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.

Busy busy busy......

I know, I know.  It's been a while.  But it's been busy around here!  For one thing, the girl child was home for a week for her midterm break.  Which always means much more to do, for some reason.  It also makes about $50 difference per week for the grocery bill -- I guess because it means there are two extra mouths to feed?  (No, the girl child doesn't have two mouths, she has a boyfriend.)  Then the boy child was -- well, I'll save that for later. 

Before that news, ta dah!!!  Paradise Lost is finished!!!   Yay!

I'm going to tease you with little pics first.  :D

And finally, a very bad picture of the whole thing.

And yes, I'm very bad about ironing too.  :D   Anyway, I used 40ct Light Examplar from Lakeside Linens with the called for NPI and Gloriana silks.  Oh, and it's by Plum Street Samplers.  And about those trees, Paulette.    The only tree I enjoyed stitching was the one on the right.  That one was fun.  The others were torture.  lol!  Wellllll, I guess the little one wasn't too bad either.   But don't you just love this design?  I do!  I'm very happy to have it all finished too!  Thanks for such a great piece, Paulette!

So back to the busy busy stuff.   The week that the girl child was home was also the week of Halloween.  Here are the boy child and his friend in their Red Bull can costumes.  Unfortunately it was pouring so they had to wear plastic rain capes.  (The father type managed to cut the boy child's head off.)

It's hard to tell, but they did a really good job.  Too bad it was raining.

Also during the week of the girl child's midterm break, the boy child had his final rehearsals and the concert for the Area All State Orchestra.  You may recall that he has to do this NYSSMA audition every year (Yes, little boy, you have to do it every year till you're a senior.  When you're a senior, it won't matter anymore.).   So he did well enough in his audition to be 4th bass (out of 12 basses) in the Area All State Orchestra in our area of NY state.  I think this is a very hard area to compete in -- some of the best musician students in the state, IMO.  And boy, did it show in the concert!  It was definitely the best concert I've heard in a long time -- of the concerts that the boy child has been in that is.  Excellent!  Amazing!  I really enjoyed it.  The concert culminated in movements 11 and 12 (the Lullabye and Final Hym) of Stravinksy's Firebird Suite.  Had to mention that so you'd know just how good these kids were.  So beautiful!

Now to torture you, you get to see pictures of the Area All State Orchestra with the boy child as the featured musician. 

This is the whole orchestra -- 184 members, I think.

Do you see him there?  With his long hair?  lol!  Can you tell I'm proud?   Anyway -- moving on!

So finally, right at the tail end of the girl child's midterm break, the refrigerator stopped working.  Just stopped.  That was it.  The food rotted, and we had a whole slew of garbage bags of untrustworthy food.  So sad.  Now I'm going to sound like an advertisement, but I was astounded to discover that Sears was very efficient for a change.  I called them to see if they had the size of refrigerator we need (we unfortunately have a very tiny area where the fridge goes, so there's no choice -- no fancy fridge for us, just a teeny tiny one).  I was immediately connected to some lady in Alabama (I think that's where she said she was) who knew exactly what was in stock in the local warehouse from which deliveries would be made to us.  She ran through what was available (not much in that size!) and hooked me up with one to be delivered asap -- and on a Sunday too!  I called on Friday late in the afternoon, almost evening, so I was duly impressed.  Refrigerator bought and delivered without having to step outside the house!  So anyway, I spent the better part of this past week stocking the new fridge up with new food.  Fun fun!   It would be so much more enjoyable if it were one of those fancy smancy refrigerators.  And a fridge that was a whole heck of a lot bigger.  Oh well. 

The boy child and his father are currently out in the rain -- well the boy child is anyway.  He and a bunch of friends are at yet another paintball scenario event, this time somewhere up north.  Me being a worrywart momma, I didn't feel safe having the boy child riding in the car being driven by one of the teenage boys who I don't even know.  So the father type generously volunteered to drive the boy child.  I told you he's a wonderful father type!  So I'm here at home by myself.  Which is why I finally got PL finished.  lol! 

I hope you all have a great weekend -- what's left of it.  Thanks for stopping by.  I love reading your comments!