Updates~

First of all, I would like to thank Jennifer for spending time giving me a list of LNS in Paris~ I’ve already added them into my schedule, hopefully I will be able to visit them all!!! I’ll definitely keep you all posted~ One more week till our trip, I’m so excited!!!!

Next up, an update on my WIP~ I love the red!!!! But working over one on a 36ct fabric was no fun!!!! Thankfully there’s not a whole lot of it!!!

Siobhan asked for an updated photo of my tumbler quilt, well, here it is!!! not much different from previous photos, but I swear, there has been a lot of work done to it!!! I’m down to the purple border. I didn’t plan on using such a complicated pattern on the border as well, wanted to save some time and do a simple one so I can finish it up. But after looking at it, it just didn’t feel right. Since I’ve already spent so much time on it, what’s another month, right?! I’ve also posted a photo of the back where the quilting pattern shows a better.

I got a chance to snitch this photo when the doves were switching hands. There were two eggs this time~~ They usually sit pretty tight in the nest so it was difficult to see the eggs. They really like the flower pot over my poop proofed pot by the side. I wonder why that is? Maybe the leaves gave them more privacy? I hope my poor plant will survive….

Thanks for visiting~~

Small Excitements!!

Can you believe we are heading in to March already?! I haven’t really done much this past week, mainly still working on my tumbler quilt. Although I wanted to finish my WIPs before starting anything new, I need to stitch a gift for a June wedding.  I decide to start early. You know, with my speed, I might just made it in time!!

Something more exciting is our up coming trip to Paris!!!!! This is going to be my very first time to travel to Europe so I am very excited yet nervous. I probably borrowed all the travel books out from the library, and with the three Chinese books I bought made quite a long reading list!!! I kind of drew up our travel plan but I have to say, one week is just not enough!!!! Beside all the attractions, I also want to visit some cute stores as well. So if anyone have any favorites or must sees or tips about Paris, it will be greatly appreciated~

In other news, look who’s back!!! The doves are taking over my balcony again!!! They’ve actually been flying in and out this past month, but did not stay until I put their favorite pot back. Now they are staying here full day, and I think they might even had an egg~~

Well, this is what’s happening in my little world right now. What’s happening in yours?

A Day in Life…

Today started out as a very nice day~ The sun is shinning, temperature in the 70s. Then I brought my car in for an oil change. Does it ever happen to you that every time you bring  your car in for a simple oil change but you always walk out of the shop with more then you have bargained? There’s always something you have to replace or something that is not working right, and by the time you walk out the door, you’re paying like $200 for what originally was just an oil change (there goes my new stash…). I am not a car person, and I can’t tell if what the mechanic told me to do is really necessary, so I always struggle with whether if I should do all the repairs they ask for. I usually ended up doing some of the work, just because they made it sound dangerous for me to go on the road. What do you usually do in this kind of situation?

Anyways, enough of the complaining. Let’s talk about something happy – a finish!!!! I finally finished up my snowmen pillow, and winter is not officially over yet~ I love how it turned out!!!! These snowmen are too adorable~

Pattern: Bits & Pieces by Joan “#270 Bits & Pieces Pillows Set 2 – Winter” Kit
Fabric: Wool, Silk Matka
Size: 8”x 15”
Finishing Date: 02-21-2012

Those pine needles gave me such a hard time!!! I can’t remember how many times I took them apart because I didn’t like how they looked. Still not 100% satisfied with them, but I need a finish.

This was part of a set from Bits & Pieces, the other one I had finished in 2009!!! I can’t believe it took me this long to put this one together~ What do you think? Do they look like they are having a great time?

Thank you all for visiting!!! Be sure to check out my sidebar of all the awesome giveaways that is going on right now~ Happy stitching~

Friendship Love~

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!! Any big plans today? Well, I don’t expect my hubby will do anything special today, cause I think he has used up all his romantic quota for this year on my birthday. So my plan is we’ll just have a lovely dinner at home tonight and call it a day~

Although there’s not going to be much love from my hubby, I did receive a nice birthday package from Cindy recently!! Aren’t those buttons cute?! I will definitely put these in good use!! Thank you again for your thoughtfulness, Cindy~

Remember the little preview post I wrote a few weeks ago? Well, here is the final product!!!! There are two showing here but I only made one, the other was made by my stitching friend Claire. We decided to do this together and make it into pot holders as a goodbye gift to a very dear friend of ours who loves to cook~ We will miss her (and her cooking) dearly!!!!

Pattern: from book “Cross Stitch” by Dorothy Wood Pg.100 
Thread: DMC cotton floss
Fabric: 32ct white linen
Finished Size: 6" x 6" 
Completion Date: 01-30-2012

Before I end this post, please stop by Nancy’s blog and check out the awesome thread giveaway she has been hosting. Nancy have been generously giving away her beautiful hand dyed floss so be sure to check in often~~

Charley Brown is getting some love, I hope you will, too~~  Happy Valentine’s Day!!

This and That

Hello my darling friends~ Sorry I have been absent for over a week. I have been quite busy, and had almost no time for stitching. I managed to put in a few stitches on “Plant Kindness”, which I actually started while on vacation during Christmas. You would think I could get more done while DH was away!!! I’m also working on my tumbling quilt. It is very close to being done and I just want to finish it so I can cross it off my list!!!

Last Friday was my birthday. DH and I went to a steakhouse for dinner, taking advantage of the free steak birthday deal they have going~ They even threw in a free desert, how nice!!

As we were waiting for our meal, DH surprised me with a birthday present he picked up during his business trip~ This kind of thing does not happen much so I was very surprised!! Maybe he should be away more often?! ^^

I saw these giraffe balloons in the mall the other day!!! Aren’t they adorable?! These balloons are quite unusual cause they float low to the ground, so kids can pull them just like they are walking them. I saw a little girl pulling a pig one, sooooo darn cute!!! Don’t you think these giraffes are saying “Pick me!! Pick me!!”?

Seeing Blue…

Are you tired of looking at my Christmas ornaments yet? Well, I have been stitching, but the progress is very slow…. Besides being very busy in the past few weeks, the irregularity of the pattern totally threw me off!! I felt like I’ve spent more time frogging then stitching!!! I actually like this pattern very much, just didn’t expect how time consuming it would be. And I am at a time crunch, too, since this is going to be a gift.

I’m still not entirely done with it yet, but here is a sneak peak of the stitched piece and the fabrics I’m going to use.

Today is also my hubby’s birthday~ Since he will be leaving tomorrow for a business trip, I bought two small cakes for a little celebration. I will miss him while he is away….

May you all have a great weekend~

Last but not Least…..

Finally, the last two of my LHN ornaments from Christmas!! I love the felt finish so much I decided to make another one out of “Joy to the World”~

Pattern: Little House Needleworks "Joy to the World"
Thread: DMC cotton floss
Fabric: 32ct  Belfast Linen Lt. Mocha 
Stitch Size: 2.75" x 3.25"
Completion Date: 04-21-2011
Finishing Date: 12-22-2011

Then there is "Red House in Winter". I have to admit, I struggled a little bit on this one. I was running out of time and ideas, but in the end, I liked how it turned out.

Pattern: Little House Needleworks "Red House in Winter"
Thread: DMC cotton floss & Crescent Colours
Fabric: 35ct Natural Northern Cross Linen
Stitch Size: 3" x 3.375"
Completion Date: 03-04-2011
Finishing Date: 12-23-2011

And here is all my LHN ornaments~ Although Christmas is long gone, I still have them on display on my shelf. Winter is not over yet anyway~ ^^

Speaking of winter, our weather here in Southern California was sooo nice I almost thought spring has arrived already!! At least that was what my rose bush thought, as it has its first bloom over the weekend!!! Not that I am complaining or anything~

Before I end this post, Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler is hosting a couple of great giveaways, please do stop by her blog and check them out, you won’t want to miss out on this one. Hope you are having a beautiful day as I am~