it's the lower half that has the most stitching!
I'm doing a lot of firsts with this project. It's the first time I've stitched in hand. I kind of like it. And the first time there's more than a couple of smyrnas or eyelets. I like both! Now I know the trick for nice eyelets and I really like the effect. They are time consuming but I think it's well worth it!
I'm on the over 1 portion. I'm not liking it as much. Over 1 on 40 count is hard! Margaret...how do you do it?! I'm wondering if I should be doing tent stitch/half cross stitch because full crosses seem kind of bulky. I'm not sure I like the H I've stitched. What are your thoughts on over 1 on 40 count?

And Vonna did some quick finishing for me! This is my contribution to the Attic Auction.
Didn't she do a great job?! It came out superbly...I'm tempted to keep it for myself but I did agree to send an ornie to the auction and this is the only ornie I've managed to stitch all year!

Carol and I postponed our SAL a few days so I should try to sit down a bit tonight to start the Traveling Stitcher. I'm hoping to have an hour to devote to it. I probably won't get far but at least I'll have started.

Until next time...

Fun, Fun, Fun! (Long and Photo Heavy)

I had so much fun! I met lots of wonderful ladies, shopped til I dropped, took some stitching classes, ate yummy food, was crafty, stitched my little heart out and just had a fabulously wonderful time. The Shepherd's Bush retreat was just plain awesome. Even more so was making new friends...I had a wonderful time hanging out with Katrina, Karin, Natalia and Sara (no blog)!

**ok, now is the time to get your cup of tea because this is going to be a long post...don't say you weren't warned**

Now it's time to play catch-up. Am I the last one to post about retreat?! I came home to 257 posts to catch up on...and I read each one because I couldn't bear to miss out on anything...and 110 work emails. And apparently some huge paper machine threw up all over my work desk! The heck?! Don't you wish you can freeze time a little so it's not so hard to catch up when you get back from vacation? Welcome back to reality, Valerie! Please beam me back to Utah...it was much calmer there.

On Wednesday, I got up at the crack of dawn to begin my journey to Utah. I landed, found my rental car and made it to Ogden in one piece. Thank you to whomever invented the GPS! First stop, Shepherd's Bush which was truly nirvana. It's a beautiful shop! It's cute and homey and just loaded full of treasures. They have a kabillion models and because they know you will fall in love with it, they even put small cuts of fabric nearby so you can just pick up the chart and fabric right there. They are amazingly organized! And the models go all the way up to the ceiling! You can just stand and crane your neck and take it all in. I would have taken pictures but imagine about 70 ladies crammed into a small shop. Shoot...there may have been more! I shopped until I dropped...had to sit down and have a lemonade break. While shopping, I met Terri, Deb, Jolene and Loraine. Right when I was going to step out to take a photo of the shop, there was this torrential downpour. Katrina, Karin and I waited it out and then ran to our next stop. Next stop...Jill Rensel's shop. Can I just say that besides being a wonderfully talented framer, Jill is also the sweetest person on earth? She had a treat table set up for retreat stragglers which included some of my favorite candy! We had a good chat and looked at all the beauties she had framed up that were awaiting their owners. She inspires me to stitch faster so that all the ideas in my head actually become a reality. After that, we had a little walk in the neighborhood, an early dinner and began the journey to Park City. Once there, I was so pooped I just collapsed into bed.

Having lived at sealevel all my life, suddenly being at 7000+ feet had me at a slight disadvantage. But luckily I was surrounded by savvy mountain-living people that they got me all up to speed on how to handle the altitude. I followed their instruction and was good to go. It was the first official day of retreat and we started it off with more shopping. OMG, there was so much cute stuff that I just couldn't resist! Trust me, I was *not* the only shopaholic there! I was in awe of how many people had the same idea at the same time and lo and behold...line! But the cool thing about standing in line is that you meet new people. I found out that there were Bay Area stitchers besides me at the retreat. I was starting to wonder! It was nice to meet Pam, Kim and Lara (all non-bloggers). We had a welcome project which was stitching your initial, finishing it as a button and placing it on these incredible project bags. Isn't it great?!

And a closeup...Karin helped me out in getting it into button form because she's a total pro! It came out great...I was so happy I think I did a little dance at the table!


Then we had a Simple Stitches project.
I didn't stitch on any class projects during class time because I wanted to do it at my own pace and not get flustered. So I worked on my Where My Heart Blooms instead. Well, Alma Allen saw me stitching on it and actually came up and talked to me about it. I practically fell out of my chair! Alma is so sweet and she has a terrific sense of humor! Actually, all the teachers at the retreat do too. Here's how WMHB looks like now. Still lots to do. Funny thing is that I don't do specialty stitches very often (as in almost never) so I had to write myself a cheat sheet.
So even though I've been blogging for what seems like forever but also no time at all, I really kind of think I write into the abyss. I know I have readers because some even comment! But the world is vast...but at the same time...small. So imagine my surprise when I discovered people were on the lookout for me because they knew I'd be at retreat! Wow! People actually know who I am! I met some lovely ladies like Tammy and Lancy (also non-bloggers). It was so nice to talk to them in between classes. They were both so friendly. There were a couple more but I've forgotten their names...but thank you for being on the lookout and saying hi! There was also Melissa who was my seatmate in the classes. Stitchers really are the friendliest people on the planet!

Here's a sneak peek of the class projects.

Jeanette Douglas:
Charland: Large Needlebook (closed)
Outside:
Inside:

Blackbird Designs:
I also took some pictures of past projects in the Blackbird Designs classroom...

It was great to see so many of their models and antique samplers in person!

And as I mentioned...I shopped! Here's a couple of photos of my stash haul.
I really like the new Shepherd's Bush stocking called Sadie. I liked it so much that I kitted it up. This is going to be *my* stocking...can't wait to start it.

And not only did I buy lots of new stash as shown above, Tina and Teri handed out extra little goodies throughout retreat. It was like christmas every single day. I am thankful I had an expandable suitcase otherwise I would have had to make the tough decision between bringing home stash or my trusty pillow! It would have had to be buh-bye pillow!
I had a wonderful time meeting such wonderful ladies. And a very special thank you to Katrina for being party..oh um...retreat planner extraordinaire! She allowed a total newbie, shy, quiet retreat goer (that's me) have a totally fantastic time! She told us what to expect and when to go running for that last "must have" pattern. Serious! Just imagine...she is holding fantastic pattern...where'd you get that...over there, hurry up, they're almost out! What? Almost out? But I need it! Seriously, at retreat, you need everything! Katrina also planned a special meal out each day which I totally appreciated. I am almost always the planner in my circle and it was so nice to have the retreat extras planned. I didn't have to worry about anything other than getting myself there and having a good time. And not only did I have a good time...I had a super fabulous time. Thank you to Katrina, Karin, Natalia and Sara for including me in your group. First retreat = success! Time to start saving those pennies for 2012!

***

And there's even more fun! I am doing a SAL with Carol R. on the LHN Travelling Stitcher starting October 1st. If you're interested in joining us, please let me know. This is a no stress, no blog SAL. Just stitch along and have fun. Here's what I will be using...called for threads on Lambswool.
*tap, tap, tap*

Is anyone still out there? Wow this was long! I got tired writing it. Be sure to read Katrina, Natalia, Terri and Deb's blogs(links above) because they all have updates on retreat with super fabulous pictures of things other than stitching! Yes, I know...there is such a thing but I had a one track mind apparently. If you are on the fence about the next retreat...just go! It was fabulous fun and apparently just what I needed. I was actually bouncy at work...on Monday! I think my co-workers were about to take my temperature and make sure I wasn't feverish and losing it!

I did return to another heatwave though. Hellloooo, sweet fog...where are you?!

Until next time...

Come Dance With Me!

Hey there friends, put on your dancin' boots and come dance with me. Come dance, come dance, come dance...

Why?!

Because at 6pm, I sewed on my last button on Boo Club. Yay! I made my self-imposed goal! It's about time I was realistic about something. Here it is in all its glory!

L*K Boo Club
32 ct. Birds of a Feather Meadowlark
Recommended WDW/GAST/DMC

That's kind of hard to see so I here are photos of the top half and the bottom half.
I am *so* happy to have a *me* finish! I haven't figured out how I want to finish it but I am thinking a wall hanging. I wonder if I can kind a spooky dowel holder...like a witches broom. I need to brainstorm and hit the craft stores. I will be offering my charts for sale...for a good price. If anyone is interested, just send me an email. Otherwise, I'll be posting them on my sale blog after retreat.

I put away all the threads and got things together for my next start. I've been following Michelle's progress on her Where My Heart Blooms for a while. Each time I saw her post an update, it only made me want to stitch mine more and more. When I met up with Lisa and Brandy at NiaH last weekend, finding fabric was my goal. Mind you, I didn't expect it to take 2 hours to get there and have a serious case of indecisiveness from being so frazzled from traffic. Thank goodness for them and Mary, otherwise, I may still be there trying to decide...a week later.
The pattern calls for a 30 count R&R but NiaH doesn't carry R&R and I'm really not all that partial to it anyways. I picked out 40 count Lakeside Linens Fawn instead. Which is kind of funny since my Mary Wigham is on Fawn too and I'll be puling her out again after retreat/birthday so I can be a good moderator and at least get through Part 1. The fawn is darker than what is shown in the above photo. On the 40 count, WMHB will be all small and dainty! I can't wait to see it transform. I'll be using the called for GAST/WDW.

A few weeks ago, I came across this blogger who has a fancy schmancy embroidery machine and she makes bookmarks. One of them was a cross which I thought would be nice for my mom since she's super catholic and her birthday is coming up. She's turning 80 on the 24th. She's getting old too! LoriRay was very sweet and said she'd make me some bookmarks for my mom and I got a couple of cross ones and some heart ones. They arrived in the mail this week and they came out great!
Well, that's about it. This may be my last update before retreat. I have laundry and housesitting to do, bills to pay, projects to start (to make stitching easy for plane travel), must pack, plus work (ugh!) and who knows what else in the next three days! I'm going to be a frazzled sleepy mess on Wednesday. But I think the moment I step foot in Shepherd's Bush, it will be nirvana! OMG, I can't wait...so excited!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Until next time...