Catching Up

Ahem...you know what they say about going away for the weekend being a test of a new relationship? Well, it's true. Things didn't go necessarily as planned with me and the beau and so now we are "on a break". Definitely not how I thought my birthday weekend would go and despite the abundance of wine and chocolate...which helped to sooth some of the pain...I've been sad. We've decided to hang around though so maybe after a little bit of time, the stars will realign again...properly this time. In the meantime, I've been determined to keep busy. God knows, I've thrown everything to the wayside the last few months and so now it's time for me to focus on some home projects. The closet purge and re-org, thinking about home financing (scary!), stitching and blogging (I've missed you guys something fierce), return to the gym and develop a true routine so that I can properly thrive instead of walking around sleepily bumping into everything hoping someone will buy me coffee so I can focus. Yes, being single isn't as easy and cracked up as people think...neither is being in a relationship.

I'd talk about my birthday weekend but it is still overshadowed by the sadness that followed the remainder of the week. I didn't get very much done which is probably good I was off from work. So hard to focus when you're emotionally influx.

Oh but I can't forget to mention the birthday kindness I received from Carol R and Sweet Carol. Carol R sent me her new pattern, Sew Buttons. It's lovely and I can't wait to stitch it one day. I can see it being a lovely Mother's Day gift for my mom provided I can get my act together. And Carol sent me a wonder Halloween pillow and a chart from my wishlist. I just love it! Being an October baby, I am a huge Halloween fan. Huge! I'm thrilled to have another pillow to add to my decorations this year. And isn't that pop of yellow wonderful? Thank you Carol!

When I could, I would stitch on my LHN Pumpkins for Sale. I started this project last month. I needed a seasonal small to lug around with me to work and such. It just doesn't feel right to not be working on something Halloweeny or Christmasy this time of year. Pumpkins for Sale is the only project that has been getting any stitchy love.

This past week, I dug out my Halloween decorations and knick knacks and put them up to get me into the spirit. I have to say it's working. I love my Halloweeny stuff. I even headed to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival this past weekend and acquired a new decoration. Isn't this Trick or Treat Cat Lady the best or what?!

And a "candy corn" "mommy" glass pumpkin! I wanted a glass pumpkin that was a bigger size than the three I acquired last year and this one was just calling to me. Next year, I'm shooting for a "daddy" one to make my pumpkin patch family complete. I better start saving now. The "daddy" ones are not cheap!

And here is my display in my living room.

This coming weekend is IHSW! I am hoping to hermit and try to at least finish the "PUM" in Pumpkins for Sale. I hope I succeed!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes and sticking with me through my absence. I've lost a few followers but it means a lot to me those who stick around during the bumpy roads and the occasional absence.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Until next time...

The Birthday Getaway...(photos galore)

So a long, long time ago...like April...I knew I had to get out of dodge for my birthday or I would go berserk and depressed to be spending another birthday alone, at home, with my parents who make me get my own cake and my own present and will probably criticize me because I had the nerve to visit them in yoga pants and without makeup. Because, you know...how am I going to meet a man dressed like that(!)...while stuck in the car, driving, between my apartment and their house. No way! Getting out of dodge! I would not be able to deal. It was bad enough that my mom was all hurt that I wasn't spending my birthday with her and kept making snide remarks about how I was going away with a man and why I wasn't bringing this imaginary man by the house to meet her. Seriously, it's amazing I'm as normal as I am being surrounded by that insanity.

So I booked myself a loft cabin in the woods. Me, a city girl, in the woods. I wasn't sure how bright an idea this was but that was the plan. Quiet, seclusion, relaxation...and lots of wine.

The night before I was supposed to leave, I had a headache and was exhausted and didn't have the energy to pack. I decided to check my email one last time before heading to bed. The laptop was driving me nuts...wanting to do updates. So I decided to just let it do its update but it got kind of stuck...so I turned it off even though it said to not turn off the computer during the update. People...do not turn off the computer!! Holy Cow. I ended up being up half the night trying to get my computer to turn back on and each time, I got a "fatal error" message. I was in a panic and emailing(from my phone since the computer was broken) every geeky nerdy friend I knew at 2am hoping they were up playing video games and could talk me through the disaster I created for myself. No luck. I managed to sleep for about three hours before I woke up again. I was a nervous panicky mess mainly because my budget does not allow for another laptop and I would be computerless which is akin to death. In relaying my misery via text to Claire, she told me to bring the laptop to her and her husband would look at it while I was gone. So I packed, dropped off my laptop and began my journey up 101 and 128 before landing in Mendocino 3.5 hours later. The drive up was gorgeous and hassle free. It was 90 degrees in the Valley and I stopped at the orchard and a winery on my way to stock up a little. But let me tell you, once I crossed over onto Highway 1, the weather literally dropped 30 degrees. I traded in one foggy city for one seriously foggy town! I found my rental and it was a gorgeous little space. Here are some photos to get an idea.

The Deck

The View

The View at Night
Interior shot from entryInterior shot from Kitchen
View of Kitchen from Bathroom

The owner is an artist and there were examples of her collage art around. Her work studio was below this loft space and wow...it's a wonderful set up with tons of light. I did a quick trip into town to pick up food supplies and I tucked in for the night and stitched while watching tv.

The big news story in the area was that there was a murderer on the loose who was breaking into rental cabins and homes looking for food and supplies who had a shootout with the Sheriffs and got away. Joy...oh, joy! Here I am alone in the woods with some psycho on the loose with a rifle and I have no cell phone reception. Where is my wine...la la la...let's try not to think about it.

The next day, I headed into town to get coffee, a pastry and do a walk around. I went to my usual go-to stops, visited the farmers market and walked along Main Street. The shopkeepers here are so friendly so each stop was at least 20 minutes because talking about the weather and the impending rain was a must. In one shop, I bought this cute Halloween decoration. I couldn't resist! Look at the fluffy neck muff! Love it!
At another stop, I bought myself a souvenir tee shirt even though I already have a lot of Mendocino shirts.

Oh and here are a couple of photos I took around town.

I walked around until it was time to see if Claire arrived at the rental...and she did. I timed it perfectly. We headed back into town for lunch and more walking around. We gathered more supplies to have a little picnic in the cabin and tucked in for more tv and stitching. Being a mom, this was the longest stretch of stitching she has gotten in in the past two years!

There's a reason for the picnicking too. The area is very lowkey and nice but the dining options are slim. They are either super casual and close very early or high end and too expensive.

On the third day, we headed out winetasting...in the rain. We had a fun time. Heck, who doesn't have a fun time wine tasting at wineries that have no tasting fees?! Bring on the wine! I ended up with 8 bottles of wine. The standouts to me were Toulouse and Breggo. Toulouse is one fantastic and dangerous place. They are still new and do their tastings in the barn because they are still trying to get the winery off the ground and built the tasting room. They have a heavy hand when pouring their tastes and have probably some of the best wine I've tasted. Their Gewurtztraminer and Pinots are excellent and if I could have afforded it, I'd have bought at least one of each Pinot Noir they offer but as it was, I splurged and just bought one. If I win the lottery, I'll buy myself a caseload! Breggo is another place known for their Pinot Noir but I stuck with the whites during the tasting and they were excellent...they really have a skill for pairing interesting notes. We also visited Navarro, Husch, Brutacao and Lazy Ridge.

Lazy Ridge (i think)

Brutacao Vines
Pinot Noir Grapes
Husch Tasting Room - So Cute!
Wine booty

I was pretty toasted after all the wine tasting. We headed back to have an early dinner at a tapas restaurant I was dying to try and when we got there, the restaurant was closed! As in closed because they went out of business and there wasn't even any furniture in the space closed. Wah! After much debate over where we should eat and not really liking any of our options we decided to eat at the bar at the Inn at Little River and we had a nice meal with ollalieberry cobbler and ice cream for dessert. No chocolate cake but it was pretty tasty. After dinner, Claire made her way back home and I relaxed in the loft in a food and wine stupor. Too stuffed to read or even stitch! So I watched tv and relaxed and was happy that they "caught" the murderer so I could sleep in peace and not dream about some psycho breaking in and trying to steal my stitching.

The next day was my long journey back home. Why is it always longer to go home than it is to arrive? I arrived safely and relaxed at home. It was a nice birthday getaway! And you know the best part? When Claire arrived to Mendocino, she brought my fixed laptop with her. Her husband was able to fix it and I was over the moon happy! And she also brought me a bluetooth thingie because I always say I can't talk on the phone in the car because I don't have one (ticketable offense to drive and hold a cell phone at the same time). So happy!

So, birthday weekend was a success! The only bummer was that I did not score chocolate cake! I know what chocolate cake I want. I just need to find the time to go to Mara's for a slice of sinfully rich chocolatey goodness.

I hope you all enjoyed the photos! Time for me to clean for the cleaner. *grumble* How's this place get so cluttered and how come the laundry can't put itself away?! Magic wand, where, oh where are you!?

Until next time...

They Say It's My Birthday!

I'm on vacation...drinking wine, relaxing, visiting the beach and hoping that I can score myself a scrumptious slice of chocolate cake!

Beyond the Speed of Light

Time's still flying! The week and weekend has been a blur and I sit here typing trying to remember what I've even done. Let's see if my pictures remind me...

Ah ok...I'm starting to remember.

Mid-week, I received a package in the mail from Hazel. As luck would have it, I won her giveaway on my birthday! Talk about a wonderful surprise!
In the package, there were three English chocolate bars and a pretty wrapped bundle of three crocheted washclothes and a yummy smelling bar of soap. I can't wait to use them! Since I'm been running around like a chicken with her head cut off, I had to wait until Saturday to take a decent daylight photo. Do you know how hard it was to NOT eat one of those candy bars before then?! Oh so torturous! But I was good and I think I will be treating myself to the Crunchie tonight. Thank you so much Hazel! I love the washclothes, soap and treats.

Perhaps you can tell by the photo above that the giveaway items are sitting in a basket. There have been a lot of people moving out of my building. I have no idea why...it's a wonderful place to live. When people move out, they place things on the free table...sometimes, it's the free foyer depending on the amount of junk...er, I mean, stuff they leave behind. Late one evening, I came in and saw baskets stacked and saw this.
It was at the very bottom of the basket pile and I think I gasped. Longaberger? No...can't be. On the free table?!
Yep! Longaberger! I about ran up to my unit before someone came back changing their minds! It needs a little detailing but is in superb condition. I can envision a lot of seasonal pillows and ornies displayed in it, can't you?! I had better get my butt in gear and stitching some Spring/Easter, Halloween/Fall and Christmas/Winter. Um, I think this might be a multi-year project.

On Saturday, I missed out on going to the annual Pumpkin Festival. Woke up too late and if you leave after 8am, it's not worth sitting in traffic to get there as it's a one lane highway to get to the festival. So I found the pumpkin spirit and rang the day in with homemade pumpkin bread! Mmmm....I love pumpkin anything!
I only have about two slices left as I handed slices out to anyone I came across. As much as I love baking, it's dangerous for me to leave the treats in the house for long. Next thing I know, my pants don't fit! So a couple of slices for me and the rest is for sharing.

Claire and Andre also had their birthday on Saturday and I stopped by to drop off their presents. Amongst them was this.
Andre's Birth Sampler...one year later. Whew! At least it was done. I had a love/hate relationship with Newton and couldn't bear to even work on it so I had to come up with a fast substitute. Lizzie*Kate's Bless the Baby fit the bill. Of course, I sent it to Jill Rensel so she could fancy it up a little with her tremendous artistic ability and both Claire and I were very happy. Andre's 1...he was most happiest playing with the crumpled up wrapping paper! After the gift opening, we met up with Ann Marie for a lovely dinner at Wayfare Tavern. It involved interesting people watching, a couple of yummy chicken dishes (fried chicken was stellar) and breakfast for dinner as well as scrumptious carrot cake that made me feel like I finally had birthday cake worth writing about. It was a nice night out. Thanks AM!

Throughout the week, whatever minutes I had for stitching, I devoted to the Traveling Stitcher SAL with CarolR. I didn't want her to think I was a slacker! My progress has been slow though. But I've got my pink house, a fence, flower, tree and little stitcher girl done.
I'm going to work on the grass some tonight while watching the Giants beat (hope!) the Phillies.

This may be my last post for a bit. I am tying up loose ends before my trip to the Big Apple! I don't think I will have very much time to stitch seeing as I will be playing the part of tourist and I want to see everything! When I return, so do my parents and my housesitting duties finally come to an end but there will be some work involved getting them back up to speed and settled. I'll miss reading blogs, blogging and connecting with everyone but I'll try to catch up fast!

Hope you all enjoyed the 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...

They Say It's My Birthday!

I'm off to spend my day with Snoopy and the Gang, take a drive though wine country and see if I can plead my way into this popular little restaurant. Hey, it's my birthday...I think they can find a little spot for me to have a late lunch. This birthday girl can hope anyways...

I'll tell you all about it when I get back!

Until next time...

Birthday Gift Arrived!

Wow...two posts right after one another. The Postal Service is working overtime getting my packages out in a timely manner!

First of all, my sister says thank you to all my blogging friends for wishing her a happy birthday! She was quite pleased! Thanks for taking the time to do that. I never realized how much she reads my blog now. Apparently, I am supposed to be posting more. I'm working on it Karen! =)

Second, my sister received her gift today. She dropped major hints a few months ago that I was way overdue in stitching her something. You have to remember that she was taught the same way I was (by mom) but with a full-time job, 2 kids and activities with kids' sports and church involvement, she's more content reading or napping when she has free time than trying to make heads or tails of a pattern. That's my job! She told me she wanted something red and cream and I immediately had something in mind. And with her 50th birthday quickly approaching, I had big reasons to stitch her something nice! A while back, I had seen a kit in The Stitchery called Bless This House by Kooler Design/Janlynn. I chucked the fabric (aida...ick!) and the thread and replaced it with Lambswool and Gloriana Cranberry. Deb finished it for me into a bellpull and she did a wonderful job considering the tight time constraints. Thanks Deb! Here's Deb's photo to me. It always seems like folks take much better pictures than me!

Remember all those red/cream sneakpeeks? This is what it turned out to be...

Here's my attempt:

I think I need photography lessons...

Karen called me today and was very happy with her present and even told me she already hung it on her wall. Yay! Hearing that made me very happy. I'm so glad it was a hit!

Ok, off to stitch on Boo Club a little more. I do more computer surfing (and cart clicking!) more than stitching nowadays. I already have enough stash to last me my lifetime...like I need more! I'm working on the Eek block and it's pretty simple. I'll probably finish tomorrow and get back to my gift programming.

Until next time...

PIF Arrived and a Birthday!

Wow...a post...with some actual stitching. Miracle of miracles! I finally set my mind to doing the finishing on my PIF pieces this weekend and I just received an email from Natasha letting me know it arrived and she loves it. Whew!! Here is what I sent her.

I stitched her the Ewe & Eye & Friends Basket Scissor Weight with the recommended DMC and Blackbird Designs Small Token with Crescent Colors and DMC. Both are on 32 count Lakeside Linens Vintage Light Exampler. I so love this linen!! And I figured that Natasha could always use a pair of good embroidery scissors so I threw those in.

Natasha, so sorry it was late!! I hope it was worth the wait! Funny thing is I stitched her something completely different in January. First, it was the silk I hated, I picked another silk and then I realized I hated the linen and that just made me hate the whole thing and I can't send anything that I hate! What sense does that make? So I tossed it and brainstormed and came out with this. I'm glad I did. The scissor weight and cording was a breeze but that pinpillow was challenging. It was the first time I made anything with fabric backing vs. linen. The first attempt at blindstitching wasn't that good. I could see that some crushed walnut filling might fall out so I had to go through it again and blind stitch closer together. So Natasha...be careful! lol I think I have to practice the fabric backing finish a few more times. Either way, I'm happy with the results. It was also my first time using fabric dye...for the pinpillow lace. It was super easy!

Nothing much else going on...same old stuff. I'll have another finish to share soon though so stay tuned.

Today is a super special day...it's my sister's 50th birthday!! Happy birthday Karen! She checks in on my blog so if you can wish her a happy birthday, I'm sure she'll be both surprised and happy!

I've been blog giveaway stitching but I think I need to treat myself for a couple of days and pull out Boo Club. It's just so mindless and the colors are so cheerful. I think I could use it!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Holiday!

Until next time...

Tuesdays Are My Stitchy Night

Wow, what a week it has been! I am feeling pretty run down and lethargic. Truly as lazy and slow as a slug. So much so that I gave myself a mental health day yesterday and I slept the entire morning away!

The weekend was a blur. I had yet again procrastinated in my sewing class and left things to the last minute. Why, oh why, do I do that?! So, for most of the weekend, I was stressed about sewing my project. Saturday, I spent the majority of the afternoon sewing my samples so I could turn them in for grading and get caught up. That was all relatively easy. Once I finished, I got ready to meet up with Claire and AM. AM was in town and treating me and Claire to dinner for our birthdays. Mine was the 1st and Claire's is the 16th. We decided to try Zazie in Cole Valley. Little French bistro that gets rave reviews. To be honest, I forget all about Cole Valey. It's a tiny 3 block quaint neighborhood hidden amongst the huge houses of Cole Valley and Ashbury Heights. Everything was delicious and superbly done. We had a leisurely 2.5 hour dinner spent eating and catching up and we weren't hurried in any way by the waitstaff. That's always nice. We left happy and by the time I got home, I had to lie down and go to sleep...so heavy was my food coma.

Sunday woke to a new day and I headed to Absinthe for brunch with another friend. Hayes Valley was hosting a Union Designer Faire and so I went to take a look around and found a wonderful tote that I have been trying to resist for months. I love the color of it...a wonderful burnt orange...just perfect for Fall! I had to cut the fun short (plus it was freezing for an outdoor fair!!) though since I had to go back home to sew. I think I spent more time restitching things and pulling my fabric from the "teeth" of the machine than actually sewing! Serious battle of the wills with the Singer machine! Ugh! So frustrating. I was all worried I wouldn't have time to finish my tee by the Monday night deadline! I was kind of right. By 10pm, I was beat and in need of a siesta on the futon so I stopped for the night. By that point, I only had sleeve hems and bottom hem to sew up. I finished those up during my "mental health" day and was able to model it for my sewing class last night. It's a basic 3/4 sleeve purple crewneck tee. It doesn't make much of a statement but seeing as I've never used a machine before the beginning of September, this is a huge accomplishment. I actually made a wearable piece of clothing! Mind you, it's far from perfect. I sometimes have problems sewing a straight line and it's a little too big in the sides but that doesn't matter much as this will be added to my sleep attire and who cares what I wear to sleep provided I don't get cold in the middle of the night. So the tee was a success...next project...pajama pants!

Here's an impromptu pic of my tee and new tote.


Last week was mentally draining so my stitching (and sewing) suffered. I'm close to finishing Letter G (Gigi) so I won't take a picture. Just a little more backstitching and all the beading left to do. I've been on a one project kick which I know gets boring for you guys in blogland.

Some exciting news...the final QFRR finally landed to its original home last Friday! Yay! In 13 months, it has travelled within the US, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. This piece of fabric is more well-travelled than I am! A huge thanks to Edgar for inviting me into the RR and for stitching on it as well as a thanks to Wendy, Carol R., Rowyn and Donna. I love it!

Quaker Style Friendship Sampler by Samplers and Such
36 ct. Lakeside Linens Vintage Light Examplar
Belle Soie Creme de Menthe & Gloriana Birch Brown (1 over 2)

Now to decide what to do with it. I am still going with my gut feeling of turning it into a small pillow for the bedroom. The colors coincide with the ones on my duvet. Now just curious if I do it myself or send it off to be finished. Decisions, decisions.

Well, that's about it for today. This week, I hope to finish Gigi, start Newton again and maybe, possibly start on a scarf. That's assuming I can find my knitting needles...they're around here somewhere!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend and best wishes for a calm week.

Until next time...

Cake Should Be A Food Group!

Thursday was my birthday. I turned 34 and it passed like a blur like any other day. But it was a nice day. *The boy* make me breakfast, I lounged, we saw the parentals and I got nice little gifts including birthday money I'm not sure what to do with and *the boy* took me to La Bodeguita Del Medio for dinner. We ordered a little less this time around but I was still ready to pass out in the restaurant from rum and food overload. Empanadas, croquetas, camarones en mojo (too spicy) and ropa vieja...everything was yum! Even the camarones...except after eating one my tongue was on fire! Thank goodness for the croquetas...those calmed the heat down afterwards!

Around noon, *the boy* sneaked out saying he had to run an errand. Mmm-hmmm....errand. He came back with this.
CAKE!!! I love cake...really, it should be it's own food group. Sometimes I go on a cake diet...and only eat cake...and somehow I lose weight despite eating lots of cake. Obviously, cake diets are not healthy but it's fun once in a while. This was a St. Honore cake...one of my favorites but *the boy* got it at my local bakery instead of making the trek to my long-standing go-to place for St. Honore. I didn't even know my local bakery made this cake! I decided to take it to my parents to share with them and minimize how much cake I'll eat. I haven't been exercising...my pants feel tight...you know the drill. Between the four of us, we devoured the entire cake in one sitting! It was yum!

The rest of the weekend has been nice...quiet with yummy meals in the evening. Yesterday, I went to a couple of morning appointments and the came home and relaxed until it was time to meet up with Claire for dinner at NOPA. We *love* this restaurant. Everytime I come here...it reminds me of the city vibe that I love and sometimes miss...and I feel happy and revitalized. The food never disappoints, I can have elderflower gimlets despite it not being on their cocktail menu and the service is beyond great. It's awesome! It's also cool because Claire and I like to share so we agree on an app, entree, side and dessert and just split everything and then walked out of their satisfied instead of stuffed and ready to roll down the street.

Tonight was filled with more relaxing, a trip back to the parentals to fix a couple of things and errands in the city. *The boy* and I passed by the spot of our first date and we decided to see if we could get a table. Reminisce a little, eat good food and be in a fun family-style place. It was like coming full circle at Capp's Corner. On our first date, we were both so nervous that *the boy* kept announcing he was nervous and barely ate a thing and I kept telling him to stop telling me he was nervous because it was making me nervous and I pushed food around on my plate. After a couple of glasses of wine, we were both more relaxed and having a great time. This time, we talked, ate plenty and then took a little walk around the neighborhood and stopped into his favorite bakery to have a little chat with the owner and have a little coffee before heading home. So far...great birthday weekend!

I'm pretty low-key about my birthday but even more so about this one. Bad year, relationship hoopla, slight hermit-mode...makes me want to hide-out and stitch a ton. I was surprised to find these goodies in the mailbox last week. I received a lovely card with little needlebook from the lovely CarolR and another card and little package from the ever-generous Edgar! And here is what was in Edgar's package. A lovely pinkeep (or pynkeepe as Edgar says) which is CarolR's SewRed design! I thought it was so funny as I was planning to stitch this up soon and now I don't have to. I love the purple and wine color scheme that Edgar picked out and it's found a special place in my living room/stitching nook. Thank you so much Edgar! I love it! Edgar's birthday is also tomorrow so Happy birthday Edgar!
And a little peek into my living room. I do this every year...for my birthday and at Christmas. I tape up the cards to my door so I can see them from where I sit on the futon. I mishmash of cards from stitchy friends, family, friends and co-workers.
So my mom, dad and *the boy's* mom gave me birthday money. I am debating whether I use the money for some semi-essentials like a new wallet and new work flats and you know, be kind of responsible. Or do I go all out on stash. I have 4 BAPs I want to start soon. Two of them are Mary Wigham and Fairy Moon which are both ready to go and fully kitted. But I also plan on stitching The American Sampler and Chatelaine TajMahal. I only have the charts for both. Birthday money would buy me the Taj kit(minus fabric) and all the silk for American Sampler (it's all super pricey) and I'd have to decide on fabric for both. I am so tempted to buy stash even though there is no way I'd be able to start either by the end of the year!! Ay, decisions, decisions.

And I've been stitching. I've been staying up super late each night working on the Letter G. I am really enjoying this so far but I think once I hit the fairy...those fractional stitches will drive me a little batty. *The boy* is amazed at my attitude about this one. I love it!! I really wonder what Letter V will look like...and when it will come out!

I'll work on it a little more tonight but I have the feeling my Tuesday report will be delinquent. Tomorrow will be an all sewing day...lots of homework. Monday is my long day (work from 8am-5pm and sewing class from 530pm - 930pm) plus *the boy* leaves Monday night too. So not much stitching outside of tonight for a few days...

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Until next time...