Beauty

I had been wanting to try some anti-aging products for a while now.  I am only 37, but sometimes when I look in the mirror I look 100 years old.  Lack of sleep and stress will do that to you, I suppose.  But on the way home from the retreat Sunday morning I decided to stop at Rite Aid and see what I could find.  I am not expecting miracles here, but these three products below work pretty good in giving my skin a better appearance, at least I think so.

The cleanser is Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging cream cleanser.  It has some scrubbies in it to help get rid of dry skin.  Next is Loreal's Collagen moisturizer.  Hands-down this is the best moisturizer I have ever used.  Very thick and creamy, and smells great!  And the last one is Loreal Eye Defense.  I haven't seen much improvement under my eyes yet with this, but I am sure it is not going to happen overnight.  All of these products cost $35 together.  And they will last a while.  I am keeping my eye out in the weekly paper for some coupons for these products for the future.

Moving on, I did receive a scrapbook order in the mail yesterday.  My original thought was to use plain colored scrapbook paper and then jazz it up with stickers and whatnot.  Well, after perusing Michaels and ACMoore last week, I did not see much I liked.  I came home and went to Scrapbook.com.  This is the most awesome scrapbooking website that I have come across.  They have much, much more than any big box chain craft store has, and they have products that match, like the paper and journaling cards, which totally feeds the inner OCD and matchy-matchy tendencies I have with some things.

Bo Bunny is my favorite scrapbook supply designer.  I have found some very nice items I have bookmarked for future projects I have in the works.  But what I did receive yesterday was for Quaker Moon and Autumn Pinkeep. 

 As soon as I saw the owl in the tree, and I had wanted a black-based paper anyway, I was sold.  And these coordinating journal cutouts go right with it.  My plan is to attach the stitching to the paper and then attach a journal card with the stitching info:  designer, name of chart, threads and fabric used, and time it took to stitch. 

And I thought this was outstandingly perfect for Autumn Pinkeep.  The papers are so much more vibrant and gorgeous in real life.  Picking which journal card to use is going to be a tough decision.  And I bought a special black pen to write all of the details.  Now just to find the time to actually do the scrapbooking.  I am thinking maybe this weekend.  So, stay tuned for pics of finished pages!

I am only putting one piece on each page.  I was originally going to do multiple pieces on one page, but I think it would wind up looking too busy.  Trust me when I say I have spent quite a bit of time just picking out one paper and journaling card for one piece at a time.

I did receive some stash in the mail yesterday, With Thy Needle's December Word Play.  I saw a snippet of January's Word Play on her blog a few days ago and can't wait to see it!

And finally I have done a tiny bit of stitching on Morning Brew since the retreat.  Work has been crazy busy and I spent all of Sunday after getting home cleaning and unpacking.

  
You will see I have this project in a wooden embroidery hoop and not a Q-snap.  I have gone back and forth about trying this method.  I find my hand and arm tire easily when I am holding a Q-snap.  This embroidery hoop is very, very lightweight.  YES, I know that you should not leave your stitching in the hoop because of marks/creases that will not come out.  I take the piece out each time I am finished stitching.  YES, I know that putting the hoop over already-stitched parts can distort the stitches.  All I can say to that is I do my best to be the utmost careful when I am tightening the hoop in those areas.  And I read a tip online that if you are right-handed you should put the tightening part at 10:00, and if you are left-handed you should put it at 2:00 so your threads will not catch on it as you are stitching.  I actually find myself holding that part of the hoop while stitching.  It gives a nice place for your hand to rest.

I have actually liked stitching with the hoop so far.  So, for now I'm going with it. 

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Back from the retreat!!

I had a wonderful time at the Montpelier Needlearts retreat in Laurel, Maryland this weekend!!!  Friday involved checking in at 1pm and receiving your goody bag and either a coffee cup or regular drink cup.  It was so hard to choose which ones to take, as there were many beautiful ones.  Here are the ones I chose:

Inside the goody bags were lots of charts, needles, and thread.   Later on we also received this great pair of scissors, and they were purple!!!!

Jill and I shared a room and we met two great women, Sandy and Malissa.  Lots of good food and laughs all weekend.  And, of course, some stitching and stashing!  I did finish JBW Designs Sleigh French Country Ornament.

JBW Designs French Country Ornaments (Sleigh)

Started:  11/6/11

Finished:  11/12/11

Fabric: 32 count Cream Belfast

Thread:  ThreadWorx 1089

And I was able to get all the words stitched on Morning Brew.  You can see one of my stash purchases on the fabric, a martini glass needle minder.  LOVE IT!!!

The other purchase I made was the fabric for Plum Street Samplers Beans, Beans chart, Lakeside Linens 36 count Vintage Autumn Gold.

And I won a Lizzie Kate Boxer Jr kit, Candy, as a door prize!

On Saturday we visited the Montpelier Mansion Needlearts Show.  Wonderful pieces of stitching on display!  And the mansion was great to see.  

All in all a great weekend!  We will be back next year!

Busy Day!

As those who follow my blog know, I am stitching the Autumn Pinkeep design from The Gift of Stitching magazine using a Threadworx thread.

I met Denise and Jill for lunch and stitching at Panera Bread in Catonsville yesterday and stitched some more on it. I was very close to finishing it there, but noticed I was running out of thread.

This morning I did run out of thread, and then remembered The Stitching Post was open today, as it is the first Sunday of the month. The store was so busy!

But of course I could not go in and just get that one thread. I also purchased fabric and thread for JBW Designs French Country Ornaments (the sleigh) and fabric and thread for LHN Warm Winter Woolens, plus another 8 by 8 Q-snap and another needlework magnet. I am adding LHN's Warm Winter Woolens to my kitted up projects, which makes a total of 6 projects that I have ready to go at any time I am ready to work on them.

And since I ran out of the Threadworx thread I did a small bit of stitching on Hodgepodge Cottage's Morning Brew.

I am home now and hope to finish Autumn Pinkeep this evening and
put JBW Designs French Country Sleigh ornament in its place in my rotation. Stay tuned for pics!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Stash!

In yesterday's mail I received the fabric and floss for Lizzie Kate's Ho Ho Ho Quick It, Little House Needleworks Warm Winter Woolens pattern, and JBW Designs French County Ornaments pattern.  I can't wait to stitch these designs!

October Word Play Finish!

I finished With Thy Needle & Thread's October Word Play today. 

With Thy Needle & Thread October Word Play

Started:  10/10/11

Finished: 10/24/11

Lakeside Linens 28 count Light Exemplar

Recommended GAST and WDW

Jill and I traveled to In Stitches in Alexandria, Virginia yesterday for one of their lock-ins.  We had a great time!!  In our welcome packet we had a JABCO pin.  I decided to put it on one of the handles of my clear tote bag.  

Here is the stash I purchased: 6 x 6 Q-snap, Zecca needlework magnets, Lizzie Kate's Ho Ho Ho Quick it (love this!!!), With Thy Needle & Thread's November Word Play, and the recommended fabric for Little House Needleworks Little Miss Sunshine.  Also in our welcome packet was a $5 coupon and we received an additional 20 percent off our purchases! 

I brought along Bent Creek's Quaker Moon and made some progress.  Two people bought this pattern because they liked mine so much!  I always find it amazing how different a piece looks stitched compared to the photo.

I forgot my camera.  Boo!  I wanted to take some pictures.  Next time!  I now keep my camera in my clear tote bag, so it will never be forgotten again!

Stash & Some Updates

I received some new stash in the mail today, two Shepherd's Bush kits, Creepy Pin Cushion and Get Scared.  Love SB!!!

I also have been working on Bent Creek's Quaker Moon, completing the owl last night.  You can see my Zecca magnet peeking out at the bottom.  New favorite magnet!!!  And they come two to a package.  Love them.

And I have been working on With Thy Needle's October Word Play, although I haven't stitched on this in a few days.  Boo!

Bloom & New Projects!

Hello, fellow stitchers and bloggers!  Lots to tell and pictures to see! 

First up is one of my new projects, Blue Ribbon Designs Stop and Stitch the Flowers on Lakeside Linens 40 count Chantilly Creme.  I went to The Stitching Post to pick up the Crescent Colours floss.  They had all but one, or so I thought!  I was leaving the thread aisle when I just happened to glance and saw the missing floss, in the wrong place!  So, I scooped it up, and being the nice person I am, I put the remaining ones in their rightful place.  I would not want to see another stitcher go through that!

I also picked up a few of the mesh bags you see on the left-hand side.  Wonderful for storing threads and other doodads.

The BRD piece will be placed on an 11 by 11 Qsnap because of its size and I realized I was out of felt strips to place under the clips on the Qsnap.  I did not want to ride to Michaels to get one piece of felt, so I thought and thought, and voila!  An unused fleece blanket in our linen closet, from which I cut my required strips.

Here is my progress on Bloom.  As you can see, I am so close to being finished!!! 

Here is another project I have ready to go, iStitch's Sew A Brown Bunny, her newest release.  I picked up some 40 count white Newcastle linen and chose my own threads, HDF silk.  I usually fret at picking out my own colors, but I am just going with it and not worrying about it.

I have to pay homage to my Ginghers.  My stepmother passed these on to me.  They were her mother's, so very, very old.  They still work like a charm!  I only cut fabric with these, and it has been stressed to The Daughter and BF both, ONLY FABRIC!!!

This is a vintage lamp that my dad gave me recently.  They were redecorating their house and were getting rid of it.  I have always expressed great love for this lamp and told them if they ever wanted to get rid of, please give it to me!  And my time has come!

For all of you stepmothers out there I have found a wonderful resource, Stepmom magazine.  I came upon this by accident yesterday and it truly is a treasure trove of information.  And it makes me feel hopeful and know that I am not alone in my situation or feelings.  

BF and I are headed to Ocean City for the weekend at 6pm today!  I can't wait.   Enjoy you weekend, whatever you have planned.

In peace, love, and stitches,
Danielle

Woodlawn & A New Start!

Yesterday, Jill and I traveled to the Woodlawn Needlework Exhibit in Virginia.  Gorgeous place, great needlework pieces, and a great lunch in the cafe!  They would not let us take any pictures inside, but I did get some pictures outside.

This is a mug I bought in the Woodlawn gift shop.  You all know how much I love mugs!!  It was hard to get a good shot of this one as the entire mug is a clear pink/purple.  LOVE IT!!!

This was outside in the Necessary (or outhouse) that was used at one time.  I had Jill go inside and act like she was shutting the door to use it!!! 

This is the stash I picked up at In Stitches, which is only a few minutes away from Woodlawn.  If you are ever able to visit, I highly recommend it, as they have more patterns and threads and gadgets than any needlework store I have ever seen!

This was the back of the mansion.  Just gorgeous!!!

And here is the front!

This is my new start, a pattern called Bloom from the most recent issue of Cross Stitch & Needlework.  I am using the required overdyed threads on 40 count French Lilac Lakeside Linens.  It is barely 2 by 2!!

Here is The Daughter's progress on one of the butterflies from The Cross Stitcher (UK) magazine.  She is doing a great job!

This was our dessert in the cafe, Decadent Chocolate Cake.  Oh, it was so yummy!!!  We both had the chicken salad sandwich, which was also great.  They served your drinks in wine glasses.  We were first in line when they opened, so we had a great table by the window.  They also served the food on these nice china plates.

This was the building where they stored dairy products.  It was amazing to think that George Washington gave these 2,000 acres as a wedding gift and that it took five years to build the mansion and surrounding buildings!

Here is the front of In Stitches. 

And finally Jill getting ready to dig into the chocolate cake! 

We had a great time and will definitely go back next year.  I may even enter a piece in the exhibit.  We'll see...

In peace, love, and stitches,
Danielle

Strawberry Cake Finish!

 
Country Cottage Needleworks Strawberry Shortcake

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 40 ct. Buttercream 

Threads: Crescent Colours

Started: 2/28/11 - Finished: 3/18/11

I also received some stash in the mail today!  The newest CCN thread pack in the cake series, Lemon Chiffon Cake, and some Lakeside Linens 40 count linen (Vintage Meadow Rue, Vintage River Willow, French Lilac) and some threads for a future project.

 

In peace, love, and stitches,

Danielle

More Stash and Cake!

I received Little House Needleworks Sarah Street~Faithfulness pattern, required flosses, and Lakeside Linens 40 count Buttercream linen to stitch it on!  I have loved this pattern for a long time.

I have been stitching every morning on Strawberry Shortcake. 

I have also created a Wish List page on my blog.  

Have a wonderful Wednesday, my peeps!

In peace, love, and stitches,
Danielle

Stash and Cake

Hi, my name is Danielle and I am a stashaholic!!!  LOL.  I have to admit I have bought a lot of stash over the past few weeks and it is starting to come in the mail now. 

Today it was the newest Blackbird Designs book "A Stitcher's Journey" and the newest silk thread pack from Little House Needleworks. 

And this morning I was able to work more on Strawberry Shortcake. 

In peace, love, and stash (ha!),
Danielle

More Strawberry Shortcake

I was able to get in copious amounts of stitching time this weekend and was able to get a lot more done on Strawberry Shortcake.  I am so loving stitching on the 40 count!  You get used to the small holes just like with any other piece of fabric.  I even signed up for a fabric of the month club for Lakeside Linens 40 count through Traditional Stitches in Canada.

I also took The Daughter to The Stitching Post on Sunday to get her supplies for her next project.  It is a set of butterflies in the latest issue of UK's Cross Stitcher magazine.  If you click on this link and look on the left-hand side it shows the cover of the magazine and some of the butterflies are pictured.

And of course I picked up some stash of my own!  4 Country Cottage Needleworks patterns:  Sheep In The Meadow, Pumpkin Harvest, Snowflake Serenade, and Bunny Hop.

The Daughter recently completed a project and we framed it yesterday in a wooden hoop.  She changed all of the floss colors to her own liking and she did not want to stitch the cat's face that was in the pattern, so I found a button for her to use instead.

I am hoping she sticks with cross stitching, but right now it is sporadic.  I remember learning from a friend in 6th grade and not really picking it up seriously until I was married at 23.  Only time will tell!  But the good thing about the butterflies is that, one, she loves butterflies, and, two, they are all whole stitches, so no backstitch, quarter stitch, french knots, or specialty stitches.  And it is about the only thing we have in common, so it is nice to share this with her.

It is all about finding what works for each of us, and then the hobby becomes that much more enjoyable.

In peace, love, and stitches,
Danielle

Strawberry Shortcake Take 1

A wee bit of progress on Strawberry Shortcake.  I am really liking the 40 count so far.  Working with 1 thread I don't have to worry about making sure the threads lay correctly on the fabric, and as VegasJilly puts it, the look is "crisp."  Seeing the fabric in between the stitches on 28 count or 32 count always did bug me.  So far on this fabric you cannot see that. 

This is my needlework bag.  Vera Bradley.  LOVE it.

In peace, love, and stitches,

Danielle