November wrap-up

November is practically over. It was a good month, a month with no excuses. I did not accomplish what I had plan but, never less, at least it got me thinking. I'm lacking will power! So, what to do about it? After a lot of research I found a book written by Kelly McGonigal: The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why it Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of it. Brilliant! I have it in an audiobook and digital format (since I live middle of nowhere these two formats are the easiest and fastest to get). She talks about all the excuses possible! I think if I follow her program I will finish all my stitching projects, file all the back income tax returns and loose weight. There is many books on goal settings and I do not have problem with that. I'm actually very good at goal settings and New Year resolutions and so on. I have all the good intentions, but always there is always 'something' on the way and there is always 'tomorrow' or 'next week', or 'next year'. The only thing that I really accomplished and I'm proud of it is quitting smoking. But that was years ago... somehow I've hanged...  Not for long though. Here are my plans for December:

• Work on Willpower following the book

• Finish my lovely pirate Santa (I'm almost there)

• Keep working on 'Songs of the Season'
• Buy floss for my new bell pull
• Start on Scarlet Letter kits right after they arrive. I'm not sure which one but I think I will start with the pincushion
• Read one book a week. I've just started the Neverlove by Angela Brown. It's awesome! I've started to read last night and now I'm half way through. Beautifully written and it is one of those books that make you keep turning pages and are impossible to put them down
• File back taxes 

That's all, we'll see where I will be by the end of December!

So long my friends,
Evalina 

Full moon

and time for updates! The mercury dropped in my part of the world

and I had another 'do not drive' day that made me stay home. Believe me, I do not complain! I could even say that I like my 'cold' days... I worked a little, did a little marketing for my new business and stitched a little. I finished Scarlet Letter (audio book) and, thanks to Hester and her determination,  finally I stopped crying about my booboo. Actually, since yesterday was a cyber Monday and HAED had a sale (45% off), I bought 3 little charts that I will stitch on one piece of fabric and make a bell pull:

 

These are my initials and I think they will look fabulous as a bell pull!

On the stitching front - I was working on 'Songs of the Season' and this is how it looks as of tonight:

So long my friends,
Evalina

Stitchy weekend

It was a good stitchy weekend. I worked on Songs of the Season, happy with the progress and even a thought cross my mind that maybe I should finish it for Christmas... until I removed fabric from q-snaps... my happiness vanished in a blink of an eye, my heart stopped and brain froze... I was stitching in a wrong direction of fabric! The fabric was turned 90 degrees!!! And I don't have same size/color spare fabric... so here it is - a feast for frogs. All that you can see on the picture on the right - it must be removed. I decided not to frog at the moment, I'm leaving that for a time when my mind and hands will cooperate together. I turned the fabric and started again, from the bottom left corner this time. Here is my 'new' progress:

Now, I do not think I can finish this project for this Christmas but for sure it will be done for the next one. Even though I have to frog a lot I still love this piece and enjoy every motif in it. Who would think I would love quakers so much? Certainly not me!

In 'the between' I was working on Computer Catastrophes

and all was good there. No surprises...

So long my friends,
Evalina

Another SAL?

I'm not taking part in January Crazy Challenge next year, that I know for sure but it looks like I'm getting into more and more SALs: Songs of the Season. Computer Catastrophes, Seashore Patrol, Rose Sampler - just to name a few...

And here is a new, very exciting challenge. Nicola of Stitching by a Cornish Sea Shore
will dedicate a whole next year to stitching pieces of history - Scarlet Letter Samplers and she is inviting others to join her. I love her work and I could not resist so I bought couple samplers:

M. Quertier 1799

and a pincushion (1810)

Both sets are include linen and silk floss. I will think of a stitcher who has done them before me, like way, waaay before me! More than a couple hundred years!!! I'm very excited about this challenge. And there will be prizes too!!! Go to Nicola's post for more info and if you would like to see more samplers go to Scarlet Letter.

Did anyone read Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne? It's free on kindle! I just got it and will read it until my kits arrive.

So long my friends,
Evalina

SAL with Kaye and Amanda

Before I start blogging about my stitching I want to wish a very happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! Well, today I wish a happy Thanksgiving to all Americans. After all they are stuck with Obama for another four years and to have a happy Thanksgiving will be more and more challenging. Black Friday? No, I see black future - no jobs, fiscal cliff, unbalanced budget, uncontrolled spending, week economy and non existent American Dream - sad, so sad, my heart is aching for my southern neighbors. Gosh, sounds almost like '1984'  is becoming a reality. God bless them.

Since Canadian Thanksgiving was a month ago I am all into Christmas. On Kaye's blog Kitten Stitching I've spotted a lovely chart she is working on

After working on my Halloween Quaker 'Thine is the trick and the treat'  I absolutely fell in love with quakers and I was searching for another one and here it was: Christmas Quaker II - Songs of the Season. I could not say 'no' to this one! I bought it along with the fabric and floss. And I set it aside to stitch later. Now, after seeing Kaye's and learning that she is stitching along with Amanda from Samplers, Silks and Linens I decided to join them. It is our Wednesday SAL and here is my progress from yesterday:

I'm stitching this piece on 32ct Light Examplar linen from Lakeside Linens with floss from Carrie's Creation - Playmouth Red and Peacok. I absolutely adore this combination.

Amanda and Kaye started this SAL on October 31 so I'm a little behind but maybe I can squeeze a few more hours to this project and catch up.

So long my friends,
Evalina

A whole weekend of stitching...

Yep, I was staying in my cabin, all cozy and warm, and I was stitching a storm! Here is my progress on the Irish Prayer:

It was cold and dark outside

The sun is rising after nine in the morning and the temperatures, well... that's about -17F... The winter definitely is here and it will stay until May or so...

Lately there was so much talking and thinking about HAED projects in my world that I decided to let rest my Irish Prayer and get back to Computer Catastrophes.

My thumb is sore but I'm impressed with the progress. I know I have a very long way to go as what you see is only 4% of the whole... but I'm happy!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Stash, stash and more stash!

A while ago Tama of StitchingDaze was bragging about her HEAD charts... of course I had to have a couple of them! She is getting brownie points and I've got some awesome boys:

The Druid

 

The Magi

and girls:

Lady Leprechaun

 

Midnight Secrets

All I want for Christmas

Now I have 41 HAED charts in my stash, some of them already kitted up and ready to stitch. If I could stitch just one a year, that's 41 years! My retirement is fully planned.

My 'no excuse November' is going well, so far I did not brake a rule and I wasn't excusing myself from anything. It really feels good. I hope it will turn to a habit.  

I was working a little on the Irish Prayer, not as much as I would like but some...

So long my friends,

Evalina

No Excuses November

There has been some 'No excuse November' going on in the Blogland. It sounds good to me! I'm a bit late but after all, there is no excuse not to start. So for the month of November I'm scratching out some of my most common excuses: I'm too tired, it's too dark or too cold, I'm busy, I do not have time, I can't do it, first I'll stitch just a little. Don't get me wrong, I will keep stitching but after the task is done, not before.

And what goals I have for November you ask? Well, just a few...

1. I want to have a couple more clients by the end of the month for my new venture so I'm going to spend some time marketing and networking,
2. Keep moving instead of watching TV,
3. Write every day and read a book every week

 Simple, right?

On the stitchy note: I've started that Irish Prayer and I love it! I'm stitching this piece on the Smoky White linen with 'Sea Kelp' from Carrie's Creation. I've change the colours because the original looks a little too dull for my liking.

So long my friends,
Evalina

All Saints Day

Well, Halloween is over. As a kid growing up in Poland I  wasn't exposed to it. We are celebrating All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Soul Day (November 2). All Saints Day is a national holiday, a day of reflection and prayer. A day when people all over Poland visit the graves of loved ones to place candles and flowers on graves. Special candles, which can burn for many hours, are placed there so that departed souls can find their way through the darkness. Cemeteries are lit by many hundreds of these candles and at night the cemeteries can often be seen glowing from long distances. Many Poles travel long distances to visit family graves and to remember the dead. The holiday is also sometimes known as the Day of the Dead.

Day of All Souls (Zaduszki) is dedicated to prayers for family members and all those who died but are still in purgatory waiting their time to be able to enter the heaven. The masses are held in the churches just like the day before. Additionally, the names of the descendants are read by priests during the services and all pray together for these souls. This day is usually gloomier and more hazy and rainy than the November 1st. 

So, what should I be stitching today...  I do not think I have anything in my stash that relates to saints.. I know! I have an Irish Prayer

and I absolutely love it:

"May those who love you, love you.....and those who don't, may God turn their heart, and if he can not turn their heart, may he turn their ankle so you will know them by their limp"

It will be a new start but that's OK, I'm forgiving myself. Now lets gather floss and fabric!

So long my friends,

Evalina