Friends, Gifts and Stitching Updates!

I have been very lucky this week!  I've got to spend some time with some of the very important people in my life!  Besides my family... which is always a given over the holidays.  On Tuesday I went to the gym with Christin before we joined Kathy at our favourite restaurant (Lone Star) for dinner.  Despite the restaurant being busy, our waiter got the drift and just left us alone to talk after eating.  There's nothing I hate more than being pushed out of my table before I'm ready to leave.  Sadly I forgot to get a picture of the three of us together!  It was great to get caught up with Kathy, I won't be seeing her again until March when I fly down to Arizona over the March Break!

Then on Wednesday I got to spend the afternoon and evening with my best friend Claire (and her hubby Patrick who I adore as well)!  She and I have been the best of friends since grade 10 and no matter where life has taken us (her) we've always somehow managed to keep in touch.  I think I'll be looking at a flight down to Jacksonville Florida this summer to spend a good couple of days with her!

When Christin and I met up on Tuesday it wasn't only to spend time with Kathy but we finally exchanged Christmas gifts.  I was finally able to give her the gorgeous flower frog I've been holding onto for months to her (for her scissors of course)!  Of course did I think to get a picture of it?  Nope!  Christin got me these cool racks (2 of them) for my ever growing ribbon collection!  Now I have room for more!  I've put them together but I'm now waiting for Todd to put them up on the wall for me... but I may have to take things into my own hands and attempt to mount them on the wall myself!

I have been stitching this week, more than I have in a very long time which has been nice.  I'm actually seeing progress on The Accolade!  Working on a 10x10 block every day before I pick up my main project has really been working for me.

Fingers crossed, I may get the Air Spirit finished on Art Deco Spirits, before the year is out!!!  We'll see as there are just hours left to the year.

Late Wednesday night I was stitching and I had Cuddles at my feet, and Hunter on the back of my chair!  Super cute!!!

Thanks Rebecca!

I had a fantastic, perfect stitchy weekend at Rebecca's!  She had me out to her place from Thursday-Sunday and oh boy did we stitch!  Bonnie joined us on Friday and... oh boy did we stitch!  On Sunday Beth joined us in the afternoon, it was so good to see her again.

Here's where Celestial Dragon ended up at the end of the evening yesterday (with a little bit of Hunter's tail).  I finished yet another 1/4 of the dragon and got a good start on the last.  Unfornately once all of the cross stitching is done on this last 1/4 I won't be finished yet!  There's the scales to backsttich... all in gold blending fillament (ick), then the whole background is netting, all done in backstitch, witha bead in each corner!  Lots and lots of beads!!!!  So unfortunately the finish line isn't in sight.

On Saturday we spent the day at Rebecca's grandparent's cottage.  It was a fantastic day to be sitting on the screened in deck... you've got it stitching.

The boys were just having so much fun in the lake!

Bonnie was a sweetie, after she found herself a flower frog... she managed to find one for me too (for a great price!!!).  My scissors are now proudly displayed in my new scissor frog.  Thanks bonnie!

Hunter was being adorable while I was trying to photograph Celestial Dragon, so I took a picture of him.

Cuddles was feeling left out so he got his picture taken as well!

More Paradigm and the Scale

I got to spend Tuesday exactly how I planned (can you tell I'm a night owl as my posts when I'm not working are well after 12 am!), I got the tree up and decorated, gifts wrapped under the tree, stitches, and went to Weight Watchers. I know, it doesn't sound like a very exciting day for most people, but for someone like me who is often very busy its heaven!

First up I wanted to share this picture with you. The computer was shut down, I was getting ready for bed when I went into the washroom to find this... Cuddles and Hunter sleeping in very close proximity. This doesn't happen very often, the boys tend to tolerate each other and like most sibling they very easily annoy each other.

This entry is just full of cat antics today! It wasn't long after I had the tree assembled, I was about to start "fluffing" the tree when the next thing I knew... there was a pair of yellow eyes staring out at me!

So here's my progress on Paradigm Lost. I finished the good sized motif I was working on before bed last night. Also added in another snowflake, heart and crown, an elephant and the letter d. I've started on another small sized motif a star which I should be able to finish up in a reasonable amount of time. Then its onto another HUGE and densely stitched motif!

This morning I made a copy of the picture for Paradigm Lost so I could cross motifs out as I stitch them. It really helps to put the project in perspective.

I'm not sure exactly how much stitching I'm going to get done on Christmas Eve. I need to go pick up a few last minute groceries, and put gas in the car. Then I need to clean the house, as my parents should be coming over for dinner. Of course this is weather permitting, once again we've got some nasty stuff coming! 5-10cm of snow, then changing to freezing rain and ice pellets then to rain and back to freezing rain! A real mess! If the roads aren't in good shape we've already agreed to postpone dinner to Boxing Day.

I got a pleasant surprise at the scale tonight, I'm down 2lbs... and at Christmas time! I'm sure all the exercise helped. Which means I should hop on the treadmill tomorrow time and energy permitting. Over the next 3 days I've got three meals to deal with! First Christmas Eve, which I'm making and its totally friendly, Christmas Day with Todd's family, the Boxing Day at my Parents ( I'm not too worried about this since my Dad has been watching his weight for years and my Mum's meals are always prepared in the friendliest yet tasty manner). Also I told everyone, no big assed Toblerone bars this year please!!!

February Goals

Gosh I can't believe it, I forgot to share with you my February goals! So without further ado, here they are :

January Recap :

Stitch an Ornament - Actually did two!

Stitch a freebie - one of my ornaments was a freebie!

Finish Moon Dragon - yes!

Finish a Page on Noah's Sub - not quite... almost!

February Goals :

Stitch an Ornament

Stitch a freebie

Finish a Page on Noah's Sub (finally????)

Finish current page on The Castle

Work a little on Tour Des Marques

I finally finished the water on the page of Noah's Sub I've been working on! I'm now filling in the critters. I now have a walrus and a few bunnies!

As I've mentioned in the past I've been suffering from migraines quite a bit lately (actually since the beginning of January). Today I finally had to take a sick day because of them. As any migraine sufferer knows it gets frustrating when you start getting them day after day!

I did get rid of one stress factor in my life... unfortunately not my job LOL! We have to win the lotto first! I can't really talk about what I got rid of out of my life until it becomes common knowledge amongst the people involved. It was something I've been thinking about for some months now, as my close friends know I've been spreading myself wayyy too thin. Finally I'll be home a little more and be able to put more energy/focus into areas of my life I've been neglecting.

And here's a picture of Cuddles, we see a lot of Hunter but not so much of Cuddles the Gimpy Grey Beast.