Taking a Holiday

This is going to be quick and fast. (I know that is hard to believe for me.) Got my owl back from the framer. He looks awesome. It is a new moulding at the frame shop. Might have to use it on other things.

Here is the progress on this Christmas present. Actually, there has been more done since this photo. I think maybe 6 letters of the alphabet and over to the middle of the row with the little round motifs. I don't like stitching them.

Now for the progress on "From Sea to Shining Sea". Which also has some more progress around the door and the upper window. I am loving this piece. It is hard for me not to work on it exclusively. You know it is that silk thing again. The second panel is out. Had hoped I might have the first one complete before that happened.

Continue to work on the Sunflower Seed design model. We have had to change a couple of colors, so did a little ripping. Not much. Have finished one of my secret Christmas presents and the frame shop called yesterday to say that it was done. Have another besides the one shown here to finish, plus one that is not even started. That one might have to be late.

The reason this is going to be a quick post, is we are leaving very early Saturday morning for our normal week of Thanksgiving at our timeshare in Branson. The car is mostly packed. The dryer is finishing the last load of laundry. Stitch bag is packed. That was the first thing that was ready. We have friends joining us for Saturday and Sunday nights. Will be attending shows with them. I have made a chicken casserole and Taco Soup to have while we are there. Since we have a full kitchen, thought we should take advantage and not eat out all the time. Also have plans to make a French Toast Souffle (casserole) one morning for breakfast. Hope to get a lot of stitching done and maybe some Christmas shopping.

This week has been a crummy week because on Sunday, actually probably Saturday night, I started coming down with a stupid cold and then it went to my lungs and now I have a cough. That will probably linger through most of the winter. Most recently I have gone 2-21/2 years between colds, which is a good thing and I hope that can continue.

A new twist to our stay in Branson is that the dog gets to go with us this year. We have tried to take her for about 8 years. Now after so much b******, they told me when I called a few weeks ago that they are "pet friendly". I sure hope so because she will be with us. Nice to not have to board her while we are gone. She does like to go for rides.

There will be no computer access for this week, so I will be buried with blogs in my Google reader when I get home. I am way behind before I even leave. Maybe I will always be behind. LOL!!

Signing off. Run through the lists in my mind to make sure I am not forgetting anything. Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!

Busy Stitching

Last Saturday I picked up "Happiest of Holidays" from the framer. Our frame shop does an awesome job. This one seemed to take a little longer than I expected, but I had told them it was "no hurry". That might not be the case when it gets closer to Christmas.

In my STO Yahoo group we had a SAL weekend for the weekend before Halloween. This is what I started and completed during that week. Did not get it done until Tuesday, I think it was, but was done before Halloween. Took it to the frame shop when I picked up the other. I think I will hang it up year round. Doesn't look all that Halloweeny, as a witch or something like that would be. Pardon the photo. It is an untouched photo because I forgot to crop it, etc before starting my post.

Night Owl

JSC Halloween Ornament Issue

by Prairie Schooler

Mystery Fabric DMC and WDW fiber

Have still been stitching on several things that I cannot show here. I am on the final part of 4 parts to The Sunflower Seed design model and have 2 Christmas Presents in process. Here is a shot of the progress on another Christmas present. I don't think this person reads my blog, so I will show it here. Last week, I worked a couple of extra days at the LNS because the owner was sick. On Halloween afternoon, I was able to do some stitching on this project. Then this last Tuesday when I worked the election, I had a few minutes here and there to work on it. Even found a mistake, ripped it out and got it put back in.

Thimble Abundance
by Primrose Needleworks
28-ct R&R Apple Brown Bindy

Poison Apple Belle Soie silk

Since I had bought the fabric and patterns for LHN "From Sea to Shining Sea", I could not resist starting it the other day. Here is my progress as of Thursday evening. Have put in quite a few stitches since this photo was taken.

From Sea to Shining Sea
by Little House Needleworks
28-ct R&R 18th Century Stone
Belle Soie silk (comes with the patterns)

The Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching with Christmas not far behind. Have not done too much Christmas shopping. Usually start it early and am done lots of time by shortly after Thanksgiving. We will again be going to our time share in Branson for the week of Thanksgiving. Maybe we can get some shopping done there. The next two weeks will be spent preparing food and shopping for things to take for the week. Also must make my plans for what stitching to take along. My stitching bag is pretty much packed all the time, but may have to add a couple of things before we go. Plans always are to get more stitching done than I actually get done while we are there. LOL!!

Getting close to the end of my secret Christmas stitching presents, so I am off to put in a few more stitches. Keep those needles flying.

Floss Fight at The Sage Inn -- Part II

My original plans were to follow up the first installment of our adventures of our retreat at The Sage Inn right away with additional pictures and quotes. I guess life and stitching got in the way. Hope that you can remember the lst part, so it can transition into this follow up. Thanks to Jan and Reita for letting me use some of their photos.

First of all here is the stitched model of the design that Anita did especially for us at the retreat. I love the little add-ons on the frame. I think that almost everyone has finished this by now. Jan has actually stitched it twice. Once for herself and once for her friend Kathleen in Maine. Mine is waiting for framing.

Usually I do not allow my picture to be taken nor do I put it out here for all to see, but we had fun with this. Someone brought these cookies that come in a canister and are rolled into thin stick-like cookies and are filled with chocolate. I thought they looked like cigarettes, so here you see me acting as if I am smoking my cookie. It must have been late at night. No wait, it probably wasn't since everyone crapped out on me early. I am the night owl of the bunch.

Now this is a double treat because he you have another photo of me with my overdyed floss winnings from the CLR game. They all thought that I fixed the game, since I was the organizer and the one who stole the idea from other bloggers. I am showing off my 27 skeins of WDW and GAST. Mostly WDW. Goes right along with my nickname "Fiber Snob" tacked on me for my love of the Belle Soie silk. Last Monday at the meeting of the Sunflower Stitchers, a very small group (4 of us), I received two more nicknames. Fiber Whore and Silk Slut. Don't you like the names that my friends give me?

Wow, what do we have here? Oh, yes, it is Janet modeling the latest in lounging stitch wear. We do love to be comfy when we are stitching.

With all that stitching and wild games going on, an occasional massage is necessary. Here Reita is giving Reina a massage with a mini-massager and sometimes called a vibrator.

When I was reviewing the pictures to pick out the ones that I wanted to use, I discovered that we must have had a thing about taking pictures of someone else taking pictures. Now when I got to loading pictures I could only find the one of Linda taking pictures with her lime green camera. Linda is our resident lime green lover. She loves that color and has a lot of it in her wardrobe and several bags in that color too. Notice the color of her sweater. Yes, it's green too.
Now for what you have all been waiting for. The tidbits and quotes overheard during the retreat. Some you would have had to have been there to understand, others are just what you think they are and you will laugh too.

-- That makes me all tingly.

-- You would not want to do that on a full bladder.

-- How long does it go in for? Response--For as long as you can stand it.

-- Oh, look these are swirly-about Werther's Chocolates

-- Reina gave us all really cute tins with the Werther's Chocolates in them. We are really into the name calling and she was labeled as Reina Tin Tin.

-- Who's going to pull out first?

-- Is this fat enough?

-- Pull it out of the crack --- No thong thread--- No Butt Floss

-- I like mine big and hard

-- Oh, I have to put on my glasses to hear you. That would be our resident blond Jan

-- Hang on and I will wiggle it.

-- Be careful not to rub it raw

-- Yeah, Yeah, I want some silver balls.

-- We are not going to do your end until you are finished with it.

-- I will see how long my thing gets.

-- One will just hang.

-- Everyone gets a turn in the barrel

-- If I take the Beano with my Ibuprofen will I fart my head off?

-- Oh, I just dribbled between my legs.

-- Knit me a dickey

This just illustrates why I say we have so much fun at our retreats that it is almost illegal. Several in the group have gone to various camps and retreats near and far and the most often heard comment was this is way more fun, less expensive and we only had to travel a few miles instead of hundreds of miles. We want to try to do this at least once a year. Reina's only son is a senior, so we want to work around her schedule of senior activities. As of Monday night, all calendars have been cleared for the 3rd weekend of April. Janet is to call The Sage Inn to see if they will allow us to come back then. We might be too much for them.

Have some stitching progress over the last week or so, but will make that another post. This would be too long to include it here. Things have been rather hectic here and I will relate that in the stitching progress post maybe tomorrow. Hopefully, you all won't be to shocked to find posts from me on back-to-back days. Hope you enjoyed hearing and see more about our little retreat. Thanks for stopping by. The dog has started not going to bed without me. She laying by me waiting for me to head off to bed. Guess I better start that way.

Happy Stitching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!