My Cross Stitch Likes

I am participating in a scissor fob cross stitch exchange and, as part of that, I am posting the things I like and those I dislike (which aren't many!)

Designers: I like most of the currently popular designers ~ Little House and Country Cottage Needleworks, Prairie Schooler, Bent Creek, Glendon Place, Lizzie Kate, Heart In Hand, The Workbasket, The Trilogy, Victoria's Sampler, BlackBird Designs, Long Dog Samplers, etc.. I particularly like anything sampler or Quaker related, Victorian and primitive designs, anything autumn, Halloween, snowmen and snowflakes, gingerbread men, and fairies. I don't like most things cartoony.

Fabric: I use mainly 32 or 36 count linen or evenweave fabrics, and particularly love very mottled hand-dyed fabrics with slubs! Of course, with my stash of hand-dyed fabrics, I often discover I have no ivory, antique white or white when I need it.

Fibers: I use mostly overdyed fibers. I particularly like Carrie's Creations, but also like Crescent Colors, Six Stranded Sweets, GAST and Weeks. I haven't done too much with silks yet, but I would like to experiment more with them.

Miscellaneous: I love candy canes and most things peppermint, including the Twisted Peppermint stuff at Bath and Bodyworks. I'm not particularly fond of chocolate. I love coffees and teas of all sorts. I also like Victorian-appearing muted colors of fabrics and ribbons. I collect fun buttons. I also LOVE Yankee candles. I have candles burning all the time at home.

I guess that's me in a nutshell!

My Jane Austen Character

Take the Quiz here!

Happy Anniversary to Me

Yes, today is our wedding anniversary and I even got a call from my daughter singing to me. I won't say how long we've been married because then I'll appear to be much older than I really am...not a day over... mumble.... Trust me...I married VERY young! I don't anticipate that we'll do anything to celebrate our anniversary since we haven't celebrated it since our first one. I guess it's an achievement to say we're still married after all these years. (There are those days, you know!)

Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap Goodies!

What a great way to be rewarded after a long, cold, boring Monday at work! There is a set of Brittany bamboo needles in size 3 and a set of ebony needles in size 1. Brittany is one of my favorite needles. I've never tried ebony needles...and they are beautiful...so it will be fun to experiment with them. Laurie Ann also gave me a WONDERFUL book "Knitting on the Road" which I promptly leafed through more than once. I think I've already picked out the socks I want to knit with the yarn Laurie Ann included. There were also some great Ravenclaw stitch markers in wonderful deep colors. I really like the bronze coloring. They are very different from the normal silver or gold markers. And, speaking of yarn, I got 3 skeins of Knit Picks Gloss yarn, 2 skeins of Dusk and 1 of Pumpkin. PERFECT Ravenclaw colors, don't you think! The yarn is so soft. I really wanted to immediately cast on, but I supposed I should finish my Christmas gifts first, don't you think?
But, the GREATEST part of the whole package were the MINNESOTA VIKINGS STITCH MARKERS!! YAY!!! (doing a major happy dance!) Aren't they INCREDIBLE!! I could even take those to the games with me and be stylin'! They will match my purple Vikings hoodie and my purple and gold beads and hat and socks! I can sing "Skoal, Vikings" at the top of my lungs and never miss a stitch!
What a fun Monday it turned out to be after all, thanks to Laurie Ann!

Christmas Fun

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? WRAPPING PAPER
2. Real tree or Artificial? REAL
3. When do you put up the tree? WHEN WE GET TIME...USUALLY FIRST WEEKEND IN DEC
4. When do you take the tree down? AFTER NEW YEARS
5. Do you like egg nog? YES, ESPECIALLY WITH A LITTLE ALCOHOL
6. Favorite gift received as a child? EITHER A NEW DOLL OR NEW ICE SKATES BECAUSE THE BEST PART OF WINTER WAS SPENT AT THE SKATING RINK WITH MY FRIENDS!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? YES, BUT I HAVEN'T PUT IT OUT IN YEARS. JUST NOT ENOUGH ROOM.
8. Hardest person to buy for? CHUCK. ALL HE EVER WANTS IS A BELT.
9. Easiest person to buy for? EITHER ELLIE OR AIMEE BECAUSE THEY BOTH WANT IT ALL!
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? MAIL. I LIKE TO MAKE MY OWN BUT DON'T THINK I'LL HAVE TIME THIS YEAR.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I CAN'T REALLY THINK OF A BAD CHRISTMAS GIFT.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'M ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT I GO INTO HIGH GEAR AFTER THANKSGIVING.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I DON'T THINK SO.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS COOKIES, ESPECIALLY SANDBAKKELS
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? COLORED
17. Favorite Christmas song? WAY TOO MANY TO LIST SINCE CHRISTMAS MUSIC IS MY FAVORITE, BUT SOME I PARTICULARLY LIKE ARE SILENT NIGHT, AWAY IN A MANGER, CAROL OF THE BELLS, O HOLY NIGHT, JOY TO THE WORLD, AND ANY THING BY TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? AT HOME. EVERYONE CONGREGATES AT OUR HOUSE ON CHRISTMAS EVE FOR TRADITIONAL LASAGNE DINNER.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? OF COURSE!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? TINKER BELL!!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? CHRISTMAS EVE
22 . Most annoying thing about this time of year? THE GOOD FEELINGS DON'T CARRY OVER INTO THE YEAR.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DISNEY SINCE MOST OF OUR DECORATIONS SEEM TO HAVE COME FROM DISNEYLAND!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? IT'S ALWAYS LASAGNE AT OUR HOUSE. I'VE TRIED TO CHANGE THE MENU BUT MEET WITH VERY HEAVY RESISTANCE.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? MORE THAN ANYTHING I WANT TO HAVE THE LOVE OF MY FAMILY SURROUNDING ME. IF I COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACHIEVE WORLD PEACE THAT WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE GIFT.

Winter -- Bah Humbug!

Have I mentioned recently that I HATE WINTER!! I know...it's only started and I'm already complaining. Saturday it was involuntarily hibernation while we accumulated something like 5-6" of snow. Yes, it's pretty until you have to shovel it! I mean, why can't it snow during the week so I have an excuse to stay home instead of work. No, it has to snow on weekends when I want to be out and about doing Christmas shopping, lunching with friends, etc.

Then it snowed all day yesterday, but not hard enough to justify staying home. The drive home was definitely NOT exciting though. The plows hadn't done much yet and traffic was horrendously slow. And this morning it wasn't much better. I had such a headache by the time I got to work. I realize that the City of Minneapolis is a big place and there are lots of streets to plow, but it's pretty bad when the snow emergency routes resemble narrow country lanes in Scotland, except they are icy. And don't play chicken with a school bus!

I don't remember...have I mentioned I HATE WINTER? (But at least the Vikings are winning!)