The Girl Behind The Red Rope - Book Review

Tedd Dekker & his daughter Rachelle have successfully woven together
a gripping Allegory of Light & Dark, Faith & Fear, Truth & Deception.
Not only does the story describe the revealing of the spiritual world,
but it also stirs the understanding of the reader & makes the spirit
world very 'real'.  I know that just by reading it, my perception of
the atmosphere around me has already changed.  It stirred me to tears
at times, & caught my breath at others.  The story immerses you & drags you in to the point you completely lose track of time while reading.

I finished it in just a couple of days, but may have to revisit it
again to soak up all of it.  There is much to glean from this thought-
provoking story.  You can tell that Tedd & Rachelle really poured them-
selves into the book.

To say it is gripping is an understatement.  It wasn't what I expected - it was better.  I don't think I will ever look on things quite the same way.

Book review: Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano

Finding Lady Enderly was a surprising & delightful read!  I expected it
to be a twist on "My Fair Lady" & "Jane Eyre", & to a certain extent it
is.... but it really goes much deeper than that.  I was captured from the
first page with this riveting story & read it in just a few sittings.  There
is a lot to this tale, & the many twists draw you deeper & deeper into
the story.  The revelations keep coming & the big one near the end was
unexpected...but also not entirely unexpected, because it made perfect
sense, in a twisted, not-of-sound-mind sort of way.

I liked that there were scriptures & truths mentioned throughout the
book, & that God was often referred to as the Rescuer....for that is
one of His best traits!  (Savior of the world.)   I enjoyed the Easter
Egg hunts as well.  I found myself trying to figure out where the
secret messages were located before reading the answers in the book.  You know, just to see how my literary insight would measure up.  ;)

I liked the blend of Romance, Mystery, Suspense & how it all ties
together to reveal a deeper meaning & plan.  One of the main purposes
of the book is to encourage us to look deeper than just the outward
appearance - Because sometimes a person in rags can be much more
beautiful on the inside than someone who 'has it all together', so to speak.

I won't give spoilers, dear reader, as that would take away from the
surprise & delight that I hope you will find by reading it yourself!  I
did very much enjoy this story & highly recommend it to lovers of
English novels, Mysteries & clean Romances.

My only small complaint about this book is that the cover art implies
that the Heroin of the novel would have dark hair, when in reality she
has long blonde curls.  But this is a minor issue & does not detract from
the story.

Two years, & SCREAMING for an update!

Wow, wow, wow!  I had no idea when my computer crashed 2 years ago that I would lose track of updates on this blog so completely!  It wiped out my entire collection of pictures, stitching finishes, WIP's, templates, overlays & digital patterns.  It's been a very long time coming, but I am finally beginning the tedious process of building my collection again.  It is with the help of my (far more knowledgeable) brother that I was able to FINALLY buy an editing program.  I cannot tell you how thrilled I was the first time 'really' editing a picture earlier this month!  I feel like I can be a lot more creative & expressive now.  I am ecstatic!

The last 2 years have presented a lot of challenges.  My Grandmother died, & we had the grueling task of preparing my Grandparent's house for selling.  This took us months, & within 2 weeks of finishing we had a number of home appliances die within a short amount of time.  An unexpected kitchen renovation was required to fit a new refrigerator, & my Dad was diagnosed with cancer right after.  It felt like there was no time to breath.  The good news is, after 6 months of chemo treatment,  he has been declared CANCER FREE!!!!  :)  All in all, 2018 was a particularly testing year, & I was so glad to see it gone.

I started up a channel on YouTube in 2017 which definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone.  Thank goodness I've moved past all of the 'umms' which are part & parcel to starting out a video blog.  ;)  I have also recently discovered the joys of Diamond Painting.  It's a great new outlet & change of pace.  Still, my first love is Cross Stitching.   I love that I have met other stitchers through my channel, & hope to meet many more & get more involved in chats & 'happenings'. 

I hope to update this blog more regularly now with an even larger variety of content.  I will be posting pictures of my progress, finishes & new starts, both stitching & drilling, (which are always so exciting!) and featuring posts on other topics as well.  I hope you'll stick around & visit often.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!  ~Christy

A long break!

Hello friends,

I am back from a very long break from blogging.  I feel like I've
lost touch with everyone and everything that has anything to do
with my hobbies, and I've missed that.  I was on a serious
stitching binge back in 2015, but hit some snags and ultimately
lost inspiration for over a year.  Part of my excuse is that I have
recently picked up some new hobbies that have quicker results,
thus more finishes, which is much more appealing than feeling
the hours drag by with little to no progress. Lately I've been
watching youtube videos of one lady who shows videos of
her stitching progress and finishes, and have found a fragment
of inspiration to start up my blog, and my stitching, once again. 
I hope this spark will take off and help me tackle my to-do pile.

The other hobbies that I've been focusing more of  my time on
are adult coloring...(there are SO many lovely coloring books
being published these days!) ...Writing...(as in poetry, but hope-
fully that will spill over into working on the book I started a few
years ago)... the occasional sketch...(which is something I do
very rarely, but I'm pretty sure I have at least a granule of talent
for it that seems to pop up out of nowhere on occasion!)...and
I've been making scissor fobs.  I have a whole line of scissor fobs
for sale in fact.  I even opened an Etsy shop last year, and I have
them for sale on Ebay as well.  My number of sales is still low to
date, but I really hope that by getting exposure in my blog, and
through word of mouth, that my sales and shops' popularity will
increase.  Please check out my Etsy page HERE

As I want to make my blog interesting enough to re-visit, I will
be posting my stitching progress, stitching finishes, fob finishes,
possibly a sketch finish here or there, coloring pages when one
turns out particulary nice, and I may even post a book review
here or there.  Of course I will leave it open to posting pictures
of cool stuff... oddities... or humour.

Will I use pictures?  You betcha!  Will I post novella length
entrees?  Probably.  Will I make it interesting?  I'll sure try!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll start with my 2 lonely stitching finishes from 2016.  They
are both very nice finishes, but for some reason it was a real
challenge to push through them. 

The first is "Merry Christmas, My Deer" from Country Cottage
Needlework.  It probably took me a week & a half to finish.  I
used the recommended fabric, but substituted some of the hand-
dyed floss with some that I had on hand, as they were very
similar. I like the subtle variations in the red colored balls on top
and bottom....some deeper, and some lighter.  I believe I used a
DMC Variations thread instead of the Weeks Dye Works that it
recommended.

My second finish is a lovely picture that I am really pleased with,
as the picture looks so life-like and the colors are so pretty and
ideal for my home decor.  This chart is called 'Rose' by Inna
Peshkova  The berry tones are so very 'Me'.  I'm not sure what
this fabric is called, but it is a 28ct cream colored evenweave.  It
probably took me about 6 months to stitch, as I finished around

60% of it, then took a break for a few months and didn't get back
to it for a while.  There is actually alot of backstitching here, which helps the little details to pop, and the background is softened by using half stitches.  I love bird themes and roses,
and I'm so glad I persevered on this beauty!

There will be more to come...but this is a good start for now.  I
hope you find my ramblings interesting, and perhaps find some
inspiration along the way with me as we venture to make our
lives more beautiful and delightful through crafts and projects
that bring enjoyment.

Happy stitching!

A new finish!

I just finished a picture...!! ... well, 'finished' is perhaps a slight exaggeration, as the beads are nowhere in sight as of yet... but the main work is done and I am thrilled to be (mostly) done.  This is "Azalea" by Nora Corbett.   When I looked at the finished picture, I wasn't happy with how bottom-heavy she was, so I went ahead & gave her a little more hair.  Also, I used a darker pink kreinik for her shoe ties, as the suggested DMC color was not even visible on my fabric.  I like how it turned out. 

I also went back and added the kreinik to a previous project, "Fern".   I ended up giving her a little extra bling with the addition of a necklace.  Her shoulders looked so bare.

WOW!  My 4th post in one day.  I must really be on a roll! 

Okay... I just had to share this video I found a few months ago.  I
keep going back to see it again and again because it was done so
well.  Plus, I really like this particular 'pairing'.  I think it's sweet,
and it deserves a viewing if you are in any way a fan of the show.




For the record.... My favorite Doctor/Companion pairings are
Nine/Rose, Ten/Donna, Eleven/Clara.   My feelings on the new
doctor are just so-so.  I am in the group of fans who prefers the
light-hearted Doctor, rather than the cold & unattached Doctor
we currently have.  You're free to disagree, but that's just MHO.

I should have posted this picture months ago, but I was on
hiatus from my blog for a while.  I finished the 'stitching' on
'Red' back in April.  I stitched her on a hand-dyed lugana.




After Red, I wanted a quick stitch, so I opted for a Country
Cottage Needlework.  "Mermaids".  Then I went on to finish
the stitching of "Mediterranean Mermaid"  Both of there are
also on hand-dyed even-weaves.

Since Meddy, I have been bouncing like a tennis ball from one
project to another.  For the first time in my life I have 5 WIPS!!!!
That is soooo not me, and I don't like feeling this unsettled!  I
intend to have most of them finished by the end of year...though
that could be tricky since I really want to stitch a Christmas
themed project.  Hmmm...  I'm not on a good roll here.  lol

Don't judge me.....

Yes, this DOES deserve an entire post dedicated to the
absurd level of adorable-ness!

Had to laugh when I saw this cartoon.  As the daughter of
a seamstress, I practically grew up in a fabric store....
practically teethed on fabric bolts....so I can relate to this
on so many levels.  *lol*   Back then it was something to
dread, but now that I am older, and one who enjoys arts
and creativity, I appreciate the occasional visit to craft/
fabric stores.  Still, it brought me a chuckle. :)

Speaking of which, I am overdue to make another stop
by Joanns.  They have coupons, and I need some floss
for a Christmas stitching project.  Must remember that.
I am also thinking about working on a knitting project,
as I need something that works up fast.  The only thing
about stitching that frustrate me is the slow pace of it.

Speaking of slow paced...(since I'm on a roll here)...I
am still waiting on my PictureThisPlus order to arrive.
I ordered it 11 weeks ago Friday.  Definitely surprised
by the delay.  Hopefully we're getting close!

Well, Hello, Winter!

Imagine my surprise when I woke up to this today....

It wasn't in the weather report...and we don't get snow often, so it's rather a treat. :) (Sorry, I know that many of you are so 'over it' already...but don't begrudge me a little fun. lol)  We usually have short spurts of snow, so it won't hang around for long.

I had plans to make an amazing pot of Split Pea and Ham Soup, but once I added the Ham Hock and it started simmering, I noticed a rather foul smell coming from the kitchen.  Turns out I bought some less than stellar ham hocks, & it ruined my whole meal.  So, I had to scrap the whole pot, & hunt for left-overs.  It didn't make me too happy, but I'll put in a batch of GF cookies, & that will make it a little better.  Tomorrow I plan to make some chicken & rice soup, which is always comforting.  These days it's all about the hot meals, hot coffee, and fleece blankets.  Hot Chocolate is thoroughly acceptable as well.  ;)

It's about time I ask a question, and get some interaction on this blog.  I'd like to find out if I'm just talking to myself.....and if this blog is even worth keeping. 

What are your favorite Winter Meals?  And what are your favorite 'in a rush' meals?

My favorite Winter meals are soups/stews, and my favorite 'rush' meals are either Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with a creamy soup, or Fried Pork Chops with Saffron Rice.  Yum, yum, yum!

Please share!!  I like to be inspired!  :)

It's time...

It's time for another update... as utterly exciting as that may
be.  :p  I have been a little under the weather this week, so I
have spent my days stitching and watching some tv.   Mainly
Netflix, but I've also been sure to not miss a new episode of
Psych, Downton Abbey or Sherlock.   I feel spoiled at the
moment with so many new shows to watch every week, but
pretty soon the seasons will either be over or on a break, &
then I'll feel slightly lost again.   *lol*

Which brings up this point......

And that sums up my feelings about DW.  Along with -->

I don't know anything about this new guy, so I'm wary of his
abilities...but we shall see.  I had a hard time when Tennant left,
but grew to really like Smith in the role of 11....or is it 12?....
or 13?  Oi....it's all so muddled!

So, I started Mirabilia 'Red' a few weeks ago, and while she's not
coming along as quickly as I had planned, she is coming along
nicely.  As some of you may recall, I recently had a bit of a melt-
down regarding this pattern on a gorgeous piece of fabric that
just did not sit well with me.  This fabric isn't quite as spectacular
as the first piece, but it just 'fits', and I am very happy with it.

 

In my spare time the other day I whipped up a batch of Gluten

Free Blueberry Muffins with streusel topping.  Perhaps it's not the
most fantastic looking picture, but it still makes my mouth water.
I want to tackle a Banana Nut Muffin Recipe next...I've got a
banana bunch on the counter that are past their prime.

My last headline, and then I promise to let you go....

I was finally able to purchase a piece of fabric I had been eyeing
for quite a while.  I happened to have a gift card to use, so I am
considering this my stitching splurge for the month.  After the gc
discount, it only cost about $5.... so I was thrilled!  In fact, I
already have plans for it.....
(Picture this Plus "Tempest" in Belfast.)

There I go again....

Well, like it has happened so many other times, it's been a
number of months since my last endeavor to post. I find it
hard to keep my posts interesting, as I seem to have a less
than interesting life for the most part. My days are full of
'normal' stuff...so other than my stitching, there isn't much
to brag about. I guess I'll have to make the small things more
amusing. :)

As always, I like to insert pictures...plenty of pictures...
so be prepared for a few of those. First off, I thought I
would start with a glimpse of the season. My brother came
home after a walk the other day, and his hands were full of
these beauties....all of which came from one tree. Aren't
the colors fantastic? I simply had to capture it.

I am not a Halloween celebrator, but I got the munchies that
night, and since we didn't buy any candy this year, I wanted to make a quick treat. So, I went for something that I had never
made before. I had left-over evaporated milk, so I made some
fudge, and wow was it good! This is a picture of what I had left
after the family delved in. Definitely a recipe to keep and re-use.



I have tried to not over-indulge on that fudge, since I love sweets. I'm working on losing some weight, and am down
about 15 pounds so far - I don't want to mess that up. lol
My Mom and I went out shopping the other day, and I came home with a couple non-fattening treats. ;) I'm not a big
spender, but I'm always on the lookout for attractive, useable, and affordable things. This photo box is totally 'me'... I am a
very 'Paris' girl who loves pinks and purples. It will probably
be used to hold stitching supplies.



I also found this nifty little desk organizer which I have yet to fill
up, but look forward to finding a use for. It has four swivel-out
see-through drawers.  All in all.... both of my treats cost around
$6.00. Not bad, eh? :)

Here is my progress report on Silver Moon Tea. I've been working
on her for a few weeks now, albeit slowly, but I'm really pleased
with how it's coming along. (I've actually stitched a little more than is shown)

Hmm.... I guess that does it for pictures in this entry.. unless..
wait a second.. I can't sign off without sharing a helpful cooking tip.

Toodles for now!

Filling you in...

It's been kind of a slow week for the most part. Life is just plugging along. I found an irritated spot on one of my fur-babies' heads the other day, and turns out it may be ring-worm.... *eek*... so it's treatment time for both of them, which included baths yesterday! Needless to say, they did not feel the love last-night! LOL! But they do look, feel and smell a-maze-ing today! I didn't get pictures of the event, as they are quite a handful when sopping wet, but I did get
a picture of them before-hand on their new cat tower. (When they were blissfully unaware of the bath which lay ahead. lol!) This is my idea of space saving! ;)


My little vent for the week would be that I may have to give up coffee. Argh! Over the Summer I was doing great, and then as soon as the weather changed, and I started drinking coffee regularly, I started having stomach trouble. I looked online and found several websites which shared the same information - that people with Gluten sensitivities should avoid coffee, as the protein in coffee affects the body the same way gluten does. :( It explains why I've had the issues lately, so I am going off of it for now to see if I feel better. Good thing we found a really great tea company, and have bought some really good flavors. In fact, here are my two favorites - they are exceptional!

Alright... I'm trying to blog here while watching the new episode of Psych, and this is extremely difficult...*haha* I will blog more later. :)

It came!

I finally got the stitching stash I recently ordered. It's my first stash purchase since last July, so I am excited about it. I got a piece of Sugar Maple Fabric "Violets In The Shade", a couple of Caron Waterlilies, (for 'Tree of Hope' & 'Sweet Pea'), 1 pattern, and an assortment of Mill Hill beads. I got everything for about $40.00, which is a splurge for me...but a really good deal for what I got. I'm really happy with everything! :)



Now comes the fun part of deciding which picture this piece of fabric is destined for. I hate putting fabric away without first having a plan for it! A few ideas have already begun to dance around in my head, so I'll do some floss tossing, and perhaps I'll post my final decision later.
(I've gotta save something to post about next time... ;)

I'm open to suggestions!!

Off I go to get some coffee now... toodles!

A New Years Resolution?

It's just struck me (again) how badly I have neglected this blog. The fact that I still have ANY followers at this point honestly boggles my mind! lol! I've taken for granted the fact that this is the one place on the whole World Wide Web that is really 'mine', where I can post about anything I like, am passionate about, or am intrigued by.

Since my last post, I have gone through at least 2 stitching slumps, a computer crash, I've had some medical issues which I am not prepared to elaborate on, and there has been some family drama. But, amidst all of that, I've had stretches of time where all I've wanted to do was sit and stitch. Of course, when you have responsibilities such as housework, trying to run a small Ebay store and cooking specially for multiple people with food sensitivities, you find that your time is not always so free to stitch as you'd like. I have been fortunate that amidst all of that, my stitching has not been completely neglected. I have a batch of pictures of all the finishes (except for beads) that I have completed since my last post. I admit that the closure of my Webshots account has caused a little frustration, but Photo- bucket will do the trick for now. :)

Are you ready?!!? Here we go!!

M'Lady & The Unicorn


Charlotte (Purple conversion)


Crystal Symphony (I finished the last 40% of her last year)


Enchanted Dreamer (Purple Wings Conversion)


Lilac Pixie (Without wings)


Waterlily (w/ longer hair)


Mediterraneo (Passione ricamo)


Crescent Dreams (Pink Blanket conversion with Rosebuds)


Bliss Fairy (Finished 1-27-13 - Purple Conversion)


As I usually explain when posting pictures, I am in no way opposed to beading/blinging up my pictures...LOL... but for now, a lack of finances and space are prompting me to wait on attaching the beads. It is far easier to store them this way, as I don't have to worry about crushing beads, or having to iron around beads later on. It will all come together in one graceful motion later on. :p

My newest stitching start is of Joan Elliotts' "Lady Bird". I am so excited! I have found what I believe to be the perfect fabric for her, and I can't wait to see it all come together! She is also my first JE project. :D

Here is a little snippit. Shhh... don't tell anyone! ;0



Toodles for now!

It's a new day...

So...I am finally back. I have been in a terrible slump
after the holidays, and am only just pulling out of it.
My family had a great Christmas. We went away for a week
to our favorite resort...(it was a surprise trip sponsored
by my brother)...and I seriously needed a vacation after
the vacation! lol It's surprising how tiring a 'rest' can
be. ;) I took a fun picture while away, & I love how it
turned out! I fondly call it 'Double Vision', because if
you look closely, you can see the back of my brothers head
as he drove, & my Moms hair as she sat in the passenger
seat. (I was obviously sitting in back ;)



Like I said before, I was really in a bad slump after
Christmas, which affected my stitching like you would
not believe, & the only thing that pulled me out of it
was watching DVDs on my laptop. So... I pulled out
"Scarecrow & Mrs. King" from the good old days, and it
was like magic...poof!...I was instantly absorbed in the
stories, and stitching came back so naturally. lol! I
ended up watching the whole first season in a week...
averaging about three episodes a day, and THIS is what
my picure is looking like now.



The picture isn't that great, but you get the idea. The
original picture had a blue ribbon flowing through the
horses' tail, and I took that out. It's supposed to be
a war-Unicorn from Narnia, and the ribbon just wasn't
jivin' with that theme. ;)

While we were gone on our Christmas trip, we stopped by
a theatre and watched the new Narnia Movie. Not quite
as good as I had hoped, it was very enjoyable, & I will
definitely be buying it when it is released. I don't
know what the director was thinking, as the main story
line was totally far out in left field, bet certain
elements were brilliant. What did you all think of the
movie? :)

The rain... it fell and fell.

First of all, let me say 'hello' to all my newest followers! Hi!
I went from 4 to 13 in about a week... so I now feel a greater
responsiblity to blog more consistently. I musn't disappoint. :)

It has been a really drippy day today... a perfect day for
stitching. But have I been stitching? Nope. I've been busy
with cleaning, cooking, and altering my blog. I was ready for
a decorative change... though I'm still not in love with this
look. Hmm....??? I may be tweaking it more in the near future.

I've been back on the 'Psych' bandwagon, seeing as the season
re-started last week. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about
the new 'developments', but at least it gives me something to
look forward to each Wednesday. *lol* I'm sure I'll end up
buying the season anyway.....don't want the prior seasons to
get lonesome. ;)

This week has not been totally void of stitches...I was
able to get a bit of stitching done on my two latest projects,
so of course I will be posting some updates for you
all. ;) My Crystal Symphony is looking like this so far:




I also decided to start a new picture... it's called "M'Lady &
The Unicorn". I am a huge fan of the 'Narnia' stories... & this
picture reminds me of Jill & Jewel In "The Last Battle". Here
is how she looks so far:

So... wow... it's almost November! That is just hard to believe.
Only two more months to figure out what I will do for Christmas
gifts. Hmm.. this could take some intense thought!

I have been quite the busy stitcher this last month. I took a
few days off due to some 'under the weather' moments, but am
pulling out of that now. I finished the DMC and Kreinik of my
Queen Mermaid last week. She took about 6 weeks to stitch. I
put her on a hand-dyed solo...& used some additional outlining
so she would pop with all the 'activity' behind her. I am very
pleased with how she turned out.



I also finished my contest entry for the Mirabilia board.
My goal was to add in all the kreiniks. I didn't realize
how many beads are on this one! The embellishments
alone for just the pictures I've stitched so far.... not even
mentioning the pile of pictures I PLAN to stitch.... will
require quite an infusion into my bank account. These
pictures need their own retirement fund I think. haha!



I am plainly not in the mood to tackle my Cinderella right
now, as I plan too many alterations, and am feeling rather
intimidated. I will get to her eventually, but for now, she
is being put in my UFO file. I started a new Mirabilia last
evening.... & have pretty much come to the conclusion that
I'm too good at matching colors! Here is my first picture
of Crystal Symphony - and you can decide for yourself.

Midst of August

This is a busier time of year for us. I have been helping my Mom
with the canning. We have been preserving fruit and berries, and
have a new supply of jam to eat on. Yum!

Let me see what has happened in the last month. Hmm.

Well... I've celebrated a birthday... been visited by family from
out of state... canned alot... and completed stitching 2 models.
They aren't big models, but they are very cute, and were rather
intricate all the same. Here are pictures:

H for Hearts - Sweetheart Tree


S for Stitching - Sweetheart Tree


Now I await my next commission. :)

I have been working in spurts on Cinderella, but have lost the
'mood' to stitch right now. I feel like I should take a few
days off, but will probably just push myself through. :) I did
attempt to shake off my stitching slump by starting a new project
(Queen Mermaid), but I am such a stickler for completing WIP
pics before starting new ones, that my conscience is pestering
me for leaving Cindy in the lurch. What is up with that? lol!

Prgress pics coming soon! ;)