Milestones!!

Here is the pic of Lilies with Page 7 completed. I am almost 37% done in the whole project! I took two hours to 'pack off' all the dangling threads!! May 1st, I start Page 8. Which means i get 3 nights of stitching on other projects. And which means i have 3 days to print Page 8. Page 8 will be printed on to two fully-filled A4 size pages to reduce the eye strain, LOL.

Last night i completed the finishing of this humbug. My first time experience with a humbug and my first time experience with cording too!! Hmm, not bad. Indeed it was fun doing the cording! This humbug is for my husband

I have signed up for a bookmark exchange on 123MB, and the bookmark patterns (received) and bookmark fabrics have been ordered from eBay. The mail date is July 1st, so there is ample time. I do have some bookmark patterns off magazines, so there will be some choosing to do shortly! I am very excited, as this is my first exchange. Most of the exchanges i see happening around in blogland - i find them way above my 'finish' experience, bookmarks however look to be fun, and shipping will not give me nightmares as it will go into an envelope. There will be no 'curious' adventures, you know!

I should very soon have a pic of BOINk, i am waiting for the current block to complete. Very soon if not tonight, i will also start a Quaker project on the Marquoir group. Hope to bring these pics before April ends!!

Thanks to all of you who visit me and comment. I love reading your comments and appreciate your coming by!

Mid Month Milestone!

Here is my lilies as of last night... The fabric looks like it needs ironing badly... Hmmm

Whatever is remaining in this pic, is what needs to be done before April ends. All these blanks have confetti written on them:D I always think i will stitch 10X10 square at a time, filling in all the colors as i go. But no, each and every time, my needle tells me finish the blobs first, and take the singles and the twins later. And i succumb, evey single time. My needle says, this is to regulate my heart. And i give in. I now have about 570 stitches to be completed, and 15 nights to do them in.

I have also pushed through a BOINK picture. Not much done after the last pic. But you can see hte changes i have made in the 'year' block. Dont the colors look lovely??!! This weekend i will work on the last corner block. Let us see how much i get done!

I am now reading a very interesting book - Looking for Peyton Place, i know for sure i have found an author i will love reading - Barbara Delinsky. The fact is i do have a battered/tattered Peyton Place (almost all the books i bought from the road-side stalls fall into this category) with me, although when i read that i never even knew about the public reaction when it was published.The protagonist in the book is an author and she is a great great fan of Grace Metallious...

I really love the way this book is written. I bought this at a book-shop (for half price) that was closing down. Needless to say it was the mention of Grace and Peyton Place that made me buy the book. I am so glad i bought it.

Jumping with Joy!!!

Typically an afternoon is 'touched-upon' with after-lunch drowsiness. Well typically... But when my regular afternoon-call to my Mother begins with her telling me that the parcel (from my Sister) has arrived, i am all jubilation and in my giggly-girl behaviour.

I knew my Sister had sent me 'stuff' (books and kits) for my birthday, but when i knew the books were Jane Austen, i did not know anything more about the kits other than they being 'cross stitch kits'!!

So without further ado, here are the two books from the Barnes and Noble Series:

Now being an ardent Austen fan, i have all her books excepting her early memorabilia. Nevertheless, these will be treasured - who knows prolly i will have a 'special books' book shelf, right??!!

My Mother and I then move to the 'longer' and hyper-interactive part of our discussion!!

Mother: This one is titled, Terrace Arch by Sung Kim, S U N G and KIM

Me: (I google for this and see there are two images ) Does it have 3 pillars OR one pillar

Mother: One pillar

Me: Do you see the sky??? What else do you see?

Mother: there is a lamp, at some distance you can see houses, and a bit of sky

Well, so yes we nail it down to this.

And i tell her it is simply beautiful. However did my Sister know of my kind of stuff??

(Greedy me, now my Sister had told me two kits)

Me: But... dont you have... i mean S was talking of two kits

Mother: (laughs) yes, yes, there is another!! This is called Garden Gate

Me: Haan???!!! Paradise Garden Gate??

Mother: No just Garden Gate

Me: And the designer??

Mother: Sandy Bergeron

Me: I cant believe this!!! This is something i was almost buying in my most recent activity.

Mother: What!!?? You bought something?

Me: Yes, there is another online shop, no not ebay. And i have given your address

Mother: You should stop this buying. When will you stitch all these things??

Me: Dont you worry, all these will get stitched someday
Mother: I could probably help you with Terrace Arch, (laughs)

This is true - while buying the Tour chart, i almost bought the Creative Accents Garden Gate kit. Then i backed out at the last minute because of guilt pangs, for one . Also if the seller had given a decent (IMO) shipping quote, i would have taken the plunge placating the guilty me with 'you get your birthday only once a year'. But somehow after being experienced with ebay shopping, i 'felt'(i might be wrong) there culd have been a better discount. 2 negatives (guilty me and high shipping), and so no buy. I however went into ebay and there currently is an auction up there to be over in 3d 17h or so (a US only auction) which was in my 'Watch list', LOL, till 2 hours ago!! I had even spoken to this seller and asked if i could give a US shipping address, naughty me again!! How many have i enabled here, LOL!!

It all turned out in my favour anyway, eh!! and how!! Amongst a zillion cross stitch kits available, how does it happen that i am getting special interest for one particular kit and then my sister has exactly that kit, the very same kit in mind for me?? When no one but me knew about me liking this kit - i had not mentioned this to anyone or written in my blog!! Miracle right?? Blood connection proved?? Angel being present??

A very alert younger sister, i have emailed my elder Sister giving her my thanks and all this background info - so she will know how special all this has been!! I am now all geared up to handle what the weekend has to give. Each of you is wished an angel who will visit you, cheer you and make your weekend!!

What Next!

My blog is predominantly a stitching parlour. This post however is about books. I would like to know what would be my reader's choice from this pile of to-be-read books. I would really like to know!! Your response to this post will be cherished!!

I have finished reading The Railway Children today, and am now dealing with the What Next bug. Lot of books to choose from, I know. So please let me know what would you have read in my place!!

Tour is mine, and i am now waiting for the chart to arrive as my payment was completed and approved yesterday!

This and That

Phew!! That was quite a tough book to read. The reason i say tough is the heroine (or is it the villainess?) is considered to be the 'most ruthless'... Check this back cover of the book, The Custom of the Country.

I just could not believe it. It made me gasp every now and then at the 'mercenary' world. And for that reason alone, I am thankful I am done with this book! Since my half-day at work saga still continues, I will have to stick on to books that are also freely available online.

So it will have to be between Les Miserables, The Railway Children and The House of Mirth. After having a tumultuous experience with CotC, i will try to bask in some child-like innocence, and erase some of the harshness of life. So, i have decided as i am typing this - I will read The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit.

On stitching, I am done with the 'year' block - I have made a lot of color changes on the design, and am now working on the border of the bottom block. As there is very little progress, i thought a update pic can wait.

Dani - i feel awkward with those hanging threads! I feel starting with a thread each time, is a tad-bit more tedious than letting it just hang there, LOL. Which is why they are there, a sore eye, eh!! Needless to say, these threads are making quite a havoc on the back side and are busy playing 'Catch me if you can'!! Thanks for the tip on the recommended high-count, i want to give my best shot to make it authentic-looking.

Some of you have a nice little progress widget on your sidebar - with the barchart and percentage - I would like to know the link/website please. Thanks in advance.