Luckiest Girl in the World

well maybe in the town....let me tell you what happened.   It was nicest sweetest thing ev'va!    Let's back up a week or so...remember my rant and general grousing because of my burn out on volunteerism?   The general woe is me bitch session?   Yeah, that one.  A post that I have almost retracted since it is not the way I normally look at life...anyway......

Let me set this up for you..... I am feeling a little like exploring the internet and doing a bit of retail therapy last weekend....I ordered some CC and WDW threads from my new favorite internet shop - 1-2-3-Stitch!  Woot Woot! for them.  (I have ordered from online shops before and it seems whatever I order is backordered.   I mean really, why is it on your website if you don't have it.    I darn near live in the stitching supply dessert!)    In like two days my items were here....except for one Crescent Color - Black Coffee.   Two days later another package from 1-2-3 Stitch and because I KNEW it was the Black Coffee floss, I let the package just sit on the counter until tonight when I got in from work.   Imagine my surprise, my delight, my heart skip a beat when this is what I pulled out.

I am stunned.   This is the nicest, sweetest thing that has happened to me in the longest of times! Just a silly little RAK! and I am just beside myself.    I am just taken aback that someone thought enough to stop whatever they were doing in what I am sure is their busy life and took the time to put a grouchy and miserable me first.  Someone has paid attention enough to my blog to find my wish list.  I know whoever sent it must be a friend since they had my address so I have it narrowed down to 1 of 2 or maybe three possibilities.   But you know, I don't think I will do any slouthing to find the identity of the sender.   I think I'd rather 'suspect' several different people.

I feel like Sally Field when she won her second Oscar.......someone likes me!  I'd like to thank the Motion Picture Academy and everyone at my Delaware Guild and my friends at my NJ Guild and my Thursday night stitching pals who are just the best group ever and have encouraged me along the way.  And  my long distant stitching friends and all the people who have supported this crazy pastime of mine and made this moment possible.    Just know that every stitch I take when I work on this will be filled with a feeling of love, fulfillment and warmth and when finished this piece will forever be special to me!  I can't wait to start it.

I always start a new project on New Year's Day so I better get to ordering the linen and floss.  And I'd better get stitching to get some WIP's and SAL's closer to completion so I can reward myself with the new start!

Have a great weekend everyone.   I know I will because anytime I am feeling even the slightest bit stressed or tired or just randomly throughout the day, I will remember the anonymous kindness and that I was special to someone!   I just might go out and do some RAK myself this weekend and pay it forward!  Better reign myself in before I go picking up the grocery bill of someone in line at the Acme.

Finally I finished it

Short and sweet post to share a couple of things....

My finish.......ABCD by La-D-Da and it isn't even a difficult or large stitching piece. This is a Traveling Pattern started by Peggy at Kentucky Sampler. My slow turn around has to do with time, or lack there of. I made a decision to get more physically fit and that meant a committment of going to the gym. Unfortunately, the only time that works for me is before work. This has greatly hindered my usually 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. stitching hour for I am now at the gym by 6 a.m. I know....I must be crazy. Even worse is dragging the hair dryer and work clothes, etc., etc.  It helps if I pack my bag the night before and I did fix up a hair and makeup kit and bought a hair dryer to leave in the locker room.   Those little tricks has made it easier to get me there.  My evenings are so hectic with volunteer work, guild meetings, Board meetings, that I usually pull in the drive at an ungodly hour, plod into the house, collapse on the sofa like a brain dead ummpa loompa. I am sorry I caused Jennifer to be concerned with my slow turn around. So here is it ladies, it is a pretty stitch and a fun stitch.

I used 28 Cashel linen in Antique Ivory with Threadworx #1039 floss.  I am not sure how I am going to finish it.  

   Reading the journal that accompanies the pattern and now writing in it is all part of the fun.   So cool to see where it has been and then to follow it through  the link on Confessions of a Serial Stitcher.  Even cooler to see everyone else's floss and fabric selections.   I hope to get this in the mail on Monday to the next lucky stitcher on the list.  As soon as Jennifer provides the address I will be whisking it away to Nataly.  I will be sure to drop you (Nataly) a note when I do.

I also received a lovely surprise in the mail.....I was selected as a recipeint of a Christmas RAK by Andrea  at  The Craft Room.   It is really darling!  I loved the little beaded trim and turned it over to find the sweetest little charm.   This little ornie will have a place of honor on my tree. 

After much delay

I have finally packed up all my Give-a-ways and RAK's and will be dropping them at the Post Office on my way to the train station this morning.   Must pick up the wedding photographer and then off to the wedding/reception venue for a look around and some questions and answers about the big day.    It is a beautiful venue and I plan to post some photos of it later today.  I so hope I can put needle to thread tonight and start sewing my dress for the event!   hmmm, I wonder if I should do that before or after I work on the grant I have to complete?    Wedding deadline - Aug 27/Grant Meeting  Aug 10/grant due Sept 1.  Tomorrow is a bridal tea I arranged for the bride, ring bearer, flower girl and mother and grandmother of the flower girl.  No rest for the weary I guess.   More important, when will I fit in my much needed cross stitch time?  I think know I will pass along serious instructions to all expect no cook out on Labor Day and  to let me stitch all day long! or perhaps I will secret myself away somewhere.........

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.

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.