Lots of pictures

Yeah, I really haven't felt like blogging much lately. Haven't felt like doing much of anything honestly. It is so freaking hot here, all I want to do is lay in front of the fan with a glass of ice water.

Had my OB appointment Tuesday. There are 2 things that I have to say on this subject:

1. I miss home.
2. If the 9 am appointment is not the first appointment in the morning, then you can be sure that I will have the first appointment next time so that we don't sit there and wait for over an hour to talk to the doctor for 10 minutes.

He tried to hear the heartbeat with a doppler, but said that it is a tad bit too early...better around 14 weeks he said. I lost just over 1 kg, but that is okay. I get to go back in 4 weeks, yippee. He said that it was okay to fly to New Zealand later this year for our vacation.

On to other news, here are some pictures of things that I have finished:

Scarf crocheted with size H hook using unknown acrylic yarn Mom sent to me

Scarf started last night using Red Heart acrylic yarn Mom sent to me in color "Ocean", using size I hook. The color variation is so pretty in this one.

STO "Christmas in July" exchange:

4 My Boys design, turned into an envelope or a pocket for kleenex packs (looks strange because I have stuff inside of it).

Scissor fob is from HIH "Winter Fobs" stitched up in 1 day!

Crocheted dishcloth using Peaches & Creme color "Sea Mist" using size G hook (I think)

Update on Enchanted Alphabet

New start, "Twinkle, Twinkle" on PTP fabric

A sneak peek at a coming attraction:

The scarves are for a new group that I joined, CraftingForACause. It is a yahoo group that helps the UC Davis infusion center (pediatric) and the Pine Ridge Reservation. I wanted to find some way to donate my time and some use for the yarn that Mom has been sending me.

They take all kinds of donations as they are opening up a small store (they are non profit) and they also have craft bazaars that they participate in. There is also another charity they work with...the name escapes me but basically it is sending crafting supplies to young adults with developmental disabilities.

This weeks shocking shopping in Saipan moment:

We were at Joeten in Susupe and I saw bing cherries, a small package mind you, and I thought, "Mmmm...cherries. So they aren't Rainier, they would still be good." That is until I looked at the price...$11.99 per pound! Guess I won't be eating those anytime soon. We took a road trip out west last summer on our way to LA to drop off the car before flying to Guam. We were in Washington and found Rainier cherries for $2.50 per pound. I had to send Dad a postcard about it because he goes to the 320 store and buys them for $8-10 per pound when they are in season and just gorges himself silly on them. Hard to believe that was just one year ago.

I am so sick of our power going out. It went out 3 times yesterday, sometime after midnight...coming back on at 3 am, out again just before 1 pm, on again around 3 pm and then around 6 pm until about 7:30 pm. Grrr...it really gets old. We have a generator, but would rather use it for typhoons or long term power outages.

Lady doing what she does best:

Peace

I am so sick of blogger not putting photos in after I have uploaded them so I used my Photobucket account...sorry if they are huge but I have just spent 30 minutes resizing them and it still is wonky. I will work on it later. :)

10086 Sunset Boulevard

That is a house that I would love to have seen. Or at least the set. I was flipping through the channels and found "Sunset Boulevard" on AMC or something. Of course I had to watch it for the eleventyith time! So, there I sat, finishing the stitching for the backside of my scissor fob for the STO "Christmas in July" exchange, watching Norma Desmond make the complete transition to insanity. Strange thing is that I can totally see Gloria Swanson turn into this woman in real life. I believe that it did win an Academy Award but it didn't work to revive Ms. Swanson's career.


Stitching
I will assemble the fob tomorrow and post a picture. I used the HIH "Winter Fobs" chart and did the Christmas Tree one. I decided that the double Leviathan stitch is my new favorite specialty stitch. Replacing the Colonial knot. Our exchanges are a central exchange, meaning that we all mail to the same person every time and she mails out the items to everyone that participated. Works great! We never have anyone that is disappointed by not receiving anything. I think that I am going to make my "Bless Us" finish into a small envelope with a button on the back for stitching stuff and put the fob in it along with a dishcloth I am going to crochet. Thankfully the due date isn't until July 22, but I would like to get it all mailed out by next weekend. So, look for pics tomorrow.

Enchanted Alphabet: I will post an update tomorrow. I haven't been meeting my goal of one letter a day :( I got very discouraged when I had to frog a large portion of the "E" and restitch it. But, I plan on putting some serious time into it tonight.

Food:
Anyone else out there just love Paula Deen on the Food Network? I swear she doesn't have blood in her veins, she has butter instead. I love her accent! I was watching a little bit yesterday and DH (who never really paid much attention to her...he's an Alton Brown & Bobby Flay guy) actually watched her with me. And guess who I caught watching her this morning...DH! I was talking to Stels on the phone and he was watching her cook a cow, I swear that is how big the steak was. So tonight, we are having some kind of grilled dijon chicken breasts with Cornucopia salad and baked potato with Ring Tum Ditty (sounds funky but looks deeelish). Find the recipe here for the Baked Potato with Ring Tum Ditty. We are using less bacon and cheese and no butter. The picture looks kinda like vomit, but it looked really good on TV. Can you believe that Oscar Mayer thick cut bacon is over $10 here!?!? I wouldn't have if I hadn't seen it for myself. Come on 2008!

So, I am feeling parched and need a dose of sweet tea...I will catch up with y'all later.

Peace

Post with no specific title...

While perusing the online sites this AM (God, I love me some internets) I came across a few new fantastic designs and accessories:

Warm Water Wash by Raise the Roof Designs

Halloween Elf Fairy by Mirabilia (kit)

And these fantastic little scissors, Louis XVI from The French Needle

The Village of Hawk Run Hollow from Carriage House Samplings

The Village of Hawk Run Hollow is a companion piece to "Houses of Hawk Run Hollow" which I can happily say is tucked away in my stash binders. Hoping to someday (sooner rather than later) be brought to life by my needle and thread.

I love the verse of Houses of Hawk Run Hollow...

"When I am dead and in my grave, and all my bones are rotten, remember me when this you see lest I should be forgotten. Remember me as you pass by, as you are now so once was I, as I am now so must you be, prepare for death and follow me."

Charming, isn't it?

*******

I really wish that they were showing "An Inconvenient Truth" around here. Gah, now I guess we will just have to wait until it comes out on DVD. I have read some pretty great reviews about it and I do hope that it opens people's eyes a little bit. Want to know more? Go here. I was suprised this morning when I read Trent's blog that he had been to see it and found it interesting.

*******

Angelo, we thought it was nice meeting you last night. Thanks for your smart ass comments :) Imagine my suprise, meeting a fellow blogger on this tiny little piece of rock. Oh, by the way...I really don't eat bologna, it was the only lunchmeat I could remember the price of. We did buy a fresh Tuna about 2 months ago...DH cut it into steaks and grilled it. Barf barf barf (the pregnancy hormones talking). And, being treehuggers, we don't run our aircon. Well, okay, sometimes I do only in the bedroom when I am having a lazy movie Saturday. Seriously, we only use something like 500kWh per month. Thanks again for the tips on where to find Old Man by the Sea.

*******

Okay, I am off to read for a while. Thinking of starting "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown next (he wrote "The DaVinci Code") once I am done with my current Monica Ferris book. She is such easy reading, I think I need something a little more brain bending.

Peace

Hoffman's Freebies

Get them quick...who knows when they will be pulled.

Hoffman's SOS Freebies

I like the LHN Summer House, Crescent Colours Liberty Ewe, and Country Cottage Needleworks Bloom.

Okay, off to finish my morning rounds. If you haven't had a chance to take a look at Summer's blog lately, I highly recommend it. She doesn't leave posts up long, but she has some truly gorgeous finishing that she has done lately not to mention the pretty tassels that she makes. Check it out.

I might update later...if you are lucky :)

Peace

Angel thoughts and Ebay

So, I have been thinking more about the angel for my Mom. I think that I will do "In The Arms of An Angel" (on the right) . I already have this chart, the threads and the fabric. All I will need to order is the beads and the braid. And I know that if I order them from Joanne at 123stitch, they will get here lickety split.

If I do that one for her, I probably won't feel like doing it again right away for myself so I have decided that I would like to do "Mother's Bliss" (on the left) for me. Looks fairly simple and I really think that I can get this one done.

As each day progresses, I think of more projects that I would like to start. I have been thinking more about Christmas presents for our parents also. I was thinking that I would just order them something online and have it shipped directly to them. I may still do that! It just seems impersonal. Oh well, I guess that is how it may have to be this year since we are so far away.



Ebay Update:

• I still have not heard from the person that won 2 of my auctions last week...I emailed the bidder again and asked what method of payment they were going to use and to let me know if they have already mailed their payment. Guess we will see.

• I am so excited that I won some "hanks" of Six Strand Sweets. I know, I don't like overdyed threads but Six Strand Sweets are an exception. Plus, I love to give them to other people in exchanges. I got 3 hanks (25 yards per hank) of "Organic Blueberry" (like GAST "Coneflower"). I think that this is the color that I am going to do my "Lord's Prayer" in by My Big Toe Designs. Probably on a white or ecru evenweave. I can't believe that I only am paying 10 cents a yard for this thread!!! And I love the fact that it is solid so that I can stitch in Continental style to my little heart's content. Now to find more time to stitch...which in actuality shouldn't be a problem since I don't work. I had purchased "Lord's Prayer" with the thought that I would stitch it for my Granny since she is the most appreciative recipient of my stitching next to my Aunt J. Guess we will see how ambitious I am.

• I have listed some more shirts. We buy these shirts at the factory stores. If you see one that you like, email me at mhighfill@gmail.com and I can see if we have it in a size that you need. I like to do this for a little extra money (and believe me I am not getting rich here). They have tons of stuff at these stores...Abercrombie, American Eagle Outfitters, Field Gear (Marshall Field's house brand), Hollister, Liz Lange Maternity... The Field Gear sweatshirts are fantastic! And they are a real bargain. They are thick like the Champion sweatshirts and sell in the stores for $28.50 (some of them had the MF store tag on it)...we can get them for a fraction of that price! My ebay listings are here.

Well, I need to go punch down my bread dough and get it rising again and then into the oven. Tonight DH & I are going to some function that he has to do for work. I just want to go out for some KFC!!! :)

Edit: I couldn't help but take advantage of showing off a cute kitty pic...as I was walking out to the kitchen, I saw the girls snoozing on the bed. They must've had a marathon grooming session together and got tired. Here they are...Killer Lily is on the left and Isabella is on the right. In all their glory:

Peace

Twinkle twinkle

So, I have decided on a "theme" for the baby's decorations & bedding. Now mind you, the nursery will be in the guest bedroom that will also have a full size bed in it. I will just turn the bed against the wall to make more room as the rooms are kinda small.

Here is the inspiration for the nursery decor, I think that it is kinda gender neutral...maybe a teensy bit girly but cute nonetheless. It is called Twinkle Twinkle and it is by Pickle Barrel Designs.






I think that I am going to stitch it on this fabric that Kim sent me in an exchange. I don't know the name of the color but it is by Picture this Plus and the background is sky blue with some purples and pinks mottled in it...soo much prettier in person than what I can describe here. Do I just rinse this fabric and then iron it before using it? Is it colorfast? I really like to wash / rinse my finished projects and then iron them on the backside to make the stitching stand up more but I don't want the dyes to bleed into the stitching.


Here is an update on my WIP, Enchanted Alphabet by Lavender & Lace. Doing it in regular DMC. My goal is to stitch one letter per day so it is going well. I am doing it on an ivory linen...28 or 32 ct, I can't remember...I keep telling myself to measure it but then I forget. (edit: it is 32 ct)
I was thinking today about doing a MLI angel for my Mom for her 50th birthday in February...anyone have any suggestions? I am going to start "In the Arms of an Angel" next after Enchanted Alphabet for me and then I will go to Mother's Tree. (since I don't have fabric for MT yet and I do for ITAOAA) I thought about doing "Angel of Healing" but the face on her looks so morbid. So then I thought of "Angel of Hope" since "Hope" is a big hot word for breast cancer awareness but personally, she is kinda ugly. Mom's not feeling so hot. She has to have more surgery to remove the little bit of tissue left on her rib cage and then go through radiation every day for 20 minutes a day for 6 weeks. Poor thing has been through alot with this already. I wish that MLI would design an angel for breast cancer awareness...I can just imagine how gorgeous she would be with her pinks and creams...maybe holding a trailing pink ribbon that seems to be caught on the wind so that it is in the shape of the pink ribbon symbol (loosely). Anyone know how I can get in contact with her to tell her my ideas? I looked on the tiag.com website but didn't see any specific email address for her.

Peace!

5 Things & stuff

I am tired and about to go to bed, but thought I would get out a quick post. Today I mailed off a TON of stuff! Lots of ebay winnings and other stuff I sold (Kim your package is on it's happy little way). Plus about 6 books for paperbakswap.com and my Dad's Father's Day present (a bottle of Saipan honey since he is a honey freak) and some American Eagle Outfitters tank tops for Mom.

I am a little disappointed in one of my ebay sales. There is one person that won 2 of the shirts I had up and hasn't contacted me or made payment. I have already sent an invoice so I sent a message through ebay today. As I was thinking about it today, I checked said bidders feedback :( This person has about 4 negatives or neutrals out of less than 60 for never responding or paying. Makes me mad. Shame on them for being irresponsible.

I worked on Enchanted Alphabet today and will post a WIP pic for you tomorrow. My goal is to stitch one letter a day and I am doing well so far! I started to re-read the Monica Ferris series, starting with Crewel World. A lady from paperbackswap.com sent me 4 in the series and I had only requested one so I felt pretty blessed! I have read probably 4 or so in the series but I decided that I want to read them in order so that I can see more of the character development with each book. I am a nerd, I know. :)

I saw this on Jo's blog so I thought I would do it and I will tag Kim and Jenn (I was starting to wonder about you, Jenn...going to go read your post next)

5 Things:

5 things in my fridge

Baby Carrots
Eggs
Butter (the real deal here)
Milk from New Zealand that doesn't have to be refrigerated until you open it!
Home made bread

5 items in my closet

Rollerblades that I haven't used in 6 years
Shoes
Purses
Winter Clothes being stored
Head board & foot board to the antique guest bed (it is getting too rickety to use so we thought we would store it there...isn't that where everyone stores theirs?)

5 items in my purse (handbag)

Rosary (and I am not Catholic)
Wallet
Gum
Listing of birthdays & anniversaries in monthly order (not that I pay attention to it)
Glasses case

5 items in my car

Lots of canvas shopping bags for groceries. (we are treehuggers afterall!)
A lug nut remover that is shaped like an X
An emergency kit (don't really know what is in it)
DH's Oakley bag for his broken shades
I am sure that on my side (read: passenger) that there is a used kleenex or errant piece of paper in the door pocket...otherwise our car is clean.

Well, that is all I have to say about that so I am going to bed.

Peace!

Attention: people of Saipan

Since we have only just moved here a couple of months ago, I have some questions. And I know that people from the CNMI look at this blog, I can see it in my tracker on the right. So please, if you are reading this and from the CNMI, take a minute to answer my questions if you can. Thanks so much!

Question 1:

How do we get to the Old Man by the Sea? Last weekend we went the way that we thought, up past Kingfisher Golf course and at the end of the road it curved right (DH said that the road continued into the people's yard ahead of us, but I don't think so) so we followed the curve and went down a long, rutted, washed out road. We ended up at what we think was Talofofo Beach. The picture below is from that beach (I have tons more but I am irritated with Blogger). Directions to Old Man by the Sea would be very appreciated!



Question 2:

If the bills in Legislation do not pass in regards to providing financial relief to the CNMI govermnment, how much are they likely to raise our energy rates? I was half listening to the news last week and I thought I heard them say that they may raise our power rates to 66 cents per kWh! Can this be true? I realize that we aren't sitting on any oil wells or a mound of coal but if they were to raise it that much, can you imagine what the crime rate will go to, not to mention the cost of groceries (which by the way is insane...seriously...a package of Oscar Mayer sliced Bologna for $6.50 at Joeten)? We figured out that we pay approximately 15 cents per kWh currently which is alot more than the 4 cents per kWh that we paid in Louisiana 1 year ago.

Question 3:

Do the gas prices here ever come down? We arrived on island at the beginning of April. Gas (regular) was $3.04/gal. Here we are at the beginning of June and it is $3.45/gal. I realize that the price of oil is somewhere around $72/barrel but man alive... Good thing this island is small.

Question 4:

Anyone know where I can buy a container of cat treats? Like Pounce or Deli Slices? We look at every store we go to and have gone to the pet store on Middle Road with no luck. Oh, and while we are on the subject of pets...where do they sell Eukanuba food?

Well, I think that is all of my questions for now. We really like living in Saipan even though it costs an arm and a leg. I guess it is a tradeoff for the natural beauty here. That and the everyday sunshine. Anyone who has ever considered coming to Saipan, I would highly recommend it! Hopefully it doesn't end up like Guam in about 20 years.

Off to stitch~

Peace!

They're finished but it is still too early!

I finally finished sewing the Grandparent's announcement pillows today. The trickiest part was fumbling around with the 3 inches of edge that needs to be closed up once they are stuffed. Anyone got any tips for making the stuffing more uniform? Mine is a bit lumpy ( I like a very full pillow ) so I just kinda mush it around on my lap with my palms for a while, but then it gets a little compressed. I sewed the bias tape edging on by hand since I have yet to master that on the machine. I even put the zipper foot on for the first time to try it out but the pillow wouldn't cooperate.


So, now they are done. My next appointment with the OB is June 20 and I am hoping that we can hear a heartbeat. I know that they won't do an Ultrasound then, so I am hoping for a doppler to hear the heartbeat. I will be 11 weeks along and if they do hear the heartbeat, the risk of miscarriage drops to 3%. At least that is what I read on a website. My risk of miscarriage is 29% due to my age...geesh...almost a 1 in 3 chance. :( So, that is why we are waiting to tell the parents. I want to be closer to 12 weeks. I figure that once we have the appointment, then I can send them that week and they will get them the following week. I am also thinking about taking a picture of me in a plain t-shirt and having my BF's DH doctor it so that the t-shirt reads "Due January 2007", then printing that out (on regular paper) and enclosing it with the pillow. I would print out an extra one so that I could send it to my grandparents as well since we really haven't thought of a creative way to tell them they will be great-grandparents again. I think that it would be different if this was their first great grandchild, but sadly my cousin that is 5 years older than me beat me by 14 years to the punch. Hard to believe that my Granny was 32 when she was a grandma and 52 when she was a great grandma.

Here is my current (most pressing WIP), Enchanted Alphabet by Lavender & Lace. I intend on making the child's hair more of a brown color than the blond that the model was stitched with. But, I have a long way to go before I get to the child! (I will have to try again later to upload this picture, blogger is a bugger)



Kim- Mother's Tree is by Lavender & Lace as well, I really like the heirloom quality of this design. I plan on stitching it like the model shown but may use a lighter fabric. Here is a picture of what the model looks like. Many stitchers suggest putting the chart, threads and a note on the back of the frame as well as having extra fabric at the bottom tucked up so that it can be added to in future generations. I may do that as well. I do admit though that charting out the names was a true PIA the first time I tried it, but this last time, I just kind of "winged" it and I think that it will be fine as long as I take my time.




Peace!

Memorial Day ramblings

Living in Saipan is very different from the Midwest. On Friday night, I was in the living room and could hear one of the cats in the sewing room so I finally put my stitching aside and went to the sewing room (which is also the office) to see what was going on. There was my little baby, Bella, trying to figure out what to do with the swarm of termites that seemed to be pouring in from the windowsill. Okay, maybe they weren't "pouring" in, but any amount more than one inside my house is more than I have ever had. All I could do was say "Bay, come see these crazy bugs!". I wasn't 100% sure that they were termites. Some had wings and some looked more like red carpenter ants. So, DH shut the window and we began the smashing process. Thank goodness our Roomba is charged at all times, it got the nice job of sucking up the carcasses while I shut the door and resumed my stitching.

I thought that termites like wood, strange since our house seems to be 100% concrete. I was reading online about them and read that they don't like wet weather and aren't seen as much during rainy periods which is fantastic since the "rainy season" is next month. I think that the dead termite bodies sent a message to the rest of the group...don't mess with us!
*****

I have been wanting to start a baby crochet project lately but it has been hard to justify doing so for a few reasons:

1. The weather is pretty constant...hot. 90 during the day and 80 at night. We don't really run the air so the baby really won't need a crocheted blanket or hat.

2. I don't have a good yarn source here that I can go see the yarns and touch them...I rely on family, friends and ebay for my yarns so I have a hodgepodge of brands & colors.

So, I found this easy bootie pattern and pulled out a ball of Bernat Cotton Tots and stitched up 2 pairs. Now I just have to whipstitch them together and find some nice ribbon to put around the ankle. I think that I did both pairs in under an hour.

Even if I can't really use them for our baby, I figured that I could send them to a hospital or something that takes crocheted items for babies.
*****

I really really really want to start a new project. I still have my CEF that is around 1/2 to 3/4 of the way done waiting to be finished up, but I am in no mood to do that one.

I finally charted out the names for my "Mother's Tree". Loving it! Going through my fabric stash tonight to see if I have anything suitable in regards to size and color.


And, I do have a small WIP...Enchanted Alphabet...that is waiting for me to come back to it.

I am thinking that I might just kit up "Mother's Tree" for now and get back to Enchanted Alphabet.
*****

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day holiday, keep our armed forces personnel (both past and present) in your thoughts.

Peace!

Pink thoughts...pink ribbon that is...

Please keep thinking happy thoughts and please keep Mom in your prayers. I called her this morning (we are 15 hours ahead of CST) and she had just received the phone call with her pathology report. Geesh, that was quick, just over 24 hours since her biopsies. Anyway...the cancer is back. And the doctor took a spot off of her face and it is cancerous also. She didn't really know what kind or any details...plus she was kind of hopped up on a pain pill I think. With it being a holiday weekend, she will hopefully be able to see her Oncologist on Tuesday next week to figure out a treatment plan. Last time she only did surgery and chemotherapy. This time she wants to be more aggressive and do chemotherapy and radiation. But, it all depends on what the Oncologist thinks. I just can't believe that she doesn't have to do a yearly CT scan or something as a preventative measure...


I got an email newsletter from a quilting place the other day that was showing some really pretty pink ribbon quilts. I have been thinking of doing one for her. But I am the world's slowest hand-quilter. And I don't know how to applique. I think that I need to have Kim come over here and give me some lessons! :) Maybe then she can teach me how to sew properly while she is at it. I am much too impatient to sit and read directions and practice, so I just jump in head first when it comes to sewing.

I have also thought about doing a stitching project for her instead. This one is pretty, but she isn't technically considered a survivor yet. I did the JABC stitch every day freebie already for her...look for it here. Anyone know of any others out there? I think that I will do a Google search later on, or search at 123stitch.com.

Otherwise, all is well here. I think that I have stopped having crazy non-sense dreams for a while. And I haven't gained any weight yet. But, I am the type of person that can gain and lose 5 pounds in the span of 48 hours.

It is so freaking hot here, I almost can't stand it. I am going to put a sheet in my stitching chair today so that hopefully I can get some work done comfortably. Our furniture holds heat like nobody's business. I really try not to think about turning on the AC because then the electric bills go through the roof (must be something about how the power for the island is supplied by engines that run on gasoline).

I filled up our Honda Civic the other day and about fell over when it came to $41. Gas here is $3.37 a gallon and has been for about a week or so. Wonder if it will go up more today for the weekend? Mobil and Shell are the only places here to get gas so there isn't much competition.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend! Thanks Jenn & Kim for the happy messages!

Peace.

Okay, I am nervous

My Mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2004. She has gone through hell with this. She had a bilateral mastectomy since it was in both breasts, spent all winter on Chemotherapy and finally got her reconstruction surgeries done this past year.

She found 2 new lumps on her chest and goes in for biopsies today. I am nervous for her. I know she is scared, I would be freaking out. I am hoping that we know something in the next week. I know that she is ready to get this all behind her now. They say that you aren't considered a "survivor" until you are cancer-free for 5 years.

Here are some pieces that I have stitched (not yet finished) in the past couple of months:




Designer: 4 My Boys











Designer: Lizzie*Kate
The sales of this design benefit Hurricane Katrina Relief

Designer: Prairie Schooler (freebie from website)

And here is a sneak peek at what should be done by the end of the weekend:

I am working on #3 of 3. I will sew them into pillows (fabric is under the PS freebie above) and send them to each set of Grandparents-to-be. I will send them all on the same day, via Priority Mail so that they will hopefully get them on the same day the following week. We aren't going to include a card or anything...do you think that they will get the hint? I graphed out the design myself using Lizzie*Kate's alphabet from her "First Christmas" pattern. The middle part has 2 bumblebees tumbling around...really cute when stitched!

This is a picture of the "family & friends photo wall" that I was complaining about so much in the last post:

Peace!
P.S. Thanks, Jo! :)

Back from the dead!!!

Seriously, that is about how I feel now. It seems like forever that we have gone without an internet connection at home. So much to catch up on. I have over 2,000 emails (posts) to read from one of my Yahoo stitching groups...don't know if I will ever be able to do it.

We are settled in the house. Everything is unpacked and pictures hung...really feels like "home". Or at least as homey as it will feel. Can I just say what a pain it is to hang pictures here? Mainly because the walls are concrete and you have to use special concrete nails that really make a mess of the wall if you aren't careful. Even if you are careful, sometimes you still end up with a big chunk of the concrete missing. Doesn't help that we have about 30 pictures hanging on our "family & friends" wall in the dining room.

I hope to take some pictures this week of the house and will post them.

Well, for the OTHER news....we're having a baby!!!! Shhhh...don't tell our families. We want to wait to tell them for a few more weeks. (Just incase). But so far, the only people to know are Staci, Katie & Jackie. I went to the doctor today and he said I am measuring about 7 weeks. Which is accurate, because I will be 7 weeks tomorrow. My initial due date was January 11, 2007...but the doctor today put it at January 14, 2007. I think that they just get an "approximate" range and guess from there. Everything that I have read and calculated would put me at January 11. Who knows.

So, now I have all kinds of happy baby thoughts in my head...last night I laid awake in bed (common occurance most nights now) thinking of how I will design the baby book. And I am trying to decide on decorating themes...all along I have thought of soft, muted pastels with a Beatrix Potter "Peter Rabbit" theme...now I am thinking bright, vivid, almost jewel toned colors in an "Under the Sea" theme....and now I just had a "flash" of a thought....Bumblebees! I need to stay pretty neutral since we don't want to know the sex of the baby.

We had a housewarming party about 2 weeks ago and it was very nice. Especially since everyone was pretty much out of here by 7PM. One of our guests brought us this amazing flower arrangement that she made from the flowers in her YARD!!! Amazing! They remind me of my wedding boquet.

I promise that I will update my stitching pictures this week...lots of finishes to show!

Peace!

Book Report

Normally, I wouldn't post a blurb like this but I have just finished a book that really touched me. Yesterday, I started "Marley & Me; life and love with the world's worst dog" by John Grogan. I finished it about 20 minutes ago, less than 36 hours from when I started it.

I identified with this book from the beginning. It seemed as though the author was describing our dog's older brother. Only our dog was a "pound dog" and has no lineage to speak of, unlike Marley who is a papered yellow Lab. All of the antics that the writer described were playing out in my head like a little mini movie. I felt like I actually saw this dog as a mischevioius puppy, it's headstrong adolescence and adulthood, and finally it's seemingly brief retirement years. I felt the pain of the owners as they watched their beloved family member gradually decline. It also made me think of Little Red...it has been almost one month since Mom put her to sleep.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been owned by a dog or for anyone who hopes that they have a dog to call their own. I am now going to go search for a slightly used copy to send to a family member. Because I am keeping mine to read again sometime.

Peace.

Lost in translation

Saipan has a large immigrant population. Mainly Chinese. They come here because they don't need a visa or anything and they come here to work in the Garment Manufacturing industry. They make clothes by Liz Claiborne, Abercrombie, Polo, etc. The rest of the population is made up of: Filipino's, native Chamorro & Carolinian's, Russians, some Japanese & Korean's, and some Thai. Very few Americans. They call us "Haolies" (pronounced like howl-ie).

That is where it gets interesting...going out into the public areas where locals shop and do business. DH & really didn't have much planned for yesterday so we were driving around and saw an ACE hardware store. Imagine our excitement! And it was big. Well, I have been saying all week that I want to find the library. I had heard that it was a good one with up to date books and magazines...that is like a second home for me, a library. I could spend days in there. Just throw me a cheeseburger or a pizza every couple of days and I will crawl back into my little hidey-hole to read. Well, we pull into the ACE parking lot and on our left is a small "Bestseller Books" bookstore. It is a small chain that has some nice books and crazy prices. Well, I said to DH, "Do you think that they know where the library is?" (Meaning, ask the bookstore clerk) So, in we went. I perused the magazines to get the latest update on why Jessica left Nick and where the spawn of pukey homewrecker Angelina will be born, and then went to the counter and asked the clerk the all important question. I kid you not, this is how it went:

Me: "Excuse me, but do you know where the library is around here?" ( I knew it was in the area, the phone book said "Susupe", it just didn't give a street address)

Him: "Library?...What is this Library?"

Me: *now looking even more puzzled than the clerk as I try to explain what a library is* "Hmm, a Library...where they have books that you can check out...books" (while making a square shape with my fingers for some stupid reason)

Him: "I know no Library."

Me: "Okay thanks."

Seriously...I was baffled and still am. We happened to spot the library about an hour later as we drove down the road.

I could have just called them and made it easier on everyone. :)

Another example:

DH & I were in search of something different to eat the other night. We eat out every meal (since we are homeless and living in a hotel) and it is getting old. Sad to say, I know. Boo hoo for us. So, we went to this place called "Bobby Cadillac's" (another chain...there is one in Guam that we never ate at) because I was hungry for pizza. It is kind of like a casual deli. We went to the counter and decided on a pizza and DH put the order in with the clerk. Here is how it went:

Her: "Can I help you?"

DH: "Yeah, I'd like a large Bobby Cadillac Combo pizza"

Her: "Thin or Regular crust?"

DH: "Regular please"

Her: "Pick up or Dine in?"

DH: "Pick up"

Her: *in a very shocked and alarmed tone* "Pick up what do you mean, PICK UP?"

DH: (now looking puzzled) "We will take it with us, carry out"

Seriously...I almost busted a gut trying not to laugh right there in her face. He was just repeating the phrase that she used. It was funny then and it is funny now.

Stitching
I finally finished a 4 My Boys Design..."Bless Us" It is cute, I think that I might use it for my Christmas in July exchange piece.

I tried to do a Prairie Schooler bookmark but decided that I need to use the recommended 32 ct fabric not my 28...and I want to swap our some colors. So, it is on the back burner for now.

I have to work on my "Joy" tree this week.

House hunting

We have seen some interesting places. Would you believe that people would rather signt a 55 year lease on a house than a 2 year lease? Crazy. We found a cute one that is very private and could be nice...just needs some work. I guess we will see if the owner is interested in doing more to it for an extra $200 per month for 2 years. That would bring us up to our housing limit.

Blog

Can anyone tell me why my sidebar is at the bottom of my blog? I haven't done any adjustments to my template or anyting. It seems like the green area is wider than it should be, which in turn pushes the sidebar. I have been thinking about buying a blog design like ones I see on other blogs. Might wait on that though.

Maybe this week DH will upload some pictures for me so I can post them.

Here are some pictures that I found that I will link from the web:

This is the island...Saipan lagoon is on the top part of the picture, it is the lighter aqua color.

Peace!

We made it!

Well, here we are in Saipan and it is absolutely gorgeous! Clean, flowers everywhere...it makes me think of how Hawaii might have been about 30 years ago or so before it became way touristy. We went sightseeing for the past 2 days just to get a feel for the island and it is amazing! You can see Tinian when you are down at the south end of the island. I guess that when you want to go gambling, you just get on a ferry to Tinian...they have casinos over there. The flight from Guam was treacherous. Disclaimer: I HATE FLYING!!! Okay, now if I were to like flying, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. It was a Continental plane, but it only held about 40 people. And it had propellers! Thank goodness it only took about 40 minutes.

The island is small (about 12.5 miles long and 5.5 miles wide and has a total land area of 46.5 square miles which is about the size of San Francisco), but doesn't seem crowded like Guam is. This is a pretty decent site to learn a bit more about the island. The guy seems to know what he is talking about since he lived here for about as long as I have been alive. The only thing that would be different is the price of gas. Regular unleaded is now $3.05/gallon as of yesterday. And I have no idea what a big mac costs over here but I bet it is more than $2.85. I think that it would be expensive to be an alcoholic here. A case of beer (cans) is $22. That seems a little higher than the States, but I am not sure how much since I don't really drink beer. Guess it is still cheaper than going out to the bar and paying for each beer. I did notice in the newspaper that the employment wage is a crying shame. Most jobs seem to start out at $3.05/hr. Now, for an electrical engineer you would get $7.05/hr and for a computer programmer, you would get $7.00/hr. Pathetic. I am considering going back to work as a nurse but certainly not if I am only going to get $7.00/hr. That's about what I made as a CNA 10 years ago!

The resort where we are staying, Aqua Resort Club Saipan, is absolutely gorgeous!! I highly recommend if you are ever on this partof the planet to check it out! All remodeled recently. Lush garden areas, great views, tropical decorating that isn't cheesy looking, free breakfast. And the staff is great! The bell boy that hauled our suitcases up 2 flights of stairs refused a tip!!! That was very strange to say the least.

Stitching
I haven't picked up a needle in a few days... :( I think that I might get some stitching time in today since it is pretty overcast and DH is at work. I have probably read about 5 back issues of Martha Stewart Living magazine. DH bought me a lot of them off ebay and had them sent here. I have to say that she rocks in the domestication department. Of course it helps to have zillions of peons working for you every single day. Too bad she doesn't need a peon in Western Pacific to contribute. :)

If I can sneak my camera in here (the business center of the hotel) and plug in my usb cord, then maybe I can upload some pictures we took of the island. Might not be able to though. There are always people in here.

Oh, one more interesting tidbit before I bore you to tears...supposedly, Saipan is the place where Amelia Earhart crashed and was taken as a POW by the Japanese during WWII. And eventually killed. My Dad has this whole theory on it and has read tons of stuff about Amelia. I told DH that if we have a baby while we are here and it is a girl, we should name her Amelia. He still wants to stick with Merial.

Now, I am going to see if my blogroll is working, or even if my sidebar shows up so I can catch up with everyone!

Peace
Missy

Bye for now

Well, this will be my last post for a while. At least until next week. I am going to go through blog withdrawl for sure! They come to pack us up tomorrow...I am so ready for this move to be done. Today we ran errands and drove all over the island. All we have been doing since we got home was get stuff ready. Stupid stuff...pulling things out of drawers, putting silverware in bags, putting lotion, shampoo etc into ziplocs. Cleaning out garbage cans, packing our travel bags since we will be living in a hotel for a while. Sick of it.

This is my update of CEF with the new stand. The new stand that I just disassembled and hope to remember how to assemble it. I am sure that I will be fine...the first time is always tricky. I will not be working on CEF while gone. I have her packed away safely. The main reason is that I cannot always control the dirt factor and since she is done with overdyeds...she cannot be washed. I have some small projects kitted up along with my STO April Ornament for the SAL.




Mom emailed me today to let me know that she had to put our dog to sleep. :( I knew that the time was coming, and I really tried to prepare myself to never see her again when we left in May 2005. But I never imagined how I would feel knowing that she was truly gone. I cried and cried tonight. I sent my Mom the Rainbow Bridge poem. Little Red was a very obedient, caring and loyal dog. She didn't always have the most stable life but she was loved. I remember when Mom got her...she was supposed to be a Christmas present for me. Nevermind that Mom lived in a different state than I did and didn't clear it with my Grandparents (with whom I lived). Little Red was so small she could fit in one of my hands. Then she got Parvo. Mom spent a fortune making her well for me. I told DH tonight that I was going to have to have a cheeseburger happy meal minus the pickles in Red's memory. She would always spit out the pickles if we forgot to have them hold them. This picture is from Christmas 2004 when we went home on a suprise visit.

RIP Little Red Dog 11/93 to 3/21/06

The best dog friend a girl could wish for. You will be missed.

Meant to add:

Forgot to comment on my comments on the last post. Guess it is just because I am so frustrated with Blogger. And I really want to post pictures of our wedding. It was so pretty.

Jenn & Kim- I am leaning more towards the stitcher's heart one by bleu de chine now...that way I would think of the generosity of stitchers when I looked at it all stitched up and pretty. I would make it into a pillow like the photo shows. I was thinking last night that I would sew it into a tube shape with some pretty coordinating fabric lining it on the inside and then just have ribbons on the ends to tie it closed. And just have a standard pillow form that I can use to interchange with others once I get my collection going, lol!

I have decided that not working this week is going to be stressful! I have a million things to do before our packout and move at the end of the week....wonder how it will all get accomplished. Guess that is what lists are for!

You can both come help me if you want to. I promise to make margaritas or daiquiris every night and we can sit on the patio and watch the palm trees sway and the golfers drive by. :) Gotta get rid of the alcohol in the house since we can't ship it with us and I haven't been in a drinking mood for a long time. *sigh*

Kim- I hope that your ebay package arrives today or tomorrow...should be any day now. I think that DH said that he sent it Priority Mail. PLMK :) And enjoy!

Hopefully I will get a picture of the new Gazelle today and if blogger cooperates....

Peace!

What do I do with my time?

Well, blogger was being a bugger yesterday so, this is yesterdays post. Hopefully the pictures will cooperate today. Forget it, I can't stand blogger sometimes...arrrrgggghhh! I tried to upload from my Shutterfly.com album and it didn't work. Guess I will have to wait until later.
****************************
Today is my first day of not having to work, WOO HOO! I got to sleep in until 6:30, which was fantastic. Called my Granny & Grampy, surfed the internet a little. I had a ton of stuff I was watching on ebay...some people get a little ridiculous with some of the auctions. There was a lot of patterns I was going to bid on, at max $40...well 2 people that I have never seen before started a bidding war and it went to $127!!! Insane. You know, it is funny that I am starting to recognize the same bidders over and over again. Mainly because I am buying in lots to keep what I want and resell the rest. The other ladies have shops on ebay. I am wondering if I should open a shop there as well. Wonder what the finiancial aspect of it is.

I did win a lot yesterday that I am so psyched about. It has 3 OOP P Buckley Moss charts in it and 2 unknown Prairie Schoolers along with some other random stuff. The exciting thing is the unknown Prairie Schoolers! I have never seen a P Buckley Moss chart but I figured that if I don't like them that there might be someone I can sell them to that would like them.

I was tagged by my Aunt
Four jobs I've have had in my life:
1. Receptionist
2. Nurse
3. Certified Nurses Assistant
4. Waitress

Four movies I love:
1. Grease
2. It's A Wonderful Life
3. Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood
4. The Ten Commandments (the old one that they play every Easter on TV)

Four places I have lived:
1. Guam, USA
2. Houma, LA
3. Rockford, IL
4. Dallas, TX

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Desperate Housewives
2. Trading Spouses
3. Anything on HGTV
4. Survivor / Big Brother

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Thailand
2. St. Lucia
3. New Orleans
4. Road trip out west, 12 National Parks in 11 days!!

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Ebay.com
2. Gmail.com
3. pinkisthenewblog.com (gossip)
4. 123stitch.com (message board)

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Pizza
2. Chocolate
3. Pad Thai
4. English Muffin Pizzas that I make myself for lunch

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Illinois
2. Louisiana
3. St. Lucia to celebrate our anniversary
4. Somewhere where there is snow!

*TAG, You're it! Feel free to do this on your blog...it is kinda fun and made me think for a while. Especially the movie one. I almost put "Walk the Line" because it was that great...

Today is Our 2-Year Anniversary!!!!!

Happy Anniversary, Bay!

We were married on March 20, 2004 (First Day of Spring) on Anse Mamin Beach, St. Lucia, West Indies

It's here, It's here!

So, my Gazelle floor stand arrived today!! Woo Hoo! I will take a proper picture of it tomorrow in the daylight. It arrived today, record time, coming from Florida...shipped on the 7th of March. We spent probably about an hour putting it together. The lady that I bought it from wrote out directions but I couldn't make heads or tails of them so we winged it! I can't figure out the scroll rods that she sent...I will have to take a picture of them. They have a piece of fabric stapled to them, but no split in the wood to put the fabric in. Do I sew the linen to the fabric stapled to the rods or what? I so don't get it. For now, I have my giant q-snaps on it with CEF in place. I think that I would rather use the scroll rods though...the q-snap wiggles a little bit.

I am thinking of getting this design with my DSL gift cert from Jenn. I just love the Bleu de Chine designs...actually I love many many french designs. My favorite magazine has to be "Point de Croix". I have a pal in France that sent me one once...fabulous! The Bleu de Chine designs are so pretty, I really want them all. I am going to have to search for the designer's website (if one exists) and see what else there is out there.




I just finished this up, it is the Britty Kitty ornament from 2005 JCS ornament issue. I am "Brittied" out for a while. This was our "March" selection. I really like the fact that at the end of the year, I will have at least 12 ornaments done. I need to start working on April's selection, the "Joy Tree" from the same issue. I am going to do it over one on 28 count as well. My goal is to have it done before we lose our computer connection for the move.

So, this is my last week of work...YIIPPPEEE! I will be so glad to be unemployed, even if that means that I will never get the Coach bag that I am longing for. Oh well...I could always beg Mom for it, LOL. I am just looking forward to time off to do whatever it is that I want all day long!

So, I think that is about it for now. I will try to post an update later this week. Gotta work on getting some Ebay winnings packaged up. Kim, if you are reading this...I found another freebie in one of my stitching groups that I will include!

Peace!

Happy Birthday, Me!

Today is my birthday. My last one before 30! Egads, when did I get to be this old? Yesterday it seems like I was 17.

Today was pretty much like any other day. Woke up, took a shower, dropped DH off at work, went to work, counted down the minutes till I could go home, got home, checked the answering machine hoping to hear a birthday wish from a family member...nope, none. Did computer stuff, surfed ebay, went and picked up DH, stopped at the store (got a PG test and "Walk the Line"), came home, did some sewing, ate dinner, saw DH off to his bowling game (league), did some more sewing, and here I am.

I was very pleasantly suprised this morning though...Jenn sent me a GC to DSL!!! That really made me smile. And it was hard to keep it a secret, seeing as though I stealthily check my email from work...I really wanted to tell people about the nice stitchers and what nice people can do! Thanks so much, Jenn for making me smile big this morning.

It is a tradition in my family that when your birthday comes up, Granny calls and sings "Happy Birthday" in her Granster voice to you. I have it down pat, just ask Staci. Usually she doesn't catch me and sings to me via the answering machine. Not today. I think that the whole 16 hours ahead of everyone thing really has people thrown for a loop. But, I still have last year's message saved so I think that I will just go play that, LOL.

No call from my Mom either. :(

So, besides the aforementioned GC from Jenn, DH told me I could go ahead and buy the Elan Gazelle Floor stand from a lady that was willing to sell hers...woo hoo! She shipped it yesterday so it should be here next week. Mom ordered the Bare Minerals starter kit for me from ULTA 3, which should be here next week also. MIL& FIL sent me $40...whee! I think that with my GC and some of my bd money, I am going to buy the Easter Fairy kit from Mirabilia. I will have to wait until next month though. Once we move, get settled and get an address.

Here is my latest on CEF ( I haven't worked on her at all this week! ):
And here is something I just finished up tonight. It is by Brittercup Designs, Britty Puppies. I started it with the intention to give it to a coworker, but changed my mind. Off to work on a felt project. I have been on a kick at the thrift shop, searching for wool sweaters so that I can felt them and cut them up for pretties...look forward to pictures soon. I promise to update before the end of the weekend!

Well, blogger is being a bugger so I guess you will have to wait until later to see my pictures. Grrr!

Peace!

Happy Birthday, Mom

I know, my last post was for my Dad and today's post is for my Mom. Today (Feb 26) is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! Mom, Dad & I are all crazy little pisces freaks...so similar in so many ways. This picture was last summer, right before we left for Guam. Actually I think that it was the day before we left IL for our road trip to Los Angeles. Our families hosted a cookout for us at DH's parent's house on the river. Mom was finally done with her chemo and her hair was starting to grow back in...even though it was gray, it was good to see. I think that she had just had her tissue expanders put in, in preparation of her implant surgery. Mom is a survivor of breast cancer. She had a bilateral mastectomy in August of 2004 and started chemotherapy.

My birthday wish to you Mom is that you live for many more healty years and I hope that someday you will finally be able to kick the cigarette habit. Before it kills you and takes you away from me and your future grandchildren.

You would think cancer twice in your life would be enough.

(Mom doesn't read this blog, either)

Stitching:

I finished this just a few minutes ago. It is from the 2005 JCS Ornament issue. It is part of the yearly SAL in the STO yahoo group. I stitched it over one with DMC over-dyeds. I was too lazy to dig out my WDW. I am not really loving this one, so it will probably go to a good home later this year. I think that it is by Twisted Oaks and it took me entirely too long to stitch. I would stitch on it mostly for an hour or less at a time on Fridays or weekends.

It is my 2nd finish of 2006. I am hoping to have my CEF done in about 2 weeks. Then I want to work on some Prairie Schooler bookmarks. Along with everything else in the rotation. MIL's quilt should be done this week also.

The next ornament in the series is "Britty Kitty" by Brittercup. This will be my 3rd time doing that one. I did it twice last year for presents.

Peace!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I know that my Dad doesn't read this blog...he probably doesn't even know what a blog is but I still am wishing him a happy birthday. It is funny, my relationship with my Dad. It was brought to my attention yet again the other day when I was shopping for a birthday card. I just want to know where the birthday cards are for the Dads that you just met whom have had no actual input on how you were raised but have become an essential part of your life? Almost every card I picked up was way sappy..."Thanks for always being there, Dad" "I will always be your little girl" "You have always been the one I turn to"....barf barf barf. Does not apply to me at all. Ended up with a generic "From the both of us" cards.

Backstory:
My parents were never married, and not really in a relatioinship from what I can discern. He had no contact with me or Mom throughout my childhood. I understand why now but at that time it was hard. He chose his wife over his child and hey...he stuck to it so I guess he has bigger balls than most that I know. I had always felt like a part of me was missing. I met him & his wife 2 weeks before I moved to Louisiana in 2003. I know that he does regret making the decision that he did but I don't think that he would do anything different if he had to do it over again.

I love him & his wife with all of my heart. They have accepted me, accepted my DH and all of our kookyness with open arms. I just wish we hadn't wasted so much time. 26 years is too long.

ANYWAY...ENOUGH OF THE SAPPY SHIT!!!

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Stitching:
Here is the latest installment of Mirabilia's CEF.
I really am enjoying her. I don't think that I like the Easter Fairy enough yet. Plus I would have to buy it myself and that would really please DH so much. :)

Hoping to have a happydance with this one in the next 2 weeks...we'll see how the whisper thread and the beading go. I hate whisper and I have never done beading.

Peace!

Mardi Gras

Boy, I really miss Louisiana right now. I really loved Mardi Gras season. And what a season it is (or was). DH & I would race home from work and haul ass to New Orleans (40 minute ride ) to catch the parades on the weeknights and then drive home at 11 o'clock at night. Last year was our last year in Louisiana and my Dad & Step-Mom came down to spend it with us. They had never been to New Orleans so it was quite an experience. We didn't really take them down to Bourbon Street and the ruckus that goes on down there. Not worth it. Here is my Dad, Step Mom & I on their first night with us in Louisiana.
They had flown in, we threw them into the car and headed down to the parades. I think that this was the Endimyon parade. They were good sports about it. Coming from Illinois, they brought their jackets...it was probably 50 degrees at least.

I miss the shrimp, the drive through daiquiri's, dirty rice/rice dressing, hearing the old folks speak cajun french at the nursing home, the crawfish, the history and the plantations...I hope in my heart that we can go back there someday and spend more time. Louisiana is truly the place where I fell in love with DH. Nothing like New Orleans at Christmas.

I would love to see the city rise again but part of me is unsure that they should really rebuild. It has happened before and it will happen again. It is inevitable. You can't hide from a hurricane when you are on the coast and below sea level.

Peace

It was a mini vacation (not xs related)

So, yesterday (Saturday), I had to work. When I was done, DH came & picked me up and had a bag packed. He said we were going to the beach!! Woo Hoo! We tried to go to Haputo Beach but it was closed. Such a shame since it is a gorgeous beach and so secluded since you have to have Navy base access to go to it. Here is a picture of Haputo Beach earlier this year:
We ended up at Ritidian Point beach. DH had packed cheese & crackers and some delish gourmet tuna salad with our own tomatoes in it for us and a container of iced tea to drink. He also put in my bathing suit (God love him, he does try...I just need to suck it up and get a new suit...this one is about 3 sizes too big and I know my boobs would fall out instantly), and our snorkeling gear. Unfortunately, Ritidian Point is not good for swimming or snorkeling. Too many people have drowned there due to the strong rip current. So, what did I do? I sat my bum down on a towel (didn't put on my suit), had some snacks and tea, and ended up laying down and reading and almost going to sleep. We were only there about an hour and a half but afterwards, it truly felt like a mini vacation! Here is Ritidian Point beach yesterday:
It was a beautiful day...85 degrees and sunny (like usual) with a very strong breeze. So strong infact that once we laid down, we had sand flying at our heads. I ended up with sand all over my face and in my hair.

But it was glorious.

Today we went to a bbq on the beach at Dr. T's. We took Lady with us and dragged her out into the Ocean. On a leash of course. The water never went past my mid thigh and was mostly about mid calf since we were on the reef. She seemed to enjoy herself. It was funny when DH picked her up in the water...she was "air swimming". Have you ever seen that on America's Funniest Home Video's? It is hysterical in real life! I really almost peed myself.

DH is playing poker and it is almost time for "Sunday nights in Salem" to start on Soap Network. Off to stitch!

Peace!

CEF Update & lots more

Well, here is the latest installment of my CEF:

She is coming along nicely. I haven't hardly stitched this week. I really want to, but with work and other stuff that we have going on, it is so hard. Plus, I had another one of those headaches on Tuesday (Valentine's Day) of all days. She has feet and a hand! And part of a face!

Because of the continued headaches, I went to the doctor again and he is pretty concerned. Enough to send me to a neurologist. Seriously, you don't just bleed under the skin around your eyes and get massive headaches for no reason, especially if you have never had headaches in your life. Grrr...very very frustrating. The most frustrating thing had to be when he told us that we should not take the orders to move to Saipan at the end of next month...okay...well what do we do then? I should see a neurologist in about oh...4-6 weeks. Gotta love it!

My ebay auctions are going well! Click here to see or even bid! I am going to throw in a few goodies for you if you let me know that you found my auction through my blog as Kim has (hi Kim!). I have some fibers around here that need new homes and loads of freebies and other patterns that would be good for charity, etc. Off they will go to my lucky winners & readers. Tomorrow I am going to list more along with our blender which is going to go for a steal. The thing is hardly used, it is a monster (600 watts) that works fantastically. DH wanted one that was more simple (read: one buttton operation, on/off) and I wanted one that was more retro. So, I bought him one for Christmas and this one is just sitting here waiting to be used to make daiquiris or milkshakes or something.

I am also going to list some magazine subscriptions. DH & I are each doing our own magazine subscription thing. I want to focus on more craft/home making mags that would appeal to me and my friends. Martha, Mary Engelbreit, Crochet, Cross Stitching, Quilting, Stamping & Scrapbooking, etc. It is amazing how much money you can save by going through a 3rd party to get a subscription. Look for a link in my sidebar soon or just email me (link at top of sidebar)!

I miss my family and friends. I miss seeing my best friend, Staci. Here is a pic of Staci & her DH, Jason from last year. Aren't they too cute together?!

Well, I need to go finish my 2nd granny square for the day...have to keep at least one goal!

Peace!

Not much to blog about

Not a whole lot happening here. DH is playing poker with the boys tonight and I am about to go stitch for a while once I get done browsing on ebay. Browsing is what I must do until some of my stuff sells. Wanna buy some? Click here to bid! I package well (and usually end up shorting myself on postage) and shipping from Guam really isn't that long!! :)

Mom sent us a package today. Had a bunch of yarn, some quilting squares that she won off of ebay, an xs kit by Donna Giampa that looks alot like Paula Vaughan, some poker chips for DH and a card with $$ in it!! Whee!

This month will be our 3rd month TTC (trying to conceive) and I am already starting to get frustrated. I know it takes time but golly, I am getting old here...alright maybe not OLD, but I would like to give birth before my 30th birthday (only 13 months away). I told DH that he can pick out the girl's name and I will pick out the boy's name. We don't want to know what we are having until it is born. There were a few stipulations that I have with the name choosing...
1. Irish first names. Come on, DH's hair is a gorgeous to die for red/burgundy and has a bit of a curl, plus with his freckles...let's just say that I hope our kids get his hair color, my crazy curls, and a combo of our skin tones.
2. The girl's middle name has to start with a "J"...tradition in my family and the boy's middle name will be Paul in honor of my absolutely fantastic and wonderful Granpy.

What does that bring you:
Meriyl Jilleen (Meriyl is pronounced like Muriel but with more "e" and less "u" at the beginning...Meri for short)
and
Connor Paul

I told DH that we would try for 2 years and if we are not successful, then we will adopt. I have been open to adoption for as long as I can remember. In fact there was a time when I wanted to adopt instead of having my own children. I will not take fertility drugs and have 8 children. I am not a cat nor a dog and am not supposed to give birth to that many children at once.

Here is a picture of Sitting Pretty. My new friend Jenn is starting this one and I was inspired to show mine off. I had some help with mine though. My friend, Patsy helped me finish it off. It was sitting in my finish box as a UFO because I couldn't drag myself to do the backstitching. She was an angel and I sent it off to her and she finished it lickety split and sent it back. I haven't finished it off into anything yet...actually probably won't until we get back to the States and I can locate a decent frame selection.

Well, off to stitch for a while on my February ornament for the STO SAL. I will post my WIP's hopefully Monday with my update of my CEF.

Peace!

Superbowl party @ 6a.m.

*******Edit*******
This post was drafted yesterday (we are 16 hours ahead of CST), but due to problems with uploading to blogger, I had waited to see if it was easier to do it today. Not much to report today. I did finish the pinks/reds in the bottom part of the skirt and started on the left boot a little bit. Tonight is quilt night.
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Well, today is Superbowl Sunday back home. It is Monday here and there is just something not quite right about drinking beer and watching football at 8 am. I know of alot of parties and bars opening today at 6am to celebrate and watch the game. There was no school today also...just shows you the mentality. I got to work today, which was fine by me.

Today we found out that our HHG shipment will be packed out on March 23, and our car will be shipped on March 30. I am glad that we won't be doing this again for another 2 years!

Here is my update on Mirabilia CEF:


I am not sure about the Pink Champagne & Cupid, but I have faith that it will blend better later. I am so excited to hear about the new Fairy coming out. I just want to know if she will be holding a big pastel colored egg?

I just scanned a bunch of my charts to put on ebay. Partially because DH kinda put his foot down and said that if I was going to buy Houses of Hawk Run Hollow for $25, then I had better sell some stuff on ebay to put into the ebay account. I am listing some Piecework mags, WDW thread, a Bent Creek kit, a bunch of Birds of a Feather, a Monopoly kit...and I have a TON of Gloria & Pat booklets to put on that I got in a vintage box. I was hoping to get some Merry Mouse books in there or some other vintage ones that aren't Alma Lynne or Precious Mutants...*sigh* no Merry Mouse.

Don't these look GREAT?!?! These are from our amazon cherry plants in the front.
Here is my first ornament in the STO SAL...I actually finished it last weekend (just in under the deadline). It is from JCS Ornaments 2005, Little House Needleworks.

WTF is going on with Blogger?

So, now my February posts are missing, I updated like crazy last night a couple of times and have been doing some work today...when it has cooperated.

Thanks bunches to Jenn for helping me figure out the blogrolling thing. I hope that I did it correctly and it works...we will see soon!

Today & last night I have been working on my Mirabilia CEF. I don't think that I like the blended stitches of Cupid & Pink Champagne. Maybe it will look better from a distance or once more is done. I am saving the Wisper thread for last. I despise that stuff, but love the effect. Wonder if I should do half crosses and also use a strand of the white color in the wings or just do full crosses with the Wisper. I plan on working on her some more tonight, so I will post a picture then.

DH got 5th place last night at a poker tournament. Pretty good considering there were about 100 people there. First place was a trip to Australia. He got a 70 piece Craftsman tool kit. He was going to get the iPod, but it was already taken when he went to select his prize.

I have officially asked for this for my birthday next month. I currently am using the plastic storage boxes made by DMC that they sell at Michaels...about 6 of them and it is kind of frustrating at times. I think that this looks so much better! I have a full set of DMC...plus about 30 of Weeks Dye Works (that I want to sell) and I think that they will all fit from what I understand.

Well, back to stitching! Update to come...let's see if this post lasts :)

Peace!