A reading bug

The old "reading bug" has bitten me again.  When I was younger, I used to absolutely LOVE reading and did it every spare minute I had.  This past week, hubby had to work night shift and since the "Twilight-series" have re-awakened my reading love, I finished a book almost every night.  When I was in a bookshop recentely, the girl there recommended Sherrilyn Kenyon to me.  I just loved the first book and have now read the first 5 books of her "Dark Hunter series".  Not my usual "cup of tea" but I have always loved old Greek Mythology, which is the basis of the series.  And off course they all have happy endings . . .

No stitching again this week but I am planning on getting a few stitches in this weekend.

Brothers and Sisters marathon

 

Yesterday I had a little "Brothers and Sisters" marathon of my own.  Since the series started a few months ago, I have been recording it with our PVR and yesterday I decided to start the watching a few episodes.  Finished my marathon after 11 last night and only have three episodes to go before I am up to date!  Love this series although it is worse than a soap opera sometimes . . .    

I'm back

I have been a little obsessed with the Twilight series these past two weeks.  I went from reading the books, to watching the movie, to getting the sound track! It was amazing - can't wait for the new movie although the second book definately was not my favourite. 

I haven't stitched in two weeks . . . I also haven't blogged.  But here is where I am at the moment . . . she can see . . .

Twilight series

Okay I don't know quite how to explain this but I read all four books in the Twilight-series in four days.  After finishing the first book, I went to the shop for the other three books that same evening!  I know that they will never qualify for litarery prices but the underlying love story is absolutely amazing.  Just something in them have touched me deeply.  I have never had the experience where I think about a fictional relationship even after finishing the books but Edward and Bella is just such special characters . . .

Thank you for all your birthday wishes - I had a wonderful day.  When I got into work this morning, my collegues already decorated my desk with balloons and streamers. I also only had to work half day (yipee) - so this afternoon I went to a nearby shopping mall and had a very nice salad. And then more eating - Tonight hubby took me to dinner and I had the most delicious Canneloni - yummy!  It was a wonderful day, can't believe that it is past already!

I also visited a bookstore while in the mall and bought a "from me-to me"-gift.  I have seen it around so much that I thought I had to see what all the fuss was about.  I bought "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.  I started reading this afternoon while waiting for hubby to come home and I must say that I am enjoying it so far (although I am only in the first chapter).

Birthday girl

A fun weekend

I am always looking for bits of fabric these days - so what a thrill I got on Friday when I found a HUGE (and I mean enormous) bag of scraps on my chair when I stepped into the office.  A friend cleaned out her sewing room and gave me all the off-cuts that she had thrown into a bucket while sewing.  It was such fun sorting it and then ironing it all neatly (yeah, yeah - it's the perfectionist in me I guess).  It will be a wonderful addition to the quilt I am planning.  Here is what the pile looked like when I was finished ironing and trimming . . .

This week was also very productive when it comes to my cross stitching.  I have made nice progress - her face is taking shape.  Not far to go and she will be able to see - only one eye to go . . . :)

The frame have pushed some of the stitches a little skew . . . Is there a way to straighten them again?  Maybe I should put some fabric between the stitches and the "snap" holding it in place?  I don't want anything to spoil this my first big project.

Still only Fairy Tales

I have stitched some more on Fairy Tales - she is the only one I am stitching on at the moment, the only one I want to stitch.  All the other patterns will just have to wait for a little while longer - I just love working on her.  I decided to take out the little patch on her forehead and I feel much happier with it at the moment - will have to see how I feel after the whole face is finished (hope that two froggings were enough!).

I have discovered a website called SWAP-BOT.  And I think I might be enjoying it for a while.  I have registered and have already signed up for some email swaps.  :)  I might even join some of the package swaps in the future.  :)

A totally Useless SAL

Here is my TUSAL. Spud decided that he needs to be part of the picture!

Blog candy

Doesn't this prize look absolutely heavenly.  Brenda from Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt shoppe is having a give-away - hurry on over here.  The more guys that enter, the more prizes there is going to be, so come on and share this (and don't forget to say that I sent you :).
Ending 31 October 2009 - Halloween!

Happiness is finishing a page of a HAED design

Yes, that's right - I can hardly believe it myself . . . page 1 is finished!  I am so happy!  Last night I sat in hubby's office and stitched the last part.  He kept on asking "Can we go to sleep yet?"
"Only a few more stitches . . . " was all I said.  :)  I don't know which one of us was happier when the last stitches went in :)
I am still not happy with the little patch on her forehead but I am waiting till after I finish the right side of her face before I frog it again.  I am just going to blend it with the colours beside it.  If I don't, it will forever be jumping out at me.  Sometimes you just have to do things for peace of mind.

For some blog candy, go and visit Jenny here.  She is having a fabric give-away.  She is new to blogging, so let's make her feel welcome!  The give-away ends 21 October 2009.
EDIT:  Melissa was the lucky winner.

Yesterday was a good day - today was not!

I took off the day yesterday.  I just needed some me-time . . . I tried very hard to just recharge my energy levels and maybe a little of my sanity.  I had such fun.  I started the day early and went to a local fabric shop I found that sells the "off-cuts"  from the rolls of material (you know, the last little bit (and sometimes not so little) on the rolls of material that no-one will buy).  They sell it by weight - I got a huge bag for a small amount out of my wallet. :)  Always a good thing!
I got out my sewing machine and sewed together my first quilt-pieces.  I think it is the first time I used my sewing machine - fun, fun, fun!  I know the sewing is not totally straight but I am going to incorporate it somehow into my first quilt.  I am terribly soppy about such things and just have to keep it.  I will always remember the feeling when I look at it.  Here is a picture of the pieces.

Today it was back to the place that turns my mood black.  Rumours have been doing the rounds that the company has a "cash-flow problem" and that they are struggling to pay salaries . . . and it doesn't help when HUGE errors are caught out and it seems that a "write-off" of huge proportions are on the cards.  I wish I could be a housewife!  I am tired of all the stress.

Painting class

I had a painting class again today - and here is what I have done.  Mostly only the hat and top part of the chair. 

We are nearing the end of page 1

I finished the face of page 1 - I am so chuffed (is that a word that is used outside of our borders?).  I am very happy with the results except for a few stitches on her forehead. 
I have checked and checked and checked again to see if I used the right colour but it keeps on saying DMC 407 everytime I look. :) And that is what I used . . . but it seems to just jump off the face and hit you in the eye.  It looks out of place and much too dark for the rest of the face. 
Please help - should I change it and if so, to what colour?

My maiden aka Fairy Tales

I am really unhappy in my job.  I haven't been able to enjoy this weekend as my mind keeps on returning to all the trouble that will continue on Monday and probably for the next week.  I seem to keep going from one crisis to the next there.  I wish I had the courage to just quit.  Unfortunately I am in the position where I need to work . . . one salary is not enough at the moment.    Even my stitching couldn't help this weekend.  I hoped that it would help me relax but my mind kept on wandering back . . .   I wanted to finish the first page of my HAED this weekend but there is just too many confetti stitches going on.  Here is my update photo.

Is that a face?

It could be . . . a little of the side of my Fairy Tales Maiden is slipping in there.  The photo is a little "washed out", so you can't really see the nice colours making the shadows of her face.  I am really satisfied with the way it is coming around.  :) When I at last learn to use a camera properly, I will take a nicer picture (hubby is much better than I am!).

Isn't Cape Town beautiful?

(This picture is clickable)

Blog Candy

This is a great give-away!!  I would love to be the winner . . . check it out here.

Ending 30 September 2009

EDIT:  Congratulations Barb-Corgi.

Heritage day

Today is national heritage day here in South Africa.  We have such a huge variety of nationalities and cultures but the one thing all South Africans have in commen, is a love to "braai" (barbeque I guess would say it best in English but the term means so much more).  So today has also become NATIONAL BRAAI DAY.

Today is pretty dreary - it is overcast and it has been looking like rain will fall since this morning but I am sure most South Africans are standing in front of a fire, waiting to burn some meat right now :)    Hubby is a pretty loyal braaier but I haven't said anything about it . . . so it looks like we are going to give it a miss . .

I have been stitching some on my HAED project and here is a progress picture . . . I am really having a lot of fun on this one.

Want to join in the fun?

I was looking around different sites and I see so much different fabrics around - too many to ever be able to buy. So, I thought "wouldn't a kind of a swap be kinda cool"? Maybe we could all just come together and send two/three blocks (maybe 5" (13cm) to each other and then use it to make something special to showcase on our blogs on a certain date? Just a little impronto kinda project? Or do you have another idea?

More blog candy

We are helping to celebrate 29 years of marriage on this blog . . . wow, isn't that absolutely wonderful!!

See the lovely give-away here.

Ending 07 October 2009

Blog candy

Fiona is having a jelly roll give-away to celebrate her huge sale - see here for all the specials she has on offer.

Ending 30 September 2009

EDIT:  Congratulations Ariane.

Spring has sprung!

Today is the official first day of spring here in South Africa (although it doesn't feel like it yet - still have my long sleeves out). I absolutely love winter (nothing better than a fire in the fireplace and rain beating on the windows) but today I thought for the first time that a change from my winter clothes would be nice . . .

In celebration of spring, I have changed to a little fun spring background for the next few days . . . weeks . . . isn't it pretty?

Blog candy

Isn't that just the cutiest way of referring to a give-away (too cute!).

There is some blog candy here - but you have to hurry, its ending soon! You could win a jelly roll . . . I would love that!

EDIT: Mel won this wonderful gift!

And another weekend bites the dust.

It Sunday evening and I am trying to get my mind right so that I am not in a bad mood tomorrow when I have to get up for work. This week is only going to be four days long (yeahhh) and that is because Thursday is a public holiday. Hopefully that will mean that Friday will be a slow day . . . here's hoping! Last time I had that hope it turned out horribly (see a few posts back). It is still early, so I am positive.

I did do some stitching (off course) and here it is:

And let the confetti start falling . . . so far it is only red and black but hey, it's only page 1!! Still my favourite piece so far. MAMMA MIA is on the dish tonight, so I will be doing a little of the "good stuff" (as Nancy calls it) while watching.

It is that time again!

Yes, time for the Totally Useless SAL again - and here is mine.

I have started pressing down or else I won't be able to keep this container until 31 December :)

Isn't the web great?

I just love shopping online.

I will admit, I hate shopping IRL. I hate having to go from one shop to another, searching and searching. I used to love that when I was younger. I could go to the shopping mall for no reason and just browse . . . but now trying to get past hundreds of people that just stop dead in front of you for no reason - and the lines at the till . . . urgh! Just thinking of the Chrismas shopping lying ahead, is making me cringe.

This morning, I have spend the last two hours browsing "Sew and So". . . and filling a shopping cart. Yes, I know I will filter it out again and get rid of some for the next shopping date but it is just so much fun filling the cart with all your wishes without looking at prices. And all that without lifting a toe . . . :)

Fairy Tales

This is what have been keeping me busy (and sane) in the evenings this past week. This is such an easy and very relaxing piece so far. It is the Aida that makes it easy and the colors just flows and flows which just relaxes me . . . (I am sure the confetti stitches is still coming. LOL)

Goodness HAED patterns have soooo many different colors!! I have been buying the colors in drips and drabs because floss is really expensive here. But I will be spending a little tomorrow to get some of the colors I still need (what a surprise, huh? I keep on spending my extra money on stitchy things!). Hopefully I will then be able to get a little past the background this weekend. :) Can't wait to get some of her face in the picture. . .

It's Friday . . .

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

I just bought Dan Brown's new book The Lost Symbol today, so I will turn to page 56 . . . and the fifth sentence . . .

Somehow, the oneness of this shared experience, the coalescing of millions of minds, had affected the randomizing function of these machines, organizing their outputs and bringing order from chaos.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Making cup cakes . . .

Got this email today and just had to share the cuteness . . .

MAKING CUPCAKES

"A Charming Give-away"

A sweet give-away on "Badlands Quilts". Take a look!

Ending 16 September 2009

EDIT: Congratulations ladmquilter