It's Finally Friday!

I don't know why, but this week has felt like it's gone on forever. I'll be so glad to see the other side of it!

It's been very busy at work, and it's the kind of busy where you feel like you're never going to catch up. All of the documentation that we have needs to be updated or changed, and there's a lot of it. It isn't the most exciting work, which is why I suppose it's dragging on forever.

I've also got painting planned for this weekend - the spare bedroom and the spare bathroom. Nothing's been painted since I moved in 5 years ago, and the paint is the extra flat paint that looks fantastic for showings, so it's picked up quite a few marks and spots along the way. I'm also planning to clean the carpets in the spare bedroom, which should provide me with plenty of exercise for the weekend. Wish me luck!

My Amazing Mail Day

I was blessed with not one, but two special packages today! I finally got my biscornu exchange from Natty, who did a great job with the stitching. She guessed from my blog that I like cool colours, and picked out the blues and greens especially for me. I love the extras she put in - a couple of skeins of Six Strands Sweet and a Sweetheart Tree Chart

I also got a PIF from Katrina, who send a gorgeous scissor fob (with my initials on the back !), some very lovely quilting fabric, and some chocolate covered Altoids, which are devine!

I'm so pleased with both of them!

I finally have beads!

I finally got a chance to clean up some of my "treat" beads over the weekend. I've been in the middle of a custom order for a while, and I'll usually make one creative bead for each 5 or so that I make for the order. I'm *this* close to finishing the order as well - I have enough beads, but just want to make a couple of extra in case any break along the way.

Sunday Morning

It's Sunday morning, and while I've actually done quite a bit this weekend, there's not a lot I can show.

For progress - I just need to make a couple more beads, and then one commission is done, and I finished the beads for another. It's always nice when things come together like that, and I'm sure that the recipients will enjoy having their finished pieces. I also finished the bottom half of the "Mystery Exchange" over on the Robin's Nest, and started on the top half, but discovered that I mis-counted, so I'll have to start that again. I do need to finish a couple more PIF's, which I'm hoping to do by tonight.

I'm still waiting on a biscornu from the biscornu exchange over at the Robin's Nest. For whatever reason, the mail I sent to the Netherlands got there in a record 5 days, but my incoming mail (which I think is coming from the states) has taken over 3 weeks to get here. Sigh.

I think I'm off to the farmer's market this afternoon - I indulged a bit much this weekend, and feel the need to get some healthy veggies and other good food to make up for it.

Finally... Some sleep

I play on a couple of sports teams - volleyball Tuesdays and dodgeball Wednesdays. Both teams are organized through a large sports league here in town, and they rent gym space whenever they can get it. Unfortunatley, that means that some games are later than others, as was the case this week. On top of that, it's the last week of play, and we stopped for a couple of celebratory beverages after the games, so I've staggered home rather late this week. I took tonight off to get some much needed rest - I took a nap earlier, and am headed to bed shortly.

Tomorrow will be a big day - I should know more about what's going on shortly. If you have any good thoughts, I'd really appreciate them - I could use them right now.

The greatful reminder

Today was one of those days when you remind yourself how lucky you are - even if everything isn't perfect, or not everything is the way you want it. I am so greatful for good friends, a sane family, an interesting job, and a life I like.

I got good news today - and hopefully there's more to come. (This would be in relation to the thing I can't yet talk about). In the middle of it came the realization that my life is still good even if it stays the way it is.

The weekend was fantastic

I'd forgotten what a treat it is to be surrounded by mountains - they're only a little more than an hour away from here, but like most people from the city, I rarely go up there. Everything in the city is so fast paced that to spend most of the weekend going to the mountains seems like such a large deal.

It was snowing lightly as I headed back yesterday, and the mountains were at their best - the tops covered in cloud, with snow patches highlighting the valleys. I wish I could have stayed for another week.

Alhambra - March 17th

I finally got some stitching in on Alhambra again - I think I'm at that part of the project where you're not sure you like it anymore, but you just want it to be done. I am really liking how it's turning out, and can't wait for the beads....

Have a great weekend!

I'm so excited.....

It's the second annual dodgeball-team ski weekend! Last year's was in April, and it was one of the first entries I posted on the blog. How a year has flown!

Some friends and I are headed up to a local ski resort this weekend - I'm spa-ing, and they are skiing. I skied last year, and really regretted the opportunity not to spa, so this year I'm headed for a scrub and a facial. It should be a great weekend - the weather here is warm enough that it will be nice in town at the ski resort, and there's lots of good snow left for those who want to ski.

And we're back.....

to sunshine. It snowed most of this morning, and the view out my office window today looked more like a horrible January storm than March. But 5 hours later, we're back to sunshine, and the snow is melting again.

This city is so strange.

It was 64 degrees this afternoon, and now it's snowing....

The city that I live in has the strangest weather. Honestly - event the weather forecasters have a hard time with the city. It was 64 degrees (or 18 degrees, if you're Canadian) this afternoon - a bright sunny day, no clouds, just like March is supposed to be.

5 hours later, it's now snowing. Granted, it's a spring snow - wet, thick and coming down in clumps. But it's still snowing. I want it to be real spring - the kind that involves flowers and not snow.

Decluttering....

I'm having a bit of a declutter this afternoon, and I discovered that I had 3 scissor fobs that I was meaning to sell, but haven't yet done so. If you're interested in the scissor fobs, they're USD$15, and that price includes shipping anywhere in the world. Email is caycay at shaw dot ca, if you want to contact me about them or have any questions.

Welcome to daylight savings....

I have at least something to share this morning - I offered up a prize to get some interest in a local mailing list, and I thought I'd show it here before sending it off. It's a cell phone charm, and the bead is more of a light turquoise colour, but the backrgound doesn't really show that off very well.

I actually did get quite a bit of stitching done over the last two weeks, but not a lot I can show. I finished my spring exchange for the rotation stitchers BB, and started on the mystery exchange for the Robin's nest. I'm also hoping to finish up one remaining project shortly, which would cut my list of obligations significantly.

Thanks for all of your good wishes and good thoughts - they are appreciated! Just so you know, everything is good here, but there may (or may not) be a major change coming that I'm trying to prepare for. Again, terribly cryptic, but all I can say for now....

I have so much I can't say....

I know I've been quiet lately, but there's a lot going on, and not a lot I can share in public. Cryptic, I know, but to be on the safe side, I'll keep things quiet for now.

I might actually get to stitch tonight - I've been rather pathetic in my stitching efforts, and haven't stitched much lately. I have a little bit of progress on Epoche and not much else, but I think I might go back to Alhambra tonight - there's not a lot of confetti stitching in that one, so it's actually a pretty easy stitch.

Stitching Update

I finished up most of the stitching on a "Spring" exchange piece for the Rotation Stitchers Board - since I obviously can't show the finished piece, I thought I'd show the floss toss.

The solid purple bar down the middle is the glass rod used to make beads for one part of the piece. It was one of my "treasures" discovered yesterday when I went into a glass store that I hadn't been to in a while. The last time I was there, they had only a few beadmaking supplies. This time, they had *all* of the colours available, clearly labelled, and priced. It was heaven. (The other glass store in town doesn't carry the whole line of glass, doesn't label much of anything, and prices at the end of your purchase by pound. They're lovely people, but I think they've noticed a drop off in business)

Biscornu Exchange Made it

Judith let me know that the biscornu exchange that I sent her made it safely to the Netherlands. I only mailed it on Monday so it was a pretty quick travel!

I was at the glass studio one day, and fooling around with making some buttons. I ended up with a purple transparent button with purple and green spots on it. When I got home, I discovered that it went perfectly with SNC's Fairy Quilt Cottage - one of my favorite fibres, so I stitched a blackwork design with that. The fabric is Country Stitch in Merino. I really like the way that this design came together. (The back of the biscornu only has a regular (shirt) button on it - the shanks on the back of the glass button are a little too thick to use two of them for one biscornu.)

From the not so great idea files.....

A couple of Canadian politicians thought they should raise awareness about asbestos in children's toys - this is what they came up with.

Not this time....

In response to my Tuesday post - I was looking at an overseas move, which was just too perfect to be true. A similar position opened up a couple of weeks ago, but it was a little too junior. This time, the position was more senior, but only very short term. A longer term, and I could have re-arranged things here, but short-term would be hard to do. I appreciate all of the good thoughts over the last couple of days - I will keep looking and hoping that something will turn up.