June End Thrifting

So many days of blazing hot weather…  Today’s anticipated high is 98, and right now it’s 92 with what ‘feels like’ 99 according to the local paper’s Weather Bug.

When I was a child, we didn’t have air conditioning.  I remember that it was hot, and we ran and played outside under the big shade trees in our yard.  I remember being called inside after dark to have a bath and watch Perry Como or Andy Williams on TV with Moma – oh and the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday evenings …  Then, when it was bed time the windows were thrown open wide, and the window fan was turned on, and the curtains stood out with a glorious breeze flowing over the bed and body.  Now I sleep with the ceiling fan to feel a breeze, not brave and daring enough to sleep with windows open even if it were cool enough.  Now I hear the AC pumping its life away, just trying to keep the house cool enough to … live.  

That was yesterday when I began this post, and today at 12:15 pm it is 77. What a change?  There were some thunderstorms yesterday, but doesn’t look like much rain – at least not here.  It’s cloudy today, so maybe there’s another chance. 

Instead of doing needful things around home, I took some thrifting time – thinking perhaps the options would be better during a weekday.  Ah ha – is that the secret?  I had to get off a package in the mail, then went to the first place.  Oh, was it hot in there – but did find a couple of pretty creamers and more sheet music.

On to the next stop – where I found several things…  metal sorter for papers or charts, a large snifter, a variety of cross stitch magazines (like I need more), a pretty .50 frame, and a fall pine cone platter, and an assortment of .10 items - perforated paper, a wooden hoop, a terry hanging towell.

Finally the Good Willie’s where I found this cute green box.  It has Commonwealth Plastics on the bottom with a pilgrim type figure.  Thought it would be good for sorting little charms or buttons…

Going to try something new with photos… may come back to individuals if we don’t like this display.  Let me hear what you think.

I hope you can stay cool where you are, and have loads of fun, too.

    Peace♥Love♥Joy
and Happy Stitching!

Charlene

Summertime....

…and the living is HOT

The last comment I made about weather was “…not dreadful, but hot.”  Well, has that ever changed.  It has been dreadful for the last couple of weeks.  I heard something like we have had over 15 days of 90+ with high humidity but NO rain.  One time yesterday I got in the car and it was 101.  Now that’s summertime!!

Getting ready for time off work!  Yeah – I’m off until Tuesday, July 6. I’m having a staycation, and loving the thoughts of it.  Yesterday I ran over to a new place, Shops @ the River (?)  It’s a group of shops under one roof, and there are some nice things there.  I got a couple of stacking rings, and a very pretty dish – to display something … buttons, ribbons, something pretty and colorful?

Update on the lawn mower situation – insurance will cover the loss with depreciation – and when I purchase they will issue another check to cover replacement cost.  I did finally get someone to give me a quote, so I got him to put me on his every-other-week schedule.  Hope he comes back this week… 

Yes, I’ve been stitching a bit and I’ll show you, but won’t say much about it except it has been really fun stitching!

I got a message today with the dates of the Fall Weekend Retreat with Clara Blaylock: September 17-19, 2010 in Rock Hill, SC, sponsored by my LNS, The Stitch and Frame Shop.  It’ll be fun… hope to see you there!

Hope you’re having a great weekend, staying cool and doing things with the people you love most.

    Peace♥Love♥Joy
and Happy Stitching!Charlene

Oh, Bother!!

Hey, Friends!

Thanks for dropping by today to see what I’ve been up to.  This has been one of the hottest weeks we’ve had this summer… not dreadful, but hot. 

I was out earlier in the week cutting grass – thank goodness it’s a riding mower – and something happened.  I think it must have been a broken belt because the mower wouldn’t move when I pressed the gas.  I called a few places to see if they either did home site repairs or pickups.  They didn’t.  I sent DS a note to see if he would come and help get it on my dad’s trailer so I could take it to the shop in the weekend.  I left it (no other real choice) in the front yard, and you’re not going to be surprised… When I got up the next morning, it was gone!  What?!?  Yes, Gone.  I’ve called a few ‘lawn maintenance’ places, but haven’t heard back with any quotes on what it will cost to cut and edge my yard.  They’re probably afraid to tackle it – or don’t want to cause heart failure at the cost.  So – I have to find the model and serial number before I can get a police report, and I have to get a police report before I can file an insurance claim.  What a bother!

And speaking of bother… someone is using my email address to spam people from my contacts list.  I have notified yahoo, and they say they are ‘on the case’ but that doesn’t prevent my contacts from being bothered with pesky email that appears to be from their ‘friend’ csogle.  If a message comes to you from a known email address, but does not have a subject or signature line (in my case), you know it isn’t from me so don’t follow the link.  By the time I have found out about this, it has gone to my friends, coworkers, yahoo email groups – and I am sorry!!   I found this when searching for a resolution, and it gave me a bit of peace. 
“What's important here is simply this: one way or another email viruses lie about who sent them.
If someone accuses you of sending a virus-laden email, and you are positive you did not, then you have very little recourse other than trying to educate them about how viruses work. Point them at this article if you like. But be clear: you're not necessarily infected nor is the person who received the mail claiming to be from you. It's some third party who is. (And identifying that third party is difficult - this is why virus writers use this technique.)
And of course be sure that you're not going to get infected yourself: don't open attachments from people you don't know and make sure you have an up-to-date virus checker and virus definitions file. “

Again, I'm SO sorry!!

Oh, well, on to something fun.  I noticed last week that The Stitcherhood  had a new design for July 4^th, so I decided to stitch it for my dad for Father’s Day.  It's on 25ct Lugana from Silkweaver called DMC 3753, but it looks like clouds to me, using DMC 930 and 3831.  I don’t think I’ve ever stitched something just for him. I’ve got the week to get it finished into something, but can’t decide if I want to frame it or make a box for his ‘goodies’ to be stashed into.  Opinions?

Today is TuSAL day…  Here’s an update of mine.  The ORTS from Bird in Hand and the July 4^th are near the top, but they’ll work their way down soon.  If you’d like to be a part of the Totally Useless Stitch Along, hop over and join.

Hope you’re having a great weekend, doing fun things with the people you love most.

    Peace♥Love♥Joy
and Happy Stitching!

Charlene

Process or Finish?

~Edited to show finished box.~

What have I been doing?  Not posting a lot of stitching finishes lately – that’s for sure!  How about you? Do you prefer to wait until your project is finished to show it, or the share progress as it goes along?  Lots of people do show progress on their BAPs, or we’d think they had stopped, wouldn’t we?

Have you read any blogs lately that discussed whether you’re a process stitcher or a finisher.  I don’t have this theory memorized, but my simplistic view is that you either stitch to be stitching, or you stitch to complete a project.  I’m sometimes both but lean toward the side of process.  I just love stitching!  It calms me and keeps my hands busy – we all know about idle hands; right? 

Then once in a while I run across something that I can hardly wait to finish, and that’s this Bird in the Hand that I’m working on.  I like it so much… but think the fabric is a bit too light, so as soon as it’s finished stitching (today) I’m going to let it have a coffee.  The folks at stitch night Tuesday got quiet and inquisitive eyed when I said that – only one suggested dabbing instead of dipping, “you can always dip.”  What do you think? 

 I was inspired by a couple of boxes I saw at Primitive Betty's site and want to do something similar. Here's an update to show the finished box - right above.

Speaking of primitive, I had a little visitor the other evening after a sprinkle of rain, looking for some tasty greens in the back yard.

I finished the May OakHaven Designs monthly stitch along.

Not much more to share today, so I’m going blog hopping for a bit, then to finish that bird!

Hope you’re having a great weekend, doing things with the people you love most.

    Peace♥Love♥Joy
and Happy Stitching!

Charlene