No stitching so far

and especially none today. What do you do at a resort town if it rains........we sat in an open air bar with a view of the harbor and hoisted a couple. ....a couple, not a few.....I am such a light weight. Tomorrow we are off to sun bath at the beach where they filmed the movie JAWS!

Mystic and Stonington CT

Shower Favors

Here's some pix of the shower favors I was laboring over.   I was really pleased with how cute they looked.   Selene - my Stampin Up girl - helped with her long distance advise and order help.  Originally the bridesmaids asked for dahlia bulbs in tissue paper.....but tis not the season to find dahlia bulbs.   I went with the flower theme and packaged up wildflowers.   This worked really well since the bride and groom are nature lovers and love hiking in the woods, etc.  I packaged the seeds and used the 'top note' dye on the cello bags.  each bag also included a card with planting instructions.   Then I decorated 4 by 6 white bags with co-ordinating papers and put the seed bags inside.   I also made 'thank you' cards using the same theme.  Sorry - I attempted to put these in a more chronological set up but seem to be challenged and quickly frustrated when moving photos about a post.

Silly me left my camera home - 2 1/2 hours away from the shower itself.   A lot of good that did me. I do have pix of some of the presents and as you know, with me, Dollar Store paper because it IS all about the bow! 

vacation VACATION vacation

There is nothing more to say.   Stowing away the laptop for travel and may have some updates to post as I sit and enjoy the sea breeze from my front porch seat of the inn......not much more that I can say to improve that scenario.........except that a cross stitch project will be near at hand!  Off to pack............pix of Mystic and Martha's Vineyard not far behind.........wishing everyone a great week and hopefully a break in this heat......pretty bad when a forecast of 88 degrees sounds like relief.

My WIP Give-a-way and RAK winners

Ladies - I am a bit under a deadline crunch with bridal shower favors and other obligations....I haven't got your prizes out to you yet...........so sorry......I know the anticipation of a goodie in the mail.......please bear with me and I will hit each of your emails to let you know when I do get packages in the mail......hopefully Saturday AM.......

PS  Favors are turning out cute cute cute so I will post some pix when done.

Friendship

What would we do without our girlfriends?  My dear dear friend Debbie arrived at my doorstep at the early hour of 7 something on a Sunday bearing gifts. Birthday gifts......I tell you this not because I am soliticing birthday wishes but to illustrate true friendshp.  My family is not one to be overly gushing and flowery for birthdays; this is a concept that others don't exactly get but it is us.   When Debbie asked what I was doing special on my birthday and I said probably laundry and cleaning I do believe I set her mind to hatching her little plan.   So we indulged in Mimosa's, an incredible edible fruit bouquet and presents.  See, my best girlfriend couldn't understand how one could not be surrounded with family on their birthday and over she pops at 7 a.m.   That, my dears, is a true friend!

Wrapping up some WIP's

I put out a challenge a while back for a give-a-way...........the challenge was to find a WIP and move it from the WIP basket to the completed project side.    I know I have tons of things that I start filled with excitement and anticipation of the project at hand.....I somehow get lured away by something shiney and new that I can't live without stitching.....I was doing a grand sort out (I dis-a-vow any knowledge of trauma associated with grand sort outs that my children might recall from episodes of cleaning their rooms when growing up).  When sorting and culling and purging my stash I was first amazed then horrified that I had so many WIP's.  Hence the challenge went out.

Yesterday when I went to my LNS - not that local, I traveled in 3 states to get there and none of those was state of confusion, I thank you very much.  I took one of my WIP's to be framed and shopped for give-a-way prizes. 

These are not them!  These are three nicey nicey's I picked up for myself.   Justification - early birthday presents!.   Please ladies visit your LNS...the internet just does not do these justice.

I know the internet is easy and quick and I sure do make purchases via the internet.  But I sure do like to go and see things in person and if we don't support our shops they will end up closing.....ok, that's my rant on that and I have no affiliation with any LNS!

Now for the results........my finishes

• I finished a lace shawl - a new start and not a WIP but a start and a finish that occupied time that I could not devote to a WIP - Justification!
• I made progress on my stitching room - not finished - a true WIP
• Between The Sheets, Nan Tyson Euler class piece - WIP Completed
• Sweetheart Tree Graduation Sampler - WIP Completed
• Flower Girl Bag - another new start not a WIP - Completed
• I completed my first quilt! Table top size - Completed
• Wedding Sampler for my son - WIP Completed

So my scorecard is not that great.....I completed three WIP's, started and completed three new projects and added only one new WIP to my basket.....so I figure I end up two ahead in some crazy kind of new math.  Going forward my efforts are to be concentrated on completing Drawn Thread Love and Wisdom, assembling Ellen Chester/With My Needle My Petite Sampling Etui and Blue Ribbon Designs A Little Quakeresque and trying not to start anything without a finish first.  Yeah, I'll let you know how it works out. 

And now, on to the winner(s)and prize.....ummmmmmm, could I delay more....this is what I picked up as prizes........A Carriage House Sampler, fabric and floss, some random floss and a cute JBW...... for the winner............well, I think bloggers are all winners and all wonderful,  so I chose two winners:    Mare and Catherine!  Please email me at red1974@hotmail.com with your addresses.    

And let me I am going to round out with winners 3, 4 and 5 as RAK (random acts of kindness) on my part........so Tracy J., Hazel and Raven (Misssy).  Your goodies area a Little House chart, assorted floss, a thread cutter and a design tablet seen to the right.  Please pass along your mailing addresses to red1974@hotmail.com and I will get your goodies out to you as well....all of us should  be commended for the good ole college try.

And I thought I was really pulling it all off.........

You know how I mentioned I was a little (ahem!) overwhelmed with all my tasks on my list.......well I guess I didn't really realize how bad it was....I thought I was handling it but I haven't been sleeping....I lay in bed and thoughts of the 1,001 things I need to do dart in and out of my brain like a comet across the summer sky.  Or worse a zillion comets....because I lay there and jump from thought to thought to thought...... 

tux...Jeff...need to convince he needs to wear one one one one fundraiser recap left to do and they want a profit and loss statement for last year but last year I wasn't the treasurer treasurer treasurer treasurer my boss it the CFO/Treasurer and I need to talk to him about keys to the inner vault, time sheets, personnel issues, will he want me to pick up his lunch so he can work through through through through the second week of August Jeff is away when will he have his tux fitting fitting fitting fitting sitting I wish I was sitting and stitching stitching stitching need to get some stitching done and to the framer in time for the wedding wedding wedding what about the rehearsal dinner dinner dinner damn went over my points at dinner tonight tonight tonight where did the time go go go go going on vacation and need to make the reservations for the room room room room in the car for one more to dirve to the shower shower shower should really scrub the hard water marks marks marks on my charts but no difference with all the working out at the gym gym Jim Jim will he come through as promised promised promised to make shower favors and stamp the thank you notes and didn't yet yet yet yet again another arguement about the tux what is it with this man man man man to fix the a/c coming tomorrow............

So that is the mild version of what is happening in my brainwaves in bed  the last 7 to 10 days.  As these hectic times happen to all of us now and again, I thought I was handling it well until yesterday morning..............

I was driving across the bridge to work and I realized something was amiss.   What  what what.....something doesn't feel right.    Now this is a major interstate,  8 lane toll bridge to another state  so you just don't turn around when you realize you are on your way to work and have not BRUSHED YOUR TEETH!  OMG!  I dig threw my tote bag and pocketbook for some gum and Yahoo! found some.   After I do the visual scan to make sure I have indeed dressed for work and I have indeed put on shoes and I am not in my slippers still, I navigate four lanes to exit to a local road with a Wawa.   Did you know that Wawa does not sell toothpaste or toothbrushes?   What is up with that?   Back in the car because I am afraid to smile or speak for fear the morning breath will knock someone out!  I find a grocery store and of course it has to be via a cloverleaf on the other side of the 4 lane highway.....in I go and we have success!  Now the checkout lady seems to want to be chatty Kathy and all I can imagine is that thinks  I am some tart who shacked up with some guy I met at a bar and didn't pack my toothbrush.   Come on Kathy just check me out....and again with the fear of speaking and smiling I just want out of there.....and I am still trying to figure out how does one go out the door to work and have not brushed their teeth??  WTH!  Mr. Wonderful is on the road so on top of all the normal stuff, all the over extended stuff I have to worry about his cat, the pool, the yard, the grass cutting, putting out the trash and of course the list of things he asked me to do.....one of these must have been the proverbial straw..........

Now I am at work.  Never fear I go in so early a little detour to the grocery store and I am still way ahead of time.    And then I see it.....the swarm of chatty parking lot ladies.....the ones I usually miss....they call me over and want to discuss our weekly weighin for Weight Watchers and how everyone thinks they will do and what did everyone eat last night and where is the Smart Ones sales this week....again step away from the woman with morning mouth.....I felt like I had a sign over my head that was flashing neon..... "Wants to engage in small talk".    Thank god they were all so engaged in talk of food that no one asked what was in the bag.   .....finally to the ladies room and the sink. That was the best feeling ever.  Brush, spit, rinse..................ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

So last night, I had a glass of wine and successfully encouraged my brainwaves to settle to a happy place and it worked.....I will be having a glass of wine again tonight.........and at least now I have a toothbrush and toothpaste in my desk at work in a nice little sandwich bag secured around the handle of the toothbrush with a bright orange rubber band.....

tis the season for give-a-ways

Found another great blog and giveaway as I was popping in and out of sights trying to unwind my tightly wound brainwaves with some mindless entertainment........check out Belfonte Notes.   Don't forgot my WIP challenge that will be up on the 18th of July.  Get your completion groove on ladies and be part of my drawing.   Let me know what your have finished by replying to the WIP Challenge post;  share some photos if you want and I will add them to my site; let us know if you picked something up and gave it the old college try to complete it..........

Here's another from another blog I follow.......check out Cindy's Giveaway

Another Summer Give-a-way

Check out Jennifer's Give-a-way at Feathers in the Nest.  The pattern is called Sallie's Feather Tree by Carriage House Samplings and the scissors are called the Augusta scissors.

Ever make a decision and then question it ......?

Yesterday was the scheduled date of our big fundraiser - which I use in the broadest sense of the word since we rarely break even.   The fundraiser was scheduled for outside in a community  park including a civil war band, a barber shop quarter, lemonade and ice cream - basically an old fashined ice cream social.   Here on the east coast we were forecasted with 3 to 6 inches of torrential rains.   The rains started early and as I traipsed through the downpour to and from the bank and the grocery store and in and out of the house loading the car I was making a mental list of arguments.

When I arrived at the YMCA, where we are housed, I was already soaked to the bone. I kind of already had run everything through my head......what would be the ramifications if we postponed?   (We had no rain date - rain provision was to move everything inside the Y).   

My poor exectuive director, she was beside herself with what to do......most Board members thought we should cancel but ultimately it was her decision.   We were pretty sure if we moved inside the only guests we would have would be ourselves and our families.   So the mental list came out....first, check with our entertainment line up to see if there would be available on Sunday, check with the township to see if we could carry our permit over one day, call the newspaper about getting a little blurb in and just as important .....make sure our volunteers were available.  It took a good hour to make the calls and get the call backs but the decision was made to postpone til Sunday............and the director and I went to the local diner to lick our wounds.  

We sat and ate linquine and drowned our sorrows with large ice teas and looked out the window as the sun was attempting to break through.   We both secretly were praying for thunderstorms to validate our decision!  We made the right decision but thunder would have been nice........so today we try again.    After leaving the diner I made sure I updated our website and am glad I did......I just reviewed the hits and had over 150 in the last two days.   Hopefully those hits relate directly to attendees and maybe we will actually be in the black this year!  I hope I remember to take my camera and post pix later in the week.

Another giveaway!!

Check out Patti at Tapestry of Dreams for her giveaway.

Progress, allbeit not of the stitchy sort

I am happy to report I have been able to cross some things off my list ~ and I am not feeling so overwhelmed anymore ~ and not necessarily in this order.........and it hasn't allowed for even but the smallest amount of stitching time but I will conceed lifting the weight off my shoulders is the therapy I needed!

• Hung blinds behind the curtains
• Hemmed and hung curtains  still need to cover the pillows with the remaining curtain panels but liking the potential of the look of my guest room
• Finished graduation sampler, mounted, framed, wrapped and presented and never photographed - Heather send me one!
• Finished hand addressing and mailed wedding invitations

• Finished wedding sampler - wishful thinking, but I am sew sew close!
• 
  Finished one set of Board minutes
• Completed two sets of sub-Committee minutes
• Finished flower girl bag - I already posted this but it was a July finish and on the to do list
• Placed Stampin Up Order for thank you notes and shower favors -received in mail yesterday! 7/8
• Ordered Wildflower seeds for shower favors/due in US mail today - but didn't arrive!
• Finished lace shawl - except for fringe - very hard to photograph
• Finished knitted cotton dishclothes - I am so new to knitting I have to drag out the Stitch n Bitch book to remind myself how to bind off!
• Finished fundraiser meetings re-cap notes and emailed to all
• Emailed reminders to all for next committee meeting
• Reconciled two months of organizational bank statements

• Completed Treasurer's Report for this week's Board meeting
• Completed and submitted to County the Music Around the County financial report
• Made returns to Macy's
• Trip to Joanne's for notions and do-dads and decors for my Ice Cream Social
• Trip to Costco for tons of supplies for Ice Cream Social
• Bought and installed a window a/c unit for my son who's central a/c is broken His bedroom was 97.9
• Bought birthday present(s)

• Bought shower present(s)
• Finished financial report for grant series and email to Cultural and Heritage Director and subsequent revisions!
• Cat to the vet - now that was fun
• Did inventory of supplies at Y and made shopping list for next weekend's fundraiser
• Purchased bags for wedding favors
• Made sure I continued my workouts in my new regime and Y membership - 3 times per week happy to report! and happy to report I won two tickets to thelocal Triple A team and baseball cap because I logged the most miles in June!   This is so funny....I am about the most unfit person there is.   I think the others must not have signed up and started logging their info yet.  lol  (This is Penny and I at work after we got our tickets.   I am the chubbier on the left!)

• And had cookouts and guests off and on all weekend
• but the best thing on the list........bought new bras! and the 'girls' are happy! 

Somehow in there I managed to go to work and take care of all things "home" since my husband is away.  hmmm, maybe this is the real contributing factor.   That safety and security that is missing when your hubby is away for an extended time. 

Seriously, I am feeling a lot less pressure since I have gotten my paperwork up to date. I get all freaky when things piled up like they have recently and when I see no way to get them all accomplished. Thank heavens for a 3-day weekend! I took that list and priorized with A's-have to's and deadlined items/ B's-semi important and not as deadline oriented/ and C's - want to do's and nice to haves! I spent July 5th on the deck in the shade, listening to the waterfall and the birds......with my laptop plugged in and my fingers typing away at committee reports, treasurer's reports, meeting minutes.......a trade off but the weight has been lifted. As with so many of us Type A's, that list is still long but somewhat more manageable!

Update: Or so I thought... There is an engineering prinicpal, Archimedies Principal, which means as soon as one thing is removed, that empty space is quickly filled with another. I am sure the actual principal is more involved in it's explanation but the end result is the same......So in honor of Archimedies at this week's Board Meeting no sooner had I gave all my reports that all ticked and tied nicely I might add! I was handed the grant packet with the info that we need to complete the grant ap by September 1. With a wedding on August 27th this is going to be tough!!! It is no wonder I am always tired. I really think I have some sort of PSD or something! Please someone make me sit on my hand so my arm does not go up when a volunteer is needed or please please please make me not be mute and provide me with the ability to speak and say "no".
After our staging tonight for our annual fundraiser on Saturday - I plan to stitch but fear I will fall fast asleep in the upright position before the needle and fabric meet too many times. Or maybe I will add pix to this post of some of my accomplishments.  Maybe my boss will let me out early today in light of the heatwave...............I think I need to retire to be able to get to all I want.   I have a post it on my calendar at work - 131 months til retirement!  I started at 136 so 131 looks good! 

How do the rest of you get it all done?   I sure would like some hints and clues as to what I am not doing right!!!!  Am I overextended or not a fast worker? hmmm, there's a thought-- Mr. Wonderful doesn't call me Side Track Robin for nothing!  

Thanks for listening to my rant.   It is somehow therpeutic to let all the stress and tension flow out of your body threw your arms, the hand and fingers and onto the keyboard.

Wishing all a great weekend and relief from the heat....I for one am praying the t-storms hold off until after my outside fundraiser...what does one do with 30 gallons of ice cream if it rains?!  The above is from last year's Ice Cream Social.