up next

I started this the other day and have loved working on it. It is the "Beach Blanket Bingo" out of Knit Simple Magazine. My mother wanted to make it and of course all her girls are making it as well. Hard to believe....right? We are using Four Season Cotton from Classic Elite. It is a super-easy seed-stitch afghan that alternates stripes of various widths in nine bright colors. I only wish I started it before the end of summer. My sister Lisa came down for a little r & r. The weather was so great. Jay and Lisa did yoga poolside while wife/sister was in the house preparing dinner....Yes, Jay loves yoga and he is really good. The more flexible you are the better your golf game. :)

This is what "The Misses" was doing all weekend. She cracks me up laying pool side like that. I swear she thinks she is a person.

The pool was closed today so summer is officially over for us..... I hope you had a safe and pleasant Labor Day Weekend.

birdhouse

The birdhouse auction,"There's No Place Like Home", held by the Princeton Community Housing will begin on September 30th. Creative people in the Princeton area are working hard to get the birdhouses in by the deadline.
Pins & Needles will be entering 2 birdhouses. One of which will be knit and the other needlepoint. Beth, Anne and I were in charge of the needlepoint. This only seemed fitting because we all like to needlepoint and Anne has a soft spot in her heart for birds. How many birds does Anne have now...8 or 9? The birdhouse was first made out of plywood and then we made templates to fit the sides, grass, and roof. After we stitched till our fingers were sore, Beth began to add embellishments. She thought, the more "stuff" the better and I could not agree moreAt first, we were very sceptical about the whole idea. However, as the idea took shape, we grew more and more pleased with ourselves (we have to toot our own horns.....right?)

It was well worth the endless days and nights of stitching on nothing but the birdhouse. Just don't tell us if it doesn't get any bids.

Thanks, Beth and Anne, great teamwork! I hope the Princeton Housing Community has a successful auction.

PS... I'm sure you are curious to now what the knitted birdhouse will look like, well, we are too.

When Kathleen unveils her creativity, I will hopefully be able to share it with you.

flip flops?

Remember when I was working on this needlepoint belt, well, when I took it into my LYNS (Local Yarn and Needlepoint Shop) they talked me into making flip flops instead. How many belts can a girl have, anyhow? The finisher requires 36" of stitched canvas and they cost about $130 depending on you local shop. They can be made with a neoprene sole, or leather, and you can choose any color of leather in between the needlepoint. Pretty darn cute, but unfortunately I will not be wearing them anytime soon...
They are on display as a shop model at my LYNS where I work part time. It is a great place to work and it supports my very bad habit. Not only do I work at Pins and Needles but I also work at Delta Airlines as a Flight Attendant. The summer flying has been crazy and I've had to work more trips than I normally do, hence why I have been traveling so much. I can't wait until September when things slow down.

I am able to have some fun though. Jay and I saw Kenny Chesney for the 2nd time on Thursday night. It was an awesome show. He is quite the entertainer!!!!

Does it get any better than a cold Corona Light and Kenny Chesney on his Flip Flop Summer Tour? Did I say flip flop? You gotta love flip flops......

summer days

I just wanted to check in....

I've been traveling a lot. Thinking about you... I hope all is well!

the swing

We love our porch swing...it is our favorite spot in the house. Nothing to look at but the nature ~ turkey, deer, woodchucks, birds, etc etc... "The Misses" (Pebbles) is the guard dog. HA! We are so lucky......

Hope you had lucky day..... 7.7.07

no more belts!!!

I promise no more posts about needlepoint belts, after I show you what the heck I've been working on. I make these custom belts for the club where my husband works. It all began by charting the logo and club font on graph paper. Then I painted it on the needlepoint canvas and stitched a belt in the signature colors. The model belt is on display in the golf shop and members can order them with or with out a monogram. Last Friday my husband came home and told me that "Mrs. Smith" wanted a belt for her husbands surprise birthday party on July 21. OMG! My little fingers started working on it right away and you will be happy to know that I put the belt in the mail today to have the finishing touches done. Below is the model belt and the belt was stitching for "Mrs. Smith". In five years, I think I have done 21 belts. Many of you have asked where you can purchase a belt to needlepoint; Pins & Needles, M's Canvashouse, and Needlepoint.com are some good places to start (unless you have a local needlepoint shop).
I am happy to tell you that I finally started a Chevron scarf ~~ my sister says I always do things a little late.... After reading some of your posts about your scarves, I realized that most of you were unsure of your color choices. The blogoshere cheered you all on, now I think I need a little encouragement..... Have a great weekend!

poking along

I saw this little guy out my kitchen window and he made me smile. No knitting or needlepoint finished, everything seems to be poking along...... how apropos~
I guess we should all take the time to enjoy life, family and friends. Happy 4th of July, and try to live in the moment.
Have a safe and wonderful journey......