Two crazy stitchers....

Well, Kathie sent me pics of our visit at Barnes and Noble on Saturday....the one where we planned on stitching for a couple of hours but ended up talking instead. This first one is your classic, "take a picture of yourself holding the camera out in front of you!" I personally love these kind and I think it turned out well...

The second, Kathie asked her daughter Lizzie to take it....pretty good pic too I think!
I'm hoping we can meet up again....and maybe this time actually stitch a bit.

Kathie also tagged me to share 6 random things about myself! So here goes....
The rules are as follows:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Whew...
1. I love spiders. I rescue stranded spiders. I talk to spiders. I've considered having a pet trantuala. Enough said on that subject.

2. I hate to drive...anywhere! I don't consider myself a good driver and I get confused easily on the road. I am a very very courteous driver. (unlike some people I drive with and you know who you are!) I have never driven more than 1 1/2 hours in the driver's seat....I actually get sleepy driving so I just don't do it for very long......20 minute trips tops.

3. I'm high maintenance emotionally.....I need attention! I could live in a tent wearing a sack but if my husband takes care of my emotional needs, (phone calls, I love you's, hugs..etc...)I'll be happy as a lark.

4. Sweetie Man and I met online about 9 years ago (just got married this past April as you know) when there was probably only one chat room on the internet.....and before the onset of predators. I actually didn't want to chat with him as (1) I thought he was too intelligent and I just wanted to goof around in the various rooms with people and (2) he lived too close to me...one state away. I wanted to talk with people on the other side of the world. But things happen for a reason....and I have no doubt in my mind that he and I were meant to be...true soulmates.

5. I love to laugh...I love to make others laugh.....people say they can hear me coming by my laugh! I think I have a quick sense of humor as does Sweetie Man...we laugh all the time...I'm talking good hardy laughs.

6. I'm a "redder-upper" (Pittsburgh term)....there can be dust everywhere, but I want everything in it's place...or at least where no one will see it. (don't look in my closets, tho!)

Now it's your turn, mmmm, let's see, whom shall I tag.....
CASSIE, TINA, BRENDA, HEIDI, OLLIE, and FROGGIE

You're IT, yinz crazy guys.....!

WOW....

...is it just me or am I posting more than usual???? And what's up witht he Coca Cola sign? Well, I found a couple of sites that I just had to share. First, I'll tell you the reason. I love to bake but I HATE to cook...okay, let's just say I have a fear of cooking. I actually had a melt down in the car on Sunday cause I couldn't cook. (I was on my bluetooth with Sweetie Man so he had to endure the fallout!). Anyway, then I got home and found out that the Broccoli Cheese Crockpot soup I made, separated...could be why they said to stir it the last hour which I didn't (I took a nap instead). Needless to say, cooking is not one of my specialties and I must admit I am jealous of those of whom (or is that "who"...neither is grammer) it is easy.
To make a long story short, I made Ham BBQ sandwiches doing the Cola and Ketchup thing and in the search for the correct amounts came upon this website 15 Uncommon Uses for Coca Cola which by the way includes the BBQ sauce (1 cup ketchup/1 cup cola). Sorta makes you wonder what the heck we are drinking and eating that can also be used to remove rust????

Okay, next site is a double doozy...I love this one sent to me by Kathie, (who I met by the way in person last Saturday along with her daughter....great creative lady!)...anyway, it's a blog about a lady, by the name of Stephanie, who vowed to use her crockpot everyday in 2008 and post the recipes.
A Year of CrockPotting. There are even pictures for people like me who don't know what certain ingredients look like and reviews from her family on the results. I LOVE THIS SITE!!!
It is like "crockpot cooking for dummies"! Today she made candles in the crockpot....don't eat them tho! How cool is that! Thank you again, Kathie, for this terrific site.
Okay, with that, I'm off to dust the crockpots and start cooking....till next time, yinz crazy guys!

Say it AIN'T so, Joe!!!!!!

Saw this over at Anna's Blog and just had to take it.....who'd a thunk!!!! I'm sleepin' with one eye open from now on....



Till next time yinz crazy guys......(meow) WHAT WAS THAT???

More progress....

You will never hear me complain about having my son and DIL living with us while they are finishing up college...no sireee!!! Not when I have this to show for it....

That's right...they were at work again putting flooring down in my livingroom and diningroom! How awesome is this....

Aside from all the stuff that is piled around due to painting and moving and cleaning, they have done a tremendous job! This last pic is a little funky and it looks like the door and wall are really dirty...I think it was the light and camera angle. Just focus on the floor......

So this weekend, is painting a little more and cleaning and throwing out (aka redding up), etc.... By the holidays we should have a half decent home till the Spring when we start on the office and a couple more bedrooms! For a house that is over 80 years old...I don't think it looks too bad! Till next time, yinz crazy guys....

Beautiful exchanges...

This is the first time I've done an exchange with the SBEBB group and tho I cannot show you a pic of what I sent (one, because the receiver hasn't received it yet and two, because the pic I took was crazy blurry....my bad) but I can show you the lovely scissor fob I received from Carol....


The stitching is incredible...so perfect and so tiny. Thank you, Carol.
Next is a great Halloween pinkeep exchange with my Yahoo Group. This one from Dawn. The fabric is sooooo cool...love it. Check out the little froggie she included.

I messed up my pic of the pinkeep I sent. I'm so bummed. Cathy, the recipient, took a much better pic on her blog, so hop on over and see what is really looks like.

I've been promising you pics of the 7 hour stitch marathon I went to a few weeks ago. So much fun...so much stuff to buy...so many freebies...and a great lunch. No wonder there is a waiting list. It was blast.

Can you believe the stash of books and patterns that were on sale???? 1/2 price!!!!!

Okay....I know Halloween is over, but I just had to include a couple pics of the crazy people I live with. My son was a gangster and Sweetie Man insisted on sitting outside to greet the 12 halloweeners we had that visited us. This was the first time in many years that we had a city-wide trick or treat night (mostly it was done by neighborhoods) which is the reason for the low turn out. My DIL is the one who did his makeup....I insisted he remove it before going to bed tho...UGH!

So with that, I want to give a big salute and thank you to all our Veteran's today, (especially my Sweetie Man) both living and those in heaven....thank you for protecting our country...you are all awesome! Till next time, yinz crazy guys....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OWEN!!!

This my Great Nephew, Owen!!! I could be being a bit one-sided here...but I think he is the most adorable little cutie pie I ever saw!!!! He turned 1 year old on election day! I just got a hold of these pics as he lives about 8 hours from me but by the little videos and such I have seen, it seems he enjoyed playing and throwing the cake much more than eating it!!!
Technology is great.....as we were able to watch this little guy grow up right before our eyes through the magic of the internet!
Owen, may you have many more bright and beautiful and healthy years to come.....and may that beautiful smile and spirit of yours touch many more people as it has touched us!!
We love you!!!!!

Two simple words....

HOPE VOTES!!

Politics means there'll be a lot of talking
But, citizen, there's just no room for squawking
'Cause whatever floats your boat
If you don't take time to vote
You can whine, you can complain
'Til you drive the world insane
But no words can justify
Or provide a reason why
You let go of Freedom's mallet
If you didn't cast your ballot
Parties left and parties right
Down the middle, out of sight
Watch your gas gauge, guard your health
God forbid you count on wealth
When your budget's in the red
And you lie awake in bed
If you feel the urge to blame
Lest you call them out by name
You can leave it all to fate
Or go vote – 'fore it's too late

(Written by my very own Sweetie Man.....Please vote, yinz guys!!!!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

GOTTA LOVE MY GAL MAXINE......HAPPY HALLOWEEN YINZ SPOOKY GUYS!!!

DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!!

....cause it's still me but with a different face. I decided to break out of the purple red thing I had going on and get a little seasonal. I love when people change their blogs with the seasons and I thought I would give it a try....again....and again....and yet again!!! Yep, it took awhile but I did it! Still have to tweak it a little but at least I got this far.
As for craft pics, well unfortunately the 4 things I'm working on are going places and haven't got there yet so I can't show them due to rules and regulations of the exhanges and also peeking eyes!!! So, hang in there and I'll be showing them soon!
So, enjoy the autumn leaves and I'll catch yunz guys later.....

Great Exhausting Weekend...

We had an exhausting exhilarating exciting weekend!!!! And our bones are feeling it too! Our weekend was called "Church without Walls" and what it consisted of was canceling church services for the weekend.....and instead, going out into the community and giving of ourselves and our time! We all wore purple t-shirts that read, "I don't go to church...I AM the church!" Everyone gave a few hours of time between Saturday and Sunday to projects such as cleaning up trash in the downtown area as well as weeding near the railroad tracks. Some worked right at the church itself cutting down trees and painting windows or working on the Kids Kloset (clothes donation.) The Sweetie Man and I chose to work at the local Massa Harbison Park (aka...the site of the Girl Scout Little House). Take a minute and read a short story about Massy Harbison and her connection to our community.
Anyway, we were elected to "sling mud" from one of four park pavilions in the area. For a sneak peek at our fun weekend, check out the pics below....

First off is Sweetie Man and myself shoveling mud and cleaning the floor of a pavilion....

That's Sweetie Man using the blower to clean up what was left after shoveling.....
Even the kids worked ........
and played................
The Mayor of our City even worked, probably harder than most everyone.....
That's me and my pastor who was digging a trench to keep the mud off the pavilion we just shoveled out.....WHEW!
We're actually not permitted to burn in the City limits, but hey....we had the Mayor working with us....

It was truly an incredible weekend. There's a great log cabin on the property also that I remember having sleep overs with the Girl Scouts when I was little...we used that for breaks and lunch...which was needed for all.
Actually, that wasn't all to my weekend....give me a couple of days to rest up and I'll let you know what I did on Sunday (does 7 hours of cross stitching sound fun???? It was!)
Till next time, yunz crazy guys.....

Birthday weekend...

Sweetie Man and I wanted to celebrate his birthday away from it all so we went camping up to Bear Run Campground near us. It was a beautiful weekend and so nice to just be all alone for awhile to just be our crazy selves! The kids (son and DIL) joined us for dinner on Saturday night which was really nice...especially since they brought an Ice Cream Cake!!! So for your enjoyment....our CAMPY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.......

......THE ONE AND ONLY "SWEETIE MAN"!!!!!

ALSO KNOWN AS "PEPPERMAN", "BIG EDDIE", "HOT ZONE ED" AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...... MY HUSBAND!!! (for the 1st year ever and the rest of his birthdays to come!)

May you have a wonderful day, Mi Amor, and many many more wonderful healthy years to come...with me of course!!!

¡feliz cumpleaños

Autumn's in the air....

For your viewing pleasure...presenting what I do in my spare time...
First off we have some WIP's. This one is the Village of Hawk Run Hollow....not seeing alot of the light of day is it? At this rate I should be able to finish this in about 20 years....

This one is the adorable penquin (can't tell you but if you are a cross stitcher you may know what this is going to eventually be....spying eyes are viewing my blog!!)

Everytime I take a pic of this JCS Owl Halloween ornie,it comes out blurry...maybe it's possessed!!!

This little number is for an Autumn Exchange I'm doing and it's by The Trilogy. I have a cute idea on the finish but shhhhhhh it's a secret!

Another blurry one....but it is the Brittercup Puppy ornie for my son's dog. I changed the colors since he has a chocolate lab. Now I have an ornie for every dog and cat in the house! (wonder if Brittercup makes rabbits and turtles)
Now for the good stuff...this is a picture of my hard working daughter-in-law painting their room in the house but wait.....

She single handedly turned this ugly floor.......

....into this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And it gets better....she turned these ugly colored walls......
.......into this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.....and THIS!!!!!

And she bought this for the beginning renovation of my house!!!! (they are lamps...how cool is that!)

Oh, yeah.....did I tell you that THIS is a picture of my son HELPING his wife?????? (um...check under the Transformer blanket!)
No, not really, they have both been working their butts off to make my house a HOME!!! Plus they are going to school full time....doing some internet work for spending money and my daughter-in-law is starting modeling classes on the side! I get tired just talking about it!!! I don't seem to remember having that much energy at 21! We love them both and they are fun to have around. Being they too are newlyweds, we try to give them as much space as possible. I even told them to do whatever they wanted to the house as far as decorating and painting...I think they are doing a good job!!! Thanks so much you two!!! It's really an incredible change....Hey, I've been helping out a little when they let me!

Well, that's about it for now! Getting cool here in the 'burgh...so till next time yinz crazy guys!!!

More stitching time....

Okay...here goes...if you want more stitching time, check out this video. The less time you spend peeling a hard boiled egg, the MORE time you have to stitch. Remember....you saw it here FIRST......

HOW TO PEEL A HARD BOILED EGG

Till next time, yinz crazy guys!

Perky is good....

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Site

Found this one over at Kare's Blog....nice to see you back, Kare!!! Like Kare...I wasn't on the online dating service either!!!

DANGER...DANGER....

....DO NOT OPEN THIS MAGAZINE UNLESS YOU HAVE A FEW GOOD HOURS TO SPARE!!! I made the mistake of opening it at a not so convenient time.... and became late for something else! GO FIGURE!!!
As usual I want to make everything in it....and tell me if you do this....I go throught the whole magazine thinking I saw everything....pick it up a hour or so later and say to myself, "Hey, self...I didn't see THAT ornament." I do this over and over again....is this a sign of old age???? Then again, the magazine looks new to me each time I read it....I could do that!!!
Next...found this on Kari's Blog....I think I may have done this before, but it's still fun...and amazingly accurate if I do say so myself....enjoy!

What Lucy Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Now THAT's what I call....

.....YELLOW!!!
I love yellow...I used to like blue...and sorta like purple....but I LOVE YELLOW!
Was recently in a Yellow Exchange with my Yahoo Group and lo and behold this is what I received from Jeannie...all in this Yellow Bag....

....can you believe this???

...and there was yet more...it wouldn't all fit in the picture!!!

Thanks so much, Jeannie...loved it all...You did an awesome job!!!

Okay...now back to the business at hand....unfinished cross stitching! Well, I am making progress with this owl (sorry the pic is fuzzy!) but this is the second ornie I'm working on from the JCS Halloween mag. (still have to finish the first one into an ornie) The pic in the magazine was nice but when you actually stitch it, it really is a cool ornament!

I won't be able to show this one much longer...with the progress I'm making I don't want spying eyes to see it all...and you know who you are. Again...the picture does not do this lovely little guy justice! He is just too cute in person!
Ok, so I haven't made too much progress on the Village of Hawk Run Hollow but it's moving along. I've been jumping around alot with my WIP's and this one hasn't been jumped on too much lately as you can see!
So, with all those pics, it's off to bed for a little more stitching then to sleep as tomorrow is a big day! My cross stitch store called and said that the JCS Christmas Magazine is in...woo-hoo!!! The faster I fall asleep...the faster that baby gets in my hands!
Till next time, yinz crazy guys....