More than just Cross Stitchin': August 2010

Monday, August 30, 2010

The Beauty Of Nature

OK, I admit it... I have totally neglected my gardens this summer.

Thankfully, the butterfly bush is one of those plants that always seems to do well even when neglected, and the monarch butterflies have been flocking to it again this year. What a treat for the eyes to sit back and relax watching these winged beauties. But oh... here is a new visitor today...

... much to my delight (and suprise) there was this different type of butterfly this morning, fluttering about all by himself (herself?) and I was lucky enough to get a decent picture at just the right time.

Thanks for visiting little one... I guess you don't mind the weeds :^)

Tracey

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Some Progress

Finally! Some progress has been made since I last posted about Mirabilia's Summer In My Garden back in February.

Since I've been on holidays the past couple of weeks I have made myself sit down and get some stitching done. (I know, it's a hard thing to do when there is so much work to be done! ) Now when I look at this pic and see what I've done so far, I really need to give her a face and finish off that arm :^) (Please ignore the wrinkles.)

This really is a fun stitch... loving the colours! Not sure which one of the other 3 seasons to stitch next...

... well, autumn is just around the corner...

Tracey

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Another Hunka Hunka Burning Love

No, this is not another posting about Elvis but about another favourite singer of mine who I got the opportunity to see in concert on August 10th in Toronto. Mr. Michael Bublé...

Since my daughter lives in Toronto and has a birthday right around that same time, I thought why not get tickets for the concert and fit in a visit too?

I'm sure you've all heard the saying "it's not what you know but who you know". Well it turned out that my daughter's fiancé's cousin's best friend Erin (confused??) works backstage and has been touring with Mr. Bublé. She got word that we had tickets and was wondering if we like to see around backstage before the show. Long story short... we had a busy day and had been texting back and forth to Erin and finally met up with her when the opening act had finished and just before Michael was about to start. (She had asked us to come earlier in the day... if we had, was there a chance we might have met Michael in person? Maybe so, but what came about was a wonderful surprise anyway...)

We put on our "working" badges and headed backstage where we got the condensed version of the tour. Erin asked us if we had any questions, and my DD asked what Michael did before going on stage. She said that he usually has a massage and loves to relax and have fun by playing ping pong and he had a table set up in the back. The show was about to start so she asked if we would like to stand beside the stage and see him come out. So out we went and it seemed very surreal standing that close.

About 15 minutes in Erin said she had to get back to work, but we could stay right where we were to watch if we wanted to. (What a silly question!!) She told us security would probably kick us out and then we could go back to our regular seats. So, right at 10 pm the security guard that had been standing next to us turned to me and said, "You can't be here." (Was that planned for that precise time or what!)

So we returned to our seats (the second row from the top) only to find someone else was sitting in them! We had a good laugh over that thinking, where had those people been sitting originally that our seats were better ones? In the very top row? Since we had been standing for the concert up until that point we left well enough alone (being the non-confrontational ladies that we are) and just stood at the landing at the top and enjoyed the rest of the awesome show.

What an amazing, funny and talented performer he is... not to mention very considerate of the people who work for him. Erin told us Michael is in such demand he could put on a concert everyday but he insists that they only work 3 days in a row, have 2 days off, work another 2 and have 2 off. What a nice boss! :^)

So if by chance you are lucky enough to see that he is coming to perform near your neck of the woods, treat yourself to a great night out. You won't be disappointed!!

Tracey

Monday, August 16, 2010

Gone But Never Forgotten

We lost a true legend 33 years ago today, on August 16th, 1977. Mr. Elvis Presley...

A voice that leaves you weak in the knees and a smile that melts your heart...

One of my best vacations ever was in July 2007 when my mom, daughter (23 yrs. at the time) and I went on a trip to Memphis and got to see Graceland (all for the very first time). My Mom grew up with his music and was lucky enough to see his second last concert (before he died) in Detroit, Michigan. So of course, I too grew up loving Elvis which then carried on into the 3rd generation with my daughter . (I actually think my daughter is the biggest fan of us all! She is a vegetarian and actually made this comment when on our trip and seeing him in this pic from the '68 Comeback Special: "I would eat a steak off of his leather clad chest!!")

So today, pick out your favourite Elvis tune (if you can choose!), crank it up and remember the King of Rock and Roll :^)

Tracey

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Charlie Brown

Growing up, I had a pet monkey named Charlie Brown. Actually, he belonged to my sister and he came to live with us in 1966. You were actually allowed to have monkeys as pets then and if you can beleive it, he was ordered from an ad in the back of a magazine. Charlie Brown was a squirrel monkey (just like the ones in the Telus commericials).

Everyone in school loved when it was my turn for 'show and tell'. You will see in some of the photos (if the slide show downloads for me...) that he used to wear diapers. Eventually, he learned how to take them off. We had a rope strung across the kitchen from end to the other. We kept a piece of papertowel on the floor at the end of one rope and that's where he did his business. His rope provided many hours of entertainment. At bedtime, if mom and dad were not home when it was bedtime, he would sit on his roap and cry out until they returned.

If I was crying, Dad would put him up to my face to lick away my tears. He would dangle from my hair and lick from one eye to the next. It alwyays made me stop crying. He would play outside and every once in awhile he would swing from tree to tree and end up down the street at the neighbours.

Often you would find the monkey lying in the cast iron pan on the stove. The pilot light from the gas stove provided him a warm and comfy spot. He would also sit on top of the lamp shade for warmth, and if you ever heard a 'pop' - you knew he peed on the lightbulb. It happens...

Charlie Brown used to sit on the wall phone.... until it rang. That was always funny. He brought many years of amusement to us all and I miss him and his antics.

Bonnie

Warm hearts ... and warm toes!

Well since we are talking winter, let's talk about warm hearts ... and warm toes.

A few years ago at Christmas we had a gift exchange. Ironically, both Anita and myself had the exact same idea for a present. We always open our gift bags at the same time, and it was really hard for me to keep a straight face when I saw that Anita had had the same gift idea as me and while she explained that she thought slippers would be a good idea, that way we could carry them in our bag with us at all times. Anita had knit slipppers for everyone and made a little draw-string pouch, with our names embroidered on it, to keep the socks in.

Then they all opened my gift bag and we burst out laughing. I knew how much everyone loved snowmen, so I had stitched faces on white slippers and added a carrot button for the nose. Well we weren't finished with the laughter because I thought we should get a picture with our slippers on. So then we were all sitting on the floor trying to get different positions in order to get everyone in the picture at the same time. We tried sitting up against the wall and taking the picture of our toes all pointing up to the ceiling and then I said, nooooo - that will show the snowman's face upside down. Someone said... (and I won't say who...) "Good point, let's think of something else. What if we lay on our back with our feet in the air - you know... like if our feet were ON the ceiling"

Well then the faces would still be upside down wouldn't they. Spontanious Laughter.

We had to think of something else. It was decided that we would just stand toe to toe in a huddle and we would take the picture from above in order to get everyone in the picture. Sounded like a good plan right?

Well... not if you have a protruding belly and/or big boobs. After the inital light-headedness subsided from sucking in our bellies, we had to deal with the shadow from the boobs.

So we stood in our huddle, adjusting, wiggling and laughing with our arms around each other while we tried not to tip over. It was about that moment when Anita's daughter walked in on us, which of course added to the laughter when we saw the look on her face.

Finally the photo was taken and our toes are doubly warm.

Bonnie

It all started with a tea towel...

Quite some time ago when I was perusing the Dollarama, I came across the cutest autumn tea towel with a teddy bear dressed up like a scarecrow. It immediately reminded me of Jody and I thought 'I'm going to get that for her', and then I thought... why not get one for everybody? And so I did and it was a hit.

From that point on, it's no surprise to any of us if there just happens to be an occasional 'mini gift' exchange on Cross Stitch night. Once when Jody hosted in February, she gave us all a tiny picture frame with a 1" x 1" opening. I had no idea what to do with mine, but Tracey knew immediately. Because it was Valentines day, Tracey stitched a heart.

Mine sat for a good number of months before I could figure out what I could stitch in such a tiny area and not copy Tracey's idea. And then one day it hit me; Jody loves snowmen. I would do a snowman in the frame that Jody gave me. But.... do they make snowman patterns for less than 1" x 1"? I couldn't be bothered looking, so I winged it. And voila! A happy smiley snowman face. I think it took longer to write this posting than it did to stitch that happy face.

We'll have to get a picture of Tracey's heart posted after her renovations are complete as I expect it's packed away for now.

p.s. I wasn't allowed to Blog today unless I cleaned my house. It's half cleaned; consider this half a blog.
Bonnie