May 2014 Round Up

Addendum, Dec 31, 2014: Please forgive the lack of any other round ups in 2014. I thought I was going to at least go back and do February through April when I decided to go ahead with May, but that never happened, nor did any others for the remainder of the year.


From the 2011 Year of Memories Brag Book by Dani Mogstad

What did I read this month?
Not a ton of reading this month. Mostly stitching. I've started several books, but none are really "sticking."

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
* TV Time: All done with standard TV shows! Summer shows should start back next month, though I'm not exactly sure what starts when.
* New Films: Um, have I seen any new films? I know, summer movie season has started, and we haven't seen not one single thing! We're behind 3-4 movies already, and with as crazy as our June will probably be, I don't see us making it any time soon. Very frustrating. Oh wait, there was one movie: How to Steal a Million, with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole. It was okay, but Charade is better.
* Old Favorites: We haven't even had movies on in the background much this month. Prince of Egypt, Treasure Planet, Planet of the Apes (the original), Rush Hour, Pacific Rim (not really a favorite, but we had it on for a while).

What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?


It was so great to see my grandmother for Mother's Day. We hadn't seen her in over a year due to her starting cancer treatment in November and not really having the immune strength to entertain visitors (particularly the notorious disease carrying children and parents there of). We also saw my grandfather and put on a family baseball game for his entertainment over Memorial Day.



What gifts did I give and/or receive? What special or unusual purchases did I make?


I received some jewelry from my grandmother. She is apparently going through her "stash" since she's been homebound, and she gave me some lovely pieces. My favorite is this absolutely gorgeous ring! It's costume jewelry (not precious or semi-precious stones), but that doesn't matter. I absolutely love it! One of the few advantages of having very large hands for a woman: I can wear big honkin' rings.



I got new glasses, which seemed to have solved my headache problem. We also finally upgraded our phones. Hubby got a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and I got a Galaxy S5. Yes, this is an accomplishment because I *hate* learning a new phone, but mine was to the point that it wouldn't even hold a charge for 12 hours, and several of the recent app updates were extremely slow. I know it's new and fancy and all, but I'm going to miss my slide out keyboard (even if the new phone is much thinner and lighter, and still needs a case that is more "me").

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
We all managed to stay pretty healthy this month. (And yes, I waited until June to type that sentence, just in case!) Unless sitting on your feet like this counts as a health concern? (It doesn't now, but it might later in life! LOL)


What new things and Pinterest pins I try this month?
Squeezed in a few recipes this month, though I'm not sure if I'm going to make my quota of 101 by the end of June. I should have taken a picture of the Taco Stuffed Shells; they were pretty!

• Double Chocolate Brownies (pretty good)
• Homemade Enchilada Sauce (Red) - This Week for Dinner (did not care for this one)
• Homemade Enchilada Sauce - D*mn Delicious (really liked this one)
• Taco Stuffed Shells (loved this! used above enchilada sauce recipe)
• Honey Cinnamon Butter Buttons (used as toast spread)

What were my accomplishments this month?


Finishing my Midsummer Night's Fairy was by far my greatest accomplishment. I'm so thrilled she is done! Don't feel like I accomplished much else, honestly. My 101 Days (version 3) will be up in less than a month, and I won't get nearly as much done as I hope. Oh well, there's always Version 4!

What were Luke's accomplishments this month?





He passed the CRCT! He actually took the test in April, but we got his scores in May. He was comfortably in the "meets the standard" category for every section of the test, and even got "exceeds the standard" in two sections, social studies (?!!) and math (duh). He was also on the Principal's Honor Roll (all A/S) for the sixth straight semester.


Luke also received his baseball participation medal. The coach gave the stats on each boy. Luke had the highest batting average on our team (15/16) and was one of two with no strikeouts.


What were this month's disappointments or frustrations?
A bunch of little ones, both work and home, including one very spectacular child meltdown during mid-month, but nothing really worth mentioning.

Anything else noteworthy to record?
Can't think of anything.

Monthly Round Up concept courtesy of Katie the Scrapbook Lady, tweaked by me.
Currently feeling: finally rounding again in 2014

Finished! Midsummer Night's Fairy

She's FINALLY done! Midsummer Night's Fairy by Mirabilia, started sometime early in 2001 (maybe late 2000), finished May 17, 2014. 13+ years in the making, minus about 8 years when I didn't stitch (something about having a baby/toddler/child).


Click to biggify.

Cross stitch and beads on 28 ct Antique Lavender Permin Linen. Probably about 100 hours of work. She measures about 12 in x 19 in (31 cm x 48 cm). Haven't washed and pressed her yet, as she still has some traveling to do.


Click to biggify.

This is only my second Mirabilia finish, and the first one I get to keep for me! I am absolutely thrilled! I'm stitching both of her "sisters" (Adia and Titania), so I'll wait until those are also done to have her framed along with the other two so they can coordinate. Hopefully it won't take another 13 years!

Currently feeling: ridiculously excited!

A Week of (Stitching) Progress

According to my blog, I apparently pull out my stitching about every 18 months, make a post, then put it back into hiding for another 18-ish months. It has currently been 16+ months since my last stitching post. However, I can assure you have stitched more in the last week than I have in the entire previous lifespan of this blog (8-9 years) combined! Don't believe me? I have proof! How does the saying go? "Pictures, or it didn't happen." Behold!


Click for a somewhat larger picture.

This is Midsummer Night's Fairy by Mirabilia Designs. This picture represents a week (well, 8 days) of progress, from June 30 to July 7. I know! It's amazing what happens when you actually sit down and pick up a needle. Admittedly, not having one of those pesky job things helps tremendously. (Still working on it.) I would guess that's about 15 hours of work, give or take, but I can't swear to it. I wasn't officially timing it. As best I can tell, I last stitched on her in, um, 2002.  ::hangs head in shame::

BTW, you can blame/thank Heather for this. Visiting her home and seeing all of her *amazing* stitched pieces framed and hanging on her walls really inspired me. You see, other than very small pieces (like fobs or ornaments), I do not own a single thing that I have cross stitched. My parents have some of my pieces, my MIL, my best friend Connie, and several other folks. But me? Nope; none. Wait, I can hear some of you through the computer. "I've been to your house, I've seen stitched pieces there!" Yes, you have. They were done by my MIL! And she does beautiful work, and I am thankful to have *something* representing my (occasional) cross stitch habit hanging in my home, but I'd really like some of my own work here, too. My hope is to have this one finished by the end of the year. Not framed, of course (don't have a spare several hundred dollars laying around right now), but finished nonetheless. Wish me luck!

Currently feeling: the urge to stitch!