Starts, progress, and a birthday

I know, I know, I don't NEED to start anything new.  But sometimes, when I get in a cleaning/organizing mood, starting (and hopefully finishing!) some pattern that has been floating through my stash piles seems like the logical way to "clean" things up.  :D  So earlier this month I started Just Nan's "Gypsy Rose."  It was part of my yearly goals list, so I haven't jumped that far off the rails....

The pattern is part of a kit - I picked it up in the adoption pile at Celebration last year, so I had to find my own fabric, floss and embellishments.  The floss key is DMC, so that wasn't a problem, and while I think my fabric may be a bit lighter than the kit, I like the effect.  I'm not crazy about the blue beads I have, so I may need to stop at the LNS sometime to find an appropriate "periwinkle" shade - the pattern did not have corresponding Mill Hill numbers for the beads.  And the fabric is a mystery scrap I found in my stash.  It is a bit pinker than the pic shows - the wall behind it is messing with the color a bit, since it is a rather open/coarse weave.
And look, Morticia photobombed the pic!  (I've been terribly remiss in posting TUSAL pics this year.  Oops.)

Here is my latest progress on La-D-Da's "The Ark."  The bottom of the boat is done and full of animals...although I do wonder what Noah was thinking, putting the elephant on the top level of the boat.  LOL

Finally, this past Wednesday was my birthday.  Birthdays - at least those of the grown-ups in the house - aren't such a big deal around here...but Wee One picked me a daffodil and proudly presented it to me when I came home from work.  So sweet!  (And about 5 seconds after this picture was taken, she proclaimed she was thirsty, took the flower out of the glass, and proceeded to drink all the water.  LOL)  Then her daddy brought home subs, and I got to eat in peace while he did bath and storytime.  That is a BIG deal, since lately she has been insisting that "only Mommy reads stories."  I'm flattered, but I need a break now and then!