drips and drabs

No, the title isn’t a typo of  ‘dribs and drabs’ – it’s raining (again) and I decided to take liberties with the phrase. This weather is good for cooking, even if it tends to get a bit depressing. Yesterday, I baked a couple loaves of bread to celebrate the kids’ summer holiday, and here’s the chocolate bread that disappeared almost immediately after the photo was snapped.  (It was another attempt at using flour other than wheat, and I’m now ready to concede that it’s not as easy as I thought it would be.)

Yesterday I started a new project over one that I am just loving. Here’s a picture I took during a sunny break yesterday (I’ve gotten a bit further with it since then). I’m stitching it with DMC over one on 32 ct mystery linen that looks a lot like Lambswool.

As a matter of fact, I’m loving it so much that I went off and ordered a large piece of evenweave from Silkweaver’s Odds & Ends to finally do SOHRH over-one. I’m taking it easy on myself, as it’s a 20 count evenweave and should not wear my poor old peepers out too much.

I’ve also continued to work on this round of our Quaker RR, with the intention of having one panel done before we go on vacation to Maine. That only leaves the other panel to do after we return, which shouldn’t be too difficult (she said, full of confidence, LOL!).

Our kitty, Spin, seems to have adopted a quieter family one street over and I miss him. I’m not sure which house he’s been going to, but I keep finding him down that street. I carry him home and feed him, but he only picks at his uninspiring dry kibble and leaves after allowing me to pet him a little bit. Though I can’t blame him for seeking out quieter lodgings, I’ve always felt that a home without a cat is just four walls with a lot of windows and doors.

 

Tomorrow is the first ‘real’ day of the kids’ summer holidays. I’ll need to get busy today printing out the activities we’ll be doing. Gosh, I should’ve checked our supply of printer ink yesterday when the shops were open. I hope to also get the Five Birds chart emailed out and the giveaway prizes posted as well – sorry for the week-long delay, but it really was a crushingly busy week.

Best wishes, all!

13 July, Edited to add: I’ve sent the two CHS freebies (Brite Birds and Five Birds) in a final mass emailing. I won’t be sending them out again, so please don’t ask. The upcoming days and weeks will be spent with the kids rather than behind the computer. Thanks for understanding!

since i saw you last

Whew. Now that was a week! Thank you all so much for sticking with me! So, since we last sat down and spent any time together, the cast & crew of Chateau Chaos has:

played
No extra words are really necessary, are they?

experienced both thunder and sunshine

We’ve had some extreme weather during this extreme week, with everything from high winds and T&L storms to streaming sunshine. Guess which I prefer… LOL!

spent quality time with the family

Last weekend we visited with Niek’s parents, who’d recently returned from a vacation in Scotland. The kids had an absolute blast with their Opa and Oma.

eaten well

All the kids are very keen on the fresh produce available this time of year, but this picture of Rowen hamstering baby tomatoes in her cheeks was just too cute to keep to myself!

visited the dentist

At our recent checkup, we discovered that Max  is overly sensitive to the fluoride treatment (thus the blisters on his gums) and will need braces, just like his Mom did those many years ago.

engaged in the slightly naughty

When Lola saw me taking this picture, she got right off the couch - she knows it’s not allowed. But hey, rules are made to be broken now & again, aren’t they?

learned to sit in chairs

Arden seems to have finally mastered the art of sitting in a chair without tipping the whole thing over.

and stitched

I finished this round of the Quaker RR and sent it on, and promptly started on the next round. Doesn’t everyone have lovely taste in colors?

I also finished a charity quilt square in record time. Not my finest effort, but certainly my fastest, this is going to a lady with advanced breast cancer who enjoys horse riding. The motifs are taken from an old JCS issue.

In parting, I wish you more sunshine than rain, unhurried stitches, lots of playtime, and an absence of cavities. Take a little time to be naughty – and to enjoy it!

finally some fun in the sun

Guess what? The sun came out! You haven’t been able to find me inside since! LOL. Nah, the kids and I have continued to have some “school time” indoors each morning, but we’ve also spent a tremendous amount of time outside, enjoying Mother Nature’s bounty. Our trips have included neighborhood walks, the local petting zoo, the nearby wood, and a very fun trip downtown yesterday for *Queen’s Day. In between, the little darlings have actually allowed me time to get a fair amount of work done – the writing kind, not the housework kind, LOL. And at night I’ve been too tired to stitch, which means my RR obligation is now screaming my name. Any guesses what I’ll be doing tonight? ;0

Here are a few pictures of the kids during our trip to the petting zoo. Nick got busy immediately with all the challenging activities there are, such as climbing tree trunks, swinging & sliding, and lots of exploring. I caught him unawares during a very brief moment of repose, and I think this may become one of my favorite photos of him. Rowen wanted nothing more than to sit next to me and chat. She’s been full of stories and ideas this week and has obviously really enjoyed getting lots of extra Mommy Time. Arden loves being outside, but since he can’t yet get down and join in the fun, he often nods off in the sunlight for a lovely nap.

* To those affected by the tragic Queen’s Day events in Apeldoorn, my heart goes out to you. I’m shocked by the sudden violence, particularly on such a festive and joyous day. Before moving here, I lived in Apeldoorn and it was very strange seeing this happen in familiar settings.

retail therapy, frogs, and … the 3 r’s?

Uh oh. Yesterday found me burning up my PayPal balance in fine style. First off, I found out that Kathy Barrick-Dieter now has an etsy shop and is selling some of her old/OOP designs. That was dangerous – four of them leapt into my basket. And then I followed the other etsy shops that heart her and bought four more older designs by Hands To Work at the irresistible price of $3 each. And then Mary Kathryn had a 4-for-3 sale at her webshop and I got four charts from The Gathering Place as well as the Polly Mumford re-release from The Goode Huswife. Hmm. A baker’s dozen. That’s not unreasonable, right? I mean, I have oodles of time for stitching. I’ll just give up sleeping entirely. I’ve already given up housework. LOL!

Don’t tell Niek, please! I’ve been doing really well till now. Oops! But just ask me if I’m actually sorry – I’m afraid the answer would be a resounding “no”! Now to start stalking the mailman.

I stitched a little bit, too. I have to, as our RR mail date is rushing up on me. I started on Saturday night, got to the end of the row, and realized I was off by one stitch. Argh!! Frogging ensued and I started stitching again on Sunday. Progress was slow, as my computer kept whispering suggestively to me about ONS sites. Never fear, RR-mates, it will go out on time!

Today is the first day of the kids’ May vacation, so we’re busy learning about Maine. As long-time readers of my blog know, I like to dabble in a little light homeschooling when the kids have school vacations and since we are going to Maine this summer (hip, hip, hooray!), I thought we’d plunge right into learning a little bit about the state. I’ve been busily preparing lesson plans and printing off activity sheets & coloring pages. Maybe I’ll learn something, too! Actually, I have been trying to learn a bit, too, and have recently begun re-reading the Bible. It’s kind of difficult being a spiritual person who is not religious. I can’t find a group around here that appeals to me, so I decided to just strike out on my own.

And now … I hear the school bell ringing! Time to go. Wishing you a wonderful week!!

happy thoughts on a gray day

It’s so dark here today that the streetlights are still on in places! Spring … where are you??Well, despite that, it’s been a great day so far. I started off well, getting the most necessary housework done and then doing 30 minutes of excercise. I thought the day would seem long with the three older kids at school, but it’s actually flown by.

I’m stitching some birthday gifts for Max that I’ll show another time. However, since I didn’t get a picture of him the other day, here he is now – cheesing it up for the camera. LOL!

Today has brought some great mail – Beth’s pattern booklet arrived very fast, but not as fast as Katrina’sround robin. That arrived from New Zealand in only 6 days! That must be a record of some sort! Here are both (Katrina’s RR shows her stitching – I’ll add mine later this week). Her fabric, btw, is actually a lovely sand/natural color but because of the day’s darkness, it looks gray here.

And because I can’t seem to close without a picture of my little darling, here he is while enjoying his lunch. While he ate, I finally got the pictures into his baby book. Better late than never, right? LOL!

PS: I can’t go without first saying a huge thank you for your incredibly kind comments about the exchange I sent to Su. You made me blush!

it’s a good thing the days are getting longer

… because they certainly seem to be getting fuller! Here at Chateau Chaos, everyone is delighted to have Niek home. He doesn’t have jet lag, but after dinner last night he did an excellent impression of a man who does have it. Arden joined in on the action. LOL.

But have you noticed, those of you in this hemisphere, that the days are getting a little longer? Nicky pointed it out to me at dinner the other night. Yay! We’re having some cold-for-us weather, and some glorious sunshine. I took advantage of this winter phenomenon this afternoon to take a progress picture of my Primitive New England Village. The new house in the lower left is an old design by Homespun and Heartstrings from the February 1990 issue of JCS. I’ve changed it to fit the project, but I also changed the colors so it looks very much like the house my parents lived in when I graduated from high school. That lovely slate blue is Country Blue by Carrie’s Creations and the very dark blue is Midnight by GAST. I’m quite pleased with how the village is coming along – but I do intend to get back to my rotation tonight. I even took the village off the Q-Snaps to make it less tempting. LOL.

Rowen finally has a turn with the school teddy bear -  the kids in the class get to bring Flip the Bear home at least once during the school year and write about their adventures together, draw pictures, and so on. When the kids graduate from elementary school, they’re given a binder that includes these “Flip diary pages”. Pretty cool, huh? As for Flip’s cleanliness … we just aren’t going to get into that. :0

My order from HDF came in today – the linen of (last) month, two skeins of Primitive Black silk floss (OMG, I love it!), and a skein of Gandy Dancer and the matching silk ribbon for the upcoming Quaker RR that I’ll be joining. I should’ve taken pictures, but I didn’t. You’ll just have to trust me when I say it’s gorgeous.

Wishing you a wonderful day full of happy laughter and good health!

i’m not the only one

… who finds it difficult to stay awake on these gray, rainy days. Arden literally fell asleep in the middle of his lunch (which was porridge) today! He’s our fourth kid, and this is the first time I’ve ever experienced any of them falling asleep while eating! I just had to take some pictures, of course. LOL! (Ignore the mess in the background!)

When the kids came home from school, we decided it was the perfect afternoon to play on the Wii (though I still can’t use it, sadly). I caught Max and Nick apparently deep in discussion about games or strategy or something critical. You can see how miserable our weather is, too….

And me, how am I spending my time during these icky gray days? Stitching, of course! I’m having a wonderful time with my Primitive New England Village. The latest addition that you can see here includes The Covered Bridge Samplerby Brightneedle. (It’s been adapted to fit this project.) Since snapping this photo this morning, I’ve begun construction to the lower left of the churchyard, but you’ll have to wait to see that progress another time. The entrance point to my village is in the middle, where everything gets smaller – my idea of perspective, LOL – and I’ll be adding more to that area, as well as adding a rooster to the Four Friends area in the upper left. So much for my rotation – I’ve worked exclusively on this since I resumed stitching after hurting my foot. I told you rotations don’t work for me!

Hoping this finds you happy and healthy and surrounded by the people you love!

your patience shall be rewarded

You guys are too good to me. Now this is where my stitching is at this moment, which is a sunny moment – a rare thing in the Netherlands in January in my experience – but I hope to uncover my turbo needles later in the day and tear right through Brightneedle’s Covered Bridge Sampler which will be to the right of the cemetery (The Olde Churchyard by Designs By Pamela, altered). You’ll notice that Four Friends has been finished/changed, including Aunt Kathy’s (aka the girl in purple) dress and the white flowers by the door became rosebushes (trust me, they are). The kitty and the bunny are clamouring for more wildlife, too – the cat, a rough old tom that I’m calling Dick (as in ‘every Tom, Dick, and Harry’), wants some birds. Anyway, here’s my Primitive New England Village. (There’s something showing through the linen by the tree at the church, btw, that’s not stitching.)

 

*For those who’ve asked, I’ve been editing my photos using Picnik. I love how easy they make it, but I hate how slow it is, even with our hi-speed connection.

For a laugh, here’s my progress with Shores of Hawk Run Hollow. I’ve only stitched 3 1/2 hours on it (OMG, am I a slow stitcher or what?!). My progress is pretty laughable compared to Heather and Cathy,  my unofficial SAL-mates. I’ve shown it in the Q-Snaps so you’ll see just how insignificant my progress really is! (That’s the laptop showing through – I used it as an impromptu easel.)

I’m not having a lot of luck staying off my foot, but it’s healing up despite me. I still limp, but that’s better than hobbling. Or at least it is in my private dictionary. Off to the ER doc tomorrow to get it checked and to hopefully burn the smelly elastic support sock I’ve had to wear all week. The kids have been great – Max even helped with the dishes last night!

While off my feet, I’ve been reading. I just finished Every Dead Thing by John Connolly and the gruesome title gives you an idea of just how dark and horrific the story is. I really enjoyed the references to John Donne, a poet I briefly thought of building an academic career around in my misspent youth. And the Epilogue’s reference to Portland, Maine is the exact same neighborhood I lived in – I could look down the hill and nearly over to the Inn at St. John (where I’ve also lodged). Ah, these little touches of home. Next up, by the same author (I checked out the only two books the local library has by him) is The White Road.

Here are my furry canines, who greatly miss their daily walks and have been very naughty this week as a result. You’d never know it by looking at them, though, would you? They have their paws crossed that the doc says I can go back to walking them again.

And in closing, here’s Arden reminding us all that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

the nu revu

Okay, I’d mentioned a Fabulous Five list from all the new-to-me blogs that I explored on New Year’s Day, and here they are. Start clicking!

• Fibre Active
• Spinster Stitcher (I picked this link up at Anna’sblog)
• Simply Stitching in the Garden
• Winding Vine Wanderings
• Mission Impossible

And as a little New Year’s gift to everyone, here are five more!

• A Bit of This and a Bit of That
• Barb’s Stitches
• Stitch ’N Time
• Stitchin’ Post
• Borduurgigant (in Dutch)

let the stitching begin

Because of all the time spent online on New Year’s Day, I didn’t have as much stitching time but I did manage to get my roof on. Here’s the start of my Primitive New England Village for the Me, Myself & I NRR. I’m stitching this on 30 ct Woodlawn R&R Linen (omg, what a gorgeous color!) and using whatever flosses fall into my hands. And I am loving it! This is certainly a self-indulgent project!  It will also be the first project of my long-planned Maine Wall. This first block is Four Friends by Brightneedle and I chose it because it reminds me of my mom and her three sisters and the house they grew up in. Edited to add a slightly better photo.

I’m also happily stitching Blessed Be by Stacy Nash using my choice of colors on 40 ct Dark Chino R&R Linen. And thanking my DH for my Daylight lamp with every stitch I take. This is a pretty decent photo, but the linen is actually a bit darker IRL.

And I’m going to dare ask if anyone else is interested in doing a SAL for Shores of Hawk Run Hollow, which I have all kitted up and want to stitch … but I have to warn that I am a notoriously bad SAL partner. Heather and I are going to give it a whirl, and if you’re interested … jump right in! Edited to add: Cathy’s another daring soul! Woohoo!

and what else is in store for 2009?

Seems like everyone is talking about stitching goals for 2009 … I’ve already mentioned that I want to stitch more for myself and family. I’ve put a little ‘badge’ up in the corner: SFP 2009 (Stitching For Pleasure 2009). I think my etsy shop will probably go on standby for awhile. Though I love making different sorts of crafts, it’s a strain to try to keep up with the self-imposed deadlines, promote the shop, field special requests, and so on. I’m the sort of person that if I can’t do it well, I don’t really want to do it. I’m still involved in a few exchanges and RRs, but they are very carefully selected ones that I’m really looking forward to. I’ll also continue doing monthly giveaways, but they’ll be for charts or similar goodies. And of course I’ll continue charity stitching and crafting. So what falls by the wayside? Basically, I’ll be doing a lot less birthday/RAK stitching. I enjoy it (a lot!) but I feel like if I make a gift for X then I will disappoint Y if I don’t also make a gift for her. Totally self-inflicted nonsense, I know, but I can’t shake the feeling and I would be so upset if I made someone feel neglected or left out. 

My other big (no pun intended) resolution for the year is to get in shape. My knee issues are finally going to be classified by a specialist – either I need a minor operation or I don’t. I have an appointment with a dietician to get on track for healthy amounts of healthy food on a healthy schedule – and the much-needed accountability of seeing someone regularly about my food intake. And our Wii system monitors my weight and BMI, whether I want it to or not. LOL. Well, sort of an LOL and sort of a PITA. I do not want to continue as I am, and I’m getting pretty tired of being embarrassed by how I look. So there. Do not expect photos.

a couple of late-comers to the party

A few handmade cards arrived a little bit post-Christmas that I really must share. I’m just incredibly impressed by handmade cards and the wonderful people who create them. Thank you!!

From Anna (there was also a gorgeous overdyed skein of thread in this that I’ve already begun using on my NRR!)

From Von (there was also a gold needle, which has come in very handy with my Stacy Nash project!)

And Cathy sent this amazing heart which was handtatted by her 76 year old mother. I’ll cherish it!

in the spirit

… of beginning as we intend to continue, here’s how a couple member of the Chaos Crew spent their first day of the New Year.

 

Wishing you joy, health, and love!

Edited to add: Would Mireile Blanchard please contact me? I’ve sent an email but received no response. I’m afraid if I do not hear from you, I cannot send the giveaway gift for which your name was drawn.

a roaring success

I guess that would sum up both our New Year’s Eve celebration and the unexpected response to the 3 1/2 year blogging non-anniversary giveaway.

new year’s eve at chateau chaos

For New Year’s Eve, Niek prepared the usual array of delectable Dutch treats – homemade oliebollen, apelflappen, and what I call banana puffs; salmon salad; a cheese platter; and so on. And the best bottle of champagne we’ve had yet . Max chose to stay up till the midnight celebrations, and he and Niek had so much fun playing together on the Wii that it was 11:30 before we even knew it! We quickly tidied up, got the goodies and candles arranged, and woke the younger kids. Nicky and Rowen were so cute in their cuddly tiredness. Arden slept through it all. LOL! Unfortunately during the fireworks, Max came down quite ill and had to go to bed. We saved a few fire works for when he feels better.  Nicky and Rowen had a great time with the fireworks, and the dogs watched everything from the front window (as you can see in the bottom right photo). Lola, however, is still afraid to go outside and I’ve had to carry her for walks. Which I guess makes them ‘rides’ for her.

my 2009 stitching start

What was I doing when I wasn’t laughing myself silly at the boys’ Wii antics? Why, stitching of course! I just had to get a start on my neighborhood round robin. I’ve chosen for a sort of Primitive New England Neighborhood and started with Four Friends, by Brightneedle, in my choice of colors. I got off to a good start, but I’ll hold off on posting a progress photo till the roof is on.

and the winner is …

And now, the big news that you have all been waiting for. My heavens, I was absolutely flabbergasted by the response to my non-anniversary! You guys really shocked me. Lots and lots of new commenters who I really hope will be back. Lots of new blogs for me to check out, too, and I have been enjoying that. I may have to post a “Favorite Five” or something of my new discoveries.

Anyway, because there was such a landslide response, I decided to draw one grand prize winner and three runners-up (who will receive small gift packets, though probably not anything handmade). I came up with that magical number because I have four kids and that way they could each draw a name from Max’s wonderful Cat in the Hat hat. Max drew the Grand Prize winner, who will receive the stitched gift, chart, and assorted smaller goodies: Roberta! Nick drew the first runner up and thought it was really funny that he drew nearly his own name: Nic! Rowen, fresh from a morning bath, drew the second runner up from her bedroom: Mireile Blanchard! And I helped Arden, who is under the belief that paper is for eating, to draw the Honorable Mention: Deb! Congratulations to a group of wonderful stitchers!! And to everyone, thank you so much for making my little blog part of your day – your friendship, support, encouragement, and inspiration are what keeps me coming back.

Best wishes to all for a most wonderful year, full of good health, good fortune, and the love & laughter of family & friends!!!

Edited to add: It took awhile (!) but I’ve visited all the blogs of everyone who left a valid URL address in the giveaway post and left a comment. Nice to spend the day visiting with everyone!