Wednesday, January 30, 2013

If you give a stitcher a gift card

It's Mom's fault.  She gave me a $25 gift card for my birthday present.  I sent her the following picture as an idea for my birthday gift.  It was only $6.99, and would fit in with my office projects.  

 Instead of ordering it for me, she gave me a gift card.  So I ordered the above  kit along with this:

Tempo tape.  I use it to mark my spot on patterns.  It just  helps me keep my spot.  And since it's removable  it doesn't damage the paper.  I had used up what I had and needed more.  

Unfortunately, the day I ordered the above, I'd forgotten to use my gift card, so I paid for it.  

A short 24 hours later, I got a catalog with the pattern for this listed:

Oh my gosh!  I was in love.  This was the perfect project to use my gift card on!  I showed it to a friend and we then ventured to the Heaven and Earth Designs website to look at other designs.  Once there, I found that their patterns were on sale.  More than half off the price listed in the catalog.  So, I bought the above pattern.  I was able to download it, so I printed it out.  I think it's going to be my next project (well, after Mr. Jefferson, but he's a quick-y project.)  

And, in my excitement, I forgot to use my gift card.

The pattern is called "Mini Eldars Secret."  The pattern is 12 pages.  Every single square of those twelve pages is one stitch.  Stitched over 25 count fabric.  The finished design will be 9 x 13 inches. It also uses 89 colors of floss. It's a big commitment. But, before I can start on it, I need fabric. 


 I ran to Hobby Lobby and bought the linen I need...and some new needles.
 . Because it's such a densely stitched project, it's not advised to use a hoop, so, of course, I had to buy a scroll frame to hold my project.
Once again, I forgot the gift card.

Then I went back to the  catalog I originally saw "Eldar" in, and ordered the following:
This box holds 100 floss baggies, which is what I store my floss in.  I decided this would be perfect for my project.  I could pull my 90 colors and keep them organized in a box nice and neat.

This time, this final time, I used my gift card. For an $11 item.

But because of the stinking gift card, I spent way more than $25.  

If only Mom had just bought the Jefferson sampler instead of giving me a gift card...





Tuesday, January 08, 2013

2012 Reading list

It's time for my annual "What I Read last year" list.  In 2011, I read over 100 titles.  In 2012, I only read 94 titles (excluding magazines and some re-reads that I just didn't document.)

The little "e's" in front of titles shows those I read as e-books.  I was curious to see how having an iPad with the Kindle and Nook apps changed my reading habits.  Some e-books, I read for free from the Kansas State Library's e-collection.  Free is always good!

Since I imported my list from excel, it doesn't really lend itself to comments about each title.  But I can say that my two most favorite reads of 2012 were:  Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness and Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham.  My favorite non-fiction title of the year was A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachael  Held Evans.  So, browse the list, pick out a title or two to read.  Let me know what you think of it!  And, if anyone has any questions about any title I read, feel free to ask.  I love discussing books.


e Clash of Kings George R R Martin
Sybil exposed Debbie Nathan
e Doomsday Book Connie Willis
e Sweet Revenge Nora Roberts
e Fated Carolyn Mccray
A feast for Crows George R R Martin
Storm of Swords George R R Martin
e Spying in High Heels Gemma Halliday
e Killer in High Heels Gemma Halliday
e Undercover in High Heels Gemma Halliday
e Alibi in High Heels Gemma Halliday
e Mayhem in High Heels Gemma Halliday
e Footsteps in Time Sarah Woodbury
e Prince of Time Sarah Woodbury
e Daughters of Time Sarah Woodbury
e Fearless in High Heels Gemma Halliday
Third Grave Dead Ahead Darynda Jones
Celebrety in Death J D Robb
Colonial Women Carole Chandler Waldrup
e The Winter King Bernard Cornwell
Tomorrow is Today Julie Cross
Prized Caragh M. O'Brien
Tortured Caragh M. O'Brien
e The Witch's Daughter Paula Brackston
e This is me Surviving Kathie in FL
e Mom's Journal of the Zombie Years Kathie in FL
e Over the mountain and through the Fire Kathie in FL
Maze Runner James Dashner
The Witness Nora Roberts
Sugar Nation Jeff O'Connell
e Discovery of Witches Deborah Harkness
The Serpent's Shadow Rick Riordan
The Last Boyfriend Nora Roberts
e Lights out David Crawford
e Deadlocked Charlaine Harris
Vengeance Born Kylie Griffin
e The Bride Price Tracey Jane Jackson
e Daughter of Joy Kathleen Morgan
e Sagebrush William Wayne Dicksion
e Why I left the Amish Saloma Miller Furlong
50 shades of grey E L James
e Confessions of a prairie bitch Allison Arngrim
If walls could talk Lucy Worsley
e Wicked Business Janet Evanovich
Ruby Red Kristen Gier
e Shadow of Night Deborah Harkness
e The Stolen Crown Susan Higginbotham
e Tumbleweeds Leila Meacham
Once Burned Jeaniene Frost
 Goddess Test Aimee Carter
Goddess Interrupted Aimee Carter
Grave Mercy Robin LaFevers
e The Last Romanov Dora Levy Mossanen
e Through a Glass Darkley Karleen Koen
Sky Dragons Todd & Anne McCaffrey
e Mountain Woman: Snake River Blizzard Johnny Fowler
e Wonder Woman: Odyssey Michael Straczynski
Nightshade Andrea Cremer
Wolfsbane Andrea Cremer
Delusion in Death J D Robb
Bloodrose Andrea Cremer
Sister Wives The Browns
Love times three The Dargers
The unthinkable: who survives when disaster strikes Amanda Ripley
Bitterblue Kristin Cashore
Rift Andrea Cremer
Why is the Penis Shaped like that? Jesse Bering
e The Covenant Beverly Lewis
The Uninvited Heather Graham
The Betrayal Beverly Lewis
The Sacrifice Beverly Lewis
The Prodigal Beverly Lewis
The Revelation Beverly Lewis
Holy Misogyny April D DeConick
e Return of Rafe MacKade Nora Roberts
e Pride of Jared MacKade Nora Roberts
e Heart of Devin MacKade Nora Roberts
e Fall of Shane MacKade Nora Roberts
Promised Caragh O'Brien
The Mark of Athena Rick Riordan
e A Year of Biblical Womanhood Rachael Held Evans
The Perfect Hope Nora Roberts
Fourth Grave beneath my feet Darynda Jones
Consider the fork:  a history of how we cook and eat Bee Wilson
Sapphire Blue Kerstin Gier
The Physick book of Deliverance Dane Katherine Howe
Lord of Mountains S. M. Stirling
Witch of Hebron James Howard Kunstler
Son Lois Lowry
Kiss of Midnight Lara Adrian
Kiss of Crimson Lara Adrian
Mary Boleyn: the mistress of Kings Alison Weir
Nightshade Nora Roberts
Night Smoke
Wrong Hill to Die On
Nora Roberts
Donis Casey