Positive Thinking

This hasn't been my week..........but, I'm trying to stay/think positive.

Traveled to a neighboring state for a Peach Festival that didn't exist..........but, we came home with lots of fresh picked peaches anyway.

Got my evaluation at work and raises stunk..........but, I was one of the lucky ones that did get a raise and I, unlike others, still have a job (that I love).

Tried to get my car repaired for the umpteenth time yesterday and it still didn't happen..........but, I'm so lucky to have a wonderful and reliable car.  The repairs are just cosmetic.

Had to take an unneeded day off of work since the car wasn't fixed.........but, I got to stitch while I waited for the car, then I got to have lunch with my BFF and I even got to spend quality time in the afternoon with my Hubby.

Awoke to the sound of water hitting the carpet at 4am this morning thinking that the dog was peeing on the carpet only to realize that my a/c unit is leaking again..........but, the water can be cleaned up and my a/c unit continues to run and blow cold air.

And the most positive thing this week...........I'm almost done with Seaside Memories by The Sampler Girl.  Just a few more words and motifs to go!

The moral.........stay positive!  Happy Stitching!

She's New to Blogland

One of my dearest, sweetest friends, Sharon Crescent, now has a blog.  It is filled with her wonderful cotton and silk creations along with her collaborations with other designers.

Be sure to stop by Crescent Colours!

Happy Stitching!

Just Fixin' Update

I don't think that today is my day. At the first appointment I found out that they will have to order parts to fix the lumbar and the discoloration on the driver's side and passenger side leather seats. When I went to the second appointment, it was another dissappointment. They had already taken the tires off of my front wheels when they noticed that one of the replacement wheels was defective......for the second time! If it were me, I would have checked the wheels first to make sure that there was nothing wrong with them. But, then again, these are men we are dealing with! (Apologies to you men out there that actually have smarts!)

On the bright side, I did get lots of stitching in on my current wip and I promise to share pictures tomorrow.

Another great thing about today was that I was able to take my BFF (she's also my bestest stitching buddy)out to lunch. I just about had to drag her out of her office, but it was well worth it!

I hope you had a great Wednesday. Just remember, only two more working days until the weekend!

Happy Stitching!

Just Fixin'

So, today is the day that my car is supposed to be fixed........again!  I'm going to get two new wheels in the front along with an alignment.  Not only that, but now I'm having a problem with the lumbar in the driver's seat.  It just up and quit working.  Looks like it will be a long day.........

All I can say is that I'm very thankful for insurance and warranty coverage!

I'll be stuck at home today with no car.  Good news is that I'll be taking advantage of the stitching opportunity.  I'll be working towards a happy dance on Seaside Memories by The Sampler Girl.  I'm already well past second base and I'm almost ready to round third and head for home.

Happy Stitching!

Peaches Galore

Sounds like a name for a Bond Girl, doesn't it?  Actually, it was we were hoping to find Saturday.......tons and tons of sweet yummy, juice running down the sides of your mouth when you bite into them peaches.

Peaches are big in our area this time of year and Hubby and I wanted to take full advantage of our weekend by celebrating the Annual Peach Festival with the locals.  So, expecting lots of vendors selling everything from arts 'n crafts, to jewelry, to fair food and all things peach, we headed across state lines to this festival.  I was familiar with the area (I had dated a boy from this town a long time ago), but even I had a hard time finding the festival.  I pulled up the website with the directions from my smart phone, but even that didn't help us any.  We didn't even see any signs! 

We ended up stopping at this little old shack of a place (I wish I had thought to take a picture, sorry!) that I think was a cross between an antique store and a flea market.  We walked in and looked around while the man finished up with his customers.  When he was finished, Hubby said "We want to go to the Peach Festival.  Would you be able to direct us were we need to go?"  The old man laughed and said "I want to go to the Peach Festival too!"  Turns out there was no Peach Festival!

What?  No festival???  How cruel!  Everything was posted plain as day on the website.  It gave all the information.......cost to get in, directions......what do you mean it's cancelled?????  Turns out (according to the old man) there are "too many chiefs and not enough indians" and (according to the town folk at the Ruritan Club) there hasn't been one for the last two years due to the economy, but there will be one next year!  Seriously???? 

Well, at that point Hubby and I were more determined than ever to get some peaches.  Luckily, there was a great peach farm in the town, so we headed over there to pick our own.  As we were riding up to the house, Hubby began telling me of his adventures picking on that same farm for a summer job when he was a teenager. 

Long story endless, we did come home with peaches.........peaches galore!  They are so juicy and sweet.  I've been bringing a couple with me to work for the past two days and eating them as mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.  But, as good as they are, I think that by the end of next week I won't want to see another peach until next season!!!!

Happy Stitching!

All Good Vacations Must Come to an End

WARNING!!!! VERY PICTURE HEAVY POST!!!!

Whew, this post has been a long time coming!  Believe it or not, it has been three weeks since we left for vacation and I'm already ready for another one.  I hope that we get to go back to the OBX later in the Summer or in the early Fall.  Until then, here are some of my favorite pictures from the last day.

We spent Day 5 on the beach in Corolla.  Just hubby and me......we had some well deserved "us" time.  We got onto the beach with the truck and just drove until we found a spot that had our names on it.  There are some houses on this stretch of the beach, but the only way to access them is by a four wheel drive automobile.  I guess this person decided that when there are jellyfish in the water they can opt for a dip in the pool instead!

We finally found our perfect stretch of beach.  Believe it or not, we had this section all to ourselves.

There were lots of stretches of the beach that had amassed tons of seashells.  The shells were just ripe for the picking.  I picked quite a few clam shells of differing colors.  Hubby found a perfect hermit crab shell, without the hermit crab thank goodness.  I decided that each time we go to Corolla that I was going to pick up a few shells and display them in one of the ball jars that I purchased at an Estate Sale. So, every time I look at the jar full of shells I can remember all the fun that we had in the OBX.

The sand that day was almost like quicksand.  With each step you would sink into it deeper and deeper.  We saw many vehicles get stuck in the sand.  I didn't think this old car was going to make it, but he finally dug himself out and drove further down the beach.  We even got stuck on the way out.  In all the times that we have been down there we have never been stuck.  DH dug us in pretty deep, but there was a redneck kind soul in a Jeep that pulled us out.  If you want to know the truth, I think that was the only reason that guy liked going to the beach.  Why you ask?  Well, when we passed him earlier in the day he was sitting in the drivers seat of the Jeep.  And when we got stuck.....well, he was still sitting in the same place!  That is when you thank God for the little favors of a redneck strangers help.

After being pulled to safety we went on our merry way.  And, wouldn't you know it, we finally hit the tri-fecta!  There were wild Corolla Stallions heading up the dunes.  I was so shocked to see them that I had some trouble working the camera.  See the truck antenna on the left side of the picture?

Here's a few more with a couple of close ups........aren't those horses magnificent?

DH also saw these birds resting on the shore and thought that they were a hoot.  I love their little mohawks!

Later on in the evening we went back to the Lone Pine Inn to see Ricky, Lucy and their hatchling(s).  Apparently Ricky and Lucy nest there every year.  In these first picture you can see one of the parents and one of the hatchlings.  The second picture shows both parents and you can see the wing of one of the hatchings.

 

After playing with the Osprey, we decided to grab a bite at one of the pizza joints before heading off to the Sound Side of the island for some sunset pictures.  Unfortunately, there were storms brewing so our sunset was not exactly what we were expecting.  However I did get a few good pictures in before we had to go.  (This is also where the picture in my header came from.)  I especially love the last picture.  I don't know where that guy was headed, but he had a cold Corona in the side pocket of his shorts!

I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of my vacation.  I don't know about you, but looking at these pictures makes me want to put on my swimsuit and head to the beach.  I can't wait to go back!

As for my stitching, I always have high ambition while on vacation.  Unfortunately I didn't get in as much stitching time as I thought I would.  But, I think I got a great start on Seaside Memories by The Sampler Girl.  I'll just have to put a little more effort into it so that I can get it finished and framed.  It will be another great reminder of a beautiful family vacation.

It's So HOT!

Even our pup is trying to hide from the heat!

Stay cool! Happy Stitching!

Never a Dull Moment

First thing this morning I went back to the Collision Center to get my car fixed.  Maybe I should say it this way.......first thing this morning I went back to the Collision Center and tried to get my car fixed again.  So, do you want the good news or the bad news?

Bad News:  There was a chip in the wheel.  They didn't figure that out until after they had my car back there for almost an hour.  I'll have to go back next week and get it fixed then because they have to reorder the wheel.

Good News:  I'm also getting a new wheel for the other side.  You see, a few months ago Hubby decided to introduce Mr. Wheel to Mr. Curb.  Let's just say that they didn't like each other very much and Mr. Wheel paid for it with scrapes and scratches that became permanent scars.  So, because I had to come back so many times, all I have to pay for is the wheel on the passenger side and the Collision Center will take care of the labor costs.  Woo-Hoo!

Even More Good News:  I had an hour of uninterrupted stitching while waiting for the car that didn't get fixed.  That hour of stitching is probably the reason I was so nice to the lady when she came out to tell me I would have to wait until next week for my car to be fixed!

I also heard from K-G Knitter today.  She received the giveaway package that she won in honor of my first blogoversary.  Sounded to me like she is enjoying her spoils.  This time I stitched and crafted!  I borrowed/copied (with permission) Faye's pin making technique and I sent a set of counting pins along with my goodie package. 

The pattern that I ended up stitching for the giveaway was Count Your Blessings by Shakespeare's Peddler.  This was the first time that I have stitched one of Theresa's patterns.  I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I have a few more of hers in my stash.  This was also my first adventure in finishing a flat fold.  For my first time I thought it came out rather nice.  I'm sure that there was a small learning curve involved, but Vonna's tutorials are the bomb and I had it done in no time.  I know there will be many more flat folds in my future.

Count Your Blessings by Shakespeare's Peddler

Stitched on 40ct Creme Brulee by R&R

Color changes were made on this design

Backing fabric is from Moda and is part of a Blackbird Designs collection

So, with all the craziness of today, I'm going to delay my pictures from the last day of vacation.  I promise to post them soon.

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend.  And if you are in one of the hot areas of the States like I am, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and seek out lots of a/c.  We are looking at triple digits and high humidity here.......I guess we will be suffering through our outside activities this weekend!

Happy Stitching!

Downward Slide and Vacation Day 4

Boy, am I glad that today is Wednesday.  That means that we are on the downward slide towards the weekend.  And, after yesterday, I really need the weekend sooner rather than later!

Yesterday did not start off well.  First thing in the morning I noticed that the a/c was leaking in the closet of the second bedroom.  It happened last year too, but I didn't notice it until all of my clothes in that closet were soaking wet.  At least I was on the lookout for it this year.  (Our unit is old, but I hope it will hold out for another year or so until we are able to move into a house with a yard and a garage.) 

Second, shortly after I arrived at work I got yelled at by a client.  It would be one thing if I was my fault, but I had nothing to do with it and I was just trying to help since my boss was not in yet.  Still, I reminded her that the IRS does not work on our schedule and I sent her scowling little self out of the door.  The whole time I was talking to her I had a happy smile plastered on my face because I wasn't going to let the likes of her get me down.

The third, and final pain in the rear moment of the day was when I tried to call Hubby to tell him that the a/c guy would be there in the afternoon to fix the problem.  I couldn't get Hubby to answer the house phone or his cell phone......ALL...DAY...LONG!  Now, I know that I left him asleep in the bed as I went out the door to work.  What could have happened to him?  I know he didn't have a shift at the restaurant and he wasn't supposed to play golf!  Well, about six hours later he finally called me back.  Turns out that he was called in to work his new second/temporary job.  I'm so glad that it turned out that he was working......I was seriously beginning to worry!

At least there were some good things that came out of the day.  We got the a/c fixed and we should be good to go on that front.  Hubby came home tired and happy from a fulfilling day of work....and he is going to get paid good money for working too.  Hopefully this job will last for awhile since we could really use the money to make up for the time Hubby was out of work at the beginning of this year.

The best thing of all.........Hubby made spaghetti dinner while I stitched on my Sampler Girl piece last night.  In my opinion, it can't get much better than that.

The only thing that comes close to that for me is the time that I spent with Hubby on vacation.  On Day 4, Hubby and Grandfather played 9 holes of golf while MIL and I got things ready for a beach day.  After we sent Grandfather off for his three hour drive home we jumped in Hubby's truck for some four wheeling on the beach in Corolla.  I absolutely love going down to Corolla and driving on the beach.  Sometimes we get lucky and we see the wild horses, but not that day.  However we did see lots of Pelicans, Osprey and other sea birds flying by. 

Then, just before we left I got the greatest gift.......I got to see dolphins playing out in the wild.  I've seen them many times at amusement parks and Sea World, but this is the first time I've seen them in their natural habitat.  I had the best lens on my camera, but they were still too far away.  Still, I snapped away and hubby got the best shot of all (even if it is a little pixalated from zooming in on the picture after it was taken).

After a great day at the beach we sat down to homemade fajitas that Hubby cooked.  Everyone was tired and well fed after a great dinner.  I even got a more done on my Seaside Memories piece before heading to sleep that night.  Days at the beach are my favorite!

Stay tuned......Day 5 was another great beach day!

Happy Stitching!

RAK, Stash & Vacation Day 3

It was another hot, humid and busy weekend around here, so there is much to share on this Monday post.

Late last week I send off a RAK to Sherry over at Isn't It All About Me?.  Sherry has been in search of a flower frog and hasn't been able to get her hands on one.  Well, with all of my recent frog acquisitions, I decided that I would send her one of the ones in my stash.  (It is the frog from this previous post.)  I have to say, it's so nice to be able to RAK.  I know that there will be many more RAK's in my future and I have started making plans for them already.  So, you never know when or where the RAK monster will hit!

On Saturday I went with a couple of friends to a not so local LNS.  It was supposed to be a 45 minute ride up, but it turned into a much longer one than that due to traffic.  Good thing there was great company and conversation!  Of course, we finally arrived and were more than ready to shop when we got there.  This is the first time I've been to a LNS since my trip to Arizona.  While it is nice to fondle all the goodies, I really didn't need anything.  But who cares about need?  When it comes to stitching stuff it is all about stashing!  I ended up with two older books from Blackbird Designs (A Fine Collection and Peppermint & Holly), some great 40ct Lakeside Linen (Copper, Autumn Gold, and Winter Sky), a new to me Bent Creek, a Just Nan (with fabric) and a Little House Sampler.

Don't you just love this Bent Creek?  I've never noticed this Row, so I'm guessing that it is an older one.  As soon as I saw it I knew that it had to be mine.  With my love of all things beachy I'm pretty sure that I this will be at the top of my "want to do now" pile.  However, once I get it stitched and framed, I will have to take it off the wall and hide it whenever my parents or my MIL comes to visit.  Otherwise I may end up with a missing piece of stitching!

I have to blame Maggee over at Stitching Devotee for the last part of my stash acquisition on Saturday.  I had seen this lovely LHN's Summer Sampler on her blog.  Her finish is perfect.  (You can see it here.  Didn't she do a fabulous job?)  I already have the Winter and Autumn Samplers in my stash, so you know I had to get the complete set after seeing her grand finish.

Moving on........I thought I'd share some more about our Outer Banks vacation.  On Day 3, Hubby's 90+ year old grandfather drove three hours to vacation with us for a couple of days.  Shortly after Grandfather arrived, he and Hubby headed out to play 18 holes of golf.  (Yes.....you read that right.....three hours of driving and then 18 holes of golf!)  That meant that MIL and I got in more shopping.  This time we headed to The Christmas Mouse, the Cotton Gin (one of my favorites) and a few other places.  Later we went to dinner at Lone Pine.

Over at Lone Pine, there is a nesting pair of Osprey.  You can get a real good look at them from the restaurant's deck.  But, by the time we got there it was so dark that we couldn't see them.  We vowed to come back before it was time to go and take some pictures.

But, since this post is a little long, you will just have to stay tuned for those pictures.  Oh, and as for a picture of my stitching on Day 3.....well.....there was no after dinner stitching that night since we didn't get back until after 11 PM.  After all, Hubby and Grandfather had to be up early the next morning for an 8 AM tee time.  Nine holes don't you know!

Happy Stitching!

P.S. for Claudia........your box will be in the mail this week!  Hopefully tomorrow!

When Is Vacation Again? (Day Two Pictures)

My Friday didn't start out on a good note.  First I dropped off the rental car at Enterprise and then they gave me a ride to the collision center so that I could pick up my car.  Well........let's just keep a long story short and say that my car wasn't right.  I had to sit there and wait for it to be corrected......TWO DIFFERENT TIMES........and it still isn't fully right.  At this point, I'm just happy that I have my car back!  Right now I'm just waiting for a call from the collision center or the insurance company to see what we need to do next.  UGH!  I'm ready for another vacation already!!!!

Speaking of vacation, day two was a ton of fun.  We went kayaking on the Alligator River.  It was the first time that I have ever been kayaking.  (I've been canoeing before, but I was real young and did no paddling whatsoever.)  Let's just say that it was an experience and I don't "paddle well with others".  At least I don't paddle well with my MIL in the rear of the kayak.  We finally got it down at the end, but it was too late by then.  Next time I'll be confident enough to go solo!

We didn't see any alligator, but there were lots of jumping fish and tons of lillypads.  On the way out of the refuge we felt adventurous and hubby took us down a few dirt roads.  We ended up seeing a big black bear!  It was amazing!  Unfortunately, no pictures.  No one dared to take their good cameras for fear of them ending up at the bottom of the river so all we had were cheap 35mm waterproof cameras.  I took a few pictures of the bear with those, but I have a feeling all that you will be able to see is a small black spot.

After kayaking, we decided to spend the afternoon at the pool.  I ended up falling asleep on the lounge chair and I had a great cat nap before dinner.  For dinner we treated Hubby's mom to Mexican.  It was the least we could do since she shared the time share with us!  Upon returning from dinner Hubby and I went out on the golf course to take some pictures of the night sky.  Once the mosquitoes came out I headed inside and I picked up my stitching and set myself to work.  Not much got done and after all the excitement of the day it was an early night to bed......

Here are a few of the pictures I took that night........

This weekend will be interesting since I will be baby(dog) sitting my four-legged "sister", Zoe.  It should be fun since she and my pup get along like litter mates.  I just hope that there aren't any toy disasters this time!

Hope you have a great weekend.  Happy Stitching!