Year End Wrap Up

 I haven't blogged here since September and it's been a long few months. I did get to go on my weekend holiday to Halcyon Hot Springs, just two nights of doing nothing by driving around in beautiful scenery and soaking in a hot spring. 

But the rest of the time was not happy, my father went to the hospital at the end of October and passed away on Christmas Eve, he was 94 and mainly cheerful till the end. He was an amazing Dad.

WIPocalypse questions that I missed were 

Do you prefer Halloween or Christmas stitching?. I love both, but Christmas ornaments are just so much fun to make.

When do you begin planning your stitching goals for the next year? Honestly I don't plan much of anything and when I do I usually change it. But I usually plan what's next when I start something new. 

And the December question 

Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc). Time for the pictures, I actually go a lot done on Lion King this year and will definitly finish it in the next couple months, note February does not count this year as I will be away for all of it.

I also got a good start on Bellatrix by Bella Filipina 

And as usual did a bunch of ornaments, one is still to be finished, which might even happen later today

As for what I watched

Critical Role

The Legend of Korra - Season 4 - This has been such a good series I can’t wait to watch it again

White Collar Season 3 - 4

Brigerton - Finally got to this, I read all the books years ago and so far it seems fun and in the spirit of the books

Love and Friendship - Based on a Jane Austen novella, I can’t say this was a favourite, not a lot of very likeable people in it and kind of choppy as well.

Lethal Weapon 1 and 2 - These are very dated now, but if you ignore that, they are still great action movies. I always disliked the ones that came after this as they turned a dark gritty action series into a comedy,  I was highly amused that in 2 the subtitles censored the swear words of a 18A rated movie. Why? I don’t understand.

The Show Must Go On: The Queen and Adam Lambert Story - I’m not a big documentary watcher, but I’m a fan of both and wanted to see how they got together, it’s a really interesting show with of course phenomenal music

The Lego Movie - Another one I bought sight unseen because it was cheap and friends recommended it, and I see why, this one is a ton of fun.

Little Shop of Horrors - I haven't seen this since it was in theatres and remembered it as quirky and fun, which it is, and it has great music, but I doubt I’ll want to watch it again soon so I don’t think this one is a keeper

L.A. Confidential - This is an amazingly done, dark and gritty mystery, I always forget how good it is. Especially since I’m not a fan of most of the actors in it

The Losers - I bought this one just because I liked the actors in it and it was well worth it. It’s a fun and smart action adventure type that should have been a bigger hit that it was.

The Divergent Series - I reread the books recently so of course I had to rewatch the movies

Howl’s Moving Castle - I’ve heard amazing things about this movie over the years but had never seen it.  But the local theatre has started doing Anime nights and this was the first show so of course I went, and it was a good if not better than I had heard.

Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole: A fun adventure about owls which I love and is why I bought this one sight unseen, and it’s worth it.  

The Cincinnati Kid - Old Steve MacQueen movie about a gamble trying to make a bigger name for himself, some of this move is very very dated and some is really good.

The Towering Inferno - My brother is on a Steve MacQueen kick so he’s lending me ones he thought I would like, and this one is perfect for me, it’s an amazing disaster movie, I think I’ll have to add it to my own collection. 

The Little Mermaid - Always a fun one with such catchy song, Under the Sea was running through my head for days

Les Miserable - There seems to be a lot of musicals in “L”

Fall is the best

 I love Autumn the colours are pretty, and the weather is cool and sunny, Definitely my favorite season.  It's been a good year so far, I've been to four shows, two holidays, one weekend holiday to come and it looks like I will finally get to go on my big Cruise in February, nearly three years since I originally booked it.

So the WIPocalypse question of the month is Are you a seasonal stitcher? If so, which seasons do you find yourself more productive or less productive?

I'm not, I stitch fairly equally all year, the only real change is when I switch to Christmas ornaments in mid November. But it's still the same amount of stitching, just the size of the project changes.

I have stuck to only stitching on the Lion King until I finish it (though the aforementioned Christmas season will upset that) and it does show a lot of progress

As for what I watched 

Critical Role

The Sandman - I read these comics when they were first published in the 80’s and 90’s and I remember being enthralled by them,  so I approached this with a little trepidation, but it was not needed. The show is brilliantly done

Game of Thrones Season 3: The one with the Red Wedding.

North And South: This miniseries was all anyone at school was talking about when it came out in 1985, and I had very fond memories of it. It’s about two families who are great friends  and the build up to the American Civil War.  I was already fascinated with the subject thanks to the miniseries from 1981 The Blue and The Grey, that had a very very similar storyline, But I had forgotten how long this one is and it has now been moved to the series wall and will be treated as such for the two sequels.

Noble House - Another mini-series also from the 80’s starring Pierce Brosnon. This is a wonderful story of Hong Kong and corporate espionage 

Now You See Me 1 and 2 - The first is a brilliant mix of fun and surprises with a ton of twists and turns, the second is good but doesn’t have quite the same magic, but a decent show nonetheless 

The Lord of the Rings (1978) - This is only the first half of the story, going up to Helm’s Deep, and as such is a rather rushed story when you are used to the Peter Jackson one.  But it is fairly faithful to the book. On the other hand it is one of the weirdest animations I’ve seen, in particular the ring wraiths are live action and then drawn on top of in some way, I remember finding them very creepy as a kid when I first saw this.

Lord Of The Dance - Despite Michael Flatley’s immense ego being on display this is amazing I love the music and dance. I’ve seen this one live a couple times and prefer it that as the dancer playing the lead (Flatley’s role) is usually more of a team player. Also live is always better

Lensman - This is an anime from 1984 and is a direct ripoff from Star Wars but a well done one. My brother gave this to me for my birthday  when I was 13 or 14 along with another anime movie knowing nothing about them, just that I like anime and it was very hard to find at the time.  

Lovely to Look At - I grew up on Howard Keel musicals as my mother was a huge fan, though I only found this one a few years ago. Standard musical storyline: Three performers inherit half of a failing fashion house and decide to put on a show to save it.

See How They Run - A friend invited me to the theatre to see this one, I had not heard of it at all, but I’m glad she did cause it was fun. A murder mystery set around The Mousetrap play in the 50’s, some great acting and quite a bit of comedy make this one I’m likely to buy in the future

I hate heat

 It's time for another WIPocalypse update this time for June and July 

But first may I complain that it's hot out, not scorching the eyeballs like last year but still over my comfort level of 25C so I'm hiding in the basement and stitching, and icing my knee since I hyperextended it and let me tell you that sucks, though the icing is nice to combat the heat

So the questions of the months :

June: Half-year recap:  How are you doing with your goals so far this year? I did well on the weekly rotation until about a month ago when I got tired of not finishing Lion King, which did time well with the focus month of July.  so I have put aside Bellatrix until I have a finish, unless I change my mind again

July: What five patterns do you really want to purchase (or start) right now?

Start: Waiting by Tilton Crafts

Life is a Dance by Unconventional Cross stitch

Buy: Fairytale Dragon by NonStopStitch

Falling Snow by Shannon Christine (to go with the one I did last year

Ace &Aro Pride Froggy by Studio Ansitru

As for what I watched

Critical Role EXU- Calamity - This Critical Role miniseries must be one of the best things they have ever done, it was amazing.

Blindspot - Season 5 - This was not planned but then I got an email from netflix saying it was taking Blindspot off June 14 so I had to watch it quickly. This is why I prefer to buy shows, then they can’t be taken away from me. Also I loved this show and now have to buy the last 2 seasons but so far I can only find them as region 2 shows, something that is happening a lot these days. Maybe I should just get a region free Bluray player

Game of Thrones Season 2 and 3 - At least I own all of these

Legend of Korra Season 3

Umm Actually - this a game show for nerds on YouTube, and like Jeopardy there is a lot of satisfaction in getting something right that the contestants got wrong.

Wreck it Ralph - Found this for $2 in a second hand bookstore and I had heard good things about it, very standard storyline, but it was super cute

Notting Hill - A quiet romance that in a twist follows the man’s side not the womans I’ve always enjoyed this one

The Name of the Rose - A twisty medieval murder mystery that is fascinating 

Thor: Love and Thunder, this one is very silly but fun and the  use of music is glorious.

Chasing Mavericks - This is a fictional movie about Big Wave surfing but it goes very nicely with one of my favourite documentaries, Riding Giants. Anyways it’s a good movie with great scenery

Nanny McPhee - It’s a wanna be Mary Poppins and doesn’t measure up to that glory, but it is fun in a lighthearted way

National Velvet - I’ve watched the “sequel” International Velvet many many many times, but this was the first time I’ve watched this one, and other than a few names and a very few plot points there is no connection between the movies.  In no way does that change that International Velvet is an absolute favourite, or that this one may become a new favourite, it was so good.

The Neverending Story 1 and 2 - Some children's movies have enough wonder and magic to appeal to adults as well, some don’t.  The first movie does and is a beautiful tale, the second I find rather boring, I got them as a set though otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered with the second, but my rule was to  watch all the movies I own. A rule I will break when I get to the Lethal Weapon series I’m sure as I thoroughly dislike 3 and 4

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe , Prince Caspian, and the Voyage of the Dawntreader-  So Narnia was the first books I ever bought with my own money, I spent my saved up allowance for a boxed set at a second hand bookstore, I believe the set cost $11.  To this day it is still one of my favourite stories. And these latest movies do the books justice, there are some differences, but they do actually have the children the right age, most of the other productions have Peter, Susan and Caspian too young. Voyage is my favourite book and that still holds for the movies. 

June

 A blog every two months seems to be my thing now, I keep telling myself to be less erratic, but I apparently don't listen well.  

It's been a good couple months, nothing really new except I've been working a lot of graveyard shifts which really puts a crimp into the stitching. BUT I did finally get to a show after two years, I've missed being in a large venue so much.  It was Stars on Ice and it was wonderful, I also have a Cirque du Soleil show to go to in a week, things are looking up .

WIPocalypse questions are 

APRIL - What is your favorite store (either online or brick and mortar) to purchase your supplies?

Online I tend to use 123 Stitch for variety and dependability, as for my local store, there is one in town that carries some supplies for an emergancy, but I really love going to Kelowna Yarn, it's only a 100km away and Kelowna is where most of the shows I like to go to are so I get there a few times a year.

MAY - Retreats and seminars – have you ever been to any stitching events? If so, tell us about them!

I have not, but they sound fun, so maybe someday.

I've been fairly good about doing my weekly rotation though I have had to get my friends to encourage the switchover a couple times, I think that rotations are really not my thing and I'm not likely to do it in the future. 

So here is my progress on The Lion King 

And Bellatrix

As for what I watched

Critical Role 

Galavant Season 2 - So much fun

Blind Spot Season 4 - Had to get Netflix back to be able to watch this, seasons 4 and 5 are hard to find on DVD

Game of Thrones Season 2 - Have to watch the commentaries first.

Turning Red - There was a lot of hype about this one, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t my favourite Pixar storywise, but it is important in the way it addresses teenage girls and different cultures.

Onward - This on the other hand seemed to get very little hype and it’s so good.

The Karate Kid - The 1984 original, these movies were such a big thing when I was a kid and it still holds up as a great movie today.

Cyrano - The new musical one, really good, but it is of course a tragedy so not a feel good movie, but Peter Dinklage is magnificent as Cyrano.

The Karate Kid II - This has always been my favourite of them, part of that is just that Daniel does not act as a dumb american in a foreign country, but instead is respectful of the customs and people.  It’s such a change from most teen movies. And adult ones as well.

The Karate Kid III - This one is essentially a rehash of the first, but it has some fun bits. 

The Next Karate Kid - An early Hilary Swank movie, and actually a decent addition to the franchise 

Terminal - Weird movie, half is a conversation between a waitress and a dying man, half about assassins and a lot about revenge. Not sure if I actually liked it but the cinematography was magnificent.

Kingdom of Heaven - I didn’t like this one when I saw it in theatre but ended up with the DVD anyway and have watched it a couple times, for some reason I like it much better on the smaller screen, weird that but I do enjoy this more each time I watch it.

A Knight’s Tale - This one is just pure fun, a feel good movie that make me smile every time I watch it.

Kubo and the Two Strings - While the basic story is a standard fantasy kids story, it’s told in an interesting way and the visuals are frankly stunning. I really enjoyed this one.

The Outfit - This one was great, lots of plot twists and wonderful acting. Honestly the only reason I went to this was that it had a great trailer and it lived up to the billing so I was happy

Nouvelle Experience - I think this was the second Cirque du Soleil show and it shows, the costuming and story aren’t as grand as later ones, but it’s fun to see how it all started. 

Always time for Vacations

 I'm a month behind as per usual, but the reason is better this time.  I was on vacation last month, I went to the west coast of Vancouver Island to a fancy hotel near Tofino and spent several days just enjoying the ocean, 

The WIPocalypse questions that I have missed are 

February 27 – What stitch-a-longs (SALs) are you participating in this year? 

So far the only SAL I am involved with is the Bellatrix one that I'm doing with my small stitching group of friends, she's going fairly well so far 

March 27 – Tell us about a technique, designer, pattern, or anything else in stitching that you’ve been nervous or afraid to try

I don't think I really have any, I'm far more adventurous in my stitching life than in my real one.

I do have an actual
finish as well, finally go done all the baby things for the foreseeable future.

Which means I can finally go back to working on Lion King, so expect an update on that the next time I remember to blog.

As for what I watched

Critical Role 

The Legend of Vox Machina - This was so good and made me kind of proud since I had a teeny tiny part in making it happen (I backed the kickstarter)

Legend of Korra Season 2 - This one is all about spirits 

Galavant - A mediaeval musical comedy series, I have no idea how they managed to get this made, but boy is it fun.

The Olympics - Of course, I’ve mentioned my love of the games many times on here

Oblivion - This is such a solid SciFi movie with really good unexpected twists and turns

The Osterman Weekend - Cold war thriller, I remember liking it more back in the 80’s when I first saw it, but it’s still not bad

Ocean’s Eleven - The original from 1960 this is such a fun caper movie, it’s competence porn at it’s finest, the one that set the bar for all caper movies to follow, and I’ve seen a lot of them.

Ocean’s Eleven - The new one, and it’s as much fun as the original, nothing like it at all, only a couple basic concepts are the same, but that makes it no less good.

Ocean’s Twelve - I always found this one to be the weakest of the three, but I did enjoy it more on this rewatch than before. 

Ocean’s Thirteen - Really good, though still not the original, but still a much better heist than the second movie

Ocean’s Eight - This is my favourite next to 11 a fun and well thought out heist 

Uncharted - Based on a game but don’t let that stop you, I really enjoyed this one, not stellar but still a fun adventure movie with some unexpected twists

Olympus has Fallen - Same storyline as White House Down, but I like this one better.  

Encanto - Just as charming as everyone says.

A new year, same old late blog

I've been doing this SAL for a few years now and it's probably the only reason I remember to keep up this blog, but I'm still very erratic and tend to skip months, such as I missed the introduction question earlier this month

The early January  question is from last year, because my computer refused to let me see the questions.  Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

Hi, the name is Nancy or if you search for me around the internet I lurk here and there as Katjakay especially  on Deviant Art, Tumblr, and Instagram  I've been stitching for around 15 years now and have a tendency towards doing bigger projects, not HAED big (though I do have a couple patterns of theirs I just haven't done them yet) but usually over 8x10" 

Currently my WIP is The Lion King from the Disney Dreams Thomas Kinkade kit, and I've been working on it for 2 years, the longest I've ever worked on anything, but I do tend to get distracted lately, 

I just finished (yesterday) this baby announcement thing for my nephews new baby 

And have started another for my niece's new son 

and this one will serve as my focus for the Olympic stitching

I don't usually have more than two projects on the go, but this year is strange and I have also started Bellatrix from Bella Filipina designs,  this is a SAL with my friends, one of which, Make it Pink. has done a recolors for the rest of us.  Details on her insta page here  

I have barely started this one but it is a start nonetheless 

I'm also an avid photographer so don't be surprised if a waterfall or two show up sometimes.

The late January question (grabbed from another blogger) Describe your stitching style – are you a one-at-a-time stitcher? Do you stitch on rotation? Are you a chaos wrangler? Are you comfortable in your current stitching style, or are you still searching for that stitching zen?"

I am a two at a time stitcher traditionaly it used to be one upstairs and one downstairs.  The downstairs project is usually my big one and upstairs was a small.  It was what I worked on while watching Jeopardy with my parents, but the light started bothering my dad's eyes and I brought the small dowstairs as well. Now I work on one project on Thursdays as that's Critical Role day and the other the rest of the week.  Working on three like I am at the moment is a little frustrating, but people keep insisting on having babies.

The other thing I throw on this blog is what I've watched while stitching,

 Critical Role 

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 1 Episodes 1-3  I got to watch the first to eps of this a couple of days before it was released on Amazon Prime thanks to backing the kickstarter, and it was sooooo good 

Legend of Korra Season 1 -  A really solid continuation of the Avatar series

Good Omens -Got the DVD so I could watch the commentaries.  Worth it. 

The Shannara Chronicles Season 2. I enjoy this series, but not as much as a should since I grew up on these books, but the actors look like they belong in a CW drama more than a fantasy series. But the storylines are decent

Jupiter Ascending - This movie is truly stupid and unhinged, but I really enjoy it nonetheless

The Jungle Cruise - Mom hadn’t seen it yet so it was a fun thing to do on Boxing Day. 

Raya and the Last Dragon - Ohhhhh I loved this one, both pretty to watch and a good storyline. 

Jurassic Park 1-3  - I don’t think I’ve ever watched them back to back before, in fact I think I’ve only ever watched three in the theatre.  While the second two aren’t as good as the first, it’s still a brilliant series. 

Jurassic World 1-2 I love these ones too, and very much enjoy the themes and storylines that run through all 5 movies, can’t wait to see where the 6th one leads

Over Beautiful British Columbia - This was made in 1996 in conjunction with a coffee table book for Beautiful British Columbia magazine, so it’s an hour of calming music and pretty scenery.