i want to do ALL of it

I haven’t stitched at all today. Not because I haven’t had time (though that has been in rather short supply). It’s because I can’t decide which out of my ongoing projects to pick up. Or maybe a new project? Or maybe design something? Or maybe buy something to stitch on/with/etc. later. Or maybe … go crazy from the stress. LOL.

It’s this whole concept of the year following along in the fashion in which I start it. I don’t want to start it the wrong way and condemn myself to a year of stitching failure! So what do I want to do this year, stitching-wise? That’s easy: Everything. I want to make a Christmas ornament every month – and finish it. I want to stitch all the Hawk Run charts and all of Kathy’s stockings. I want to stitch every single Goode Huswife pattern I own, and there a  few I’d like to do twice. I want to stitch every good design in the magazines that I have and then give the magazines away so I have all kinds of free shelf space – that I promise not to fill up with more stash. I want to stitch up all my floss so I can have the delight of ordering new floss, guilt-free. That goes ditto for my linen. Well, except for those really special pieces that I should probably hold on to just-in-case. (C’mon, admit that you do the same thing! You do, don’t you? It’s not just me, is it?) I want to stitch Rowen and Arden’s birth samplers instead of endlessly starting newer, better ones for them that then sit languishing in a drawer/on a shelf/in a project folder. I also want to stitch birth samplers for my friends Kelli and Terra – their kids are almost old enough for school, so I guess it’s time. I want to stitch breathtaking Christmas designs that are so huge they’re practically murals, and I want to stitch them in time to have them framed and on the walls by next Christmas. I want to stitch all my designs by Brightneedle, the Primitive Needle, Barrick Samplers, Carriage House Samplings, and The Sampler Girl. And that about covers my stitching goals: On to my finishing goals! I want to finish-finish all my projects within a month of crossing the last x. I want to do accordion-book-style finishes and mattress finishes and finishes that use twiddly little bits of things without using foul language or making mistakes that leave me holding something with a 1/16th inch border. I want to execute the perfect mitered corner every single time I attempt it. I want to master my sewing machine and turn out a perfect project every time I use it. I would not mind being approached in public by people who have seen items that I’ve finished and be asked by them for my autograph.

Really, that’s not asking too much, is it?

furry friday

Our poor Nick was up through the night vomiting, and although he has no fever and insists he feels fine, I kept him home from school. As you can see, Flip has wasted no time in grabbing a warm lap nap.

I managed to do a little stitching yesterday evening. This wonderful WIP is, I think, the first full-size design I did myself. It’s dedicated to a most wonderful woman who has, sadly, passed on. When I finally finish this design, I’m giving it to her daughter Donna, who was like a sister to me. I call this the ES Spot Sampler.

Last night I confessed to Niek that I’d ordered some fertile Barnevelder eggs to hatch out in our incubator. To say he was not impressed doesn’t really do justice to his response. But I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to “do” chickens and made the decision to go with rare, heritage breeds in an attempt to promote the breeds and perhaps make them more popular. There are enough Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns – let’s save some of the marginalized breeds before they’re lost. I guess you could compare it to growing heritage vegetables in your garden instead of simply choosing the ones that are the most resistant. Anyway, I’m sticking with my Blue Lace Red Wyandottes because they are not only a rare breed, but a wonderfully friendly and gentle bird. I’ll breed the ones I have, and perhaps pick up a few extras from a not-so-local farmer in the spring (if I can sneak them by Niek, LOL). I’m breeding the Barred Rocks I have this spring to sell chicks, but I won’t add any to what I already have. I’ll phase out the Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps over time – I really like the Australorps, and would suggest them to anyone as a good layer and a docile bird. And I’ll start a new flock of Barnevelders, a Dutch chicken bred in a town that Max & I lived in when he was a toddler. I’m starting with fertilized eggs because the chicks are nearly impossible to obtain (although My Pet Chicken has some stock starting at $8/chick). They’re a large, friendly bird that bears harsh winters well and that still has some broody tendencies left, meaning I might get some mama birds who’ll hatch future eggs instead of necessitating the incubator. (Broodiness and general maternal instincts have been bred out of modern birds to increase egg production and produce birds that are simply easier to manage.) I have some fun pics of baby Max investigating the Barnvelders when we lived there, but they’re on my other PC and I haven’t yet backed up my old files onto the new laptop, so here are some stock pictures of the breed for anyone who is interested. New adventures to look forward to this spring!

There’s work today, and an overdue lunch with my Mom, so I don’t think too much stitching activity will happen. It’s hard to believe how fast this Challenge has gone. I’ve really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to dedicating part of each month to these WIPs until they are finished.

puttin’ on the green

Had an interesting breakfast-table talk with Nick and Rowen about the origins of St. Patricks day which segued into a conversation with Niek about how different the world  might’ve been had Paddy stayed out of Ireland.  LOL.  You just never know where things will lead, be it conversation or conversion. Anyway, as you can see, we at Chateau Chaos have got our green on.

My Easter exchange has arrived from Singapore.  This tiny over-one needlebook is a special creation by Linda and I love it – especially that darling little tassel!  Thank you, Linda!

If you can believe it, we made it to the playgroup yesterday! Yay! It was a lot of fun for both Arden and me to hang out with some fresh faces and hear some new talk. The women in this group are ubercool and although I’m sure I come across as a total dork, they make me feel like part of the gang. Yesterday I was pumping them for information on chickens. I’d like to get some chicks to raise, but Niek’s under the crazy impression that we already have enough animals.

Last night we had my Mom over for dinner and after everyone was done, Arden held us spellbound while he ’ read’ to us. I loved how he kept looking up after the really good bits to make sure everyone “got” it. LOL!

Enjoy a wonderful day, and thanks for sharing part of it with me!

martha stewart and the pod people

I have a confession to make. When I purchased my Singer sewing machine in December, I received a coupon for a year’s free subscription to Martha Stewart Living magazine. I received my first one yesterday … and I love it. I can’t believe it! Did the pod people get me and I didn’t notice? Well, it may be true because look what I did last night:

I made candy.

Can you believe that? I sort of can’t. Actually the recipe was incredibly simple and the candy was just so pretty when I saw it here that I knew it was the perfect thing to try my new candy thermometer on. (I actually bought the thermometer so I could finally make a decent batch of fudge.)

So tell me, did the pod people get me? Actually, after glancing into the corners of my kitchen – which aren’t really corners any more because of the debris that’s built up in them – I guess I’m still the same ol’  Barbara. But maybe Martha will improve & enhance the original recipe and I’ll become the New & Improved Barbara.

Now if I can stop being silly for a moment, I’ll tell you that I started on Arden’s new bed right after breakfast this morning and made pretty good progress. I got one end board (head or foot? I don’t know) completely done, one side board ocmpletely done, and the other side board very nearly done. Woohoo for me!

was yours as good as mine?

I hope your Monday was as much fun as mine has been! We started the day on a goofy note by making a tiny snowman from the fresh snowfall and mounting him atop our granite retaining wall. LOL!

After paying the oil bill (the un-fun part of the day), I stopped by a small antiques/this-n-that store owned by a friend’s mother. I’ve been looking for a small bed for Arden – he’s outgrown the portable crib and needs a bed, but I’ll be darned if I’m paying over $500 for one! Niek and I have missed Ikea dreadfully, LOL.  But today I found the perfect antique spindle bed for Arden. It’s about 14 inches shorter than a modern twin bed and is also very low to the ground – in short, the perfect little bed for our little boy. I called around to find large sheets of foam that I could cut down to size and took a flying trip over the frost-bumpy roads to Ellsworth to pick up one of the last ones in stock, then spoke with a local cabinet-maker about whipping up some lathes to hold the foam in place, and ended it all at the locally owned hardware store to purchase sandpaper and stain. Niek seems to think that I’m full of good intentions, but will fall short of actually getting Arden into this bed by the weekend. Hmm. We’ll see. Anyway, meet Arden’s new bed!

During our trip to Pembroke yesterday, Mother Nature not only treated us to the sight of a herd of grazing does, but to some truly spectacular shoreline views. We had to hike in nearly a mile to see this, but it was well worth the effort. And the walk in itself was a joy.

No stitching has been done, but a search for local DMC was undertaken. Unsucessfully. I have two charity quilt squares due next month, so cross your fingers that my stash will arrive soon.

Hoping your Monday was just as silly, productive, and downright fun as mine was!

ha ha ha

Why are elephants poor dancers?
Because they have 2 left feet.

What is 2 feet long, has 32 eyes and 2 tongues?
An elephant’s sneakers.

What is as big as an elephant, but weighs nothing?
An elephant’s shadow.

Life at Chateau Chaos is still under construction, so rather than moan on about things not going as they should (like not having any hot water), I’m going to leave you with a few hardy-har-har jokes and wish you a good day.

What’s the difference between a pickle and an elephant?
A pickle always forgets.

What’s the difference between a sneezing elephant and a spy?
Nothing: they’ve both got a code in their trunk.

Can an elephant jump higher than a lamp-post?
Yes: lamp-posts can’t jump.

What do you get if you cross a zebra with an elephant?
A traffic jam.

What do you get if you cross an elephant with a biscuit?
Crumbs.

stinky feet and silly women

Tanya started it.

That’s always how these foolish things begin, right? Someone else started it? Well, Tanya did start it, and then Julie did it. And because I feel like saying hi but don’t really  have anything to say, I’m joining in even though the actual challenge has ended. Wishing everyone a goofy weekend!

the day Roy Orbison died

I had the luxury of devoting a good portion of this afternoon to stitching. Better yet, Nick and Rowen were playing outside and Max was immersed in a computer game, so I could put some of my music in the CD player.  Aahhh, chilling out and stitching to Tom Petty’s Wildflowers… bliss. Then I got to thinking about how long it’s been since I listened to that disc and how much I used to love listening to Petty and that kind of folksy/bluesy music when I was younger and one thought led to another till I was thinking about the day I heard that *Roy Orbison was dead. I was 19 and suffering a rather severe reversal of fortune that I won’t get into here; anyway, I was driving to work, bopping along with the radio while admiring the sights to be seen between Waltham  (where I lived) and Arlington (where I worked) when the announcement came over the radio that he’d died. It was an odd thing to remember, but music will open the oddest doors in our minds – don’t you agree?  

Anyway, to get back to the point (if there really was one). Today was a pretty pleasant day that included stitching for me, online ‘puter games for Max, and a bit of reading for Arden. Nick and Rowen were busy bees outdoors, enjoying the gray (yes, gray) spring weather. I hope your day was a wonderful one! And if my brother or his wife happen to be reading this, Happy Birthday wishes to my brother.

 

*Roy Orbison is, of course, connected to Tom Petty in that they were in The Traveling Wilburys together.

 

PS: Awards and Memes

Thank you everyone who has given me an award. I am really awful about posting these things because I can never pass the award along. I’m just waaaaaayyyy too uncomfortable picking “just” five or however many blogs to award. But I do really appreciate you thinking of me.

And a meme that Marita just assigned to me:

So, the rules;

1. Name five songs or pieces of music that you would take with you to a desert island for an extended/indefinite stay;
2. Name the book you would take;
3. And finally, name one luxury item that you simply couldn’t be without (this sort of assumes that you are dumped on the island with very limited resources and very little in the way of a set up camp).

Once you’ve done all that, tag at least three other people to take part, and link back here so that I can come and read your lists. Go for your life! (I’m skipping the part about tagging anyone.)

1. This is impossible. Just five songs? Well, here goes. I figure I’ll need to keep my spirits up, so:
    a. My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama by Frank Zappa
    b. Crosstown Traffic by Jimi Hendrix
    c. Summer in the City by Joe Cocker
    d. Love Struck Baby by Stevie Ray Vaughn
    e. Sign on the Line by AJ Croce

2. The biggest, fattest, most varied single-volume book that I can think of is my Collected Works of Shakespeare, so I’ll go with that. Good chance to re-read all that stuff.

3. My laptop, which will of course magically have Internet access and a power supply.

just messing around

My brain has decided to head for less hectic regions so here’s the best I can come up with, having seen it on numerous blogs. This was kind of a bust, as I’ve always considered myself quite an adventurous diner.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

Venison – eat Bambi? No way!
Nettle tea – yes, and it was utterly disgusting.
Huevos rancheros – yep. My mom used to own/run a Mexican restaurant.
Steak tartare – ugh. Ugh. Ugh cannot be said with enough emphasis here.
Crocodile – ate alligator in New Orleans. Does that count?
Black pudding – Oh, more empathic UGHs.
Cheese fondue – yes. Stickier than peanut butter. Requires a great deal of alcoholic lubrication.
Carp and catfish – catfish, oh yeah!
Borscht – yep.
Baba ghanoush – I make it, but it’s not the best thing you can do with an eggplant IMHO.
Calamari – Mmmm.
Pho – I’m not sure what this is…
PB&J – As a kid. Under duress.
Aloo gobi – Again, another I  need to look up.
Hot dog – yes, as a kid I’d only eat them raw.
Epoisses – oh god, this is getting embarrassing. I need to look it up.
Black truffle – yes.
Fruit wine made from something other than grapes – yep! Love to experiment with wine.
Steamed pork buns – this probably isn’t as gross as it sounds, but I wouldn’t know.
Pistachio ice cream -delicious!
Heirloom tomatoes – yep.
Fresh wild berries – as often as possible!!
Foie gras - yum!
Rice and beans – more yums!!
Brawn, or head cheese – oh my gosh. No.
Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper – no.
Dulce de leche – oh another one to look up!
Oysters – many times. But  they aren’t  my favorite shellfish.
Baklava – yes!
Bagna cauda – more dictionary work.
Wasabi peas – why would you waste wasabi on peas? I love it with sushi, and even with peanuts.
Clam chowder – I’m from Maine, of course I’ve had clam chowder. The right way – no tomatoes!
Salted/sweet lassi – sweet lassi is great on a hot day!
Sauerkraut – yes, and I love it.
Root beer float – as a kid.
Cognac with a fat cigar – I’ve had cognac, I’ve smoked cigars, but never together.
Clotted cream tea – once, during a high tea with my friend Terra.
Vodka jelly/Jell-O – what a sad waste of vodka.
Gumbo – yes. And yum!
Oxtail – the oxen’s tails are safe from me!
Curried goat – I’ve had goat, but not curried.
Whole insects – on purpose? No!!!
Phaal – oh another one to look up!
Goat’s milk and/or other goat diary products – yes, these are great for people who have mild dairy allergies like me!
Malt whiskey from a bottle worth £60/$120 – out of my price class!
Fugu – never had the opportunity, but if I did, I would.
Chicken tikka masala – well, who hasn’t?
Eel – VERY popular here in the Netherlands!
Krispy Kreme – never.
Sea urchin – no.
Prickly pear raw – nope.
Umeboshi - another one to look up.
Abalone – not yet.
Paneer – yep
McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – as a kid.
Spaetzle – yep,
Dirty gin martini – Ken’s are the best!
Beer above 8% – the only beer worth drinking ….
Poutine – oh boy, another one to look up
Carob chips -yes. They taste like plastic.
S’mores -  only in childhood.
Sweetbreads – I think I might eat the insects first.
Kaolin – I have to look this up, too.
Currywurst – yes, but it’s  not something I’d seek out to have again.
Durian – ?
Frogs’ legs – several times. Yummy.
Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – yes, some of these.
Haggis – ugh.
Fried plantain – many times.
Chitterlings, or andouillette -  yes to the andouillette
Gazpacho – tonight, for dinner! And many other times.
Caviar and blini – caviar on its own. Yummy.
Louche absinthe – nope. Not a big one for this kind of stuff.
Gjetost, or brunost – oh boy, another unknown.
Roadkill – Ha! You have got to be kidding. Has anyone out there ever eaten roadkill?
Baijiu – I’m feeling very stupid, but I don’t know  this one, either.
Hostess Fruit Pie – as a kid, and I didn’t like them then.
Lapsang souchong – yes, but I don’t care for it.
Bellini -?
Tom Yum – ?
Eggs Benedict – of course, lots of times. I love mine the best.
Pocky – ?
Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant – yes, my DH and I have our anniversary at one about every other year.
Kobe beef  – no, beef’s not my thing.
Hare – yes, a number of times.
Goulash – a childhood menu that I still don’t like.
Flowers – yep. Pretty, but pointless.
Horse – sorry, must refuse on principal.
Criollo chocolate – no.
Spam -another childhood food that I avoid.
Soft shell crab – once, in Baltimore, but I didn’t get what the big deal was.
Rose harissa ??
Catfish – I alread said yes to this up there with carp.
Mole poblano – oh, yes.
Bagel and lox – YUM. Went to a Jewish university, so this was a staple of my diet.
Lobster Thermidor – a very sad use of lobster, IMHO.
Polenta – yes, and made it. Bland.
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee – LOVE it.
Snake  – no, but my mom reputedly ate part of rattlesnake that nearly bit me as a toddler out in Arizona.

reunited!

So it took Niek 3 days to get home from Costa Rica, and no, he did not take a boat. LOL. American Airlines, folks …. Though to be fair, it seems that the service on most airlines has deteriorated to the point that I wish I could grow a pair of wings. (Not to diss anyone working for an airline, that’s not my intention!) The kids were wild to have their Daddy home, and were pretty excited by the gifts he brought with him. Arden had prepared a little gift of his own – a new tooth! (Finally – LOL!) Here’s a fun picture of the three younger kids enjoying their favorite bean bag. (Nicky was saying, “No more pictures!” in case you were wondering.)

 

Heather gave me an award! Thanks, Heather! (Edited to add: Julie also gave me this reward. Thanks!)  (Edited again to add that Chiloe also gave me this award! Thanks!!) I’m supposed to name five things I’m addicted to and then name five blogs.  First up, five things that I don’t want to do without:

1. My daily/weekly phone calls with my parents.
2. Checking the sleeping kids before I go to bed myself.
3. Spending one-on-one time with Niek (okay, this actually something I’d like to do rather than something I can’t do without, LOL!).
4. My chaotic houseful of kids, pets, clutter, and heaven-knows-what-else.
5. My stash!!

As you know, I have a horribly hard time naming just a few blogs from the many that I read – I hate the idea of hurting anyone’s feelings by not naming their blog. So here are five “hidden gem” blogs that I’d suggest you check out if you don’t already read them (but I’m not tagging anyone):

1. Anna’s This and That – she stitches, she crafts, she bakes, she travels – find it all here!
2. The Crafty Crow – okay, this is a group blog, but what cool ideas!
3. The Quiltcat – quilting, stitchery, and other crafty goodness written in Dutch and English.
4. My Pretty Corner – Anneke’s another one who can do it all, as well as write in two languages.
5. Ohio is My Dwelling Place – Jennifer’s an old friend from way back who has a way with crafts and kitties.

Modesty forced me to place an order with Old Navy for clothes. My last pair of decent jeans recently became indecent, thanks to the denim wearing perilously thin in places. I’d hoped to shed some weight before buying anything, but it wasn’t meant to be. Although I’ve lived here for over a decade, I’ve never been successful in finding clothes that fit – basically, if it goes around me, it’s literally inches too long everywhere. Hemming doesn’t fix things like too-long sleeves or droopy bottoms. Plus I’d seen that super-cute sampler shirt on Beth’s blog and had hoped to find one for Rowen. I didn’t find one, but they did have some cute Charley Harper (you may be familiar with his cross stitch charts released through Puckerbrush) items that were very hard to resist. (Just a note: Old Navy doesn’t offer international shipping, so any other short people over here who were thinking of ordering from them need to find someone in the US who’ll accept the packet and send it along. Thanks, Sara!)

I’m continuing to work on my village, but my progress (ha! there’s a generous word) does not warrant a picture. Maybe next time. And till then, wishing you happy & healthy days!