Red, White, and Blue "Geeky" Moment

Ok. I'm going to be a geek here for a moment.  A "Big Trouble in Little China" movie geek to be exact.

A few months ago, I went to Hobby Lobby and purchased several things to make a 4th of July wreath for 2013.  I don't ever actually recall owning or making a wreath for Independence Day so this year I wanted to change that and put out something festive.  I finally got around to putting it together this weekend and I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out.  I think that it will be great for Memorial Day and/or Veteran's Day as well.

So how does this relate to my geeky movie moment, you ask?  Well, I had spread my items on my kitchen table and was looking everything I bought when I started thinking about all the red, white, and blue that was going to go on my wreath.  For some strange reason, a quote from "Big Trouble in Little China", a favorite movie of mine from years ago that I still watch periodically even today, popped into my head.  (It's a guilty pleasure.)  The line is, "Here's to America's colors, the colors that never run."  My geeky brain thought that this was very appropriate for the upcoming holiday and fueled my efforts to get this wreath completed as soon as possible.  I finished it up this morning, gluing it into place and proudly displaying it on my front door.

It's a silly reference but it got me motivated to complete my wreath.  Now, I think I'm going to go watch the movie with my hubby.

WIPocalypse 2013 - June Update

I'm back in school.  That's my excuse for this month.  *wink*  I haven't been cross-stitching a lot lately or doing anything crafty for that matter.  I started back to school about 3 weeks ago, summer classes that last for about 9 weeks.  I'm a Horticulture student and identifying plants and creating a project notebook of 100 plants, as well as taking care of my husband after surgery has been taking a lot of my free time.

I did manage to work on one project, however.  I finished the cat face for World of Charity Stitching and I am just starting on the "Hug Me" tag that will go on the finished cat pillow.  I even picked out some pretty cool fabric to go with the colors I chose for the face and tag.  I've posted the cat face and I'll add a photo of the fabric once I've completed the tag that goes with it.


Last stopping point

Just an in-progress photo

The finished kitty face

Happy stitching until the July update on the 22nd!

TUSAL Progress - June 2013

This past Saturday (6/8/13) was the date for sharing the monthly ORTs for the TUSAL challenge.  As seems to be the case here lately, I'm a bit late with my progress posting.  I didn't have a lot of time this month to dedicate to cross-stitching or my other crafts.  My husband has been recovering from major surgery and I've had to do a lot more for him around the house.  I never really realized just how many little things he does until he couldn't do them anymore.  I've also started back to school again so my free time is a bit more limited.  Anyway, here's my updated photos for this month.  Not quite as many colors as last months but still pretty.

 

 The next posting is due July 8th.  Be sure to check out the link to the TUSAL challenge by clicking on the list on the main blog page.

 

Happy Stitching!

Charity Stitching - Cat Pillow

So today I signed up for a really cute cat pillow through the World of Charity Stitching (WOCS) Yahoo group.  You cross-stitch the face and a small message that says "Hug Me" and it gets sewn into a cat-shaped pillow body.  I started on it right away as I'm excited to see how it turns out!

Previous pillows made by WOCS' members in 2012

My Starting Point

The pattern was created by one of the group members and we're currently working on several to hand out at a retirement facility.  I am not normally one that enjoys stitching on Aida cloth as I find it way too stiff but it is a requirement for this particular project.  I chose a 14 count fabric from Charles Craft called "Platinum".  I went back and forth on what color to make the eyes but I chose a seafoam green/blue.  I chose a pretty pink for the ears and I have another, lighter pink picked out for the nose.  The design includes two flowers just outside of the design that almost look like cheeks.  I'm still trying to decide on what color to make the flowers but I'm leaning toward a peachy/coral.  The matching message will be in the same colors and I'll have to find a coordinating fabric for the body.  Unfortunately, I cannot sew at all (one talent I never acquired) so my cat will be put together by one of the ladies in the group.  I'm even thinking about doing a second one!  I can't wait to see what they look like when finished!  I'll keep you posted.

A Late Spring Afternoon at Gibbs Gardens

The Main Entrance

Earlier today I decided to head over to Gibbs Gardens, north of Atlanta, GA, to see how the garden has progressed since I last visited in March 2013.  When I was there before, it was to see the daffodils (they were gorgeous) so there were not a lot of trees with leaves or any other type of flowers.  Spring had just really started.  I had been getting photo updates on facebook from their page and it looked beautiful.  So beautiful I just had to go visit again. 

I was not disappointed.  Gibbs Gardens is a spectacular garden set in the North Georgia Mountains.  It's only been open to the public for a couple of years.  I thoroughly enjoy visiting them when I can and I'm so glad that it's only about 45 minutes from my house.  The gardens always have something different in bloom and it definitely changes every time I visit.  Currently, the hydrangeas are just starting to really to bloom and the knock-out rose bushes were covered in pink and red flowers.

I've included just a few of my photos and trust me, it was hard to pick just a few.  I took a TON of pictures in those couple of hours that I was there.


Be sure to check out their website by clicking here.

The Japanese Garden

The Rose Garden

The Monet Bridge