… still not a stitching happy dance, but still happy happy happy.

Reeve is TWO!

It’s not a stitching happy dance, but this took MORE work than anything I’ve stitched in the recent years.  There are no “BEFORE” pics and that’s a good thing.

DURING the clean up:

AFTER draining and 2 solid days of scooping up muck and scrubbing:

As you can see, we packed up and left the old place.  We’ve spent a lot of time trying to get this place not so disgusting.  I haven’t stopped cleaning since June 25th.  I’m tired and I haven’t had time to unpack my stitching, much less do any actual stitching.  Patience, grasshopper.  I will stitch again when fall comes and we close the pool. 

These pics are slightly better.  I went out on the deck, laid down a towel and put my project over it.  I really need to improve on my needlework photography skills.

ETA:  I am using 35 count undyed linen from Vikki Clayton and 1 strand regular (over 2) and 1 strand premium Purple Purple aka Old Maid of the Aubergine silk also from Vikki Clayton.  I tried to get a good “view” of the weight difference in the silks with the close up shots.  I hope you can see them!

I picked up this project again on Friday night.  I think I made decent progress.  I frogged out a couple of the smaller motifs that were originally done in 1 strand regular and re-stitched them with 1 strand premium.  I really like the effect.  I wish I could stitch faster!  Sorry for the awful pictures.  The sun seems to be on strike and even with the help of my OTT lamp, this is the best I could do.

I started with this:

And ended up with this:

The goal was to give it MORE life.  The original photo looked so pale compared to what I saw that day.

The song just pops in my head every time I look at this picture.

In other news, I think Ayame’s birthday is finally over.  Presents have been flowing in like crazy and I think we got the last prezzie on Friday.  She loves the tutu and the jean-jacket from Nana Pam.  She insists on wearing the jacket even though it is definitely not jacket-weather yet.  Its good that I know she has a fall jacket ready to go. 

In other news, Master Blaster aka the boy who refuses to talk is learning new words!  He has added Jar, House, Key and Green Socks (yes TWO word phrase!) to his vocabulary.  He seems to really enjoy the flashcards I got at Target.  I should check if they have different versions on my next trip.

In garden news, ours (or our landlords’) is BEAUTIFUL!!!

These beautiful things showed up about a couple of weeks ago:

They have since turned into these!

The are absolutely BEAUTIFUL and last for a long time when cut and put in a vase.

The peonies have bloomed nicely too!  I tried to help them stand up and that resulted in the heavy blooms leaning over and the stems getting cut.  So now I have a vase of peonies in the kitchen.

I’ve been trying to get more creative with taking pictures.  I *think* I’m improving somewhat.  I really need to read the camera manual one of these days and learn how the pros do it.

My little Princess Ayame (yes, she says PRINCESS now) will be 3 on Thursday.  THREE!

2007 (2 weeks old):

2008:

2009:

2010:

When asked what she wants for her birthday, she replies with, “CANDLE!”  Is that all?  What else do you want? “TWO candles!”  Easy peasy.

I still stitch here and there.  But today I’m showing a project that was started who-knows-when, then abandoned while I decided whether I liked the colors I picked or not.  The chart was a gift from Glenda.  The silks are from HDF.  I am using premium Indigo Ocean for the Xs and regular for backstitching on 28 count light gray Lugana.

Rosemarkie by Long Dog

Here are some words of wisdom from Pensens Ayame.

It was nap time.  Not only were the kids NOT napping, they were horsing around.  So I walked in their room and caught them both goofing off.  I put on my “serious Mommy” face, used a stern voice and said, “Its nap time, not play time.”  Ayame then gave me a sweet smile and said, “You’re so pretty Mommy.  Pretty dress.  You a pensens?”  CLEARLY trying to distract me.  When I continued to scold them she started petting my dress and said, “Dress has flowers.  So nice!”  GAH!!!  I tucked them both in again and left the room and started giggling as soon as I shut the door.

More from yesterday:

“G is for Brapes!”

“Mommy, I want a mow-mowln!!!”  Do you have any idea how much time I spent showing her everything she owned, hoping it was a mow-mowln???  Do you?  Finally overcome with frustration, she grabbed an alphabet book, showed me the page for W, pointed to a WATERMELON and said, “Here.  Mow-Mowln.”  DUH.  Of course.

While on the swing set:  “I’m pensens!  This my castle!”

This morning, while “reading” The Tale of Peter Rabbit:  “And then… the mommy wabbit likes berries… and then mommy wabbit likes the bakset. And then the bunny got stuck in the water. Then its bed time. BE END!”

In Reevie news… he is trying to say Banana!  Except it comes out as “Ah-nana!”

Ayame :  Ay sos!  Reevie, kamir!

LOL!