Graah

One reason to dislike my menstrual cycle: at certain point of it missing Mr. Wonderful is a bit too much to cope with. Dang. (I guess it's calling time tomorrow - taking that I have credit on my cell...)

I was cleaning the living room earlier today and I finally piled up all the designs I bought from eBay during December... the pile was about 30 centimeters high (and as it consists of booklets and leaflets you can imagine how many patterns there are...) and it doesn't include those Wentzler's I bought for Linda and few frog booklets I sent to US.

I need to list them, which doesn't sound like a very enjoyable task, and then I need to find a place for them from my craft shelf... which will be yet another achievement, but the main thing is: loads of beautiful stash and it is all mine!

Never say "never"

I have proved this true once again: you remember how much I hate vacuum cleaners?

You do? Great.

What if I tell you that I have one nowadays?

While I was still looking for a job I was watching Home Shopping Network one day and saw one product which raised my interest for three reasons: it doesn't have dust bag (if that is the word) so no need to run in stores to look for replacements (you know how much fun that is...), it has a HEPA filter and it filters the "sucktion product" through water which should catch most dust particles on their way (in a regular hoover smallest parts go through the whole system and it's bad for an asthmatic person).
Well, after thinking of it for few days I got it.

As surprised as I am it actually is a pleasant product to use (no dust smell when hoovering and no coughing), it works like a charm and it reveals amazing things about the lifeform called "cat hair".
You can sweep the floor twice and still you have two egg-sized furballs in the water container when you have hoovered living room floor.

I am afraid that this thing may make me clean more often (well, Mr. Wonderful has that affect too: he is NEAT)...

Bewitching enabling

I got an Amazon gift certificate from a friend over the holidays, did some shopping and yesterday I got my parcel from the post office on my way to work. Be forewarned that this may be an enabling entry (and full of typos, I have a migraine).

I bought Joan Eliott's Bewitching Cross Stitch only because I liked the dragon on the cover (a real must stitch, don't you think?) and was pleasantly surprised when I browsed the book through.

   

These are only my most favourite desisgns in it, it does have couple of nice ones in addition of these and then some. Really worth the money, if you suddenly have a need to buy it for yourself.

I also got Teresa Wentzler's Carousel, but I realised today that I actually have it as it is in The Best of Teresa Wentzler Fantasy Collection and have been pondering do I keep it, as it would be easier to get working copies from, or do I add it to that envelope of TWs which is heading to Linda's home after next pay day.

You see, Linda did a woman's work (visit this post to congratulate her) and stitched Ellen Maurer-Stroh's beatiful Rose Sampler in less than three months and as Linda needed to finish it within 2008 (because she had added the year almost right after she started!) I gave her a little incentive: if she finishes it before 2009 I will send her a stash prize.
Then I started to buy TWs from eBay and when ever I found some of the designs twice in reasonable price I bid for both.
So, now I have a nice thick envelope filled with TWs to send to Linda for her prize-winning stitching (oh yes, I will surely send them insured as there are some Out-Of-Prints).

Yes, I love to enable.

Har har :P

"Did Noah keep his bees in archives?"

This, other truths and question and loads of great free fonts can be found from Font Garden

Feverish Blogging

While placing an order for flosses for a projct I justified postages by ordering "few" other things... stitchy, but also ATC/ scrapbooking stash simply out of the blue.
I don't have the faintest idea why, but I guess my excuse is that I have a fever (caught a bug from Málaga) and therefore I am allowed to do odd things.

Need a laugh?

Here it comes:

Typo In Proposition 8 Defines Marriage As Between 'One Man And One Wolfman'

December 17, 2008 | Issue 44•51

SACRAMENTO, CA—Activists on both sides of the gay marriage debate were shocked this November, when a typographical error in California's Proposition 8 changed the state constitution to restrict marriage to a union between "one man and one wolfman," instantly nullifying every marriage except those comprised of an adult male and his lycanthrope partner.
"The people of California made their voices heard today, and reaffirmed our age-old belief that the only union sanctioned in God's eyes is the union between a man and another man possessed by an ungodly lupine curse," state Sen. Tim McClintock said at a hastily organized rally celebrating passage of the new law. But opponents, including Bakersfield resident Patricia Millard—who is now legally banned from marrying her boyfriend, a human, non-wolfman male—claim it infringes on their civil liberties. "I love James just as much as a wolfman loves his husband," Millard said. "We deserve the same rights as any horrifying mythical abomination."

On the heels of the historic typo, voters in Utah passed a similar referendum a week later, defining marriage as between one man and 23 wolfmen.

Back

Well, what can I say other than that Málaga was cold despite the fact that all thermometers claimed +10°C- +12°C (and Pete's sake, no heating... Ok, I know it's the Southern Coast of Spain, but still it would do some good) and that those 2½ days weren't enough?

Life hasn't been treating Mr. Wonderful very well lately and to put a cherry on top of it he got sick during the weekend and my poor man has to be sick all on his own (eat the logenzes I left and think of me). (Who knows, maybe for the next time he gets cold he is in Finland getting it. *whistles innocently*)
And it may be that I got the bug from him too (I wonder how... *ahem*).

No pictures, as you may guess we weren't out that much *innocent cough* and all the pictures I have are of Mr. Wonderful and I am SO not going to share that gorgeousness. *evil grin*

Short note aout airlines: Brussels Airlines could improve leg space, customer service and server food on their flights...

That Rant...

The gossip of ex SIL dating my ex boyfriend was just a gossip (if it originates from SIL's mother I don't wonder), but I kind of hope at this moment that it was true.

Brother's kids were here over New Year and Brother took them back home 5th of this month. My mother and I started to wonder in following day why he hasn't come back here yet...
I went to see our father in 6th and heard from him that Brother is coming back in that day - he indeed came and with a rather interesting, and very distressing, story.
Long story short: kids had asked my brother to stay over there for a night (he confirmed it with both his ex and her BH before staying) and at some point of the evening, when kids were already in bed and adults were spending time together former SIL's new "better" half assaulted my brother because of a childish misunderstanding ("B"H was also very drunk, I was told) and my brother took refuge at local police station - after being taken to ER for a medical check.

While spending the night at police station Brother heard from the officers that the guy his ex wife is involved with is not just an ex convict (which isn't an issue as such), but has history of violence and drugs and apparently also present with at least with violence (I heard that his way to "train" dogs contains... hitting, hitting and some more hitting) and alcohol - it's also possible that he is already abusing ex SIL and we are quite afraid of when he broadens his horizons to the kids...

Ex SIL thinks her BH is "a REAL™ man" because he is controlling and abusive... and I really don't mind about her, but that "real" man of hers is a danger to her kids - but that "real" man can also be the reason why Brother will get sole custody.

He's out at the moment, apparently reporting BH to police and filing a case against him.

There's so much more to this, but I am just too pissed with the situation to think about them.

Oh my, it's 2009 already! O.o

Excuses are plenty, time isn't, but I guess you have guessed that I have been slaving at work until yesterday (and had a killer migraine just to spice things up).
Yesterday I got my new baby, and to my shock I kind of like the visual look of Vista - but it's functionality isn't very intuitive - maybe because it reminds me so much of Linux and Macs.
Still, only bad thing I have to say about my new baby is that it came with a preinstalled OS... I would have rather had a backup on a disk.

So, you probably have guessed that I have sat and configured Baby since yesterday (though I went to hairdresser earlier today as it's Friday soon!) and there is still loads of work to do with this (after those six long hours of Vista updates and bug fixes - and today there was a BIOS update. Updates never end..).

Holidays came and went, and my old HP has loads of pictures waiting to be uploaded (and transferred to Baby HP)(one of the cats gave us a good scare in form of health issues and I am trying to get through to vet's office to get her results while blogging (ETA: due all the holidays her results won't be ready until tomorrow)).

Anyway, this is quite much about it now... a friends only entry will follow soon as I want to rant a bit...

My new Love

Don't tell Him, but I fell in love today...

Kawaii! ^^ - and I know how to spend 67€/ month for next 11 months.

(My excuse is that I have been thinking of buying a new laptop for a while as my HP's touchpad isn't as good as it used to be, which bothers me tremendously when I design.)

Advantages of being sick

I haven been stitching, not much, but that is much more than I have managed lately. Those antibiotics are bad for my stitching though as they make me tired and I can't concentrate on anything after I take my daily pill.

And, I surprised myself yesterday and spent some lovely hours with my designing software - and actually designed few things, couple of them got finished yesterday and some are still waiting for some fine tuning.
I have to say that I am very pleased with the big design I finished yesterday, I have actually already been looking for the right floss (I need something "desert-y". burmt umbra, burnt orange, muted...) for it, but I guess it is one of those cases which require lucky accidents. (ETA: 12-Grain, Colonial Copper, Just Rust)

Otherwise life is going on: I am getting better and cats are enjoying extra company (my sister came here yesterday, which means that there is 10 cats now in this two bedrooms apartment ).

Yup, I am insane...

...but I guess that wasn't a surprise to anyone?

My mother mentioned that one of my brother's kids would love to have their own "copy" of The Panda and as I also heard that my brother has the Panda with him I apparently gave up and have since been thinking "Maybe I could do again it anyway...".
Though if I do I will surely tweak the design somewhat to look more like a panda and be more pleasant to my eyes.

On the other news I finally paid the first part of Stitching Weekend, bought some snowman stash from 1-2-3 Stitch! for the Frosty Friends exchange and realised today that I need some pink fabric for one model... so, I also placed an order at Silkweaver.
It seems that you always lack some stash, no matter how hard you try...

Alive, sick and waiting for January

I have suffered from mild URI from last week and being work-a-holic I have been working as I had no fever. Few days ago I jokingly said to one of my co-workers that I will surely get sick when I have my days off...
Well, unfortunately that was true and yesterday morning I went to see a doctor as I was coughing quite badly.

Result of that visit was sick leave to 22nd for viral upper and lower respiratory infections and course of antibiotics because I am asthmatic and in greater risk to catch bacterial infection, and because I was already coughing yellow sputum (sign of bacterial infection).

Getting suitable antibiotics was a quest itself: it took half an hour for the pharmacist and my doctor to find suitable one for me because of my allergies...

So, finally I have some time for finer things of life, but not the energy because those antibiotics make me sleepy.

Anyway, I am glad to announce you that I will be off from 9th to 12th (rather 13th as I come back late) of January because I go to Malaga to see Mr.Wonderful.

Yes, only for a weekend, but we thought it's better than not seeing at all for G-d knows how long period.

It's my day off and time for...

...some more stashy goodness!

I guess I have moseynmeitis too... I remember how few years ago I didn't like any of their designs! There are still some, but oddly I have acquired few of their designs... and stitched two. (I guess it should be The House on Addict Street... )

Dragon Dreams is always Dragon Dreams, nothing to add to that.

That Passione Ricamo is OOP and in normal case I would have had to pay appr. $15 for it... I happened to get it for $3.26! (I wouldn't have bought it in its "normal" price.)
When it comes to Man into a Credit Card... do I need to even tell you why I needed it?!

I guess I have to add Patricia Andrle into that evergrowing list of My Favourite Designers as I just had to get Galleon and Sea Monsters even it wasn't exactly on the cheap side...

When it comes to cross stitch designs in general I think I should add to my wishlist "anything from Isabelle Vautier". There seems to be only few of her designs which I don't simply adore... She has really unique style and I am sure I would love to stitch quite many of her creations.

Just in case I haven't saved this one yet...

"The search for truth is more precious than its possession."
-- Albert Einstein

Stitching retreat, here I come!

I went to Violarium's site just to buy some floss for the final part of the Birthday Thread Exchange (because I didn't have anything suitable - yeah, right) and after I had finished shopping I noticed little link in the sidebar, it said Stitching Weekend and I got curious...

Leena is organizing a stitchy weekend next March in Northern Finland with a finishing workshop (materials are included with the price) and, of course, with a possibility to buy some new stash! Not to forget the fact that we have a cook and whole weekend for just stitching and gossiping! And I finally have the possibility to meet Leena as even we live in the same country we have never met before.

I think it is 190 € (+ 72 € for train tickets) well spent (money wise it means working one "extra" Sunday, so it's relatively cheap (admittedly my tax percentage rises in coming year, but stll)).

As we are talking about Violarium here, just look at these pretties: Séduction & Trésor d'Automne.
Trésor d'Automne is actually what I have had in mind regarding the colour scheme of one design, but I didn't know about this particular colour before today. One worry less.

I think I have theprairieschooleritis too

Both Two by Twos are from 1-2-3 Stitch! and Punch & Judy is bought one of my trusted sellers from eBay.

Some more santas... it seems that I just have to get the whole series.

I had never even heard of the Prairie Fairies before I accidentally stumbled on them at eBay...

It is a serious illness, folks...

... and it is called teresawentzleritis.

Cure? Who needs a cure?!