Okay, so, Graduation is over, Graduation party is over, Christmas is over - I can breathe now.  I am working on all my stitch alongs.  Made good progress on the HAED SAL, a little behind on the Cottage SAL, have not started the House or Lizzie Kate SALs that I signed up for.  I will probably be working on the Cottage and House SALs the rest of the month as they are monthly.

I am also signed up for the TUSAL - which is a blog game:  Here is a picture of my ORT jar for January - I am going to dump it after each new moon into a bigger container since it is so tiny, but it is very nice for taking along to stitch night at my LNS.  Here is the link if you would like to join the TUSAL:  http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2011/11/totally-useless-stitch-long.html

Things may be looking up in the household this week. 
My husband will be going to his second interview today.  It is here at IU where I work as the Supervisor over the housekeeping staff at the Union Hotel.  He has been out of work going on 4yrs.  Hopefully this will get him out of his funk.

My daughter has her 1st real world interview today at Baxter as a Quality Control Analyst.  Baxter manufactures medical devices.

AND.....I have an interview tomorrow in the Research Administration as a Grants Associate!!!  It will be a professional(salaried) position which is an upgrade for me.  It is a year long funded position, which some may think is risky since I am permanent at the moment, but in a University setting, grant knowledge is a very hot commodity to have, plus they have alot of turnover from people moving on to better jobs after they learn grants, so I don't think I will have a problem moving back to permanent - but hopefully keep the salaried level.

So, if you would all triple cross your fingers.

Happy January everyone.

Alicia

The BIG Push

Well, we are still preparing for all kinds of things. My daughter as I had mentioned before is going to England. She will be leaving this coming Monday. It is pretty exciting, but I beleive she is getting pretty nervous. It is a very long trip. I know from her itinerary that she has some pretty long layovers, plus she has never flown before. She would not even go to Vegas on her 21st birthday as she did not want to fly. So, that is a big deal in the coming week. I will probably be a basket case that day and then until she lands and is safely at her husbands house.

Then the next issue is my other daughters graduation party next Sunday. We started sending out invitations today - I know, I know, running a little late on those, but as you read about my life in the coming years, you will get use to it - anyone else that joins our family does. We are NOT planners. Some of the family it bothers more than others, but it is not a surprise.

To add to the mix we were supposed to get new carpet in the living room and our bedroom next week, so I cleared out the living room last weekend thinking I would clear out the bedroom and master bath this weekend - but no - true to the no planning part, the installers wanted to install tomorrow and Friday. Even though I love the idea that I will have new carpet this coming weekend, it put a rush on an already busy week. But oh well, that is my life.

One good thing, since my house will be spotless due to taking everything out and replacing only the furniture this coming weekend, I think I may see if I can catch a ride to a stitching Christmas party that I thought I would have to miss due to this carpet install and graduation party. I believe I am going to need the time with my friends before my crazy week starts back up. The knick knacks can wait until Sunday to be put up - right?

I am almost finished with a JBW design - French Country Squirrel - I was going to make 2 and give them to the 2 girls in my office that feed the squirrels that climb the fire excape stairs and come to the windows. But then the office is doing a dirty santa exchange, so I thought I would wrap it with a starbucks gift card and let them fight it out. I will hope they are fighting for the picture, but they always fight it out for starbucks cards, so I will never know. It will depend on who is duking it out. I think I will finish it out as a flat-fold.

Oh, I got my floss usuage chart for the SAL I signed up for at the Heaven and Earth board. I had kinda forgotten about it, so when I got the email I almost thought I had won something or someone had RAK'd me, but then I was like - oh yeah - but it is so,so pretty. Here is a link - it is a Quick Stitch of just the faces even though I would have loved to stitch that dress :)

http://heavenandearthdesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=160_388&products_id=6259

I am so looking forward to working on it.

Well, I think this was long enough, and here I thought I would not have enough to say when I started this blog.

See ya next post.

Alicia

Another Monday

Morning all,

Man, back to work after a very long weekend.

Had a nice Thanksgiving. My youngest daughter spent her Thanksgiving with her Aunt in Memphis, TN. My son spent his time at his girlfriend's family. Our oldest daughter spent hers with us and my in-laws so it was pretty quiet, but the in-laws cooked up an amazing spread, and then my husband's niece showed up with her little ones and it felt more like a family get together.

Spent the rest of my weekend at beautiful West Baden Springs Hotel, which is right next to the French Lick Hotel and Casino - both of which are in Indiana. http://www.frenchlick.com/hotels/westBaden/
Both Hotels and all of thier connecting properties were decorated for Christmas and it was soooo beautiful. Gigantic Christmas trees everywhere, Christmas scenes everywhere else. Every nook and crany had something to see. Anyone close enough to make a visit should do so, it is well worth the trip.

Spent 2 or 3 hours Saturday stitching on JBW's French Country Squirrel in the hotel rotunda under the big dome just enjoying all of the hubub. The hotel had a group of Dickens Carolers going around singing Christmas Carols to all the visitors so it was very relaxing. The town has an old train that runs the Polar Express, so there were alot of little ones running around in thier PJs.

The next couple of weeks are going to be quite hectic. We have new carpet being installed as well as my daughters College graduation on the 17th and then Christmas is the next weekend. Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Well if I don't blog again before Christmas, have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year.

A new beginning - Good Morning Monday

Everyone always hates Monday's.  I thought maybe if I welcome it like a Friday - give it some items to look forward to - I may not hate it so much.  Maybe the first Monday of the month I will change the item I am working on as far as Cross Stitch and Crochet.  We will see how it goes.

Stitchy stuff:

Right now I am working on a patriotic type Granny Square crochet blanket to send with my oldest daughter to England.  At the moment of this writing she is to be leaving Dec 5th to be with her husband in England for 6 months.  Pretty exciting for her - even though she hates planes and has never been on one, she is doing it to be with her hubby.  Maybe by the time her 6 months is over all of his paperwork will be done and he will be an American citizen.  It is looking really pretty so far.  Hope it gets done in time to send with her.



I signed up for a blog give-away - which is why I started this blog, but I have been wanting to start a blog for awhile - so thought this would be a good reason to start.  The blog that is doing the give away is Fabulous Frogger - http://fabulousfrogger.blogspot.com/ . She has a really nice site and some really pretty Cross Stitch Works in Progress (WIPS).

I started two new Heaven and Earth Design (HAED) projects.  One is the new mini format that Michele is offering - he is Simiyar - he is very pretty :)



and the other is full size and it is Tarot of Dreams which has lots of imbedded items to see pop up while stitching - hoping that it will keep me motivated. 




Family Stuff:

My youngest daughter is graduating from College this December, so we have a lot to do to get ready for that.  Invitations need to be sent out to those who will not see the invite on Facebook.  House needs to be spiffied for the Open house. 

Also, like I mentioned in my Stitchy Stuff - my older daughter is heading to England in December to be with her hubby.

We are hoping to get new carpet by the time we have the open house for my youngest daughter which opens a whole new can of "I have a lot on my plate".

Well until next time.  Happy Stitching~!