Summer Projects

I just finished the final stitches on 'Land of the Free.' Well, I have not decided where my initials will go. If I were clever, I would try to frame it in this wreath that has been hanging under my mantel.
This design is the perfect size, by the way. It is small, but includes several specialty stitches.

If you can get a hold of a copy of "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady," I know you will be inspired. I have seen this book on several homeschool blogs where the ladies display a page of this book for the children to look at during the day. This is the a facsimile of a 1906 natural journal with paintings, verses, and records of things seen each day of the year.

Here is an update on my ongoing Pantry Project. So far, I have cleared out all my seasonal candles, potting soil, and Mod Podge to make room for all these glass jars from W@l-M@rt and T@rget. My plan is to have super-cute matching labels for each jar. I am also eyeing more baskets to keep paper products, grab-and-go snacks, etc.

This is my training ground for The Ultimate Organizing Project - The Craft Closet!

Baby Steps! ;)

Happy Birthday, USA!!!

For my patriotic stitching today, I began Blackbird Designs' 'Land of the Free' from the July 2011 Cross-Stitch & Needlework magazine. The design calls for Belle Soie with no conversion given, so I just pulled colors from my overdyed cotton collection. So far I have used WDW Scuppernong, WDW Blue Jeans, WDW Raspberry, WDW Cinnabar, GAST Harvest Basket, and CC Whatley Woodlands stitched on 32 ct antique ivory. I have stitch many Americana designs over the years, but I have given them all to my mom. I am thinking about keeping this one for myself. ;)

I think I have gotten over my APP block. I can see the finish line - which is probably the real reason for starting a new design today.

It has been a thundery, steamy 4th down here in the 13th Colony. The girls were heartbroken that they did not get to swim. We made a double batch of Ri$e Kri$pie Treat$, and we played a game of Ha$$y Po$$er Clue. It is definitely more complex than the old Clue with some clever twists.

God Bless America, Land That I Love!!

Seeing Red

I finished this french marking sampler from the Summer 2011 S&ANQ while I was avoiding Ann Pennsylvania Peacock. I used DMC 3831 and 356.

I think I finally found a pretty good match for the sampler thread on Ann's dress. It still stresses me though. Look at the warped band on the house. I can't decide whether it bothers me enough to actually rip it out and restitch it though!

Dance Shoes, Stitching Blues, and Other News

The other news first: My dining room looks as scrupulously clean as it will ever be. I just wanted to document that. What is not pictured is the odd assortment of jumbled items I removed from the table. I still don't quite know what to do with that.

The roses on the table were tokens from my parents for my two ballerinas. Buttercup danced three numbers in each of two performances, and Nutmeg danced 6 in 2 and 8 in 2 others. I think. My body, mind, and spirit are still trying to recover. What with the costumes, shoes, drama, hair glue, drama, fast food, and did I mention DRAMA, I am still trying to process the weekend. Here are a few pictures. Just know that I could make this an extremely long recital post, but I am saving room for some stitching.

And this is the piece that has given me the stitching blues. This lovely design is the reason I have not stitched in weeks. (besides the fact that I had a nasty incident with the food processor blade last weekend.) I started with a new skein of Sea Spray and it is too green. It just makes me feel sick for some reason. I have become paralyzed and unable to work on any project now.

Surely I will get to a needlework shop before the end of summer. Surely they will have a slightly less green Sea Spray. Surely this will not be the end of my stitching life. (Surely I will be more careful around the food processor in the future.)

Days of Our Lives

I posted this rough draft of our day on a homeschooling forum. The question was "What does you day homeschooling a middle school child look like?"

7-8am: Repeated attempts to drag dd10 out of bed. She takes 6 dance classes a week and gets home at 8:30 pm most nights, so I do want her to get as much sleep as possible.

"Do we have to do school today?"

Breakfast: Lots of "But we always have cereal! Can't you make waffles? Can't you makes biscuits?" (I do, as a matter of fact, often make a hot breakfast)

Mommie has coffee with Silk vanilla soy creamer and freshly grated nutmeg.

Girls unload dishwasher and feed pets all the while relating Star Wars trivia.

"Do we have to do school today?"

"How much school do we have to do?"

Girls practice piano ("Do you want to see me play it with my toes?"), and dd10 does violin.

"Can't we just not do school?"

Mommie: "Down to the school room!"

"But I have to go to the bathroom/I'm still hungry - may I have Cheetos?/ I need to change - this is itchy/ What are we having for supper?/ I bet Luke Skywalker did not have to do Latin"

Mommie pours more Silk vanilla soy creamer in her coffee.

Down to the school room where the downstairs cat Dorothy, aka "Dorf" lives.

Many attempts at Latin, Math, Phonics, History, Science, Grammar, etc interrupted by cat knocking over glasses of water, cat rubbing indiscreetly on school books, children running screaming from the table because a ladybug has landed on the far side of the table.

"Do we have to do school today?"

Mommie - "Go outside and walk around the yard few times!"

Mommie seriously considers drinking Silk vanilla soy creamer straight from the carton.

dd10 "dd6 is distracting me; may I take my work upstairs?" translation - may I go to my room and write a Star Wars book, while listening to my iPod and eating cheez-its?"

Mommie brings down yogurt, cheese, and whole grain crackers. Cat sticks her face in yogurt; girls hoot hysterically as cat grooms her pink-coated whiskers.

dd6 whispers to the thin air beside her before she writes down each answer, because Luke Skywalker is telling her the answers.

Mommie suddenly realizes what time it is and hurries everyone up stairs, throws a bag of bread at dd10, and instructs her to make sandwiches. "We always have sandwiches! Can't we have ravioli or quesadillas?"

Mommie considers taking a shower, but settles for washing her face and applying concealer under her sleep-deprived eyes.

Mommie grabs a protein shake, loads the car with the girls and a laundry basket full of books, and heads to town. The girls take various music and dance classes, while mommie "carschools" the other. A mad dash home for supper or to the sub shop depending on the day.

Home: Mommie considers a cup of evening coffee to help her stay awake until bedtime, and settles instead for a swig or two of Silk vanilla soy creamer. Play recital pieces once more; recite Latin lesson to Daddy. Tell Daddy about Jabba the Hutt's son. Family Prayers, and we are done!

Not quite: dd10 wakes up with growing pains. Dd6 is "lonely" and comes in to bed.

We're all in the bed.

Then the alarm goes off, and we do it again.