I am getting my mojo back.   Not the stitching mojo.....my general been in a gray-cold-winter-funk-lost-my-mojo feeling.   Feels so good to be able to get out into the yard to rake out the flower beds and to scratch a bit in the dirt.  We had the most gorgeous spring weekend last weekend here but alas I was wrapped around the axle with a couple of fundraisers.  It's one thing to just have to attend and another thing when you are part of the prep and cleanup.  It's all good....both were working with good friends and for good causes.  I have since made up for it by getting out each evening after work for a good hour of yard therapy.  Slowly getting the yard in order and nurturing my soul at the same time. This coming weekend I hope to put in another vegetable garden and prep my existing one so I can be ready to plant in May.  Can't wait to come home and harvest my lettuce for a dinner salad.

Stitching progress has been like the tortoise, slow and steady.  My goal is to get part two of the mystery sampler done before my retreat and I think I am close enough to manage it.   I will give myself permission for a new start at retreat if I get done.   Oh heck, who am I kidding, finished part two or not, I will start a new project.   It's my tradition!

I have spent a little time at the sewing machine to made this dandy.  It is about the size of my iPad. There are pockets for everything.  It folds up and fits in my project bag perfectly.  Now I can go to stitching night and not have forgotten anything.   Well, one can be hopeful.  The pattern is a download from Pattern Pile.  Pattern called for mat board which I don't have.  I tried card board but was not thrilled.  I used plastic canvas on one side and   cut a metal Lo-Ran pattern board to insert in the the sleeve on the other side to give it the book cover-like stiffness.  I have a few things I would

tweak if I were to make another but for the most part I am happy.  Friends have been putting in their orders.  LOL Maybe when I retire.  (Ack!  Mr. W. is at it again....setting his date for retirement as 12-31-15.....I think he is serious this time.  Could I be far behind???)  Anyway, this was been fun to make and I am ready to  start using it.

 The polar fleece rolls to become your pin cushion.   Won't this be great to take to a class?

 Unroll the fleece if you need a place to put beads.

 With the LoRan project board inside, just add a couple of magnets and I have a place for my pattern.



And now you see it, now you don't.  So totally not craft related but this sure is crafty.   Stitching Pal Carol had this jacket on last week.   First - my favorite color, so as if I really needed a new jacket but that's a minor detail.    So here's the jacket......it's from Land's End.

 What?......I am stuffing the jacket into the pocket!

Look!  Is this the perfect jacket to throw in your carry-on?   or suitcase?   Wow!  Love it.   Might just have to wear it today......except the forecast is for 70 degrees.   Might just have to wait and take it to the beach next weekend just in case a late night walk on the boardwalk might be chilly.    I showed Mr. W. and he even liked one for himself.   Of course, his won't be turquoise!  Have a great week everyone!

Happy Easter

I remember the fun of decorating eggs when the children were young.  Dye everywhere, the necessary 'measles egg' (the one with spots of course) , a few cracked eggs, giggles and some 'beautiful' creations.

These are my signs of spring.  So warm today that I could shed my fleece vest.  A mere two weeks ago we had snow and now I have chickweed that has sprouted everywhere.  I never used to be a garden glove gal but since I like to treat myself to a manicure I am learning to adapt.

Of course I had help.   Buddy could be anywhere but he decided to sit on my weed pile or in my freshly manicured bed.

So much more yard work to do but it felt good to get my hands in the dirt again and get started.   Mr. W. wanted to hire someone to clean my flower beds.....that would be as painful as if he hired someone to do my stitching!  What planet is he from?  I have a couple of garden/deck ideas for this summer.   One involves old windows and the other an old fireplace mantle....neither of which I have - yet.   I hope the plans in my head materialize as I envision.   But first a tree that needs to come down and the rest of the beds need to be tended and perhaps a larger vegetable garden this year.

I am pretty happy with my stitching progress.   I
am nearly done part two of the Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler.

I am also happy with my progress on my guild stitch-a-long too. I am ahead of 'our schedule' at least for now.  I did a little switcheroo with the patterns on either side of the central alphabet in row five.   I flipped the stitches as charted upside down.    I just liked the more flower like looked of stitching them upside down.























Buddy just cracks me up.   He dips his paw in the pond and 'cups' water up to his mouth.   What a crazy cat. A couple of years ago a blue heron made off with all my fish.   It might be entertaining to add fish again and tease Buddy with them.

Upcoming is my semi-annual retreat in Ocean City Maryland at the end of the month.   A long weekend at a spa doesn't even begin to compete with how rejuvenating my stitching retreats are.   Heaven knows I don't need a thing but sure as spring is here, I am sure to bring some goodies back from Salty Yarns!  Good food, good friends, good times.    OCMD here I come.

Thanks for stopping by and happy stitching all!

Another Snowfall!

Imagine that!  A two hour delay for work on the first day of spring because of snow.    I looked outside and thought I am going in normal time - I threw caution to the wind and defied Mother Nature!   Truthfully it wasn't even snowing but you know those decisions to delay start time are made the night before......boy was it a long day....everyone just kind of strolling in over the length of the morning.  And of course the obvious culprits taking advantage of the delayed start time.

Boy am I ever ready for warming temperatures and to start poking around the yard! (one more snowfall is in the forecast!)

.....enough of that work business/work type nasty necessity!  I am still working to balance my stitching/treadmill/yoga/reading routines.   I want to do all of them every day!  I am tearing up the reading since I read on the treadmill.

I actually was feeling like I had not made much progress on my two main stitching pieces.   We have missed so many Thursday night stitching groups because of the weather. Subconsciously I think these weekly get togethers spur me on in my stitching so I can show progress each week.  On closer inspection, I am getting there slow and steady.

Bits of progress on my Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler.....this is what I see from it's mounted place on my Lowery stand.

Once I take it off the frame and out of the hoop, I can actually see I have more completed then I thought.

This is my guild stitch-a-long.   After each monthly meeting I am ready to stitch stitch stitch on it.  I am not a particular fan of the current band I am working on so of course I am easily distracted and am off to another piece.   We meet the second Saturday of each month so I will pick this up again on the 1st of April to finish row four in plenty of time.   So far I am staying on target with the monthly assignments.  No accolades please!  It is only month two.  Shame on me if I were already behind.

Like I said, slow and steady on the stitching, slow and steady on the treadmill, and even slower and not so steadily on the weight loss!  (Crap! on the weight loss but I won't give up.....at least I am getting more fit and flexible......weight loss WILL come.)  I am seriously behind on my correspondence.   I need to write a get well card for a friend that broke her arm; condolences for the loss of a friend's friend; get well for a friend with the nasty big C; a card of inspiration and hope for a friend that lost a child 6 weeks ago; and just some Hey, Hello! How are you cards.   But first, off to brunch with a friend then some antiquing.   What a better way to spend a sunny but too chilly of a day to be outside.  It makes me think that my Retreat in OCMD is only 5 weeks aways!   Can't wait for the sun, sand, broadwalk and 5 days with fabulous friends.  Oh and stitching and shopping too!

Thanks for stopping by and happy stitching all........

Give-a-way

If you are not a follower of Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, you should be.   She has the most awesome give-aways.    Check out her Spring Fling give-away now in progress.

(Also, if you ever buy anything from her site, she packages it up so pretty and is very generous with all she ships!)

Instant Gratification!

That's how I am justifying this start.
While putzing around my craft room putting away some patterns I strayed into the pile of kitted up items.

And to further justify, I was in need of a new take-a-long project.

Here's what I pulled out.    The needlebook and fob will be great lunchtime work.

This is the Breast Cancer Awareness project from Belinda Karls-Nace of Blue Ribbon Designs and Lois Mouriski Bear of Elegant Stitch. 

What a lovely and beuatifully kittted project. 

I quickly did the blanket stith around the pre-cut felt for the ruler.   Then on to the tray.   EZ-PZ - just tacked the corners in place with the crystals provided.
  

Blame it on me!  Could I have jinxed us with all the snowmen I had decorating my house?   Geez!  Didn't realize there were so many until I gathered them up to pack up and store until next year.   Away with the snowmen and winter greens - bring on the spring flowers.   

By now you all know I am just an outside girl at heart.   Here are what I hope are final shots of the winter of 2015.   Forecast today in the upper 40's!  Lots of melting going on.  

 

 Looking forward to crocus and daffodils showing their pretty blooms!

Whimsy

I do have some progress to share on my guild stitch along.  In true Robin Side-Track fashion, I had to jump ahead to Row 3 - which is not on the schedule until next meeting.   I needed to stitch something that was not as tedious as the satin stitched squares.  Better concentrate on row two and get it done before our next meeting!

I ventured into my sewing room last weekend when I was snowbound and pulled fabrics to finish Happy Easter from SamSarah. I stitched it last spring but didn't get around to finishing before Easter so of course if has sat in the finishing pile.     Selecting fabric is not an easy choice.....especially when I have a bit of stash to pick from.






























I went with this kind of whimsical and happy fabric to the left.   What could be more whimsical than a rabbit wearing blue jeans?  I hope to finish this up to hang on my wrought iron stand.  As much as I like snow......I like all the bright happy colors of spring.
























Also this week I stopped to visit an older friend.  I just like to check on her knowing she is a bit more housebound in the winter then she cares to be.  We had a nice dinner together and spent the evening catching up.  I was also able to snap a few shots of sunset on the river while I was there.  As the days are getting longer I am really enjoying beautiful skies and sunsets on my ride home.   This night did not disappoint.

It was bitter cold and windy so I took these from inside the house.  It is hard to tell but the ice is across most of the width of the river to the channel on the other side. It is an awesome sight when I cross the river each day to and from work.

Some pieces of the ice look to be as much as 8-inches thick!  The tugs and ice breakers are going up and down the river every day to keep everything moving.

 Looking a little more north.

I love the colors in this one below but I got the reflection of the interior lamps.  Still not bad for photos from my phone.

Being on the river brings so many memories of growing up on the river and then spending so much time boating and skiing with friends and our kids years later.    No matter where I were to move I'd have to be near water!  

Oh That Mother Nature!

Just had to pull out the camera yesterday morning and take some photos of the world encapsulated in ice.    So pretty.   So crazy to have blue skies and yet all the melting made it sound like it was raining.   "Accumulating and significant snowfall Wednesday night into Thursday morning" is what the weatherman just announced after sharing that there will be a snow filled commute for tonight's ride home.   Oy!  Just a kid at heart - love those snow days.  Cozy on the couch with an old movie, baking some goodies in the oven, making a big pot of soup, stitching.   I am sure I will be able to keep myself busy if Mother Nature brings it.

Drive safely if you are out and about in snowy weather.