Monday, April 17, 2006

Happy Birthday to Me, Pictures for You

So today I turn the big 3-0. Yippee....

My mother-in-law and her husband were here on Saturday - we ate entirely too much food and had some interesting conversations. It isn't that I don't LIKE my mother-in-law....but sometimes I just can't relate. She is a very intelligent woman, but her logic train often skips a few stops, I think. They gave me a leather journal as a birthday gift - nice, but kind of impersonal. I mean, I don't know, I'm not being ungrateful or anything, and I'd never say anything to them.....but for me, I wouldn't give a journal unless I KNEW that 1) the person I was giving it to LIKED to write, and 2) there was something about it that made it perfect for the recipient. Oh well. Sadly, events like this don't give me much of a reason to stitch for DH's family, since I always try to find the perfect personal thing to stitch....and they give me things like calendars and journals. *sigh*

Oh, but I DID get something that made it all better....a package arrived Saturday from Margaret (a Wagon member). She sent me all of the beads, charms and metallic fibers for "Mermaids of the Deep Blue"!!!! I was bouncing off the walls (quietly, since my in-laws were still there and would never understand my glee). Thank you thank you thank you Margaret!! I already have a Silkweaver solo that looks like it will be perfect, so now I just need to get cracking on OUAT so I can clear off a set of scroll rods and pick up some of the necessary DMCs....

And now, since you've read this far, it is time for the pictures. First up is Lanarte's Classic Woman.
I stitched on her a good part of the day Sunday. Sometimes I love this design, other times I look at it and think "meh". Maybe my fabbie choice wasn't as close a match to the kit fabric as I'd hoped? Hmmmm.

And then, on Sunday night I was struck with an urge to backstitch. Verrrrry strange, I know! Or maybe I just needed to get away from the sepias and browns for a while.... So I pulled out an old WIP, the Gateway Poem I was working on for my sister and abandoned when she broke up with her boyfriend and got a dog. LOL

I'm sorry for loading the big image....it was only way the text was readable (and it is still a bit squidgy, I think). Anyway, I finished the poem and did some of the backstitching up the left-hand side. I'm definitely going to have to chart an additional border of some kind...the pattern used some rather clunky-looking diamond shapes and hearts, and I don't like it. I think a nice delicate vine-sort of thing would be nice. Nothing too intricate - no TW borders! - but perhaps some green with little pink flowers.

15 comments:

Kiwi Jo said...

Happy Birthday Erin!

Juanita said...

Happy birthday, Erin!

Schokti said...

Happy birthday, Erin! Now that you have all the supplies, will you be starting MotDB soon? How very wonderfully generous of Margaret.

Karen said...

Happy Birthday! Your WIPS are beautiful. I love your choice in stitching patterns.

natty68 said...

Happy Birthday Erin. Your WIP's look great :)

*Hugs*

Jenn said...

Happy Birthday Erin!

What fabric are you doing Mermaids of the Deep Blue on? I started this a while ago but, haven't gotten much at all done on it. :{ I should try and pick it up again soon. I can't wait to see how yours looks once you get going on it.

Darla said...

Let me join the chorus of well wishes for you, Erin! Hope it's been a grand one.

And doesn't Margaret just rock?!

Casa Pearl said...

Happy Birthday Erin! Maybe you could use your journal to track your stitchin? :-) I hope you had a great day and that DH spoiled you rotten.

Wendy said...

Happy Birthday!!! I hope you had a wonderful day!

Karoline said...

Happy Birthday Erin, both your wips are looking lovely

Kim said...

Happy Be-lated Birthday! Sounds like you had a nice time...in-laws aside. :)

Your projects look great. I love the sepia toned one, so pretty!

Suz said...

Happy Belated birthday! Wow, you're only 3 days younger than me!

I'm sorry you didn't have the best birthday, but the MotD sounds great and I wish you a great 30th year!

Von said...

I hope your 30th year is the best you've had so far!
Your stitching is looking great. I like your idea of the vine border on the gate design!

Singular Stitches said...

Happy Birthday, Erin!!! :o)

Maybe they bought it so you could record all of your cross stitch stash in style?

My parents always give $$. Always fits, no returns, and useable at ANY cross stitch store! :o)

Dani - tkdchick said...

Happy Belated Birthday! Yah I can't stand imprsonal gifts. For me its candles... I don't like candles, except when the power's out I don't burn them I'm not a candle person!

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