I love A&E -- and alphabets!

So I seem to be going for change of pace after my Paradise Lost finish.  First I went for a much smaller A&E design, Sarah Esh by Barrick Samplers (aka Carriage House Samplers). 

I used 40ct Vintage Meadow Rue with the called for DMC.  I love A&E's! 

Then Vonna over at the Twisted Stitcher started a Prairie Schooler ABC SAL blog.  She showed us this picture to inspire us.  Now you have to realize I'd seen this picture a long time before and wanted to stitch it up right away.  But it didn't happen.  You also have to realize that Prairie Schooler was practically the first real designer I fell in love with -- back in my first stitching life.  (I still haven't told you that story yet, have I?)   So when Vonna started this whole thing up, well, it was inevitable that I would succumb.  My only problem is I don't like stitching over one.  And the picture (see above) is done over one. I love the look of over one, but I don't like doing over one.  Hmmmm.  

So I went digging in my stash.  Found a piece of 48ct Light Examplar.  Don't ask me what I was thinking when I bought that fabric -- must have had rocks in my head.  Tried it out -- and realized that it was taking me just as long if not longer than doing over one on a reasonable count fabric would take.  Sooooo, I went digging through my stash once more and found a piece of what I think is 30ct Custard Creme line -- can't remember who makes it, but that's what the label says the color is.  (Label doesn't mention the count, but I counted it out.)  Dug through my DMC stash and found all but 9 colors.  It was fated!  So I started with the letter A.  Here's my progress so far.

I'm doing pretty ok so far with the over one!  Amazing!  Now that I've gotten this far, I finally remembered to go join the SAL blog.  lol!  So I'm hoping to hear from Vonna soon. 

In other news, Thanksgiving is fast approaching.  The boy child is excited since that means all his college friends will be home for break.  The girl child won't come home till Wednesday evening during all the rush of other people coming home.  But she's coming home! 

One thing the boy child is bringing home from school for break is something we've never had in the house before -- a cello.  You see, the boy child is doing the pit orchestra for the second year for the middle school play -- high school kids do the pit for the middle school play for some reason.  He always gets stuck with the cello part to play on the bass.  Well, he decided that this year he wants to see if he can actually play the cello instead.  Keep in mind that the play is just over a week away, that they just had their first rehearsal yesterday, that they'll have rehearsals every day/evening after school (except over Thanksgiving break) until the shows, and that he's still learning the music -- basically sight reading it.  But still, he wants to try his hand at the cello.  Oh boy!  So hopefully in the midst of all the getting together with friends over break, he'll actually try the cello out as well!  Of course, I'd love it if he decides he likes the cello.  The cello has always been my favorite string instrument.  :D 

That's all from here.  I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Thanks for stopping by and saying hi.