My Second to Last Post

At least before moving to Texas. We found out last night that we got the house for temporary living in June/July until our apartment is ready July 14. Yay! The problem? We have to leave California June 8th to be in Texas by June 10th. We also have to miss the wedding we were really looking forward to going to. I'm actually really bummed about that :(

Also, I'm slowly slowly catching up on reading blogs. So if you see me pop up and comment on a post from early May, sorry! But I'm really trying to give every post the attention it deserves so there it is. I'm sure three days in a car won't help.

Didn't get much stitching done at all. My mind has been elsewhere. But here goes.

Before:

After:

College of Magical Knowledge by James Christensen from Heaven and Earth Designs
Stitching on 25 count antique white evenweave
1 thread over 1 with DMC

My next (and last) post before I leave will be for the WIPocalypse. Hopefully by then I can finish Tiny Rose Garden. Speaking of which, time to stitch furiously!

Happy stitching, everyone!

A Finish!!!

I'll save the finish for last, hehehe

First of all, I want to let you all know that Lesli from Fabulous Frogger is having an amazing giveaway - an HAED chart, fully kitted with fabric and floss. So hop on over there, follow her blog anyway because it's awesome, and enter the giveaway! She's by far one of the most generous bloggers I know.

Secondly, I received the floss I won from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe! Here it is below, pictured on the piece of fabric I bought to back the throw pillow I'm going to make out of "Tiny Rose Garden Mandala"

In order from left to right they are "Persimmon Dark," "Summer Russet," "Candy Pink," "Squash," and "Taupe." I love them - I just have to figure out what to stitch with them! I'm thinking some sort of small, monochromatic sampler or other monochromatic design. But we'll see - you'll definitely be informed of my decision.

Now for the result of the secret stitch. I decided to stitch an anniversary gift for Boyfriend. So, without further ado, here it is!

Albero innamorato by Allesandra Adelaide

Stitched on 25 count antique white Evenweave

2 threads over 1 with DMC

This explains all the green in my TUSAL cup! It was a fun stitch and came out really well, I just wouldn't do it in two weeks. It was more work than I bargained for. But Boyfriend loved it (he got me a lot of Arctic Zero ice cream which is awesome because 1. I love ice cream and 2. It's 150 calories PER PINT .... you read that correctly. He also got us champagne which we will share on our actual anniversary tomorrow). 

Not much to update on Texas news. We found movers but we're waiting on a start date for Boyfriend. He's done all his drug tests and physicals so it's just a matter of waiting and figuring out where we're going to stay. We're currently trying to work something out with a couple who is renting out their home for a month since they're travelling and ask that whoever stays there just pays a fraction of the rent, the utilities, and feeds their two cats. We're hoping that pans out and if it does we might end up driving out there in a week or so. Yikes! 

At Boyfriend's right now so in between packing up all his stuff and trying to get everything done, I'll be stitching on College.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, remembering all those who have given so much. 

IHSW, TUSAL, and more news!

First, IHSW. We're still in California so I'm taking every opportunity I have to stitch in between taking care of things for a cross-country move (YIKES!). The upcoming move has changed my rotation a bit. I really want to finish Tiny Rose Garden Mandala before I leave since I need my mom (and her sewing machine) to finish it into a pillow. I'm also still working on the secret stitch, which I'll show you guys next week (super excited!).

So here's my Tiny Rose Garden Mandala before and after IHSW.

Before:

After:

Next step, the TUSAL for the month!

And the last stitch-related update is I won a giveaway! I actually won this giveaway May 15, but I didn't know since I've been going crazy lately! I won Nancy's hand-dyed floss giveaway over at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. I'm super excited about this because I've never won a giveaway before! Looking forward to getting my floss and sharing it with you all.

I've been going a bit crazy lately because of the move. I'm going to be honest - I'm really excited about moving to Texas. It's a brand new adventure for us and it will be exciting. BUT we're moving to Midland, Texas. There's nothing wrong with Midland as a town, but they're currently going through a boom and there are no places to live! Boyfriend has 30 days to relocate for work and I was starting to get worried about us actually finding a place! I was seriously ready to just get on a plane and fly out there blind just to find a place. But last week, on a whim, I sent a rental application to a complex via FedEx overnight. Afterwards I wondered why I bothered sending it overnight since per their email they didn't have anything until August. The next morning I received an email from one of their leasing agents that they had an apartment, within our budget, available mid-July. Do we want it? YES WE WANT IT. I jumped on it. Granted now we have to figure out what to do for June, but we'll hotel hop and it will all work out. I hope. At least we've got an apartment lined up!

The bathroom reno is going really well. We've picked out all the appliances, tile, colors, everything. Now we just have to get the house re-piped and next week the reno should start. I anticipate it looking really nice. Will provide you all with a before and after, which I anticipate will be really dramatic.

Last night Boyfriend and I went to a fancy dinner at Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino for our anniversary. Our anniversary isn't until May 29th, but considering the move and everything we decided to do it a little earlier. Oh my oh my it was AMAZING. This was a dining experience quite unlike any other. It was FANCY. And it was amazing. They asked what the occasion was, so we told them anniversary and at the end they brought out this beautifully decorated plate with a dessert with a candle and some champagne, all on the house. It was really lovely. An absolutely amazing night.

So, if you're still here with me after that novel of a post, thanks for all of your lovely supportive comments. You are all AMAZING and don't worry, I'll keep posting! You'll all get Texas updates and posts of the roadtrip (did I mention we're driving to Texas?) Thank you all for being here for me - you're all wonderful.

A bit of an announcement

I know I've been a little MIA recently. I've been working on a secret stitch I can't post yet (but will hopefully be able to post by the end of the week).

I do have an announcement, though. I haven't been talking about this because it's been personal but for the last year Boyfriend has been hard at work looking for a job. I know a lot of you know how hard it is out there so when he got a verbal offer last Thursday, we were carefully ecstatic. The written offer came in yesterday and I didn't want to say anything until it did. I will not be around as much for the next month or so, because Boyfriend and I are moving to Texas together! This is why I haven't been around much. Not stitching, posting, or reading - because I've been freaking out about finding a place to live halfway across the country. We're hoping to fly out there in the next couple of days and take care of everything. Until then, I apologize for my silence, but I'll keep you all updated!

I guess this means I won't have to stitch College in hiding anymore!

WIPocalypse, the fifth coming

My WIPocalypse post is a little bit late, mostly because yesterday was spent looking for bathroom tile (we're gutting our bathroom which poses the problem of having to replace what's there) and having a single, giant, margarita. This then ended with Boyfriend stating, "do you really want to write a margarita blog post?" Very helpful he is. Helpful AND he knows how to share since I'm still recovering from the germs he shared.

"College of Magical Knowledge" before WIPocalypse:

Last WIPocalypse:

Now:

College of Magical Knowledge by James Christensen from Heaven and Earth Designs
Stitching on 25 count antique white evenweave
1 thread over 1 with DMC


"Mario" before WIPocalypse:

Last WIPocalypse:

Now:

Mario - darklilac.com self-made chart
Stitching on 22 count white Aida
2 threads over 1 with DMC


"Riding the Wave" before WIPocalypse:

Last WIPocalypse and Now:

"Tiny Rose Garden Mandala" before WIPocalypse:

Last WIPocalypse and Now:

A Tiny Rose Garden Mandala by Chatelaine Designs (freebie)
Stitching on 32 count hardanger
2 threads over 2
DMC, Thread Gatherer Silk n' Colors, and Mill Hill Seed Beads


"Middle Earth" before WIPocalypse:

Last WIPocalypse:

Now:

Middle Earth from Heaven and Earth Designs
Stitching on 25 count antique white evenweave
1 over 1 with DMC


"Greek Mandala" was not started before WIPocalypse

Last WIPocalypse:

Now:

So there you go! I went a little over on my 10 hours with Greek Mandala, but I just couldn't stop! It's a lot of fun to stitch. Back to Mario now, though - gotta get that guy finished. Definitely ready to have him out of my rotation. Still a ways to go, though.

If anyone reading this is an interior designer willing to help me out with my bathroom  let me know. I'm able to pay in warm fuzzies and chocolate. I already have some ideas, I just need someone to help me out with putting them all together.

Off to feed ridiculously handsome and helpful germ-sharing Boyfriend. Happy stitching, all!