What the.....

Geez has it ever been a week AND it's not even over yet. I went from winter break hanging out to having to jump into everything which would have been fine but the snow and freezing weather really made it a challenge. Then Alan Rickman died - I am pretty sad about that - I didn't know him or anything but I always enjoyed his performance in movies. Of course we all loved him as Snape - sad, just sad. I'll start with Ryder - we went with him to Georgia. As I have mentioned before - he is now going to SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design)

What a wonderful and amazing school. Scott and I are so excited for Ryder - and jealous. The school really is amazing. The student dorms suck - I mean really bad. They took an old hotel and converted it into dorms - no carpet - three beds to a tiny room with the smallest bathroom I have ever seen. They are supposed to renovate them but not soon enough. Atlanta is beautiful and has great things to see and do but driving there is AWFUL!! They have packed 4 lanes into a 3 lane spot and the amount of cars.....I need a Valium just thinking about it. Luckily the craptastic dorms are across the street from the school so he doesn't have to drive - and the school proves transportation to all the other buildings until something like 2 am. It was sad to leave him there  but we have grand dreams for his future!! We did manage to hit some Diners Drive Ins and Dives, so that was fun. We got home Thursday night and I had orientation Friday. Of course it started with the snowing and got colder than a pocket full of penguins. So I'm trying to get used to my new schedule and getting back into going to the gym - not going well. Gym door was frozen shut one morning - shoveling one morning - got there late so only worked out 20 minutes - honestly. Garage door stopped working correctly - ugh School is going well - already got checked off on two skills (don't be too impressed it's hand washing and taking off protective gear)  I found out that my summer is going to be hard - 6 classes to do in 10 weeks. Tomorrow I have CPR class. I can do this.... I. CAN. DO. THIS.  The car I drive was a lease - we thought that was a great idea and then we went way over on the mileage. So we have to do the whole end of lease thing. I have to say that I hate hate hate dealerships. You could stop in to drop off cookies and still walk out feeling like you've been screwed. They have such shady ways of dealing with you. We have bought two vehicles from Enterprise car rental - and my mom bought one there too. I think we will just buy from them from now on - the cars are in good shape - low mileage - the cost is printed there and they don't try to haggle or try any shady tactics. This place had us sitting there for 2 hours - they wanted me to buy a new car, I said fine but it has to be the same as what we are paying because I'm in school and can't afford higher payments. Two hours later Tweedledum (and he really looked like Tweedledum - even tha the bow tie) came up with much higher figures. So I am keeping the one I have - which is fine - I just don't like the jerking you around aspect. We have to go back because Tweedledum was soooooo busy he was having a hard time getting our paperwork done - hard to believe since we were the ONLY ones in the place. While typing this it is taking a TON of self-control not to pepper that whole explanation with terrible language - bastards. So I have a finish - I  mentioned that I started Merry Two but needed to order three skeins - when they got here I realized I missed on AHHHH. So I had to substitute Barn Grey - geez.

I started Tiramisu by Glendon Place while I waited for the thread - usually stitching large blocks of color is annoying but I am enjoying this one. The thread is soo silky oooooohhh

I have a few pictures for you and I am outta here - I hope you are all having a better January than I am - 2016 better shape up or I am going to have to write a sternly worded letter to it.

give me all your yogurt and nobody gets hurt

Happy 2016

Hope it is going great so far.... on New Year's Eve I finished another picture - that makes 33 for 2015. Not bad.

2005 Prairie Schooler

Merry One by Plum Street Sampler

I changed Merry One a little I took of the date and the word Merry. I used Gentle Arts Mulberry for Santa's coat and Weeks Dye Works Mocha for the reindeer. As usual it wasn't because I didn't like her colors but I didn't have the suggested colors so I used what I had. I am in love with this fabric - 36 ct Vintage Country Mocha Edinburgh. On New Year's Day I started Merry Two - same fabric. This time I was missing three skeins but I didn't feel up to choosing new so I just ordered them. I am stitching the two colors I have and then will start One Starry Christmas Eve by With Thy Needle and Thread while I wait for my threads to come in the mail. I really want to start Tiramisu from Glendon Place but I am waiting for the floss pack. Ebay had it for $41.56  with $3.13 shipping which is cheaper than the stores!! I found it on etsy for $31 but she wanted $16 for shipping - NOPE. I still need to pick a fabric for Tiramisu but I want to see the threads first - I might like the Vintage Country Mocha - but we shall see.
I have started using Instagram and I really like it. I used my first hashtag - #stitchersofinstagram it adds my picture to that group - I like to look at all the stuff other stitchers put on that group too. I am following a few stitchers. It's fun - if you are on Instagram I am Cricketbug33.
Yesterday we took down all the Christmas stuff - feels like we just got it up. It's funny how you can spot any ornament on the tree when you are gazing at it but when you are holding the box it goes in - you can't find it ANYWHERE!! I even told Scott at one point that Ryder must have hung his on a tree at another house because I couldn't find any!! I managed to find them all. We moved some furniture around - I was using this one chair and ottoman as my stitching chair. It was pretty uncomfortable but I liked the big ottoman for the cat and I could set my stitching there when I had to get up. Usually I don't have much time for stitching but on this break from school I got a few days in and that chair was making me so sore. Scott brought my old stitching chair back into the living room - wow it is so comfortable!! . It's smaller so the cat and I are kinda crammed on it but it is so comfy.

bum buster

smaller comfy chair!

  Ryder leaves Monday for Georgia. I start school on Friday - it's a nursing boot camp - real classes start Monday. I hope to get some more stitching in before then. I hope you are all getting some quality stitching in already this year. Thanks for stopping by!!

last post of the year

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. I had a fantastic day - got lots of lovely gifts!! I am a spoiled girl!!

look at all those patterns - that man loves me!!

a bracelet I asked for at the last possible moment!

Jim Shore

San Pascual saint of the kitchen and cooks

hadncarved box - picture is upside down!

opens to look like this - it was FULL of chocolate!!

LOVE these gifts!! I got some other things - immersion blender, grater attachment for my Kitchen Aid, Nessie ladle, 2016 calendars. Scott is great at gifts and I loved every one of them. I got to stitch all day and then Scott made prime rib, crispy rosemary potatoes and French onion soup - I love that man.
Ryder made it from Santa Fe. It's hard to get used to having an adult child at your house. He is so skinny - I don't like it. He has to be in Atlanta GA by the 5th to start school. I hope he gets more out of than he got out of Santa Fe.

I have three finishes to show you. I almost have a third Prairie Schooler Santa done. The fabric on the right is wonderful to look at - soft to touch. It's natural oatmeal floba turns out I hate stitching on it. You come up in one hole and the thread slides to the next hole. You can't sew stitch which slows down all the red of the coat. I am still doing two on this fabric - the one I'm almost done with is on it too. Fabric on the left is vintage country mocha and I like it much better.

 It's hard to stitch these when I have new patterns. Scott got me Glendon Place Tiramisu I already bought the thread pack (Dinky Dyes) now trying to pick a fabric. I have so many great patterns to do - which one which one?!?!?!?

Scott asked me to make a doily for the new sewing cabinet.  I am no longer fond of crochet. It seemed to take forever and I can see 2 errors. It is pretty though.

So my stitching year is - 32 finishes (one of those is the doily) only two of those were WIPS from years past. That's not a bad amount of finishes.
 I can't believe the weather we are having. We had one of our trees fall - it was a small one and fell across the road but still. I don't like the wind because I'm afraid of the big trees falling. I don't mind no shoveling though.

What is this ridiculousness???????

I am ready to start nursing school - scared and nervous but ready. I bought all the books and other items I needed. I had to get 7 immunizations - still have two more to go. The MMR hurts - A LOT - it hurt all the way down my arm ugh. I have to get another one on the 11th of January. I also had two blood draws and two TB tests. I'll be glad when this section is over. It's been pretty pokey.
Have you all made your resolutions? I have two - get healthy and do my best in nursing school. I am ready. Plans for New Years? We usually stay home and that is what we are doing this year too. I hope you all have a safe New Years  Eve. See you  in 2016!!!

Seasons Beatings!!

HA! We went to Bloomington Indiana for the Krampus parade. It was fabulous!! I found out about the parade last year - two days AFTER it happened grrr!! I had to wait a whole year!! It was worth the wait. If you don't know who Krampus is - he is  part of Alpine folklore dating back to the  1800s- he punishes children for being bad. He carries "Ruten" which are birch branches painted gold to beat children - they also touch the naughty children's faces leaving an ashen mark that attracts bad dreams. Krumpus can even carry children away in a sack. We went too early - I was worried about parking. That made time for antiquing - always fun!! They have a few booths set up where Scott bought a shirt and I got a bundle of Ruten. We also got stickers

Then we made our way to the parade route. The parade starts with St Nicholas and his angels. They hand out candy to those with Nice stickers.Scott got candy - well the angel gave he naughty kids candy too - Scott asked why be nice if everybody gets candy? See, he is the troublemaker.

 St Nicholas is behind the angel  - I never got a good picture of him.

Then the Krampus start arriving

 this truck has wood on it to make it look like a sled or box - there are children in the back. One of them cried out as they passed "this is not what I asked for for Christmas" and the Krampus growled loudly - it was pretty funny.

 look at those horns - scary!!

I got swatted several times - partly because Scott kept pushing me out into the street - he really should have been wearing the naughty sticker. Then one of them touched me - see my ashen mark. I really enjoyed the parade - Scott was getting tired of hearing about it. The costumes are fantastic. I'm already excited to go to the event next year!!
After the parade we ate at the Irish Lion - nope, I didn't take one picture. The food was fabulous though!! We will be going back! It was such a good night - we even got free parking!

I hope you haven't been bad enough to have the Krampus come for you.......

random ramblings

Wow I have been away awhile - my absence is due to 5 in laws for 6 days. Six days doesn't seem like much but there are the days leading up to and the days following full of preparation and clean up. I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was nice.

We had traditional foods - turkey, mash potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry salad, etc. We played games - it was good. We took them to see the West Baden Springs resort - I know going to see a hotel seems silly but it is really spectacular, The story is a good one too! They have it decorated for Christmas - beautiful!!

Scott's grandma - who just turned 95 really enjoyed seeing the hotel. We took them over to the winery and then the casino hotel.

There they had people singing Christmas songs - grandma enjoyed that too.

They had a 7 foot tall gingerbread house - made of real gingerbread baked right there at the hotel.

We ate at a place called The German Cafe - it was very tasty!!

 Scott had a little beer haha

 The apricot liqueur I made was a big hit - I gave the recipe to my in-laws and Scott's aunt Elaine. Aunt Elaine and Grandma left on Saturday - they live in Ohio. Scott's parents and nephew stayed until Monday - before they caught the flight back to Colorado we took them all over Indy - a quick car tour.
I have a finish - this Mosey N Me Santa.

What a pain in the butt this pattern was - I didn't enjoy stitching it as much as I thought I would. I didn't realize until it was done that there is some back stitch on the cover picture that isn't on the pattern - also I think the staff is darker on the cover. bah. Now I am making some Prairie Sampler Santas to make into little pillows for a bowl in my dining room.
Bon Appetite recently ran an article on cured egg yolks of course I had to try it - I only made two - and they have been done for days but I have not tried them. Crazy!!

 They say you grate it over anything that you would grate a hard cheese onto. Speaking of weird foods - we went to a Mexican market in Indy and they had rambutan - it's a tropical fruit and I had to try it. It's kind of like a gummy bear - very good. I looked up how to eat them on Wiki-how and it said the seed has traces of poison and should not be eaten but the Wikipedia page says you can eat it because the seed being poisonous is folklore - a little contradiction there. We didn't eat the seeds.

If I had known people would love my dyed undies story so much I would have posted it much sooner. I think everyone has an idea of how it would look but it's probably not what they really look like. The waistband and the stitching don't pick up the color.and they get a swirly effect on them - see... they turn out cute.

Scott decorated for Christmas this weekend.

We are waiting to decorate the tree until Ryder is here - should be here on the 20th. He will be going to Georgia to Savannah College of Art and Design in January. Scott hung up a quilt I made years ago - I never really liked it but that might be because we hung it on a white wall which made it too loud - in this setting it's actually not so bad.it even has matching chair backs!

Scott dug up some things I made years ago that we haven't put out in years. ( last year we didn't even decorate!)  Like these eggs Santas I made - funny. They are paper mache eggs with split pea noses!!

I hope you are having a lovely Christmas Holiday!! Thanks for stopping by