I'm all ears!

What a handsome devil! Sgt. Major got caught in a picture last night when he was rolling around with his duck. Ahhh ... the good times!

Craft Corner: WIPs (Works in Progress)

Editor's note: At the end of each month I will update this post with the changes for the next month. I will also make a link to it in each month's monthly goal list. At the end of the year, we'll all see what kind of progress I have made. List compiled and originally published 1/28/07 @ 4:36 p.m.

O.k. I'm not really one to make New Year's resolutions, becasue I really don't think you have to wait until a certain time of year to make choices that will make your life better. However, this year, I decided (not resolved) to get some projects finished this year. Mostly cross stitch, but a few others as well. So here it is ... my might list of procratination.

To be "finished" (meaning framed, made into pillows, etc.):
1. Frame 4-Heart lace square Completed Feb. 2007
2. Frame Freedom in different languages
3. Complete Christmas wreath pillow
4. Frame embroidery samples (2)
5. Frame purple quilt block

To be stitched, sewn or otherwise completed:
1. Sew and stuff childhood Lion (it is one of those "panels" you buy at the fabric store and sew together. My mom bought it and never did it, so I decided I would do it.)
2. Stitch "stained-glass" nameplate
3. Stitch roly poly Santas (these are really cute, but I lost the motivation when I came home from work and found that Sgt. Major had chewed it up. I was able to salvage most however.)
4. Stitch Victorian nativity
5. Stitch rose quilt blocks
6. Complete pink and blue lap quilt (this is actually on hold because I don't have a sewing machine. I started it when I was in college and would use one of my mom's three sewing machines.)
7. stitch Humpty Dumpty bib
8. Stitch large Red, White and Blue Ribbon
9. Stitch Love, Honor and Cherish centerpieces (these were actually centerpieces for my wedding, but the Army had other places and we never had the ceremony. Now I am tring to finish them as decorative placemats for the kitchen.)
10. Stitch SAL ornaments (I started these as a monthly stitch-along project with my online stitching group, but the deployment, work and school left me very little time.)
11.Stitch God Bless Me crib set (I was making these for my stepsister's second child, when I stopped by for a visit and saw that the set I made for her first child was now being used as a dog bed. Needless to say, she lost any future stitching presents.)
12. Stitch "Welcome to our Home" lace circle.
13. Stitch Easter Bunny and Egg (this is a project my mom bought for me to make her. I wasn't really excited about it, so I have been pushing it aside for nearly five years now.)
14. Stitch Army Seal
15. Stitch Daisy tabletopper
16. Stitch "tea for Two" towel Completed Feb. 2007 – a few fellow stitchers suggested that I add some small flowers under the text, so if I find something I like, this piece may make another appearance later this year.
17. Stitch "Recipe for Love" sampler

Needless to say, I have more than enough to do without starting any new projects, but we'll see. I have been working on the "recipe for Love" in January. I hope to have a little more done before switching to a new project in February. More than Likely I'll start with the smaller projects and if I finish them before the month is done, work on a on a project that didn't get done in a previous month.

I'll be posting updates at the beginning and end of each month, so let's see just how much I manage to get done this year!

Craft Corner: Victorian craft rebirth

It arrived! Actually it arrived last week, but like has been so busy that I didn't get a chance to look through it properly until this past weekend.

The book is titled, Victorian Crafts Revived, by Caroline Green. There are "50 Victorian-style projects designed for people at all levels of ability." It includes projects in "cross stitch, needlepoint, and quilting, decoupage, beadwork, shellwork, quilling, papercrafts, tassels and cords, and dried flowers."

I am quite excited to get some other projects done so I can start some of these projects, but I don't know if Ican hold back. I know I said I wanted to get some of my WIPs done, but when you get a book like this it is hard to set it aside. It's really one step forward, two steps back in the way of getting stuff done.

I'm already trying to decide what I will do first. There are some things that I haven't done before (like quilling) and others that I have (quilting). Here are two examples. These satin pillows are hand stitched with a design given in the book. The star project looks like it would make some beautiful Christmas ornaments. Oh my goodness. How will I ever survive the wait!

Craft Corner: Totally Complete!

And people thought it couldn't be done! Actually I had little faith myself since it has been sitting in my stitching closet for quite some time now (like years), but I did it I finally got a piece done, frames and just for me. It's probably go somewhere in the kitchen since the kitchen is burgandy with roses.
It was actually quite fun. I wanted to do a piece on the Fort Polk Arts & Crafts Center (for the newspaper I work for) for a while now and thought it would be fun to do it on the framing and matting facility. They walk you through how to do it in a class and then you are free to use their equipment and only have to pay for the supplies (such as glass, mats, frames, etc.). I was there for two hour this morning working on the projects and taking pictures. I did this one and another both in the 12 inch range for $50. Not bad huh!?! Now, if I can do one on cross stitching, maybe I can take a paid day to get some stitching done ... hmmm. How do I pitch that one to the boss? I'll let you know how it turns out!

Naptime ...

Last weekend we went to Houston for the President's Day holiday. My husband had a four-day (four straight days given for a holiday) so I worked half-day on Friday and we drove up that afternoon.

Now Sgt. Major loves car rides, especially when "grandpa" is at the end of it. He still has the energy of a puppy but it requires sleeping like a old man to recoup.

I got a few pics of him napping. He's quite funny, because he claimed the recliner a long time ago and if it is occupied he will join the ill-fated person in the chair and squirm about until victory is achieved and the chair is empty or you succumb and let him lay his 60-plus pound bum accross you lap.



He totally has us all figured out! I guess it really is a dog and his two housekeepers occupying our house. On another note ... the fluffy little guy turns 3 on Saturday. I'm probably just going to get him some of his favorite chew toys, 'cause really ... every day is a celebration for this spoiled little guy!

Craft Corner: Just Another Cup of Tea ...

It is not an addiction if you have it under control. O.k. really ... here is a pic of the latest cross stitch WIP. It is a freebie from Michaels called Whimsical Cup. Tea, cocoa, even coffee ... this cutie although not in my normal "elegant tea cup" genre, was too cute to pass up.

I am nearly finished, I just have to find some specialty threads in the pattern (DMC E746 and E3849 which are Light Effects threads.) I haven't stitched with DMC's Light Effects. I wonder if it is hard? I don't like the metallic threads, but I'll let you know when I get them. I have to go into "town" which is Alexandria about an hour away to get most of my stitching supplies.

I was given a heads up of two other free tea cup patterns by fellow stitchers, including one at Haberdashery Designs and another from Vermillion Stitchery. I hadn't visited either of these sites before but soon found myself lost in explorations of the fabric, floss and pattern kind. Again Haberdashery did not fit into my Victorian elegance style, but there was tons of stuff that looked fun to stitch for others. I may even pass the site along to my niece who tends to enjoy the whimsical type stitching patterns.

I finished my "stitching goal" for the month but still have to do the "finishing goal" that I posted as my February craft goals. I'm still trying to figure out where to get a sewing machine to finish the Quilt Project. Ijust have to keep stitching along if I am ever going to make progress on my WIPs list.

Well back to work ...

Valentine's Day surprise

This is what my dear husband surprised me with for Valentine's Day. Actually he brought home a bottle of wine and a big box of chocolates which was the best present ever for me (Limey, you understand this excitement better than anyone.) As I tore into the chocolates, he asked, "Do you want your Valentine's present?"
"What! There's more than chocolate ..." Yep! They were absolutely beautiful, unfortunately, we learned later that night that the back clasp on one was broken. SO before meeting friends for dinner the next night we exchanged them for these ...

Either way, my honey did good. I wore them all weekend. Even in a pair of sweats! (They brough the sweat pants and shirt to a whole new level of cool!) Hope everyone else's was equally as special!

MIA, but I'm back

O.k. all (hangs head in shame). I have been AWOL for a while, but looking at around it looks likes I'm not the only one as Tommy Gunn, Lime, and Semus all posted their regrets in the past few weeks for not being around much. I guess life is catching up with us all.
I do have some things to post, Valentine's gift, update on craft projects and what going on in life in general. I promise I'll get to it. I've had a little time for blog browsing and left messages on some of your blogs, but haven't had as much time as I'd like.
I'm also updating my blog. This new blogger is driving me CRAZY and I can't get any of my own pictures to show up in the background, so it's a slow, trial-and-error process.
But I am back and when I get pics and posts ready, I'll be back. Don't go far ...

Craft Corner: Tea Towel Finished .. or is it?

O.k. Here is the pictures of the tea towel I just finished. I was going to put some other text under the "Tea for Two" but then decided it would be too busy and the letters would have to be really small. So last night I put the finishing touches on the cups and steam. Then is morning I thought, "Maybe I could put some small flowers under the text." What do you think" Is it done or should I add something to the bottom? You can leave a comment event if you are not a blogspot member. I'd love to get some feedback.

My favorite part is the tea cups with steam. It was taken from of a Christmas freebie from Six Strands Sweet, which I found when a Secret Sister sent me more than 70 skeins of their threads in a package. I have quite a bit of fun playing with this pattern and this is just one example. My ultimate goal is to make a wall hanging size quilt with this pattern in either Christmas colors for the holidays or just a myriad of pastels for my collection of tea cups. Visit the site, they have a lot of beautiful projects. Happy stitching ...

Tea Time: Unexpected gift

Last Sunday, a friend/coworker/neighbor and her husband stopped by the house to return a TV they had borrowed while theirs was being fixed. With her she brought a bag filled with an unexpected surprise. She had been given an eclectic collection of tiny tea cups and saucers, none more than two inches tall. SHe said she really didn't collect stuff like that and they had just been sitting in a closet or something, so she wanted to give them to me. I was very excited to say the least, but I was hesitant for a few days wainting for the "Oops, I made a mistake" call. Needless to say they are truely mine. I still have to find a place for them, but I took a few quick pics. Over the next few weeks I'll try to post individual pics and try to find out a little bit about them (some have info printed on bottom). Until then ...

From English estates to American kitchens: Tea whistles way through history into hearts of millions

-- Published in Fort Polk Guardian (Feb. 2, 2007) --
By: MICHELLE LINDSEY, Guardian staff writer

From dyeing fabric to health benefits, from a flavorful treat to reading the future, tea leaves have become a part of life, though some uses for the leaves are less conventional than others.
This tiny treasure can be used to relieve tired eyes, give house plants a little extra boost or soothe sunburns. Tea is so versatile it can be served hot or cold. It is safe to say tea is no longer just for proper ladies or stately gentlemen.
Without tea there would not have been a Boston Tea Party in 1773, and Alice (in Wonderland) would have missed the adventures of the Mad Hatter and March Hare’s tea party.
Chinese legend claims that in 2737 B.C., a servant of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was boiling water under a tree when some leaves blew into the liquid. Smelling the sweet aroma, Shen Nung, an herbalist, tasted the mixture that was accidentally created. The leaves were from a camellia sinensis tree and led to today’s version of tea.
Although the story is legend, it is supported by the fact that tea was a staple of China long before it was introduced in the west.
Tea became increasingly popular outside of China when its distribution increased through trade. It spread to Japan, Portugal, Holland and Britain. The turning point in tea’s history came with Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess, married to Charles II of England from 1662 to 1685.
The love for the beverage brought it to the forefront and it soon became fashionable to drink at court.
The trend caught on and soon middle and upper class men and women began drinking it in their homes, but it was still too expensive for the working class. The high price of tea was mainly from a tea tax placed on the import of tea leaves.
“The monopoly on imports held by the merchants of the East India Company meant that tea prices were kept artificially high to protect profits, and on top of this the British government imposed a high level of duty,” states the United Kingdom Tea Council web site, www.tea.co.uk. “This created a demand among the British population for cheaper tea, and when that demand could not be met by legal means, a great opportunity was presented to those people who were less than concerned about breaking the law.
“Britons wanted to drink tea but could not afford the high prices. Their (desire for tea) was matched by the enthusiasm of criminal gangs to smuggle it in.
“What began as a small time illegal trade, selling a few pounds of tea to personal contacts, developed by the late 18th century into an astonishing organized crime network, perhaps importing as much as 7 million pounds annually, compared to a legal import of 5 million pounds,” states www.tea.co.uk.
Tea smuggling hurt the East India Co., a British trade company with monopoly to ship tea, financially and they struck a bargain with British Parliament to help their trade.
“On May 10, 1773, the British Parliament authorized the East India Co., which faced bankruptcy due to corruption and mismanagement, to export a half a million pounds of tea to the American colonies for the purpose of selling it without imposing upon the company the usual duties and tariffs,” states the Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum web site, www.bostonteapartyship.com.
“With these privileges, the company could undersell American merchants and monopolize the colonial tea trade.
“On November 27, 1773, three ships from the East India Co., the Dartmouth, Eleanor and Beaver, loaded with tea, landed at Boston and were prevented from unloading their cargo,” www.bostonteapartyship.com says. “(Colonists) demanded that the tea be returned to where it came from or face retribution. The Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, began to meet to determine the fate of the three cargo ships in the Boston Harbor.
“On the cold evening of December 16, 1773, a large band of patriots –– the Sons of Liberty –– disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded each of the tea ships. Once on board, the patriots went to work striking the tea chests with axes and hatchets as thousands of spectators watched in silence. Only the sounds of ax blades splitting wood rang out from Boston Harbor. Once the crates were open, the patriots dumped the tea into the sea,” www.bostonteapartyship.com claims.
“By 1784, the British government realized that enough was enough, and heavy taxation was creating more problems than it was worth. The new prime minister, William Pitt the Younger, slashed the tax from 119 percent to 12.5 percent. Suddenly, legal tea was affordable, and smuggling stopped virtually overnight,” the United Kingdom Tea Council web site reports.
Cheaper imports led to wider use of tea, including the eventual availability to working class people.
It would take more than a cup of calming chamomile tea to soothe the turbulence of this beverage’s history and journey to America, but today it has become a refreshing addition to daily life.
Studies show that tea is not only a popular beverage, but can also have health benefits. According to the United Kingdom Tea Council, a number of research studies conducted over the past few years have shown a range of health benefits from drinking tea daily. Benefits include:
–– As well as contributing towards your daily fluid requirement, drinking tea can offer some protection against heart disease as part of a healthy diet. Recent research shows that tea is a good source of flavonoids –– a group of compounds that have powerful antioxidant properties. And, the flavonoids in tea are soluble in water, so the longer your tea brews, the more flavonoids you get.
–– Like fruit and vegetables, tea is a natural source of flavonoids that generate antioxidant activity – in fact, there is more than twice the “antioxidant power” in a cup of tea than there is in one apple.
–– The health benefits of the antioxidants in tea are:
–– Antibacterial
–– Anti-viral
–– Antiallergenic
–– Anti-inflammatory
A large body of research indicates that antioxidants can help prevent heart disease and strokes.
Tea has stood the test of time, outliving fads and fashion. From tiny dried leaves to the tables in kitchens across the world, this delicacy turned durable staple has proved its staying power.

I've got my eyes on you

How could you not find this little guy amusing? I was playing with my camera at work and took a picture of the pink monkey who lives on top of my computer. He is so adorable and a shocking shade of pink. Somedays he is the only monkey business I have time for.

You have got to be kidding me ...

As the wife of an American Soldier, I try to refrain from making political statements or express my views among the public because I have seen how people take the view of one person and make it that of the collective. My job is to stand by my husband, despite what othrs may say or think, but sometimes it really goes too far. I found this on foxnews.com when scrolling through my daily reading. What do you think?

EAST WINDSOR, Conn. —  Her son is fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, but one Connecticut mother is waging a war of her own over her right to fly Old Glory on her front lawn.
Teresa Richard's condo association in this community north of Hartford wants an American flag and a Blue Star Mothers of America flag removed from her front lawn, along with the flagpole upon which they hang.
Richard raised the flags last year to honor her son, Cpl. Tony Donihee, now serving in Afghanistan with the Connecticut National Guard.
"If you want to fly the American flag, you should be able to fly it almost any place, any time," Warren Wenz, the chairman of the East Windsor Veterans Commission, told FOXNews.com. "If your son is in the service, what is the problem with flying an American flag and a mother's flag? I don't see why that should be a problem with anyone."
Wenz wrote a letter to the Stoughton Ridge Condominium Association last week on Richard's behalf.
Last summer, Richard received a letter from the condo manager asking her to "kindly remove" her American flag, that of the Blue Star Mothers of America and the flagpole, or face a fine, according to the Manchester Journal Inquirer.
"I don't feel like I should be subject to a fine or anything else," Richard told the Journal Inquirer last year. "It's not hurting anyone."
The condo board told her the flags would be tolerated for until Labor Day, after which she would be fined $25 a day, Richard said.
Another resident, Gene Doering, has been flying his flag on a 13-foot pole in the condominium complex for five years.
"They wrote me a letter and said they wanted me to take the flag down," Doering told FOXNews.com. "Well, I refused to take the flag down."
The former National Guardsman hired a lawyer instead and after three months of pestering, the association let him be, Doering said.
"It's kind of small for the association to waste so much time doing something like that," Doering said. "There's only 60 condominiums here; it's not like it's a huge group.
"You would think people could get along a little better," he continued. "I always say the association should have better things to do than pick on somebody that's put a flag up."
Calls to the condominium manager and the association president were not returned Tuesday.

Craft Corner: Monthly Goals- Feb. 2007

O.k. As previously posted I said that I was working on getting projects finished and would rotate them out each month. Last month I started a new project so there was no before. (I know!!! I made the decision to finish the other 20-plus projects after I started it!) However, here is my stopping point at the end of the month:



Now for February, I plan on working on my first tea towel, for me at least. I have done a few for others but never for myself. I started this one before George came home and as you can see it didn't get done. Mainly, becasue I altered the pattern of a teapot to fit, but didn't like it. The tea pot was cute, I just didn't like it on the towel. I had wanted to put a tea cup, but couldn't find one that would fit. I have since found a cute "mug" with steam so i will frog the teapot (rip it! rip it!) and put the cups in. I also have to finish the text. It will say, "Tea for two. Just me and you." The pinks are a little off in the picture but they are in the 3713 range. So, check back in a month to see how far I have gotten, although I plan to post updates along the way.



Another goal for this month is to get this finished piece framed. The color on it too is a little off. It is burgandy (814).The heart (in corner) was a free pattern that I played around with. Once I put them in the corners I realized I had enough room to flip them and stitch in the center. I lost the pattern since then, but hope to find it so I can print the info on the back of the famed piece. I know I stitched it in 2005, I just wish I could remember what month.



We'll see how far I get this month. Keep your fingers crossed ...