Stitching Updates

I got a start on my Taj project!!  I'll admit, I'm now excited about the piece and not so overwhelmed with it.  Now, as I'm making that for Hubby, I can only work on it when he is at work :(  On the positive side of that, I have been working along with the butterflies!  Here are some pics to share...

I will say, when I try something new, I dive in without checking the depth :)  This Taj piece is a bit more then I bargained for, but I'm determined to stick it out!

This will be going into the guest bedroom when it's completed :)

So, there they are!  I'm going to get off the computer now and go back to stitching...

Hugs...until next time!

Life is Good

We had our church picnic yesterday!  I simply love to gather with our fellow parishaners, I don't have any family in NH, so each and everyone of them are part of my extended family.  I have a confession, there was a woman who attended the picnic, that I was not the friendliest with.  I couldn't get past the bugs crawling on her :(  Sanish noticed this too and kept Mathai away from her also :(  I don't know if they were lice, bed bugs or what, but I just don't want our family to become infested.

Between the trip to Ikea and the picnic, that took up the weekend :)  I have a lot to do outside today as soon as Mathai is done with his morning educational work.

Summer So Far

Wow, Mathai's last 3 days of school were no fun :(  He missed 2 of the 3 and the 3rd day was simply his graduation.  He had strep throat :(  Poor little man.  It has been raining almost non stop for  a week now.  I'm watching the grass growing each passing second.  I don't know when/if it will ever be dry enough to mow!!  LOL

I'm almost finished with my butterfly alphabet cross stitch!!!  I only have 6 more butterflies to do :o)  I'll be really happy when that is finished and I can get a really good day of stitching into the mandala!

I will admit, the grey skies have made my mood for stitching a bit of a downer :(  I don't like to stitch when I'm not happy.  I don't know if that is a fact with everyone, but it is for me.  I do get the house extra clean on those days though!!

I have also been working on some homeschooling activities for Mathai to do this Summer.  I don't know how teachers can plan daily educational things like they do.  I'm struggling!  I did find a couple of great websites, so that is a major help.

We are off today to buy Mathai a desk.  The tall chairs that we have at home, really don't work well for him to sit and work on, he just likes to sit and swing his legs and wiggle wiggle...

Guess that is all for now.

God Bless...

Butterfly Alphabet Kit by Dimensions

I have been working on this piece off and on for several months.  I'm much farther along then what this picture shows, but the battery in the camera is on the charger :(  I have completed the alphabet letters and only have 6 butterflies to finish to complete the project!  not sure why I have put it off, but I'm going to finish it this weekend (or at least try to)  that is my weekend goal!!

Until next time, happy stitching!

Bonnie Blue Pictures

These are taken from the Bonnie Blue in Lexington VA.

Idle Hands...

Ok, so we have been back from the Bonnie Blue for a couple of weeks.  Mathai did GREAT!  I can't believe how hard my 6 year old worked :)  He ended up in walk/trot (no leadline) and took second in both his classes!!!

As for me, I'm picking up my cross stitch again.  This time, I'm finishing the butterflies and starting the Taj Mahal Mandala Garden.  I have been sitting on the Taj for almost 2 years, a little intimidated by the whole "embellished" aspect of it.  I found a great forum, and the ladies have been such a huge help!

I'll post pics as I go!!

Also, I'll get some pics of The Bonnie Blue too :)

Until next time!!

Final Lesson Before the Bonnie Blue

Lesson Video

Still going

I'm having a very hard time with Hubby's socks :(  I think that I finally found out where I'm going wrong, so I can give it a go again.

I have a new video of Mathai, well a couple of them...so here they are!

Mathai's riding instructor wanted some pictures and video of Mathai because he has been in their academy program since the beginning of last Summer.  I uploaded all of the pictures that we had taken and played with some videos to get the first one :)  Watching the videos of his first lesson to now, I'm amazed at how far he's come!

Enjoy :)

Touched

Wow!  I'm beyond words :)  both my Hubby and Son want a pair of socks!  Hubby said " You make stuff and give it away, when are you going to make me something?"  And my Son "If you make Appa a pair of socks, then you have to make me a pair too!!"  He has already taken the hat that was supposed to be for me, lol and he requested I make him a new scarf earlier this month.  I asked him why he likes the things that I make, I was informed that I put so much love into them.  How can anything compare to that??

I started a pair of socks for hubby, but I have to frog them and start again, they were just too big around.  So I'm off with the requests of my family :) to knit some more.

Inspired

I finished my socks last night, and now I'm extremely inspired to make more!  And yes, they did fit :) I have tried and tried so many times to make socks, I had given up out of pure frustration.  Now I'm doing the snoopy dance, I simply can't believe it!  Now what to try???  Wish someone would suggest something for me.

Warm Saturday

Outside temp was 0 at the barn this morning, inside the barn it was 50 and humid :)  perfect for a riding lesson!  Mathai had a wonderful lesson today on one of his favorite lesson horses Susie.  We met a new student and her Mom today too :)  The young girl's name is Maggie, this makes 2 Maggie's in the barn!  Mathai didn't get too much time for talking with our new barn friend Maggie, but we'll be seeing more of her I'm sure.

We have spent the day inside being warm for the most part.  As I said, it is frigid outside! Hubby is watching a movie, and I'm knitting away.  I'm just about ready to start decreasing my socks at the toe!! I tried one on, and it fits!!!  I couldn't believe it!!  In a previous post, I stated that I wasn't too sure if they would.  I'm happy and proud to say that they will!

I'll happily post a picture of them when they are all done.

Not Sure

I am working my heel flap, and as I'm knitting away, I don't think the socks will fit :(  My lack of experience in knitting is showing, I don't know how to measure well enough to get a finished sock that will fit.  I'm thinking that this is going to be trial and error for now, but I will complete my first pair of socks!!

I'm completing this post a day later, and last night I did my first heel turn!!  I'm so excited :)  Again, I'm not sure if the socks will fit, but they are fun to knit.

Couldn't resist

OHHH  the horrors!!  I just can't seem to resist trying already.  I found a website titled Cyber Socks I have to try to knit 2 socks at once!  I found some really cute yarn in my stash that is sock yarn, so here I go!!

Have you ever had a "I can't believe I have that!" moment?  As I'm sitting at the computer trying to understand and apply the cyber sock writers method, I sat back in, I'll be honest, frustration and thought, "I just don't get it!"  As I'm shaking my head, I could feel the "tube light" moment approach.  You know those long iridescent lights that take a moment to come to life??  My Hubby has nicknamed me "tube light" because I tend to have a lot of those moments :(  oh well.  As the moment was once again on me, I realised that I have a book on knitting 2 socks on 2 circular needles that I bought a while ago!  OK...I'm on it!!  Have the book open and my two socks are cast on!  Further then I got previously, I'm a visual person and need LOTS of pictures some times, I don't want to imply anything negative to the writer of Cyber Socks!
At the point of setting everything for my first round, my Son asks for ice cream.  He's home sick, so I can't very well ignore his sweet request :)  Besides, it gave me a moment to update here!

Oh Boy

Well, it has been a very interesting weekend here in NH!  Snow storms and bronchitis :(  Mathai hasn't been feeling good since Friday, but was bound and determined to attend his riding instructors birthday on Saturday.  Since he hadn't been running a fever all day Sat, we decided that we would attend the function.  What a mistake, and I feel like a horrible Mom!  2 hours into the gathering, both Hubby and I looked at each other and said "Gotta go"  Mathai was just not right, lounging on the couch while his barn siblings were playing a few tables away.  Got home and it all snowballed down hill.  Took him to the Dr. yesterday and discovered that he has bronchitis.  He'll be out of school until tomorrow, and can't play outside until Monday.  Poor guy just loves to be outdoors in the snow.

On the lighter....I have found some wonderful new knitting blogs!  One woman has some great recipes that I can't wait to try along with her knitting, another is not to far away from me (Im in NH she is in MA)  How wonderful is that!!  I have a couple of projects to finish, and then I'm going to take on some harder projects.  I would love to be able to knit socks!!!  I'll keep ya'll posted on how it's all going. 

For now, I need to get back to my sick little man...

Too Long

Wow, it's been way to long since I have updated this!  So much has happened :)

Mathai won the Leadline Walk Only Equitation Champion during the Twin State Octoberfest last year in MA.  Here is a picture!

Since this win, he has been bumped up to leadline walk-trot!  He had his first tournament Dec 2010, we didn't expect him to do well as he only had 1 lesson before this show and he wasn't feeling well.  He walked away with an honorable mention in showmanship and 2nd place in equitation!  

I've put down the cross stitch and picked up the yarn!  I need to get back into cross stitch as I have a few things that I would love to finish!  Alas, with the winter months it's nice to have an afghan covering my lap while I work on it!  I have one that I'm working on for hubby that is going to be a surprise!  I just finished my first knit hat and it was even my own pattern!  Mathai asked if I would make him a new scarf, so I had to make one for him.  I asked if I could buy him one, and he asked if I didn't want to make him one!  How could I resist that??  

Guess that is all for now, I'll try to do better from now on!!

We can only be positive :)

Oh boy!!  Just when we think things are going great, something comes along and bites us in a**!!

Let me start with Mathai's horse show.  He did GREAT!!   Got 3rd place out of 10 riders :)  we couldn't have asked for him to do any better.  Here he is...

I have been working on my cross stitch, excited to be almost finished with the butterflies!  Really getting tired of all the back stitch.  I know that it adds to the project, but man does it really suck :)  So, thinking life is going along great...

The other day, Hubby was on his way to pick up a co-worker and had an accident in my truck.  Now the truck is in the shop getting mechanical and body work done :(  Wonder how much this is going to cost in the long run.  Yes, we have insurance, but there is always something that isn't covered...

Oh well, Life Goes On :)  I'll just keep being positive and thinking happy thoughts..LOL  

Guess it's time to stitch!!

One Focus

It seems like this week has flown by!  We have had only one thing on our mind, and that is tomorrows show.  Mathai is determined to win a trophy, I hope he isn't disappointed at the end of the day.

Today has been spent getting ironing and packing.  The car is loaded and bathes are taken, now to have dinner and then off to bed.  We will be getting up around 5am :(  I am NOT a morning person!!  There will be a 2 1/2 hour drive to get to the stadium where the show is being held.

The only down fall about this week is that my stitching is non-existent :(  With all the prepping, I just haven't found the time for a single stitch.  I'll get it going again on Sunday I hope :)

I will get some pics up tomorrow evening!!

Life Goes On

We are enjoying our newest family member Shmi, and she seems to have found her place with us.  She loves to cuddle and be where we are, that is exactly what I was looking for!!

Mathai is ready for his first horse show on Sat.  I'm very nervous and excited.  I know that he is very competitive, and will be crushed if he doesn't do well.  I'm hoping and praying for the best.

I have counted wrong on my butterflies, so I'm trying to see if I can "correct" it with out frogging??  I'm thinking I can, no one would know...right???  LOL...

What a weekend

To our great sadness, we had to put our cat to sleep this past Saturday :(  We had adopted her about 10 years ago from our local animal shelter.  The past week or so, we could see that she wasn't herself so on Sat. I took her to the vet.  It was a hard, but the most loving, decision that I had to make.  The vet said that she was in liver failure and her outlook was grim, so there was only one loving thing to do.

RIP Pooch 1996-2010

Yesterday, we decided that there was an emptiness in the house.  Mathai and I went to the same shelter that we adopted Poocha from and picked out a kitty that was in need of a new forever home.  Mathai is into Star Wars the Clone Wars, so he decided that kitty had that go from Madaliene to Shmi.  Meet Shmi!

I have still been stitching along on the Alphabet piece, but am getting really fed up with the back stitching.  I know that it brings the pieces to life, but they are so gosh darn tedious!  I'll get an updated pic in another day or so :)