Look out Martha!

Today I decorated... And in record time.

This pumpkin topiary took me a total of 4.5 minutes and that included removing the pumpkins from out of the van and then ripping the price tags off the leaf picks.

That's right my friends, Martha has met her match.

Meet The Gourds

Isn't it sweet how they watch over their young one?

I love how the baby looks up to mommy and daddy.

I think mamma could use a little Mary Kay moisturizer though....

The entire ensemble....

What a gorgeous day it was today.

Now if I could only find the ambition to cut the grass....

Bonnie

Go BIG or stay at home...

When Tracey first offered to teach me how to cross stitch 18 years ago, she left me with some pattern books to decide what I would like to learn on. On her next visit, I showed her the design I wanted to do. It was of a Victorian style angel's head and wings. Pretty intricate, lots of detailing, back stitching, 1/4 and 3/4 stitches etc. She kept insisting, "Are you sure you don't want to try to learn on something simpler?" Nope, I'm good. I had no problem catching on and quite loved the challenge.

As years went by I chose such projects as large pieces that were 'stitched over two' (that one took me 5 years, but I was in college at the time so that's my excuse - we'll show that picture closer to Christmas...). I even chose a pattern of a little girl in a dress and I really didn't like the colours in the dress so I changed the pattern. I simply laid out all the colours of the dress that the pattern called for in the corals and oranges and then I laid out all my blue colours beside each one and found the right shades and tones to correspond. Then I just replaced the number beside the original colour. Easy. I'm sure you've all done it.

Let's not forget the MAX Kit with the multitude of shades (light green gray, lighter green gray, lightest green gray, light green moss gray, lighter green moss gray, lightest green moss gray etc).

To top that all off my Labour of Love photo stitch that took me a little over 197 hours to complete; it was a lovely photo of a couple that I gave to them as a wedding gift and ....they are now divorced. I have the picture back and I'm studying it to see if I can RIP him OUT of the picture. I'm undecided about that as yet???

Recently took part in a Secret Sister Cross Stitch Exchange and one of my gifts was a gift certificate to 1-2-3 Stitch. I had a blast shopping on that site. Oh and Jayne...your Heaven and Earth 'Xmas" (snowman and little girl) inspired me to choose something similar. I chose 'Dear Santa'; it's adorable. See the photo below of what it will look like once complete.

However, even though I love challenges - I confess I nearly fainted when I saw that there are 20+ pages of pattern graphs. (Small pattern graphs I might add.) I'm really going to have to study this before I begin working on this project. I'm curious to see how long this picture will take me. I plan to log my hours ... you know... just for the fun of it. There are over 90 different colours in this pattern and I think I watched 2 or 3 movies while I wound the floss to "kit-up" my project.

I think I'll head to the lottery store now for a ticket. One that will go BIG so I can stay at home!

Dear Santa

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

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

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

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

Crazy Cat

Sushi, my cat, is one crazy cat.

Aside from my pet monkey,
she is the most entertaining pet

I've ever been in contact with.

As you can see from the pictures below,

she likes to help me with the grocery bags....

They just don't make the straps big enough to fit over my head.

Maybe I'll try slipping the strap over my arms first.

she likes to help me sew,

Why does she keep sticking these picky things in that tiny cupcake?

Ok - now she's just plain ignoring me...

she's helpful when it comes to cleaning out the fridge,

Hmmm ... seems like the perfect spot to VEG for awhile.

she likes to clean out the cupboard,

Bubble, Bubble, boil and trouble... let's see what kind of trouble I can get in.

sometimes she likes to help me file,

Paperwork! Who needs it? I'm outta here.

her favourite place to hang out is on the staircase where she can keep an eye on everything and everybody,

They have no idea how cool it is to be in the nosebleed section.

when she's done hanging there...she heads on up to the bathroom cupboard to her next favourite spot,

What...???

sometimes she likes to think we can't see her behind the garbage can,

If I sit really still with my toes together, they'll never see me.

sometimes, she likes to read when she thinks no one is watching,

If I hide behind the page, they'll never suspect I can read.

sometimes, she's just plain cool.

Sometimes, I'm just plain cool.

Oh ya... I'm cool.

Problem is... I just can't seem to get her to push the vacuum around instead of hiding from it. Hopefully... someday.
Bonnie

If they think I'm vacuuming again... they can forget it.