Deep Inside Missy

but I did learn a few things so I suppose it’s ok:

I took my first quilt class today. Quilt Piecing For Absolute Beginners, which I very much am. The pieces all came pre-cut, all we had to do was assemble them. I did an ok job. I’m not thrilled, I see mistakes, and people looking at just the picture will be able to see some of them. But what really makes it bad? The girl next to me (she just had to sit next to me!), her’s was freakin’ perfect. I mean it looked exactly like the teacher’s. Dead on perfection. And she had two wool hooked tote bags with her that she had made herself, also awesome and perfect. I totally hate her. And if all that wasn’t enough, she was finished first. And!!!! she was nice! See why I totally hate her? Alright, I don’t really hate her, I am kinda happy for her. What I am is totally jealous.

Alright enough of the hate… I did buy some extra green to make a back for it, I’m going finish it off into a pillow. (Miss Perfect is making a tote bag. Sorry couldn’t help myself there!)

New Manicure to show off!

Full sun:

In the shade:

I’m calling it the “Godiva Chocolate Manicure”. One coat of Suzi Says Da! with one coat of Thrills in Beverly Hills Glitter Top Coat on top. Both from OPI.

Next week:

1/2 of my Halloween Fair & Square is complete, so I’ll be finishing that off.

Annette’s WNRR arrived, I’ll be picking a chart for that.

Hopefully I’ll get current on Crabby All Year.

And I’ll be assembling blocks on my Halloween Quilt.

For me to POOP ON!!!!!

(If you don’t get the joke go YouTube Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.)

Shout out to Melissa C. who suggested it, and the dh for advocating stink lines. Thought I wouldn’t do it didn’t you?

So that’s it, my section of my Winter Neighborhood RR is done. I finished off the pond (there was 598 in that massive lot of thread I bought) and I didn’t feel like doing any complicated stitching this past weekend and this fit the bill.

Danielle, I went to buy the floss in 3 separate trips. My shortest receipt was 27 inches long.

I have been stitching but it is for the Fair & Square Halloween exchange so I can’t show it. Which is too bad ’cause I love it. It is turning out so cute!

Instead I’ll show you something I could share, but won’t because I’m going  to eat the whole thing all by myself!

My favorite Banana Bread. Excellent in the extreme.

3 Tablespoons butter

1 Cup sugar (you can go 1/2 Splenda 1/2 sugar here if you want)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 Cup sour cream (I always use Daisy light sour cream)

2 Cups all purpose flour

2 Teaspoons baking powder (it has a experation date, make sure yours is fresh)

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1/2 Teaspoon salt

2 mashed bananas (techinally 3/4 Cup, but just mash 2 & use it all)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Combine butter & sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add egg & sour cream mix well.

Combine dry ingredients; alternately add to creamed mixture with banana (I add the lemon juice to the mashed bananas), mixing well afer each addition. Slop it into a greased and floured (use Pam for baking and make life easy) loaf pan. If the pan is around 8 1/2 x 41/2 x 3 it’ll be fine to use. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until you stick it with a skewer and it comes out clean. Leave it in the pan for about 15 minutes then turn it out onto a rack and let it cool. Sorry, you need to let it cool down to just barely warm before you cut it. Don’t worry it’ll be worth the wait.

and I must’ve been. No updates for a week.

While I was off doing other things both Annette & Suz gave me the “I Love Your Blog” Award. Thank you both. I won’t specifically nominate anyone else, but it’s safe to say if your blog is over there in the blog roll, it’s there for a reason.

I have also finally re-done/updated my website with photos of all my stitching. Needleworker.net I still need to get some of my framed finishes up there, but all but maybe 1 or 2 things I’ve stitched (that I lost the photos of) are up there.

I haven’t touched the quilt since the last post. But I have thought about it. That counts right? I did sign up and pay for an Absolute Beginners Quilt (piecing) Class at my local quilt shop. I’ll be there for 5 hours this Saturday. Hopefully that’ll give me all kinds of confidence. Hey, I can hope.

I did go shopping at my brand spanking new Michaels this week:

And look what followed me home. The bag on the right is all but 3 colors for Sea of Roses by HAED. And the bag on the right is 99% of what I needed to fill out a complete second set of DMC. I call it an addiction for a reason. And no Mom, I didn’t leave it in the bags it’s all put away neatly so I can find it when I need it.

I have been stitching, I just can’t share it. It’s for the Pinkeep Exchange over on the Rotation Stitchers BB. I can say it is so full of the cute it hurts. And I think I’m going to cry when I actually have to give it away. I’m 100% done with the stitching, but I still have all the finishing to do, but I know what I’m going to do and I only have to buy 2 maybe 3 things to finish the finishing so I’m feeeling really good about this one.

Hmmm… seems like a good time to post some September Goals:

1. Stitch Halloween Fair & Square Exchange, I have my chart (it arrived this week) so I should be able to start this anytime. I feel like a slacker, my partner has hers all stitched.

2. Do the finishing work on the smalls (3 each) for Debbi & Autumn.

3. Stitch something small for Debbi & Autumn to replace their MiraRRs that went missing. Wait that was too nice. That the f’in thief Deb von Seggern over near Austin stole.

4. Stitch August & September on Crabby All Year.

6. Get the entire top of my Halloween Quilt assembled.

7. Work on Annette’s WNRR.

I think that’s all the must dos. Thankfully just about all of these are small things so I should be able to meet my goals.

And last but not least the Thursday Manicure Report:

Two coats of Dazzle Me by OPI. It’s actually a bit blueish. It’s very blue in the bottle and I thought it was opaque but it’s a glitter top coat. So not much color but mucho sparkle. I think I’ll try this again but over a base of OPI’s Amazing Lazing Lilac. But not next week, next week I’m doing something dark. I torn between something Russian or something to honor my Steelers. Ahhhhh football season is here!

Lately my goal has been to never be doing *nothing*. If I’m sitting down I’m doing something besides just staring at the idiot box, and I’m trying to waste less time on the computer.

WNRR progress:

This is how it will probably go out. I still need to fill in the pond/ice rink, but 1) it’s boring, 2) I ran out of 598. But other than that my square is complete and I am happy with it. I didn’t realize it was so dog heavy until it was finished. So my RR is now called the Village of Dogpatch.

Adventures in Quilting:

All the makings of the blocks are assembled. I will admit to being very worried about the actual block assembly. My sewing is ok, it’s good enough (I think). It’s the fabric that has me worried. My cutting skills are not so hot and you can see the learning curve. I’m worried that I’m going to have some very wonky blocks. So depending on time today I will begin piecing the blocks. (hold me! I’m scared!)

Now when I wasn’t doing either of the above this weekend to avoid the idle hands (well not idle, I’m sure my hands would be shoving food in my mouth if they weren’t doing something productive - that’s part of what is behind this crafting frenzy, I’ve been eating too much of the wrong things….

Wait what was my point? Oh that’s right. Lucky Stars, my latest obsession.

Puffy little stars made of folded paper. Addictive. (tons of how-tos on the web, I think little girls would adore making these. I know this girl does.)

Some random thoughts:

My baby started 6th grade today! And he’s riding his bike to and from school every day. Win also has all AP classes along with two of those being GT (Gifted and Talented) please please please let this year be interesting and keep him out of trouble!!! And he’s now only 1 inch shorter than me.  He was such a cute baby, now he’s all zits and b.o. How time flies.No, really he’s a very smart kid with a good heart. It just doesn’t always come out that way.

Dexter. I luv Dexter. I rented me up the dvds from the library and have been watching them while working on the WNRR. Maybe I should give one of the little dudes on it a knife and call him Dexter.

Caroline Kennedy. I *hate* that woman. I watched most of an interview yesterday morning on Meet The Press with her. She didn’t answer one of the questions she was asked. Tom B. “What about X?” Caroline K. “Well, blah blah blah pointless crap, blah blah nothing to do with question, blah blah blah Kennedys ROCK!!!!”.

And Barack, picking an old white guy as a running mate isn’t exactly going to discourage the white supremist assholes up in Idaho from assinating you if do manage to get elected. (I personally think there are still too many old bigots left in this country for a black man to get elected.) But anyway, good luck with that. I will vote for you this year (more than likely, always remembering that voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. yay two party system!).

Well, I’m off to Michael’s, we just had a brand new one open (close finally, the next closest one is about 45 minutes with the traffic around here) and floss is 5 for $1. I think I’m going to replace my 598 and kit a HAED - Sea of Roses.

Got tons to post so here goes:

Fair & Square #8 Exchange:

I stitched this for Tuula (Familiar Stitches over in the blog roll). I did the “T” diamond from Blue Ribbon Designs, Black Velvet Inscription Sampler. While I once again failed at centering, I do love how it turned out. I used Needle Neccessities #110 which sucked to stitch with, the crap thread knotted constantly. I finally beat into submission with lots of Thread Heaven. *sigh* One does what one must.

I had to smile when I opened my squares from Tuula. She stitched a diamond too. Hers was from a Long Dog sampler. I didn’t recognize the brand of silk she used but it is lovely. I think I’m going to make a floss tag out of this.

The pathetic little bit I have done on my section of my WNRR. And have I worked on it today? No. Yesterday? No. Ugh, gotta get stitching. But really squirrels dropping from the heat and you expect me to stitch snow? Put down the crack pipe.

Behold! My New Project: The Halloween Quilt. I know, a pile of fabric so impressive.

See! Now I have cut fabric for said quilt. Hmmm… those do not appear to be all the same fabrics that were in the previous picture. You caught me. It is my first quilt and I count myself lucky to only have ruined 2 yards of fabric so far. And when I was out replacing those 2, I found another I liked better so I swapped it out for one of the non-ruined yards.

Aha! Real progress. I sewed (yes on my shiny new Husky and yes I luv it thanks for asking) Unit One. And cut it. Wow. Freakin’ impressive. (That black is one of the replacement fabrics, dorky vampires - I had to have it.)

An oldie but a goodie, still not a great pic but the best one I have. I took this back in May when I was helping clean up Grandma’s house just before I loaded it into Mom’s car so it could go live with her now.

And I have to gloat here, Amazon isn’t shipping any of these, but I still managed to get them in my hot little hands. Noah being the biggest score, it isn’t supposed to release until September. And I got it first! hehehehehe Not that I have time to read. I just finished Kenyon’s opus, Acheron (700+ pages) and I’ve still got to get through Nora Robert’s Tribute and Brockmann’s Into The Fire; those two are due back at the library Monday. Yikes, not enough hours in the day ya’ll.

And last but not least the Thursday Mani/Pedi Report.

Broke a nail this week (well actually I cut it with my razor, only been shaving my legs for 20 years and it still gets the better of me) so I had my fingernails cut down and when they are super short I go super dark like Russian Navy or super light like OPI’s Coney Island Cotton Candy:

Thankfully I didn’t have any razor issues with my toes.

OPI’s Designer Series, Exclusive. The pic captures the glitter flash very well but the paint color is reading red on my monitor. It is not red. It is Purple. Yes, with a capital P. Love it!

Good thing I had a fresh pedi too, because I had to loose the shoes today at 24hr Fitness. I took my first Pilates class. I think I did ok. There were a couple I just couldn’t do because of an old injury to my tailbone, but 90% of the other moves I did ok. Not great, but I only really sucked and failed at 1 of them.

And I do have to pat myself on the back for a minute for the first time in months (sadly) I have gone and exercised 5 days in a row. Yay me!

First off, a big Thank You for all the lovely comments on TOT. I came up with a framing idea last night… but that’s hush hush until I actually see if Jill can do it.

And the winner of CS&N with TOT is Raychill (courtesy of a random number generator). Raychill I’ve sent you an email, get in touch with me if you haven’t received it.

Again, thank you to everyone who posted. I had so much fun with this I think I’m going to try to have a give-away a month.

On to new business: Winter Neighborhood Round Robin.

Kinda hard to see, but here is the layout for my Neighborhood (on PTP Highland Lugana - which unlike the linen version has NO green). It has an outer border which I plan on stitching the border that appear on Praiseworthy Stitches’ Skating Party, it’s basically holly. The big bottom section will be the pond, skaters, (people at the kegger) from Skating Party. And the other 6 blocks will be open for the other stitchers. I do have some of it stitched, but I’ll wait to post a picture until I have most, if not all of it done.

How hot it is in East Texas in August? Even the squirrels get heat stroke.

Sprawled, sleeping off the heat. I have little sympathy. I do believe this is the same squirrel that buries the acorns from that tree in my flower beds. When he’s not throwing them on my deck because he like the noise they make.

Mirabilia’s Trick or Treat Fairy, 9/08 CS&N mag.

Put the last beads on this morning. I *love* it. Stitched on a Linen (probably 28ct?) Silkweaver Solo.

Now to go roll change or something to get the $$ to frame her.

And Thursday Mani:

OPI’s Designer Series, Ruby. The pic caught maybe 1/2 of the flash from the glitter in the paint.

Off to start my Winter RR.

*squee* I’m so happy TOT is finished.

Oh! Almost forgot! I promised a contest on the blog when I finished TOT. Well I guess it’s more of a drawing. Post a comment to THIS POST and from all the comments by Tuesday morning I’ll pick a name and that stitcher will get the issue of CS&N that Trick or Treat is in.

China Glaze, Urban Attitude with Flying Dragon on top. Not recommended, it is chipping like crazy.

Poor kitty. Poor kitty’s bandage is now off. She’s fine. Except when dh is watching, then she limps. Me? I’m stuck chasing her down to give her the antibiotic.

Latest update, I had to put it away for a bit to work on….

Fair & Square #8, no picture until it arrives at my partners house… in Finland!

And TOT:

Quick & dirty, I wasn’t going to pull it off the scrolls for a proper picture. Just imagine everything that is above the current area finished, ’cause it is. The beading is gorgeous. And once I managed to get a rhythm going she went quickly. Even the 20 minutes worth of beading I had to pull out because I used the wrong color bead. Argh!

Oh and the headache? That was the warm up for the migraine Sunday. Yay. So again if the forces of the universe weren’t conspiring against me I would have more to show. And everyone who thought good thoughts for me on the F&S; thank you. It worked, that piece stitched up like a dream - well mostly except for a centering issue, but I blame lack of math skills again.

This is my rope, and this is the end of it.

1. Blackjack - dh’s cat not mine, we had to have her partially declawed (no declawing lectures please! medical necessity here). Her sixth toe, the claw had become ingrown so it was decided that it was time to declaw that toe (only!). We had always known that it might happen so it wasn’t a surprise, but it was something we tried to avoid. No luck. The cat, she’s fine. I am getting next to no sleep because she is sleeping at my feet all night except when she is chewing at the bandage at regular intervals to make sure that if she has to be miserable and awake, I’m miserable and awake.

2. Monday I worked with my personal trainer. My back is still sore. Let me clarify. Monday night I was sore, Tuesday I was in so much pain I took a tylenol #3 so I could sleep. Wednesday I hurt. Thursday I was sore, and today I only have twinges if I stretch wrong. It’s a bit of an understatement to say she worked every muscle in my back to the maximum. And no, I didn’t *hurt* anything. I just overworked *everything*

2b. To add insult to injury Thursday I had a “fat day”. Everything in my closet made me look fat.

3. Thursday, chipped a freshly painted nail whilst cleaning the bathroom. That’ll teach me to clean the bathroom I suppose.

4. Friday, my beads & braid for TOT finally arrived! Switching from MMV to TOT has given me a headache, and oh I found that somewhere in the top beading I made a mistake. I can’t find it, and I can fudge it; but I am pissed. I’m not stitching right now because of the headache. And no, I can’t take anything because I’ve been taking too much Advil all week because of my damn back.

The PTP fabbie I ordered for the Winter Neighborhood RR arrived with the beads etc. It’s nice, but I’m not thrilled to death with it. There’s nothing wrong with it, I’m hoping once I get something stitched on it I’ll fall in love with it.

And my scroll bars arrived today, well before I expected them. And the cherry to this week? One of them arrived broken. Motherfucker.

I’ll post pics sometime this weekend of an updated MMV, a finished TOT - yeah right, I’m not going to have time, the fresh but chipped mani, and no pic but a happy dance on my F&S #8 that is due in the mail Monday. Which I haven’t started yet. *ugh* Please, if only one thing can go right this weekend let it be this! I do have the fabric, threads, chart ready and waiting in my stitching drawer so all I have to do is stitch it.

The light at the end of the tunnel? The cat’s bandage is getting cut off tomorrow afternoon!

Part 2 is complete.

I *hate* those pulled 4 sided stitches in the far corners. But I didn’t like the rhodes in the center either and they are growing on me, so I have hope for these. Maybe they’ll look better when everything is all filled in.

I did order my 30″ scroll bars yesterday. They aren’t going to ship until Friday. My PTP order isn’t going to ship until tomorrow. It’s a friggin’ conspiracy I swear. And after part 3 I’ll have hit the outer limits of what the q-snaps can handle, so I will only be able to fill in on MMV until the scrolls arrive.

Not that I don’t have enough other stitching to keep me busy, I’ve got my F&S #8 due by the 11th, my August Crabby block and a pinkeep for an exchange. And lets not forget about And They Sinned…

But I’m still going to be a pouty little bitch and whine about wanting to stitch on MMV & TOT only.