Friday 25 April 2014

April SFS and other stuff.

First the big happy news for me, I GOT TICKETS TO SKATE CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!! (insert a dA jump for joy emoticon here). I haven't been to watch a competition since Worlds in 2006 it's been way to long and Skate Canada is in Kelowna, only 100km away.  Only downside to this whole thing is every other big skating show I've gone to, Mom and sometimes Dad have come with me.  The have opted out on me this time as they don't feel they can sit that long (4 days) anymore.  So not wanting to drive to Kelowna and then watch 12 hours of skating and then drive home again alone daily, I'm going to have to get a hotel. It's going to be an awesome mini vacation for me.
One that will leave me way to close to a Micheal's my SFS budget better keep me in control.
And speaking of which this was not my best month.  I've been looking for a while in my stash for the perfect thing for my nephew's baby, but of course I finally found it on-line, I resisted for awhile, but finally gave in. So that was blow one for my budget, (but it's awesome so I'm ok with that)
Then of course, no matter how much you have, there are always colours you need when starting a new project, I probably could have made due with what I had, but ended up having to drive my Dad to Kamloops where a Micheals lives, and since they are 30 cents cheaper than my LNS it seemed a good time to get what I needed for that, and for the Stitching Pirates next contest piece, a cute bunny that I got the pattern for years ago, and since I was getting that much it seemed to be a good idea to restock what I was low on as well.  Strike two.
And of course as I was stocking up a realized I might not have enough bobbins for it all, so I had to get some of those as well, Strike three, but luckily not quite over budget.
So here's how it came out.

Tractor Pattern 3.99
Plastic Bobbins 3.49
Floss  11.73
--------------
Amount Spend: $19.21
But I also got a lot done this week
Cindy was worked on a lot mainly in pale colours but trust me much was done.
Since I concentrated a lot on Cindy, didn't get as much done on the 
Tractor but still there is some progress, and as for the bunny, well I had the pattern, bought in a used bookstore 7ish years ago. And I bought the floss, and I had this cool fabric that arrived in a box from Alaska last year, and the bunny just started yelling at me, so I had to start it as well, 










And what did I watch while doing all of this, well I'll tell you


The West Wing S06E01-08

Game of Thrones S04 E03 - Evil plots ahoy

Merlin S01 E06-08 And it wasn’t even about a magical poisoning

7+7 Up - The Next in the 7 Up series they are 14 and pretty full of themselves, like teenagers tend to be

Angels and Demons - Made a mistake here, I just finished reading the book (again) not taking into account that I’d be watching it soon.  So I spent the movies kibitzing about the details,  The first time I saw it, I quite enjoyed it as I had read the book several years before and forgotten the details. Still better than DaVinci Code but so is the book so that’s not surprising.  I also despite being a fan, have never liked Tom Hanks in the roll, he just isn’t who Robert Langdon should be. 



Xanadu - As previously mentioned, I love Gene Kelly, this is not his usual, more of a strange psychedelic 80’s thing, but there’s a wonderful homage to Singing in the Rain.

Easter Parade - A must watch at  Easter.
 
Supernatural S09 E19, not the greatest ep, but it’s always nice to see Kim Rhodes.

X-Men: First Class - This is my favorite of the X-men movies so far, even if Kitty Pryde isn't in it, which she shouldn't be anyway so that’s actually a good thing.

  

Monday 21 April 2014

April IHSW - Recap

It was one of my more successful weekends, got lots done on Cindy and spent all of Saturday hanging out with my TW gals, all day, finally, except for a couple interruptions due to bear, and pie making.
 Also got a good start on the baby record
Only problem is, I really really want to start my Puppy Love contest entry, think I'm going to give in and have three on the go.

Friday 18 April 2014

April IHSW

The weather is actually nice, if you can handle a bit of rain. in fact is was this pretty tonight
This is once again IHSW and for the first time in a long time, I have Saturday off work and no other plans, can's wait to hang out at Carla's with the gang.
I had a couple of good stitching days already this week, I finished my topiary bookmark, the pattern I think came in the last BOX from Carla, my bookmark was a little bigger than the pattern so I added on and extra layer of tree and a bunch more butterflies
, and for the first time actually used beads instead of french knots, since I wanted the butterflies bodies to shimmer and shine.
I also started (just) the baby record for my nephew's third child, poor thing, I had the piece done before the other two were born and this one is nearly a year old. But I finally found the perfect pattern so that's why it must have taken so long. I've still got a way to go on it.




And I got some serious work done on Cindy, but all in one colour, just because I could, I am loving the working with the grid, it allows me to jump with one colour so much easier.  I also took out the top line of it, just to see if it would remove as easily as the instructions say. I wanted to know cause if it didn't I'd rip it out now and save myself the hassle later.  It came out beautifully though, just glided out without disturbing a single stitch, I officially love it.

Along with the stitching came the watching, this was my week

Anne of Green Gables, The Sequel - This 4 hour miniseries mushed together the next three books in the series, but it’s still well done and enjoyable. There is a third miniseries, but it’s not based on the books in anyway, and watching it makes me want to scoop my eyes out with a spork.  Needless to say it is not allowed in my house

Vikings - S01E01- 02  Carla made me, with help from my friend Donna.



Arsenic and Old Lace - A classic in every way, I giggle my way through this one every time.

Game of Thrones S04 E02 - Bwahahahahaha about time.

The West Wing S05 E17-22.  And that finishes season five, two more to go.




Supernatural S09 E18 - He’s back!!!!!! (but only for a moment)

Friday 11 April 2014

Always Remember Work = Stash

It's been one of those weeks, it was supposed to be quiet, 3 days off, and off at noon on the days I worked.  Lots of time for stitching and watching and just enjoying the fact that it actually felt like spring. New guy had talked his way back in, so I had less hours. and then he didn't show up again on Saturday and is now gone for good (happy dance ensued) Of course that means hours went up, but still off no later than 1, and then got a couple hours added to catch up to what got missed do to the former new guy, and then co-worker got the chance to go to Vegas if she left the next day, so I got a couple more hours from her, and Mom wanted to go shopping, and then Dad needed me to drive him somewhere, and and and...... the result was only one afternoon that was truly free for getting really ensconced into the comfy stitching chair.
But all that work does mean more stash money, or possibly Cirque du Soliel
Cindy as she is now
And got some done on the little bookmark too.
Even my what I watch suffered this week, also is it wrong that I want to go buy The Avengers tomorrow just because I'm almost at the end of "A" so I'd be able to watch it immediately without deviating from my project. The sale at Walmart is pathetic but still the cheapest I've seen it.  Why won't this move come on sale, if I get it tomorrow on SALE, it will still be $5 more that I just paid for Frozen

Merlin S01 E06. Now finished the third magical poisoning, can we get another plot now

Noah  - Well the good thing is that the flood was really cool to watch, and the bad thing, was really the rest of the movie

West Wing S05E13-16

Game of Thrones S04E01 - FINALLY

Anne of Green Gables - I love this adaptation, so quintessentially Canadian, love the books, love the show,  love the scenery, love the actors, just love this all over

Friday 4 April 2014

And Now.... April

Sports are over until July, I can relax now...... and do taxes. Mine are done, Mom's are easy, but Dad's with the farm are a pain in the posterior.
Also Safeways switchover to Sobey's technology  has started, and we were given all new codes to make labels with.  Most of the switchover is awesome, but the codes are written so tiny no one can read them, and they aren't in a particular order, and they are missing a lot of things. I can't change what's missing, but I can rewrite them all to a decent size and order. So taxes and codes, that's been my week when I'm not at work

Don't despair, got a lot of stitching done as well, but first the good news I GOT MY SWORDS.  Now the pics of all the bookmarks are up all over the place so I'll just put up the complete finally finished set and the one the shows the sword best, and bonus there were 10 in the pack so I have a spare for myself. To see them each individually they are on my Deviant Art page here 

I also started and finished a little biscornu that I had to make so that Carla would stop worrying about me stabbing myself. I found the pattern for this little froggie here
And yes these are all taken on my cross stitch photo rock, it's free of snow finally.
Progress was also made on Cindy, though one day was spent putting the biscornu and bookmarks together. Also back to the sea of 1/4 stitch so slightly slower going for a bit.
And I had to start a new backup as well, can't be a big one as I have a pattern for a birth record arriving next week so I started another bookmark, much less to this one though

As for what I watched this week

Teen Wolf  S03 E24 - That’s it for season 3, very enjoyable, looking forward to 4


Merlin  S01 E3-6    I remember now why I didn't get far in this the last time I tried to watch it. 3 of the first 6 episodes are about people being magically poisoned.  Hope they get over that trend.

The West Wing S05 E02-12




Amélie - When I think about this movie after not watching it for a while I always think of a sweet little romantic comedy. And then I watch it and remember how truly strange it is, but in a good way.  Also it’s impossible to stitch though, very visual plus subtitles

Anastasia - As a movie it has a fairly predictable story and decent but not spectacular visuals, but oh the music is glorious.



Alegria - Live in Sydney  - I had Alegria on VHS but when pulling out all the A’s I discovered it was no longer there, I had a friend that liked to “borrow” things without telling me, I assume that’s where it went. So a bought the DVD. This however is not the same production that the VHS one was, same music and characters, but different acts. The downside, I loved the original, the upside, this is from the same production I saw in Calgary, so lots of good memories, just wish I had both


7 Up - I used to subscribe to Entertainment Weekly Magazine and that’s where I first heard about this British documentary series. I always wanted to see them but had no idea where to find them.  They are now on Netflix.. This is the first where they interview twenty 7 year old children from all walks of life. The series has a new show following the same kids every 7 years, I believe they are up to 56 Up. 


Life in a…..Metro - The best part of Netflix?  Bollywood.

Divergent - Crap, that was good, now I’ll have to buy the books.