Lost mojo? I founds it!

Hola blogging land. I've been bad, but that happens when you're doing a stitchy blog and haven't been doing a lot of stitching. I mean, this happens to most people in their given hobby/interest I assume. It's how I've always been with stitching. The last time however, I didn't stitch for almost three years (calm down AK, there were extenuating circumstances like finishing my degree and having another kid-concurrently) And it's not like I haven't been stitching, I just haven't been stitching with the same fervor as I typically do. Part of it was that I didn't really have anything I HAD to work on. My part on London was done, same with Butterfly, Sampler...you know what, let's just not talk about that right now. So I really didn't have anything in my face that needed to be done.  I worked here and there on that Sherlock/British biscornu I had started last month and am close to finishing, but other than that...not much to report in the stitching department.

Until...

Lauren sent me the best package EVER! I got MTM back! Which was awesome because I haven't seen her since March. But even more awesome was that my favoritest sister in law in the world also sent me pastries from the scrummy French bakery in her town.

So I gots to work again. MTM...so pretty. I've been rocking that out like it's my job the past few days.

I've also finished a little piece I had made waaaaaaaay back in 2001! I think it was one of the first things I stitched over two!

The Sherlock biscornu is close to being done, I need to get a move on, and realize next time that a 81x81 piece is not going to get done in a couple of weeks. Little patterns from now on for these things!

Butterfly finally got the top hibiscus done and sent on to Lauren.

I also used my new machine and finally made curtains for the Dancing Diva. I've only had the fabric for around two years so I'm pretty proud of myself.

Now...should we discuss Sampler? Sigh. I suppose we should. See...Lauren and I agree, we love Sampler for many many reasons. Simplicity, the color palette, easy to read chart, etc. However, she's boring right now. I don't know why. I don't know if we've flipped some Chatelaine switch in our brains and anything that doesn't require tactical skills and pre planning worthy of a WWII campaign isn't happening right now or what, but we're just not feeling it.  Despite this I have attempted to work on Sampler here and there.  The last we posted I had finished the second peacock. I should have stopped there.  Because everything I did after that...had to be frogged.

I mean, frogging sucks regardless. But to have to frog something you weren't too keen on working on in the first place? That's like doubly offensive.  It's not too much. Maybe an hour and a half of work but still...ARGH!! I was off by three stitches vertically. THREE!! How does that happen?!?!?! One, I get, but three! Clearly my brain was not present. When I discovered the mistake I called Lauren immediately and told her Sampler was getting out of my face for an indefinite amount of time or bad things were going to happen. She understood.  I haven't even technically frogged it yet. I just took it off the snaps, and put it in the bag. And then I said



Let's move on to more pleasant things. Tenacious A has been rocking out with the potty training! FINALLY!!! We're almost there.  So very very close, and I feel secure she won't be ten and in pull ups still.  She also got into pre-school for the fall!! The best thing about this pre-school, IT'S FREE!!! So, come September I'll get three hours, four days a week in an empty house. There are no words.

Miss M, my oldest, is two days away from finishing elementary school. :( How?  How did this happen? I think I'm less prepared for her to start middle school than she is. Every time I say something she just shrugs her shoulders and gives me that 'What's the big deal' look.

The Dancing Diva got to cash in her birthday present from March and go see the Bolshoi Ballet at the Kennedy Center recently.  It was a pretty cool day just the two of us, even if we did get a wee bit turned around a couple of times on the way there and back. Her dance recital is in two weeks so we'll be in full on class/dress rehearsal/'Mommy! I can't find my tights!' mode shortly. We took the tour at the KC before the show and here are a couple of pics.

Opera House ceiling

Giant Waterford chandelier

Dancing Diva on the river terrace

I'll do better with this whole blogging thing. Promise. Being back on the stitching train is sure to help.

Kirk out.

~Nikki

Lost: Mojo

People. Where did my mojo go? Not the Austin Powers kind of mojo. Stitching mojo. I losted it!
I'd been doing an hour or two here or there, but mostly I was finding other things to do. (Not blogging, obviously. I've been absent there for the most part too. I haven't been feeling very funny! Mostly cranky and snarky. I reserve my cranky snarkiness for texts to Nikki. She likes it. And she said I could throw her under the bus and point out her lack of blogginess too. That's what a good sister-in-law is for, dudes.)

In my defense, there has been a bit of mass chaos around here. My daughter had pneumonia for a while. That was fun. (That was written in sarcastic font.) I've been sewing gifts for some dear friends who are moving away. : * (  Ummmmm....I've had some very important literary tasks to finish. I mean, I couldn't leave Carter and Sadie Kane hanging, could I??? What else...OH, there was Masterpiece Mystery: Sherlock to watch. Benedict Cumberbatch required my undivided attention. (I did, however, get over an hour of stitching done while watching the Masterpiece presentation called Birdsong. Pewwwwww! That was a stinker. Too bad. I've had a crush on Eddie Redmayne since the Pillars of the Earth mini-series. But I digress.) See? It was most definitely lost.

I will show you what I actually HAVE managed to do.

The diamonds (and by diamonds I mean that partially finished singular diamond) on Paris have been a refreshing change. And you should notice quite a bit of progress from the last picture.

I also got a corner done on MTM. I love those colors! (They are so pretty in real life! Darn you iPhone camera! Not nearly good enough. Don't you think I need an iPhone 4s? I mean, Siri could remind me to stitch, and the camera is better, and....and....RIGHT?)

I'm getting back to stitchy manic spells, slowly but surely.

Also, for those of you following the story from the last blog post about my friend Gabby and her family, here is an update on Troy's current condition. I'm happy to share that while not out of critical status yet, things are progressing! Thanks to all of you who have been supportive in thoughts and kind words, as well as financially.

http://lateyoungfamily.blogspot.com/2012/06/thank-you.html

Mr. Mathlete is watching US vs. Canada soccer tonight. I betcha I get some stitching done this evening!

- Lauren