this and that...

Happy birthday!

2012-01-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

To my two favorite guys:

my man, Freddy

and Wolfie (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), my inspiration

Happy birthday to both of you!!!

So long my friends,

Evalina

When stitchers get together...

2012-01-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday I went to Edmonton for my MRI so the doctors can figure out what's wrong with my shoulder. Lucky for me I have a stitcher friend living in that city. When she heard I'm coming, she generously invited me to stay with her. Let me tell you, she didn't have to say it twice! We stayed together while on the stitching retreat on Quadra Island last fall and we had an awesome time. Wanda travels to China a lot but, luckily for me, she was not traveling during my stay there. She even took couple of days off work so we can stitch together.

On the 18th of January the weather was beautiful. It was cold, just below -35 but nice and sunny. The view from the plane was breath taking away

While on the plane I was working on the Rose Sampler

and later at Wanda's on Protective Care

The top is just a dark background, very boring to stitch. I'm hoping that this week I will "get to" elephants and then stitching will become more interesting.

Wanda picked me up from the airport and we went straight to Polish Delicatessen. I felt like a little girl in a candy store. All long forgotten tastes of Polish food... I brought with me an empty suitcase so I can take home with me a good supply of Polish sausages and other delicacies.

My appointment at the hospital wasn't till eight in the evening and we had couple hours to kill so we went for a light supper and talked, and talked, and talked...

It was great, the first day and I'd accomplish everything - the shopping and the hospital were off the way. Next day it suppose to be our stitching day and movie night, how exciting is that!

And it was! We stitched and talked, stitched and talked, and had no idea when the day went by. It was time for a movie. I really wanted to see The Iron Lady and Wanda had this movie on her "to watch" list, so we went. And let me tell you - after the movie was over and credits came on, the whole audience was glued to their seats. If a mouse was running across, we could hear it. It was shocking. I needed a glass of whiskey after the movie...

Margaret Thatcher is a fascinating woman who changed the world for better (in my opinion), who knew how to defend herself. I believe she was enormously significant and her influence extended far beyond Great Britain and far beyond her moment in power.

She was larger than life and she is my inspiration for most of my adult life. The movie shows and old woman with dementia. There was nothing relating to the Iron Lady she was, just an old, troubled woman... Meryl Streep played her role very well - role of an old lady... I guess she did what she was told to do... Anyhow, the movie title is absolutely wrong and misleading. There is no portrayal of Thatcher as an "Iron Lady". Instead we get the wishful dream version of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.

There is a shocking absence of her strong moments: the speeches, the war, her dominance of foreign affairs, her presence in the House of Commons, her Falklands war. Thank goodness for the you tube.

I like watching good movies more than once, this is a movie that I will never see again but I'm glad I saw it.

Friday morning we stitched again and just before we parted, John (Wanda's husband) took a pic of both of us:

I'm the one in red, Wanda is proudly displaying Cape Cod Girls - her latest WIP.

So long my friends,
Evalina

It was a cold day in the Yukon

2012-01-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

It was, yesterday

Couple of years ago I set the cutting off point at -35 degrees Celsius, meaning that I will not start the engine in my car when temperatures reach -35C. Cars do not like cold temperatures. So I was home bound and I liked it. I finished my assignment for accounting course I'm taking and I stitched, and stitched.

With a horror in my eyes and heart almost stopping I noticed that I'd made a booboo in my Halloween House. I was sick when I started that project and maybe I can blame my cold for what happen. Mistakenly I turned my stitching 90 degrees and instead having fabric in landscape layout, there it was - portrait. My fabric piece was too big for the project and for some unknown reason I did not trimmed it, thank goodness. So I start measuring and counting and it look like there will be enough width with an edge of barely 1 inch. I didn't trust my counting so I stitched a whole width of the project

and there it was, an inch and the quarter left on the right side. I'm safe, now I can stitch in peace. The project will not be centered nicely, but is doable. I'm finish it as a wall hanging so I'll be fine.

Now, I need your expert advice. The boarder is design as cobwebs and I do not like the way I started. (Click on the picture for more detailed view) I'm stitching these cobwebs with 1 strand of #415DMC. I tried long stitch and back stitch over 2 threads and I do not like effect of any of them. What to do? What I'm doing wrong? Please help! I think I need a course in back stitching!

I have a new start... I know, I know, I thought I'm cured from startitis but Minnie of All xx's is stitching Sampler Rose and I wanted to stitch it since 2008. When I look at her WIP the urge was stronger than my sanity and I asked Minnie can we have a little SAL going. She said YES! Thank you Minnie, here is my new start:

I'm stitching it on 32ct antique white Jobelyn with Fall Splendor from Carrie's Creation. I hope it will not look so "noisy" with all the colors. My other choice of floss was DMC # 115 (red/dark burgundy variegated ). Will see after I have a little more done.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Halloween House

2012-01-13T06:22:00.000-08:00

I stopped my Crazy Challenge and I have no idea what cured me from my craziness. I'm suffering from startitis for many years. All of a sudden last night an unthinkable thing happen; I had untouched fabric, chart, floss and needles right on the front of me and I could not make even one stitch... I never had that feeling of resistance before... My sanity screamed "Evalina, you have over 30 WIPs, STOP! Finish what you've started and then start again!"

A few days ago, I think it was Monday - I was at work and with every hour going by I was feeling worse and worse. First I was just sneezing, later headache came and running nose and cough and muscle ache and shivers... I was swept of my feet for the next three days. I didn't slept so much since I can remember. In my tiny waking hours I stitched some - but I wasn't able to read or even to watch TV. Anyhow, today I'm feeling better and finally can go to work. I'm so well rested that I got up at 4:30 this morning and do not get me wrong, I do not I love my job but it is a way of making money and I do not get paid when I'm sick and staying home. If I only knew how I can make a decent leaving while working from home... (now I'm day dreaming)

Going back to stitching. Linda of Stitching with my Furbabies started SAL (stitch along) Halloween House by Urusla Michael. It's a lovely design so I'd join.

For some reason the white background did not appeal to me (model was stitched on 14ct white aida), I decided to stitch this piece on cashel linen Haunted and for cobwebs (frame around it) instead of black I'll use light gray. Here is how it looks so far:

So long my friends,
Evalina

African Woman

2012-01-09T07:13:00.000-08:00

You can call me crazy, but that's why I joined CJC again... Well, while traveling through the blogland I came across Becky of Becky Bee's Stitching Hive and she is hosting a BAP challenge.
Wow, I'm not the only one that's crazy! For this challenge I chose African Woman.

I saw this kit a very long time ago. It was pricey so it took me a while to splurge... The while was so long that it was unavailable anymore. I called Gita's and they say they will try to get it for me. It took exactly a year and that was 7 month ago.

I promised myself not to start anything big this year, finish what I started before and do 15 new little projects from my stash. Well, I opened the package...

finished the fabric edges, put on the scroll frame and the rest is a history

That's the beginning of the challenge. It should be done by December 31, 2012. The size of Lanarte's African Woman is 15.4"x19.3" (187 x 255 stitches).

For more pictures of my crazy starts visit Crazy Challenge 2012

Topaz

Last Saturday Freddy took Topaz to the vet for the checkup. Her ear is healing nicely but she has a lot of trouble with her collar. She still doesn't eat dog food but finally drinks her water. She has good appetite but only for people food...

In a week vet is removing stitches (if all goes well) and hopefully we can say goodbye to this huge, stiff collar.

So long my friends,

Evalina

And the winners are...

2012-01-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate today! I am a Roman-Catholic and my 12 days of Christmas ended on January 5th. Thank you so much to all who played with me, I wish you all health, happiness and prosperity in 2012. Now, lets see who the winners are...

Forgive Quickly goes to Mary Joan
Heart's Secret to Kaye
French Hen to Jen
Elisabeth's Stocking to Teresa S
Jeffrey's Stocking to Laurita Hall
Lavender and Roses to Kathy Ellen
Peach Tree Cottage to Jo who can't think of a clever nickname
The Rose in Morning to рыжая
The Harvesters to Katrien
Welcome Spring to Musicwoman
Wish ornament to pandy
and 12 days of Christmas to Mouse

Congratulations to all winners, I will send an email to each and everyone of you asking for your mailing address.

Have a wonderful stitchy 2012!

So long my friends,
Evalina

PS. I do not have an email address for Musicwoman. If I do not hear from you my dear, I will choose another winner tomorrow after 12 PM PST.

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - day 12

2012-01-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

We've made it! It's twelfth day of Christmas!!!

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

twelve drummers drumming
eleven pipers piping
ten lords-a-leaping
nine ladies dancing
eight maids-a-milking
seven swans-a-swimming
six geese-a-laying
five golden rings
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the 12th day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

a chart by Sandy Orton - Twelve Days of Christmas.

Good luck to each and everyone of you! I will draw names of twelve lucky winners (one for each day) this Saturday, January 7th.

Topaz is doing fine, goes for walks, eats only roast and turkey - for now refuses to eat dog food or drink water. But she eats a lot of snow while walking.

So long my friends,
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 11

2012-01-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

I'm back, I'm exhausted and $1200 lighter... Topaz had her surgery, now she is sleeping. Well, she didn't yet fully wake up from anesthesia. Vet carried her to my car and Freddy carried her out an hour later. She had a bite of pork roast but even didn't try to stand on her feet. Went back to la, la land in no time.

At the dealership they found a tiny chip in the bottom left corner and the crack did spread from there... New windshield is $550 but in the Yukon driving with cracked windshield is permitted and since it doesn't impair my view - there is no problem. Just pisses me off because the car is so new, today I went for my first oil change. Oh, well - on the bright side - I have a visa with driver rewards which means that I'm collecting points on everything I buy on the visa and later visa is putting hard cash to my account as I redeem the points. And points are redeemable on any car related expanses (repairs, oils changes, new car). Can you guess how I paid vet bill? Yeap, by visa.

Freddy is feeling much better so this is a good thing. Now since everything is under control let's go back to our celebration!

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

eleven pipers piping
ten lords-a-leaping
nine ladies dancing
eight maids-a-milking
seven swans-a-swimming
six geese-a-laying
five golden rings
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

a kit from Dimensions - A wish ornament. Rules same as yesterday and a day before.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Bitching and stitching

2012-01-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

I'm stitching new start to the 4th day of the CJC (Crazy January Challenge) and shake my head in disbelief... the start of 2012 is not so good for me...

January 1 - Topaz woke up with a swollen ear. All vet clinics are closed so thank goodness for the very knowledgeable kuvasz breeders. They convinced me that isn't life threatening and is OK to wait for her vet. Her poor right ear looks like pierogi. Today is our appointment.
January 2 - Freddy got sick (in my opinion he is just playing a baby)
January 3 - with absolutely no reason, my front windshield crack all the way across. I was driving from work and it happened right on the front of my eyes. It's my brand new car for God's sake! I still can hear the crack...

So, today I'm a little scared to leave the house. Though I have to go to the vet and right after - straight to the dealership. (I knew I needed day off work today). Tell me, if bad things happen to people, are they going in pairs or in threes? You know, I'm not superstitious at all, just want to know.

So long my friends, the celebration of 12 days of Christmas will continue after I come back.
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 10

2012-01-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

On the tent day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

ten lords-a-leaping
nine ladies dancing
eight maids-a-milking
seven swans-a-swimming
six geese-a-laying
five golden rings
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the tenth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

a chart from Designs by Lisa - Welcome Spring

Rules same as yesterday.

If you want to see my new daily WIPs (you know, the Crazy January Challenge) click here.

So long my friends, check for tomorrow's 11th Day of Christmas!
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 9

2012-01-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

nine ladies dancing
eight maids-a-milking
seven swans-a-swimming
six geese-a-laying
five golden rings
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

another chart from Little House Needleworks - The Harvesters. Rules are same as yesterday.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

busy day today, so let's get started!

The first thing - let's get back to our song.

On the eight day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

eight maids-a-milking
seven swans-a-swimming
six geese-a-laying
five golden rings
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the eight day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

a chart from LHN - The rose in Morning. Rules same as yesterday.

The second thing - The Oldest UFO

I checked all participants progress and the prize goes to

socialsue

Congratulations my dear!!!

The contest is still going, if you have an old UFO you can join us here! Next prize will be awarded April 1 - sweep these UFOs away!

The third thing - Crazy January Challenge, Day 1

I'm not sure how this will go for me this year, I keep changing my projects... I thought I will go just with small ones so I can finish them all. That was the plan but yesterday another project was asking for a daylight - Protective Care from Lenart

how can I say "no" to such beauty? I didn't and here is my progress for day one:

That's the full width of the project. Since it fits so nicely in my q-snaps I will work from the top to the bottom.

And the fifth thing - followers appreciation gift!

I am so grateful to all my followers for reading my blog, sharing my ups and downs - I decided to have a surprise draw. The prize goes to...

Nancy M

Congratulations dear Nancy and thank you for your lovely comments through many years.

So long my friends,

Evalina

The oldest UFO

2011-12-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

I managed to stitch my Sailboats and Seagulls today. After frogging and sorting floss for many days I really enjoyed stitching it again. I am much better stitcher now than I was 18 years ago, I see the difference while working on this piece.

If I will have as much enthusiasms for this piece as I had today, I'll finish it in January for Freddy's birthday (January 27th) as originally was to be, 18 years ago...

Do you have an old UFO? Join me and let's them finish!

So long my friends, this is my last post for 2011. Now it's party time!!!
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 7

2011-12-31T12:14:00.000-08:00

We are already in Day 7th!!! Let's keep signing:

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

seven swans-a-swimming
six geese-a-laying
five golden rings
four calling birds
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the seventy day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

a chart from Little House Needleworks - Peach Tree Cottage. Rules are same as yesterday.

Today I've reach another milestone - my 250th follower Laurita of Laura Hall is nearby! That deserves a surprise gift!!!

I do not want to make other followers feel unappreciated (you know that TV commercial about ice cream just for the new kid?) so tomorrow I will randomly draw a name from all my followers for another surprise gift from me. Can't tell you what it will be (it's surprise right?) but I can tell you that it will include a "small" stitched by me.

So long my friends, remember to make a wish at midnight - it will come true!
Evalina

ps. I did it!!! I accomplished NaBloPoMo - I posted every single day during the month of December. Congratulations to me!!!

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 6

2011-12-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love give to me:

six geese-a-laying
five golden rings
four calling birds
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the sixth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

a chart with lavender and roses! Rules are same as yesterday (scroll down).

Yesterday was my last day at work this year so today I was trying to finish some things... I manage to put together my ornament (the one that could look good as a biscornu)

and I finished stitching Forgive Quickly, now I have to figure out what to do with it...

Tomorrow is my Oldest UFO day so I will be stitching my sailboats and seagulls and getting ready for the New Year!

So long my frineds,

Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 5

2011-12-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

five golden rings
four calling birds
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the fifth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

chart from Shepherd's Bush - Jeffrey's Stocking. Rules are same as yesterday (scroll down).

These stockings are stitched on 18 count natural linen (over 2) by Wichelt using DMC Pearl Cotton #5, Weeks Dye Works #5 Pearl, and Crescent Colours #5 Pearl. Stitch count: 120W x 167H. They are really easy to work with!

Don't forget to visit other participants of the Christmas Party in Blogland!

So long my friends,
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 4

2011-12-28T10:25:00.000-08:00

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

four calling birds
three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the fourth day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

chart from Shepard's Bush - Elisabeth's Stocking. The rules are the same as in Day 1 (scroll down) except I will not stitch it for a non-stitcher (even if I like you a lot).

So long my friends,
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 3

2011-12-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

three French hens
two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the third day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

chart from JBW designs "French Hen". Rules are same as in Day 1 (scroll down)

So long my friends,
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 2

2011-12-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree

On the second day of Christmas Freddy gave to me:

wild birds of the Yukon
and the nicest kiss

On the second day of Christmas I'm giving to one of you:

chart from Victoria Sampler "Heart's Secret". Rules are the same as yesterday. (just scroll down)

So long my friends,
Evalina

12 days of Christmas in Blogland - Day 1

2011-12-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

There is a confusion in the world about 12 days of Christmas. Many think that it is 12 days before the big day but really it starts on Christmas Day (December 25th) and goes to Epiphany (January 6th).

On the first day of Christmas,

My true love gave me the nicest kiss ever and I'm giving to one of you,

chart by Lizzie Kate "Forgive Quickly". Would you like to have it? Live a comment. If you are non stitcher I will stitch it for you! The draw will be on Saturday, January 7th.

Merry Christmas my friends,
Evalina

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

I wish that this Christmas Eve will bring for you gifts of happiness, good health & joy !

May your holiday season be awesome as a Winter Wonderland!

Merry Christmas !

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching has an Advent Calendar and I am door #24. Thank you for the privilege! All doors are very important in the calendar but the #24 is the last one. We've made it! It's Christmas!

The night before Christmas...the most magical time of the year. Time when animals talk in human voice (right on midnight) and people have power to influence the whole next year. When I was a little girl my mom always made sure that I was a "good" girl. According to the old saying: "As goes Christmas Eve, goes the year". So just to make sure I will have enough stitching time I will stitch today, to make sure I will have enough study time I will study (just an hour or two), and I will put a very nice makeup and do my hair early in the morning so I look good the whole next year. I will not do any unnecessary housework (why bother, it's a waste of very precious stitching time!).

I'm not superstitious at all, am I?

Merry Christmas my friends!
Evalina

Eureka!

2011-12-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

I was looking for new boots today and, believe it or not, I found them in Walmart! The best part? They are MADE IN CANADA!!! After I read the label I think half of Walmart customers could hear my scream of joy.

On the north we do not have many shopping choices. We do not have any department stores, malls - really not many places to shop. It is impossible to find nice shoes, all of them are made in China... You have no idea how thrilled I was to find something actually made in Canada.

Tomorrow already is Christmas Eve and after that 12 days of Christmas starts! You know what that's mean? A party in blogland! I will have a little giveaway every day during the party. Make sure to check my posts daily and if you want to play along you are invited.

So long my friends,
Evalina

2011-12-22T22:16:00.000-08:00

In the middle of Christmas preparation I grabbed the book and got lost in India... very powerful novel Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. I was completely drawn and absorbed into the lives of these characters. The further I got into the story the more impossible it was to put the book down.

I do not know much about India and the book was a real eye opener.

Now I can go back to Christmas preparations...

So long my friends,
Evalina

The longest night

2011-12-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

I was looking to celebration of the longest night this year and I slept through it... I can believe it! It happened last night. Yesterday the sun was rising at 10:09 AM and setting at 3:47 PM, today the day is a whole minute longer! The sun rises the same, at 10:09 but will set at 3:48PM. And I thought that tonight will be the night... Oh, well - there is always next year!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Heart's Secret from Victoria Sampler could be yours!

2011-12-20T23:59:00.000-08:00

Many of you complemented my Heart's Secret and fell in love with it just like I did some time ago. I decided to part with the chart and offer it for trade. The chart will come with left over floss and, let me tell you, Victoria Sampler was very generous with their accessory pack - there is almost enough threads left to stitch one more piece! I stitched mine on 32ct instead on recommended 28ct. Maybe that's why there is so much left. The only colour that you will need for sure is the green for the leaves, seaweed from Weeks.

So, send me your offer and it could be yours!

So long my friends,
Evalina

I love Mondays

2011-12-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

And it is Monday! And Christmas Eve is just a few days away, and the celebration time will start! I love Christmas!

I had so many plans for yesterday but did not accomplish even half of them... I hermit and stitched for most of the day. I finished Heart's Secret:

And I found perfect fabric for the back. I think I will make a pillow or should I finish it in some other way? Size of the stitching area is 7" by 7".

I was gonna to work on Pirate Santa but instead I started a new piece (bad, bad Evalina!), an ornament:

and now when I'm looking at it I think it would make a lovely biscornu...

When I took off Hear's Secret from q-snaps I had the urge to start something new... For some reason I can't resist empty q-snaps... (some of you think it's a disorder called startitis). Using my will power I resisted from starting a bigger project and I decided to do something small, something what will not take a lot of time to finish so I still can have Pirate Santa done before Christmas.

So long my friends,
Evalina

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend

2011-12-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

After my hard work now I can just hermit and stitch. Outside it is pitch black, sun doesn't rise until 10:07 this morning and will set at 3:47 PM. We are so close to the winter solstice and the longest night of the year. I think I will keep stitching until morning darkness is gone and some, then I will switch to Christmas preparations. I'm planning to finish today Heart's Secret, there very little left to do:

And then I can work on Pirate Santa that also doesn't require much time to finish.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Open house

2011-12-17T23:55:00.000-08:00

Finally it is over! My open house was a success! In a few hours I made more money than I'm making in a week in my regular job! And I've got a new team member! How exciting is that! Tomorrow I'm back to stitching, decorating house for Christmas and writing all Christmas cards.

So long my friends,
Evalina

After first day of my Christmas Open House

2011-12-16T23:53:00.000-08:00

I feel so tired but I'm smiling! Tired because normally I seat by my desk, today it was on my feet a whole afternoon and evening. People were coming and I even had to extend my closing time! Tomorrow is the second (and last) day of my open house (is not really in my house, I rented a boardroom in a hotel in downtown Whitehorse). Tomorrow the story will be longer!

So long my friends,
Evalina

My secret life...

2011-12-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

In my everyday life I am an accountant but in my secret life I am a Mary Kay beauty consultant. I have my secret life for about 18 years now... Last summer I went to MK Seminar, the biggest annual event. It is a three day function filled with training sessions and a Gala Night. Many of you are watching Academy Awards right? Well, the Gala Night is even better! Instead of Oscars MK ladies receiving diamond rings, keys to pink Cadillac, money (lots of it!), tickets to exotic destinations, the list is endless... It was my first MK Seminar and I've got bitten by a pink bug. I decided to give a chance to my secret life... tomorrow and Saturday I'm holding an open house. I'm scared to death that nobody will show up... (maybe I should take some stitching with me, you know, just in case). Please wish me luck!

So long my friends,
Evalina

supper short post

2011-12-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

I am a one happy camper! For many years I was blamed by my sons for leaving their father. And I was waiting very patiently for them to understand that sometimes things just do not work the way we want them to. Deep in my heart I knew that that day will eventually come... Guess what? It came!!! It is the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.

So long my friends,
Evalina

I did it!

2011-12-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

Finally I finished reading all assigned text from textbook and I took my first quiz... I am so proud of myself! I answered every single question correctly and I've got a whole 100%!!! What can I say? I'm smiling from one ear to another and I think I will stitch for an hour or two so I can keep smiling. Maybe I can finish my Heart's Secret...? The stitching part is all done, I'm working on lettering. I will post picture when done.

I've learned something today! In our office we having a new employee. Her roots are from Philippines and today I asked her about Christmas traditions in Philippines. She told me that New Year celebrations are much more traditional than Christmas. They make a lot of noise to scared the bad luck, just before midnight on New Years eve they open all windows, cupboards, draws (practically anything that can be open) to attract a good luck. Wear polka dots clothes to attract money, have 12 different round fruits for every month of the year and the roundness symbolizes (of course) money. There is also a desert from sticky rice so the money will stick to a person. Neat, eh?

In Poland we have a similar tradition but the day is Christmas Eve. When I was a little girl my Mom always told me to be very good on Christmas Eve, be happy and smile a lot - then I'll be good, happy and smiling all year around. Whatever happens on Christmas Eve it will keep happening during next 12 months. So this year I decided to stitch a lot on Christmas Eve, then I will be stitching a lot a whole year around, right?

So long my friends,
Evalina

just rambling...

2011-12-12T22:50:00.000-08:00

I decided to do NaBloPoMo (challenge of blogging daily for the whole month) and so far so good, I didn't miss posting in December yet... and it will not happen today even though I do not have much to say. I feel like an empty balloon, no energy, tired... not a clue what to write about. The cat and the dog are sleeping, washer is doing laundry, Freddy is in his world of spreadsheets and graphs... I even do not want to open a book (I guess I'm all read out with textbooks!) or watch TV. I need something to "pick me up". Normally I would go to bed but tonight I started that darn laundry... maybe I will stitch a little. Of course I would love to start something new (it always happens when I'm bored and pooped) but it would be much wiser to finish something...

What do you do when you feel like that? Do you have any "pick me up" secrets?

So long my friends,
Evalina

There is a party in Blogland!

2011-12-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

Finally! I am in a Christmas mood. For me Christmas is a time of friendly visits, great food and fun! I love visits and guests, and an idea came to me... how about during Holidays we will visit each other blogs in our Blogland. It would be so awesome to say Merry Christmas across the globe and see what are we up to! If you would like to play with me click on the picture below for more information and/or to sign up.

Till next time,
Evalina

full moon

2011-12-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

For some reason all day today I had memory flashbacks... flashbacks from thirty years ago.

It was a cold and snowy Sunday morning on December 13, 1981. I woke up to find my country under Martial Law (literally - The State of War or "stan wojenny").

Thousands of Solidarity leadership and activists were arrested and imprisoned without court sentence. The borders were sealed, airports were closed and road access to main cities was restricted. Travel between cities required permission. Curfew was imposed between 10 pm and 6 am. Telephone lines were disconnected. Mail was subject to censorship. All trade union and other independent organizations were de-legalized. All TV and radio transmissions were suspended (except one government TV channel and one government radio station). Public administration, health services, power generation stations, coal mines, sea ports, train stations, and most of the key factories were placed under military management. The employees had to follow military orders or face a court martial. Classes in schools and at universities were suspended.

From the early morning hours the only TV channel and the only radio station transmitted Gen. Jaruzelski's(our prime minister at that time) address . The anchors wore military uniforms. Only newspapers controlled by the Communist Party or the military were published.

And there were tanks on the streets and soldiers... they were wearing Polish uniforms but could not speak Polish. (I know because one day I was pretending that I'm lost and asked for directions. The soldier look at me like a space cadet with cold eyes of a shark and said nothing. I swear he was Russian.)

A few days later there was no food in the grocery stores. Can you imagine walking into Safeway or Stop and Shop and see only vinegar on shelves? Well, that's what I saw. And I had two little children at that time...

My memories are so fresh, just as all events happened yesterday. My eyes are dry but hands clenched into fists.

I remember smuggling food from farms, even making my own booze! The life was so hard but we tried to make the best of it. Despite curfew hours the social life was booming, we just had to be careful not to get cut.

The Martial Law was suspended in the summer of 1983.

So long my friends, I hope tomorrow I'll be in the lighter mood (today I can blame the full moon for my state of mind)

Evalina

What a day!

2011-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've accomplish a lot today! This semester I'm taking Business Communication course and I read close to 100 pages from the textbook (tomorrow I'm ready for my first quiz). To tell you the truth, this is my first time taking an English course. When I came to North America I didn't speak the language, any school was to slow for me (you know, I had to speak "yesterday") so I marched to the bookstore and the library and did it all on my own. Now I see how much I have to learn, particularly the grammar. (Please, feel free to point any mistakes that you may notice. It will help me to learn.)

When my brain got "fried" a little and steam started to come from my ears I went to play with Topaz. I feel guilty for not having much time for our games... She is a very sweet girl and despite her age (she will be 9 soon) she loves to play like a puppy!

And I stitched! I worked on Heart's Secret from Victoria Sampler. I absolutely love this piece. It's done with Gloriana silks and Weeks Dye Works threads. Since it is so lovely to work with it it is very addictive, I can hardly put it down...

If I do well on tomorrow's quiz I will do a little stitching marathon and try to finish it.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Christmas Eve food - dish # 2

2011-12-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

Today I'm sharing with you my favorite recipe of all times. I love herrings and I'm making this dish not only for Christmas Eve but on many occasions during the year. It is so simple, all you need is a jar of pickled herrings, sour cream, red onion and a dash of sugar.

Slice onion very fine (or chop it very fine) and mix in the bowl with sour cream and a dash of sugar. You can add a couple of tablespoons of white dry wine if you like. Add herrings to the mixture, decorate, grab a glass of champagne (another favorite of mine) and bon appetite!

So long my friends,
Evalina

Christmas Eve food - dish # 1

2011-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner, lets talk about food. I will start series of Polish traditional recipes for Christmas Eve.

One of the twelve traditional meals served during a Polish Christmas Eve Supper is always "Kutia". (The tradition of serving Kutia is spread to other Easter Europe countries as well.) Here is the recipe from the "Ukrainian Daughter’s Cookbook" from the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada, Daughters of Ukraine Branch, Regina, Saskatoon. There are more complicated versions of "Kutia", but the basic recipe is the same. It should be sweet. The wheat celebrates the staff of life and the honey represents the spirit of Christ.

2 cups wheat
3 quarts water
1 cup poppy seed
2/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup honey, dissolved in ¾ cup hot water
½ cup chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans

Dry the wheat in an oven at 250 F for one hour, stirring occasionally. Wash and soak in cold water overnight.
Next morning, bring wheat to the boiling point; simmer for 3 to 4 hours, until the kernels burst open.
Scald the poppy seed and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and grind with either a mortar and pestle or a food processor using the finest setting. Set aside.
Combine honey and sugar in hot water. Set aside.
Before serving, add the sweetened mixture, poppy seed and the nuts to cooled, boiled wheat.

I did not have Kutia for over 20 years, I'm making it this year! I'm not sure where in the Yukon I would find wheat or poppy seeds but I'm going to check some Polish Delicatessens - hopefully they will be able to send it.

So long friends,
Evalina

St. Nicholas Day!

2011-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Many celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. Do you know who St. Nicholas was? He was a priest known for secret gift-giving, patron of children and sailors. I think (and many others) that our dear Santa was created based on the legends of Saint Nicholas.

If you would like to read more about St. Nick here a couple of links:

Do you know any stories or legends about St. Nick? Please share them with me!

So long my friends,
Evalina

the weather

2011-12-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

This evening I came home exhausted! Out of the blue it got warm. Since I came north I have never seen such temperatures (way above freezing point) in December. I drove to work this morning and it was raining. I was glad because my car got a "free car wash". Did you know that in the whole Yukon we do not have automatic car wash? All of them are the "do yourself" type except one... in that one you drive in to the bay and couple guys come and wash your car while you sit in it. So it is kind of automatic I guess... Back to the weather. It rained all the way to Whitehorse (my commute to work is about 50 miles on Alaska Highway). I parked and started walking to the office. Before I reached the building the rain changed to snow. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees. And it was windy. With the snow blowing I could hardly see the other site of the street. And it lasted like that a whole day. I worked again late today, I was leaving the office about 8 PM. It was cloudy but not snowing anymore. I walked to the car and what a picture - the car was buried under the snow! Thank goodness for the shovel in the trunk. It took me about 20 minutes to dig my baby out and then a long way back home. The highway was plowed but there was not a grain of sand. Beautiful, shiny black ice and drifting snow... Can you imagine? I do not think that I ever hold wheal so tight. I think my knuckles turned pure white and I had a hard time to straighten my fingers after parking on my driveway... I think I'm still shaking a little.

The good news is that tomorrow the weather is back to normal, cold and sunny!

Goodnight my friends,
Evalina

Stitchy Sunday

2011-12-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all kind words about my shoulder. I'm better today and I even slept a little last night. I think it is a pinched nerve because it is taking forever to heal. I hope that one day I will be able to do my hair again. It's pain to do it with one hand only.

Yesterday I was looking for something to stitch... I wanted a new start. And it was the Heart's Secret from Victoria Sampler. Here is my progress:

Heart's Secret originally was a part of my 2012 crazy January challenge, I just couldn't wait that long. Now I must replace it with something else.

Last month I was working on Computer Catastrophes. Not much progress there but every stitch counts!

Now back to my assignment... gosh, after I'm done with these courses I will never look at any textbook again!

So long my friends
Evalina

I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

2011-12-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Today I'm just sore and tired so I will wine a bit. I have no idea what I've done to myself yesterday but again I had a sleepless night. My shoulder bothered me a lot... I went to see my doctor at the end of summer but he had no idea what's wrong with it. The ex-ray didn't show anything abnormal and I knew I do not have any broken bones. I am very disappointed with my doc, well to tell you the truth I'm outraged by his luck of professionalism. Do you know what he told me? "Ma'am you are 57, what do you expect?" Really I was going to sue the bastard! For god's sake, my vet is treating my pets better than he treats patients. Maybe I'm to sensitive because I'm in pain for so long, just for some reason I do not think so.

On the north we have a serious shortage of doctors. I guess Yukon is happy to get any doc, the bad one is better than none... (the one I'm taking about came straight from India). Can you imagine a doc who Google the net while doing diagnoses??? Oh, gosh! You have no idea how much I miss US and my visits to medical clinic. I didn't have any insurance then, for every visit I paid from my own packet but, oh boy! the service was fantastic.

A month from now I'm going for MRI (I had to ask for it!), maybe that test will get me some answers.

Maybe I should stitch a little... stitching always puts me in a better mood. And tomorrow is a new day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring for me?

So long my friends,
Evalina

My first time

2011-12-02T00:05:00.000-08:00

Julie wrote about her first time and Meari did it too, so, why not, I'm brave enough to tell you the story about my first time.

I'm kind of late bloomer, I did my first time when I was about 37. Do not get me wrong, I did try before and I'd try different styles before but not the way when I did it first time. I was far away from home and family, sometimes feeling very lonely in a big world and living on my own. At that time I lived in California... (it's not only my heart that I lost in San Francisco...)

I was shopping and a few Santas caught my eye, shortly after they was driving with me home. My English was very poor, but I thought: how difficult it could be? I have the chart, the legend and the dictionary. I can do it! And I did it! It wasn't perfect but I loved it. And I've got hooked! Here is the evidence of my first time

And I display it with pride every single Christmas since then...

So long my friends,
Evalina

NaBloPoMo

2011-12-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

So many blogs are talking about some NaBloPoMo. I did a little research and actually I like the idea of daily postings. You know, English is my second language and what a better way to brush up my writing skills. So here I am promising to post daily and to have more fun with it I also dare you to do the same! Would you join me in the challenge? You can click on the NaBloPoMo above for more info.

So long friends,
Evalina

The oldest UFO update

2011-12-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

Here it is, my oldest UFO brought back to life after being neglected in the drawer for 18 years...

All old mistakes are frogged, the mast is straight - I think I might finish this piece before the year end.

If you have an old UFO and would like to join me in the fun you can sign up here.

Right now all my stitching and other pleasures are on the back burner, again I'm working crazy long hours and I'm enrolled in two accounting courses with assignments due December 7th. After that I will have a day break to catch up on emails and other blogs.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Pictures!

2011-11-21T19:55:00.001-08:00

As promised earlier, here they are!

Frost was busy painting my windows...

I look at the outside thermometer and literally froze

Mind you, the winter didn't start yet... birds didn't mind at all

but I was stitching! Here is my Pirate Santa

and Computer Catastrophes

So long friends,
Evalina

IHSW - Sunday

2011-11-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

The temperatures dropped to -35 C, perfect day to stay indoors with a hot cup of coffee and stitch the day away. And again I hoped to accomplish much more that I actually did... I did not make the ornament, I stitch very little on my Pirate Santa but I brought to daylight Computer Catastrophes again. I stitched part with a lot of confetti stitches so I didn't go very far...

There is no pictures in today's post yet but I promise, cross my heart, that they will be here shortly. I stitched last night until my eyes could not see any more and I was to tired to do updates. I will do them this evening!

So long friends,
Evalina

IHSW - Saturday

2011-11-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

I thought I would accomplish a little more this Saturday... well, I stared my day with visiting other blogs, yahoo groups etc. and before I knew it, it was a lunch time!

Regardless my late start I stitched an ornie that I will try to finish today (actually make an ornament from that stitched piece)

and worked a tiny bit on my Pirate Santa...

Now it is only 7 in the morning and we'll see what a new day will bring...

So long my friends,
Evalina

IHSW - Friday

2011-11-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

It was a first day of International Hermit and Stitch Day hosted by Joyce and since it was a cold day in the Yukon I hermit inside my cabin and didn't go outside even for a minute. I changed my working hours, I work 10 hrs a day for 4 days and I'm taking Fridays off. It saves me couple hours of commuting to work and gives me an extra day off!

In the late morning I was distracted by visitors:

awesome looking Pine Grosbeaks. They do not visit often but yesterday they were all over!

And, of course, I was stitching. I decided to pick something from my last crazy January challenge, something that I could finish during this weekend. Pirate Santa looked like a nice project, so Pirate Santa it was!

Today is as cold as was yesterday so thanks to Joyce for IHSW! I will work on my assignment (yeah, I'm taking another course - managerial accounting is on today's burner) and I will stitch and stitch and stitch some more! I have no idea which project will grab my attention, please comeback later to check it out.

So long friends,
Evalina

weather

2011-11-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

It's cold in the Yukon.Click here to see for yourself! I should now better, it's my seventh winter here. No matter what, I am not ready for temperatures "below normal" and that's exactly what is happening now. So much for the global warming. It suppose to affect north the most and I was hoping for some decent weather but guys, believe me, nothing like that is happening here, just wishful thinking. The truth is that we are going into the ice age!

I decided to join International Hermit and Stitch Weekend hosted by Joyce (it's not too late, if you want to join us just pop in to her blog and sign up). So I will stay home by my cozy wood stove and stitch, and stitch and stitch some more. I think I will work on my Pirate Santa, the oldest UFO, some Christmas ornies and Computer Catastrophes.

look what I've got!

2011-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

A while ago Helen was looking for a beautiful Acorn Sampler. She asked her question on a few cross stitching yahoo groups and got the answer... it was in Donna Kooler's encyclopedia of needlework. Since a fell in love with this sampler also, I ordered the book... It came yesterday!!!

OMG, what a treasure! I found there tons of awesome things: new stitches, new techniques, just to name a few.

Of course I will stitch the sampler

But look on that needlebook, isn't lovely?

and that beautiful pillow...

I want to learn all these techniques and do them all!

hugs,

Evalina

poppy biscornu

2011-11-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

Finally I put together my poppy biscornu and, IMHO, it is the prettiest biscornu I've ever done!

both pieces stitched, cross and back, beads are added

and

TaRa!

all done!

Now, back to stitching!

Evalina

In Flanders Field

2011-11-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Colonel John McCrae, who was Professor of Medicine at McGill University in Canada before WW1 (joined the McGill faculty in 1900 after graduating from the University of Toronto), first described the red poppy, the Flanders’ poppy, as the flower of remembrance.
Although he had been a doctor for years and had served in the Boer War as a gunner, but went to France in WW1 as a medical officer with the first Canadian contingent.

At the second battle of Ypres in 1915, when in charge of a small first-aid post, he wrote in pencil on a page from his dispatch book a poem that has come to be known as "Flanders’ Field" which described the poppies that marked the graves of soldiers killed fighting for their country. The major was no stranger to writing, having authored several medical texts besides dabbling in poetry. In the nearby cemetery, McCrae could see the wild poppies that sprang up in the ditches in that part of Europe.

McCrae's "In Flanders’ Fields" remains to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres salient in the spring of 1915.

In Flanders’ Fields

In Flanders’ Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ Fields.

The wearing of the poppy to keep faith began when an American, Miss Moira Michael, read the poem "In Flanders Field" and was so greatly impressed that she decided always to wear a poppy to keep the faith. Miss Michael wrote a reply after reading "In Flanders Field" entitled "We Shall Keep the Faith":

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders’ fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew;
We caught the torch you threw;
And holding high we kept
The faith with those who died.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valour led.
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders’ Fields.
And now the torch and poppy red
Wear in honour of our dead
Fear not that ye have died for naught
We’ve learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders’ Fields.

November - Poppy Month

2011-11-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

This coming Fridays is Remembrance Day in Canada and I call a whole month of November a Poppy Month since most of us wear poppies in honor of our soldiers for much longer than just a day. In my stash I have a lovely poppy biscornu chart from Creative Poppy and what's a better time to make it than now? Last weekend I was able to almost finish the top part:

To tell you the truth the piece is looking much nicer in reality than on the picture (maybe because I was taking this pic late in the evening...) I think it will be the pretties biscornu I've ever made. I still have to do back stitching and put some beads on this part but I like it already.

This Friday is not only Remembrance Day it is also my 7 anniversary coming to Yukon. It will be my seventh long cold winter... Should I have a giveaway for this occasion? What do you think?

So long friends,
Evalina

the oldest UFO

2011-10-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

My oldest UFO (see post below) got some attention! Debbie of Debbie's Cross-Stitch admitted that she has a 30 year old UFO!!! So, that got me thinking... Let's do the Oldest UFO SAL. If you have any, dig it out and start stitching. Post the progress on your own blog with the label "the oldest UFO" and let me know that you did it. You can post the progress of your work (on that UFO of course) as often as you like but you must post it also on the last day of every month. That one will count towards a prize! Yep, you are reading right, there will be a prize for the most stitched UFO!!! It would be not fair to say for most finishes because some UFO's will need maybe 100 stitches to finish and some could have 1000s! The first prize I will draw on January 1, 2012 and it will be a $25 Visa card.

As I mentioned earlier, I will stitch Sailboats and Seagulls. When done it should look like that (sorry for the picture being so wrinkled... it took 18 years to get that look):

Do you have any unfinished projects? Let's stitch them together! If you would like to stitch with us please sign up here.
Happy stitching and spooky, scary Halloween!

It's a Halloween night

2011-10-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

and the last day of the month. October was a good month for me - I've got a new car (look how beautiful she looks after her "makeover")

I opened a new saving account and actually I made some money already! I was thinking about current stage in my life, how much longer I want to work and what I will do after... I do not like to work, really, the best scenario would be if I could retire but financially I'm not in that position yet... so that's why I decided to save some more.

And I did some stitching! Here is my square for charity with outlined mushrooms. It looks much better, thank you for an advice.

I finished stitching for competition held in my yahoo group. Unfortunately I can't show it yet, I do not want to be disqualified. And I worked some more on TTT

After all I was so "witched out" and was looking for something brighter to work on. I pulled out couple of pieces from my UFO (unfinished objects) basket. An ornament that I've started a year ago:

and my oldest UFO... it must be around 18 years old. I made a mistake and left it on the back burner. Yesterday my sail boats saw the light again. I've frogged all mistakes (or most of them) and now I'm ready to work on it. That piece will be my first one for the 2012 WIPocalypse project.

Have a great spooky night!
Evalina

Another Monday...

2011-10-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

So, it's Monday again. New week, new plans, new ideas. I'm back to taking my Mondays off work and dedicating them to my study. Yep! I'm back to school again taking more accounting courses (I sign up for 5 between now and sometime in March). I know it's crazy and it will eat up all my stitching time, but I just want to get over with. I do not care about perfect grades but I do want to pass the finals. I have no idea why I'm doing this, I should be thinking about getting ready for retirement not getting more education and advancing my career.

I did manage to stitch a little. Of course it's a new start (shame on me) Thine is the trick and the treat from Prairie Moon. Here is the progress

I'm stitching in on 32ct willow green linen with floss from The Gentle Art named black crow. When done it should look kind of like this (except for a different background color)

So long friends,
Evalina

Pea's birthday party

2011-10-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

I feel so royal today! If you want to know why, check this out:

Busy, busy, busy week!

2011-10-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

For a quite some time I was looking for a new car. I wanted something small and economical. The options were endless:

a smart car (unknown men on the picture)

Smaudi A3 AWD

Smorvette

Smamborghini

Smerrari

Smorsche

and finally - the Smustang!

Before I decided to buy one I drove a few. None of the above were available in the Yukon so I limited my options to Toyota Corolla, Mazda 2 and Chrysler 200. I liked Corolla a lot and I really liked the 200, couldn't decided between these two. Corolla has an excellent consumer report ratings as the most reliable vehicle but 200 is an awesome looking car... Well, couple days ago again I took the little Toyota for a ride - this time wasn't just a test drive but actually I drove the way I would drive my own car. And I decided that Corolla it is! Yesterday I took a day off work, grabbed Freddy with me and we went to a dealership, did the paperwork, got sold on a few extras and went to insure the vehicle and get new plates. In the mean time we celebrate our new purchase in Japanese style - lunch at Tokyo Sushi, our local Japanese restaurant. By 5 PM I was driving on Alaska Highway in my new babe. Here she is:

She came with a lovely panda (well, to tell you the truth - I asked for it):

Next week we are going back to the dealership and the car will have a little makeover (added bodyside mouldings, rear bridge spoiler and a rear bumper protector)

By the end of the day Freddy and I were exhausted, just flopped on the couch and watch three shows in the row, the CSI New York, Nikita and Fringe.

HALLOWEEN MUST BE NEAR!

I noticed lately that a lot of ravens are gathering around...

So, in the mood of the season I worked on the Halloween Rules

WHAT I'VE LEARNED THIS WEEK?

The glue on the postal stamps doesn't hold very well to the fabric! I sent mail art to my stitching buddy and the poor thing, after being stuck somewhere for almost six weeks, came back to me with a note of not sufficient postage. I am so embarrassed, now I know to use super glue!

LONG WEEKEND

This weekend is a Thanksgiving in Canada. Tomorrow I'm having a few guests for a turkey dinner. It looks like I'll be busy cooking!

Where to start...?

2011-09-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

What an amazing weekend I had! A whole bunch of Canadian stitchers got together for a cross stitching retreat. We were planning this event for over 2 years and finally my dream came true! You know, I live middle of nowhere and always was so jealous whenever I read of stitchers stitching together.

It was a blast! We had so much fun exploring Quadra Island, feeding deer making new friendships and we even have done some stitching! Our hostesses DH said: "I can't believe it, you guys came from so far just to stitch?" Oh, no the stitching is just an excuse! We came for fun and here we are, bottom row from left to right: Gis, me and social sue, top row: Bea, June, Linda, Wanda, Marlene, Janice the hostess, Gail and Marilyn.

and here is me and mama deer

I was able to finish my Little Red Riding Hood square that I'm stitching for a charity quilt (needs a little ironing and maybe I should outline mushroom stems).

On Monday we said goodbys but I decided to spend couple more days on the Vancouver Island. My next stop was Port Alberni's gliding club - I've got to fly!!!!

me in the glider before taking off and below a few pics from the glider during the flight

Tuesday I spent in Victoria visiting Butterfly Gardens and Button and Needlework Boutique.
Now I'm back to Yukon and my ordinary life, dreaming about next retreat. We set a tentative date as of Spring 2014 and that one will be in Maritimes!

So long friends,

And the winner is...

2011-09-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

Kelly of I love cross stitch! Congratulations my dear friend!!!

Followers appreciation giveaway

2011-08-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

I would love to thank all my followers for reading my blog, crying with me in times of sorrow and laughing in times of happiness. Thank you for leaving comments, thank you for hugs and smiles. You are so kind to me and here is a little from me to you: a giveaway.

As usual there is no rules for this giveaway other than you do have to be a follower. You do not have to mention about this giveaway on your blog (if you do I really appreciate it) and you do not have to leave comments under this post (but if you do I would love it). The winner will be randomly chosen from all my followers on Saturday, a week from today - make sure to check my blog and let me know where to ship the goodies! This is what the winner will get:

a dream catcher to make sure that all your dreams are beautiful (the bad ones will be caught and hold by the dream catcher)

a cute little froggie to put smile on your face

some Hershey's

Happy Hunting, chart by Lizzie Kate

and a bookmark stitch by me for you (no picture yet, it will be a surprise)

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

So long friends,

It has been a while...

2011-08-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post not because nothing is happening in my life but because I'm falling apart... First was my thumb (still sore but manageable and I can stitch a little!), now it is my shoulder. For over a month it is bothering me and making my life difficult. And to make things worse last Saturday I flew from the porch to the driveway, like a bomb... I was lying on the ground and I had no idea: should I laugh or cry? In my mind I saw my body falling dawn in the slow motion and that made me laugh but the added pain wanted me to cry... thank goodness no broken limbs, just a few bruises and scratches

And that's not all; I also had a flat tire. Part of Alaska Highway is under construction (and there are no other roads) that will take me to work and somehow a very sharp stone get into my brand new tire:

Do you see it?

And that is inside the tire, not fixable - I got a brand new tire and for a first time I appreciated the road hazard insurance!

Now I will quit winning and get to an awesome stuff.

I received the most beautiful mail art from my stitching buddy, our lovely Meari. Normally I wouldn't show addresses but she did such amazing job and picked a very lovely alphabet so I do not mind if you see mine

the front

and the back

I wasn't going to open this gorgeous envelope until Meari receives mine, but since I was so hurt and so beat-up, ... I opened it... and, oh my!, so many goodies were inside:

a lovely chart that I decided to stitch and make a broach or a name tag for my stitching retreat in September

a whole bunch of teas that still waiting for me to try them

a lovely floss that for sure it will get used

and a package of flower seeds that will be planted in the spring. There also was a postcard (didn't take a picture, darn it!) with a little history facts. Thank you so much Meari, you've made my day! I was in such happy mood that I stitched some... I've started a new project though...

Maybe this weekend I will get back to my Guardian Angel.

So long friends,

12 days of my birthday - wrap up

2011-08-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

To wrap up my birthday (it lasted longer than I thought!) - I received more gifts:

An awesome package from Vanessa. She sent me a gorgeous pair of owl scissors along with a chart to stitch an owl scissor case. She did not stop there, she also included a lovely chart by Diane Graebner Spring Has Sprung. Here they are:

Lovely hearts (all kitted up) from Georgena

Tons of goodies from Marjorie

Thank you so much ladies! I love all the gifts!!!

To finish my birthday with a bang I went to Toronto. It was hot, hot, hot and I loved it! It was 2 in the morning and after stepping outside I thought I stepped in straight into sauna. It has been a long while since I left Ontario, about 11-12 years...

While there I attended a 4 day Mary Kay Seminar - the biggest event of the year. I'm using MK skin care products for as long as I'm in Canada (before that I was a Christian Dior girl) and I absolutely love it. I even became a MK beauty consultant but (shame on me, shh...) I am my own best customer. Seminar was fantastic, I've met hundreds (there was about three thousand of us or more) of beautiful women who actually make good money in MK!!!

Now, that's something I can't forgive myself - I did not take even one picture! For some reason I left my beautiful, new camera at home (I guess I was scared of loosing it, silly me) and for no particular reason I refused to use my little point and shoot baby. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now the only memories I have are in my heart... I'm going there back next year and next year I will have not one, but two cameras!

I've also met one of my swap-bot buddies! It was awesome! We met on line and in person!

On the way back Air Canada was late and I missed my connecting flight to Yukon. I had to spent the night in Calgary... It was OK, Air Canada paid for the hotel and meals... I could call our lovely Mel from epic stitching and meet her but didn't have my laptop with me or her phone number... Sorry Mel, maybe some other time.

In about a month I'm going to cross stitching retreat on Quadra Island to meet other stitchers from our yahoo groups. I am so excited, can hardly wait!!! And for sure I'm taking my camera!

On the stitchy note... well not much, finally I finished mail art for my stitching buddy (no pictures though until she receives it). I feel a little like a shmack, she finished hers three weeks ago and I should have it any day - I will send mine this Monday... and all because of my stupid thumb. It is still sore but I'm not wearing that brace any more. And to make things even more fun I've got something called "frozen shoulder". So it is my right hand and left shoulder - I'm really falling apart...

So long friends,

12 days of my birthday - Day 4

2011-07-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

It was a long day at work... but I had a nice surprise on a way home! I left an office about 8 PM, there was a little rain and a little sunshine (we still have long days, sunset is about 11:30 PM) and I started driving home. After driving half way I noticed a beautiful rainbow and I was following that rainbow for the rest of the way. Eventually I pulled over and took a picture - I was waiting a little too long, but you can still see some of it.

Another surprise was waiting for me in the mailbox - I received a lovely card from Vanessa

and a package from Val (Mystical Wizard from The Gold Collection with a card)

Thank you so much ladies, you've made my day very special!

So long friends,

12 days of my birthday - Day 3

2011-07-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Another lovely day! I went with Freddy to Emerald Lake for a short hike. Name of the lake says it all, the water is really emerald!!!

The mail brought to me another birthday present! Debbie Jo sent me Winter Wind from The Prairie Schooler (a match to my Summer Breeze) along with a needle palette and a bunch of needles. Thank you so much Debbie Jo!

I hope my thumb heals quickly! I have so much stitching to do!

12 days of my birthday - Day 1 & 2

2011-07-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again - another birthday! I stop counting them a long time ago and seems like every year I'm celebrating it longer and longer...

I started the first day of my birthday (Saturday, July 16) with a glass of Mimosa (champagne with passion fruit liquor). Freddy made a lovely breakfast (and lunch and supper - it was awesome). This year I decided not to have a birthday party but instead have a "date" all day long. Later I opened a package that was brought to me by Royal Mail from our lovely Graceann. In the package I found a lovely card with kitty on the front who looks just like ZoomZoom!!!

and a gorgeous chart from Passione Ricamo:

Thank you so much Graceann!!!

On the second day of my birthday I was playing with my new camera - I fell in love with it instantly! Here is a few pics from around our cabin, click on it for a better view:

fireweed - flowers of Yukon

my favorite grass

black spruce with cones

It was a very sad day in our neighbourhood - one of the dogs was run over by a truck. It was a nice dog but had a very bad habit of chasing cars and trucks. I knew that one day accident like this will happen - and the only person to blame for it is the owner...

Topaz never played with Fila, they never were "friends" but she saw the accident and was devastated - even didn't want to pose for my pictures...

Not much happen in my stitching world... I was stitching a little on the art mail for my stitching buddy, I'm done with all the motifs but still have to stitch the lettering. I also stitch a little on the Computer Catastrophes and, guess what? My hand had to go back to the brace! I am so disappointed! I didn't stitch at all last week, this week I will try just 15 minutes at the most and I'll see what happens.

So long friends!

Happy Canada Day!!!

2011-07-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day!

It is summer in the Yukon!

2011-06-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

And it feels so good! It is sunny almost 24 hours a day, is green everywhere and wild roses are in a full bloom. I love going for walks, every breath I take is filled with the smell of roses.

That's near my cabin (yes, I leave in the cabin). All ditches are full of roses...

and all the way along my gravel road (that's the road that takes me from my cabin to Alaska Highway). Drive it at least twice a day (to and from work). It's very dusty in the summer and lovely white in the winter. Our summers are very short so for most of the year (from October to May) I'm driving on the white road...

SCHOOL

Yep I'm back to school! I took almost a year off, my mind was wondering what to do next... and I decided to continue with courses towards my accounting designation. It is an awful long and bumpy road to CGA. Now, when I'm thinking about my university years, they seem like a kindergarten... Mind you, I was much younger then I didn't have to work. Now is working full time plus studying with a very little time for stitching...

STITCHING

Yesterday was my first day without the brace (torture chamber as one of my readers called it) and it was good. I even stitch for half an hour! Next time I will have an update picture! I'm still working on Computer Catastrophes and I'm sure I will work on it for a very long time! During our long weekend I will finish mail art I'm doing for my stitching buddy but the picture you will see after I know she received it. You know, she reads my blog and I do not want to spoil the surprise!

FROM ME TO ME ON MY BIRTHDAY

I know it sounds silly, but I love to celebrate everything and my birthday specially! I do it for 12 days starting July 16. For some reason I couldn't wait and I have to buy myself a gift. Maybe because I couldn't stitch, maybe because I was feeling so much pity for myself or maybe because I made a decision about going back to school, I do not know. But I know I love photography and I know I wanted a good camera for a long time. I have a nice Sony, kind "point and shoot", taking nice pictures... but I wanted something better than that. So yesterday I splurge for another Sony but this time it is (my first ever) digital SLR (single-lens reflex)!

The battery is charging and I can't wait to put it to use! Stay tuned for more pictures and a ♥GIVEAWAY♥. Yep, you are reading right! For my birthday I will hold a giveaway and it will be a very special one. More about it in the next post.

So long my friends,

A whole week with no stitching...

2011-06-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yep, I went to see a doctor because none of my home remedies worked on my thumb. He just did a couple of test and said: "Ma'am you have De Quervain's tenosynovitis" (What an awful name, try to pronounce it with my Polish tongue!) and he said that I'll be all good in a couple of weeks. For now I'm killing the pain with super strength Ibuprofen, I'm wearing a brace and can't stitch with that thing on.

But nothing will stop me from shopping! I always wanted to stitch the Moon Goddess so finally I bought it. I absolutely adore this design

and one of my stitching buddies introduced me to the Dukan Diet. Let me tell you, it's awesome! A little like the Atkins diet - has pure protein days in first phase (he calls it attack phase) that lasts anywhere from 2 to 10 days and the second phase contains proteins plus vegetables. My buddy lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks, I've lost 5 pounds in 3 days. But I love chocolate and chocolate is not on the list of allowable foods. I'm craving for chocolate.... so I bought a chart Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate! I hope it will cure my cravings when I start to stitching it!

I was checking Julie's work and came across lovely design that she was working on (must have for me) "Shore Patrol"

It didn't took me long to find it! Now it is on the way to me and hopefully Canada Post will get back to work so I can receive my mail!

So long friends,

A giveaway

2011-06-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Brenda of The Rusty Thimble has a giveaway. Check her blog for many chances to win an awesome witch!

So long friends,

And the winner is...

2011-06-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Emily in NC

Congratulations Emily!!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

My week was very quiet. Absolutely nothing excited happen... just work, some contemplations and some stitching. I even didn't stitch much because my thumb still sore (I think I over used the joint at the base of the thumb near the wrist). It has been couple of weeks (or maybe more) since the pain started - I think it's time to see a doctor. I stitched Computer Catastrophes, here is the picture of the progress:

So long friends,

New start!

2011-06-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Finally lakes aren't frozen anymore!

Swallows are back to their houses

Seagulls are making nests

Crocuses are replaced by other little smiling flowers

Life is good!

Last Friday I bought new file cabinet. It's small, wooden and looks good in my study/craft room. It came in pieces with numbers... with no help from my man (he stays away from screwdrivers like a devil from holly water) I was on my own to put that thing together. I think I did a darn good job!

Drawers are sliding smoothly and even lock is working!

You can call me crazy but I've started another piece from Heaven and Earth Designs, Computer Catastrophes. Size in stitches: 450 x 448 (total of 201,600). This time I will be working on 18ct aida with 2 threads of DMC. When done it will be 25" by 25". This is a tribute to my latest laptop that died unexpectedly. And, lucky me, I'm stitching it as a SAL (stitch along) with Cindy and Bea. I'm very happy to be in such great company!

This is how it will look when done:

By Saturday night all my floss was winded on bobbins (couldn't have done it without that little gizmo on the side of the box). I like to keep floss for the project organized by the number. Multiple skeins of floss I'm keeping in the ziploc bag.

I've also enlarged my working chart. And this is what I have done yesterday:

This time I started in the left bottom corner for a change and so far I like it. My thumb is still giving me a little trouble but I will try to stitch a little every day this week. Next week I will be back to my Guardian Angel.

I wish everyone a great week!

Until next time,

A milestone!

2011-05-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

I've reach a milestone! This is my 200 post - and it is time for a giveaway! The giveaway is a thank you for reading my ramblings and leaving me comments full of encouragement, advice and smiles. Please make sure that I have a way of contacting you if you are the winner! The winner will be announced on Sunday, June 12th. There is no rules for this giveaway, you do not have to be a follower (if you are thank you so much!), you do not have to mention about this giveaway on your blog (if you do I really appreciate it) but you should leave here a comment or two.

This is what you'll get:

Mary Kay mini body lotion set

a chart "Schoolgirl Lessons" from Little House Needleworks,

a piece of fabric and silk floss (Cranberry from Gloriana)

If it happens that the winner is not a stitcher I will stitch it for you!

package of rose-hip tea (grown and made in the Yukon).

Did you know that we have tons of wild roses here?

Stitchy update

Last week I was stitching my Guardian Angel. It was so nice to get back to my little stitches.

8,800 stitches of 112,000. I still have a very long way to go...

And the Royal Wedding goes to...

LiBBiE in Oz!!!

Remember my Round Robin (kind of)? Well, Patty was the winner and she is the host of that RR. Visit her blog if you would like to play.

Have a great week everyone!

After a long weekend...

2011-05-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

but really, my log weekend isn't over yet! Today I decided to take an extra day off to sort out zillion of thoughts that are bothering my mind lately... To my sadness I discovered that accounting is the most boring profession out there. There is no imagination, no magic, no fun - just debits and credits and balancing accounts and risk assessments and some ratios and taxes... BORING!!! And what should I do? I'm half way to my designation as a professional accountant. For now to keep my sanity I think I will pay more attention to my Mary Kay business. I use their cosmetics for over 17 years and love it and because ~~I'm cheap~~ I like to keep windows of opportunity open I'm also Mary Kay consultant for same 17 years (and as a consultant I can buy product at 50% discount). Because of that generous discount I've tried every single product they have and absolutely loved it. Even Freddy is using their stuff (just man's line - he does not wear lipsticks or mascaras!)

So, as you see, I have a big nut to chew on it. On the bright site - I just bought a new pair of shoes!

a pair of new shoes always makes me feel better!!!

And I finished the Cattitude! I stitched it on 28 ct lugana (something with sunshine in the colour name) and the Gentle Art threads. There is a small mistake but I decided not to frogg it, it's hardly noticeble.

My latest Cross Stitch Collection magazine came with a giant Royal Wedding chart.

I know I will not stitch it ever. If you would like to have it - it could be yours. Just leave a comment under this message and make sure I have your email address. If there will be more than one person wanting this chart I will make a draw on Sunday, May 29th.

So long friends,
Evalina

Round robins, weather and more!

2011-05-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

We have spring in the Yukon!!! Temperatures are still low, lakes are still frozen but the sky is blue and days are very long. At 10 PM sun is still shining! Look what I found while walking yesterday:

Definitely spring is here!!!

Last week I've done quite some stitching! I finished second square for Carolyn's RR Alphabet Zoo. It was such a pleasure to work on it.

And I'm done with kind of Round Robin. I stitched a pincushion with a lovely floss from Rita (Wild Fire from Carrie's Creations. While stitching it I decided to stitch another one with beads and silk floss. I had some Madeira silk to try and it was a perfect pattern to do it. I made from it a little purse:

that's the front

and the back

and here are all my creations from this chart:

Now the chart with a skein of floss goes to my winner Patty. Check her blog for updates and make sure to leave her a comment if you like to participate!

While on the subject of purses, I received the loveliest coin purse from Peru. Yep! All the way from Peru! Thank you so much Jane, I love it! The leather feels so soft.

I also was stitching Cattitude. Here is the progress:

So long friends,

Round Robin winner!

2011-05-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

A while ago I've posted abut a different kind of Round Robin and guess what did I find in my mailbox yesterday? A chart from Rita with a lovely floss - Wildfire from Carrie's Creation. Now it is my turn to do the draw...

and the lucky winner is ...

CRAFTY PATTY!!!

Congratulations Patty!!! I will send the chart with the floss to you as soon as I'm done stitching it. Please email to me your mailing address.

And, just as a reminder, here are the rules:

You must have a blog
You must drop whatever you are stitching at the moment in order to stitch this design in a timely manner.
You will put an offer on your blog for someone to accept the pattern and a skein of floss.

So long friends,

I love Mondays!!!

2011-05-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

This morning first email was from Michele of Heaven and Earth Designs with replacement of all my missing charts! I was so happy that immediately I logged in to HAED site and bought two more:

Computer problems

and Woodland Spirit

Aren't they awesome?

Two hours later they announced an extra 25% discount, but it didn't matter, Michele didn't charge me for replacing charts - that was so generous of her. If you looking for some of their designs at a great price, remember they are 50% off regular price and the sale ends tomorrow! Here is the link.

So long friends,

Stitchy and not so stitchy update

2011-05-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

After fighting that strep throat another disaster struck me - my laptop died! And all the files with it. I've lost all my assignments and some of my precious HAED charts (six of them!). Once again I didn't follow the number one rule, I didn't do backups frequently. My last one was in February... I've lost over 2 months worth of data!

Well, last Thursday I bought a new one - this time I decided to go with a desktop and a 24" monitor. Gosh! It is so much work to set up everything again! First I had to upgrade my windows (PC came with Windows 7 home edition but I need the professional one) and download zillion updates, after that was McAfee and Microsoft Office. It was way past midnight when I decided to quit. Friday - I came home after work and same thing - reinstalling more software... I'm almost done... I hope I can replace my lost HAED charts - I sent email to Michelle, will see what my options are.

Now the stitchy part!

With all the things going on I didn't stitch much... I was able to do a bookmark:

and I've started on the Cattitude:

Today I'm back to my assignments, finals are coming again... I decided to take Mondays off from work and work longer hours Tuesday to Friday. That way I'm saving a couple of hours by eliminating driving to work and I'm having an extra day to do my study and some stitching of course! I feel like is time to pay a little attention to my Guardian Angel - he was little neglected in April...

So long my friends,

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Mother's Blessing

God bless my mother and all mothers around the world.

We are all born out of the energy of Divine Love. Like a million tiny seeds blown across the earth, each of us takes root to grow into a unique expression of the one Love that created us.
Whether the seed of my being landed on a soft fertile place or a rocky path, I was created out of Love and I am an expression of Love. I give thanks for the womb that gave me life and the love that supported my growth. My eyes are opened to see anew all the love I have received. Strong and gentle, liberating and supportive, love has nurtured my growth. Whether the mother who gave me these gifts of love is with me now or not, I send a blessing of loving gratitude to her today.

So long my friends,

We did it!

2011-05-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last night the history was made and I was a part of it. I am so very proud of the Canadian people, we have a majority conservative government. Even Yukoners vote conservative! (The hard working, honest kid has won!) I can't wipe off smile of my face.

So long my friends,
Evalina

Election!

2011-05-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well it is election day in Canada. We have three guys (four on the picture but the first to the right (Gilles Duceppe) knows that he doesn't have a chance) that want to be a Prime Minister of Canada.

A few more hours and the mystery will be solved... I voted for Stephen Harper and I hope that we have a majority conservative government.

Just by looking on these three when they were younger

Stephen, Jack and Michael... I can tell that Stephen from the young age was a hard working, honest kid. The other two didn't change much either... Jack - born politician (when I look in his eyes I can tell he will promise everything and deliver nothing) and Micheal - a space cadet living in a La La land.

Happy Friday!

2011-04-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Royal Wedding was fantastic!!! If you did not see it, I'm sure it will be replayed again (and again). It was much different from the one I watched 30 years ago...

I saw William putting ring on Kate's finger but I didn't see her doing the same. Did I missed it or is that a royal custom?

I'm just getting over my strep throat. Gosh! I wasn't so sick since I remember. My throat is fine but I have sore ribs from coughing so hard. I missed 4 days at work (and I do not have paid sick leave days at work) but well, my well being is the most important thing to me.

I finished my bunny before Easter! After having a backstitch makeover he was looking pretty good! Good hearted Marl answered my plea for help and sent to me a whole bunch of ribbons

I'd chose the pink one and here he is, in all his glory:

I also received a wonderful RAK (Random Act of Kindness) from Emily

And it looks like this weekend I'm gonna to stitch again!

So long friends,

Happy Easter!!!

2011-04-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Easter is a celebration of the resurrection. With joy, I acknowledge the rising of my own Christ nature. Following the teachings of Jesus, I overcome trials of doubt and fear that may have darkened my mind. One with the overcoming power of Christ, I rise and shake off the past. Any stone of despair lying heavy on my heart rolls away in the bright morning light. Guided by my inner Christ Presence, I joyfully walk in the newness of life.

Happy Easter to you my friends,

Round Robin (kind of)

2011-04-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Barbara started a different kind of Round Robin.

She stitched The Sweetheart Tree Potted Flower, made a beautiful pincushion and offered the chart with a skein of floss to the next person.

Rita was the lucky one. She stitched it and offered same to the next stitcher. I was the first one to comment on her blog and since #1 rarely wins - I didn't had much hope... I was wrong! I WON!!! Rita already sent the chart to me! (We'll see how long it takes to come not just to Canada, but to the north of 60!)

So, now I will do the same. I will stitch it and the pattern with a skein of floss will go to a lucky random winner of today's post. It is only few rules to follow:

You must have a blog
You must drop whatever you are stitching at the moment in order to stitch this design in a timely manner.
You will put an offer on your blog for someone to accept the pattern and a skein of floss.

Would you like to play? Live a comment and good luck!

I will draw the name after I finish stitching.

So long friends

Happy Monday!

2011-04-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Finally snow is melting in the Yukon! Temperatures are still low (at night are below 0C ) but during the day it is nice and sunny. During my stitchy weekend I have started Happy Easter

and I'm not in love with it any more... I really like the way it's finish but the stitching part is just too sweet, too cute - like eating icing without the cake. On the picture colors look almost normal but in reality - way to sweet for my liking!

So to get back to "normal" I had to stitch something "normal" and since Carolyn's RR (Round Robin) has arrived I finished "my square".

It is stitched with "Cherry Wine" from Gentle Art and I'm absolutely in love with it!

So long friends,

Help!!!!

2011-04-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

My "Happy Easter" knob knocker has arrived and I am so disappointed. I love the way it is finished, it looks like the ribbon was made from floss but there is no instructions how to do it....I beg for your help! I know that many of you do wonderful finishes, please help me to find a solution or maybe a substitute...?

(click on the picture for more detailed view)

So long friends,

this and that...

2011-04-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Our "stewards of the land" are slaughtering polar bears! It makes me so angry - they call themselves all the pretty names like "First Nations", "Stewards of the Land" and so on but really they just plain poachers. Here is a full story.

And there is no signs of spring in the Yukon... here is a little visitor I had over the weekend

On the positive note - I've done a lot of stitching! My "E" is for egg is done

and from the different angle so you can see the beads better

Now I have to figure out how to really finish it. It is about 5 in by 5 in. I think that it will make a very nice flatfold.

That's not all! I have another finish:

It is hard to see, but it says "Wanted. 10,000 x stitches reward". Maybe I should outline (backstitch) these white stitches...

So long friends,
Evalina

More stash on the way!

2011-03-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have so much fun stitching my "E" is for Egg that I decided to purchase couple more of The Sweetheart Tree designs:

"B" is for Bunny

and Happy Easter

Aren't they lovely? I hope they will arrive soon (very soon!) so I can finish them for Easter. Karen of Karen's Colorful Creations finished stitching Happy Easter, you can see a little more details looking at her work.

So long friends,

Evalina

Thank goodness is Monday!!!

2011-03-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Something must have been in retrograde mode last week because everything was going wrong. First, my hair. I colour them since I can remember and I never had any problems. Well, last week they'd turn ORANGE!!! I'm not joking, they were brilliant bright orange, more orange than an orange and carrot together! I had to go to work and to my Lions meeting with hair like that... and there were comments:

"Nice hair"

Thank you - I replied

"Nice Colour!"

Oh no, is not a colour, it's a primer! - was my reply

I was stitching "E" is for an egg and screw up the big "E":

I started a "cold war" with my man... and suddenly Sunday evening all stopped... I fixed the "E" and the little heart on the right of the "E" (I frogged that little heart four times!!!!), and I stitched some more

I think I found a new love - "The Sweetheart Tree" I absolutely love this pattern and most of their designs! It has beads and different specialty stitches and looks just fabulous! There is a little mistake in the "E" (I noticed while back-stitching) but I decided to leave it since it's hardly noticeable.

Don't get me wrong, I still love HAED and I was working a little on the Guardian Angel:

And this morning I fixed the colour of my hair:

made a peace with Freddy and life is good again!

So long friends,

Stitchy Saturday

2011-03-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely day north of 60, quite cold but very sunny. And I did absolutely NOTHING, just studying a little (still these accounting courses!) and stitching a lot. I did quite a bit on my Guardian Angel

and I have a brand new start, "E" Is for Egg from The Sweetheart Tree. I'm trying to put myself in Ester/spring mood and this piece is perfect!

and here is my progress (I'm blaming my camera for not showing true colors, the fabric is summer khaki and floss: DMC ecru).

Heaven and Earth had another sale and I just couldn't resist... I bought another chart... Woodland Guardian, now I just need some floss (have the fabric) and a lot of time...

So long friends,

Frogs, frogs, frogs everywhere...

2011-03-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely package from Pam

It was our froggy exchange! Inside the box I found...

a lovely frog with a card and inside the card there where Pam's favorite

needles!!!

She also stitch for me a card and a humbug!

And that's not all! She also included lovely floss:

gold leaf from the Gentle Art
bullfrog from Weeks Dye Works, and
liberty from Weeks Dye Works

Thank you so much Pam!!! You've made my day!!!

*****

I was working a little on the Provence and also have a small stitchy update.

So long friends,

Teaser Tuesdays

2011-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. I decided to play along and if you like you can play too! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading Miracles of the Gods. A hard look at the Supernatural by Erich von Daniken. Here is my teaser from page 106:

"I was as deeply moved by the devout atmosphere at the pilgrims' goal as I was disgusted by the eastern bazaar atmosphere in the town. No one can be so hard-boiled as to be unmoved by what takes place at the water taps, in the grotto, in the big square and the basilica itself."

So long friends,

It was a good weekend!

2011-03-06T22:56:00.000-08:00

After a very long week with long hours at work I enjoyed my weekend more than ever. Of course I was stitching! Here is my Guardian Angel:

I can almost see the end of a first page (1 of 18). It doesn't look like much but there are 5,000 stitches already!

On Sunday I pulled out Provence and work on it for a while. What a big difference going from 22ct over one to 28 ct over 2! It took me a while to get used to these big stitches. On the other hand those roosters are done on 28ct over one and it didn't look so small after all..

Kathy is celebrating Rory's birthday and is having couple giveaways. Here is Topaz, wagging her tail and saying "Happy Birthday Rory!!!" Topaz is a Hungarian Kuvasz and she is a Valentine girl. This Valentine was her 8th birthday. She was born in Alaska and she loves the north (and hates swimming!).

So long friends,

More of the Guardian Angel!

2011-03-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

Just a quick hello and a progress picture

I'm done half of the first page!

It is so cold in the Yukon, temperatures way below normals for this time of the year. Definitely the global warming is not affecting the north. Normally our lakes are frozen to mid-May but this year I think I will go ice fishing on my birthday in July! It's so depressing, thank goodness days are getting longer (about 6 minutes every day, can you imagine?!?) Soon I will be stitching in the midnight sun again (wearing parka)!

So long friends,

Guardian Angel update

2011-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

I've been stitching Guardian Angel for a few days and I really like it. Not much to see there but this is a page wide... I tried before stitching HAED on 25 ct (over one with 1 thread) and it was painful! This piece I'm stitching 22 ct over one with 2 strands of floss and I absolutely love it! If I will stitch in this pace it is possible that I can finish it before the year end (wishful thinking!)

So long friends,

I love cold days!!!

2011-02-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

Do you want to know why? Cars do not do well in a cold temperatures, I lost one 4 years ago. Then I made a decision that I will not start the engine when is -35C or lower. It hurts to take unpaid day off but it offsets handsomely when I do not have expensive car repairs. So, yesterday was one of those days:

It was cold and windy but I was the happiest woman on the planet! It was my stitchy day!!! I started on my Guardian Angel and couldn't put it away. It is a design from HAED that recommends 25ct fabric. Well, I decided to use a hardanger (22ct) instead and I love it, every single stitch! The whole piece is done in gray shades so I'm using water gray fabric. It doesn't look like much but here it is, my yesterday's work:

Today it is a little warmer, just on the border of my cut off temperature but I'm sure I can keep working on my GA for at least couple of hours...

So long friends,

Shiver me timbers all done!!!

2011-02-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

Even the frame is done! It took me a while... originally the frame suppose to be blue with withe snowflakes. Well, it didn't turn out that way. This was my first attempt to painting and my snowflakes looked more like bird droppings than anything else. So I put some of the white paint, add a little blue, didn't mix very well (so I can get that smudgy look) and voila! I've got a blizzard looking frame (big smile).

Now I'm finishing my piece for a froggy exchange (Pictures are coming later, after recipient receives it - I don`t want to spoil surprise) and I will work on my Guardian Angel I think...

So long friends,

Visitors

2011-02-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

A few minutes ago a whole bunch of Ruffed Grouse paid me a visit. They were everywhere! Under the car, on the roof of the car, around the cabin and a few landed right by the front door on the willow tree. I opened the door quietly... and here they are:

Not every day you can see a grouse on the tree ...

Stitchy update:

Shiver me timbers is done!(click on the picture for a detailed view)

Well, almost done. This is the frame I decided to use for finishing but I would like to paint it before framing. I think I will paint it blue and add some snow ... and since I decided to use this frame I will have to stitch a few more snowflakes on the left and right - it looks kind of "naked" there.

Now I'm finishing couple of pieces for an exchange (pictures will be posted after recipient receives them) and after will work on Guardian Angel from HAED. I really love that piece and can't wait to start stitching it.

So long friends,

Trapped

2011-01-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

It got cold in the Yukon. Yesterday temperature dropped to 40 below 0 and it was just to cold to drive to work. So I was trapped at home and I liked it! I stitched and stitched, and worked on my first assignment (I'm back to school again working for that accounting designation), cooked and baked. It was an awesome day! Today is even colder, so I'm trapped again and have tons on the agenda for the day.

Yesterday I worked on my Project 1 form Crazy January Challenge (CJC) - Shiver me Timbers, here is the progress:

It is a lovely project to work on and made me fell in love with pirates. I have in my stash pirate Santa and he will be my Project 15 for the CJC!

Let's talk about other projects for the challenge:

Project 10 - Birds of a feather

now

and, when done

Project 11 - Heart of the Valley. Not a new start but it deserves to be finished.

now

when done

Project 12 - Provence. Again, not a new start but I would love to finish this year

now

when done

Project 13 - Ships and shells from HAED

now

when done

Project 14 - Temple of Bastet. Yes, I know, you think I'm crazy but it is a Crazy January Challenge! This is another HAED design and since I only worked on protecting fabric edges and installing it on the scroll frame I do not have much to show you. What I can do, is to show you how the finish project will look like

Now I'm set with my stitching plan for 2011 and many more years to come.

So long friends,