Hi!

I finished my friend Tracy's daughter's cross-stitch - yeah!  I even took pictures - however, the battery on my camera ran out & I don't have a charger.  And I used up my portion of the minutes of data (looking at pinterest - LOL!) on my super fancy cell phone & I don't have a USB to hook the phone up to my computer to download the pictures.  Sigh......I'm so un-tech savvy it's not funny! 

I was down with a migraine for most of the weekend.  I slept a lot and I read a lot.  Poor Jeff had to be Mama & Daddy to Lianne - who was not appreciative of his efforts.  She can be such a pill some days!  So sweet and then so nasty.  She is totally my daughter - no doubt about that :-)

With all the news about the discovery of Richard III's body in England - I have been re-reading some of my favorite books about him.  My favorite book is "Sunne in Splendor" by Sharon Kay Penman.  I think that "Sunne in Splendor" along with her book called "Here be Dragons" are some of my favorite books.  I can re-read them over & over again and never seem to find them dull.  I then found out that BBC/Starz has turned Phillipa Gregory's book "The White Queen" into a 10 part series - yeah!  I have no idea when it will end up here in Canada, but I'm very excited.  I have been re-reading Phillipa Gregory's Cousins War series - "The White Queen", "The Red Queen", "The Lady of the Rivers" and "The Kingmaker's Daughter".  I know that she has a lot of detractors - but I love her fiction!  Everyone needs a little historical fiction in their lives sometimes - LOL!  I think my next choice once I have finished with "The Kingmaker's Daughter" that I'm going to read Anne Easter Smith's book on Richard - it's "A Rose for the Crown". 

I've also started a new Steve Berry novel - "The Columbus Affair" - what a great story so far!  Columbus hid the treasure from the 2nd temple in Jerusalem in Jamaica.  Who knew :-)  It's like an episode of Decoded!  The thing I found most interesting was the link between this book and a show on H2 called America Unearthed - he did a show last week on the hooked X that has been found on rocks, etc scattered throughout America & how he thinks it's linked to the Knights Templar.  What shows  up in "The Columbus Affair" but a hooked X!  I love it when that happens :-)

Well, I'm off.  I have to measure my bookshelves so I can find some baskets for Lianne's books/toys tonight to make more room on the shelves for my things!

New Bookmarks

Hi!

Wow - raising a 3 year old is tougher than a 2 year old.  At least when she was 2 she couldn't yell back at me - but as a 3 year old - she can scream with the best of them :-)  Today was temper tantrum day.  Everything I said to her generated a huge fit.  Sigh.  I know she will outgrow this - but I wish it was sooner rather than later.

I have managed to make some bookmarks - yeah!  They are all from a very great stitching book by Sandy Orton called "Hold that Thought".  They are $20 each - the sock  monkey and the haiku are already sold - but I can totally make new ones.  Enjoy!

I apologize for the blurry images - I'm still learning my phone camera :-)

I'm also working on a project I started 2 years ago when my friend Tracy's daughter, Sierra, was born.  I think I might get it finished before her 2nd birthday!  I also have been going through a stash of stitching items that I inherited - our pastor's wife's aunt has developed macular degeneration and can no longer stitch.  I would hate to learn I could no longer stitch - it's one of the few ways I have to relax and unwind.  Of course, Jeff would argue that the cursing that comes from my mouth when I have to unpick a piece isn't so relaxing - LOL!

Well, I'm off to work on Sierra's present - I did one for LiLi just like it - I'm so happy I'm on the backstitching portion.  I then hope to finish a piece called "Celtic Christmas" that I began about 2 years ago, too.  I'll try & take pictures tomorrow.  It should be gorgeous - my favorite color, burgundy - and it has beading - a new skill for me.

Trials & Tribulations of Potty Training

Lianne has been really testing me lately.  We started potty training her family day weekend.  She has the pee in the potty thing down - but she decided on Wednesday that she didn't want to pee in the potty anymore.  Sigh.  Back to square one.  And forget about poo in the potty - she comes to me & says "Mama, need diaper to poo".  Karma really kicks you in the butt sometimes - I was a late trainer & I think LiLi will be, too.  Too bad I have to go all "bad" cop on her - she starts JK in September & I need her trained by then.

My stitching is slowly progressing.  I'm currently working on a sock monkey bookmark - it's turning out to be pretty cute.

Off to stitch

Stephanie

Hi

After a long absence - I am back.  I am working on a series of bookmarks for sale - for children and for adults.  I hope to have them finished this weekend so that I can post the pictures.

I found a great new site - it's for Chinese embroidery.  Now that I'm home again full-time, I hope to use some of the techniques in my own stitching.  Here is the link - http://www.marlamallett.com/forbidden_stitch.htm.

I hope to update my blog on a regular basis from now on.  LiLi is keeping me busy - but she still naps for a couple of hours every day :-)

Stephanie