A Tuesday posting....

Thank you all for the super nice things you all say!!!!
It brightens my mornings immeasurably to read the great comments!!!

Regarding VoHRH..... it is not so much a relief that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on VoHRH, as I am still really enjoying the stitch - it is the frustration with the silk colour choices - and how similar they seem to be as I stitch. I feel that if I have to change silk every few stitches then the colour should be at least a noticeable difference and not so slight that even up close you can barely see it and sometimes you can not see it at all!! I think this is an ongoing bitching of mine, sorry. I have learned that when the next HrH piece gets stitched I will certainly change up the colours as I stitch to show - and that the next HrH will be Shores - I have Houses but - I look at Shores everyday - (I have a small copy tacked to my bulletin board at work, and have since it was released... not very obsessed am I!!) - and I love that thing!! BUT I am doing the Alphabet Blocks before Shores!! - Oh my, going off on a tangent.....

Here are some Quilty snaps from Saturday.....



It was very hard to get snaps of the pieces as the lighting was poor and my little flash was not adequate at all - but you get the idea.

The flickers last night were.... "Night Must Fall" - 1937 - a creepy suspense about murder and a rich old widow browbeating the help!! Starring Robert Montgomery, Dame May Whitty and Rosalind Russell - set in a remote forest in England outside of some obscure village - kept you guessing right up to the end, almost - a very good movie!! This was followed by "That Certain Woman" - 1937 starring Bette Davis, Henry Fonda (completely miscast) and Donald Crisp - on IMBD I like the line "Bette Davis meets Stella Dallas" and that says it all - this is a messy contrived plot that only a hard boiled BD fan like myself would enjoy - so if you like to see Bette doing what she does best - then give this picture a look, hanky in hand (it ain't called a weepy for nothing)..... otherwise avoid it like the plague!!!

The stitchery report from yesterday evening is that I finished up and packed up for mailing my Winter Quaker piece - so that goes out as does a few other goodies to friends - I feel like a pack mule this morning on my way to the post office!!!

Thank you once again for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

A Busy Saturday and a bunch of Pictures

It was sort of busy on Saturday and we were out the entire day
- and Sunday was way more laid back - but let us start with Saturday....

The garage sales, estates sales and flea markets were a total bust and even I couldn't spend money on something useless!!! What's up with that!!! Dale, Rico and I ran around all morning looking and finding nada - we did however visit St Dominic's in lower Pacific Heights - a beautiful church built in the 1920's - in a very high Gothic style - here is a snap of the front -

and here are some shots of the interior....

A panel from one of the confessionals -

a couple of the confessionals



The large back window -
It is a really lovely church and one I hadn't been in.

From here we went on over to the Quilt show - Here are a few of the quilts that were displayed -





I have a bunch more and will post them during the week -

From the quilt show we ended up at lunch - at the Ramp on...


It is a outside restaurant right next to a boat slip and this was our view out across the waters


It was a perfectly beautiful sunny day - and sitting out by the bay was really nice!!!!

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Sunday started off with breakfast to Los Jarritos for a delicious plate of chirizo and huevos. They make fresh tortillas all day long and serve them with all the meals - just scrumptious!!!!!!

After a super breakfast we headed over to our little farmers market.. and here are some snaps...





We got some brocolini from this guy...


and got it home....

steamed with some butter - delicious!!!!

On the stitchy front I finished up Square 10 and have moved on to square 11 - here is a an overall snap of VoHRH....

I am sorry about the crapazilla snap but you get the idea.
The linen is not this eggnog colour at all!!

I will wrap it up for the day - more to come tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by and all the nice things you had to say about the box I made for Jill.

Take care,
edgar

A MAW Arrives and a super singer

I got an email from Jill that the MAW (Make a Wish) Exchange I made for her had arrived. Jill's wish was for something made using a Brightneedle chart. When I took on the MAW I had three patterns in my stash and thought - alright I have something now just pick one out - How wrong I was...when I pulled them out they didn't feel right for Jill - and then I got to looking around at what was available ..... then the orders started going out.... I have added 5 additional charts to the pile and am now a huge fan. I love these charts and want to stitch all of them - they are really sweet - Here is a snap of the piece I made for Jill -

I used the "Grey Goose Sampler" on 32 ct linen and the recommended over dyed floss'. Here is shot of the lined interior -

I was inspired by the box finish that Becky sent me for the PS Year Long Exchange.

We went to the mall last night - and Rico picked up Renee Olstead's new CD "Skylark." If you have not heard her her sing you may know of her acting. She played the oldest daughter, Lauren Miller, on "Still Standing." We think this is a really funny show and watch the reruns all the time, but it is Renee's singing that is so good. She is very young and has such a good voice and sings beautiful jazzy standards - here is a You Tube of her singing Summertime. Her two Cd's are -


Last night the stitching was on exchange and something secret. The movie was "Daddy Long Legs" - 1955 - starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. Such a nice musical with some really beautiful staged numbers.

There you go - another week gone - the weekend here is supposed to be dry. We still need to get out to see the Artistic Luxury show at the Legion of Honor and there is also a Quilt show this weekend sponsored by the SF Quilt Guild so now there is two super things to do along with everything else!!!

Thanks for stopping by - Have a great one!!!!

Take care,
edgar

Arriving Gift and RR - a Movie - and a Gaggle of Nasties

Yesterday the mail brought a gorgeous gift from a super person - Becky S sent me a most wonderful thing - Shepherd's Bush - "Sail Away" - this is a piece I have admired for so long and now with such a super friend - I have a great piece to stitch this summer.

Thank you so much dear friend!!!!! Becky recently finished stitching this lovely thing last week
I also received Hannah's RR from the Witching for Stitching RR - it is really nice with all the PS designs - and I have already picked out what I am gonna stitch...

My own stitching was on an exchange.... and we all know what that means... no snapperoos.

The flicker last night was "The Ultimate Gift" - 2006 - a mostly predictable film with a twist on the end. With that being said - I also want to say what a nice and feel good film it is - and very watchable!!! A (and I hate to use this kiss of death term) true Family film - where ones life is a gift - and that gift is to be shared. I defy anyone to watch this film and not get that chokey lump in their throat!!!!

After the film I watched the 2 hour first instalment of "America's Next Top Model - and is it just me or are the gals in this Cycle 12 a most snarky gaggle you ever did see!!! Usually there are just one or two "interesting" contestants but it seems that all of them this time are "interesting" and a couple are true skanks - AND most are truly bitchy and mean!! I know that "bitchy and mean" makes for what passes for good TV and will keep those numbers/ratings up..... but really the evil that will play out on this show over the next few weeks is gonna be just nasty!!!
....... And I will be there for every show!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

Not much for a Hump day!!

It is the middle of the week and I haven't a thing to say - or do I!!!!!!

Last night I finished up the Winter Quaker exchange piece - so no snaps of that yet. I saw that the piece that Margaret made for Ellen had arrived and it is simply gorgeous!!! Go have a look on Margaret's blog. I have been working on coordinating another HOE Exchange - Woodland Exchange for Arbor Day.... there is also a Bookmark Exchange being coordinated by Annette - so - If you are a member in good standing with the HOE or HOE II stop by and give them a look.

The flicker last night was "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" - 2008. Starring the voices of Drew Barrymore as Chloe but played by Angel and a host of others!! A really fun but predictable movie. Just remember they are "TINY but MIGHTY!!!!!".

That's about it for today - It is still windy, rainy and cold -
but that is how it is supposed to be here in the winter.

Thanks for stopping by -

Take care,
edgar

Exchange received and some stitching

Karen received the PS Year Long Exchange piece that I sent.
Here is a snap -


It is such fun working up a PS design - I am such a fan!!!!! Now for round two!!!

I worked on finishing up on my Winter Quaker piece and that is almost finished - It only has short distance to go so I can mail pretty close to the date.

The comments yesterday really gave me a giggle - as I think you either love 'em or hate 'em - and I am referring to Brussels sprouts - We get them beacuse I can't get Rico to eat a vegetable any bigger than a gnats eyelash - he is really picky and sprouts are one of the few veggies he will eat - I love veggies all kinds in fact every kind except zucchini - I just can't get that down (gag) - ever!! But, back to the sprouts - Margaret described exactly how I fix them and Rico will eat them - so delicious!!! The only difference is that I will use an iron skillet instead of a cookie sheet - when I can, I always opt for the black iron skillet!! The blackened crunchy leaves are just the best!!!! You can also do parsnips this way and they are so good!!!!

Last night the flick was "Philadelphia Story" - 1940 - starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart - such a good movie - and remade as a musical - "High Society" - 1956 - starring Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby - a good version with a few minor variations in the story.

Thank you all for the nice comments about the ABC piece - it is a really nice piece to stitch.

Once again my dears I bid you adieu - do stop back by tomorrow
......same bat time same bat channel -

Take care -
edgar

A fun and rainy weekend....

The fun was Saturday and the rain was Sunday - not really but that is what it seemed like. Today and for the next few days it is supposed to rain and rain and more rain - and boy, can we use it!! I know that other areas of the country are just dry as a bone - talking to my Mom last Thursday she told me that the fires in Florida have got a jump on the year and have started up already - talk about dry as a bone!!

Lets get to the weekend - Dale and I (HI Dale - he is now a lurker out there reading this blog so I can't say anything too mean) took off on our weekly hunt for the wonderful and found quite a few things. Here is a snap of my treasures....

Isn't this an odd group of things?? I found the Ecko spoon and picture at the same place - each for a $1. The picture I really love as it has a name and date on the back - 1935. As you can see I have another Christmas plate.... now I have two - so what's up with that?? Just something else to collect dust but isn't it sweet?? I am a sucker for blue and white anyway and being a Christmas thing just makes it that much nicer!!!

On Sunday Rico and I got over to Eddie's - our breakfast joint and found that the little farmers market has started back up... we got.... strawberries...


these lovelies are from Gilroy - the Garlic capital of the world.... and....

these from Garcia's Farms outside of Merced. We also picked up some onions, bear claws and some tulips - that really brighten up the house. It is just getting going again after being closed for a couple of months so I expect there will be way more people there as the weeks go on. After we left the farmers market we headed over to the Antique Collective (Mall) and did some browsing. I found this...

A lovely copy of an early Sieanese(?) triptych of a Madonna with saints. Rico bought this for me - wasn't that sweet of him!!!!! I love it!!! and have it hanging up already!!

On the stitching front I know that Carol S received the ornament I made for her. She is the recipient for February for our Group Ornie Exchange. Here is a snap -


I also did up part 4 of the Grand ABECEDAIRE piece....

and I finished an exchange piece that will get mailed tomorrow.

That's about it for today - this has gone on far too long!!!

I did want to answer a question from Friday - for craft-i-leigh - I also started off learning and working on Aida cloth - and when I got back into cross stitching a few years ago I found out about linen and was totally intimidated by the stuff!! I eased into it by working a couple of printed on linen pieces then jumped in with 28 ct - now I really only work on 32 or 36 count splotchy hand dyed stuff - I don't use any company exclusively but use different ones depending on the actual fabric - now I wouldn't go back to Aida cloth as linen has such a nice feel to work with and the finished product is so very nice - hope that helps.

Thank you all for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar