Pals Fall Fling part 2 -- the Pals

For those of you who aren't Pals let me tell you what the Pals fall Fling is all about -- it's about laughing until you cry, chatting and telling stories until 2+A.M., eating inappropriate amounts of all sorts of goodies (especially breadsticks, but you have to do that before 11pm because Shaky's closes early), learning cool stitching stuff (in classes or gathered around gossiping with "the girls"), stashing, outlet shopping, stealing grab bags and gift boxes in exchanges, coveting all the ornies that people bring to exchange, stashing some more, and did I mention laughing until you cry and stashing? In short Fall Fling is about friends -- new ones or old ones, but all important ones.

So, with that in mind, I'd like to introduce you to some of my friends--


Here's me and Myra "the hussy" -- After years of going to Pals' annual event in Myrtle Beach I "discovered" Myra last year. There she'd been all those years looking so nice and sweet. Sure, she's nice ans sweet but she's also hysterical and, I do believe, she's my new hero. Love ya, Myra! If you want to know why she's a hussy, you'll have to come next year and ask her yourself.


That's Missy and Mel


That's Beth who is a grand stitcher and a completely doting grandma. ... Completely doting! Lord knows those little grands of hers are in for a lifetime of spoiling. lol


That's me and Amy, who runs Pals and who we all are eternally grateful to for getting us into so much stash and for introducing us to so many great best friends. I really can't thank you enough, Amy! My life would be a lot duller without you -- Myrtle Beach would only be someplace to research for work, my address book would be a lot thinner, and I'd still think Joann's was THE place to shop for cross stitch. lol


Here's a hysterical gang -- Nicole, Chris (who has started posting her adventures at the Shepherd's bush retreat ... woo hooo!), Sharon, Missy, and Karen


That's Sharon with her little angel and one of Pals Junior Stitchers. Please note: Sharon is clutching two onries for the ornament exchange. I was the lucky ole so and so who won both!


Meet Fiona and Tracey -- Fiona and I had our inaugural Pals years together in 2000. And we both had adventurous travels that year. I had a flight cancelled and ended up flying with the Mob. Honest and true. She'd travelled for I don't know how many hours to get to Myrtle Beach from Scotland. We arrived almost simultaneously and most asuredly exhausted at the dinky little Myrtle Beach airport to be met by a grinning Char. Ahhh the good ole days! And Tracey (who has a penchant for frogs--including this screamign from at Connie, another Pal, gave her. Jeez Connie, it's about time you returned to the Fling!!!!) was there in 2000 too with her son/darling little angel who somehow is now 15, 5 foot 10, and smarter than a whip.


That's the aforementioned Char and Fiona relaxing at the Hospitality House (aka The Center of Fling Socializing).


Here's the roomies of Grandpa (formerly Uncle) Leon's house -- Chris, Nicole, and yours truly.


Pals doing what we do best gather in the hospitality House and stitching and gossiping.


That's Myra proving she stitches.


Meet (again in some cases) Melva, Karen, Laurie (goddess of amazing hardanger!!!! and spoon investigator--- Laurie and I discovered one year that as opposed to our Yankee restaurants, the Southern restaurants seemed to have a distinct lack of spoons for no apparent reason), and Theresa (the nut case who stitched that giant Hummingbird Welcome that was in one of the magazines a couple years ago... TWICE!!! You'll see one of them later, I promise.)


Laurie, I, and Miss Ida celebrate my very first cording in class --- that's the cording draped across me and Laurie's everso handy drill in her hands.


Susan takes part in another Pals hobby -- sticking your tongue out at Ruth when she's taking picures.


See, lots of people do it.


Sitting around the convention center in between events -- Chris, Amy, Nicole, and Dawn. BTW, our friend Nicole stitches amazingly fast. She'd be at one of these evening events and I'd check out what she was doing, then the next thinig I know she'd finished a whole section on that piece and was working on something else. I think she has stitching elves helping her.


Dawn, Amy, Susan (Dawn's sister), me, and Miss Ida (Dawn and Susan's doting mom and grandmom to Miss Emily [see yesterday's pics], Dawn's daughter).


Meet Miriam and another Future Stitcher! He was absolutely darling. Oh, I should mention that last year was the first year Miriam ever stole anything at one of the gift parties/exchanges, and this year she stole TWICE and got rave applause both times. Well deserved -- we're all so proud!


Amy and Theresa wear a lampshade without the influence of alcohol.... just under the influence of plain ole exhaustion.

There are more Pals pics in the webshots album (and even more in my files), but I think you deserve some stitching pics, don't you????
Here are all the goodies set out on the ornie exchange table waiting for our raffle tickets to be called.....






And here are the ones I was lucky enough to win--

By Amy:

By The Consortium (the Joy ornie was stitched by Sharon, beaded by me, and finished by Chris) and Sharon:

By Renee:

By Karen:

By Laurie:

By Chris (who started this ornie because I was taking so long to shop at her LNS, Lazy Daisy in Raleigh)

By Rita [Hey, Kathryn, does it make you think of Brunner and The Sheep Look Up too? lol):

By Dawn:


Ok, my fanny's tired from sitting so long and I really, really need caffine. More Adventures from Pals tomorrow -- I think tomorrow I'll introduce you to the joys of Grab Bag and Gift Box night..... and maybe start the Ruth Went Shopping report.

ttfn

Pals Fall Fing report 1

At long last .... here we are!

Well, that's us save for Nicole who was nursing a sore back (and World Series hopes).

By the way, Amy has a shot up on her page of all the Pals bloggers and a picture of me taking pictures.... apparently I do a lot of that. lol And yes, Amy, I'll get to the lampshade, trust me!

To try and save my narrative sanity, I'm going to bundle the report by topics rather than the actual timeline of events. Bear with me....

Jane of Fancy Works (who has a nice blog you can visit her at had a series of classes over the course of the weekend. I only took the ornament class which was really wonderful. I have to say that if you get a chance to take a class with Jane, you shuold. She's calm and she times her class well so that you can keep up without getting either stalled waiting for folks or completely lost. She's got great ideas and tips, and apparently abundant patience.
We did have a little wonderful excitement in class. Mel got a call during class that they might have a heart for her mom who has been waiting on the transplant list. If you check her blog it seems that it was a match and mom is doing better and better!!!! Ya gotta love those miracles.
Before she left I did manage to get a cute picture of Mel and Susan--


I forced my table of ornamentors into a group picture at the end of class --

That's me, Chris, Jane, Karen, Marva, and Steph.

Here's some of us in action in class --

Marva

Chris (finishing her own laddering... she finished mine later, God bless her!)

Steph (check out the cute cat backing -- hmm, somehwere I have a picture of the front of her piece....)

Found it!....

That's my piece -- with my CORDING! I've never made cording before, but my buddy Laurie helped and now I have some lovely cording to attach. Maybe I'll even endeavor to do some more on my own. Cross your fingers!

That's Karen giving me her best bugger-off look -- she had 4 or 5 ornies to finish in class and was not to be disuaded from her exceptionally productive path!

Here's a bunch gathereed around her Jane's lessons -- standing in the white shirt is Lynn, seated next to her is Myra the Hussy (I'll explain later), that's Steph next to her, then Jane, then the back of Laurie's head, and a lovely shot of Renee's hat.

Jane also brought along a collection of her ever so tempting pieces--





There are more of them in my webshots alblum if you want to follow the photos along.

Next I'd like to share where I did my fair share of stashing.....

That's Mary of M Designs and CrossStitch-ville and her brood (although the littlest imp in the back is Miss Emily who was visiting her Fall Fling best buddies rather than sitting with her mommy at our table)
And here's were I did my stashing -- in Mary's shop on the road....



And Mary seduced me with The Perfect fabric for the LK fip its I've been waiting to start --


I HAD to get that fabric. I just had to! Now I'm itching to start that pattern. Great another WIP. Just what I need! Thanks a lot, Mary.
And check out the cool framer Mary has --


Ok, that's it for now. I might be back later tonite, but I'll certainly be back later this week with more photo essays on all the Fall Fling fun.

Hugs everyone..... may all your frogs be scenic!

Hey everybody -- want to win something?

Or at least have the chance to win something?

Our friend Chris is having a blogiversary contest which ends today. Go leave her a comment and wish her a happy blogiversary.... I believe it actually is today.

Yes, still no pics. Maybe tomorrow. But I can share an important bit of wisdom. When you return to the Pacific Rim after a trip to the US East Coast it is important to remember to change your alarm clock's alarm setting, BUT it is VITAL to also change your alarm clock's TIME setting. By heavens it was dang dark at 4:20 AM today!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol Yes, I did chage the alarm but not hte time AND I didn't notice yesterday that the alarm clock was going off at 4:20 in the frickin morning! Sheesh.

In CA

Ok, still no pics. Up to my hairclip in "urgent" requests... and, shock of shocks, one of them actually IS urgent!

For those of you familiar with Ruth's Adventures in Pals Travel you will be heartened to know that after the fairly pedestrian flights to Myrtle Beach this year, I was treated to a new experience on my return journey --- they held a plane for me. Just me. I feel so special.

No I have to go deal with the urgent question-- right after I get a fresh coke. I just looked at my cup and it has a lipstick ring on it. I'm not wearing lipstick today. YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!

Kinda home....

... Hi, Honey! I've survived the Fall Fling, I've photoed all my stash, and I'm about to go plant my fanny on the end of Chris' couch and STITCH! hee heeee Short version: I had big time fun, my cheeks hurt from laughing, and I'm beat from all the relaxing I've been doing.

More news soon. ..... With PICTURES! I even finished something while I was gone How exciting is that?!

Acccck!, more shows, and a happy hint.....

Aaaaacccccckkkkkkkkkkk! I am still so very, very not ready. Sure, my office is marginally cleaner than it was on Friday, I've run (I think) all my errands, and I've "pre-packed" (ie. bundled into my laundry basket) almost everything that needs to be packed. Oh and I've finished that ornament for the class! It all sounds so very good, doesn't it?

But you see, now I have a report to edit for work, a pile of dubious (ie. potentially time consuming) research to do for the office, and final collecting and packing. To add to the joy of the office work, I now have no access to our VPN so I have to get everything done before I leave and go in the office tomorrow morning practically before dawn (ie. 6am) and drop off said work. {No, it wasn't my idea to lock me out of the new VPN, and I may be starting a pool to see how long it takes for them to believe I'm not lying about really, really needing access to it.}

On a much happier note -- our friend Chris is about to have a Blogiversary. She's going to give some lucky soul a prize if they leave her a comment. So go visit her and say "hi." While you're there you might ask how she's coming on her Shepherd's Bush Retreat review. hee heeee

And on another happy note. I found The Book. [See previous entry if confused.] Yahoo!!!!!!

And on a final happy note -- by this time tomorrow I will be around about half-way to Chris' house which means I'll be a mere couple days from full Myrtle Beach cross stitch euphoria! I'll think of you all while walowing in xs hapipness.

I'm so not ready

Oh I am soooo not ready. Monday morning I leave for Chris' house (and in particular her really, really comfy couch) and the Cross Stitch Pals Fall Fling, and I still need to figure what needs taking, do laundry, get my stitching together, finish one or two ornies for the ornament class, pick up Sees Candy, do misc other shopping (must have Zicam for potential colds and AAA batteries for my new mini stitching light), figure out he prizes for the Sting Op and pack them as necessary, finish (yeah right!) the patriotic piece I want to leave for framing, clean enough of my hovel so I have room to pack, and then actually pack, etc. Oh and work-work for 20 hours. I’m doomed. Simply doomed.

Want further proof of my doomedness? I always carry around a little spiral notebook I refer to as “The Book.” The Book takes all my “scribbling of import” – humorous or thoughtful quotes, book shopping lists, stash shopping lists, etc. A couple months before a trip The Book becomes The Trip Book and starts hosting a series of progressively more detailed packing and travel plans. In short, it keeps my head screwed on straight. At the moment, I can’t find The Book. 3 days til departure and I can’t find The Book. OMG I’m doomed.

That patriotic piece I plan/hope to leave at Chris’ LNS for framing has made it this far:

Not nearly far enough! If I can start backstitching on the plane I’ll be ecstatic. Cross your fingers!!!!

The problem with the patriotic piece is my ornament class necessities –

I wanted to take 3 ornaments of the pointed banner type for the finishing class. The above is #2. And #2 is causing me a problem. You see all I got last night is maybe 30 stitches passed where I was in this picture, but that included a tie off and on. The problem is that before that tie off I got one stitch too many in the central motif of the border. Sigh. Time to frog some stitching. Oh and if you were liking this ornie it's an adjustment of what appeared in one of the JCS' by Fancy Work. There was a bird on the original one that look like a baby chick which didn't, I feel, go with the rest of the piece. I also switched out a bunch of the colors for more appropriate ones. For the record, as a rule, every bird does not have brown legs. Sure, I'm picky about my birds--- it comes from growing up with hundreds of them in my backyard, but it's not like you can't look around and notice that birds don't have 3371 legs.

Below is ornament #1—

I have to design #3 still. lol Like that’s going to happen.

Here’s hoping I have a clearer picture of life by Sunday when allegedly I should be packing!

P.S. Damn. Another show! Who else is counting the days to the start of Leverage?

Finishing results and The Pals Ornie Collection

Ok, only got a minute here, but I can't wait any longer to post my ELEVEN (woo hoo) weekend Ornie Finishing Festival finishes:




And for those of you who are Pals, here are my contributions to the Fall Fling Ornament Swap Night:


And, if you're a Pal and can post to the BB a link for other Pals to visit these ornies, I'd be especially grateful!

Gotta run -- terribly busy and semi-annoyed.... work, of course. Sigh.

drat

grumble grumble grouse grouse
I forgot the camera today. So, no pics for you of my finishing weekend. How did yours go?

Happy Monday!!!!!! lol-- yeah, right.

Stitching, Stashing, Travelling, and Other Adventures, or Why I Am Destined to Be a Blithering Idiot

[Sorry. Channelling 19th century novel title forms there for a minute.]

STITCHING
At last a moment to show what I've been up to. Of course it's not much, but I take what I can get ---

An ornie! A whole ornie. Whoopie!!!! Call the press. I need to make a statement. Actually I have also recently finished April's Fall F&S squares, but you can't see those. If I could have worked the brilliant trick our friend Kathryn did when showing her bundle of exchange goodies, I would have. But somehow the back of a stitched piece (at least the back of mine) tend to give it all away. I could have taken a picture of the back of the mailing envelop -- funny, sure, but not nearly as intriguing. Oh well.

Anyway, the above ornie is from an old Shepherd's Bush sampler. I actually did it in the colors called for -- so not a me thing to do. Now that I see how it comes out I can go back and do it again in more Christmasy colors.

I've got "active" needles in:

and

The first is my languishing fife and drummer piece, and the second is an ornament from one of the JCSes by Fancy Work. And both are suddenly "essential." You see in two weeks (ack!) I'll be off the the
Cross Stitch Pals Fall Fling where I will be taking an ornament finishing class with Jane Timmers who is Fancy Work. I have one pointy-banner ornie done, but I kinda want to go into the class with 3 ready for finishing. Cross your fingers! That plan alone would be enough to keep me busy, but I want to drop the fife and drum off with Chris' LNS for framing. Maybe I should try starting a coffee addiction?
{BTW: Can you all help me -- Chris went to this year's Shepherd's Bush retreat and yet we have no updates on her blog? No pictures? No hot news? No tormenting comments about all the cool stuff? I believe we are being unjustly uninformed! We have the inalienable right to be jealous of other people's stitching adventures!!!! So, let's all pester Chris for a full trip report.}

STASHING
I did it again --




I went to Silkweavers. I didn't need to. I just did it for no reason. Next thing you know I was clicking "buy" on a shopping cart of solos. Sigh. This is why my sister keeps saying I need a 42-bedroom house (one for me, 3 for stash, everything else for books). I'd take an oath that I wouldn't buy any more stash until I completed 10 existing projects, but I'm going to that Pals thing in two weeks and I am, at heart, a realist.

TRAVELLING
See notes above on the impending Cross Stitch Pals Fall Fling. Are you one of the lucky devils joining me? Are you ready? lol Yeah, I know. No one is. If you're not coming this year, put it in the back of your brain for next year. It really is fun. Loads and loads of fun. Every year by the end of the weekend I leave with sore face muscles from laughing so much. I also leave tired from staying up yammering and stitching so much. I also leave after hugging dozens of new best buddies. I also leave with butter stains on one shirt from the Annual Crabby Mike's Pilgrimage -- drawn butter and pounds of crab legs play holy heck with the tshirt wardrobe [memo to self.... pack a "disposable" shirt for that night].

I mean look at how happy we look last year--

That's Chris and me (apparently sprouting a palm tree chapeau) and Shelleen. Ok Chris doesn't look so happy, but what does she know. She was probably trying to look responsible.

And that's my buddy Julie with me and Karen.

Hey Pals, did you notice in my previous pics of ornies, did you see the two special ones just for the exchange --

That's one of our Pals' sterling silver charms from a couple years ago
And this one I personalized just for us:

They'll be on the exchange table waiting for you!

Now, it takes some prep to get ready for all this fun. I have to get the ornaments finalized -- remember this weekend is my self-proclaimed ORNIE FINISHING FESTIVAL II. You are all invited to join me! I also need to finish those Fancy Work ornaments for class and that fife and drum piece. I need to mail to Chris' house my grab bag and gift exchange items so I don't have to haul them through the airport all the time worrying about breakage. Oh, and I need to figure out if I'm taking anything for the Stitcher's Showcase and put some thought into the award(s) for the Stash Sting Operation that I'm sponsoring. Annnnnd I HAVE to remember to get to See's Candy to pick up the essential gifts. lol Your friend Amy is a fan of Key Lime Pie truffles, and various other Pals are See's deprived. My big fear is I'm forgetting folks. Did I tell you I was bringing you chocolates? Crud, the list in my pathetic memory is kinda short.

Oh and I need to finish that Charlaine Harris novel I have half done. You see I want to take Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair with me. I need to read that so I can get to the audio versions of the subsequent volumes in the series. Some moron (No, I'm not sorry if it's you. You're a moron.) approved only an abridged audio version of book one, but unabridged versions of all the subsequent novels in the series. Abridged???? Jeez, I feel lazy enough that I'm listening instead of reading (but it's hard to work and hold a book at the same time), but an abridged book is an abomination.

OTHER ADVENTURES
Hmm. Not so very adventurous actually. Work is insane, but that's normal.

I was actually going to use this spot to be grateful for a blogging award, but I'll wait on that because I have to put some more thought into it. lol I put too much thought into things, maybe. Last night a friend mentioned (merely mentioned) the Actor's Studio's habit of asking folks what their least favorite word is, and I've been stuck on it ever since. I know there are words I really dislike because there are words I avoid specifically because I don't like them. But apparently I avoid them all together too well because now I can't bring them to mind. You know it's going to drive me nuts until I can think of a couple options on this. Sigh. Seven million things to worry about and 4% of my brain has spent nearly 24 hours trying to remember words I've specifically excised from my mind.

*************
Luck came to those who left a space for it.
Terry Pratchett -- Making Money